A couple of months ago, I was invited by the Hobbs store in Birmingham to run a Style Event with them. The evening, which took place two weeks ago, consisted of cocktails, champagne and 20% off their new season's stock.
I gave a presentation on some new season pieces that I had selected, together with advice on trends for the season and some capsule pieces for the winter wardrobe. The audience were great and the presentation generated a lot of chat and questions, which gave for a lovely atmosphere.
These are three of the NW3 necklaces which I styled on one of the models. I love the look of them layered together and it is a much more modern way of wearing more dainty pendants which, on their own, may not amount to much. Try it with some pieces that you already have in your jewellery box at home to see if you like the results!
Whilst they wouldn't stay like that when on, this is a nice way to display them. From left to right they are the NW3 horseshoe pendant (£25) the NW3 sparkly bee pendant (£29) and the NW3 doormouse pendant (£25).
This is a photgraph of me mid flow, animatedly talking about what I love best - clothes!
and this is something, which, I think you can tell from the photo, I seriously have my eye on.
It's the Lisset Bag which costs £199 and which also comes in black and patent
These are some of the lovely ladies that I met on the evening.
And now briefly for a few of the pieces:
This is the NW3 gallop dress, (£129) aptly named given the print. It reflects beautifully the equestrian trend which we are going to see so much of this season. What I really like about it is that it's a feminine way of wearing the trend - and there can be no suggestion that you have just jumped off your horse.
The gallop dress isn't going to work for all bodyshapes, so as an alternative, there's the NW3 gallop shirt (£75) which is also lovely.
I loved this simple, elegantly stylish Talitha Dress (£159) which is in one of the hottest colours of the season - Red. Neatly fitted with elbow length sleeves, I wouldn't be suprised if we saw a certain Duchess wearing it at some point!
This Coco dress (£189) is a great shape for pear shaped ladies. With a neat fitted top half and a slight flare to the skirt, it will flatter in all of the right places. The white trim will ensure that the eye is drawn to the cuffs and collar.
As I was driving along today, I saw a woman walking along the road wearing a fab white collar over a black dress. I thought to myself "Wow, she's rocking the trends way ahead of the season, and I thought how similar her outfit looked to this dress. Only as I drew level did I realise she was a nun! (Hope I haven't put you off the dress!)
You are going to see this dress EVERYWHERE this season! This Caravaggio Dress (£199) reflects perfectly the decadent floral prints which were seen at Erdem and Dolce and Gabbana. If you find the combination of the print and the peplum a little overwhelming, Hobbs have done a separate skirt and blouse in the same print, which you can see here
I loved this unstructured Jean Bag £229. It is quite a departure for Hobbs from their more structured, traditional style handbags and whilst not inexpensive, it could easily be mistaken for a Balenciaga bag.
This Maris Peplum belt (£99) is a little different. It taps into both the trend for leather, and peplums - but obviously being a belt it provides more versatility as it can be swapped between skirts and dresses. I have seen another one at Asos and there are also designer versions too. What do you think?
And finally, the Mara Toecap court (£149). Toe cap shoes are a big trend at the moment. Jimmy Choo, Yves Saint Laurent and Louboutin all have shoes with toe caps and they have now filtered down to the High Street, where they can be found at Topshop, Dune and Kurt Geiger.
This pair also come in other colours. Irrespective of trends though, I think that these are beautifully elegant and the animal print on the shoe will do a fantastic job of adding some interest to any plain work outfit - from a trouser suit, to a skirt suit, to a pencil skirt and black polo combination, or a shift dress. They would also look fabulous out of work with a pair of black cigarette pants and a trench coat.
For more pictures of the evening, and also her great write up, please pop over to Emma at fashion mommy. Thanks to Emma for providing the photos of me in action!
Oh, for the evening I wore a French Connection dress, Hobbs belt and Pied a Terre shoes. One of the most exciting things for me was being shown through to the back of the store and the staff room! Best of all, I noticed that on one of their noticeboards they had pinned up the article of me in Woman & Home magazine. The girls are so lovely in the Birmingham store! Thanks to Eleanor, Jenny and Suzie for a great evening.
