Shall we talk Haute Couture?

Today marked the end of SP13 Couture in Paris. There is something about Couture week which places it as my favourite of all fashion weeks, I think it is fashion being viewed more as art and admired rather than to be worn out everyday. This makes each piece more special and magical than the normal Spring Summer collections as the designers are allowed to push their ideas further and let creativity be he leading factor rather than practicality.

For me Karl Lagerfeld is the master of couture (recognise where I rephrased that cheeky line from?..think Hitchcock). But he forever manages to amaze with each and every collection and this season is no different. Starting with the classic Chanel tweed he reflects the loose knit across the collection with rough lace and feathers. The textures used across the collection with a range of fabrics from tweed to leather to feathers could seem overwhelming yet the simple black and white colour (except a few glimpses of pastels) scheme keeps it feel nothing but magical in the setting of an enchanted forest filled with fairies with a gothic touch and reminding me rather of the vampire fairies in Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty.
(I tried to cut down the collection to my favourite few, but it turned into more a favourite dozen or so.)

The Beautiful Cara Delevigne (who you must follow on twitter) 

And what about the rest of the designers? In a rather more prim and proper garden Dior presented a rather more prim and proper collection with highly structured pieces, a few more bright colours and cut outs but kept the floral theme coming. (Again I didn't do the best job at cutting down the collection to my favourite pieces)

(All images from Style.com)

Elie Saab took us out of the gardens but kept the beautiful and delicate lace theme up. While much of the collection felt very similar it kept the entire collection delicate with subtle changes with colour and beading. The finale stands out from rest of the collection as most dramatic (but yes I do sort of want to be married in that dress.) 

Finale

(All images from Style.com) 

Valentino was a beautiful as ever and I was introduced to some new designers (at least for me) Ulyana Sergeenko a Russian fashion designer and photographer who took us back to the fairytale theme and Giambattista Valli. Here's my pick from all of these designers and more. 

Valentino

Valentino

Valentino

Valentino

Ulyana Sergeenko

Ulyana Sergeenko

Giambattista Valli

Giambattista Valli

Giambattista Valli

Giambattista Valli

Maison Martin Margiela 

Maison Martin Margiela 

Do See Eat

DO read The Handmaid's Tale by the amazing Margret Atwood. A dystopian novel of a late 20th century Northern America which has become the Republic of Geilead; where women are subjected and their right to their bodies is removed. A novel I found myself completely obsessed with and unable to put down.

I know I've mentioned it before, but seriously DO go to the rain room at the Barbican by Random International before it ends on March 3rd. Going at the beginning of the Christmas holidays, we queued for about an hour and a half, but it felt well worth it! Sit in the queue with a cup of coffee and your be pleased you sticked it out in the end. (Here are some of my own photos from the room and a very very short video which may give you a small glimpse to the impact of the litres of rain falling down on you.)

SEE Matthew Bourne's latest sensation Sleeping Beauty at Sadler's Wells. With the original music by Tchaikovsky, contemporary choreography from Matthew Bourne and stunning fairytale costumes and set you can't not see it. Your find yourself breath taken in a completely different world with vampires, fairies and the like. Although sold out (but with the possibility of buying returns on the day) fear not because it's going on tour! and will be on in the New Wimbledon Theatre in April. 

My other recommendation to SEE is My Mad Fat Diary on E4. Based on Rae Earls own Mad Fat Teenage Diary, this programme touches spectacularly well on metal health and teenage life with much sensitivity yet great humour (something which seems rarely well done). A great watch.

EAT this delicious, moorish chocolate, raspberry brownies! I baked them this evening and I'm struggling to resist eating another. I got the recipe from BBC goodfood. 

• Ingredients                              
• 200g dark chocolate , broken into chunks
• 100g milk chocolate , broken into chunks
• 250g pack salted butter
• 400g soft light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 140g plain flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 200g raspberries  
• 
  
• Method
• 1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 20 x 30cm baking tray tin with baking parchment. Put the chocolate, butter and sugar in a pan and gently melt, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat.
  2. Stir the eggs, one by one, into the melted chocolate mixture. Sieve over the flour and cocoa, and stir in. Stir in half the raspberries, scrape into the tray, then scatter over the remaining raspberries. Bake on the middle shelf for 30 mins or, if you prefer a firmer texture, for 5 mins more. Cool before slicing into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Do See Eat

DO check out A Bigger Splash at the Tate Modern. Disappointed I would not be able to go this Friday, I found the time on Tuesday afternoon to pay a visit. Named after and opening with David Hockney's famous painting, the exhibition gave an interesting insight into a more alternative and contemporary side of art I love, exploring "painting after performance". Having heard lots from people about the exhibition before I went my expectations were perhaps set a tad too high, yet I still enjoyed it and found myself discovering new artists such as Karen Kilimnik, and her beautiful instillation inspired by Swan Lake and wanting to find new creative ways to create my own art work. A great exhibition for alternative inspiration.

If you do visit the Tate then DO take a walk from South Bank down to Borough Market by the river. Wrap up warm for a beautiful walk taking you through everything from South Bank's Christmas market, past St. Pauls, Shakespeare's Globe, many other landmarks and to the famous Borough Market. Great for getting to know London better and do something a little different.  

This Christmas go with the entire family to SEE Matilda! An RSC production with music and lyrics from Tim Minchin, it has been in the Westend for just over a year now. Breaking records and winning SEVEN Olivier Awards this year you'd be crazy if you hadn't heard of it and each of those titles are well deserved. Seeing it last Christmas it was one of the best musicals I think I've probably ever seen and would recommend it to everyone, young or old. 

This one isn't quite for the entire family put SEE Girl's series 1 before series 2 hits our screens (at least the American's) this January. Having heard so much about it I decided to sit down and watch the first series and once i started I pretty much couldn't stop. Dubbed the "new Sex and the City" it does it's 90's friend justice showing the lives of 4 young girls in 2012, it was instantly relatable and the more and more I watched, the more and more I loved it getting to know the characters as well as Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha, and I can't forget to mention Chris O'dowd whose appearance alone made me smile. Can't wait for Series 2 to begin!

Series 2 trailer

EAT at Canteen. Visiting again today for a lovely dinner, I was reminded of my love for the great British food. Around £25pp

Baked Pear Cake

This recipe I got in last weekend's Stella by Sarah Leahey Benjamin and decided to bake it for my Granddad's birthday today. I have adapted the recipe slightly, adding ginger, a little cinnamon and flaked almonds on top. Although the recipe one of pears didn't stay standing it was a great success.

Ingredients
125g unsalted butter at room temperature
140g plain flour
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
200g caster sugar
2 large eggs
zest 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp rum (optional)
50g flaked almonds

(Just before putting in the oven)

Method
1) Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180 degrees centigrade and line a 23cm tin.
2) Sieve together the plain flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and baking powder.
3) In a separate bowl with an electric mixer beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. One at the time beat in the eggs into the butter and sugar mixture, beating as you go. Add the orange zest, vanilla essence and rum.
4) Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and combine.
5) Spoon the mixture into the baking tin and place the pears into the mixture, making sure the mixture is evenly spread.
6) Place into the oven and bake for a hour. If after about 30 minutes the cake look as if it's browning too much cover with a piece of baking parchment.
7) When the skewer comes out with moist crumbs remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in it's tin for about 15 minutes.
8) 5 minutes before removing the cake from it's tin, in a frying pan dry toast the flaked almonds until golden brown. This happens very quickly so keep flipping the almond flakes.
9) Remove the cake from the tin and sprinkle the almonds over, serve warm with creme fraiche or ice cream.

Beautiful People

About two years ago my friend Ellie did some modelling for me of a few clothes I'd made. She looks stunning and although some of the clothes are relatively simple they're photos I'm proud and will put in my portfolio.

The dress, skirt and top were made by me.
The necklace is from Miss Selfridge.
The mask from my childhood dressing up box.
Underwear was models own.
Bangles a selection from high street stores.