Monday 30 April 2012

Fashion Speak - Tamara Rogers, Stella & Dot

On Saturday I had a lovely breakfast with Tamara Rogers, one of the women behind Stella & Dot jewellery in the UK.  Stella & Dot has lustworthy jewellery for incredibly good prices and encourages women to get involved and host trunk shows from their living rooms for other women.  With the brand expanding and going from strength to strength, with even Princess Eugenie due to host her very own trunk show at Clarence House, Tamara explains the ins and outs of Stella and Dot.

Location - Le Pain Quotidien
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs with prosciutto 



Tell me about Stella & Dot, Tamara?  What is your role and how did you get involved?
'Stella & Dot is a global fashion brand.  It sells beautiful costume jewellery designed in-house by amazing designers, and is sold online and in pop up shops in women's living rooms.  I knew someone in the US who was involved with the brand, knew it was soon to launch in the UK and I loved the mission statement - allowing women to style their own lives, work flexibly from home.  I wanted to make a change to my life and have a better life/work balance and now I have my own home based flexible, full time Stella & Dot business.

The head office in the US is in San Francisco, and the design studio is in New York.  The UK HQ is now in Hammersmith.  Stella & Dot stylists in the US are able to win trips to the design studio and all the pieces in the Summer collection are named after women who have won.  In the future the UK stylists will have incentive trips to New York too, and currently an all expenses paid trip to Marrakech is up for grabs!  As the brand goes global, there will be a design studio in Europe.'



What is the brand ethos?
'Women can become involved with the brand as a trunk show hostess, or they can become a stylist for the brand working anywhere between 4-40 hours a week.  That can change as and when they like.  They can work a couple of hours here and there to be able to afford a incredible pair of shoes, or they can grow their business over a number of years to eventually earn six figures.  It's all about flexibility.'

Do you have a favourite piece from the current collection?
'I love the Lindsay enamel bracelets and the  Zahara bib necklace.'


The Zahara Bib Necklace

What kind of jewellery do you favour?
'I choose statement pieces most of the time - statement rings and necklaces, which i often combine with delicate earrings.  If I wear an incredible showstopping pair of earrings, I'll wear no other jewellery.'



Most treasured piece of jewellery?
'I wear the Aurora cocktail ring the most.  I also have a star ruby and diamond pendant which was my grandmother's, and a silver bangle which I got for Christmas when I six.  The silver's almost all come off it, but I still wear it all the time.'


The Aurora Ring

What is your earliest fashion memory?
'I remember always wanting to go to haberdashery so I could buy different coloured ribbons, I was OBSESSED with ribbons in my hair up to probably the age of fourteen.  <Here Tamara and I gush for 10 minutes about our childhood fixations for buttons, ribbons and the like, I'll leave that to your imagination!>
My mum used to sew my sister and I's clothes when we were little.  Everything from dresses to pyjamas.'

As well as jewellery, what else do you rely on to transform a look?
'Shoes and handbags.  Prada or Nine West for shoes, and bag-wise I'm COVETING the Chanel 2.55 or an Hermès Birkin.   Long term investments!'

Your best piece of styling advice?
'Pay more for something that is not going to go out of style in the next two seasons.  Buy less, spend more. Use great jewellery to transform an outfit into twenty different outfits.  Always feel comfortable when you walk out the door or you just won't look good.'



Where are your London haunts?
'I love London because you can go anywhere, anytime, and there is always something going on.  That's the reason I live in London and not Australia where I am from.  My haunts are my two local pubs in Battersea - The Lighthouse and The Prince Albert.  I love Monmouth Street in Covent Garden for all the little boutiques - I found an amazing Liz Claiborne dress from the 80's for £20 there. The Tate Modern is fabulous and I'm obsessed with going to the ballet.  My favourite bakery is Poilane which is a Parisian bakery and there are shops in Belgravia and the King's Road.
I'm a South / Central girl, I feel a little lost when I'm in North London!'

What are your favourite things?
'Coffee - never instant.  My black lab who I walk with everyday in Battersea Park.  I'm constantly online looking at fashion magazines and I love the traditional print versions like Vogue for bed time reading.  I'm a real foodie and I have a serious reality TV guilty pleasure - The Only Way Is Essex, Made In Chelsea, the Kardashians...'

What do you Love?
'My little family of my boyfriend Morgan, myself and our dog.'

What do you Lust?
'I'm LUSTING over a house around the corner from me in Kersley Mews.'

What do you Like?
'Doing something new every day.'


   

The beautiful aqua and gold Serenity earrings that Tamara gave me - a MASSIVE 
thank you for such a kind gift!  I can't wait to wear in the Summer and reignite my earrings obsession.

Click here to see how you can host your own trunk show. 

Sunday 29 April 2012

This Week in Pictures




I got nostalgic and snap happy when I saw these Madonna prints.   
Pre Britney kiss, the Superbowl and Kabbalah, she really was a legend.



Have you ever seen such an ornate Starbucks?   


Lanterns in Brixton


I'd like my own Powder Room


I wanted to wear a tea dress to tea, but it was too cold and rainy.  Cue my trusty jumper over my classic Kate Moss for Topshop tea dress circa 2008.


Afternoon Tea at the Athenaeum Hotel for Mummy Alexander's birthday


The beautiful tea menu


Warm crumpets and orange-scented scones with clotted cream,
lemon curd and sweet, deliciously sticky strawberry jam.




The cake tray full of colours

To have a decadent tea-filled treat, book here


Brunch with my best friend - steaming bowls of hot chocolate and latte

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend x

Thursday 26 April 2012

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String

When it comes to presents, I love receiving them, although apparently I am notoriously difficult to buy for (well, please refer to the blog for ideas in the future.  If it begins with 'Agent Provocateur' or 'Diptyque' I'm going to be happy xx)

But it's the giving of gifts that I really love.  I love the choosing, I love the look on the face of the recipient, and I LOVE the wrapping.

I've always been a fan of brown paper - there's something about the simplicity and the contrast of wrapping something luxurious in something not at all luxurious.


Simarlily, string can look really effective.  I love binding silver cutlery in string for dinner party place settings, against the wealthy texture of fine, silky napkins.



 
For book and word lovers, the intellectual type, wrap tokens in dictionary pages.  As long as they don't find the idea of removing pages from a dictionary sacrilegious.


I've always used newspaper to wrap presents.  
Tabloids are too colourful (and tacky).  Pick a wordy, traditional broadsheet.  
The rose-tinted pages of the FT look fabulous against silken or grosgrain jet black ribbon. 



For travel enthusiasts, maps make amazing wrapping paper.  
Old and faded should be adorned with string or neutral ribbon, whereas a bright 
ribbon brings out the colours in a crisp new map.


Finally, for something very sentimental, track down the sheet music
of a loved ones' favourite song and enclose your present in that.

Wednesday 25 April 2012

April Showers

I'm loathed to post photos of Summer dresses, sunny scenes and Spring blossoms when it is this miserable outside.  Escapism can only go so far.  Instead, I look to the two greatest authorities in British outerwear - Mulberry and Burberry.

Mulberry


Burberry Prorsum

 


Get your Winter parka out again and, taking inspiration from above, belt, belt, BELT!! Cinching at the waist transforms a parka from baggy festival wear to city chic.  Contrast the khaki with another texture - plaited, leather, studs, jewelled. 


Tuesday 24 April 2012

Dream Fantasy Lust

Another piece that's way out of my league.  But it's oh-so-cool.  Bottega Venetta is offering a personalising service and if there's one thing I love, it's a bit of initialling.  This tote is perfect for transporting ALL your daily essentials around, I LOVE that it has a short handle and not a long one (I don't care for a shoulder bag), and you can choose the size and colour of your 'branding'.


If you can afford to invest in this kind of finery click here

Escapists - Burial

The best band and boys I know.  Going from strength to strength, Escapists are constantly gigging with passion, electric energy and verve.  This is their second single Burial.  Enjoy, absorb, and check the band's website for upcoming dates.


Monday 23 April 2012

Night Napping

Going to sleep dreaming of these shoes...


Wildfox Spring Summer 12

All this rain is getting depressing...I'm longing for some rays.  For a little escapism, here are the Spring Summer campaign shots from achingly cool label Wildfox.  This all American, vintage-inspired brand is the king of slogan T's, and brilliantly rough around the edges. 

Wildfox SS12






Wildfox White Label SS12





Wildfox Sirene Label SS12





 
Wildfox Swimwear SS12
New this season







Wildfox Jewellery SS12
New this season