Ever since my Christian Louboutin shoe dilemma which began a few weeks ago in Barneys in Scottsdale and ended when I found out that Kim Kardashian had a pair (I didn’t buy them, and that was one of the reasons why), I have been in a crazy shopping mood. I had that feeling of “I HAVE TO SHOP” and thankfully living in Vancouver means there aren’t a great deal of places to shop and therefore much less temptation. But I popped into Holt Renfrew today to have one quick peek at the sales rack in the shoe department, and suddenly I was handing over my debit card.

The acquisition was these Camilla Skovgaard shoes. I have been a fan of hers ever since I discovered the brand, and I love her signature zig zag sole. The shoes were heavily discounted, fit beautifully, and are a classic black, round toe pump so I can wear them for a while. My husband approved and said “It’s our 2 year wedding anniversary. Buy them.” That is why I married him! (Ok, one of the reasons. He is also the best guy in the world.) Now I am satisfied for at least a week.

Thursday was Jason Matlo’s birthday (I won’t be number specific here…) and he threw a party on a rooftop in a stunning apartment in Gastown. The orders were “dress to kill” so I used the opportunity to wear one of my fancy dresses. I have two dresses with trains, both of which are quite nice but have never been worn. So I thought this would be a good opportunity, since I knew I wouldn’t be walking around too much and I could trust the crowd not to step all over my dress.

The dress is a bias cut, beaded Jenny Packham gown, and I wore it with some Chanel skin art (tattoos.) There were only a few photos of my dress in full, but they didn’t look good, so I’m afraid you can only see the upper half. Take my word for it, it is a beautiful gown! But I should also say that wearing a train is very hard work, and I salute al the women who manage it with grace. I am glad I wore a mini at my wedding.

Jason Matlo, his mother Bernadette, and myself.

Trish, wearing Jason Matlo, and James.

Lyndi and Josh, the accessories man.

Gorgeous Roger Vivier shoes.

Two fine gentlemen.

Jason, when he saw his cake. He was so excited that he was about to eat some carbs

The cake by Shelome Bouvette and macarons from Paris.

Glen and I.

All photos by Bronte Robertson.

Fashion Moments… unforgettable style stories.

D&G Spring Summer 2007, the studded shoe on the catwalk had much longer studs than the version in store.

Some of you have already heard this story, since I have mentioned it in my blog and told it to almost everyone I have ever met that has complimented me on the aforementioned shoes…but I thought I’d write it up properly. It is a story about a woman on a mission, to get a great pair of shoes.

Once upon a time I saw a pair of black patent studded shoes in an issue of UK Vogue. This was before THE Rodarte Louboutin shoes, and around the time where studs were still a rarity on fashion accessories. Not everyone was doing them, quite yet. These shoes were insane, a peep toe shoe with giant 2 inch studs coming out in all directions. They were priced at 350 pounds, and for some reason I thought they were Versace. I had a feeling they were press shoes, but I wanted them anyway, even the diluted, commercial version. So the mission began.

THE Christian Louboutin for Rodarte shoes.

I went to the Versace store on Sloane street. The guys in there were ASSHOLES. I told them about the shoe, and they told me “Three hundred and fifty pounds? We don’t usually sell pumps THAT cheap. You must be mistaken.” I then explained that the magazines don’t always have the correct price listed, but they weren’t interested. I stormed off.

A few weeks later I was having drinks with some friends, and I met someone from Kurt Geiger, the company responsible for importing most luxury shoe brands into the UK. He told me that the shoes were Dolce & Gabanna, and that my best bet was to get them at Harrods’s since Harrods often got the most interesting shoes, sometimes even better than the brand’s own store. I called the Harrods’s shoe department the next day and befriended the guy working in the Dolce & Gabbana concession. He told me deliveries arrived on Wednesday mornings, and that I should try calling on a Wednesday. I called every Wednesday for the next three weeks, and to my disappointment, the shoes never came in.

I had given up by then, but one day popped my head into the Dolce & Gabanna store on Sloane Street, in the hopes of a miracle. The sales assistant told me the shoes weren’t Dolce & Gabanna, they were D&G, and they had already been in store for a few weeks. Panicked, I got the number of the nearest D&G store from him, and called them RIGHT AWAY.

The sales assistant at the D&G store told me that they had arrived a few weeks ago, and there were only a few shoes left in gold and silver. I told him I wanted them in black, with silver studs, and he said there might be a 36 or 37 in gold (I was a 40.) He told me to hold on. Then he came back… and said the best six words I have ever heard in my life: “I think it’s your lucky day.”

Mission complete.

Someone had returned a pair of the black patent shoes in a size 40 the day before, and they hadn’t put them back into stock. He said he could hold them for me, but not for too long. I told him I’d be there in 10 minutes. I hopped in a taxi, went to the store, and tried on the shoes. They were a diluted, commercial version of the catwalk shoe, but still amazing. They fit like a glove. My sales assistant, who was now, in my mind, the greatest person in the entire world, told me they looked great. They did. I bought them, at the bargain price of 270 pounds, almost 100 pounds cheaper than I had planned (see, the magazines don’t always have the right price!) I hugged them on the way home, in fear someone would rip them out of my hands (seriously. I am sad. I know.)

A few months later I walked by the D&G store, and I saw the sales guy who had sold me my shoes. He smiled at me, like he would with anyone, because it is good customer service. I smiled back and silently thanked him for my blessed shoes. I was with my friend Nora at the time, who said “Don’t tell me that’s the guy that sold you those studded shoes.” My face had given it away, I was probably staring at him dreamily or something. She said “You’re ridiculous.”

This is the last of the London photos..

Liberty is definitely my favourite London department store. It is in a building which was built with parts of an old ship, and it feels so much more intimate and special than the big department stores. And they have the most fantastic selection of brands, the cool luxury brands, like Preen, A.P.C, Ann Demeulemeester, Filippa K, Alexander Wang, McQ by Alexander McQueen, Nudie Jeans, Christopher Kane, and Rick Owens.

The main entrance. They have the most fantastic florist.

This Givenchy bag is so beautiful.

The Liberty shoe department is like walking into someone's old house, with rooms of lovely furniture and beautiful shoes poised on shelving, chairs, and tables.

All the shoes feel so special (except the hideous amount of Kurt Geiger shoes on display, which is a very tacky, wannabee-luxury footwear brand that controls all the department store's shoe departments and insists its shoes are in every one.)

The displays feel so friendly and welcoming.

A wall of Wallpaper travel guides. The best city guides if you're feeling flush.

On the complete other end of the spectrum is Primark, one of the most hideous places to shop in London. Why do I go there? Cheap socks and leggings. And I picked up a bunch of really cheap jewelry too, which will be great for holidays where you want to wear bikinis and jewelry, but you don’t want to worry about having any thing too expensive on you. Primark is ALWAYS busy, to the point where I’ve never used a changeroom, and always expect to wait half an hour in the line ups to pay. Here are some photos of Primark on a normal Thursday afternoon.

This is not boxing day sales...

it is like this every day of the week.

You have to fight to get anything...or anywhere.

7 pairs of socks for just under $4.

Beach earrings for $4.

Leggings with fun little silver snaps on the bottom, $8.

When I was sitting on the tube, I noticed this girl’s Doc Martens, and I felt a bit nostalgic for my teenage grunge days where I wore Doc Martens boots. I also thought this looked pretty cool, in context with today. I might dig my boots out. There’s something a bit rock’n'roll about the way her jeans and boots look. I’ve been trying to convince myself they are coming back in for the past three years, but now I really thinking they will, since they have been getting a lot of press over their 50 year anniversary.

Am I the only one who is feeling this? Is it lame?

Back to Vancouver, and I finally got to sample Butter Bakery’s homemade Oreo cookie. I also bought the peanut butter cookie sandwiches. Let’s just say, I won’t be going back. They were far too delicious to resist any further temptations, so I’ll just avoid that factory of deliciousness altogether, if I want to continue to fit into all my new London clothes.

The packaging is so pretty.

Peanut Butter sandwiches and Oreo Cookies. My mouth is watering just looking at this photo.

They also make homemade marshmallows, which are soft mounds of tastiness beyond your wildest dreams.

Tonka is wearing the Butter Bakery ribbon around his neck. He is trying to get his nose into one of the Oreo cookies. No way would we waste one of those on a dog.

Check out the other London Photo Diaries…
London Photo Diary Part 1
London Photo Diary Part 2
London Photo Diary Part 3
London Photo Diary Part 4

Last time I visited Avshalom Gur’s studio, it was to borrow some accessories for my outfit for the Christian Dior Fall WInter 2007/08 Haute Couture collections party at Versailles. It was the 60th anniversary of the Christian Dior brand, and the ten year anniversary of John Galliano at Dior. Avshalom lent me some jewelry and foxes to be worn as shawls (which ended up being the most important part of the outfit, since the part took place in the Orangerie at the Chateau de Versailles, outdoors, and it wasn’t the warm July evening that they predicted.)

A trip to Avshalom’s studio always involves tea, catching up, and then trying on beautiful clothes. Avshalom has an incredible background, and has worked for Donna Karan, Roberto Cavalli, Chloe, and most recently as creative director of Ossie Clark, as well as having his own collection. This time Bora Aksu (whose studio is next door) joined us for tea, and we chatted about life, the business, and the forthcoming closure of the famous Central Saint Martins campus on Charing Cross Road. All of the Central Saint Martins Campus’ are moving to a purpose-built building near Kings Cross, so there’s obviously a bit of sadness when discussing the closure of the building where we studied/worked/cried together during our time as students on the fashion design MA.

Some photos of Avshalom's studio.

So much colour.

Works in progress.

The sample sale rack, full of Ossie Clark and Avshalom Gur dresses.

The sofa where we drink tea and chat.

Here's a skirt from the Spring Summer 2010 collection.

The beading is beautiful.

Avshalom has collaborated with some of the most talented jewelry designers for his collections.

Birds are a reoccurring theme in his work.

Here is a hand carved jade bird.

More of the jade birds, which were used as necklaces or belt buckles.

Avshalom Gur in his studio.

I bought some of his easy jersey t-shirt dresses. Here are some photos from his Spring Summer 2010 collection. I love the 60’s feel to the photos, and the colour looks great on the black backgrounds.

Photographer David Roemer and Stylist Kate Ruth.

Diptyque candle set.

Someone’s scent is such an important part of their identity, and I’m uncomfortable with the fact that its been a very long time since I’ve worn perfume. When I was in my late teens I started wearing Calyx by Prescriptives, which is a fruity, citrus scent. I continued to wear it for quite a few years, but a few months ago I wrote a post about the fact that I was getting tired of it, and needed something new.

Part of my shopping mission in London was to find a new perfume. I didn’t want something predictable, so I thought I’d spend some time in the Liberty’s perfume department, as they have some very unique, interesting scents. I was going to go there on Wednesday and browse their fragrance department, but in the end there was no need.

Diptyque baies candle.

I met my friends Sally and Andrew for breakfast in Notting hill, and when I hugged Sally I noticed straight away that she was wearing Diptyque’s fig scent. Immediately I knew I had to get that same perfume.

I know it’s a predictable, very “fashion” scent, and ever since the first time I smelt it, as a candle, I loved it. There was a time in Paris that nearly all the fashion people were burning copious amounts of Diptyque fig candles, in their studios, their apartments, everywhere. (Puff Daddy-P Diddy-Sean Combs-Whatever used to buy Diptyque candles by the crate) It started off reminding me of Paris apartments, large spacious rooms with big windows overlooking shaded courtyards. Then I moved to London, and refused to pay £35 pounds for a Diptyque candle when I could get it for nearly half the price in Paris. So I asked my friend Nora to post me one, and she did, in a paper envelope, which of course ripped and fell apart from the weight of the candle, so it was lost. She finally delivered my candle six months later in person, and by then I was so obsessed with it that it became this precious object only to be burned on special occasions.

Diptyque fig candle.

The candle lasted a very long time, because you only need to burn it for 15 minutes to release the scent. Then I cheated on Diptyque for a while with the Henri Bendel’s pomegranate candle, but that too was difficult to get, since they didn’t ship outside the USA, and not many people like carrying 3 kilos worth of candles back from New York.

The reason why I started making candles in Vancouver was because I realized that the Diptyque candles were going to cost over 80 dollars each, including shipping (they don;t sell in Vancouver.) But when I met Sally on wed morning and had a whiff of the fig perfume, I knew I had to buy it for myself. I am certainly not going to try to make perfume.

Diptyque fig perfume

It certainly is not the unique, special scent in the incredibly beautiful bottle I was hoping to buy. But Diptyque’s fig scent feels very “me.”

I was talking to someone in the fashion industry last week, about the fact that American Apparel is very good at producing clothing that seems to be exactly what the customer is looking for, at that moment. A great concept for any brand is to be able to predict and anticipate what the customer needs exactly when they need it. Every time I “feel” like I want or need something, American Apparel seems to have it.

But American Apparel can’t fill all, or even many of your clothing needs, since its mostly jersey. That is why I love COS (Collection Of Style), H&M sister, “upmarket” brand. Every time I walk into COS I see tons of clothing I want, all which seems to capture exactly what I am looking for, at that precise moment. But I also hate COS, for only having a handful of stores, no online shop, and no plans to expand into Canada. Damn them!

I went into on Saturday  and bought a few things, but will definitely go back before the end of my trip, when it is less busy, so I can go through the entire store again, and buy as much as my budget will allow. COS makes perfectly simple, classic clothing where every garment has a great detail or design feature. The fabrics are very high quality, and it is great value for money, with the prices ranging from £40 to £120.

Here's a petticoat style skirt I bought.

Here's the perfect oversized grey sweatshirt.

Even the hangtags are beautifully simple.

Even the safety pin is cool.

Here’s some photos of their beautiful magazine.

Its Day 2 of my London trip, and I am so happy to be here. On my first night, by lovely Norwegian friend Solveig (who I am staying with for the first few days) took me to a friend’s birthday party in a bar. It wasn’t that great of a party, but I was very happy to catch up with some friends.

Chili and her bling X Pole dog collar.

Today I went to my friend Justine’s pole studio for a poledancing lesson, and I got to meet her dog for the first time. I like big dogs, and I like some medium and small dogs, but this was a miniature Chihuahua, called Chili. I was surprised how much attitude she had, considering she is smaller than a cat. Not my choice of dog, but fun to hang out with for a few hours.

Then I did some shopping… The great things about shopping on a trip is that I don’t have to worry about people recognizing my clothing in Vancouver, or running into someone wearing the same thing. That is why I bought this striped t-shirt from New Look, because I would have never bought something like this if I was still living in London.

I also bought this grey suede jacket from New Look.

The stupid sales girl shoved it into a tiny bag, so its really creased. I hope the creases come out of suede easily!

I love the hole punched suede.

When I was first living in the UK about 12 years ago, I remember we all used to go to Boots, a pharmacy, and buy disgusting pre-packaged sandwiches for lunch. In the past 12 years, the fast food industry in the UK has changed completely, and there are so many different places you can get cheap, healthy fast food. One of my favourites is Wasabi, which is a sushi takeaway, which allows you to buy individual pieces of sushi. It obviously not nearly as good as the sushi in Vancouver, and I feel bad about the amount of packaging it uses, but I love the idea of a pick’n'mix sushi.

I am hiding out in the corner with my laptop while the cleaners finish sorting out my place (yes, I know I am lazy, but I just refuse to clean. I’d rather have two less dinners out a month, to pay for a cleaner) so I thought I’d write one last blog post before I start packing and get out of here. By the way, I will be posting as much as possible during my trip, and I will be twittering frequently, so if you want up-to-the-minute London shopping updates, you can follow me on Twitter. I have really neglected my Twitter account, I only this week figured out how to use the # sign, so I am going to work on improving my tweeting skills while I am away. Hopefully I can get my follower numbers up, they are pathetic right now.

New Wave Tattoo

Anyway, while I was getting my nails done the other day, I was thinking about how crazy it is that there aren’t more developments in the world of nail embellishment. I know the gels and the acrylics are good for length, and there are a million nail polishes and embellishments you can get, but why isn’t there something that is a bit more permanent and natural? That got me thinking about the nail tattoos I got a few years ago, and I thought it was time for me to write a post about New Wave Tattoo, and the owner Lal Hardy, and my tattooist, Adam Collins.

Lal Hardy's Work

When I was 16 I got a silly star tattooed on the small of my back. It is so embarrassing to see the huge numbers of people that have stars tattooed somewhere on their body. And I have seen at least five other people with stars tattooed on the small of the back. I had knows for some time I wanted to get another tattoo, a bigger one, and after about ten years I figured out what I wanted. I say it is a good idea to spend about ten years thinking about a tattoo before you get it…you are less likely to make a mistake. Anyway, I decided to get a rather large tattoo on my back, which would incorporate the star, and take up the entire of my lower back.

Adam Collin's Work

I did my research, and learnt that Lal Hardy’s studio was the place to go in London, and Adam was highly recommended. Here’s why I knew they were good:

1. It was three months before I could get an appointment with Adam. (If I’d wanted Lal, it would have been six months.) Fact:  a good tattooist will be booked up well in advance. A crappy one will have three openings next week.
2. Their parlour is in Muswell Hill, which is North London, nowhere near a tube station, a good ten minutes walk from the bus stop, and on a residential street near absolutely nothing, except the news agent next door. Any normal business would fail, in the middle of nowhere, on a residential street, totally off the beaten track. But only a bloody good tattooist can hide up in the middle of North London, and still have line ups of people waiting to get an appointment.
3. Their work is amazing. They are a bit intimidating at the start, like most tattooists, but deep down are genuinely nice guys. And they take serious pride in their work. When I calculated the amount of time Adam spent on my tattoo, compared to the amount I paid him, I realized this is not a money making business (they don’t charge for artwork, or retouching) and therefore it must be a labour of love. Just don’t ask for a Tasmanian devil, because he hates doing those.

Tattoos are very commonplace in Vancouver, which I found surprising when I got here. Although there’s been a tattoo trend in recent years (David Beckham probably has something to do with that), I think, on average, there are a lot in Vancouver. I was planning on having mine expanded, although I don’t think I can bear the pain (which is quite bad on the back), and since I can only handle 3 hours at time, it will probably mean another six months of tattoo appointments, which is also quite annoying, since I’ll be in the constant cycle of “in pain cause I just had a tattoo” to “my tattoo is healing and I’m itching like hell” to “I’m about get to more work done on my tattoo”. It consumes your life.

Lal Hardy's Work

Here are a couple of my tips on tattoos.

1. Get recommendations. A good tattooist will be booked up well in advance which is a good thing. You have to be patient.
2. Don’t turn up and say “I want the tattoo that (enter tacky celebrity name here) has.” Get your own damn tattoo, its pathetic to copy someone else’s.
3. It is not polite to turn up with an exact rendition of the artwork you want. Note that the reason a tattooist is referred to as a tattoo artist, not a “Needle guy who copies pictures onto bodies” is because they are artists. Its good to have an idea of what you want, and visuals to refer to, but let the tattooist get involved in the design. They are the experts, and you should choose your tattooist based on their previous work , which means you want them to inject some of their own style into the piece.
4. If you are young, like under the age of 20, I’d suggest you hold off tattooing your whole entire body until you are a bit older. A few are ok, but its depressing to meet 18 year olds who already have sleeves and plans for more. Tattoos are permanent, and its hard to tell what you are going to be feeling when you are 40. Maybe you’ll want to have some skin left on your arms. Or at least enough room to tattoo your kids’ names.
5. Only tattoo names of family and dead people. Well, that’s my opinion. I have a friend who has had to get so many girlfriends names covered up, its getting ridiculous.
6. Be brave. If you are going to get a tattoo, don’t get a wimpy one. Commit to it, and get something serious, and meaningful. And do not get a slag tag (a Celtic motif on a female’s lower back.)

Finally, on to the nail tattoos. Lal Hardy did these for me for fun, while I was visiting their stand at the International Tattoo Convention a few years ago. They are done with a very fine needle, that penetrates the first few layers of the nail. They grow out with the nail, and they don’t hurt at all. The problem I had with them is that my nails were so weak, the started to break when the tattoo reached the tip. But the idea is fantastic.

This was one of my nail tattoos, but I had a second one that was much nicer, that I don't have a photograph of. It was a flower. The tattoo just grows out with your nail.

*Sorry this was posted incomplete due to Blackberry problems… I have now added images and links!

Globetrotter Suitcase

OK, I am packing a suitcase for the first time since September, which is depressing. I’m not sad that I am going away, but I am sad that I haven’t been away since September. In the year prior to my arrival in Vancouver, I managed to visit Shanghai, Guangzhou, Oslo, Amsterdam, Prague, Madrid, Barcelona, Stockholm, Gothenberg, Paris, Devon, Geneva, and the Swiss Alps. That was when I was living in London. So I’m having trouble dealing with the fact that since September the only place I’ve been to is Squamish and Burnaby.

Anyway, I thought I’d share a few of my packing tips with you all, since I used to be pretty good at packing suitcases, back in the day when I used to travel.

• Get nail gels done before you leave, so you don’t have to bother bringing nail polish and remover, or waste any time doing your nails. They last about three weeks. And I make sure to get to get my nails cut short at the time of the manicure, so they aren’t too long at the end of the trip. (I had mine done at JC Institute student salon. Takes a bit longer, but its way cheaper and they do a great job.)
• The exception to the above is beach holidays, I prefer to cut my nails short and leave them bare. Sun and salt water do miracles to nail strength. Buff them and keep them clean, and the sun will whiten the tips.
• Have a generic packing list on your computer, that you can print out every time you travel. I include almost everything on the list, and cross out the things I won’t need on a particular trip (for example, sunscreen and swimwear will not be on my London packing list.) It means I never forget a camera lead or my valium.
• Are you traveling with check in luggage, or carry on? Don’t forget the liquid restrictions if you aren’t checking in. I buy travel versions of my beauty products when I can, and if not, I use Muji travel containers and fill them with my beauty products.
• Imagine your check-in luggage gets lost. You can always buy new clothes, but some things are harder to replace. Make sure your carry on includes all your jewelry and valuable, electronics and chargers, medication (birth control pills are hard to replace!), eyewear, contact lenses, things like that.

Louis Vuitton Suitcase

• I don’t pack until the night before, or sometimes the morning of. Its hard to pack your facial wash there days before, when you need it up until the morning of your departure. I write a detailed list, which I edit over a few days to make sure I don’t forget anything, and then just pack at the last minute. If the list is complete, I won’t forget anything.
• If you are dong a beach or villa holiday, don’t pack much. Last summer I went to a villa in Spain and packed a tons of clothing, in the end I wore one tenth of it. A pair of flip flops, and pair of shoes, five bikinis, and a couple dresses are all you need. Save the room for sunscreen, moisturizer, and a good leave-in conditioner.
• Try and think about some outfits when you are packing, but make sure to choose pieces that go with a lot of things. Its impossible to plan all your moods (I’m not like a Vogue person who plans each one of her ten daily outfits before she packs.) Lengths tend to dictate my choice of clothing, if I’m bringing a lot of high waisted skirts, I make sure to have short tops or items I can tuck in. If I’m bringing low slung jeans, I am sure my tops are long.
• The exception to the above is wedding packing, if you are going to a wedding that requires lots of outfits, plan every detail and bring a spare outfit.
• Always pack shoes and handbags in dustbags
• Don’t bring too much jewelry, unless its cheap stuff. Its too stressful traveling with expensive jewelry, unless it is absolutely necessary.
• Make sure you have the right underwear and tights to go with your clothes (seamless, low slung, control top, padded, etc…)
• I almost always pack too much. Pack, and then get rid of at least 20%. Unless you are going somewhere where there is no shopping at all.
• If you are going to Asia, and have size 8 or bigger foot, don’t count on buying any shoes, so bring a lot. It is close to impossible to find a pair of shoes in a size bigger than US 8 or UK 6 in China. (I have tried…it is extremely frustrating.)

T.T. Trunks Vanity Case

My carry-on travel essentials:

1. Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream, long haul flights are seriously dehydrating.
2. Hand Cream, same as above, I like Burt’s Bees Shea Butter Hand Repair Creme. And have a nail file to hand, always.
3. Lip balm
4. Valium, for a long haul, where I need to work the next day so sleeping through the flight is essential. But be careful, I make sure I don’t get through more than 20 pills a year, its addictive.
5. iPod, for obvious reasons
6. Good books, I read about one a day if I am relaxing
7. Cashmere cardigan, good for layering
8. Shawl, I have a silk cotton one that works as a blanket on the plane, a sarong, and a scarf.
9. Water!
10. Fruit. I hate plane food, and its fattening. I also bring nuts to snack on.

Images from Globetrotter, Louis Vuitton, and T.T. Trunks.