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Archive for October, 2009

Oct 19

Amazon inspired skincare…

amazeneTropical, organic skincare containing natural ingredients sourced from the Amazon rainforest..it doesn’t really get much better than that! I’ve been using the passion fruit and guava hand lotion, along with the papaya and acerola bath soak..they both smell incredible and feel amazing on the skin!

AmaZene is the brainchild of Tony Tillbrook who (amazingly!) invented the wetsuit in the 1960′s, including the one worn by Sean Connery in Thunderball! His work with wetsuits taught him the adverse affects some chemicals can have on the skin and he combined this with his passion for the Amazon, having travelled the region exstensively, to launch AmaZene.

There are six ranges, including Mango and Murumuru and Avocado and Andiroba, which contain antioxidant and moisturising ingredients sourced from the Amazon region. My skin felt amazing after I’d had a bath with the papaya bath soak- so soft, it was if I’d just slapped on loads of moisturiser..fantastic if you’re pushed for time! Price points are great, ranging from £7 to £15. You can buy the products online at www.amazene.com.

Definitely one for the Christmas wish list!

fashionbite xx

Oct 17

Vintage rocks!

vintage 1

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vinatage 3

In homage to all things vintage, thought I’d flag up a few vintage sites which have caught my eye recently. The first one is a US-based vintage sunglasses site called Giant Vintage. They ship to the UK though, so now worries there and shipping only costs $8. Prices range from about $8 to $24, so fantastic value! Check the site out for yourselves…I love the random pics!

Ok, so I know this is not strictly online, but I have to mention a really cool vintage fair that’s coming up in East London in a few weeks time. It’s called The Affordable Vintage Fair and is in it’s fourth year. The event is being held at the Sustainable Studios on Scrutton Street, October 25th between 12 and 5 pm. Over 50 stores will be offering vintage clothing, accessories and homeware dating from the 1920s to 1950s. Dalston’s WAH Nails, owned by Sharmadean Reid- who recently featured in Grazia’s ‘Cool list of 2009′ will also be opening a mini nail bar especialy for the event.

Even better..all prices are checked to make sure they’re about 40% lower than vintage available on the high street. So head down if you’re a vintage lover and up for rifling through some of the best offers out there!

Vintage brand Elegantly Waisted is due to launch on retro t-shirt site www.truffleshuffle.com next week. It takes classic Amplified Vintage rock tees and adds bespoke design twists like tasselled fringing, buttons, ribbon and lace- ensuring it’s a one-off custom made design. Prices start from £30.

vint jewel 1vint jewel 3vint jewel 2

 

 
A gorgeous, new jewellery site has just launched www.madewithlovebykat.com. Each piece of jewellery is handmade and re-worked using materials such as swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls..so they’re on of a kind! Price points are also fab-ranging from £14 to £40..so there’s something for everyone!
Finally, thought I’d just flag up online swap shop and vintage store www.whatsmineisyours.com. Members can not only buy and sell products with one another, but also purchase from the range of online boutiques and private vintage sellers who post on the site…like a virtual bring and buy stall!
fashionbite xx

Oct 16

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Missguided Fashion..

misguided 2If you’re looking for catwalk fashion trends at high street prices, look no further than fashion website Missguided, www.missguided.co.uk. Prices points are great- dresses range from about £14 to £30..fantastic if you want fashion on a budget! 

Chanel-style cardigans, wet-look leggings, bodycon dresses with exaggerated shoulders and studded ankle boots are amongst the price-friendly finds. I love the range of blazers and at twenty odd quid you can’t really go wrong! I’ve got my order in for the pin strip navy already..

fashionbite xx

Oct 15

Urban Originals

urban final firstUrban Originals is a hot, hot new accessories brand from Australia. I saw it at trade show Margin recently and loved it.

The leather, studded bags are so gorgeous..I’ve got my eye on pretty much every one! Christmas present ideas anyone…?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Urban final 1Asos will be stocking the brand from next week, you can buy it online at www.asos.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Urban emily

 

However, if you want to check out the full range beforehand, take a look at its Australian website-www.urbanoriginals.com.au. You’ll be one of the first to snap up the brand in the UK when it goes on sale next week..!

fashionbite xx

Oct 14

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Vente-Privee in Paris…

me and the eiffel tower

Bonjour from Paris..

 

 

 

 

 

So, Vente-Privee…it’s Europe’s biggest private sales website… but still quite an unknown in the UK. In France, it’s muttered in the same breath as facebook and twitter..equally as addictive! If you haven’t heard the name though you’ll be forgiven- as it only launched in the UK recently- but guaranteed it’s the one you’ll be talking about next year! 

The company has a unique business model which is based on private sales, to join you have to be invited by another member (which is free). If you want me to invite you, just send me an email- eseares@hotmail.com. The site holds flash sales every day (which last a couple of days) with discounts of up to 70% on over 850 designer brands, such as Stella McCartney and Calvin Klein. It has even sold cars and apartments in France! The UK site has 20 to 30 sales a month, but this will steadily rise as the number of members increases. The private sales element gives the website a level of exclusivity, although with 8 million members worldwide-that’s quite a big club!

I headed out to Paris to check out Vente-Privee’s  headquarters and to chat with big boss Jacques-Antoine Granjon about his £600 million empire…

VP office

 

 

 

 

 

 

The size and scale of Vente-Privee’s headquarters is impressive, but what really sets the business apart from other branded websites is the fact it produces everything in house…and I mean everything! All products are shot on models in just under 20 photographic studios (the company’s in the process of building another 30!).

A trailor for every sale is digitally produced in house by a design team, with music then added by 5 full-time musicians who record live from studios within the building. Me on the drums

Thought I’d give them a hand on the drums..!

 

 

 

 

The firm then packages and posts out over 90,000 parcels a day from 5 warehouses,  based in Paris and Leon.

Love the pink boxes….!

Me in the warehouseDSCF2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only down side is delivery time, once you’ve placed your order- delivery can take up to 3 weeks. The site only buys the stock from brands once the sale has closed and the orders have been placed (which is a no risk strategy and allows them to offer such big discounts)…but it means having to wait for the goods. However, once you’re used to the delivery time it’s fine..I ordered a Diesel wallet a while back, then completely forgot about it..and when it came through it was such a nice surprise!

After nosing around their colossal head office operation, I caught up with Vente-Privee’s founder and big chief Jacques-Antoine Granjon to find out his thoughts on the future of online shopping..and what’s his favourite website ..!

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Me and Jacques-Antoine Granjon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q. Why did you launch V-P?

J-A. “I have a background in wholesale but thought I could offer the brands better prices than wholesalers and discount stores (like TK Maax). I also thought I could offer the customers more by working hard on the brand’s image, to make sure I present it in the right way.”

Q. Why do you think V-P will work in the UK?

J-A. “The UK market is tough, compared to France, Spain, Germany and Italy because consumers are very used to shopping for discounts, but we are working hard on our offer. We will have new brands, exclusive to Vente-Privee in the UK, alongside luxury Italian/European brands which will give us something different for the Uk customer.”

Q.What’s the future of online shopping, will we still have stores?

J-A. “Everybody will do business on e-commerce. If I look at my children and what they consume, it’s all online. No kids will want to go shopping to Carrefour, like we have in France. There will still be retail shops, but they will be local to an area with local produce and there will always still be destination shopping areas, such as Oxford Street. Other than that, all shopping will be done online.”

Q.Which website do you most admire?

J-A. ”Tesco, for their service to customers. The company is honest and transparent with orders-if a delivery’s going to be late, it will text and tell you.”

Q.Where would you be when you’re not at work?

J-A. “At home with my three kids or scuba diving with Sharks in the Maldives- there are no phones down there!

Oct 12

Vintage glamour at Traffic People

traff 2Had to flag up clothing brand Traffic People to all you vintage lovers out there. I interviewed the owner/ designer Louise Reynolds about a year ago…but the brand has come on massively since then, including launching menswear! Traffic People’s store, on the edge of Spitalfields market in East London, is an Aladdin’s cave of vintage-inspired finds..and its online sister doesn’t disappoint!

 

 

 

 

 

You can buy online at www.trafficpeoplestore.com or at www.asos.com. Louise travels the world for inspiration- her floating silk dresses accessorised with chunky black belts are a nod to the past with a modern touch. Perfect if you want that unique, statement piece without paying the price. Dresses range between £50 and £80..

I wore this Traffic People dress to a wedding recently….and got so many comments about it. The designs/fabrics are so unusual- you really standout..you can also dress down with a denim jacket/cardi, leggings and flats..

Traffic People 13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traffic people dress

 

Anyway, I’m off to Paris on the Eurostar early tomorrow morning to check out the headquarters of Vente-Privee, the designer branded sales website, www.vente-privee.com. To celebrate its first anniversary in the UK I’ll be interviewing the big boss Jacques-Antoine Granjon- who’ll be revealing his exciting plans for the UK market- and having a nose around the nerve centre of his £600 million operation. Vente-Privee is Europe’s biggest online private sales site, but is still fairly new to the UK. You can register for free to become a member and you’ll be kept up-to-date with news about daily sales -anything from clothing to cars-with discounts of up to 70%. And with an 8 million strong member base, it’s almost as big as fashionbite…!

I’ll be updating with pics and gossip from Paris..so keep posted!

fashionbite xx

Oct 11

Lipstick and Lace

lipstick and lace

A new fashion website Lipstick and Lace has launched, check it out for yourselves at www.lipstickandlaceboutique.com It stocks brands including Arrogant Cat, Folia and Wild Fox and a great mix of vintage pieces- I’ve got my eye on this gorgeous vintage strawberry box (below), would make a fab handbag!box

 

However, what’s really interesting about the site is the personal shopping service offered by owner SallyDaynes. She is on hand from 9am-9 pm every day to offer shopping advice to customers. Sally is encouraging shoppers either to email or call her to discuss what they’re looking for-her aim is to get to know her customers on the same basis as if they were visiting in store. It’s an interesting idea. It’s not enough now just to sell online, websites are looking to offer the same customer experience as a retail store, if not more, to attract shoppers. I’m not sure how she’ll cope though if there’s a mad rush of customers wanting advice in their lunch hour or at 9pm…two of the busiest shopping times online..but giving a face/voice to her online store is a great way to erradicate any fears people might have about buying online- and a fantastic way to get to know her customers.

fashionbite xx

Oct 10

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Beauty burst

Lola Ring[1]If you like the Marc Jacobs perfumes…you’ll adore this! It’s the perfect stocking filler for any Marc Jacobs fan.  The ring (above) is the beautiful pink/purple flower petal design of Marc Jacob’s second perfume Lola-it’s so cute. I would buy it as a ring because I love the design-but it’s also got a perfume stick inside. You just slide open the top of the ring and dab away..

 

Daisy-2H09-Solid-Perfume-Pin[1]The broach (left) also caught my eye-the design is based on the original Daisy perfume with a fragrance block inside. I saw them at the Debenhams beauty press day this week, you can buy all Christmas products online from the start of next month at www.debenhams.com.

On the subject of fragrance, I was recently introduced to Chloe by Chloe..it smells amazing- everytime I wear it I get comments from friends, strangers..people on the tube! There’s just something about the fragrance..so if you’re stuck for Christmas pressie ideas-I highly recommchloeend it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can buy it online at The Perfume Shop www.theperfumeshop.com and the website is offering free delivery at the moment..can’t be bad!

Anyway, back toDebenhams…I spied another fab stocking filler which beautifully combines two of my passions-make-up and chocolate!

47678_SweetObsessions_M[1]Sweet Obsessions by Bare Minerals features nine gorgeous, shimmer eyeshadows. Each one is individually wrapped in a chocolate wrapper and displayed in a chocolate box…love it!

 

A new beauty brand was also showcased, which is due to have its official UK launch party next week. Fashionbite has been invited but I’ll be in Paris doing interviews with a major online firm..but more about that nearer the time-keep posted for updates! Anyway, thought I’d flag up the brand- it’s called Natio and is one of Australia’s fastest  growing beauty brands.

UK_ValuePack_bag_v2_HR (2)[1]It’s fresh, zesty and sure to be a hit on UK shores. 

The brand has a ‘no-fuss’ philosophy- ingredients are derived from plant extracts and essential oils  to create a gentle skincare product which the company says is ‘without pretension.’ I love the design on the toiletry bag..!

On the subject of new launches..Fenjal, the Swiss skincare firm, recently launched a new range called Vitality. I’ve been using the body wash and moisturiser..they smell amazing- light, fresh and zingy- but not overpowering.

fenjal

It uses natural ingredients such as grapeseed oil-along with a vitamin boost of B5, C and E to give your skin that extra lift…perfect for city life!

The price points are great as well, hovering around the £3 to £4 mark, and the pale green packaging with exotic flowers looks fab against my cream bathroom- you can buy  it online at www.boots.com

fashionbite xx

Oct 8

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Tesco v Next…?

tesco 2So, exciting news for all you online bargain hunters out there..Britain’s biggest supermarket Tesco has launched a fashion website. You can check it out for yourselves at www.clothingatTesco.com

Thought I’d have a little nose around and give you my thoughts. I like the layout- it’s simple, clear and easy to navigate..but there’s something slightly familiar about it..oh yes, Next! Have a peek at Next’s online fashion website www.next.co.uk, there is more than just a pasing resemblance! Tesco hasn’t opted for its red/blue branding then..in fact the only things that really mark it out as Tesco are the name and ‘every little helps’ logo at the bottom.

However, that’s where similarities between Tesco/Next end. Next has really ramped up the fashionability of its ranges in recent months and the brand is looking good.  I also like the way it has stamped its mark on the fashion world with a series of ad campaigns that are sexy, aspirational and clearly identifiable as Next.

Anyway, back to Tesco…

Tesco has chosen not to display clothing on models and the site is fairly functional..no catwalks and pumping music..I don’t think Asos will be quaking in its boots just yet! As yet, there aren’t really any big fashion brands on board- mainly sportswear brands such as Adidas and Nike, alongside Tesco’s own label fashion brands..but I’m sure the mighty pulling power of Tesco will attract many more in the  years to come. I think it’s fantastic news for Tesco shoppers who aren’t anywhere near a Tesco Extra store..but does it have fashion credibility? I think it’s got a way to go..but it’s offering customers the option to buy value clothing online..which is more than we can say for Primark!

fashionbite xx

Oct 7

If the shoe fits…

Jimmy Choo 2

There’s a new online shoe store on the block which claims to be the UK’s first designer shoe hire website for women.

The site, www.cinderella-me.co.uk allows you to rent a range of designer shoes and handbags including Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, Dior and Alexander McQueen for a nominal fee of around £40. However, you must become a member first- which costs just under £10 a month. Similar to scenes in the first Sex and the City film, where Carrie’s assistant rents designer handbags..you too can go to swanky events in designer clobber..and noone need know it’s only yours for a week! To be honest, I get bored of clothes/shoes quite quickly, so it probably suits someone like me..oh, and I can’t afford the real thing! If you’re worried about hygiene though- the shoes are sprayed with some sterilising agents in between wears and each pair is only rented for a maximum of 8 times. The idea is perfect for the up and coming Christmas party season..if you want to make an impression on your guests- not your bank balance!

In a shoe-related theme, just got to flag up this new product by Scholl, you can buy it online at www.scholl.com/scholl ..it’s perfect if you have a partner with smelly feet..not that I do of course!

It’s called ‘Crackling Ice Foot Spray’ and really refreshes your feet after a hard night of partying..it also tingles and crackles on your feet when sprayed. It reminds me of the popping candy sweets you used to put on your tongue as a child!!

Fashionbite xx

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