Competition: Shoes as art

Dune have been in touch to tell me all about a new competition they are running that will have the arty ones amongst you jumping for joy. I've never bought anything from Dune, although I have spent many a wasted hour lusting after their wedding shoes online: I actually don't know why i've never been moved to make a purchase, as the shoes look to be good quality, and the pricepoint is about right.

The competition theme is one close to my own heart: shoes are art. I'm a firm believer that fashion is more than just getting dressed in the morning - it's about art and creating something beautiful.

You simply have to create a piece of art that best represents the shoe as art. This can be a painting, photograph, sculpture, or any other form of art: that gives you so much freedom to do whatever you want, really!

The winner will be picked by a panel of judges and will win £10,000 and their piece will be displayed in the window of the Covent Garden store: that's a mammouth prize if you have any artistic skills: sadly I have thumbs for fingers, and struggle to colour between the lines!

Sounds like this could be for you though? Have more artistic talent than I do? (Believe me, it wouldn't be hard!) Email your entry to shoeisart@dune.co.uk and good luck!

Love, Tor xxx

PS - This isn't the competition I was talking about yesterday: i've got a little giveaway coming up that's just for you guys tomorrow!

Mercedes Fashion Car-bootique - i'm a winner!

Hi guys,
To celebrate London Fashion Week, Mercedes Benz launched a "carbootique" on ebay: car themed products by over 60 fab UK-based designers were on sale, with all proceeds going to charity: Fashion East & to the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. There were some great products: Henry Holland made some pimped up car dice (which I loved, but the bidding went to high) and there was an Erdem sausage dog, perfect for any interiors lover!

I was the winner of three great items: the Charlotte Olympia car bumper stickers (for just £1.21) The Katie Hillier leather keyring (for just over £10) and the Holly Fulton telephone earrings (for £12) I was especially excited about the keyring and the earrings: Katie Hillier, of Marc Jacobs fame, has just started designing handbags with Victoria Beckham, so this was probably the only chance I had of affording something from her! And when I looked on the Browns website, the Holly Fulton earrings were retailing for £125, so I had an absolute bargain (although the earrings haven't arrived yet - I jump everytime I hear the postman!)

Just a little post to share my excitement about my winnings really! Watch this space, by the way, because by the end of the week I will have another exciting giveaway for all of you lovely ladies!

Love, Tor xx

In the changing room: H&M's new season ruffles

Hi guys,
I really loved the new season ad campaign from H&M when I saw it. And I have seen it everywhere: on buses, in magazines, on the tube....
So when I walked past today, I couldn't resist popping in and trying on my favourite pieces from their new collections:

Ruffles everywhere! H&M have really gone overboard with lots of nudes and creams and lots of ruffles. The fabrics were all silky and super-fine, and the ruffles were made of even lighter chiffon; they felt and looked great, and would look fab (and be more practical!) teamed with an oversized aron cardigan or chunky knit.

These were my favourite two pieces: the knit of the horsey cardigan was super soft, and it was a long and drapey fit. I only tried on the dress because it matched my shoes and handbag, but I loved it once it was on: the sleeves were really flattering and the trapeze shape looked much nicer than I expected.

These were my least favourite pieces: the black dress looked nice enough, but it was made of such a thin cotton it would have needed a slip underneath not to be completely see through! I only tried on the tiered dress because it featured so heavily in the ads, but I know it would look ridiculous on my bust, and I was right!

The winter knitwear is also worth mentioning: gorgeous print scarves, and very cheap gloves too: I picked up two pairs for just £2.99. I also bought a super-long oversized knitted mexican print scarf, perfect for wrapping around my neck a hundred times when it's really cold! I'm a big fan of H&M: the pricepoint is great, but the quality isn't sacrificed. Have the new H&M campaigns tempted you instore? And if so, what did you think?

Love, Tor xx

The fabfrocks guide to...doing a top knot

Hey guys,

So it's the "must have" hair 'do of the season, and everywhere I turned during London Fashion Week I saw one: yup, i'm talking about the top knot!

So as you can see, I have been giving it a go myself, although I think it would look better if my hair were slightly longer and I didn't have my fringe. But it does look super-stylish, and is one of the easiest updo's i've ever attempted (bar the simple ponytail, of course!) So here's how I did it in 3 simple steps:

1. So the first step is to get your hair into a really high pony tail. I find the easiest way to do this is to turn your head upside down and comb it through and into a high pony tail whilst your head is still upside down. I also put a salt spray through my hair before I start, as it makes it more textured and even thicker (I use a bumble and bumble one that is really good)

2. I then back-comb the ponytail a bit to make it thick and a bit frizzy (because I like my knot to look quite undone)

3. The final step is to wrap the hair around the bobble to create a bun, securing with pins as I go (I usually use four pins around the bun, and then another to tuck my fringe underneath the bun) I then pull some whips out of the bun and sides to make the 'do look more tussled, and cover it in hairspray for longevity: i'm currently using an Aussie one, because it makes my hair smell like peaches!

It's that easy: I'm loving this style, and it's perfect for those lazy days when you can't be bothered to wash and straighten your hair. What's your go-to lazy day style? And do you have any more tips to add on how to create the perfect topknot?

Love, Tor xx

H! by Henry Holland... My picks

Hi guys,

Half way through the Debenhams H! by Henry Holland event last night, I was absolutely delighted to be told that I could choose two pieces to take home with me at the end of the evening. I immediately thought of the blue fur coat, but as I already have three fur coats, I tried on the varsity jacket, the camel coat, and the monogrammed blazer as well. I then tried on about half a dozen dresses,

Excuse the fuzziness of the pictures, because whilst i've got the hang of my new camera, sadly Mike is still getting to grips with it!! Here's what I chose:

As soon as I tried on the varsity jacket I fell in love with it: I have no idea how i'm going to style it, as it doesn't really go with my normal dresses, but I want to give it a go! Any ideas guys!?

The scribble print dress didn't excite massively on the hanger, but every single person that tried it on looked amazing in it: it's cut to fit curves and the black waist band is really flattering: I can't find it on the website, but hopefully it will be instore soon!! Crazy high heels and a black cropped blazer, and this dress will be ready to hit the town!

It was really hard to choose just two pieces, which is a sign of how good the new season collection is: I think i'm a convert to H! by Henry Holland (apart from the teeny bikini's and the micro shorts, of course, which i'll leave to the kids!) What do you guys think? Interested to know your perception of the range.

Love, Tor xxx

New season H! by Henry Holland...With Henry Holland!

Hi guys,

Last night I was excited to be invited to Debenhams to view the newest H! by Henry Holland collection, and to meet the man himself:

In the picture above Henry is wearing the camel coat from the current H! collection, which is in store now. He also tried on the varsity jacket and a couple of jumpers, and took the jacket and jumpers home with him (if that's not a seal of approval from the designer, I don't know what is!)

We rifled through the rails looking at the new season collections, whilst Henry gossiped and sipped on his lemsip (apparently designers get fashion week 'flu as well as bloggers!) Sneaky insights we learnt from Henry:

- Next years Spring/Summer drops will have some pieces with a seventies influence, just like the mainline collection. However the bulk of the collection will have a very 90s feel (Henry said "think Fresh Prince of Bel Air") and there will be some more feminine girly pieces too.

- There is going to be a H! by Henry Holland Christmas range, featuring sequins and sparkle (can't wait for that to hit the shops!) My favourite piece of the whole evening was a blue fur coat, which is part of the Christmas collection: apparently this took a long time to create, as the prototypes kept shedding, but it's perfect now, and so soft!

- Because he's such a jetsetter (lucky him!) he does most of his work on planes, because he can't be distracted by phone calls. However he'll always call London home (and has since just a week after he moved here, much to the chagrin of his dad!)

-Henry thinks the prints in the collections just keep getting better and better, and he admits there was a steep learning curve in getting them right.

I think the H! range just keeps getting better with each collection: I also think it is maturing as time goes by; originally I would have said the collection was only appropriate for teens but now I see more and more "twentysomethings" wearing it, and I often happily wear H! by Henry Holland myself (as i'm going to show in my next post!) The upcoming range featured some great key pieces, which I can see selling out really fast, so get in quick!

Love, Tor xx

I broke in my new clogs....

I think i've mentioned it, oh, about a million times before, but my favourite film is Clueless. So it was with much amusement that I recreated a classic line from the film last night when Mike asked "so what did you do today?" and I replied "I broke in my new clogs"

But it was true: my greatest achievement of the day was that I wore my new clogs for the whole day and they didn't hurt my feet! Normally if I buy shoes that hurt my feet they go to the back of the cupboard, never to be seen again. But I loved these shoes, and they cost me £60 from Topshop, so far too much money (for me at least!) to just put them away!

The first day I wore them I was in agony: I had to take them off by lunchtime. My little toe had been rubbed so sore that it started bleeding and they rubbed my heels with every step I took. Day Two and I covered my feet in plasters but the pain was still there: I wore the shoes all day but by the time I was heading home I was limping! I had a day off wearing them, then tried again for what i'd decided would be the final time: By day three (yesterday) they were broken! I think the problem was that the wooden bases were very hard, and the leather was very stiff, but by the third wear it had given a little and was much more plyable! Hurray!

How long does it take you to break in new shoes? And do you usually persevere, or do you push them to one side if they aren't comfortable on first wearage?

Love, Tor xx

PS - The article I wrote about the first day of London Fashion Week for TKMaxx is now live on their site if you want to check it out!

Wardrobe sort out, ready for the new season

Hi guys,

So it's that time of the year again: time to sort out your wardrobe ready for Autumn/Winter. I spent all day yesterday sorting through my wardrobe: restitching buttons on to last years coats and de-bobbling them all. I know you're supposed to do this before you put them away for the summer, but I think you have to be really dedicated to remember to do that, and sadly i'm not!

I folded all my summer dresses and vests into my biggest suitcase, added a couple of moth balls, and put it under the bed. Then I went through my winter accessories box: making sure all my gloves were paired (and throwing away the pile of odd ones I seem to accumulate!) making sure I had scarves to match each of my coats and the same with hats. I pulled my winter boots to the front of the wardrobe and sorted out the ones that need reheeling (which I will get done in the next week) and packed my summer sandals and flip flops away.

I have always liked hats - I wish we still lived in a time when it was the done thing to wear hats everyday! That's definitely not something I need to buy any more of - although I know if I see another lovely one I won't be able to resist!

I know it seems like a boring chore, but I actually love sorting out my wardrobe: it works as a great reminder of all the lovely things you have, and I just dug up a dress I loved but forgot I owned: I haven't worn it for 3 years!!

This is the perfect way to identify any holes in your wardrobe and fill them whilst there's plenty of choice from the new season stock on the high street: I would like a couple more long sleeved dresses (i'm trying to move away from wearing long sleeved tops under sleeveless dresses like I did last year) I'd also like a pair of tan leather gloves, a pair of brown boots (last years have a hole in the sole, but were so inexpensive it makes more sense to buy a new pair than to pay for resoling) and I have a hankering for a leather dress: because my coats from last year don't need replacing, I think I could justify the investment!

Have you sorted out your wardrobe for winter yet? I'd love to know what you'll be buying this season, and what your going to try not to replace.

Love, Tor xx

Want to eat and drink fashion? Visit The Trafalgar

During London Fashion Week The Style PA and I visited The Trafalgar hotel and bar to view a pop up showroom called the Nolcha Fashion Lounge. The fashion was interesting (and gave me a couple of new designers to research!) but possibly more exciting, the drinks were delicious!

September at The Trafalgar is fashion month, and they have a new cocktail menu with three new cocktails inspired by fashion, and this seasons new trends:

- Nude Lace is white chocolate liqueur with tequila and a hint of coffee.

- Pretty Poetess is rum with green cardamom syrup and Angostura bitters

- The girl in the camel coat is Grand Marnier with tequila and a chocolate dusting.

I tried Nude Lace and The girl in the camel coat, and they were both creamy and delicious! What I didn't try (but it sounds yummy!) was the sharing sweet, called the Autumn Winter Assiette. This is a trio of chocolate, hazelnut, and coconut desserts inspired by the minimalist pieces on the catwalks at Aquascutum and Celine.

The cocktails are £10 each, and the sweet is £7.50: Definitely one to check out if you feel like an indulgent and decadent fashion treat!

Love, Tor xx

LFW SS11 Day Four: Ada Zanditon

So this is my last show review of the week - it's been hectic, but as massively fun as always, and I know going back to my normal life is going to feel very very boring!

The Ada Zanditon collection was called "The Pyramora": inspired by (yup, you guessed it!) the Great Pyramids of Egypt. The prints were angular and the silhouettes were really structured with sharp shoulders and other details on dresses and jackets: you could really get a sense of the Pyramid through every piece. Of course the hair carried the theme, with triangular hair pieces added to slicked back 'dos.

The colour palette was sand and gold; both colours that immediately evoke Ancient Egypt, with a recurring theme of resurrection throughout the collection which tied it to Modern Egypt. In Egypt today locals defy global corporations by protecting the environment and flourishing corals from over exposure to the tourist industry: this interest in the coral envelops the collection as the prints were created using hi res photos of the coral reefs.

I loved the Ada Zanditon collection last year, and i'm crazy about it this year - it was a great final show to end my season! Thanks again to Style Compare for their sponsorship and support!

Love, Tor xx

LFW SS11 Day Four: David Koma

Hurrah! The peplum is back! Well, at least it is if you were watching the David Koma show. The sculptured peplums were used to add volume to the skirts and dresses. The collection was very feminine with short hems on floaty flippy skirts. The colour pallette was paired down and simple: monochrome with flashes of subtle yellow, gold, and plenty of gold hardware. As always, Koma had to toughen up the femininity with plenty of leather detailing in panels and ruffles.


The collection was an homage to Swan Lake and the Russian Ballet. I love the mixture of the leather with the chiffon, and the texture it creates: I also enjoyed the added texture brought by the python skin and the metallic linear and vertical shapes,inspired by cubist artist Fernand Leger, which was applied to some dresses.

I thought this was a lovely collection; more subtle than last season, but beautiful, light, and very wearable.

Love, Tor xx

LFW SS11 Day Four: Holly Fulton

Hi guys,

So it was another early start for the Holly Fulton/David Koma show, but this hadn't stopped the fashionistas today: they were out in force, and the room was packed! The show was called "Holly says relax" (as you can see from the envelope handbag above!) and the 80s show title really was reflected in the collection. The collection was designed with Joan Collins on a resort tour as inspiration (With the Fulton girls travelling to Monoco, Egypt, Brazil and Hollywood) and was reminiscent of 1960s crusie wear but with a modern twist which was brought by the prints, the embellishment, and the graphic patterns:

I loved the art deco style skyline print on the monochrome dress and matching luggage, and the added texture brought by the use of ponyskin. I was also a big fan of the perspex jewellery, in particular the earrings. I think this was my favourite collection of the week, and certainly the one that I would like to add to my wardrobe immediately.

Unfortunately these are the worst photos of any of the shows i've been too: there was so much light on the catwalk that my camera just seemed to bounce off the clothes and make them all come out white! It was a gorgeous collection though, so definitely worth seeking out some extra photos from someone with a better view than me.....

Love, Tor xx

Things to do - Westfield fashion car boot fair

Hi guys,

Today I went for a sneak preview of the Westfield London shopping centre fashion car boot fair which opens tomorrow: a lot of the cars were still being set up, but I saw enough to be excited about how it will look when it's finished!

The visual merchandising of the stalls was fantastic: the Swarovski stall had a magpie theme which I loved, and the Ted Baker stall was really eclectic, and in a thrift store style. I think the Mary Portas Charitable giving car, shown in the bottom picture, will be the most popular (as long as you have a pocket full of cash of course!) because tomorrow they will have a stash of vintage Chanel handbags for sale - if I had the money, i'd be in the front of the queue! Lots of the cars will be hosting activities and give-aways you wouldn't find in store: at the Topshop car you'll have the opportunity to win everything on display, the Whistles car are hosting a whistle tombola to win prizes from the stall (if your whistle blows you win the prize!) A literal translation of the store name that I like:

There'll be lots of other great stuff to do too: I saw a cupcake stall, and apparently a team of senior make up artists will be descending on the MAC stall. And the House of Fraser stall will have a catwalk coming from their car showcasing all the new season looks. And even better, all the things on the cars are available to buy, so it's like normal high street shopping but with extra treats and activities thrown in!

Click here and you can see a list of all the brands participating, and all the great giveaways and competitions they're holding throughout the event. The boot fair will be running from tomorrow (21st September) until 26th September in the atrium at Westfield, giving you plenty of time to check it out! If I get the chance i'll definitely be popping down to see how it looks when it's up and running: i'd love to know what you guys think if you get the chance to go down too!

Love, Tor xxx

LFW SS11 Day Three: Basso and Brooke

The Basso and Brooke collection was truly beautiful: definitely worth the ungodly start on a Sunday morning (I had to leave the house just before 8!) When I got to Somerset house there were lots of people armed with giant cups of coffee and sunglasses, so I don't think I was the only one not used to such an early start on a Sunday! Probably because of the early start, there was a surprisingly low turn out for the show, however Amber Rose, Susie Menkes, Hilary Alexander, and me (of course!) were all out in force; and in truth this worked out great for me, as I was supposed to be sat on the 6th row, and ended out sat on the 2nd, where I could take some great photos!

As always, I loved the prints (the snakeskin print of the invitation was included in the collection, which I thought was fab!) and the floaty ice skater-style skirts were stunning:

The collection was one of extremes: old and new meeting. Some of the text based patterns were taken from handwritten notes by Da Vinci, Tolstoy, Balzac, Saint-Exupery and others. Visually they were stunning: a new take on the ubiquitous digital print. I loved the use of the prints too: some of the most stand out dresses had the prints used in panels for really great effect. There was a really prim and proper feel to the clothes, despite the short modern hemlines. Necklines were high, with shirts buttoned all the way up, and coats were draped casually over shoulders so they flowed prettily behind the models.

I was a big fan of the hair and make up: it was simple, understated and pretty; what I call rich-girl hair, because it looks so easy and casual, but really you need a hairdresser on standby to look that good! I really loved this collection: it was beautiful, wearable, and truly aspirational.

Love, Tor xx

LFW SS11 Leftovers from Day One!

Hi guys,

Friday was so hectic for me that I didn't have time to write about the rest of my favourite designers from the A La Mode show, so here are a couple of pictures from the other two designers that stole my heart:

I don't usually write about menswear, but Tom Lipop (yes, that's Tom from Project Catwalk) put together a great collection that had a really androgynous feel to it; slouchy tailoring that seemed perfect for a modern woman, as well as a man. The rolled cuffs and oversized outerwear would be perfect for this season as well as next, as would the colour palette: muted camels, blacks and greys. I really liked this collection and the details in it (a highlight was the leather backpack with a hood, shown above) Plus the models were really pretty, which is always a plus!

More sheer panels were on show from Johnathan Liang (apparently the next big thing in Malaysian fashion design!) -i'll bet my life they're going to be massive this season! Liang's collection was very structural, with sharp shoulders (again!) and even metallic breasts - what would Madonna say!? As seen at Eun Jeong and Anya Wilkinson, the colour pallette focused strongly on nude, with gold as the primary accent colour - I'm a big fan of nude especially nude dresses, and I thought it was a really strong collection.

Love, Tor xx

LFW SS11 Day Three: Daily Wear

Hi guys,

Today's Daily Wear post is brought to you in a rather bleary eyed state from the comfort of my living room at 7 oclock in the morning - the Basso and Brooke show meant for a very early Sunday start! Still I managed to make slightly more of an effort with my outfit and even put my best foot forward in a small heel:

Nude chiffon top, New Look

Faux leather skirt, Matalan

Clog shoes, Topshop

I then threw on the same jacket, scarf, and trusty handbag I was wearing yesterday; the early start meant I didn't have the time to switch all the details up, and I even threw on the same belt and necklace! Still, I was reasonably pleased with the results, especially given the skirt has sat in my wardrobe for more than 12 months and until this morning I hadn't even removed the tags! I just hope these new shoes from Topshop don't leave me in agony....

Love, Tor xx

LFW SS11 Day Two: Lako Bukia

The Lako Bukia show was the first ever London Fashion Week catwalk show from the designer. The collection took its inspiration from Soviet Union Architecture and the block buildings which remain in the Soviet Union countries. I really loved all the sheer chiffon details in the collection: there were sheer panels in dresses, full sheer shirts, sheer sleeves and even short sheer evening-style jackets with futuristic shoulders.

The collection featured a selection of drop waisted dresses that I wasn't very keen on: they looked awkward and reminded me of a sad '80s prom. But I loved the colour pallette of greys and soft pinks: The colours of the collection were very pared down, apart from the occasional flashes of vibrant red. (A nod to the Soviet Union's Communist past, perhaps?!)

The collection had a massive emphasis on shoulder details, which I felt like we have seen before in previous seasons; pointed shoulders and ruffled shoulders were an addition to nearly every piece. It was a very wearable collection, and although I wouldn't be buying any pieces to add to my own wardrobe (not that I have the money for this kind of thing!) it is definitely the kind of collection I can see selling really well...and given that she was sat front row kind of smiling (it's hard to tell with all the botox!) I think Janice Dickinson agrees too!

Love, Tor xx

LFW SS11 Day Two: Anya Wilkinson

This is Anya Wilkinson's second season showing at London Fashion Week. The collection was incredibly girly and feminine: again the pink/nude colour palette was out in force, this time paired with an equally feminine pale lime green dress selection(we saw it at Eun Jeong yesterday too: once more makes a trend!)

Several of the dresses were finished with 3D detailing and black binding and teamed with short black lycra skirts, giving an edgier touch, but my favourites were those ultra-feminine, unapologetically girly ones shown above. It was a very small collection (just ten pieces) and in all honesty, only half of those excited me, but the pieces that I did like were gorgeous and really wearable; the kind of pieces you could throw straight on and walk off the catwalk wearing!

In my opinion, the trapeze shape dresses such as the green one shown above are the kinds of dresses that only look good on models, and the most successful pieces were those which were slightly more tailored: nipped in waists and fitted busts. No matter the dress style, I loved the plasticised edges on some of the skirts which made them flow and float beautifully: it was like a summers day in a skirt!

I don't think the Anya Wilkinson collection is a completely finished product yet, but I do think she is definitely one to watch!

Love, Tor xx