From sale sedation to Mulberry's menagerie

January sales, love them or hate them they're pretty hard to resist. From Christmas eve if not before the shops are filled with bright red sale signs and the shoppers seem to take on a whole new characteristic, fighting among the rails for a bargain!

I love a good bargain as much as the next person but this year, as I sit in the library revising for two horrible exams I'm feeling incredibly uninspired to shop. I did Westfield before Christmas; we were there for 8 hours, it was a pretty good stint, but there was nothing I wanted. And I really do mean nothing, apart from most of the Zara stock of course but thats a given! Nothing stood out. Bad fabrics, poor cuts and overpriced pieces for the designs and everything in all of the shops I visited was the same as the last. This winter for me has been all about the long suede boots, a few days of Chelsea's and big oversized knits and not a lot of other statement pieces.

So, in the time when my bank card would usually be bearing the brunt of my severe lack of revision, when the bloggers are all posting their 'best of the sales' posts and when everyone else is still getting over the New Years hangovers, I'm incredibly pleased to have spotted the new Mulberry campaign this morning. Fronted by the babe that is Cara and shot by Tim Walker the Alice in Wonderland-esque shoot is quaintly British in style, and the location is the same mansion that was used in the A/W campaign. I'm swooning! The name is iconic, the products are sexy and cool and its one of those brands that everyone needs a little bit of in their wardrobe. The flowers only serve to uplift the drear that we've felt over the last couple of months with the saturation, and lack of inspiration, on our British high street.

The art director Cooke Newhouse comments: 'The spring 2014 campaign was a beautiful but naughty tea party with Cara and her ark of animals — the perfect Mulberry moment. They didn’t have the best table manners, but Cara was very forgiving.'

The campaign gives hope that Spring, and a bit of a revamp of the high street, may finally be on the way!

Mulberry moments

What is it about Mulberry? A Classic black bag has been on my wish list for as long as I can remember and will almost certainly be my first big purchase once I have a 'real' job. The Effie range is by far my favourite. Soft, slouchy leather that is subtle in design and yet retains that 'perfect handbag' look.

Mulberry was only founded in 1971 and yet has the appeal of a heritage brand. The combination of beauty and practicality, and the unwavering passion for leather craft is evident every time you wander into a Mulberry store. For me, its one of the British brands that is classy but not showy, with the perfect  piece for nearly every occasion!  

From top right, clockwise: Effie Tote // Effie Hobo // Suffolk // Pocket Bayswater // Bayswater Tote

The Winter campaign this year has only added to my desire for one of these little beauties. The iconic windows at Harrods are filled with a mysterious winter wonderland and they really do epitomise Christmas! 

"This December Mulberry is celebrating festive magic  and the joy of fairy tales. Inspired by the beauty of winter woodlands and Mulberry’s roots in the English countryside, the fairy tale has been brought to life by the renowned  art director and set designer Shona Heath."

I mean, how can you look at these windows and not feel Christmasy? Its definitely December!!

London Fashion Week #4 - Highlights of day 3, 4 & 5

I've spent the last couple of days massively procrastinating and watching the shows, flicking through the highlights and reading blogs and now I can't believe its all over already! #LFW 2013 went by in a flash!

 

There's no point in me documenting everything. This isn't a fashion blog after all. And the LFW website is fab at doing that. I did want to pull out a couple of my favourite designers from the last few days though. For me Christopher Kane, Topshop, Mulberry and Temperly are the ones really worth talking about.

I adored the oversized fur at Christopher Kane - easy to throw on and instantly glamorous. Temperley's collection was as classic as ever and I love the wearability of all of the pieces. Some of my faves are below:

Temperley London A/W 2013



Temperley London A/W 2013
 

Temperley London A/W 2013

Temperley London A/W 2013

Temperley London A/W 2013



Temperley London A/W 2013

 

And how could I forget Topshop? Everyone's favourite British high street brand put on a stunner of a show with the as its backdrop Tanks, adjacent to the Tate gallery and a brand new exhibition space. The front row was filled with fixtures such as Olivia Palermo, Kate Bosworth and Demi Lovato and the collection matched the audience. Topshop proves that highstreet can very much do high end.

With a show opened by Cara Delevingne and closed by Jordan Dunn how could it not really? The collection focused on texture; a mix up of different materials and dashes of notable prints. Most notable, though, was the integration (and application) of sequin and sparkle as an embellishment altogether ungirlie. High shine was key, but the assumed glitziness was subdued by way of sharp tailoring, luxe fur add-ons, and masculine outerwear counterparts.

This is a collection that is going to do extremely well!


Topshop Unique A/W 2013

Topshop Unique A/W 2013



Topshop Unique A/W 2013
 

I loved the whole essence of the Mulberry show, from set design to music, clothes to bags to oversized poodle!! The fabrics were stunning and the collection is perfect for the new season. The new Suffolk bag (my home) - reminiscent of a traditional doctors bag and available in white, midnight blue and pheasant green - is stunning and is definitely top of my wish list from the whole of the runway so far. The collection was grown up and luxurious, (although skirts over trousers was a little strange; the season really is returning to the 90s!) epitomising the brand - Emma Hill seems to be going from strength to strength. 

Topshop Unique A/W 2013









Emma Hill takes a snapshot of the Mulberry catwalk

 

 

I'm ready and waiting patiently to see what makes it down to the high street - for me, the true essence of fashion week (at least until I can afford couture anyway!!).