Posted: April 05, 2012

... The Ultimate Experience

I've been really busy back in my old stomping ground of the North West - a Workshop for Wallis with our Colour & Cosmetic expert Wendy Campbell in the Isle of Man; meetings about our new TV show in Manchester; and visiting my family in Liverpool - where I was mistaken for the woman who makes the dresses on Big Fat Gypsy Weddings! Fame at last - might be time for a new hairstyle, methinks...

Best of all, however, was my first visit to Harvey Nichols in Manchester to take a client shopping. I'm very familiar with Harvey Nicks in London but it was great to experience the smaller, more intimate atmosphere of the Manchester store. My client, Yan Zhang, owns her own luxury travel company, Glamourous Travel, based in the city centre, and had only a couple of hours to choose a fabulous, eye-catching outfit for a forthcoming business event in Beijing.

With the help of Personal Shopper, Tom Myers, (who did the running round while we sipped champagne!) we narrowed the choice down to a black lace D&G dress and a red silk McQueen dress - with the essential Louboutins of course. They both showed off Yan's fabulous petite, CinchedIn figure to perfection. All she needs now is a dash of red lipstick and black eyeliner from our Colour Directions range - which is, of course, in the post to her right now!

Discover your Outfit Shape and Colour Direction today, if you've not done so already.

Posted: March 27, 2012

... For Wellbeing of Women

Had a fabulous time at the Lanesborough in London for a Fashion Show & Lunch in aid of the Wellbeing of Women Charity. The fashion show was showcasing a talented new designer, Alvin Loy, originally from Malaysia but who studied fashion in England, graduating to critical acclaim in 1992.  His early work included designs for couture brands such as Antonio D'Errico in Milan and Dutch fashion house, Modeca, where he had responsibility for presenting collections in many major European cities and New York. He was appointed Fashion Director at Laura Ashley, overseeing a successful range of clothing that showcased in over 30 countries. This valueable experience gave him an insight into the retail market, highlighting the importance of developing a range that is not only stylish but profitable.

The desire to express his own individual talent led rise to the Alvin Loy label, and he continues to develop a name for himself as a gifted designer, passionate about creating beautiful clothes for individual clients. His international reputation is still growing and he has been delighted to have dressed celebrities such as Cindy Crawford, Juia Roberts and Michelle Yeoh. Jimmy Choo and Royal Dresser Angela Kelly are amongst those who complimented his latest collection.

Supporting charity is important to Alvin and he has been consistently active throughout his career raising in excess of £500,000 for organisations such as Cancer Research, Wellbeing of Women and The Princess Royal Trust for Carers. In 2011 he showcased his collection by hosting glittering fashion shows at both The Ritz Club and the London Park Lane Hilton. Alvin's next challenge is two-fold, including a move into other areas of design such as shoes, jewellery, fashion accessories and fragrance. He's definitley one to watch for the future.

Posted: February 22, 2012

... All Over Bar the Menswear

Alison's Angle is back to round up our week at LFW as Carol has jetted off to visit a Private Client in Zurich, so we've left Lucy to the Menswear Day today as its her speciality.

The week began in its usual hectic style and we've seen furs, knits, prints, silks, satins, gold embellishments, plastic breast plates, tartans, tweeds, lace, boyish beauty and girlie glamour amongst the collections from Corrie Nielson, Jena Theo, Japser Conran, Simone Rocha, Issa, Christian Blanken, David Koma, Aminaka Wilmont and Jasper Garvida to name but a few. One thing we did notice - fabulous collections were seen however, the applause was a bit subdued... maybe because everyone was too busy with their handheld's updating their tweets and blogs, they didn't have a spare hand free to show their appreciation, maybe we should invent an App-lause for next season.

As well as the Catwalk we've also taken in the Exhibitions and Salon Shows including the Preview of the Bally Products designed in collaboration with Central St Martins MA Fashion Course where we picked up what constitutes a Fashion Week Lunch (see pic left) - a cube of apple skewered with mini crispy brie pancake; gorgeous alternative to pancake day's usual offering (if a bit on the tiny side!).

Pictorial round-up following later and the LFW Catwalk round ups can be found on our Facebook page.

Alison x