Hello, Darling!

If you love burlesque and cabaret, or essentially anything sexy and fabulous as much as I do, then you’ll absolutely love this experience.

On May 24, my friend and I got tickets, via Nightkey, to the opening night of Hello Darling’s House Party. I had been following the Instagram page to this brand new venue for about a month or two before it opened, with the page dropping hints to exquisite interior design inspirations, and scrumptious looking food options. So of course, I was ecstatic to finally go see the venue.

The building was gorgeous, standing opposite a small green space by Waterloo Station, beaming its neon sign across the road for everyone to see. “Hello Darling!” it proclaimed. Upon entry, we got a view of the restaurant. It was beautifully decorated with vintage inspiration, and the food looked absolutely scrumptious. Due to our invitation being to the House Warming Party, on this occasion we did skip the food, and were shown around the corner, up a flight of stairs to another part of the venue. (We’ll definitely be back soon for a dinner reservation!)

Once we arrived at the top, we were told to enter through a door in the wall (gorgeous wallpaper making life difficult). Stepping through to this magical little house, we were greeted by the incredible performers of House of Q. They were fabulous, friendly, and so welcoming. We proceeded to go through and get our welcome drink, and then move into the first room of the evening.

Throughout the house, there were to be 6 themed rooms, and we were able to travel to each one, with a new performance taking place. The House Party was a very intimate occasion, with only 40 people allowed in the house for the night, making the experience all the more sociable and exciting. The performers felt as if they were our friends, mingling around with all the guests, joining in for photos, and having a dance.

The performances ranged from drag to burlesque, with live singing and more. Once all the performances had finished, the guests were able to wonder the house, enjoying each magical room for themselves.

The rooms were brilliant. With interior design by Darling and Edge, they were filled with dreamy wallpaper, antique furniture, and even a giant tigers head, protruding from the wall! Each room transported you to a new world, which you were able to play in to your hearts content.

Now, for the outfit! Seeing as, via their instagram, every room looked so different and unique, it was difficult to choose one outfit to fit the evening. I’d thought about wearing a tea dress, being versatile, and to me, a little fictional, as I always imagine being in Alice in Wonderland at a tea party. Deciding against that, and spotting the perfect dress in my wardrobe, I chose to go with a floor length, 1970s vintage, psychedelic printed dress, from Beyond Retro. My reasoning for this was that the print was so intense, I felt as though I could blend into anything that might come my way during this event. Sure enough, I actually blended into some wallpaper, and fit the decor quite nicely!

Now, I don’t wear this dress very often as I’m a tiny little thing at 5’2 and this dress is faaaar longer, so I had to borrow a pair of 6″ platforms from a friend. These shoes were wonderful as they gave an oil slick patent look, mirroring the look of the dress when visible. They also gave me the perfect height to finally match the height of everyone else in the venue, which is always a nice feeling! As usual, I had a smokey eye, done with the Tartelette; In Bloom palette, and paired that with a bold red lip, with Mac’s Retro Matte Liquid Lip Colour, my absolute favourite lipstick!

Overall, the night was exquisite, and it was an absolute pleasure to be one of the 40 people on the list to this House Warming Party. With the team being that of the people behind The Vaults, I am dying to go check that out too!

If you haven’t had the chance to checkout Hello Darling yet, definitely give it a go, the interiors will blow you away. And don’t forget to give House of Q some love as well as their performances were fabulous, and I can’t wait to go to another one!

Thank you lovelies for being patient and waiting this out, I promise to be more onto of everything from next week!

Have a great week and speak soon!

xxxxxxxxxx

I’m back!

Hello lovelies!

I have to apologize it’s been so long since I was last on here… I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus, but I’m back for good now, I promise!

This past year has been a tough one, but I’m ready to get all dressed up, back into shape, and get my career on the road. And what better time than summer to get that done!? The sun is out, the weather is great, it’s basically a happy pill in a season, and I’m ready to take this season by storm. Now who’s with me??

I have been thinking that as I work to better myself, grow in fitness, knowledge, and career moves, it would be a pleasure to take you all on that journey with me.. (mainly because I’m lazy and need some motivation- which will be you! 😉 I hope you don’t mind the pressure I’ve put on you.. but I’m lazy and need the help ❤️😂)

So, for the foreseeable future, I will be posting weekly blogs on fitness challenges, fabulous food, exceptional places to visit, and of course, my personal favourite and passion, fashion!

I can’t wait to get started and I hope you’re all as excited as I am.

Stay tuned for the first blog post of the year; in Fashion of course, as I go into detail about a wonderful immersive theatre/ cabaret experience, and how I styled the outfit for such an incredible show!

See you soon, darlings! Xxx

Festival looks

This past weekend I attended Port Eliot festival in St. Germans, Cornwall. Having been wanting to go to this festival for the past 3 years but not having the funds to go, I was so excited to finally be able to attend it this year!

With guests such as Daphne Guinness, Rockins, Pearl Lowe, and much more, the talks were just up my alley. How could I ever say no to a festival with such inspiring acts?? The festival itself was wonderful.The people were all so friendly and the acts were all so unique. My favourite tent would have to have been the Black Cow where rock bands, jazz, and Dj’s played all through the night! The food was also impeccable, with so many options to choose from it was easy to get carried away and want to try absolutely everything, although that could be a good thing depending how drunk you intend to get that night!

While the weather in London has been the most intense heatwave, I had packed my bag full of all my summer clothes, ranging from short shorts to crop tops, skirts and a dress. For the night I packed my leather jacket, and I was set. Unfortunately, the weather turned on me once we’d arrived. The sun hid behind a grey, stormy sky for the majority of the weekend, and the wind and rain took over the festival. The temperature dropped about 10-15 degrees and some unfortunate souls had flooded tents by the end of the weekend. Even though the weather took a turn for the cooler, we didn’t let that stop us from enjoying the festival!

The first night was the warmest and driest, and I chose to wear my ripped denim skirt from Forever 21, and paired it with a Black Sabbath crop top I ordered from Nasty Gal. Finished with my leather jacket and a pair of black original Doc Martens, the look was complete, and the perfect outfit for the temperature outside. The following night was much rainier and a bit colder. The morning started off with sun peeking through the clouds, making it difficult to judge the temperature, which kept changing from too warm to needing a coat. Hoping for the best, I started the day off in a pair of shorts and a crochet bra. Quickly the temperature dropped and I changed into a beautiful blue sequin dress I purchased in the Zara sale last Christmas. The dress was perfect as it was quite a heavy material, but short enough so you didn’t over heat once you got into the tents filled with people dancing. To style the dress I wanted to go all out on the blues. I wore a dark blue/grey smokey eye with a bold, bright blue lip, using my MAC lipstick in ‘Show and Teal’. I then topped it all off with a pair of sunglasses I purchased at the festival which had an ombre effect of blue-green lenses.

On the Saturday night the winds were at their worst and the rain made the air feel much colder than I would have liked. Starting the day off I wore my Metallica crop top from Forever 21, paired with my black sequin, high waisted shorts. I then wore my silver sequin blazer I found on Depop and felt like a rock ‘n’ roll disco ball. In the evening, due to only bringing summery clothes, I borrowed a pair of my friends trousers and paired it with my Metallica crop top. Again I wore my leather jacket and Doc Martens and the outfit was complete. The trousers were so perfect for shielding me from the rain, and the crop top made it just cool enough that dancing around didn’t make me feel like I was over heating once I’d taken the jacket off. On the last day the rain stopped and the sun began to poke through more and more as the day went on. We started our morning with an hour soak in a hot top and polished off two bottles of Prosseco. I highly recommend this after a heavy night out as it works as the perfect hangover cure! Sweat out all the toxins while drinking enough you don’t even have time to have a hangover. After this we prepared for our final night. I wore a pair of mini shorts and a 70’s style crop top from Forever 21. With my leather jacket once more, I tied my hair into braids and tattooed a golden band around my forehead.

For those of you who adore vintage and can’t help yourself but checkout the stalls at festivals, take a look at this incredible, 1970’s jumpsuit I managed to get my hands on. Now, while I fell completely in love and would have worn it to death, unfortunately festival clothing prices are very much not for me. The outfit was perfect though, with golden buttons sewn in as accents to the shoulders, and a belt to pull you in at the waist. The jumpsuit fit like a glove. Now, I’m going to do my best to find a similar jumpsuit for a much more affordable price. If anyone has any suggestions on where to look, I would love to hear them!

I hope you all enjoyed my festival lookbook, and if you take anything away from this at all, let it be to pack a range of clothing so you’re ready for any weather! Definitely look into checkout out Port Eliot festival next year if you haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet, its 100% worth it!

Have a lovely week and see you next time xxxx

Throwback Thursday – My designs

It’s not a throwback Thursday if we don’t look back and reminisce about previous accomplishments and the effort we put in to making our visions a reality. Today were taking a look back at previous garments I have designed and created for various events and occasions.

The first garment I have for you today is the first ever dress I designed! Way back in the 11th grade, during my portfolio prep camp at The Make Den sewing studio in Toronto, I designed a fun, quirky, Tim Burton-esque dress for myself. Of course I had to draw inspiration from my absolute favourite director, and even a bit more from some of my Living Dead Doll collection.

When choosing the fabrics for the base of my dress, I knew I wanted to work in print. Thinking of Beetlejuice, Jack Skellington, Marilyn Manson, it all revolved around black and white stripes, and that is what I wanted to use! To break up the bold stripes I also chose to work with back and white polkadots over the bust. We worked on a sweetheart neckline and simple circle skirt for the bottom. I learned to match up my patterns so everything fell perfectly into place. Once the base of the dress was complete, it still wasn’t enough to show off my styling. I adored tutus as a kid and wanted to add one under my dress to give it much more volume and a pop of colour. I also wanted to accessorise more, so I created a massive, beautiful pink flower out of satin, wrapping, twisting and burning the edges until I achieved my desired look. I then matched the fabric of the tutu and added a floor length train from my flower, pinned beautifully to the side of the dress.

Once everything was complete we did a photoshoot to finish off our portfolio piece! The pink of my hair matched perfectly to the pink accents of the tutu and flower. I paired it all with a pair of black pumps and some simple black beaded bracelets. To top it all off, and going back to my Tim Burton inspiration, I wore a raven on top of my head! I was amazing to complete something that had originally just been a quick sketch onto paper, and the to complete and shoot the finished garment!

The second garment I was so thrilled and privileged to have the opportunity to create was my best friends prom dress! Working with her to achieve the perfect design she wanted was amazing. She wanted simple, strapless, and an accent of glam, and thats exactly what we created! In a stunning deep blue satin, I created a floor length, strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline. The glam came in the form of a gorgeous diamond accent running below the bust, giving just the right amount of shimmer to the gown. She looked gorgeous and I was so happy to be apart of making something so important for my best friend!

The third garment I’m going to talk about today is the tartan and lace skirt I designed for my portfolio, just before my interview with University of the Arts London. After applying and getting an interview scheduled, I knew I needed to design something else that would captivate the attention of the school and show off my skills as a designer.

I pulled inspiration from designers such as Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano and more, and artists such as Marilyn Manson and Tim Burton for the character I wanted to wear this skirt. I wanted my woman to be tough, sophisticated and punk rock. I chose a think red tartan, very classic, and paired it with a stunning, delicate black french lace. This time I wanted to experiment with draping and worked to create an a-symmetrical draping effect in the front, showing off the black lace detailing underneath. To finish it off I chose to add a thick, black velvet trim around the waist line to pull everything together. This added just the right touch of black to the top of the skirt, to counteract all the black lace at the bottom.

Once complete, I styled and photographed a friend in the skirt. We went to a cemetery as the sun set, and I styled her as I would have wanted a Tim Burton character to look. With high, messy pigtails for her beautiful long blonde hair, and a dark smokey eye with a bold red lip. A pair of very high black heels and some thigh high socks showed the garment off with just the perfect amount of sex appeal, with the skin of the thigh poking through the lace of the skirt. This garment is one of my proudest creations, and it definitely did its job getting me accepted into university!

I hope you all enjoy taking a look back at a timeline of creations, and i’ll speak to you all next time!

XXXXXXX

What to wear to a school event

This week has been so hectic, from flying home to Canada, to getting my sister all ready for her grade 8 grad. The weather is so warm and sunny and my sister looked absolutely stunning in her outfit.

She chose to wear my old grad dress, from about 8 years ago. It was amazing to see how differently we both looked and how a modern twist on a old dress can make something feel brand new again!

The dress was short and white with a sweetheart neckline, and sequins running down from the top of the dress. The waist was tied in with a beautiful gold ribbon, and we sewed in some white spaghetti straps to make the dress feel just that much more secure. To style the dress, she found a pair of beautiful, elegant white pointed shoes from Payless. Who would have guessed?! We got her nails done, coffin shaped with a light pink shade, and did her makeup with a light smokey eye in orange – red shades, and soft curls in her hair. To finish off the look we added a dainty pearl necklace, and everything was complete!

With a small ceremony taking place at her elementary school, my family and I all got dressed up to attend the event. I absolutely adore dressing up just a bit more than necessary, so I chose to wear a gorgeous, vintage Just Cavalli dress from Serotonin Vintage on Brick Lane. Its one of my favourite vintage shops and I always find something amazing, so it’s definitely worth checking out! The dress is an orange printed gown with a deep V, open back. With this I chose to pair it with a beautiful pair of Orla Kiely shoes. These were perfect for the summer weather in a light yellow shade at the front fading to an off white for the rest. Very 70’s vibes. I also paired the outfit with a pair of gold, Dolce Gabbana sunglasses (found at Winners at a greatly discounted price!).

As our styles all differ so much, my younger sister kept it simple, wearing a sweet summery playsuit, paired with a black, block heel. My youngest sister then went on to wear a lovely pink summer dress. Having picked it out of my closet it was a bit big, so we added a silver belt around the waist to pull everything together. With that she wore a light pink pair of Puma trainers, and a pink mini bag to finish it off.

The ceremony, as most school event are, was slightly boring yet such a great time. It was so wonderful to have been able to be there to see my little sister graduate grade 8, collect her certificate and prepare to head to high school next year. She’s growing up so quick!

Now, I hope this gives some inspiration for anyone heading to school events this year before the school term ends. Maybe some grad dress inspo, or even some for prom?? But most importantly, you’ll have to let me know… who wore it best?!

Thanks again guys, have a lovely week and speak next time! xxxx

Throwback – The tartan and lace dress

As some of you may know, I had moved to London three years ago to study to be a fashion designer. Due to lumps and bumps along the way, my path had taken me a different direction to that I had originally planned. While I no longer study, and have found new loves in styling, filming and more, I do still design and create garments when I can.

A while back, I had drawn up a sketch of a short tartan and lace dress, through inspiration of designers such as McQueen, Galliano, and Westwood. I absolutely adore their work and wanted to design something with them in mind. I love mixing light and flowy materials with something more heavy and rough, giving off a strong yet elegant look.

When designing, I had decided to start with a lace bodice and drape the tartan from there. As lace is so delicate it was quite a task to work with, though with the help of friends at The Make Den sewing studio in Toronto, I was able to get everything started. Using spiral steel boning, I was able to fit the curves of the bodice while still allowing for movement and strength. A black satin skirt was then cut and attached to the bodice, allowing for a simple black slip dress to be the comfort underneath.

Once beginning with the draping, I had chosen to stray from the design of the original sketch and make the dress floor length. The tartan was heavy and very difficult to manage. It took many attempts, draping it in every different way, to try to achieve my desired look. Once i’d finally found it, I was now presented with the task of sewing it up in a way that could hold everything together. The lace underneath was so delicate and light, to hold up such a heavily draped fabric, and that became quite a problem.

After doing many fittings and re-attempts at sewing it together, I had nearly given up. The front felt too heavy and the accessory I had originally envisioned it having, made it feel too messy. Everything was going wrong, and I didn’t think it would ever come together. Eventually I had just put it aside for months, thinking it was a waste of good fabric and time. One day I had decided to pull it back out from my wardrobe, and ask for a friends opinion. Sometimes, all you need is a little advice and inspiration from someone who isn’t as attached to something, to get the perfect solution. My friend had suggested a corset! How simple, yet genius!

I had done some research on corsets over the years, as well as runway looks from seasons past and the types of corsets and materials that would work with the fabrics of my dress. After searching many fabric shops, I had finally settled on a thin, black leather hide. I cut it into two sections and hammered holes into the edges. I then got some thin black rope and laced it over top of the dress. It was perfect! The corsets material was just thin enough so that it didn’t over power the dress, and could be adjusted perfectly to make the dress feel much lighter, and easier to wear.

Although the dress had finally come together, something still felt like it was missing. Trying to style the dress first with a horn crown I had made, I felt that it added to the outfit in the wrong way. So, continuing on with more research, I looked into artists and films. Drawing inspiration from Marilyn Manson, Ozzy, and the victorian times, I decided to create a lace and feathered high-neck collar. Using the same lace as the dress, I sewed thick black ribbon and feathers. Fastening everything with a button at the back, the collar was finished, and it brought everything together looking wonderfully gothic, and elegant. Finally, it was complete!

Having been fortunate enough to work in such an amazing location, and work with such talented people, my friend and photographer, Molly, photographed the dress in the most gorgeous industrial studio. The backgrounds were perfect and the props and furniture were the most amazing accessory to the dress. Everything fell perfectly together, and I couldn’t have been happier with the result.

(Process photos by me, final photos by Molly Gibson)

My adoration for designing and creating garments that bring my vision to life is so exhilarating, and I hope to be able to do it more often. From the beginning process of choosing the fabrics, to styling the garments to achieve a certain look, it’s all like creating a character in a story. Bringing fiction to reality is so much fun and I hope you all can gain some inspiration from this and bring your characters to life as well. Who will you choose to be today?

Thanks again, have lovely week and see you next time! xxxx

Casual Day Out

With the beautiful warm weather peeking through here in London, a day spent in nature is one of the best things to do. If you’re like me, make sure you swallow those allergy pills and smother yourself in 60SPF sunscreen in attempts to survive. Even still, a casual day out walking through trees, ponds and flowers, is an excellent way to spend the day.

For this adventure I chose to dress quite casually as I knew we would be doing lots of walking. I decided to wear mini denim skirt with a white t-shirt, accessorized with a thin, black leather belt, frilly ankle socks and trainers. For the denim skirt I went with a brand new one I picked up recently from Forever 21. It’s a great, simple skirt that can be part of anyones basics wardrobe, and can easily be dressed up or down. For the t-shirt I chose to wear my white, oversized shirt from A Child Of  The Jago. I absolutely adore this shirt as it is incredibly soft, and is printed with the image of a vintage looking postcard of a half naked woman in a mask, giving off very burlesque vibes. It also has bold blue writing over the top, making it more of a statement piece and adding a bit of fun to the casual outfit. For the belt I went with a simple, black leather d – ring belt I found in a vintage shop just off of Portobello Market. I wore lavender ankle socks with a white frill, paired with my black puma trainers with the beige sole. These are my favourite style as I find the beige sole allows the trainers to go with everything without standing out too much.

To shop similar items, Forever 21 has various denim skirts available here; denim skirts. Some of my favourites being the Frayed Hem Denim Skirt coming in at an easy £16, or, for more simple, 70’s vibes, the Button Front Denim skirt comes in at £15. Topshop also has denim skirts available in a range of bold colours and prints, available here; Topshop Denim. For printed t-shirts, online shops such as Missguided and Nasty Gal always have a variety of graphic tees, such as this Guns ‘N’ Roses off white, bold t-shirt coming in at £15, and this Rebel Rebel printed tee, also at £15 available in white and red. Head to Topshop for some frilly ankle socks in all colours, and head over to brands such as Puma, Adidas, and Nike, for the casual sneaker look. Below we have the Puma Suede Classic available in various colours, such as ash grey, black, indigo and grape. We also have the Adidas Gazelle, available in many colours from bolds, to pastels, and finally the Nike Blazer Low trainers, also available in various pastel shades.

We chose to wonder down to Epping Forest. At the end of the central line it’s easy enough to get to, and a great escape from your everyday life in the city, whilst still being in London. The forest is massive and you can walk for hours in nature. We were fortunate enough to walk past new ducklings learning to swim in the ponds, and feed some geese along the way. (My fellow Canadian geese had a great time until one of them bit my finger)

Through part of the forest there are many signs about, warning of cattle roaming free along the lands. It was such a thrill to happen upon a heard, huddled up under some trees basking in the sun, and eating the grass. Their horns were massive so it was a bit tricky to decide whether walking up to them was a good idea or not. Thinking that they must see people passing by all the time, I decided to slowly walk up and see how they reacted. The cows were calm and lovely, and weren’t bothered by me at all. With the ones laying about, I was able to walk up and stroke them easily, they even seemed grateful as the stroking made the flies move off their poor faces. As for the one standing up, it was more of a waiting game to gain her trust. Leaving my hand out awaiting her to move closer to me to indicate it was okay to stroke her. They were all so wonderful, and it was such a great experience to be able to so easily spend time with the animals in nature.

Through a Timeout article we found that Hollow Pond was the place to visit in Epping Forest. Here you’re able to rent a boat and take it out for times between half an hour to an hour. Once arriving at the pond, we had already spent several hours walking about, and decided the best thing to do was simply take off our shoes, and walk into the water. It was warm and blue, and felt wonderful after such a long walk through the forest. The pond was beautiful and I highly recommend checking it out when you’re in the forest. Ducks swam past and people picnicked all around. It was the perfect location for a nice summer stroll, and place to laze about and soak up the sun.

I hope you enjoyed this post and do let me know of how you choose to style your casual outfit for a day out and about.

Thanks again and enjoy your week! xxxxx

A Weekend in Paris

With Eurostar tickets still on sale at a wonderful £29 a journey to Paris, I thought this would be a great time to look back on my holiday and share some inspiring places to visit, food to try, and outfits to pack!

We left for Paris for a lovely 5 days and 4 nights in the middle of March, staying in an Airbnb near the city centre, surrounded by bus stops and subway links to easily get us around. Due to the time we ended up going, just like London, Paris had also been hit by the “Beast from the East”, and the weather had gone from lovely spring sun, to snow storms and freezing rain! Although the weather could never ruin such a beautiful city, it did make it a bit harder to decide what to pack.

As usual, the night before heading off, giving myself very little time to decide, I got my little suitcase ready and tried to decide what to pack for our journey. Looking at the weather for the days to come, the temperature ranged from 17 to -2 within the 5 days of our stay, so obviously I had to pack a mix of everything!

For the train journey over I chose to wear a simple, comfy, blue velvet mini dress from Topshop, with a pair of thin black tights and my vintage, 1960’s wolf fur coat, as it was too big to fit in my suitcase! It also happened to make for the perfect blanket and pillow for the journey as well, so it was a win win.

On arrival we made our way to our Airbnb which was hidden away behind these giant green metal doors off the high street. Through them was a beautiful, old building with a small garden area out front, for all the residence. We made our way up the 4 floors (these old apartments don’t have elevators, so it made for some pretty great exercise every morning and evening), and into a very cute and comfy little apartment. Having arrived late in the day, we decided to change and head straight back out and as our first task of the holiday, visit the Tour Eiffel!

I slipped into my little yellow dress and wolf coat, and off we went on an hour and a half walk to the Tour Eiffel, taking in all we could on the way. Having accidentally taken a wrong turn on our walk (I’m not very good with maps) we ended up taking a far longer journey than necessary, although managed to find many little shops and areas we wanted to visit the next day. When we finally arrived at the tower, it was lit up stunningly. My favourite part was when all the lights began to sparkle and the Tour Eiffel almost looked like a Christmas Tree in the centre of Paris. It was magical.

The next day we headed off to the Cimetiére Père Lachaise. I was so excited to go as I try to visit cemeteries on every holiday, and am currently in the process of completing the Magnificent Seven here in London. I find them so beautiful and calming, and I absolutely adore visiting the old ones as they feel so inspiring, and are filled with so many stories and memories of the past. As the day was meant to be the warmest of our stay, and we had planned to do a lot of walking and exploring, I had chosen to wear my light pink mini dress with white, sheer polka dot sleeves, and my 1960’s vintage leopard print coat. This outfit was perfect as the sleeves of the dress allowed for the air to pass through making it wonderful for the warmer weather, and the light coat was great for the evening walks around the city. On arrival at the cemetery, I was in awe of all its beauty. First we walked around the entire cemetery, and then went in search of some famous graves. If you didn’t already know, and are a fan of The Doors (how could you not be?), wonder down through the graves over to the fenced off area, of the infamous Jim Morrison. It was a lovely sight as flowers and bouquets had been left by fans all along the perimeter of the grave. We then went in search of the famous grave of Victor Noir. His tomb is said to be a symbol of fertility, and as the story goes, if you rub his crotch area, you will be blessed with fertility and sexual happiness. And so, I went ahead and did just that, just as many woman had done before me, leaving his crotch area a very shiny brass colour, over his entirely green tomb. After leaving the cemetery we then headed off for some coffee and pain au chocolat, and headed off to a beautiful park about 20 minutes walk away. The scenery was gorgeous, especially after climbing to the highest point where stood a small monument, where you could look over and see the city beneath. For dinner that night we went for crêpes at a very sweet, small café near the Tour Eiffel. Unfortunately I cannot remember the name but with one google search of “best crêpes near me”, you’ll find them no problem! The crêpes were scrumptious, I had one with hazelnut chocolate and banana, covered in syrup, and my friend had a baked apple crêpe. I highly recommend going to a restaurant or cafe instead of just grabbing one off a street vendor, as they come with just that extra touch of Parisian love of food.

On our third day, we did even more exploring. I started the day in a blue calf length floral dress and wolf coat, and we headed out to one of the most popular vintage and antique markets, La Marché aux Puces, Saint-Ouen. On arrival we chose to get some breakfast at a sweet little café amongst the stalls. As a Canadian, having studied French Immersion for 12 years, it was so nice to finally have one of the cafe owners continue to speak with me in french throughout the entirety of our stay in the cafe, unlike many others who would hear that I was not fully french and switch to english, annoyed I had even tried! They had a breakfast special on and I had ordered a café Americano, freshly squeezed orange juice, and a pain au chocolat, my friend had done the same except instead of the coffee got a delicious chocolat chaud. The Americano was wonderful, as it seems it is not a common drink in Paris, it happened to have been a mug filled with espresso, which for me, was absolutely perfect as thats exactly how my grandpa would make me espresso back home in Canada. Incredibly strong and incredibly tasty! After breakfast we began to wonder the stalls, filled with everything from vintage clothing to furniture, toys, and more. It was such an amazing market, although unfortunately not quite affordable for us who were there on a budget, though it was full of pieces to get inspired by! After the market we headed off to the city centre, and thats when the ‘Beast from the East’ began! The snowflakes were huge and the city began to be covered in a blanket of gorgeous white snow. We headed in to a huge department store, the Galeries Lafayette, to shield ourselves from the snow. This store was stunning. The architecture was immaculate, almost looking like the inside of an opera theatre! The store was huge and it made for a great way to pass the time during the storm.

Once the storm had ended, we headed back to the Airbnb to get ready for my favourite event of the holiday, seeing a burlesque at none other than the infamous, Crazy Horse Paris! To dress for this event, I chose to wear my Betsey Johnson slip dress, accessorized with a bold red lip (MAC), gold cross earrings (Rock N Rose), and a silver charm bracelet from Queen Baby. Over that I wore my vintage wolf coat as was ready for a spectacular night. My friend dressed in a tailored, black velvet blazer, a short sleeve blue printed shirt, and black jeans. Off we headed to the Crazy Horse!

• Just a small secret tip for those of you under 25, tickets for the burlesque are on sale for less than half price, so it is definitely worth checking out! Especially for those of you who are students or just need to save a bit of money!

On arrival we were greeted by a security man dressed as a Canadian Mounty Police Officer. We entered, gave our tickets and were ushered down the stairs to the cloak room where they took our coats and showed us to our seats. The theatre was completely full and we were seated right infant of the bar, with a great view of the stage. Our tickets came with a half bottle of champagne, or soft drinks for the evening, and so we were presented with those and awaited the shows start. The dancers were exceptional! The performance was absolutely incredible, with an amazing soundtrack and such eventful and charismatic dances. I could not have asked for a better evening. It was wonderful! On our way out, we passed by the gift shop where we bought a poster each, and I got to try on one of the dancers wigs (which were for sale for £300 – £500). It was such a spectacular night and I could not recommend it more highly! I cannot wait to go back next time I’m in Paris! For dinner that evening, we headed off to Melt, listed as one of the top restaurants for those of you who are lovers of meat, by Timeout. We got the beef brisket which came out to an easy £13 (amazing price for the dish), and a glass of white wine.

The next day, unfortunately the weather called for rain, so we decided to do the L’Ouvre in the morning, and then once the rain died down, head out to climb the Arc de Triomphe. I dressed in a pair on ripped, black, high waisted jeans from Topshop, with a graphic t-shirt from Child of the Jago, and Rockins scarf and my wolf fur coat. For me, the L’Ouvre was a bit of a let down, once I had gone and seen the infamous Mona Lisa, it just began to feel like an over priced museum in which I could see similar works of art for free, at the museums here in London. But that does come down to personal preference and opinions on art. After about 2 hours in the L’Ouvre, we headed out for another walk around the city to see what more we could happen upon. As it was a Sunday, many shops were closed early so there was not an incredible amount of shopping that could have been done. We walked for a while and happened upon quite a strange street market, which had cages upon cages of little birds for sale all along the road. It was definitely a strange little event. Once the sun had begun to set, we headed over the the Arc de Triomphe. Under the Arc was a ceremony taking place as we queued up to get inside. Soldiers from the army were there, which I found to be quite a stereotype when we found them wearing camouflage berets, along with their machine guns. Once inside we had to climb a very high winding staircase to the top. It was a bit of a workout, but once we reached the top the views were spectacular! All the roads came together around the Arc to form a massive roundabout (which I’m so glad I never had to drive!), with the Arc directly in the centre. You could see everything around the city, and we could point out nearly every place we had visited from ever direction. What we loved the most about climbing the Arc was that you could see the Tour Eiffel from it, which in our opinion was a necessary part of the Paris cityscape.

On our final day, our train came in quite early so we only had time to pack, grab some breakfast and head out. We packed our suitcases and walked to the cafe Holybelly 5, about a half an hour walk from our Airbnb. The cafe was very bright and welcoming, with plants hanging from the ceiling and such inviting staff. We settled for a stack of sweet and savoury pancakes covered in maple syrup, which were delicious, and then quickly headed out and made our way to the train station. This café was the perfect breakfast stop on the way as it was directly in the middle of our Airbnb and the station, making it easy for us to quickly eat and continue our walk to the station, even leaving some time to spare!

We had such an amazing time in Paris, and I hope I’ve given you a bit of advice on places to visit and things to eat. Let me know if you’ve been able to give these a go, and definitely let me know of any other places I should visit next time I go! I can’t wait to explore more!

Thanks, and see you soon! XXXX

Night at the Cabaret

Over the weekend I had been fortunate enough to be invited to the Cabaret Members Club, for their first birthday event at The Curtain Hotel in Shoreditch. It was a spectacular event filled with alcohol, laughter and a captivating cast.

As someone who adores cabaret and all things burlesque, when asked to come to this event, there was no question that I was going!

Having never been to a private members event before, and judging by the nature of the event, the perfect outfit was absolutely necessary. Immediately, I thought black, and sexy. My goal was to look high class, while also fun and a bit sultry. In my wardrobe, I own many vintage slips, and so I began by trying those on. Some had a more fitted bodice and thicker fabric, whereas others were a bit more revealing, with lace, and a lighter material. At this point, it was all about the styling. Eventually none of these felt just right, so I turned to my much loved, Betsey Johnson slip dress. Having only worn it a few times before, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to pull it out again. It is a gorgeous satin material with frilled thin straps, a side zip and silver lace running down the centre front and back.

This dress is absolutely perfect for a night at the cabaret as you stand out, in an elegant, and captivating fashion. When styling this look I chose to go for a bold red lip, and a light brown smokey eye. For the lip I used my favourite red lipstick, Ruby Woo from MAC, and for the eyes I used my Kat Von D, Shade and Light eye palette, using the first grouping of shades to create the perfect soft smokey eye, paired with my usual black winged liner. Finishing the look off I used a light sweep of my NARS pink blush in Desire, and a black mascara.

• I tend to purchase less expensive brands of eyeliner and mascara to keep the cost down as they run out so quickly. Maybelline is my go-to brand for mascara, choosing which ever one is on sale at the time. As for eyeliner, I have recently been using the black liquid liner from Poundland. It is a deep shade of black and has an easy to use wand. Plus its only 1£, you really cant say no to that!

When styling my hair, I wanted to have a beach wave look with a lot of volume. To achieve this look, I parted my hair in 3 sections, and used my curling iron to wrap strands of hair around the wand in opposite directions until the end, creating a false, beach wave look. I finished that off with some Fudge styling mousse, and the waves lasted all night!

As this was an evening event, running from 9pm-2am, a light coat was needed. I chose my 1960’s vintage, faux-fur, leopard print coat to wear as a cape over my outfit on the way in. This coat is my absolute favourite, and I get so much wear out of it! Leopard print is exceptionally popular this season, whether it’s in the form of a coat, dress, or even as an accessory to the outfit, such as a leopard print hat or boot. As a bag, I used my adorable Betsey Jonson silver purse as a clutch. This was perfect to add a little bit of comic to the outfit; you can’t take yourself too seriously at a cabaret!

The 2018 catwalk shows have been graced by animal print,  from brands such as Versace, Dior, and Diane Von Furstenburg. Each brand uses the print in such different ways, whether it be a bold, over the top two piece in bright yellow, to a simple pencil skirt statement piece, and then a pop of leopard print amongst even more prints. When it comes to leopard print, the options are endless.

I have also found a few ready to wear pieces from more affordable high street brands, in which you can achieve a similar look. First we have a gorgeous pyjama, leopard print top from Topshop, £39, then an adorable pair of ankle boots from Zara, £49.99, a leopard print chiffon dress from H&M at £34.99, and finally, a beautiful leopard print bikini from Ganni, at £140, via Net-A-Porter.

When arriving at the door of the hotel, they took our names which had been added to the guest list, and we were in! My friend and I made our way down a staircase covered in art, from paintings, to drawings, that were a delightful addition to our journey. One of the rooms had the most amazing silver sofa, with a stunning mirror hung above it. We finally arrived downstairs to find a bar and seating. The architecture was gorgeous and the walls were covered in greenery. After looking around, we made our way into the room with the cabaret. You would have never guessed there was an event going on through these black doors, as the rest of the hotel seemed so quiet. As we entered, the room was lit up red and giant balloons hovering above us.

A stage was set up in the far corner, and a gripping, raunchy presenter graced the stage with jokes and songs, enthralling the audience. For the first act we were stood by the bar as all the seats had been taken, the view wasn’t perfect, but we definitely had fun. Once a short break began before the second act, we were able to find some seats and grab a drink. During the break we were greeted by costume designer, Anne Sophie Cochevelou. As a huge fan of hers and having followed her on Instagram for some time now, it was wonderful to see her in person in such a dramatic and extravagant costume.

Once the second act began, we were presented with a range of acts, from singing, to burlesque, body builders and more. The show was also interactive, as audience members were invited onto the stage for games in between acts. From cake eating competitions to musical chairs, everyone was entertained and given the opportunity to participate if they wanted (maybe next time i’ll volunteer!). Once the show had ended, the chairs were removed and the stage was opened up as a dance floor. The DJ played a great selection of hits, ranging from the 70’s to current music. The cast also joined in dancing and we were able to talk with and meet them. It was an amazing, fun filled night, and everyone was incredible.

It was an eventful evening and I was thrilled to be invited. I would definitely recommend checking it out if you can!

I hope you enjoyed, see you next time! xx

From brunch to art; What to wear on an eventful day out.

Sometimes there are days when your typical casual outfit just wont fit the bill for the days dress code. Perhaps it’s an early morning meeting, followed by a fun day out and about, or maybe there’s an event you need to attend. Whatever the occasion, it’s always great to know how to style your outfit to fit every task that the day carries.

Yesterday was one of my best friends birthdays, and as a treat we went for brunch at none other, than the stunningly arty, Sketch London. With the most stunning interior design, and a dress code that reads; Art Smart, I had to find the perfect outfit to fit a chic brunch, followed by a simple day out, of gallery visits around the city centre.

Of course, it is customary to try on at least four different outfits before deciding on the desired look for the day, and so my morning began at 7:45am, trying to choose the perfect, elegant, yet casual, daytime look.

After flipping between different outfits, I finally narrowed it down to two Just Cavalli gowns. Both of which were perfect for an early morning Brunch at Sketch, but one was just a touch too bold for the day ahead. Finally, I had chosen the dress. A gorgeous, silvery blue, silk dress, with a floaty hem, from a small vintage boutique on Brick Lane, Serotonin Vintage.

When styling this dress I chose to go quite simple. The dress itself contained such wonderful embroidery below the bust line, as well as some diamontes along the bust, and a dainty, round metal snake pulling it all together. As the detailing made for accessories in and of itself, I chose to simply wear my usual silver skull and chain (KingBaby), as well as my small silver cross pendant choker (Links of London). The skull necklace fell perfectly in line with the snake hoop in the centre of the bust, giving a fun peek-a-boo effect to the jewellery.

 

Sketch was absolutely delightful. We booked our brunch just in time for the Chelsea Flower Show, so the entire place was decked out in the most extravagant floral displays. Even the iconic white egg bathrooms had trees planted in between them, giving a futuristic forested effect. It was also a pleasure to find that brunch was possible to do on a budget, while definitely getting our fill. We both chose to have a hazelnut milk latte, and a bowl of coconut milk porridge, topped with caramelised banana. The latte was exquisite, and the porridge was absolutely scrumptious, and so filling! It was quite a challenge to scruff it all down, though we managed in the end. For such huge portions and such delicious food, our bill only came to a easy £26, which was a wonderful surprise when we had been expecting to spend much more! I definitely recommend you all go and give these dishes a try!

 

After brunch, as my day consisted of quite a bit of walking around the city, I chose to pair the dress with a small 1970’s black leather backpack (bought off Depop), to carry around all my belongings, making the outfit feel a bit more casual. I also paired it with my chunky black Fluevog, Tinder boots, with a pair of light blue frilly ankle socks from Topshop.

Just down the street from Sketch was the Old Selfridges Hotel, where we went to see the free exhibition; The Flipside. On until this Sunday, May 20th, I highly recommend giving this exhibition a go! It was a multi-sensory walk through of installations, performance space and interactive art, in which the artists explore their unique views on luxury, and the future. It was incredible to feel apart of the art, and be able to immerse ourselves in the worlds these artists created. At the end of the exhibition there is also the opportunity to have a mini photoshoot featuring the new Google Pixel 2, in which you are given the opportunity to pick multiple different backgrounds, and have your photos taken to create a 4 frame video of silly, fun pictures!

I then headed to yet another exhibition; Sense of Space, in Exchange Square, Moorgate. Today will be its last day, so if you’re in the area, try to pop in and give it look. The exhibition takes place in a large silver box in the middle of the square, surrounded by the most pop-art, colourful steps. Once inside the exhibition you are greeted to an entrance room filled with the drawings of the famous Mr. Doodle. You then enter into the next room where beautiful trees take over the room, with dangling lights changing from a bright pink to a deep blue. Not only is it visually stunning, it also smells like a newly blossomed forest. You then walk through an interactive video game room and through there, to my favourite space, the one with the giant bean bag chair! An adorable baby pink bean bag is laid out across the entirety of the final room, set up with pillows so you can go and relax for a few minutes before making your exit. It was truly an exciting, and enjoyable experience.

 

This outfit ended up being the perfect look for my day, but don’t forget, its super easy to style up or down if need be. If you’re heading into a meeting, add a tailored blazer over the top of the dress, and maybe even change to a stiletto heel. Then switch that up to an evening look by adding a red lip and bringing out a silver purse to match. For a dressed down look, pair this dress with a pair of chunky sneakers (they’re so in right now!). Some examples of the new ‘it’ sneaker are; the Fila Disruptor, the Schuh Diva, or even just a pair of Reebok or Puma sneakers. All of these can be found in pastel colours, also a huge favourite for this Spring 2018 season. While these shoes are some of the most popular styles out there, I would choose to style the dress with my silver Chanel creepers. Following in the same big sole trend!

 

I hope you all enjoy this post, and are able to give these exhibitions a go if you haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet.

Have a good week, and see you next time!

Love,

Tristan xxxx