Skeletons on the catwalk

Birmingham Town Hall Turns Purple for Pancreatic Cancer

This evening - Tuesday November 12th - Birmingham Town hall will be lit up in purple as part of a campaign by a small new Midlands support group to raise awareness of Pancreatic Cancer - a disease that has the lowest survival rate of almost every other form of cancer.

An Evening With Nicky Clarke

Luxx Mint, Nicky Clarke, myself and Alev from What's On

Those of you who have wandered into the Mailbox in Birmingham recently may have noticed a few changes happening. One of which was the opening of a new Nicky Clarke Salon on the top level of the complex.

A few weeks back, I went along to check out the salon and take part in an exclusive Q&A session with the man that started it all off in the first place, Mr Nicky Clarke himself.

The legendary (in my eyes at least) Nicky Clarke was the one hairdresser 'to the stars' that always stood out to me from a young age. The styles he created were the epitome of style and glamour and I could only dream that one day I might have the opportunity to meet the man, let alone have him work his magic on my own hair. And well, the latter is still to be achieved, although he did do a couple of quick demonstrations on how to make the best out of my naturally curly hair (see photos via the link below).

Nicky and one of the hair stylists from his Birmingham salon doing a demonstration during the evening.

Listening to hair related issues and questions from myself and the small gathering of fellow Birmingham bloggers and media (including Fashion Mommy, Luxx Mint, Style Birmingham, Lucy Kite, What's On and Birmingham Mail) Nicky handed out advice, tips and tricks to each of us in the way only a true expert can. Whatever we threw at him he answered instantly, offering up effortless demonstrations and showing his skills at transforming anyone's hair within a matter of minutes. Well, he's not built his empire and reputation on being mediocre has he!

A snapshot of the Glossy magazine covers for which Nicky Clarke has done the styling, displayed in the new Birmingham salon in the Mailbox.

I have to admit, not usually one to come over all star struck (after all, I have drunkenly fallen off a stool in the presence of the Stereophonics before, much to the embarrassment of my friend who was working for them at the time and had invited me along) the little girl in me that used to burn bright red in embarrassing or overwhelming situations came back with a vengeance on realising that "oh, Nicky Clarke, the hairdresser I've always admired over any other is actually touching my hair". Yes, a moment of 'fangirling' hit me for a couple of minutes and my chest turned red and blotchy. As I'm sure my face did although I'm hoping my make-up was doing its job and hiding that. Sigh.

To see a few photos of the salon, Nicky and the guests during the evening, go HERE.

Fashionistas Flock to Birmingham for Style and The Saturdays

I said it a couple of weeks ago; September means STYLE for Birmingham, and the last weekend of the month certainly proved that.

No sooner had we (I) wound down from the Harvey Nichols AW13 fashion show, we were hit by another huge wave of style in a way only Birmingham can do it: Style Birmingham Live.

Always an exciting date to put in your calendar, Style Birmingham Live - for those who don't know - aims to showcase the best our fair city has to offer in the way of fashion and style from big name brands to  some of the best independent fashion labels in not only the city, but the UK. Although being an honorary Brummie, I am a little biased when I say that of course.

The main event is always the Style Birmingham catwalk show, which this year seemed better than ever. Hosted by presenter of the moment Emma Willis and the fabulously camp Rylan Clarke (seen above), scenes showcased some of the best fashions the city has to offer from some of the best brands. I was only slightly disappointed to note that there were less independent stores involved this year, although visually it certainly didn't detract from the overall experience. In fact, if there was any chance of a dark shadow being cast over the whole thing, Rylan's teeth were on hand to bring some light back into the room (seriously, they were so white, Daz would be jealous!)



As well as this, and a whole heap of discounts, deals and demonstrations happening all over the retail offering in the city centre area, the other main attraction was the Bullring show.






Coincidentally the Bullring also celebrated it's 10th birthday this September and, with all eyes on the famous shopping centre, the Bullring team certainly pulled out all the stops, hiring no other than the gorgeous Mollie King to host the 7pm showing on Saturday 28th, with three of her beautiful The Saturdays band-mates (minus Frankie) joining her on the catwalk for a fantastic performance to round off the evening.



Well now, until that point I'd felt quite good having got myself all glammed up for the evening do following this show, but The Sats soon put a stop to that. Darn them for being so beautiful.

I was all dolled up in my black sparkly dress which I'd adjusted into a backless dress myself (see image below). Luckily, the only potential malfunction - my totally non supportive stick-on bra - didn't actually malfunction. Think using your cutch bag as an inconspicuous way to run through Debenhams holding your boobs in place so they didn't fly up and hit someone in the face, or worse, your own face, before send so-called bra flying to the floor. In fact, I was quite impressed with this £4.99 investment from Primark. It was even still stuck to me when I woke up the next morning (I think wine may have had something to do with the fact I forgot to peel it off!) and earlier on in the evening a lady even asked me "are your boobs real?". Yes, yes they are. I hope that question was meant as a compliment.



All in all, Style Birmingham was a great success and I'm sure the many people who visited Birmingham especially for it will have had a fantastic time. That goes for the retailers too, as it has since been reported there was a 35% increase in footfall on last year's event.

Just one little thing I'm going to leave you with, which was an unexpected surprise as me and my friend wandered down New Street on the Saturday afternoon...


Whether this beat-boxer knew he was going to have a slightly larger audience than usual due to it being Style Birmingham that weekend or not, he certainly chose the right day to show off his vocal talents. Fantastic stuff!

All bright on the night at Harvey Nichols Birmingham AW13 Fashion Show

Last week saw the highly anticipated Harvey Nichols Birmingham Autumn/Winter 2013 fashion show. My previous blog mentioned how its popularity had been growing fast over recent years and this time was no different. With the 'frow' seating a host of footballers, WAGs (including Danielle O'Hara) and other local celebrities and more people than seats, the pressure was on for the sell out event to showcase the top fashions available to those who want to stand out from the crowd over the coming season (purse strings allowing of course).

With both menswear and womenswear being strutted down the catwalk, it was clear to see which emerging trends are set to be the focus for customers of the luxury designer store.

With a personal passion for shoes, naturally my eyes would gravitate to the feet clip clopping down the runway. But even those who aren't bothered so much about shoes (how can you not love shoes?) couldn't miss the footwear on show; some of it was certainly eye-catching. Take the fluorescent yellow men's high tops for example or bright pink ladies high heeled sandals. Lush!



Now Harvey Nichols have always been good when it comes to eveningwear and yet again they didn't disappoint. Surprisingly however, my favourite outfit wasn't from the womenswear department, but from the men's. A rather dapper, yet slightly quirky suit from Vivienne Westwood got my vote in this department, with the cane by Alexander McQueen taking the prize for best accessory. I love something a little bit different. Don't take my word for it though, check them out below.


A firm favourite in ladies eveningwear will always be Philip Armstrong, and his distinctive style stood out once again in a beautiful purple dress below:


More ladies eveningwear:


A big trend I see coming out for AW is leather. It's already creeping into high fashion stores all over the place and Harvey Nichols had some fantastic pieces to offer the girls from a gorgeous leather panel dress by MuuBaa to leather jeans and leather skirt. Teamed with a fake fur jacket - as demonstrated - this is certainly a trend for the fashion forward.


Casualwear also caught my eye this time, with my favourite look from the show being a bold zebra knit by Escada Sport teamed with T by Alexander Wang leather jeans. The causal jeans, knit and stilettos (below) was also an easy, but great look. As with all jeans though, it is of course all about finding the right fit for you.


Finally, there's been much of a hoo-haa about 'the pink coat' proving very popular as a trend this season. Not one to miss out on this hot seller, Harvey Nichols also pulled out this gorgeous hot pink wool coat by Marlene Birger.


Other trends featuring throughout were prints - clashing and mixed - for ladies and there were several pieces in mens casualwear featuring skull designs.

All in all a fantastic show from Harvey Nichols. Now if you will excuse me whilst I go and argue with my bank manager over how much money I'm planning on spending...

September means Style in Birmingham

September is always a good month for the style queens and fashionistas of Birmingham, and this year it's going to be bigger and better than ever.

We have Style Birmingham Live taking place towards the end of the month, the Bullring and its iconic Selfridges store celebrates its tenth birthday (which also makes me feel old as I was a student working in a store there when it opened)... but first up is something I always look forward to: the Harvey Nichols Birmingham Autumn/Winter Fashion Show.

Once held in store with just a rejig of space, the event keeps on getting bigger and bigger. It's now become so popular that the Spring/Summer show earlier in the year had to be moved to a huge space in the Old Post Office building within the Mailbox complex, where it will be held again this time.

Iced Tea for Two and the Food's Divine Too!

I've always been a big advocate of Hotel la Tour since it arrived in Birmingham a couple of years back. What I've always been particularly fond of was their High tea, which they change to complement the season, although the only drawback is... it leaves me so full up I have to sit back for about half an hour whilst the food induced palpitations subside. A small price to pay though I feel considering the fabulous nosh they allow me devour whilst sipping on tea and cocktails (I recommend peppermint tea, by the way, for its digestive benefits. Trust me on this one).

So they've launched their latest High Tea menu haven't they. And quite frankly I consider it rude of me to not go and sample it again. So I did. And I took my mummy with me for a 'treat', since she always pays for me when she comes to see me, and I've been raving on about the place for so long.

So here we go:

First, take a look at the menu: 



Now take a look at the food (minus a few sandwiches - I was so enthusiastic I forgot to photograph it at first!).

Looks divine, doesn't it? 

Well, let me tell you... it was!

Let's start with the drinks: choice of teas, coffees, or as it is summer, iced teas. Myself and my mum both chose iced teas as it was rather a warm day. They still came with a tea pot to allow the tea to infuse, but instead they came with lovely glasses with ice, rather like a cocktail. Speaking of which, we chose from a lovely selection of those too (or you could simply have a glass of fizz) as an aperitif. These do come at an extra cost, but it's well worth it.


 Now onto the food! 

On the top tray you receive a selection of sandwiches: Smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber, coronation chicken and ham. Beside these is the fresh, warm welsh rarebit with 'soldiers'.



Next up we had my all time favourite: scones. You receive two small scones each with jam and cream - one plain and one fruit scone! 


And finally, the bit I always get excited about: the desserts. You receive four mini desserts each:



1. Strawberry and chocolate macaroon - quite simply, divine!
2. Lemon sponge cake - again, divine! The name of it doesn't do the wonderful flavour justice!
3. Home made 'jammy dodger' - not my favourite, simply because it is shortbread and shortbread isn't a big hit with me, but nice all the same.
4. Panacotta, with berries (a little like a coulis) and a top layer of cucumber jelly. Sounds strange, tastes delicious!




After all that, do you think I got palpitations again? Too right I did! I thankfully had also remembered to wear stretchy clothes as right on cue, my stomach expanded so much I look like I was smuggling a little one in there. It was just a food baby, you'll be happy to know.

Considering my sweet tooth, I was surprised to find that actually, my favourite bit of the whole experience was actually the Welsh Rarebit! Definitely worth a try! And I recommend you take your mum too - mine loved it.

So. Anyone out there fancy trying it? You do? Great. Of those of you who do, who likes a glass of fizz now and again? Well, I have a little offer for you:

Mention this blog when you book your High Tea at Hotel La Tour and you can receive a FREE GLASS OF FIZZ! Aren't I nice to you. Now go, go and book. Here's the website for info on the location and contact numbers: http://hotel-latour.co.uk/ 

Fancy a cocktail?

Summer has finally arrived! Hurrah! So what's on our minds? COCKTAILS of course.

Well, to be quite frank, I'd happily consume a cocktail at most times of the year. Bar Christmas where it's Champagne for breakfast, wine for dinner and any of Tia Maria on ice, Baileys on Ice, a wee dram or a little drop of Port to end the day. I do eat as well, by the way.

But back to cocktails. I live not too far from Birmingham's fabulous Mailbox complex, brimming with restaurants and bars, many with a lovely sun terrace at the front overlooking the canal. As it happens, most of these restaurants and bars serve an array of cocktails. Fancy that! So residing nearby it would obviously be rude not to take advantage on occasion.

When I was asked to try out a few cocktails alongside fellow cocktail sipping bloggers and journalists alike (pictured), I chuckled to myself "try cocktails at the Mailbox? I'm practically part of the furniture - I know what's there already", but naturally I went along with it.

Beginning with an Argentinian wine tasting session held in the Project Emerge installation currently on the lower floor of the Mailbox, I was running a little late from work and had to play catch up. How often do you arrive somewhere and someone hands you a glass of bubbly and a wine at the same time and tells you to hurry up and taste them because they're on the third already? This evening was starting well (I am a self confessed wino, for those who don't already know).

I have to 'fess up now, I have no idea what the wines were, but they were all delightful. One was a Malbec - the creme de la creme of reds in my opinion. Not for a hot sunny day though unless you want to end up slumped in a corner with a woozy head.

Following this we headed to Epernay for my favourite type of cocktail - champagne! I tried an orange based cocktail which wasn't actually to my taste as I'm not a big fan of anything orange (aside from the colour), however, that flavour aside, I believe they were all rather delicious. This was quickly chased up by a creamy lemon meringue cocktail. Yummy, but rather rich and I daresay, too many and you probably wouldn't be feeling so clever!

Next we headed to steak restaurant Miller and Carter. I actually had no idea that this had a bar area you could just head up to for drinks, so this was a nice surprise. Ordered to "choose any cocktail on the menu" I naturally went for another champagne cocktail (again, cannot remember what it was, but it was a delight), before we were moved onto Malmaison for a cocktail demonstration and making workshop; a lot of fun. And no, I definitely cannot remember what my cocktail was at this point - we were shown a variety, all of which I've forgotten, but I'm terrible with names anyway (at least that's my excuse).

In honesty, we only sampled a fraction of the cocktail and culinary offerings available at the Mailbox. Any more and I'd have most definitely ended up on the floor. As I was going to see Aswad at the Jam House after this that would not have been a good move! (Aswad were AMAZING by the way).

The Mailbox have incidentally launched a cocktail app for Facebook that should help you find where to go for your favourite type of cocktails, and in this weather, there's most definitely a need for it! They're also currently running a competition whereby if you upload a photo of your favourite cocktail to the page and it receives the highest number of votes, you could win a very nice little prize.

Need anymore excuse to sample a few cocktails? No, didn't think so. Head over here to check out what other people have been drinking, then go check it all out yourself!

Agnes & Norman opens its doors in Birmingham's Great Western Arcade

I blogged recently (see post Modern Vintage) about the gorgeous new shoe collection launched by designer Rachel Simpson. Well, the initial launch being held in London and me being at work in Birmingham meant I didn't get to go and lay eyes on the gorgeous designs first hand. However, last week, Agnes & Norman officially launched its Birmingham boutique store in the historic Great Western Arcade, opposite Snow Hill Station.


A quaint little boutique, with the vintage inspired design of the interior that mirrors the style of the shoes themselves, it sits perfectly within the Victorian shopping centre, that was originally built in 1876 and is, in my humble opinion, one of the most precious gems to be found in Birmingham City Centre.

I've been a little late on updating you with this as it's now nearly the end of the boutique's opening week, however if you're quick, you can take advantage of an opening 25% discount in-store. So go! Now! Check it out - I promise you'll fall in love in an instant.

To check out the range online, visit http://www.agnesandnorman.co.uk/. 

PLUS size? or perfect size?

'Plus size'. I hate that term. Why? Because it holds connotations of being overweight, or 'curvy' as some people like to call it. Well, curvy I can cope with - you can be a size 8 and still have curves. If the term 'plus size' actually did refer to overweight/larger than average people, then I perhaps wouldn't have a problem. But when a major retailer decides to ditch their usually super skinny models (which, quite frankly about 2% of the population will ever look like) in favour of an equally beautiful model, yet with a healthier and more realistic body shape, and the media all goes "WOAH! H&M have used a PLUS SIZE model in their latest ad!", it annoys me. Yes, it's great that the media are celebrating this. but it's sad that they, and the modelling agencies, all have to give the girl a 'plus size' label.

The model in question is Jennie Runk from the US - a size 12. Just a size 12. And beautiful.



Now, forgive me if I'm wrong here, but if you wander down the high street and you find a plus-size clothes shop, it's likely to be Evans or something similar - you know, where the clothing starts at a size 16 or thereabouts and goes up into the twenty-somethings. Size 16/18, by the way, doesn't necessarily mean you're an an unhealthy size - we're all built differently. So why are we calling a model who looks perfectly healthy and of actually just below average size 'plus size'?

I'm going to throw something at you here. Instead of calling catwalk models with their generally unattainable lean physiques 'perfect' and size 12 models 'plus size',  why don't we change the way we look at it. I'll explain:

[Example] Size 6, 6' model typically labelled as 'perfect' by many a fashion house or magazine (I'm generalising here so don't penalise me please): Unless they're very lucky they probably have to be very strict on their diets and work out constantly to maintain their shape. No drinking, no cupcakes, no chips from time to time, no dairy, no wheat.... you get the picture. Incredibly hard, and I for one would not enjoy myself trying to maintain something that I am not meant to be.

[Example] Size 12, 5'11" model typically labelled as 'plus size' and not used for catwalk or high fashion ad campaigns unless the designer wants to cause a stir (again, generalising): this girl can eat what she wants within reason, can workout when she wants and probably has a great smile on her face. Word on the street too is that most men will probably fancy her because she has hips, breasts, a bum - something they can grab hold of without being pierced by a jutting out hip bone that's been starved of any fat cells for too long.

Which one would you prefer?

What isn't perfect about not having to worry that you've eaten one too many chocolates on the odd occasion, you've skipped exercise for a week (nearly two for me now - oops!) and your stomach's not quite completely fat free and rock solid? You can go out, enjoy yourself, shake your hips like Shakira and your butt like Beyonce and not have to worry about the extra calories in that extra glass of wine. And you know what? NO ONE will care. In fact, they're more likely to flock to you because you're having a good time, you're healthy, you're happy. Why would you give up all of that just to squeeze into a size six pair of jeans that no one's even going to be looking at anyway?

I look at it this way. I (pictured left) have hips, a bum, thighs, breasts (finally! They didn't grow too far until I hit my mid twenties - not in comparison to my sister anyway!) and thankfully a comparatively small waist, which I do feel quite lucky for. I have been there where I constantly work out and am obsessive over what I eat. I'm a little bigger now, but I'm more relaxed about what goes in my mouth and when I can fit in my running and exercise. My life is far more 'perfect' without those extra burdens I put on myself.

At the end of the day, do skinny girls really look that much better in a bikini than someone of a more average size who looks after themselves, takes a healthy, not obsessive approach to their food and focuses on enjoying themselves? Not really, no.  And actually, I quite like looking at other girls with curves because when they look good, it makes me feel better that I have them myself and reassured that actually, no, not everyone on the beach is going to be six feet tall and like a gazelle. Lucky for the few who are, but who really needs to be?

So, this 'plus size' term. Let's drop it, hey? I think it needs renaming: perfect size.

The stars shine for Harry Moseley charity football match

Before the match began

Me and my lovely girls in front of our hospitality box - thanks Snatchpac!

Our favourite brummie and chef extraordinaire Mr Glynn Purnell with Georgie Moseley

Harry's Heroes - the winning team - celebrate their win!

Tom Kilbey from The Only Way Is Essex

A delightful looking Mario Falcone from ITV's The Only Way Is Essex

And the evening (sorry guys, I get in the way here!)

Me and the legend that is Glynn Purnell

Me and the lovely Shane Ward

Me and MC Harvey - possibly the most confident person I have ever met! (and girls, he likes taking his shirt off... wink)