The Gallery

 

"I believe in pink"

~ Audrey Hepburn

I absolutely love Sketch London. Described as "a restaurant gamble you cannot loose", Sketch gives you a choice of four amazing rooms to eat; The Glade (check out my Glade visit here), The Parlour, The Lecture Room & the stunningly beautiful Gallery.

The Gallery is pink; it is so gorgeously pink! Created by India Mahdavi, it is the perfect backdrop for the 239 new works of art by acclaimed British artist, David Shrigley, that line the walls; this is the largest group of original drawings Shrigley has ever exhibited.

I wanted to stand out in The Gallery but still compliment the beautiful room so I chose to wear a great blue dress by Emma Manley. Pink paired with blue is such a gorgeous colour palette, striking exactly the right balance between masculine and feminine. Black & white Chanel shoes were the perfect accessory for the monochromatic surroundings.

Get The Look:

Dress: Manley 'Lee' Dress in blue

Shoes: Chanel Mary-Jane Shoes in white/black (similar)

Location: Sketch London - The Gallery

Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

Colour Me Black

"Colour me black.

The moods that change so frequently inside me.

The world just isn't big enough

to hide me anymore,

Surviving on my store of faded dreams.

Colour me."

~ Fiona Ufton ©

The dramatic 'Gabriela' maxi dress by French label Maje is the epitome of dark femininity. Made from sheer, black, floral lace the dress features a crossover v-neck, long cuffed sleeves and a billowing, asymmetric hem. A spaghetti-strap playsuit in solid black is worn underneath.

Black is a classic colour to wear; flattering and chic, it goes with everything and is never, ever boring. Strictly speaking, it is not a colour but rather a combination of all colours and is produced by the entire absence of light. It symbolises the secretive, the unknown, and creates an air of mystery. 

In keeping with the almost gothic, all black ensemble, I styled my dress with a classic pair of black Christian Louboutin shoes. A little flash of the blood red soles adds yet more drama to an already striking look.

This glorious dress is the perfect after-dark piece, embodying the cool, effortless aesthetic Maje has become renowned for.

Get The Look:

Dress: Maje 'Gabriela' Lace Dress in black

Shoes: Christian Louboutin 'Rolando' Suede Shoes in black (similar)

Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

The Glade

"It is a glade not seen by us

If we do not know to look

To us it's just a darkened glade

Fed by a smallish brook

But, there inside the curtain

Is a world of childhood dreams

Where wishes are all granted

And tears help fill the streams"

~ Roger Turner

One of my favourite places in London is the beautiful restaurant Sketch London and one of my favourite rooms in Sketch is The Glade, an ethereal space that resembles a darkly enchanted fairytale woodland.

Artists Carolyn Quartermaine and Didier Mahieu, have created a découpage forest that is a beautiful fusion of something from the past and something completely modern. Their inspiration came from early Twentieth Century stationery; they printed their design onto hundreds of metres of paper, hand cut each piece, and découpaged it to the walls. In this magickal forest, delicate 1950s rattan furniture creates a beautifully dark, fairy-tale setting.

I wanted to wear something contemporary and dramatic that gave a little nod to the 1950s in such a special place so I turned to my favourite Designer, Ireland's Emma Manley.

The 'Abbie' patent leather skirt is girlie with a decidedly tough edge; it is midi length and the front panel sits flat, while the side and back panels are cut with a feminine flare giving it that unmistakable 50s shape.  The matching 'Elsie' sleeveless shirt features a dramatic collar in the same black patent leather. The delicate, floaty material of the bodice softens the whole look to great effect.

I finished my look off with a pair of much loved, much worn shoes by iconic shoe designer, Christian Louboutin.

Get the Look:

Top: Manley 'Elsie' Sleeveless Shirt in black/white (similar)

Skirt: Manley 'Abbie' Patent Leather Midi Skirt in black (similar)

Shoes: Christian Louboutin 'Rolando' Shoes in black (similar)

Location: Sketch London - The Glade 

Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

Step Inside My Playground

"Come step inside my Playground

And see what's goin' on tonight.

Come step inside my Playground

Be spellbound in my Playground."

~ Eraserhead

I have a bit of a thing for skirts at the moment. I've always favoured dresses, but super-cool brands like Manley and Maje, who really know how to do skirts, have shown me that a great skirt can be a girls best friend.

The 'Geste' skirt by French label Maje is a beauty; featuring bold stripes on a woven material, hook & eye fastening to the front, and two side pockets, it is a chic, playful piece that adds a touch of Parisian flair to any outfit.

I paired the skirt with the coolest band tshirt. This lush tee, in soft pink with a contrasting red design to the front, was designed by singer Steve Balsamo exclusively for his and Rosalie Deighton's collaboration with PledgeMusic; you can read all about that & their eagerly awaited debut album here. We ran a competition together a few weeks ago and our winner, Barnaby (pictured below; thanks for the pic Barnaby!), looks very cool indeed in his Balsamo/Deighton tshirt prize! 

In keeping with the rock vibe that inevitably goes hand in hand with a band tshirt, I finished my look off with the most rock 'n' roll footwear in the world. Fierce and fabulous, the iconic Christian Louboutin studded 'Pigalle' struts from day to night effortlessly. 

Get The Look:

Skirt: Maje 'Geste' Stripe Skirt

Tshirt: Balsamo/Deighton Band Tee in pink/red (exclusive to PledgeMusic)

Shoes: Christian Louboutin Studded 'Pigalle' Shoes in black (similar)

Photos: Phill Griffith 

1970

"To me, punk rock is the freedom to create, freedom to be successful,

freedom to not be successful, freedom to be who you are. It's freedom."

~ Patti Smith

The Bella Freud 1970 logo jumper has achieved super-cult status; it is a firm favourite amongst the London style set and has been seen gracing some of the worlds most stylish women.  

Words are often the starting point for Bella Freud's designs; the iconic logo was inspired when Bella (great-granddaughter of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud) saw the date printed in the corner of a page in a book. Messing around on a photocopier, she blew it up, cut it out and pinned it to the front of her black jumper. It's rough charm made her think of Patti Smith and the early New York punk scene in the 70s.

In gorgeous sky blue for SS15, the jumper is 100% merino wool, has a ribbed crew neck, cuffs & hem and features the signature 1970 logo to the front.

I styled it with a fantastic stripe skirt by French label Maje and my most treasured footwear, white Mary-Jane shoes with black strap and heel detail by Chanel, every girls dream brand. 

 

Get The Look:

Jumper: Bella Freud 1971 Logo Jumper in pale blue

Skirt: Maje 'Geste' Stripe Skirt

Shoes: Chanel Mary-Jane Shoes in white/black (similar)

Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©