Golden Lane. Label.

Created by previous design consultants for Burberry Prorsum, Londoners Chris Lim and Tibor Matyas launched their women's line Golden Lane in Spring 2013, following the success with their Men's Accessories line Chris and Tibor in 2003 which saw the duo collaborate with the likes of Walter Van Beirendonck, Veronique Branquinho, Juun J ad Romain Kremer. 

Inspiration originating from the architecture and social buzz around London's Barbican and the Golden Lane area is visibly apparent, that along with the Fall 2013 'Beneath the Sea' hinting at the vibrant life of an underwater world, which reflects  a sense of calm that only this environment can exude, creates flawlessness in its entirety.

Encompassing versatility, classicism and functionality, the signature 2-split compartment satchel is their most popular piece and now trademark. With S/S14 being their third season the men are opening up a whole new era for satchels.

Website: Golden Lane
Twitter: @GoldenLaneBag
Email: info@goldenlanebag.com

Charly xox

Going Strapless. Trend.

Strapless Bandeaus and Bralets are sticking round for Christmas this year so don't go hurling them into the back of the wardrobe this Winter. Shoulders: the latest must have accessory.

Here are my faves from across fashion week, there are quite a few I got carried away sorry

Christian Dior

Giambattista Valli

Isabel Marant

Valentino, Mui Mui, Giorgio Armini Prive, Chanel, Alexander Mcqueen, Jean Paul Gautier

Stella McCartney

And heeerrrre are some little gems I've been admiring available on the high street at this very moment, with more available as the season progresses! So keep your eyes peeled

Black 3D Folded Origami
 Strapless Dress, Choies
Geometric Tapestry Corset, Topshop
Strapless Jumpsuit, Zara
Cream Sequin Skater Dress, Hearts & Bows @ Ark
Checked Tube Dress with Side Zip, Zara
Animal Print Strapless Bralet, Topshop
Sweetheart Strapless Skater Dress, Ebay
Black & Gold Ballerina Prom Dress,  Oh My Love @ Ark
Bandeau Pleated Pink Dress, Romwe
Venus Maxi Dress, Coast
Black PU Bandeau Dress, Fashion Union
Printed Bustier, Urban Outfitters
Shiny PU Bralet, Topshop

Try mix things up with them, even wear them over long sleeved tops or t shirts! Writing this made me feel like throwing on an origami strapless playsuit, and with that, I bid you adieu!
Charly xox

Bleaching. DIY.

Being the crazy rebellious 20 year old I am, my night sat consisted of researching for a couple of posts (watch this space) while watching Harry Potter  in my pjs with a (vegan) pizza and the dog.

As beautiful as this genuinely is ( <3 ) I felt I needed to do something a little more productive earlier in the day to justify it so decided to bleach some tops. Here are the results:

Light Blue Tee, Ebay

Black Vest Top, H&M, Similar Available

Some helpful tips: 

• Do it on binbags on a lino or outside
• Make sure there is plenty of ventilation
• Wear gloves, or have your fave hand moisturizer close by (I use Neal's Yard Save the Bees, smells lush, highly recommend!) 
• Make sure you rinse them well to make sure all the bleach is washed out so the fabric isn't damaged
• Add more, in layers, to create a more depth

What do ya'll think? What are you're fave combinitions & patterns when dying or bleaching? Just let me know if you'd like to know how to do this

Hope you had a lovely lazy day too
Charly xox

S/S to A/W 2013. Transitional Pieces.

Seeing as we British seem to be forever discussing the weather, I thought a piece on transitional pieces was most definitely appropriate for this time of year. It's humid and windy, rainy, or cold with glorious sunshine. Repeatedly making the choice of which pieces to adorn yourself with can quickly grow tiresome, one minute there's torrential rain and the next you wish you were in a skimpy bikini! So here are some useful tips and ideas to help you get through it!

Oversized Coat: Even in small skirts or shorts you can be as snug as bug in a fluffy rug by wearing one of these bad boys. From Prada's snakeskin to Dior's red riding hood-esque, even Kenzo's eye-printed, the major designers and newcomers alike all debut this textbook investment... the quintessential transitional piece!
Designer: Chanel, Max Mara, Escada, Missoni, DVF, Saint Laurent, Etro, Dolce and Gabanna, Louis Vuitton, Viktor and Rolf, Valentino.
High Street: H&M, Topshop Unique, French Connection, Marks & Spencers, Zara.

Woolen Knits:Designer: Pinko, Dries Van Noten, Carven, DSquared2, AF Vandevorst, Mugler, Peter Pilotto, Sacai, Chanel, Isabel Marant, Saint Laurent.
High Street: Topshop Unique, Urban Outfitters, The Ragged Priest, Free People, Oak, Romwe.

Trousers: Sport paired with a cropped knit or statement tee and sandal, an atypical vibe perfect for the present weather conditions. Boyfriend jeans, hareems, joggers, jodhpurs, or even dungarees are blasting through this season; an excellent way to create the illusion of skyscraper-length pins.
Designer: Espirit, Custommade, Haider Ackermenn, Cos, Paul Smith, Hugo Boss, Day Birger et Mikkelsen, Adam Lippes, Schiaparelli, Raquel Allegra.
High Street: River Island, Zara, Mango, Asos, Free people, French Connection.

A-line Skirt: Whether above the knee or below the A-line skirt is making a welcomed comeback just in time to be worn in this temperamental climate.
Designer: Lanvin, Pinko, Todd Lynn, Prada, Jonathan Saunders, Celine, Christian Dior, Chloe.
High Street: Warehouse, Topshop Unique, Romwe, New Look.

Fabric Accessories: Fingerless gloves, beanies and visible socks to give a quirky twist on an outfit. With scarves; wear as many as you dare, adding protection against spine-chilling gusts of wind, pair dashes of clashing patterns, fabrics and colour.
Designer: Marccain, Celine, Mui Mui, Bottega Veneta, Hermes, Alexander Mcqueen, Burberry, Mulberry, Karl Donoghue, Eugenia Kim, Missoni, Saint Laurent
High Street: Hobbs, Dorothy Perkins, Accessorize, Asos, New Era, Zara, Oasis.

Tips:
Balance out what's on show, allowing you to be cool if it's stuffy and warm if there's a chill in the air. e.g. short skirt, thigh high boots and oversized jacket.
Wear layers, add and remove as needed.
Mix textures and prints to add your own personality to an outfit.
Make base layers patterned so when it does get warmer and layers need to be removed.



Thanks for reading, feel free to let me know what you think, what your fave transitional trends and key peices are, or just to have a natter!


Love Charly xox

The Wonders of Coconut Oil

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Has anyone seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding? I'm sure most will have anyway, such a good film. BUT, do you remember the father, who uses Windex on everything? Well this is the perfect thing of me using Extra Virgin Coconut Oil on everything. It's ridiculous the amount of uses there are for the magic stuff, seriously it cures all and the benefits are crazy! I suggest everyone buys this stuff. It's organic, chemical free, vegan, animal friendly, and environmentally friendly!!

This is the one in my cupboard at the moment but there are hundreds of brands that are just as good. Remember to shop around, sometimes health food stores are cheaper than well known stores and vice versa. I paid £8.99 for mine from a local small shop under my fave vegan cafe, but usually it costs a couple of pounds more. It's available on online stores too and sorry I'm not sure how much it is in other countries. But basically you can pick it up just about anywhere, and it is WELL worth the money I promise!!!!

I currently use it for sunscreen protection, body butter, sometimes instead of conditioner, frying, in dressings, in smoothies, on cuticles, on my face, on burns, on sunburn, and to make vegan chocolate.
This is the smallest number of uses that there are for it, but I am trying out new uses as much as possible.

Having starting to write out the science behind the benefits but due to there being an endless amount, it needed endless explaining... So if anyone has any questions about how it works to achieve its benefits I'd be more than happy to answer them, or help explain, and instead I'll list a few of the benefits of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil:

• lower the risk of heart disease 
• lower the risk of atherosclerosis
• easily digested so great for those impaired fat digestion or removed gall bladder
• boosts immunity
• fights virul, fungal and bacterial infections (there are even studies in progress proving it's effectiveness against HIV/AIDS!!!)
• hair care and dandruff
• skin care/conditioning (contains naturally occurring fats which deeply penetrate, moisturize and acts as a protective barrier against environmental and free radical damage)
• rich in anti oxidants
• great anti aging moisturiser and skin recovery for skin burns, abrasions etc
• great for weight loss (increases metabolism and provides instant energy). Also don't forget you have to eat fat to successfully lose fat! It's needed by the body and by blocking it out of your diet you're only damaging your own health
• remedy for pneumonia
• bone health and chronique fatigue
• protects against cancer, HIV and other
• kills bacteria and parasites

^^^^ the list is endless but I had to stop here! Mainly because I'm bored of writing the list and want to explain how you guys can actually use it :)

Hair and Dandruff
For dandruff massage into the scalp! And for a lush deep hair conditioning apply a teaspoon or two to your damp hair and leave in as long as possible
n.b. I have extremely long and thick hair (vain of my life but cannot bring myself to cut it short) so  have to use 3-4 teaspoons at least. I'd recommend this as an overnight treatment and it leaves your hair smelling seriously delish and shiny! and unlike other conditioners it works from the inside out not the outside in <3 You can even leave it in for a few doors, but haven't tried this myself sorry.

For skin, burns, sunscreen
massage liberally EVERYWHERE! GO CRAZY GUYS!
Warning: as a suncreen it needs to be reapplied every hour. Which might sound annoying, but is way better for you than other chemical containing sunscreens, and blocks 20% of the UV rays as well as against environmental and free radical damage. Plus it soothes sunburns too.

Hope you found this interesting! Don't hesitate to comment and let me know what you use coconut oil for, any questions, suggestions, annnd, well anything you can think of! No such thing as a silly question so go for it :)

Love charly xox

PS I have researched this in great depth,including reading any research papers I was able to come across, over the past year so hopefully it's all pretty accurate stuff I've written 

PPS I know I said I'd write my fashion loves, fave outfits etc as my next post but the camera is hiding somewhere and I can't find it. Also most of my belongings are 300 miles away in my flat at University :(

Soooo here's my first post! Feels weird writing it sorry if it reads a little awkward

There's a heatwave at the moment so I'm a tad sweaty and gross not going to lie. But basically I am OBSESSED with the fashion industry, which I know, is said by a lot of people. But I really am! This blog will include other aspects and ideas too, but my aim is for it to be primarily fashion based. Going to try keep it more professional in style when it comes to certain posts, but there will be other posts that are way more relaxed, about different things I like to do in my spare time, such as yoga, fitness, DIY's

I've already written about me in, well, in the 'About Me' section, but here's some random facts :)

• natural redhead
• yoga loving, clean eating vegan
• currently have 3 tattoos (for now)
• can't ride a bike...
• I love scents and smellies (like perfumes, candles, body butters, etc etc etc)

Also I'm about to change courses if I can, or if not then quit to gain more experience in this industry. Determined to make it one way or another, so I'd be grateful for any advise or ideas I can get involving this or blogging. I'm also happy to give any tips or advice in anything you want to know more about, or even just to chat as I love meeting new people and learning new things!

My next post will just be about my own style, fashion loves, wants kind of thing while I research for the post after that. Also applying for millions of jobs at the moment as I currently don't have one, having no money sucks and is beyond depressing I'm sure you'll agree

Love Charly xox

P.s. here's a photo of me with some of my friends enjoying ourselves. As you can see, we have a strong ethos of 'work hard, play hard' :)

(the pale one with the black hair is meee)

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