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Hee hee.
Only for a couple of weeks though! And I'm not going anywhere - expect all the pictures and anecdotes from my travels around my homeland almost as frequently as when I'm back in Los Angeles!
Above is the view from my lovely hotel, The Hoxton, in Shoreditch! Tonight I'm headed out for curry and beer with friends - proper English styley!
Yay!
Kelsi xx
By the time we hit the Pool Tradeshow it was more than time to get home - so it was a very quick whip round with stops to see some of our friends showing and a couple of new brands I had on my "hit list" - so below is my Pool Tradeshow photo story!
Gorgeous eco line from Simones Rose.
Amazing cardigan from from Belgium brand 'Filles a Papa' (Daddy's Girl)
Cute Parisian line called 'Lotty Dotty'. Sweaters, tees and purses featuring illustrated girls you can "dress" with 3D clothing - very cute for the child in you - or just a child - I'm kind of in love with the sweater myself.
Another French line by Elizabeth Delauney - very romantic with a ton of lace and ruffles.
Fab jewelry from Kittenhawk at the Gather LA showroom (love supporting our L.A brands all the way in Vegas!)
More love for L.A at Gather with a peek at Jen Awad's Spring 2012 line.
Loved this drapey tee from ISM Mode - another L.A line featured by Gather.
Really love these chunky rings from Texan brand F is for Frank
Great blouse from another Texan brand Rewerked.
Some new designs from the lovely Jen at Plastique.
Entirely wood watches from We Wood (I love these!)
Acrylic jewelry from L.A t-shirt line MNKR - it's the same plastic as guitar picks so it's super flexible and lightweight - I want the L.A one (of course...)
So that's Vegas over....so where am I now? Stay tuned to my next post ;)
Kelsi x
This season's Project show in Vegas was another veritable celebration of the Commonwealth, with Australian brands ruling the roost, God Save the Queen....or something like that!
Below are my favourites from the show!
Of course I had to pop by and check out my new BBF (best brand forever? you like?) at the Volley booth. How amazing are these candy coloured Volley's? These were the colours used from an 80's collection. I literally want every pair!
I first spotted Pura Vida bracelets at the D&A show in Los Angeles a few months ago, I've since spotted them at the US Open of Surf at Huntington Beach and in Nylon magazine! It's the perfect timing for this philanthropic brand to emerge on the market. I snagged my own and I'm a huge fan!
I'm already a massive fan of Aussie brand Reverse (remember my white dress with the neon sequins - that's Reverse!) they're Spring 2012 collection is just as endearing. Love all of these dresses with an unbridled passion!
I discovered My Pet Square, another Australian brand, last summer at Project, so it's good to see they're still making wonderful clothes. A much sleeker, more minimalist approach than other Aussie brands - but just as desirable - I love the hardware accents.
How gorgeous is the lovely Olivia Lopez in this stunning dress from UNIF (oh yep - that's another mullet dress - I've got a couple of vintage ones from Ebay that I've yet to wear, but it's good to see the trend is sticking around!)
UNIF has really emerged as one of the it brands in the past few months, donning all the best bloggers!
Of course I had to stop by to see my friends at Report Shoes - how amazing are these colour blocked, platform buckled sandals. Perfect with black tights and a mini dress this fall - and perfect with a maxi or shorts shorts next summer. Gonna need to get me some of these!
I always look forward to see what Sienna Miller and her sister Savannah produce for the London shows with their line Twenty8Twelve - so it was very exciting to get a quick peek of their Spring 2012 collection before it hits the runway. I love the slouchy denim shirt - especially paired with this phenomenal yellow skirt. I love a backless dress and this printed one is no exception.
Penelope and Coco are another Vegas discovery from last summer. I love the new additions - especially the cut out oxfords and the Dalmatian print platforms. It's so wonderful to see such a young brand (with such a young and inspirational designer at the helm) do wonderful things in such a short time.
Another Aussie brand that seems to have just exploded out of nowhere (despite being popular in Australia for awhile now) are One Teaspoon. The brand are infamous for their "denim knickers" aka super short denim cut offs brought to infamy in the US by bloggers such as Rumi Neely.
I'm not quite brave enough to walk around with my arse hanging out - but this kimono - now that's something I can get on board with - I love the ikat print.
by Ti Mo is a Norwegian brand that I accidentally stumbled across on a frantic dash for lunch. I'm glad I stopped, this charming brand is making it's US debut and hopes to land in Los Angeles. I'm also a sucker for butterflies and pretty dresses. Making this brand, pretty much perfection.
I'm pretty much used to wonderful Scandinavian brands, they're a lot more prevalent in the UK (proximity helps) and this one falls into one of my favourite Norwegian genres - very girly, a lot bohemian with elements of Victoriana/Edwardian vintage - so pretty and a definite direction in fashion right now. So watch this space for more as they make their way over here!
I've been to Las Vegas more times than I can count in my short 6 years living in the US - I love it (in small doses) it's kitschy and fun and more than a little silly - it can also be extremely glamorous. The first time I visited it was not exactly how I expected. I thought it would be a lot more kitschy and a lot seedier. It turns out I was just in the wrong part of town.
On this trip I made it down to Downtown Vegas - about a 15 minute drive to the farthest end of the strip. The main thoroughfare is Fremont Street, featuring some of the oldest casinos in Vegas (including the old and apparently "loose" slots!) and a ton of fantastic neon signs, which obviously I was gagging to photograph.
In more recent years the area has undergone a "rehabiliation" and named "The Fremont Experience" - making the area a little less seedy than it likely was a few years ago. Part of the areas rehab includes a giant canopy over Fremont street featuring hourly light shows. There's also a zip line running down the middle of the street for the very brave! But not to worry, there are still elements of sleaze, a Brett Michaels impersonator complete with skanky ho for example, more showgirls than you can shake a stick at and a very odd gyrating panda. (I have no idea either)
On the drive back to the main strip from Downtown Vegas there are some definite stops to make. That end of the strip features many of the infamous chapels, including The Little White Chapel (where Mr Style and I got married!)
At Las Vegas Boulevard at East Oakey there is a legendary frozen custard stand (that was unfortunately closed when we attempted a visit) called Luv-It Frozen Custard - and a super old school diner called 'White Cross Drugs'. A little further up the strip a stop at Bonanza the Worlds Largest Gift Store is also worth a gander. They sell packs of cards used in the casinos for $1.50 a pack - naming the hotel, table, game and date played - a nice little Vegas memento!
What's your favourite Vegas stop?
Kelsi x
When Belvedere invited me to host a brunch for my friends featuring their brand new bloody mary vodka I was trés excited and of course answered with a resounding yes.
With so much going on at the moment, the idea of having friends over to my house in it's unorganized state was pretty alarming - so I figured, I'm headed to Vegas, I have a beautiful hotel room, why not host the brunch in Vegas?
So, in true Kelsi fashion, I threw together an event in about 48 hours. Major. Being on a budget I went for the traditional breakfast approach - cereal! I was pleased to discover Kelloggs still makes the adorable mini boxes - which were perfect for the kitcshy theme I was running, entirely incidentally (the invite featured comic sans, an ironic gradient AND a unicorn - go me)
I also invited my jewelry designer friend Joi from Pirate Romance to join us and show her jewelry line - baubles, booze and breakfast - a sure combination to draw my fashion girls in!
We had a wonderful time drinking the yummy new Belvedere Bloody Mary! The vodka is distilled with spices and tomato - making bloody marys super easy to make - you literally just add tomato juice! Seen as we were in the desert I opted for a super refreshing recipe from their website the 'Summer Mary' - tomato juice, orange juice and Belvedere Bloody Mary (the recipe also call for red pepper juice - but none could be found!) it was wonderfully yummy with just the right amount of spice.
Thanks so much Belvedere for a lovely breakfast treat and thanks to Joi French of Pirate Romance and all the lovely ladies who joined us!
If you want to learn more about Belvedere Bloody Mary - and see some of their delicious recipes, visit their Facebook page here.
Kelsi x
