British Fashion Awards… the round up

I made it! It was a mission to get to the awards on time with work people asking me last minute questions as I’m trying to dash out, but we got there, we got our pre-award show drinks, we got …

Outfit for British Fashion Awards tonight

I posted a little while back about the nominees for the British Fashion icon for the  British Fashion Awards, not realising that I would be able to attend the award in person!!!

Yes, tonight at the grandiose Savoy Hotel in London, along with all the beautiful models, fashion designers and fashionistas will be me and with my fashion lover friends A and L (a blogger herself).

I got to attend these awards two years ago and queued behind non other than the dashing Christopher Bailey and Daisy Lowe, who luckily stole the attention of the waiting photographers.

So what to wear to such an occasion? This of course has to be an outfit that allows for some mad dashing from work (in west weeeeest London… near Heathrow) to Savoy Hotel in the über glamorous tube. (Funnily the invite actually says “your driver should take you to The Savoy Hotel… one day perhaps).

So this is what I have rolled up in my little bag:

• Erdem dress;
• Burberry patent shoes; and
• Burberry quilted bag.

Dress in above style, but in the fabric of the skirt below.

Boots in the style of below but black shiny patent leather (so nicer):

The bag is similar to the one below, but instead of the two straps it has one thick long strap.

So fingers crossed there will be no problems with the tube tonight, and I’ll be able to be sipping champagne with the best of London fashion!

Belgium… the true home of French Fries

So you may ask, where have I been hiding for the last month or so? I have been eating my weights worth in Belgium!

The first thing that we HAD to eat in the land of the Belge, is “pomme frites” – french fries.

I don’t know why fries have been called “French”. The French apparently never claimed it as their own (I make this statement only from speaking to my French bf), and it is the Belgium that indeed is the king of the french fries.

After much researching, we found one of the best one in Brussels (noted by some perhaps as perhaps best in the world…), Maison Antoine at Place Jourdan. A little “hut” situated in the middle of the square, they have two sections to cook and serve the frites as they are in such high demand. We went on a Saturday late morning and were confronted by grand queue, so if you want to go, be warned. But it is worth it.

There are over 30 sauces to choose from, and I think this is what makes these frites so very special. We went the classic mayonnaise, the Tartare Maison (house tartare sauce),  and the spicy pili pili sauce.

The frites themselves were perfect. Super crunchy on the outside and hot, fluffy  and soft on the inside. The crunch and thickness of the outside was the key to the deliciousness of the frites.

Being in the middle of autumn – but felt very much like winter – buying the french fries and eating them outside was not quite ideal. Luckily, the bars around are more than happy for you to eat the precious parcels in their warm premises (or in summer on their outside tables) and delighting in the best (one of) Belgium export, the beer.

I would definitely go back… especially in summer time!

 

Maison Antoine at Place Jourdan 1, Brussels 1000, Belgium

Maison Martin Margiela for H&M – My purchases!

Sorry for the lack of posts of late, but I have been non-stop travelling for work and pleisure for the past month! Am so glad to be back in London, in time for the Maison Martin Margiela launch for H&M!

So on Thursday – I had my alarm set. I had my calendar invite blocking out any work meetings. And I sat whilst on conference calls refreshing my link to the H&M online store. And after 45 minutes of refresh… I got through!!! Yes, it was a real test for perseverance… teheheh…

Surprisingly there were quite a few items still available, but annoyingly, some of the items that I managed to put in my cart by the time I went to pay, had sold out 😦 booohooo… these included the narrow black tuxedo jacket and oversized trousers… But I am ecstatic and cannot wait to receive my HUGE delivery hopefully this week!

So I managed to get (yes its a long list):

• black oversized dress
• iconic glove bag
• perspex boots in black
• blue dress
• beige perspex pumps (although the pumps will only be delivered in Dec so have to wait EVEN longer!)
• blue structured jumper dress (actually picked this one up from the store after work).
• Restructured leather biker jacket
• Cuff necklace
• Bra top bodysuit
• (Incredible) two dress in one
• Structured blazer (its made of polyester so will see what it looks like in real life)
• Grey and black turtle neck
• Skirt in trousers style

 

 

 

 

 

I actually popped into the store in Regent St after work and was surprised to see that there were still lots of items left as they kept refilling! I tried the duvet coat… but sadly found that on me… it did indeed look like I was wearing my duvet!

The fabrics of some of the items, like the dresses, weren’t as nice as I’d hoped (like I looooved the look of the draped red dress in pictures), so was glad they also fell out of my online shopping cart. It was my birthday recently, so this week I’ll definitely be receiving my presents to myself! Aren’t they the best?

So was anyone else successful?