Hey You With The Red Dress On

"I said hey you with the red dress on

I gotta find a way to take it off

I got a lot of love and it's growing strong

When I see you with your red dress on

You in that red dress

You in that red dress"

~ Magic!

I've been busy shopping the sales and this scarlet gem was, hands down, my best bargain. It was a difficult dress to find as it was from Vivetta's SS17 collection, but I searched and searched and I found it, in my size, and at a fraction of the original price. It was kind of meant to be, right? Needless to say, I snapped it up!

I wasn't surprised to read that classic children's Fairytales were the inspiration behind Vivetta's collection. Every piece told a story, make-believe characters came alive on the catwalk, creating a fashion fairytale that reawakened childlike imaginations.

This Victoriana, Red-Riding-Hood-esque dress with its unconventional vintage feel was the standout piece for me. It has a decadent, costume vibe, without it ever feeling like fancy dress. Flouncy ruffles and frills create a whimsical, ethereal charm that softens the dramatic Victoriana edge created by the high neckline and square bib front.

I feel very ladylike when I wear it. I feel like a character from Downton Abbey or a scarlet clad Handmaid from The Handmaid's Tale. I move differently in it; I am suddenly more graceful, more elegant, more lissome. It is a fairytale dress that will turn heads wherever it is worn.

Get The Look:

Dress: Vivetta Red Ruffle Bib Midi Dress (similar here and here)

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik 'D'Orsay' Peep-toe Shoes in zebra (similar here)

Photos: Jason Connery ©

Something Blue

"Blue, I didn't ask you,

Blue, I didn't invite you.

Blue, why did you come around so soon?

My heart it wasn't ready for you,

I don't know what the hell to do,

The full moon showed up in your face, Blue"

~ Balsamo/Deighton, Christian Phillips

A couple of weeks ago I had the very great honour of walking the red carpet with a very special man at a very special film premier; Tommy's Honour, directed by Jason Connery, is a beautiful, inspiring and deeply moving film, and it had its world premier at the opening night of the 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival. For such a spectacular occasion, I needed a pretty spectacular dress, so naturally I turned to my favourite Designer, the super talented Emma Manley. 

Where do I even begin with this stunning dress of dreams? It is another impossibly beautiful Manley piece; a glorious work of art, and a statement dress in the truest sense of the word. Crafted from perforated leather, it is embellished with appliquéd hand-cut leather strips that are moulded into beautiful bows, each one held down with a silver stud. The beautiful embellishment features heavily at the base of the dress, and moves upwards delicately and randomly.

Also available in dark grey, rich wine, and vibrant pink colourways, it was the powder blue shade that I was immediately attracted to. In the meaning of colours, pale blue is a peaceful and tranquil colour that creates a sense of calmness, relaxation and order. We all know how peaceful and calming it feels to lie on our back on a bright Summers day, looking up into a beautiful blue cloudless sky. And we know that when a rare blue moon occurs, the magick is endless. I love wearing blue. 

I styled my dress with a pair of Zebra print Manolo Blahnik shoes. I love to clash colours and prints, and this styling combination is my idea of perfection. A beautiful silver clutch by Nadia Minkoff completed my red carpet look.  

If you think a man might struggle to compete with such a standout dress on the red carpet, you'd be very wrong; Jason wowed everyone by wearing a kilt! We got his kilt (the particular tartan he wore is called 'Scottish Spirit') from Slaters in Edinburgh (huge thanks to Sandy and the team, who looked after us so well). Jason looked absolutely gorgeous, and effortlessly cool in his great outfit; he was hands down the best dressed man  at the premier. There was plenty of swooning when we emerged from our car and his loyal fans spotted him! What is it about a man in a kilt that is so irresistible?  

And the fun didn't end on the red carpet; a couple of weeks later,  I got to wear my beautiful dress all over again for this Blog photoshoot! Kate and I were joined on the shoot by 16 year old photography student Sam Millward, an exceptionally talented, and very professional young photographer. Watch out for him, and remember, you saw him here first!

Get The Look:

Dress: Manley 'Carly' Bow Dress in powder blue

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik 'D'Orsay' Peep-toe Shoes in Zebra (similar)

Bag: Nadia Minkoff 'Kensington' Clutch Bag in antique silver 

Photos: Sam Millward ©

Premier photos: Ivon Bartholomew and Gordon Terris  ©

Behind the scenes photo: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

'Blue' song lyric: Balsamo/Deighton ©

Dress Up - The Best Of 2015

"Pearls & boas, dressed to the nines,

Lipstick on pursed lips, trying to stay in the lines.

Big wobbly high heels, on tiny, precious feet,

Little girls playing dress-up, aren't they sweet!"

~ Laura Taylor Mark

Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©
Anna Saverimuttu Photography ©
Mike Lawrence © 
Additional Photos: Phill Griffith & David Ufton   

Piper

"Into the street the Piper stept,

Smiling first a little smile,

As if he knew what magic slept..."

~ Robert Browning

To say that I merely love this dress would be such an understatement. 'Piper' is the hero piece in Emma Manley's extraordinarily beautiful S/S15 collection and it might just be the most beautiful dress I've ever owned!

Piper is a work of art; made from embellished navy suede, it features a zip down the centre back, and a sexy, figure flattering spandex bodice with a semi sheer back. Appliquéd hand cut leather circles in champagne and silver are secured with metallic studs. They feature heavily at the hemline and spread upwards in a delicate and dispersed manner. As with so many of Manley's studded pieces, it jingles and sings to me with every single step. I can't even tell you how beautiful that is.

I styled my gorgeous dress with a lush silver clutch bag by my favourite accessories designer, Nadia Minkoff; the beautiful silver compliments the detailing on the dress so perfectly. I then funked the look up by clashing a cool pair of zebra print heels by shoe God Manolo Blahnik. I think this might just be my favourite outfit ever.

Get The Look:

Dress: Emma Manley 'Piper' Dress in navy

Bag: Nadia Minkoff 'The Kensington' Clutch Bag in silver

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik 'D'Orsay' Peep-toe Shoes in zebra (similar)
Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I Believe In Pink

My t-shirt obsession is showing no signs of abating. This is no bad thing of course as you simply can't have too many great tees; it is an impossible thing.

I saw this stunning Lennon Courtney silk t-shirt when I was in Dublin recently. I very stupidly didn't buy it & I'd been kicking myself ever since. My lovely Husband (who I'm sure was sick of hearing me droning on and on about it) very sweetly said he would treat me to it for our Wedding Anniversary, so we popped into Wolf & Badger in Notting Hill on a sunny Saturday afternoon to buy it.

When we got there, who did we bump into but the Designers, Sonya Lennon & Brendan Courtney themselves!! You just couldn't make something like that happen! They are as charming as they are talented and I was in heaven for the next hour or so, talking fashion with them over a few of glasses of Prosecco! It was such a pleasure to meet them both as I am a huge fan of their amazing designs.

My Husband whisked me off to our favourite restaurant that evening for a wonderful surprise night of delicious food & cocktails; I wore my beautiful new top, paired with a gorgeous Lennon Courtney skirt & a great pair of Zebra print Manolo Blahnik shoes. I wore it again the next day (thank goodness I didn't dribble cocktails down the front!), dressed down with cute boyfriend jeans & towering metallic Dior heels.

In a vibrant, hot pink this top is a luxurious reinvention of the classic tee. A basic t-shirt shape, it features short sleeves, single button closure to the neck and is 100% silk. It has an easy, relaxed fit and the breathtaking colour makes it a real standout piece. I've never been questioned or complimented so much about an item of clothing, everyone fell in love with it!

Get The Look:

Top: Lennon Courtney Silk Tee in hot pink

Jeans: Current/Elliott 'The Roller' Boyfriend Jeans (similar)

Shoes: Dior 'Extreme' Gladiator Shoes (similar)

Skirt: Lennon Courtney Leather Box-pleat Skirt in black (similar)

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik 'Sedaraby' d'Orsay' shoes in zebra print (similar)

Bag: Cambridge Satchel Co. Classic 11" Satchel in black