Freaks & geeks

Happy Halloween fellow pagan revellers. Now that I am in America, land of the free, I am embracing pumpkin worship. And, if I didn't have a hideous cold, I'd be frolicking out there with the other costumed hos, sorry Halloween masqueraders.

And to those of you in London, enjoy the Gareth Pugh & Browns Focus /Butler & Wilson Masquerade/Cuckoo Club party, or whichever party you end up at. Actually the invitation for the last looks pretty avoidable, seeing as how the party committee includes Francesca Versace, Stephen Webster & Julien Macdonald.

Winter boots

I'm on deadline for XXXXXXX so, of course, I am looking for new boots on-line. I would prefer to get my boots from Belstaff but I'm waiting to be paid, as usual and, here's the thing - if you have long sticky legs like mine, then trad motorcycle type boots often end up with the hideous wellie effect as they bag arond your calves. I've discovered that if you buy from a fashion retailer they cut closer to the leg, which is far more flattering. The problem then is finding something hard-wearing in good enough leather and in brown. (It has to be brown as brown is for weekends and black is for the working week.)

In fact my last pair of brown sturdy clomping around boots came from L K Bennett's Outlet store at Bicester Village near Oxford, of all places. I do not like LK Bennett one little bit - way too prissy for my liking, and not particularly well made either. But, I was doing a mag in Austria (long, long story) and needed warm boots at a day's notice. My wonderful father drove me to Bicester on a whim and insisted on buying them for me. This was maybe four years ago and they are still going strong. Only problem is that the toes have faded from the snow in New York last year and no amount of parental shoe buffing & TLC (hey, he's the expert!) has got the colour back.

These babies up top are from Boden. I'm not a big fan of Boden (their blocks can be very odd, and the colours off), altho I occasionally buy their well made cotton T shirts, & I admit to shooting chirpy commercial work a la their catalogues from time to time - clients LOVE it. Well-priced - £165/$248, I can actually get them for nearer £100, if I buy them from Boden USA and apply my press discount which, joyously, seems to work over here. I'm thinking yes?

oh poor little me

I've had the most glorious day, riding in Central Park, popping into The Met for a quick, uplifting peek at the Vermeers and then stuffing my face with delicious Mexican food. But Christ I feel staggeringly, overwhelmingly, homesick.

Autumn, not bloody Fall, is absolutely my favourite time of year. In London I would be spending my weekends cooking up a storm in my designed-by-me-for-me, perfect-to-cook-food-for-twelve-hungry-people kitchen, then hosting a silly, Bloody Mary & red wine filled Sunday lunch which would go on for hours, possibly rounded off by pulling on our wellies and wobbling off to the Heath with the hound to work it all off, before devouring plates of buttery crumpets & pots of Earl Grey and heading to the pub for a digestive.

I miss the easy camaraderie of being surrounded by people who have known me for years, in many cases people I went to both school & university with - we are a tight knit crowd. I have made some good, good friends here, people I hope I will take with me when I leave New York but, being separated from my sister & my parents, my dog, two recently bereaved friends, a couple of pregnant ones, some new babies and, especially, Miss P's divine Edward who I haven't even met yet makes me very, very miserable indeed.

In London I live in a beautiful flat, which I own. I had a car & a fancy bicycle and lots of lovely stuff. Here I live with a (charming) stranger in what is essentially a box, furnished with Seventies furniture and a bath in which I daren't bathe. I can't bake more than cupcakes as I have only a toaster oven (there are mice in the oven proper), and there is no work surface. All my possessions are stuffed into the room I sleep. I have regressed to the life I led in my early twenties, even down to the relentless socialising.

But, here's the thing. I love it here. I don't want to go back to London. I like the scale of Manhattan, the toytown feel, the ease of living, my ridiculous social life, my growing address book, the inexpensive restaurants and the shiny novelty of it all. I was stale, bored of London, my social life tramelled by other people's children & marriages, lacking in inspiration, stuck in an industry often seemingly populated by rude, bad-mannered, vile idiots. Not that those people don't exist here, it's just that they specialise less in tortuous back-stabbing and more in doing it to your face which is so much simpler to deal with - & counter.

So, I'm here, & everyone else is over there. And that's just the way it's going to have to be. Unless I magically get a 'plane ticket in my pocket tomorrow to go home for the weekend. Maybe then I could hang out with my adored male friends, because making any of those is another thing that's never going to happen here either...

Lost in translation

Some things just don't translate to us ex-pats. We all thought the guy who pitched up in this on Saturday night had a great costume. We failed miserably to see the inherent joke.



No. He is not just an amusing chest of drawers.

He is a One Night Stand.

Boom boom.

Picture from: Zoogster Costumes

Clarks clutches. Not bad at all.

I'm not sure about the jade one, but I'm rather liking the purple satin number. Basically I'm a sucker for bows and, as I think satin pieces should only be worn by stick people, I tend to gravitate towards satin accessories as I like the textural contrast.

Best of all it's only £14.99 (about $30). AND it's from Clarks. Will wonders never cease? (Although apparently Clarks is the non plus ultra in Paris right now. Most bizarre.) Mind you, their Christmas shoe offer is truly revolting.

Nicholas K

This Benoit Trench in heavyweight cotton by Nicholas K is the second piece I picked up from Lucky Shops (another bargain - $80 from $350). I've always liked their collections: there's meticulous attention to detail, clean sillhouettes, and great fabrics. It has a very European look, with a more sophisticated feel than many other American lines at this price point. The Fall 07 collection is particularly strong, with especially desirable knits and coats.

Nicholas K doesn't yet have distribution in the UK, but is stocked at Caravan, Saks & Big Drop amongst other in Manhattan.These images are from online boutique






Benoit trench picture from I Heart Luxe

Geren Ford

The lovely girl behind The Glam Guide gave me a pair of tickets to Lucky Shops on Saturday. It's a huge sample sale/end of season clearance in Chelsea branded by Lucky magazine.

I picked up this navy blue washed silk, inverted pleat dress from Geren Ford for $100 - which was especially pleasing, considering it's currently selling for $304 on shopbop.com

I haven't really paid much attention to Geren Ford before, but it's an all American, easy breezy line of clothes in relaxed shapes, mainly in washed silk. Geren Lockhart worked in advertising for twelve years before giving it all up to pursue her dream of designing her own fashion line, which launched in 2002.

Picture: shopbop.com

Halloween challenge

Ok lovely blog people, I need some help!

BA & I are going to the fancy dress Hallow'een party at Soho House on Saturday. The theme is the Seven Deadly Sins

1 Lust (Latin, luxuria)
2 Gluttony (Latin, gula)
3 Greed (Latin, avaritia)
4 Sloth (Latin, acedia)
5 Wrath (Latin, ira)
6 Envy (Latin, invidia)
7 Pride (Latin, superbia)

What on earth are we going to go wear?! L is going as Pride - dressed as a peacock, & M is Avarice, spray painted gold in gold lamé American Apparel hotpants & bandeau. I don't really want to wear body paint, and I can't do skin tight, altho I've got great legs. BA looks great in everything!

Lizzie Disney appointed at Mahirishi

Lizzie Disney is designing the new womenswear collection at Maharishi - when I received the release her name jumped out at me. It's a good few years since she was one of London's hot new designers, with a slot in the third season of Fashion East for SS03 (alongside Richard Kinloch & House of Jazz), although she was unable to show as her samples were stuck in New York in the aftermath of 9/11 and, shortly afterwards, an appointment as chief designer at the newly revived Parisian House of Jacques Fath (which she left in 2004). In fact I had completely forgotten that I had written about her at the time, until I did a Google search.

A venerable Parisian house to Mahirishi's laid back casual wear: Just goes to show how much of a fickle master the fashion industry can be.

Party week

Ooh hoo, it's party week here in Manhattan. Last night I was calm, merely popping out with my house guest, Osman Yousefzada (in town to see Vogue et al), for lots of delicious Korean at Dok Sune in the East Village before he & I strolled up to Strand to buy armfuls of books. (Book stores in this city close at 10.30pm - my definition of civilised.)

London socialite Tamsin Lonsdale launches her Supper Club venture here in New York tonight. I'm a member in London, but the last cocktail party there I went to was full of the kind of people I'd pay to avoid.(City boys, secretary types dressed in Sharon Millen).

The Manhattan Supper Club is quite another proposition, with the emphasis strictly on socialising rather than dating, as in London. She seems to have the city in her pocket with everyone clamouring for membership. BA & I are checking out the launch party tonight: it had better be good, I turned down a big dinner, and a designer's cocktail & trunk show for it.

Tomorrow Iman throws a dinner for Alber Ebaz and Howard Sogol of Barneys at Gemma, which promises Grub, Dancing & Shenanigans. I look forward to this very much. Only prob is that I have to scarper off half way through to another big dinner. This city is TOO busy.

Chanel bicycle: designed for women by men...

This is Chanel's new eight speed bicycle with, um, quilting details, costing a neat £6,200, & available in store from December. But my question is: It's a bicycle designed for women. Why then does it have a cross bar?

Julien Macdonald signs with H Samuel

Well, just as I wrote that British high street jewellery chain H Samuel needed a shot in the arm, WGSN reports today that Welsh bling-tastic eveningwear designer Julien Macdonald is to move into jewellery with an exclusive deal to design a collection for them. Although I do wonder just how attractive it will be, given that the price point of the limited collection of 13 pieces will be priced between £35-£95, and that Julien and good taste often seem many, many miles apart.

A little bit of fervent patriotism

I've never pretended to be a huge rugby fan, but being 3741 miles from home is making me come over all patriotic.

So rah for England and all that

Pic: PA

My new party dress

Topshop 100% silk £70/$140 AND they deliver to the US. (See it's only the Topshop press office I dislike.)

things magazine

Hey thank you to the very good things magazine for including me in their, "sift through a collection of style, design, whatever weblogs, all of which pump a relentless stream of eye-catching imagery into your browser, day in, day out." Apparently I have, "a nice take on the Atlantic divide".

things magazine was originally founded in 1994 by a group of writers and historians based at the Victoria & Albert Museum/Royal College of Art in the belief that objects can open up new ways of understanding the world.

Now an independent magazine, things has built a reputation as a home for new writing – essays, reviews, short stories and poems – about objects and their meanings. The website contains a weblog, photography galleries, special projects, searchable archives and the occasional on-line only article.

Hurrumph

Gutted! I love living here, but I love it less when fun invitations arrive in my mailbox for events back in London.

BROWNS FOCUS celebrate GARETH PUGH with a Halloween Party 9 - 12pm

How much fun will this be?! Okay - granted, fashion parties can be terminal, but this sounds worthwhile even if only for people-watching.

Knock me down with a feather: Ernest Jones launches perfectly pretty jewellery range

British High Street jewellery chains aren't exactly known for their ravishing designs. Sure if you want a bog standard diamond engagement ring, a natty gold sovereign ring, some 18ct gold bangles or an Anniversary clock then you are laughing, but pieces you'd actually consider stylish? I don't think so.



The three major players in the UK are H Samuel, Ernest Jones & Goldsmiths and, whilst Goldsmiths have raised their game over the past couple of years by collaborating with the likes of Matthew Williamson (altho I'd be hard put to name a company with which Williamson hasn't collaborated), the other two still have more than a whiff of mass-market about them.

But, I'm always happy to be proved wrong and, when I opened a press release from Ernest Jones' PR preparing to file it in the trash as usual, I was impressed to find images of these six rings, with their pretty art deco feel and clever pricing. (Especially given my habit of losing rings). Perhaps Father Christmas could take note?

Clockwise from the top: 18ct white gold 1carat cluster ring £1200, 9ct White Gold Diamond & Brazilian Garnet £285, 9ct White Gold Diamond & London Blue Topaz £100, 9ct Gold Brown Diamond & Amthyst £130, 9carat White Gold Diamond & London Blue Topaz £265, 9carat white gold diamond and Brazilian Garnet £235

Things you didn't know about fashion, part one

The super sexy 1986 Levi's Shrink to Fit 501s ad hammered the idea into the Brtish psyche that some clothes need immersion in water to make them fit. But until today I had no idea that you needed to do the same to cowboy boots. My very soignée friend BA has been informed by her colleagues at a (very) famous American fashion house that she needs to get in the shower in her boots in order to get the perfect fit...

Jewellery sample sale - Thursday in NYC

This is an NY friend's jewellery sale this Thursday in the Meatpacking District. She makes beautiful gold & silver necklaces, bracelets & more, often spelling out rather naughty words, which have attracted an A list celeb following. If you fancy wearing your feelings, then check it out.

COME AND HAVE A GLASS OF WINE WITH US

JEWELRY SAMPLE SALE
BY

CASHONLY

AS FEATURED IN TATLER, VICE MAGAZINE, BLACKBOOK, NY POST & MANY MORE
AND WORN BY NATALIE PORTMAN & JOHNNY KNOXVILLE

6-9PM
THURSDAY OCT 18TH

REVEL
10 LITTLE WEST ST, BTWN 9TH AND WASHINGTON,
NEW YORK
ENQUIRIES: 917 547 6783

NO CREDIT CARDS OR CHECKS PLEASE

CMJ circus hits town

I don't just spend my time eating in fabulous restaurants, going to fashion industry parties, lolling on the sofas at Soho House and drinking my body weight in raspberry martinis. Occasionally I engage with the music industry too. This week sees the annual CMJ Music Marathon & the arrival of industry reps from around the world - plus hundreds of musicians looking for that big break at the multiple industry showcases happening each night.

Having a New York apartment makes you VERY popular with out of towners, and so I am hosting my very favourite, super-stylish, supremely talented, very sexy, black clad rocker in my apartment for the week. Shah has flown in from Los Angeles to play at two Lower East Side venues this week: solo at The Delancey this evening (8.30pm) and at the Viper Room in NYC showcase at Fontanas on Friday with hotly tipped new band Le Rev, fronted by the ravishing C C.