Events: ghd SS12 hair looks

A couple of days ago I was invited to breakfast with the lovely folks at ghd to find out what hair looks will be as hot as their hair straighteners next season.

Confession time - when it comes to hair, I am pretty useless. For as long as I've been growing the stuff, my hair and styling methods have remained the same and don't show any signs of changing. I have always been a big fan of ghd straighteners, but I fully aware that I am not using them to their full potential. But the good news is you don't have to be a hair expert to master next seasons hair trends. According to Kenna, Creative Director at ghd and all round hair guru, Spring/Summer hair is all about nostalgia - using the classic plaits and ponytails we've all grown up doing and adding a more modern twist.

Kenna presented four key looks that debuted on the catwalks for SS12 but I'm going to show you my two favourites, seen on the models for high end designers Aminaka Wilmot and David Koma. Here's the low down on the looks, as well as some tricks on how to achieve them:

1. It's a Kind of Magic

Inspired by the mischievous elves of Scandinavian folklore, this look has a soft enchanted quality that celebrates the playful charm of showing your ears and the delicate beauty of baby hair.

I love the mix of straight and wavy with this look, and it's surprisingly easy to achieve. The important thing to remember is that you should always prep your hair with any styling products, such as a curl hold spray or heat protection, before drying so that it's well absorbed and will hold the style. You can then add any extra bits you need, such as hair spray or serum, when the look is complete.

To create this look, all you need to do is start with a centre parting and then section off the back of the hair (use the top of your ears as a guide from where to separate). Straighten the front part of your hair and give it a good spritz with a reliable hairspray. Having tried it myself, I highly recommend ghd's Final Fix Spray as it gives a strong hold without being too heavy or making the hair especially crunchy. Take the back section and create five small plaits. If you want a slightly larger wave, you can do two bigger chunkier plaits - that's that easy. Once you're all plaited up, get your straighteners and run them over the plaits to get them nice and hot. When they cool down, this will set the hair and will create the beautiful soft wavy look when you untie them. Once they're thoroughly cool, loosen the plaits and brush through to add a little extra softness to the look. Leave a small panel in front of the ears, then tuck the rest of the hair behind the ears and give the whole thing a good spray. And that's it! You are now officially the new Lord (or should that be Lady?) of the Rings.

2. Walk the Line

A great song and a super-cool hairstyle. Although this looks very modern and complicated, it's just made up of multiple ponytails. Even I can manage that! Hair bands at the ready...

Make sure your hair has been prepped with lots of heat protection and products to help keep the hair smooth (such as the ghd Straight and Smooth spray), and blow dry the hair straight. From the centre of your forehead, section off a diamond panel that ends an inch below the crown and slick it back with a good hair spray and tie it with one of your elastic bands (TOP TIP ALERT: If you spray ghd's Final Fix hairspray very close to your hair and smooth it down with your finger, it creates a very impressive shine. That's why the model's hair looks so shiny in my photos - clever, eh?). Make two more ponytails on either side of the diamond section and pull them back behind the head underneath the diamond ponytail and tie. From the back of the earlobe, create another diamond section on each side of the head and fasten, then tie these smaller ponytails together with the main one from the top diamond. Give all of the sections a good spray to ensure a neat finish that shows off the lines and divisions of each section. Done. Bish bash bosh.

I'd like to thank Kenna and the lovely ladies of Shine Communications for inviting me along and for giving me some real hair inspiration. As the proud owner of a new ghd AIR hairdryer (it's amazing, by the way...), I feel ready to experiment with some new looks and make the most of my new found knowledge. Wish me luck!

Events: Modalu London SS12 press day

Last week I attended the press day for iconic handbag brand Modalu London.

Known for making Pippa Middleton's handbag of choice, Modalu London are experimenting with more modern styles alongside their classic designs for their Spring/Summer 2012 collection, featuring a new mix of fabrics and colours ranging from cool ice-cream hues to vivid flamboyant brights.

Not only was I extremely impressed by Modalu's fresh approach to colour and a more modern wearable style, but I was also surprised by the prices. Although they're slightly more costly than a high street bag, Modalu's handbags are made from quality materials (their leather is beautifully soft and detailed) and prices range from £49 to £220 - definitely worth investing in!

To find out more about Modalu London and to browse their lust-worthy wares, visit www.modalu.co.uk.

Events: Calvin Klein CK A/W jewellery & watch collection launch

Today I attended the Calvin Klein CK A/W jewellery and watch collection launch to browse the fine and shiny wares that will be available to buy this season.

Here's what I saw:










This collection epitomises the classic simplicity that Calvin Klein is so well-known for, offering a stunning range of versatile pieces that suit everyone, from your best friend to your elderly grandma. I particularly liked the rose gold pieces, as the softer tone never fails to add a touch of elegance to an outfit.

I really enjoyed the event, and it gave me a chance to catch up with the lovely Karena and Hayley from Fashion Forward PR, as well the beautiful Rosie Fortescue. You may know Rosie from such reality TV show delights as Made in Chelsea, but did you know she also has a blog that documents all of her fashionable exploits? To find out more, visit www.atfashionforte.com and have a mooch around.

Events: Winter Kate brunch 2011

On Saturday I was invited to attend a brunch and catwalk show at Bacanal London to see the newest collection from Winter Kate, the ready-to-wear label owned by Nicole Richie. Given that it was a daytime affair and that the word "brunch" was involved, I was expecting a quiet afternoon of tea, browsing the clothes and maybe some eggs.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

To set the scene, I should start by saying that the event started at 2pm. This is arguably a bit late for a brunch, but the world of fashion is not one bound by the limits of time. The menu consisted of three courses with not an egg in sight (my first, and definitely not the last, surprise of the day), but it was lovely all the same. After tucking into the first course, "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" starting to play and who should appear but Banbury Cross, the Marilyn Monroe-a-like burlesque performer, show girl and all-round vintage beauty queen. After getting over the initial shock of seeing nipple tassels before my main course, I pulled myself together and thoroughly enjoyed Miss Cross' performance, although I was filled with terrible body envy. She looked absolutely incredible, even when pretty much naked and jiggling around! I'll have what she's having, please.

Banbury Cross actually performed twice during the event, but I only managed to film it the second time - here's a feast for your eyes:


After the food had all been served and cleared away, it was time for the catwalk show. As always, my camera and I weren't getting along very well, and unfortunately I missed a few of the pieces. I did manage to capture some of them, however, but please excuse my poor photography skills.









The collection was very typical of Nicole Richie's design style, featuring an array of extremely wearable vintage-inspired looks. There was heavy emphasis on rich fabrics, particularly velvet, mixed with fringe detail and subtle embossing. It appears that Winter Kate are going to be big on the kimono style this coming season, and the more slouchy and oversized the sleeves the better. I am a fan.

After the show and the second performance by Miss Cross, things took yet another unexpected turn. As you can hear at the end of the video I have posted, a loud siren-like sound was blasted out, and two girls in fancy underwear walked out and proceeded to dance on chairs. And before I knew it, everyone was dancing. And I mean everyone! On tables, on chairs, in the aisles - and I have absolutely no idea where it came from or why!




People were dancing so hard that for a second I thought perhaps one of the guests was perhaps a timelord and that we'd been transported to Magaluf at 2am. But we hadn't, for course. We were still in Belgravia, and it was only 4pm. Who knew velvet kimonos would have such an affect on people?!

In conclusion, the event was a lot of fun and I enjoyed myself a lot, but I still don't really understand what happened! Thanks for having me though, Winter Kate. Next time I'll bring my glow sticks and feather boa with me!

Events: Fuschia PR's Summer Fete

Last week I attended the press day for Fuschia PR. Although Fuschia represent some brands that are not to my personal taste, they had some great pieces on display and I really enjoyed the whole event. It was held outside (very unusual for a press day) at The Phoenix Garden, a beautiful local community garden in central London, and there was even a tombola!









Some of my favourite pieces from the day included pretty dresses from the Sugarhill Boutique and studded wedges from Feud. To make the day even better, I also won a pair of these Native shoes!


Although they may look rather strange, they are probably the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn! They've also done a range of hiking and snow boots which are rather nuts. But the good kind of nuts. Like cashews.


Thanks for having me, Fuschia PR! Come back for more photos from events soon, won't you?