House of Holland On Budget

Staying on the Henry trail, I was sent an email with the above subject line a day or two ago. On opening it, I learnt that House of Holland has designed a 'dongle' for O2. I have no idea what a dongle is but it looks quite useful and this one is quite cool (though not sure what a normal 'dongle' would entail)




However, I can't help feeling that the tagline is a little misleading. Is it really 'House of Holland on a budget'? I don't need a budget dongle, I need this:

LFW Parties

My show attendance was really poor this time around but I did go to the parties...

Mulberry Monday

Mulberry had cleared out their Bond St store and filled it was a fashion crowd and champagne instead.

There was an Autumn beetle theme and sparkly plastic creatures were velcro'd onto all the walls. At the end of the eve people started grabbing them but somehow I wasn't quick enough off the mark and went home without one. Shame because a black sparkly beetle is exactly the sort of thing I like.

They made waiter boys walk around in short shorts and tight tops to top up champagne and hand out mini burgers. When people top up your champagne you can never charter how much you are actually drinking. I forgot my camera so I hope B doesn't mind me pinching these three..




House of Holland Tuesday

This was a bit of a celeb affair. I was so excited when Sarah Harding from Girls Aloud sat at our table, I LOVE them. Ronnie told her that we had just been discussing how Girl's Aloud are the best girl group EVA (this was true) and uh named dropped a mutual acquaintance..I just smiled

Someone said that Henry's parties are always like weddings because all his friends and family are there and this was true. It was a really nice atmosphere! Aggie arrived in a purple creation fresh off the afternoon's catwalk- amazing striped dress and tights with wedge boots. Her Mum was there too and Ronnie took her for a spin on the dance floor, she outdanced him.

THEN Kanye West showed up with his be-visored girlfriend in tow. He was mainly sitting and then the DJs put on American Boy and he leapt up to rap his little bit over the mic. It was quite amazing.

I forgot to take many photos and always feel a pest asking the famed ones to pose. Someone dodged the massive bouncer and went for it though... here is the result





So tired this eve I'm glad to be in!

Oh and I forgot to mention I have twitter, add me should you so wish

www.twitter.com/sarahedwinarose

LFW A/W 09 Modernist + Nico Didonna + parties

Yesterday morning Bianca, Christina and I battled the weekend tourists and headed to the Modernist exhibition. The black/structured shoulders/mesh panels are becoming something of a staple at the moment, but I do love it! This dress below was made with a garnish of long black hair- an interesting take on fur!





We then went to Vauxhall Fashion Scout to watch Nico Didonna, a designer I knew nothing about. Fashion Scout hosts off schedule shows for graduates and less well established designers; it's a really good idea as you often see some amazing designs in this space, William Tempest is showing this evening. They also are kinder with their ticket allocations so students and people such as myself can go without too much hassle.

Some the Nico's designs are below, large collars and voluimous fabric. The menswear was particular good and there was a terribly special sparkly jacket that sent everyone pointing and whispering behind hands (sadly no photo). However the show was not finished well; a model walked out with a long thread hanging off her skirt, it was glaringly obvious in the yellow stage lights and you could literally hear gasps of horror. Then a girl walked out with white thread stuck to black tights...things like this really make a difference to impression.




Back to mine for a change of shoes and then back out to the Met Bar for Pink Drinks. The cocktails were pink and sugary and they had a candyfloss machine, of course I took advantage! There was also an exhibtion on the 3rd floor and each designer was assigned a hotel room to show in, a great concept.



We then headed over to meet Daren at PPQ. Now PPQ is notorious for the PPQueue and last night was not exception. We joined the snaking mammoth line and waited and waited and waited. The when we got in we wondered why... I can't put my finger on why it wasn't a great party but it wasn't. Though the Noisettes performed (below) which was super and saw the singer clambering up the iron work to pose on the balcony during a song. Thanks Daren for taking these!



At this point I had lost everyone and was sipping a sherry cocktail alone, furiously texting away. Luckily I met Ronnie who I sorta knew via twitter (SUCH a computer generation) and we left to the Christopher Kane party. Later friends B and Charlie joined us and B did a dance on the table with a man who had rolled up his trousers.



I just can't believe I woke up and went to work today...off to have a nap before heading out this eve

Links A La Mode

Recommended reading!

Links à la Mode : February 19th

Breakfast at Saks - NY Fashion Week from afar - Breakfast at Saks reviews the William Rast show
Consume or Consumed - Harnessing a Trend: Exposed Slips
Couture Allure Vintage Fashion - Dressing the Best Actress Oscar nominees in vintage.
dramatis personae - Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler: Booze, Beads, & Costumes–Experiencing Mardi Gras like a Local.
Egregiously yours - Spring look book, part one: chambray blue, luminous grey and crisp white.
fashion in my eyes - Barbie all the way!
fete a fete - shu uemura Spring Mirage mode makeup!
Independent Fashion Bloggers - PR: Frienemy or BFF?
Juicy Watermelon - Juicy Watermelon Meets Hello Kitty
Modelizing - more bergdorf loving from me
Or False Glitter - Adventures in heels too high to walk in
Retro Chick - Work, Rest & Play: Asymmetry
Shopping and Info - Shopping and Info found the English version of J Crew and loves the prices.
Solo Lisa - Danish-born, Vancouver-based designer Malene Grotrian hosts an exclusive fashion show in her studio
Studio Purpura Fashion Blog - New York Fashion Week Fall 2009 - Rouge reds, Bold Metallic Colors and Fur!
Style Amor - I GOT FIRED FROM THE FASHION INDUSTRY!: 5-Tips On How To Move On With Your Life and Career
Style Symmetry - Who doesn’t love Marilyn Monroe?
Style With Anna - Fashion Tips For The Skinny Guy
Summershoes - International Size Guide to find your right size around the internet
THE COVETED - threeASFOUR AW09/10 presentation
the musings of ondo lady - Lose yourself in Wanderland Boutique; the cool pop up store that is taking Manchester by storm.

LFW A/W 09 Hannah Marshall

Already day 2 of my frienemy London Fashion Week. I almost completely missed Day 1 and only just managed to get myself to the Chloe Sevigny/opening week bash at Double Club last night with fellow blog babes Jeanie and Stevie. Apparently Kylie and Aggie were there amongst others, but I left early due to the fact that my feet were KILLING (weaning myself back into the heels) and drinks were not free with house wine costing £22 a bottle..

Today I woke late and went to meet the boys in Oxford Circus; we sat in the sun and sorted our show tickets out over green tea and realised we had missed some of the morning shows already. With still a few today we headed to South Ken to pick up our press passes and looked around the exhibition.

7pm I headed to Hannah Marshall's presentation with Christina. I absolutely LOVE Hannah Marshall's designs, they are a perfect embodiment of my idealized style and I always want every piece. We poured over her structured leather shoulders, draping sheer and this amazing harness item- I am making Christina try and DIY this one for me!







Hannah had brought super stylish band Ipso Facto along to play a gig in her designs. They were the ideal models for the clothes with their shiny asymmetric hair and bold make up. They make me want to chop off my hair and paint on pouty red lips.




Finally an outfit shot; people seemed to like this PVC jacket, it was sold to me by my old piano teacher in Wales, an old, eccentric but talented woman.

I love a Dapper Man

This evening I went to the launch of a range for Cheap Mondays in a Soho Boutique. Regretfully I did not think to photograph any of the jeans (think shredded/patchwork/general distressness) because two of my friends’s outfits were more interesting.

In the times of Jane Austen it was normal for a man to be be-breeched in a top hat and tails, and looking smart and groomed can translate very well into twenty first century with little effort. Here, Daren and Fotis add modern twists yet retain the core quality of formality and are SO dapper!






I avoided the progress to Bungalow 8 as it is the eve of fashion week and I predict riotous times ahead; times where I shall be getting no sleep and taking a short nap in the toilets in work, classy…

Valentines Gift from YSL

I was informed via Style Bubble of the grand handing out of the S/S09 YSL manifesto, a prospect made all the more attractive by the promise of receiving a super cute heart shaped USB stick.

So come Saturday morning I had set my alarm for the small hours and dutifully trekked off to Covent Garden to get a bag and a memory stick. Now when it was announced that they would be handed out in Covent Garden at 11 I naturally assumed this would take place at the tube station...not so. I was there like a proper geek at ten to and observed the fact that nothing was going on!

A group of 15yr old girls ran past me literally screaming! They too were in quest of a memory stick and looked like they had dressed up for the occassion! I am sorry to say I followed them for a bit but they didn't actually know where they were going. It was lucky I bumped in to Daren also searching for the elusive bags and we eventually found the YSL team (all dressed in black bomber jackets) only to find them empty handed! Luckily 5 mins later they replenished and we grabbed a bag thankfully and left.


I love the fact that the manifesto is made with sticker paper so you can peel out the models and stick them somewhere! Also, with the USB on a string how can one resist trying it as a necklace? Quite a chic way for a girl to transport her data!

Just Bitten

Beauty terms could be amusing when taken literally. The 'smoky eye' is a universally used term now but a real smoky eye (ie. My eyes after a night out before the smoking ban hit the UK) is a red and teary one. Similarly, one might have 'flirty lashes' that are off chatting up boys, or 'glowing cheeks' to help you see in the dark.

The other night as I considered my make-up I quite seriously thought to myself 'I shall try a just bitten lip tonight' before laughing at the ridiculous nature of this familiar term ok, lets just ring up Edward Cullen then!

Sadly with no vampires at my disposal I was forced to create 'bitten lip' in a conventional manner. A nude foundation base upon the lips before applying Benefit Benitint to the center of my lips and letting it seep down naturally. I also tried a backwards eyeliner flick which I quite like.





I used: Diorshow liquid eyeliner, brown from Dior mini palette, Chanel powder, Benetint (from the pocketpal) and Bobbi Brown foundation

The Dreaded Mid-Heel

I love shoes and usually the more ridiculously high the better! 5 inch heels were a staple to me and I was no stranger to pain. I calculated that wearing my shoes I would stumble on the uneven London pavements at least 5 times in a night, and fall over completely 1 in every 3 nights out.

These odds are actually really accurate and I accepted them. I would set out wobbily, and allocate a gay friend to lend me his arm for every staircase. In my bag I would have a squashed pair of ballet pumps which would be changed into at the end of an evening at the bus stop or in the street and the heels would be carried home dangling from my fingers.

But these days I have shamefully lost my confidence in heels! I had a really nasty fall in the middle of Punk nightclub, I slipped on some liquid and fell right back until my hair hit the floor and my hat fell off my head!! It was awfully embarassing! And there is the problem of walking to to venues; so often we don't actually know where the party is and amble around streets for quite some time before actually getting where we wanted to go..

These factors combined, recently I have found myself avoiding my beautiful skyscrapers and opting for a boring safe heel. The though of the stress and pain of my highest heels is not attractive, it resembles an assault course both in metaphor and reality..It was with these sentiments that I today clicked a never before accessed section on topshop.com, the 'low-mid heel'

Eugh there is nothing in there that tempts me, stumps so small it is not a heel at all, why bother! No, I have decided that what I need is a chunky heel with a platform toe and perhaps a strap for security. There are some on ASOS, I quite like these French Connection fringed heels, they are look comfy without looking boring; the others I am less enthusiastic about. I wish I were vintage girl whom can pull off the cutesty 50s look but alas in these Mary Janes I would look frumpy.

I cannot abandon my lovely collected silly heels though, and with such a low budget for new purchases, the old shoes are bound to make an appearance during fashion week. Out will come the old ballet flats, the dignity will once again be risked… yes what the heck, you are only young once and I’d rather look a fool in good shoes.

Laundry Misconceptions

When I saw this beautiful photo from Vogue Nippon I thought 3 things:

1. I love her hair, perhaps I should go shorter and start with the backcombing/crimping?

2. How silly would I look in a pair of those Creepers on a scale on 1-10? I like them but they would clown my feet surely?

3. LAUNDERETTE ILLUSION!


For the first time in my entire life I am living in a flat with no washing machine. Call me a snob but this is pretty standard in modern living no? Unfortunately our miser landlords decided that a furnished flat is not a flat where one can wash clothes, so my flat mates and I are forced to make the weekly trek to 'Spin and Dry', a small launderette on our road that is so dirty it seems ironic to do washing in there.

The infamous Levis ad from 1985 showed doing laundry a stylish and sexy activity. Well, let me say, no one is stripping off in Spin and Dry, and when considering that the clientele are largely old and disgusting, I am glad of this!


Doing laundry did perhaps strike me a pseudo-modern romantic thing to do before I actually had to do it. One might imagine reading a book and looking interesting, or striking up a conversation with a mysterious stranger.. not the case. Fighting for washers, getting your precious pounds swallowed by the machine and evaporating into nothing, cold dryers, getting twisted tights out of the spinner and sending pants flying around you? No not sexy.

And this is before I even start about the people in there. Mad grannies, talkative young lads, oh yeh and that guy smoking crack in the corner (this was yesterday- at 3 in the afternoon). Oh yes, I really wish I could go to the same Laundrette as Jessica Stam and Levis Man

This is what a visit really involves boredom, lots of Ikea bags, and mild fear for one's life..






This sign particular makes me laugh, litter is the least of their worries; a sign would be better addressed to the alcoholics who have small parties in there, the drug dealers who visit regularly and the tramp that sets his sleeping bag out on top of the machines!!

Links A La Mode: The IBF Weekly Round Up

Take a look at these fab links from fellow bloggers xx

Links à la Mode : February 5th

• 39thandbroadway.com - We are fierce, fabulous, fashionable women; now show us our freakin money!
• A Few Goody GumDrops - A Few Goody Gumdrops scoops an interview with famed fashion editor, Lien Ta about Oscar Style and Fashion!
• Calgary Fashion - Calgarian Up and Coming Designer raises the bar for Project Runway Canada contestants.
• Couture Allure - An open letter to Blumarine about body image in their advertising.
• fashion in my eyes - Tour de Paris
• féte à féte - Givenchy spring beauty colors!
• Independent Fashion Bloggers - IFB wants you to DRESS UP for a global soirée
• Iwanttowearit. - Karl and Katsyua Kamo rock the paper and scissors for the Chanel couture show. Arts and crafts never looked so glam!
• LeCityKitty - An even edgier option of blacl polish, Flatte Black by Knock Out. Oui Si Chic
• Little Black Book - Exploring the fusion of fashion and music through singer songwriter Lady GaGa
• Mademoiselle Robot - Worshiping John Waters & getting inspired by his films
• Modelizing - bergdorf goodman 5f window display
• Or False Glitter - Pondering negative male perceptions of my style!
• reLYME - Smashbox’s new spring live brings out your inner muse.
• Shopping and Info - Shopping and Info found Angelina Jolie’s Hippie Chic black dress for Spring 2009.
• Solo Lisa y Nada Mas - Menswear-inspired looks for the ladies
• Style Symmetry - Eyeliah sits for 10 artists to paint her portrait… not naked!
• Style With Anna - Valentine’s Day Contest - Win This Fabulous Necklace!
• Technology Starlet - Journey of a Pro Fashion Techie and her HP Mini Vivienne Tam Edition
• THE COVETED - Packing light for the compulsive over packer.
• the musings of ondo lady - Meet Chanel Ward, the fabulous blogger who brings us Hip Candy as well as six other blogs including Michele O. Style.

Doctor Doctor

For awhile now I have had an accessory in my head that would make much happier. I like to traipse around London with a ghosty face and dark eyes and think of Victorian times, and I feel that a Doctors bag would complete this in both look and feel.

In my mind I have a hand held bag with a clasp fastening crafted from battered leather.. I thought that this idea came from Sherlock Holmes himself, but as I google imaged like a fiend, I realised that in fact it was Dr. Watson whom actually carried a Doctors bag(yes, big surprise there!).



And would you believe it, my very dream bag was snapped looking fabulous on Jak and Jil in Paris no less



I have stepped up the search and used a very small bit of work time to check out the situation on my old nemesis Ebay. To my surprise the bag exists!! Yes, the very bag, my bag! There is one catch though, and quite a big catch...it is 'Buy It Now' for £159 PLUS £11 postage. Now call me old fashioned but isn't this quite a lot for a bag that they admit has

'noticable marks, creasing, blemishes and scratches to the hide. There are also scuffs to the corners, and the shape of the case has changed over time, so it does not stand symetrically.'





So I am forking out more than a weeks rent for a damaged old bag?? I think the price lies in the fact that it is a 1900c. piece, an actual piece of Victoriana. It does make me wonder about the concept of 'Vintage' though ; when does something stop being 2nd hand and become vintage? And is something always 'vintage' even as it deteriorates into dust! Should age and wear justify a higher price?? I am not tight with bag money, I received jibes and scorn for months when I bought my Chole but I knew it would last and stand changeable fashions with its classic design...This however? I think I would feel a fool paying this much for something truly battered on its last legs.

The trouble is that it is THE bag for me... might have to email the seller and do some begging.

Central Line Witch

In a not so distant city a brown-haired girl was on the tube traveling home from work with her dear blonde friend. They were sitting next to each other in silence, dozing and contemplating the day past.

The brown-haired girl was reading the person next to her’s copy of Heat when SUDDENLY an old woman flew through the air and landed on her lap! She had been heading full force for an empty seat and jolted off her feet by a bump on the train track. It took 3 people to heave her off the girls lap and she thankfully scuttled to the spare seat and sat down heavily.

The old woman had a nest of grey hair, poky peering glasses and trousers a little too short so that her socks showed. She looked around, observing everything with words bubbling behind her mouth. She was desperate to talk, and eventually leant over the blonde friend whispering audibly

‘how is your hair like that? What dye did you use?’

The blonde friend politely replied that she had used a toner. The bridges of communication were down, waters tested, the old woman could now say what she really meant. First she turned to the brown haired girl and jabbing the air spoke wisely

‘You need to stop being scared! Stop being scared of decisions, look it is showing in the dark purple circles under your eyes! I can see it!’

She then leant over to the blonde friend,

‘And you! You need to stop thinking about everything, its giving you lines on your forehead!’

Her speech finished, she alighted the tube, leaving the two friends in silence, rubbing their eyes and smoothing their foreheads. The brown-haired girl immediately got off at Bond St ran to Selfridges to buy a Dior Skinflash; Touche Eclat is more reflective but the Dior version gives better coverage.

Sometimes London is like a fairytale. Or a nightmare.

The Ipod Shuffle

The Ipod shuffle has revolutionised the way we listened to music; instead of listening to the story of an album from beginning to end, we are shoved from artist to artist, genre to genre ruthlessly. I wrote an article about this and genrally ranted about the lost art of the album for about 1,000 words, but recently I have stopped resenting the nature of the Ipod generation.

For example, it really is comical to be moodily listening to Queens of the Stone Age mooching along and kicking leaves, only to have the Hairspray soundtrack blast into your ear the next second. Also, the shuffle can make you think. I was confornted with one such thinking episode when I was listening to Hole and Courtney Love's enraged lyrics:

Everytime that I sell myself to you
I feel a little bit cheaper than I need to
I wiil tear the petals off of you
Rose-red, I will make you tell the truth
Was she asking for it?
Was she asking nice?
Yeah, she was asking for it
Did she ask you twice?
Everytime that I stare into the sun
Angel dust and my dress just comes undone
Everytime that I stare into the sun
Be a model or just look like one
Well I'll rock it to the end
Do you think you can make me do it again?

Cynical. Then next I have 60s icon Dusty Springfield

Don't you see
That now you've gone
And I'm left here on my own
That I have to follow you
And beg you to come home?

You don't have to say you love me
Just be close at hand
You don't have to stay forever
I will understand
Believe me, believe me
I can't help but love you
But believe me
I'll never tie you down


I wanted to get poor Dusty and tell her 'no it shouldn't be like this! Listen to Courtney!'. It was such a stark comparison between feminism and total submisson. Which is more real? Both are reactions to 'love', these reactions that might reflect the era... I don't neccessarily think that Dusty is any less relevant than Hole to todays society though; observing broken hearts of today they are just as desperate.

I still love both artists in their own way, though combined by the Ipod suffle it does get too confusing! Also they are both style icons of mine. Strangely when creating these Polyvores I noticed that their style and looks are actually quite similar, bright hair, dark eyes and lace lace lace


Courtney Love - by sarahedwinarose on Polyvore.com




Dusty Springfield - by sarahedwinarose on Polyvore.com