Life Lately #5

Finally home and free from exams so blog updates will become a regular occurrence once more - I have lots of things to share including a couple of fab new brands and of course a review of the fabulous opening show at Brighton Fashion Week, Zeitgeist. Here's a quick catch up from my week...

VIP tickets at Brighton Fashion Week ad the delish Tasty Little Numbers that were included in the goody bags.

End of exams in London, chilling out with my sister and niece in the sunshine.

Playtime!

Selling Saima Majid scarves at Spitalfields designers and makers boutique on Saturday - it's on one a month and is worth checking out. Blog post on one of the gorgeous jewellery brands to follow!

Delish cakes from Flavourtown Bake at Spitalfields. I couldn't resist the salted caramel although the Pimms special was incredibly tempting too!!

Heaven in a box!

And this little sign rings very very true...

More food porn, so tempting and the tasters went down very well indeed!

After the day at Sptalfields, I met mummy for celebratory end of second year Prosecco at Bedales, a really cute wine bar on the edge of the market. My sisters and niece popped along too and I was incredibly impressed at my nieces ability to flirt with and win over prett much all of the gorgeous Italian men in the bar- she's not even one yet, goodness knows what she'll be like when she's 20!

Car boot sale treasures; one of the best bits about coming home. [Vintage case, 50p; cushions, 10p each, Catwalk shampoo and conditioner; £2 each].

Brand new shoes, 50p. Gorgeous, summery and perfect with a little dress!

And incredible brand new Spanish boots, £1. Wedged heel, and will look fab with leggings or jeans on a winter eve!

And possibly the best find of the boot sale, Vero Moda dress, £3.

Being home as the tide comes in over the Estuary.

And gorgeous flowers on the windowsill. Home comforts and its definitely the little things - a full fridge being one of them! I'm so glad that summer has finally arrived! <3

Life Lately #4

I finish exams tomorrow. Literally cannot wait. The fact that the beaut sunshine of last week has disappeared is sort of helping right now as every hour of the day is spent in the library but after tomorrow it can definitely come back. Please? The one thing that's quite fun about revising is the breaks; I live for them. Maybe 'fun' isn't quite the right term!! But seeing as pretty much everyone else in my life right now has finished, the breaks to be had are quite fun! Here's a little insight into my week:

The revision snacks getting me through- the M&S that is 2 minutes from my house is getting a ridiculous number of visits right now! And if you haven't tried it their chocolate cheesecake in the food to go section is delish!!

The highlight of my day last week: the sun came out and the roofs of the buses came off! Actually pretty scary though - look at how insubstantial those railings are!!

Bare legs and sunshine.

Summery nails - I know, overexcited about the sunshine but it really did make me happy!

Gorgeous night at Bohemia with the girlies before everyone heads home for summer.

And the incredible bundle of perfumes given to us by Morgan as she packed up her room - I mean, not wanting to use bottles of Boss and Chanel?! They have been firmly added to my perfume collection!

Revision break and catch ups with Robyn. Library break turned into a jug of Pimms but I'm pretty sure it actually helped my revision. Promise!

Views from the boys house party at the weekend. Just reconfirmed how much I cannot wait to move to London this time next year.

And obviously with the amount of time I've been sat in the library over the last few days my eBay addiction has reached whole new levels. I bought this little baby for a wedding I'm off to at the end of the month. Fingers crossed its nice as should be arriving today!

Procrastination and nail painting. Love this shade by Barry M.

'OOFD'. Made in Chelsea chill out time.  I haven't worn a nice outfit in weeks. Serious withdrawal!!

And the best break of all was a trip for macaroons with the boy. So so good! 

My week is summed up with the incredible news that Isabel Marant is producing a collection for H&M. I'm booking my place in the queue for November 14th now!! I love her style and chic designs and just wish that I could stretch the student budget to afford them. The collaboration is the perfect compromise and I will most certainly be setting some of my student budget aside!

Finally, if you're in London on Saturday pop down to Spitalfields as The Designers Makers guild are hosting a market deficated to British designers. Saima Majid will be selling the gorgeous new summer collection there, and there will be over 40 other independent designers selling a range of gorgeous products. Check out the website for more info or search them on Twitter!

Backstage: Saima Majid SS2013 Lifestyle Shoot

On Wednesday I popped down to Brighton for a photoshoot with the Saima Majid SS collection. I wanted to showcase the collection to demonstrate the versatility of the products. The shoot was based on epitomising the models' individual personalities, with styling focused on their own wardrobes: a LBD, a typically summer outfit and an outfit that would be worn on a country walk! The collection can be worn in so many ways and my aim for the day was to focus on this - the shots look incredible and I'm now eagerly anticipating the final edit! Hair and make up were kept simple and I had an incredible team that really ensured the day went without a hitch, despite the hail storm that rained down on us mid hair and make up and made a mad run to a very welcoming local pub completely essential!!

 

I thought I'd share a few backstage shots with you of what really was a fantastic shoot, with what I hope will be fabulous results! The models made my job all the easier and worked fantastically to showcase the brand. Final shots to follow!

 

 

Credits:

Scarves - www.saimamajid.co.uk
Producer and Stylist - Ali Moss-Thomas
Shoot Assistant - Liviy Gordon 
Clothes - Model and Stylists Own
Photographer - Pavan Wilder
Hair - Chloe King
Make Up - Conor Reading
Location - Southover Grange, Lewes
Models - Lizzie Griffiths, Emily Bunclark, Sara Soroya Ali, Jade Barker

Saima Majid

Saima Majid creates printed luxury scarves inspired by objects of beauty from the past. I came across the brand on my internship trawl a few months ago and while I was really interested in working for a fashion brand, what really struck me was the pieces that the brand was retailing.

Beautiful and fine silk fabrics are integrated with traditional printing methods, blended with a romantic vision to create a luxury accessories range. Layers of jewels, flora and trinkets appear as though three dimensional on the fabric with vivid and unusual colour combinations that create dramatic visuals. The range epitomises femininity and invokes a feeling of splendour when worn. The natural beauty of Saima's designs reflect her desire to create a uniqueness. Combined with an extreme attention to detail and finish; the item is created for the individual.

How could I resist working for a company that was seemingly more about the design, the individual, than the mass production. The company was still relatively small having only launched one collection but Saima appeared to have a wealth of experience and I wanted to be a part of something that I could help expand and get noticed. So I applied.

And amazingly, a couple of weeks later, after an exchange of emails and a couple of tasks, I was given the internship. Exciting!

So, I'm now working for this fabulous brand and, totally unbiasedly, couldn't resist sharing the newly released SS2013 collection!

For me what is so great about the scarves is their versatility. The ability to wear them over a LBD for a ball or party and for them also to look amazing thrown on with a Barbour and wellies for a walk in the countryside, or with a summer dress to keep of the summer evening chill. These accessories really are timeless, inspired by bygone eras and vintage pasts. A classic piece is one that can be worn across the generations and that really is something that is true for the Saima Majid accessories.

My favourites in the new collection have to be Ruby and Mimi. Mimi is bright - it would look fab over a white cotton dress in summer with some statement sandals and the palette works perfectly with new season trends. Ruby is classic -bright and summery and would be perfect on a summers day or over a simple statement dress on a night out.

What excites me about the brand is that it still has so far to grow; it's waiting to be noticed and develop and the new collections will only continue to be more and more striking I'm sure!

You can check out the brand and the rest of the collection here or follow for updates on Twitter @Saima__Majid

I'd love to know your thoughts on the collection and look forward to keeping you updated with the brand's progress in due course!

Bonita:

Details: A burst of vivid colour to brighten up your wardrobe. Architectural curves and tile
motifs combined with a bright palette of lime, orange and yellow are inspired
by the richness of Latin America. May be worn as a sarong as well as
a conventional neck scarf.

Dimensions 110x110cm

Compostion 100% silk

Bonita

Coco

Details: Coco charms us with its delicate tones of silver, peach and pinks. Trinkets, bows
and beautiful bottles of scent dance around the scarf like an
elegant Viennese waltz.

Dimensions 110x110cm

Compostion 100% silk

Coco

Mimi

Details: The Mimi scarf is a playful piece displaying large statement jewels, bold colours
and a fabulous textured animal print border. Definitely one for the more
daring lady this one will not go unnoticed.

Dimensions 110x110cm

Compostion 100% silk

Mimi

Ruby

Details: The Ruby scarf shouts and screams drama with its spectacular display of bling.
The fuchsia, chartreuse and spring green burst out from the softer rosy brown
ground. Definitely one for the more daring lady this one will not go unnoticed.

Dimensions 110x110cm

Compostion 100% silk

Ruby

Ruby

Valentina

Details: Valentina reflects the beauty of a ladies powder room in the early 20th century.
Soft rosy pinks and tones of pink combined with romantic scrolls
and silver trinkets make for a feminine and elegant piece.

Dimensions 110x110cm

Compostion 100% silk



Valentina