Frigade Brigade

I love old replica boats.

Luckily, I picked this replica 1790 Frigade for £15 from my favourite second hand shop. I was originally  going to give it as a present, but then I figured that it was just too gorgeous and was a keeper.

Crystal Palace Snow.... or what could happen to Luxor

South East London Fashionista Trail

Forget fashion buyers and off-duty models – when it comes to picking out a good selection of clothes you cannot beat a fashion stylist’s eye. So when you combine a cute little shop full of pre-loved designer garments (Missoni, Chloe, Marc Jacobs, MIU MIU, Diane Von Furstenberg ..)  and  high street classics  run by two glossy stylists, you know you’re on to a winning formula. 

Now add to this the fact that the garments are at recession-friendly prices and you have - Frankie and Lola, the Crystal Palace dress agency everyone is trying to keep a secret. Launched only 9 months ago, the shop already has a dedicated local following and will be selling items online by the end of January 2010.

Frankie and Lola also doubles up as a dress agency, which means that women can sell their pre-loved pieces in store for a 6 week period and receive 50% of the sale price.  They accept both designer and high-end high street brands (Reiss, Zara, Joseph..) that are no more than 2 years old and in perfect condition. It`s a great way to help edit your wardrobe, earn some cash in the New Year and make room for the new.

And unlike  many second-hand and vintage boutiques, hardly any of the garments they selected look dated or too associated with a particular trend. The focus is much more on providing classic, stylish and flattering items which can wax and wane with the trends.

Their Crystal Palace shop is very Notting Hill but with South East London prices. The decor is very boudoir-like, complete with a gorgeous chandelier, flattering dressing room lighting and a personal but not overbearing service from Francesca Franesi and Gail Rickard, the two lovely ladies who started up the business. Whilst browsing around in there today, I spotted an Audrey-Hepburn style black cocktail dress, as well as a gorgeous Mathew Williamson silk dress and even some Louboutins in a birdcage. I went for a versatile bronze coloured top for £18, which looks really futuristic because of the elasticised squared creasing.

If you’re wanting to treat yourself to something nice but can’t face the hideousness of the high street sales or even if your just looking for that perfect New Years Eve party dress, Frankie and Lola is the way to go.

Frankie and Lola
16 Westow Street,
London, SE19 3AH
Tel: 020 8771 7719
Web: www.frankieandlola.co.uk

Letsbuyit announce winner of second best job in the world

Letsbuyit.com, a poxy website nobody has ever heard about until now, selects their International Shopping Consultant after a genius three-month long marketing campaign.

A very glossy looking 28 year-old Parisian called Florence was chosen from a virtual piranha pool of  10,000 applicants to win an incredible trip of a lifetime in which she will travel business class for an entire month to Paris, London, Tokyo, NY, Milan, Hong Kong and Berlin with a shopping budget of 10,000 squids to spend on whatever she likes, on top of her 5,000 squid salary. Wow – what a covetable prize, well done Missy!

All she will have to do in exchange is  write  about her every purchase on the Letsbuyit blog, which I won’t be following unless she reviews the current potency of the coke in NY, opium in Hong Kong, ketamine in London, MDMA in Paris and skunk in Berlin.

Bravo Florence

  "She is a dancer, an actress and is a passionate shopper and communicator." says Letsbuyit panel.

It is no surprise that the Letsbuyit panel has gone for Florence, because she actually looks like a consultant, which is a total bonus. She also does some very impressive moonwalking in one of the scenes from her video, which gave her an edge. To quote Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: she is the safest choice in an insane world for the Letbuyit.com team because she looks like she would get a first class upgrade anyway and probably won’t fuck up the Letsbuyit.com “brand.”

Vive la Bourgeoisie!

The competition was extremely tough and saw some incredible videos being submitted from many corners across the world. Highlights included Garry Shopper’s incredible mock channel surfing video which  shockingly did not make it to the top 10, an entire African village dancing away for one applicant called Aelyssa, and a Canadian blogger called Tamy who produced a really fantastic self-promotional  video but did not make it to the top 5, which was quite bizarre really.

There was also a hot French chick who stripped down to her stockings and suspenders in a busy Beijing street who made it to the final 5 and a great Gok Wan style Indian man who equated  shopping  to sex.

If anything, I would also like to congratulate these applicants for producing such fantastic videos.

A Tomorrow That Never Was

Check out this cool David LaChappelle photoshoot - which is inspired by that great deco film METROPOLIS, a 1927 silent German expressionism science fiction film directed by Fritz Lang and written by Lang and Thea von Harbou. 


I have a real thing about Raygun Gothic visuals and Metropolis, just like the films Dark City, Brazil and countless other cinematic treats  convey that style so perfectly.
 

Raygun Gothic is a catchall term for a visual style that incorporates various aspects of the Googie, Streamline Moderne and Art Deco architectural styles when applied to retro-futuristic science fiction environments. Academic Lance Olsen has characterised Raygun Gothic as "a tomorrow that never was". The style has also been associated with architectural indulgence, and situated in the context of the golden age of modern design due to its use of features such as "single-support beams, acute angles, brightly colored paneling" as well as "shapes and cutouts showing motion."

The shots of Gaga feature in the super deluxe limited edition of her new album The Fame Monster which not only contains all the original tracks from her debut CD The Fame, plus eight new ones, but also features a booklet and a lock of her hair. Now thats what I call customer service.

London Girl Guest Stars Hit the Headlines

 

so much to say-so little time

It has been too long since I have updated the blog. A big thank you to all the readers who have dropped me an email to encourage me to post something.  Now that I am on holiday, I promise to write something at least once a day.

I was in Brussels for some meetings and then had a wild cocktail party at my house on Saturday – from which I am only just recovering from. In between all of these things, I have tried new beauty products from Thalgo, had a root canal done by my cute surfer dentist, almost got into a physical  fight with a  spanish tourist  who wanted to nick my cab, bumped into the women who did not give me that job, attended a conference under Chatham House rules, and bought some seaweed soap from lush.

Butt first (intentional typo for a change), let’s start with my two most featured London Girl guest stars:  Diana Mcllelan,  who’s pen was - and still is trust me – mightier than that pretzel George W(anker) Bush almost chocked on and Gypsy Wood, antipodean  burlesque babe with a  heart made of tassles and  rhinestones.

Both of these lovely ladies have hit the headlines recently with their antics across opposite time zones . Both ladies gave good soundbites during their press interviews.

THE TOPIARY TOPPER STRIKES AGAIN 

Not long ago, I wrote about Diana’s mission to cover up those hideous wheelie bins people like to accord prime retail position to by devising a cover-up mechanism which has left NASA’s greatest scratching their balls – I mean – heads. It is none other than the Topiary Trash-Can Topper, also affectionatly known as the Wheelie Wig in certain circles,  which is a form of plastic surgery for bins which allows them to blend into a pre-determined ideal of what constitues natural beauty. Diana's invention  was recently featured in a long article in the Washington Post. Hurrah. You saw  it here first though - back in September, when Diana gave me the scoop.

PHOTO CAPTION:Diana demonstrating her famed two finger-lift to the establishment  

Diana McLellan has seen a lot of ugly things in her life -- after all, she spent her career as a journalist, including a sublime decade when she was known as the "Ear," peddling gossip in, sequentially, each of D.C.'s daily newspapers: the Star, The Post, the Times.

But that doesn't mean she enjoys looking at ugly things, and as I sat in her Capitol Hill townhouse sipping tea and eating smoked salmon on crustless bread (the salmon was on crustless bread; I wasn't), Diana described her crusade to blot out at least a little of the world's hideousness. It's an invention she calls the Topiary Trash-Can Topper.

To continue reading the rest of the article in the Washinghton Post, please click HERE

GYPSY WOOD STIRS UP THE LIZARD SCENE

And our resident burlesque star Gypsy has been hitting the headlines in Australia because she performed a striptease as John Howard at Bob Hawke's birthday party. For the purposes of context - Hawke was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia and longest serving Australian Labour Party Prime Minister.

According to reports, Hawke's wife Blanche d'Alpuget (sounds like a stripper's name) spent weeks planning for Gypsy to jump out of a birthday cake dressed as John Howard and do a strip tease, as a surprise at Hawke's 80th birthday bash . There is something about that lizard gene which makes politicians live for ever it seems. For this not familiar with the relation between Lizards and Politicians, please consult David Icke - you won't be disapointed.

Back to Hawke's Bash - Gypsy told me that the birthday boy got a total kick out of it. Well what do  ya say! Who would have thought that politicians, from all people, would enjoy a bit of good old-fashioned Bump'n'Grind, hey.

Here are some of Gypsy’s fabulous quotes:

“When I performed as John Howard I came out to God Save the Queen because John wasn't really a fan of a republic and gushed over the Queen every chance he got.”

"Then I performed and danced around  to Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word by Elton John” – this is super humorous move from Gypsy, as John Howard was notorious for not wanting to say SORRY to the Aborigines, an issue which remains a thorn in Australian politics.

"Then I did a strip tease which is my take on how politicians are very similar to strippers. I think strip tease and politics go together like icing on a cake."

Now you can’t say that we don’t feature quality dames here at London Girl, can you now.

Dita going out for lunch

Perfect Surf Swells Pound Hawaiian Shores

Some seriously surfable waves have hit Hawaiian shores, causing a school of surfers to grab their mother's ironing boards  and hit the waves.  Forecasters say  that waves could reach heights of 50ft (15 metres) by tomorrow.

When I lived out on Bondi Beach - I remember when a storm caused waves to hit the  20ft mark, and they were positively huge.

According to reports, Hawaii hasn't seen such large waves since 2004 or 1998,  and teams of hard-bodied tow-in surfers  are flying to Maui from Brazil, South Africa and Australia.

A legendary big wave surfing contest, the Quicksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau, may be held today for the first time since 2004 if waves reach a minimum of 40 feet (12 meters), organisers said.

Celeb Couple Mickey and Minnie Make a Comeback

Howdy All. 

I wrote a post for the online fashion blog POSHGLAM today about Disney Couture which was very exciting. You can follow this link to read the story - or check out the below content.

    


Mickey & Minnie Make A Comeback

The original celeb couple put divorce rumours on the back burner as they endorse Disney's new range, just in time for Xmas

The Mickey Mouse T-shirt – a craze popularized by off-duty models such as Yasmine Le Bon during the 1990’s, is back in fashion for a new generation to enjoy. This time however you won’t need to raid the kid’s section as they come in fully-fledged adult sizes and use the  latest fabric developments courtesy of Disney Couture, who’s t-shirts have already been spotted on  Amber Le Bon, Jaime Winston, Rihanna and Kanye West.

The trend for all things Minnie Mouse was already spotted on the A/W 09 catwalk and this month’s issue of German Vogue features model Chanel Iman sporting an arresting set of Minnie Mouse ears and t-shirts for a spread (see pics).  

Indeed, designers – including Louis Vuitton, Maison Michel and Moschino Cheap & Chic – have been clamoring to release their own take on Minnie Mouse headband-ears, most of which would not look out of place in a Harajuku girl’s wardrobe.

If your love for all things Disney extends beyond Mickey Mouse and spouse, you won’t be disappointed with Disney Couture’s 60 piece collection, which also includes a cute jewelery range featuring such covetable things as the poison apple in the gothic-classic Snow White as well as deconstructed tops and vests, jersey dresses, metallic leggings and luxury sweats baring all the favourite iconic cartoon characters of your childhood. Some items are already selling out fast on ASOS and Truffleshuffle.com.

 Ever Wondered if Disney Had  - LIKE - a dark side?  

But if you are looking for a “darker” interpretation of Mickey and Minnie to feed your inner Goth child, there is a whole host of skull-based deviations around the theme out there, such as a Minnie Mouse Tartan Skull Jumper by Markus Lupfer and a Dog State Silver Minnie Ring, which features a post-apocalyptic Minnie complete with cute bow and deadpan expression.

A Topaz! Among my jewels, are you mad?

There is a fabulous scene in Gigi, a delightful 50's film which tells the story of a courtesan’s apprenticeship in 1901 Paris, where as her fabulous Aunt Alica talks Gigi through her jewellery collection, she prompts her Aunt to indignantly exclaim "A Topaz? among my jewels? are you mad!" when Gigi mis-identifies a yellow diamond. I LOVE that scene and have repeated that line several times.

Here is an extract from that charming dialogue, (Aunt Alicia's answers are in bold:

              This is ...a topaz?

              A topaz? Among my jewels? Are you mad?  

                It's a yellow diamond of the first quality.

              You'll have to go a long way to see one like it.

              This? - An emerald. How beautiful.

              Do you see that blue flame. ...

                darting about in the depths of the  green light?

              Only the most beautiful emeralds...

              ...contain that miracle of elusive blue.

              Who gave it to you, Aunt? -

              A king. 

              A great king? –

              No, a little one. Great kings do not give very large stones.

              Why not?

              In my opinion, it's because they don't feel they have to.

              Who does give the valuable jewels?

              Who?

              Oh, the shy, the proud. And the social climbers. 

               They think it's a sign of culture.

             But it doesn't matter who gives them...

                as long as you never wear anything second-rate.

                Wait for the first-class jewels, Gigi.

                Hold on to your ideals.

I watched the film so many times growing up that this mantra to shun Topaz is ingrained in my unconscious. In terms of emeralds, my mother always told me to covert  them over diamonds. There is something about that clear green lush hue which, when set correctly, looks absolutely stunning. The green colour of this gemstone is so intensely vivid that it has a colour named after it - Emerald Green, of course. I am in a mood for emerald green everything right now.

E*M*E*R*A*L*D*S

Pliny the Elder, a writer, naval commander, natural philospher and classic all-rounder from the ancient times eulogized the emerald in just 3 words that speak volumes, "Nothing greens greener.”

Cleopatra of course, not one to miss out on a good thing, collected this gem like she collected ....... (insert word here)

If Elizabeth Taylor is the equivalent of a Krupe Diamond in the gem world and Monroe is akin to the cursed Blue Diamond, surely Sophia Lauren is like a Trapiche Emerald.

Trapiche emeralds are in a class of their own. They are perhaps the rarest of "pattern" gems, andcharacterized by star-shaped rays that emanate from its center in a hexagonal pattern.

Angelina can keep Brad Pitt, but I would love her emerald jewellery instead. Check out this ring, which put the one I am wearing today and elegantly modeling below, to shame!

From the legendary Emerald Tablets, a Hermetic text which reveals the  blueprint of our primordial existence to the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz and the Emerald Gardens in Heaven – the stone  is shrouded with enchanting mixture of grace and mysery.

  

SNAPSHOTS OF EMERALD CITIES: Harrods Xmas Lights and Grace's Wizard of Oz spread for Vogue US.

 

MOLDAVITE: The cheaper but just as mysterious alternative 

 Of course – I do not have the kind of budget or invite the kind of liaisons which would fill my muji jewellery boxes with emeralds, so I tend to purchase the meteorite stone Moldavite instead, which has been called the emerald that fell from the sky and which is even rumoured to have been on the stones of the Holy Grail. The texture of the stone is very otherwordly and its surface exhibits curious pittings and wrinkles  - but it can polish up beautifully, if one does not like it rough.

Moldavite is also a very mysterious stone – and having studied it for so long I could write a book about some of the stories, but for now, I will leave it for Harry Winston to tell you all about EMERALDS....

Life's a Pitch: How to not cope with job rejection

DISCLAIMER: Reading this article before you go for your job interview is not a good idea. You have been warned. The views expressed in this article are that of the Author's ego and not of the super-ego cunningly mediated by the id. The content is  not designed to help you nail a job interview of any descripition. However, if you would like some advice on how to take up navel-gazing as an accreditable afterwork hobby, the author, a certain Tallulah,  would be more than happy to re-adjust your moral compass.

Being good at the job you’re applying for and being good at a job interview, are two different disciplines. And in my case, job interviews are my absolute Achilles’ heel - luckily I have been appointed for 80% of my jobs, otherwise I would be permanently unemployed. For the remaining 20%, on three momentous occasions, I have been in a position where I was in the final two, with a clear lead, and on those three occasions, I did not get the damn job.

When you get rejected for a job – particularly when you have been shortlisted from 200 applicants, to five, and then called for a second interview – it’s hard to not take it personally, despite what anyone else says.

At the end of the day – the interviewers are buying into the person they see before them, and not necessarily their skills. You either inspire confidence in them, or you don’t. Naturally there are other factors which come into play, such as:

You may have been the best candidate until the next one came along

The job may have been targeted for an in-house candidate even though it was advertised

You may have been the right person for the job, but your face didn't fit

The recruiter may have asked the right questions but lacked the skill to make a proper post-interview assessment.

Don't Get Even, Get Mad!

Yesterday – I got the rejection letter that said that I didn’t get the fucking job, after three weeks of reading their shitty website, performing timed written tests,  researching presentations ect and them conveying how fabulous they thought I was to my recruiter.

The first panel interview went superbly well, and lasted over an hour, in which I breezed through all the questions confidently and they seemed to hang on to my every word. I left the building feeling exhilarated– especially as I was going through a more senior role, and even took the lift with a member of staff who said they hoped I got the job.

I then got asked to come back for a second interview with the director and one of her minions, as it was now down to two candidates.  I had to make a presentation based on some vague ideas they had in mind and answer all their questions, some of which were designed to be confrontational.

Compared to the first interview, hostility seemed to be the running theme of  these  Birkenstock-wearing charity skanks' approach to the damn interview.

This time, I left the building feeling deflated, as not only was I in there for 30 minutes, as opposed to an hour – but also because I was not feeling the vibe man or getting any kind of positive response from anything I said. It was as if the first interview happened on another planet altogether.

So last night, after several glasses of Prosecco washed down with some carbs, I became obsessed with these questions: Who was the other final  candidate? Male or female? Younger or older? What type of experience? Do they speak any other languages (I speak 4)? Did they have a PR face or a Charity face? Did they think that I looked too high-maintenance to be sent to fragile states?

Who fucking knows. Apparently, they  cannot give any skanky contructive feedback yet.

The only thing that I do know, is that the major defining factor between the first and second interview was that I re-read the brilliant pitching book called Life’s a Pitch, by Stephen Bayley and Roger Mavity – which I thoroughly recommend.

I have read this book numerous times, and the advice in it has proven to be invaluable. Nothing like it has been written before. A mixture of mentoring, graphics, anthropology, market research and modern Machiavellianism.

There is a helpful section in there about how to cope with job interviews, the blueprint of  which I applied in the first interview. For the second one, I did not bother to skim through the book again because I thought that all the main points were already lodged in brain - -which clearly they werent.