True Colours

 

"On the sixth day, God created the artist, 

realising without doubt that he had far from exhausted the uses of colour"

~ Unknown 

I've never met a colour I didn't like and today's post is all about colour. I'm wearing lots of it and the photos are shot against the most colourful, picturesque background. Colour is powerful; it can brighten up a dull day, lighten a dark mood, it can calm us down and it can stimulate our senses.

My fabulous skirt is by cool French brand Maje. A perfect mini length, it features a cute rouche detail to the front and comes in the most dramatic shade of red. Red is the most intense of all colours. It is the colour of love. Hot and passionate, red gets your blood pumping and will always get you noticed.

I clashed the red skirt to great effect by pairing it with the most delicious hot pink silk tee by lush Irish brand Lennon Courtney. Pink is the sweet side of the color red. It represents romance, tenderness and all things cute and girlie. The deeper the pink, the more passion and energy it exudes.

I kept accessories quite simple in terms of colour for this outfit; neutral shades of tan or camel add warmth without overpowering the bold colour palette. Leopard print Alexander Wang shoes (I'm living in these beauties at the moment!) and a gorgeous oversized, lazer-cut leather clutch by Nadia Minkoff give this look a cool, edgy vibe.

Get The Look:

Top: Lennon Courtney Silk Tee in hot pink (similar)

Skirt: Maje 'Glaise' Mini Skirt in red

Bag: Nadia Minkoff 'The Cut/E1' Oversized Clutch in nude

Shoes: Alexander Wang 'Natasha' Shoes in leopard print (similar)

Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

Location: The Old House, Dorking

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

Whiter Shade Of Pale

I wore this stunning Lennon Courtney dress to a charity black tie Do. The dress code was 'Black & White' and believe it or not, I was literally the only woman there wearing white! Literally, one white dress in a sea of black dresses; oh if looks could kill!

I've only recently discovered Lennon Courtney and I am besotted with their beautiful, lady-like designs. This dress is a particular favourite. Each season they will design a star dress for that big 'Wow' moment at the end of their runway show and last season it was this beauty. A stunning, full length, heavy crepe silk dress (available in white & black) with a detachable belt, two front pockets and 3/4 length sleeves. I can imagine Grace Kelly or Veronica Lake wowing on the red carpet in olden-day Hollywood in this dress.

For my night out, I styled it with bold red lips (I LOVE a red lip with an all white ensemble) and my favourite Christian Louboutin peep-toe shoes. I continued the red lip theme with a fabulous Lips clutch by Lulu Guinness. I love this look. A clean, simple silhouette, demure with old-world appeal; I felt like a million dollars all night!

Get The Look:

Dress: Lennon Courtney Max Dress in white (similar)

Bag: Lulu Guinness Red Lips Clutch

Shoes: Christian Louboutin 'Very Prive' Peep-toe Shoes in black

Lipstick: MAC 'Ruby Woo' red Lipstick

I'm With The Band

In anticipation of the imminent release of my talented pal Steve Balsamo's new album, I treated myself to one of his cool band t-shirts. I love a great band tee, I have a little collection of them now, but this one is particularly special as it was designed by Steve himself. He's a talented Artist in every sense of the word! All his band merchandise is available to buy online from Dizzyjam; it's really worth checking out.

For a recent night out, rather aptly at a night of great live music, I wore my cool t-shirt with a faux-leather skirt by Irish design team Lennon Courtney (also blogged here). I love the contradictory mix of the ladylike, elegant skirt and the cool, casual rock 'n' roll tee. I added a classic pair of Christian Louboutin shoes and a bright, in-your-face, pink lipstick to complete my look.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish Steve & his beautiful co-singer Rosalie great success with their latest musical adventure. It's going to be huge; I've got a feeling!! Check out this fantastic little film for a preview of what's to come on Balsamo/Deighton's highly anticipated debut album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq6oBdRl1k8&sns=em

Get The Look:

T-shirt: Balsamo/Deighton Bird Logo Band T-shirt

Skirt: Lennon Courtney Full Leather Skirt in black

Shoes: Christian Louboutin 'Rolando' Shoes in black

Lipstick: MAC 'Relentlessly Red' Lipstick

My Fair Lady

Regular readers of my blog know how much I love & support Irish fashion; two of my favourite Designers being Ireland's Emma Manley & Natalie B Coleman, both of whom feature regularly in my posts.

I am so excited to have recently discovered yet another fantastic Irish brand - Lennon Courtney. Developed by two of Ireland’s leading fashion stylists and style commentators, Sonya Lennon and Brendan Courtney, the brand is a range of elegant, ladylike wardrobe staples. Their first collection, entitled ‘The Weekend’ consists of classic, day-to-night pieces that are inspired by "a confident woman embracing her dark side".

This beautiful skirt was my first purchase, followed very closely by the pretty silk organza top. I fell in love with this beautiful ensemble in the brands Lookbook & couldn't wait to recreate it. The skirt, in the softest faux-leather, is a beautiful mix of vintage and contemporary. The flattering A-line shape nips in the waist, making it look tiny and it is perfectly paired with the stunning puff sleeve top. A simple pair of black court shoes & a bright red lipstick finishes this elegant look off beautifully.

The great thing about both of these pieces is that they will go with so many other things in my wardrobe. I've already worn the skirt with a great band t-shirt for a cool rock & roll look & the top will look fantastic with jeans, all kinds of skirt shapes & high-waisted shorts; oh the styling potential is endless! You will definitely be seeing more Lennon Courtney posts on here; I've already bought a beautiful white maxi dress that I know you will all adore!

Get The Look:

Top: Lennon Courtney Puff Sleeve Organza Top in green

Skirt: Lennon Courtney Full Leather Skirt in black

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