Beyonce 100 Single Ladies Flash-Dance Piccadilly Circus, London for Trident Unwrapped

You've got to love this, what fun!

500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art

by Philip Scott Johnson

Love this!

Hello London!

Well hello London! Can't imagine why I rushed back when the option was another week on a deliciously warm, silky sanded tropical beach. Ah, but responsibilities, accountants, clients call and so here I am. And admittedly in shock. Gosh its cold.

And the only real saving grace was the MMissoni sample sale this morning. Just one word. Fabulous. My good friend LE and I are regulars and always walk out in shock groaning under the weight of parcels having gouged deep holes in our bank accounts. Thankfully we are on opposite ends of both colour and style spectrum's so no need to fight over each piece. Small mercies.

And need to plan the next escape... mmm, what shall it be?

The Miniature Earth

Dar les Cigogne

Thank you Dar les Cigogne for the most fabulous weekend ever! I managed to persuade 30 close friends to escape to Marrakech with me for my birthday party... and what a party! There is something altogether heartwarming about taking over a hotel in its entirety and landing up with a personal house party. And the management and staff certainly made it feel that way.

And Marrakech still holds its magic for me, slowly working its way into my psyche once again to rest easy amidst the hustle and bustle of another world. The seemingly manic medina working to its own logic, with timeless relationships between shopkeepers, guides, drivers... all connected through family history and a common goal. All delivered with the grace and ease of true traders and merchants. One has to delve below the surface, connect with the sweet pace of life, look beyond our expectations and big city fears. Reminds me of my Africa,
South Africa... only spiced and simmering with the occidental, with its French and Middle Eastern ingredients.

And then a step through non-descript doors into the cool, compelling arms of the Dar les Cigogne. With internal courtyards, bubbling fountains, roaring fires in sublime rooms, all uniquely themed. The roof terrace a haven of greenery and loungers, overlooking the palace gates where the storks nest. The magical mysteries of hammam and the 30 foot ceiling in the spa taking one to another level of pure pampering and relaxation. And returning to one's room to find rose petals scattered on plush white linen with a welcoming fire to warm one's soul.

I shall be back...

iPhone

I see that the new iPhone is due in UK stores today. At 6:02pm precisely. And the only network available is O2. Mmmm, my vodafone contract expires next August. The cost of being trendy? £269 for the iPhone, £400 to kill my contract, ages to get my number transferred. Worth it? Think I'll wait and see what everyone has to say about it... let Apple iron out any glitches. Perhaps. Maybe.

Mika

Great Mika concert on Saturday evening and rocking afterparty, which left us crawling home in the early hours. So much fun. There is something rather intimate about venues that hold 6,000 people although commercially, may mean that Germany has not quite bought into this quirky artist yet. Either that or they missed out on the south of France this summer when Relax was wired into our psyche's. It was everywhere... the summer anthem.

Postsecret: A Lifetime of Secrets

The 4th PostSecret book by Frank Warren, A Lifetime of Secrets, came out on the 9th October and is climbing up the Amazon bestseller charts.

If the trailer is anything to go by, this should make for compelling reading.

Order your copy here...

Groovy Dancing Girl

I absolutely love this!

Kilgour

Gentlemen, Kilgour have recently opened No. 5 Savile Row, their second space. The new store showcases Kilgour Unstructured, seasonal collections focused on a leaner, slimmer silhouette, and luggage and jeans collections - leaving the original flagship store to bespoke.

Designed by Carlo Brandelli, the new store is truly an art gallery aesthetic in a menswear environment with a modern, minimalist interior of pure limestone, against a backdrop of dark oak inlaid with mother of pearl microdots... and stingrays!

Kilgour
No. 5 Savile Row
London W1S 3PE

Frieze Art Fair

The Frieze Art Fair takes place every October in Regent's Park, London. It features over 150 of the most exciting contemporary art galleries in the world. As well as these exhibitors, the fair includes specially commissioned artists' projects and a prestigious talks programme.

Frieze Art Fair and frieze have re-launched the website frieze.com. For a limited time only to celebrate the launch, users can access the complete archive of frieze magazine – a unique research tool on contemporary art covering sixteen years – whilst continuing to stay up-to-date on the current frieze magazine content and news on Frieze Art Fair.

The new site features over 300 exclusive online-only articles every year, including regular city reports, reviews and new multimedia feeds.

To guarantee your ticket to Frieze Art Fair, book before 4 October & benefit from discounts & fast track entry. Advanced booking is highly recommended.

11 - 14 October 2007
Regent's Park
London

Opening dates and hours:
Thursday 11 October 11am - 7pm
Friday 12 October 11am - 7pm
Saturday 13 October 11am - 7pm
Sunday 14 October 11am - 6pm

Box Office and 24-hour credit card hotline:
See Tickets +44 (0)870 890 0514
Group Bookings: +44 (0)879 899 3342
Online Bookings: www.seetickets.com

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!

British Summer

I love this - designer humour in the face of adversity! I for one am off to St Tropez... hand luggage only, no liquids, bikini's, kaftans, havaianas, platforms, lots of dresses, a hat, all my credit cards and a necessary fist-full of euro's to ease the way. Then back for a rest while I work out the next escape.

Miller's Academy of Arts and Science

Miller's Academy was founded by Martin Miller, publisher of Millers Antique Guides, designer and owner of several hotels, and founder of an award winning drinks company. The Academy's aim is to create an inspiring, informative, relaxed environment where lecturers, members and their guests can enjoy a learning and social experience around a series of lectures and courses drawn from all areas of the arts and science. And all in an eclectic setting recalling the atmosphere of literary salons of the past.

Lecture series will cover such topics as 'Ten great philosophers', 'Investing in contemporary art' as well as one-off lectures covering subjects from 'Face transplants: the ultimate plastic surgery?', 'Witchcraft: the naked truth' to Peter Bergen on his latest book on Bin Laden. Other evening formats will range from 'Conversations with?' leading authors, artists and personalities to 'Head to head' debates.

Founding Membership closes on the 16th July, so if you are interested in combining the social with the stimulating, this is something you should not miss.

You can join online www.millersacademy.co.uk or call +44 20 7229 5103, and feel free to mention my name as your referral.

La Petite Maison

So happy, no, delighted that I won't have to go all the way to Nice for my favourite dish. La Petite Maison is now in London and I am in danger of begging for a table every time I need their Oeufs de poule au plat, râpée de truffes, or roughly translated... scrambled eggs with truffles.

Arjun Waney, owner of Zuma and Roka is behind this happy occasion and if its anything like Nice, expect to see a flow of A-listers through their doors. Sublime Mediterranean food comes from head chef Raphael Duntoye and the decor is modern european, in a relaxed, big family kind of way.

La Petite Maison
54 Brooks Mews
London W1K 4EG
+44 20 7495 4774

Summer showers and sales

Its now official... the wettest June on record. Really disappointing and causing havoc across the UK. One comes to expect that Wimbledon will be rained off, that Glastonbury will be awash with mud, but to hear of people in dire life-threatening situations is really disturbing. And over on the Med there is an equally life-threatening heatwave. Its all very extreme.

And even though its hard to think of summery beach gear, we must - the sales are on. Most of the super brands have had their previews and are in full swing. The department stores are not far behind - here are my favourites:


NET-A-PORTER
Wednesday 27 June 2007
Harvey Nichols
Wednesday 27 June 2007
Selfridges
Thursday 28 June 2007
Harrods
Monday 2 July 2007