Blue Velvet Lounge Boutique

Rea Shahroudi and Ayshe Matine-Daftary are doing it again. You are invited to join me for Blue Velvet Lounge Boutique's Autumn event "Glittering Bubbles" showcasing a special collection of fashion accessories & designer jewellery, hand-picked from alternative artists worldwide.

When: Wednesday 10th October 2007
Time: 5:30 to 9:30 pm
Where: The Ballroom, Beach Blanket Babylon, 45 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, London W11
RSVP: Essential due to limited space http://bluevelvetevents.co.uk/rsvp

If the last event is anything to go by, this should be fabulous.

See you there...

London Fashion Weekend

Last night turned into a shopping spree of note and if you are in the mood for a bargain then London Fashion Weekend from 26 - 30 September at the Natural History Museum is a must. With over 150 designers such as Juicy Couture, Daks, Allegra Hicks, PPQ, Ben de Lisi and Paul & Joe, I came away happily staggering under the weight of my purchases.

Then on to Harvey Nichols for a more champers, nibbles and shopping with 10% of all purchases going to Dress for Success, the charity that helps women to get back to work. If you are not quite sure what to do with your old business attire, you can put it to good use and donate it enabling less privileged women to go for that interview, get that job - and begin to build a future.

Having worked up a hunger, we then popped into Zuma for their soft-shelled crab... still the best in London, and on to the Blue Bar at the Berkeley for a last flute of pink bubbly. All in all, a good girly night out...

Autumn/Winter '07

Ladies, now that we are well and truly into Autumn... all you need to know about what's hot for Winter '07.

Dresses: Think screen siren... sexy silhouette, hourglass shape, cinched waists, sharp shoulders, ladylike hems, glamorous prints, thigh-high to below the knee with the midi having made a comeback, and floor length glamour for sultry evening events.

Coats: Power coats... very chic, just about everything from military to waisted trenches, floor sweeping drama, short waisted curves and loads of fur.

Trousers: Out and out masculine... wide legged, pleat fronted, medium to high waisted, narrow and boyish.

Skirts: From bell, to bubble, to dirndl, to mini, to pencil - keep a balance by tailoring the other half.

Jackets: The Tux rules... as does the waisted, the short, the boxy, the classic.

Casual: Cashmere tracksuits, flying suits, parkas, quilted coats, padded jackets.

Knits: Extravagant and oversized... chunky cables, ruffles, ribs, waffles, cowl necks, wrap cardi-coats, outsized scarves, high-tech finishes, fur trims.

Accessories: Slim or broad belts for a cinched waist, opaque tights, exotic feathers, furs and skins, croc and exotic skin handbags, embellished clutches, beanies and berets, cuffs, zips and buttons on subtle platform boots, sky-high stilettos and sculpted form shoes, elbow high glamorous gloves or short leather.

Colour: Black on black, purple on purple, head-to-toe hues, block colour - match clothes, shoes, bags and hosiery, colour on colour in different textures.

Metalics: Lustrous anthracite and bronze, shimmering elegance, molten folds, sheeny colours, opulent outsized crystals and sequins.

Leather: Its everywhere... from soft, silky dresses to beautifully cut pliable coats and sculpted skirts.

For all the runway shows, go to STYLE.COM

Treat Her

Gentlemen, this is the perfect gift service. Treat her has a fabulous array of well thought through products and experiences for times when you're stuck for inspiration, don't have time to find something special, or really just be can't be bothered to go out... In short, they will help you stay out of trouble!

They dedicate their efforts into hunting out unusual and high quality gift ideas, and in a supreme effort to get it right, they regularly conduct surveys to find out what women would love to receive... and use this to provide the right range of gifts for you to choose from.

Selecting and sending a personalised gift could not be easier. Browse through their various online gift categories or use their gift guide to help you to find something that she will love.

Choose their gift wrap option and they will carefully pack your offering into a beautiful hand-made luxury gift box to complete the impact when your gift arrives at her door. And delivery is a doddle... choose between Emergency Delivery (same day service for London), First Class or Fast International. And if you really get it horribly wrong, they have a 14 day no-quibble return policy.

Oh, and ladies, if you spot something that you you would love to receive, you can send him an e-hint or create a wish list. Now that's what I call inspired!

No one buys vanilla...

Well, not when it comes to your Personal Brand. There is something hugely compelling about those with personality, those with quirks and beliefs and traits. And these people stand out from the crowd, we know who they are, what they do, what they stand for... what makes them unique, memorable.

I was in a consultation with a client yesterday and we were working through specialisation... it is far more effective to be known as an expert in one area than to be seen as a 'jack of all trades, master of none'. The art of building a Personal Brand is as much about attracting the type of interest, business, deals, roles that suit us - as it is in deflecting attention that we don't want.

I like to think of a Personal Brand as the cornerstone of attraction... we don't need to appeal to everyone, to all things. We need to appeal to our target market and eliminate time consuming and often costly detractions.

A word of warning... as with all brands, we need to be authentic, to deliver every time, to be consistent. So what is it that makes us unique? What is it that will act as a magnet to attract what we want, and elegantly repel the rest?

Paris Hilton

In July this year, Paris Hilton was offered $1 million dollars by The Learning Annex to teach a one-hour class on “How to Build Your Brand.” I didn't track whether the offer was accepted, but can tell you that Donald Trump was paid $1.5m for something similar in the past.

Now, like her or loathe her, Paris is a clear example of someone who has worked extremely hard to create her personal brand. And it shows that infamy too can play its part. Paris is no 'accidental tourist' when it comes to her insatiable desire to be famous. And yes, there are scores of teenage girls out there who are happy to buy her products - countered I am sure in equal, if not greater numbers of us who would not touch them with a barge pole.

And once again, this clearly demonstrates that strong Personal Brands do two things... they attract what we want and repel the rest.