Spring Florals 2012

"Florals. In Spring. Groundbreaking."

I know. Miranda is right: there is nothing radical, new or surprising about doing florals in spring. And yet, I am very excited about the choice of superpretty floral-prints on the highstreet.

Below are my favourite picks.

Spring Florals 2012

£30 - Dorothy Perkins

£30 - Dorothy Perkins

£24.50 - Dorothy Perkins

£79 - Reiss

£27 - Dorothy Perkins

£110 - Reiss

£30 - H&M

£13 - Monsoon

£20 - Topshop

£40 -ASOS

£16 - Monsoon

I know I'll just need a pretty little top to wear with my jeans, a romantic dress for all-over "I feel pretty" and shall try to clash a couple of different prints!

Let me know what you are doing!

Come into My World...

Only a few days ago I reported about Hoss Intropia's eShop launching soon - and here it is!

Not only do I adore their collections, I also love the shop itself: clean lines, tidy pages, easy to navigate, a wish-list function and cute little videos at the top of each category page.

They deliver to Spain (€6, 1-2 working days), Italy & Ireland (€12, 2-3 working days) and - thank you! - the UK (€9, 2-3 working days). You can request a return within 15 days of having received your order and customer services are available Monday - Friday 10am - 7pm.

The site is clearly still in its infancy with scope for expansion, added functionality and improved usability (and the odd dead link/missing image to sort out) but I like that they kept it simple and focused. The only add-on feature is currently their personal shopper page, on which you can classify your body type and receive some advise about how to dress best for your shape.

My current favourites - and promptly added to my wish-list are

 Wrap Front Dress  €140

Flower Print Tunic Dress  €230

Waisted Raincoat  €198 

Sequin Bolero  €270

Polka Dots Top  €140

So if you are lusting after romantic dresses, diaphanous blouses,  delicate knitwear or elegant yet quirky accessories check it out!

Oh, and another little treat: a snippet of their campaign video...

Happy Shopping and don't forget to register for a chance to win a shopping spree worth £1000!

Paris Fashion week - Mugler

Ooooh, I like...

 

Images just gone live on Vogue.

Wednesday Lunchtime Treat!

So we are officially half-way through the week. Is there a better time for little pick me up? 

Reason 1: I reward myself for having gotten to Wednesday without major breakdowns.

Reason 2: I give myself a little cheer so I will make it to the end of the week!

With it being the 29th of February, I could do one of those "ladies, propose to your man - buy him a ring/watch/... here" but I think it's a rather daft concept to only be "allowed" to propose once every 4 years. So I shall ignore that tradition.

Instead, I'll give you a quick rundown on the leapyear promotions I've been getting. Most of these are only valid for today so be quick!

ASOS

Up to 29% off with Promocode LEAPDAY10 

LaRedoute

29% off with Promocode 5250

Dorothy Perkins

Up to 50% off Sale starting today

Cocosa

Melissa Shoes up to 60% off
Hurry up, just a few of the gorgeous Vivienne Westwood PomPom Heels left. Also get ready to check out the Alice by Temperley Sale launching tomorrow!

Enjoy your lunch!

Magical Kinder Aggugini

I was lucky enough to attend Kinder Aggugini's AW12 show as part of London Fashion Week.

I have to admit, some lines were really not my cup of tea (not a big fan of those coats that swamped the incredible fragile models' frames) but towards the end I was salivating over the beautiful dark blue and gold lace dresses...

 ...and the pair of evening gowns that seemed to be crafted out of a wool felt. Juxtaposing an earthy, coarse-ish material with such an elegant style was just brilliant.

Anyway, fashion insiders will have known for some time but I only just came across the fact that that Aggugini has designed the costumes for English National Ballet's The Rite of Spring. So far I could only find one sketch and it makes me want to see more. 

There is certainly some of the magic of the dark blue and gold lace dresses in there but it also conveys strength and agility.
Interesting also that wearability is something that comes up regularly when catwalk fashion is discussed. They won't just wear it, they'll dance in it!

Who needs an eShop?!

Mere hours after I write about the the soon to come Hoss Intropia eStore, they try to entice me back into their store. And bribe me with Cava. Hmmm.

I am loving the pretty, dusky tones...

No! I still want the eShop - so get on with it!

Finally coming to a browser near you...

A couple of years ago I came across some stunning shots in a German magazine.

Think 1940's inspired dresses, figure hugging cuts, gorgeous prints. There were  couple of dresses that immediately landed in my "cut out and keep" pile.

A few weeks later, when I actually had the time to go through said cut outs, I noticed that in the past months I had collected about five images from a label called Hoss Intropia. They were mostly dresses, distinctly elegant yet a little quirky.

An online search lead me to a very nicely done homepage and I learned that the brand had been going since 1994. Their quote
  

At Hoss Intropia we believe that the main role of fashion 

is to help every woman be herself.

spoke to me in particular.

---Yes, I love fashion and I also do think of it as art but I also believe that there is a distinct difference between what I see on the catwalk or something that I might wear for fun on a particularly brave day,  and what I need in my wardrobe for day to day feelgood dressing. And that means feeling like I'm wearing "my" clothes and not somebody else's.---

However, the site also revealed no stockist nearby, only three stores in London (Regent Street, Sloane Square and Covent Garden) and no online store.

No major results on Ebay. Some last season lines on yoox. Nothing in Germany either. Sigh.

My next trip to London featured a specifically planned Hoss Intropia visit.  Literally within two steps into the shop, I spotted a dress - and fell in love:

Needless to say, I didn't leave the store without it.

I think it is from the SS11 range and I still love it as much as when I bought it. Possibly even more as it has perked up many gloomy days for me.

Anyway, I have since purchased a couple more items - alas all during trips to that London.

The reason why I am writing now is that, during my last trip to the Regent Street's store, I overheard staff talking about their new online store. And now Hoss Intropia have officially announced the imminent launch of said eShop. How exciting is that?! (If you sign up now, you can even win a £1000 shopping spree! - needless to say, I've done that.)

I can't wait - and if you can't either, here is a little taster...