I aM by jeweller Ileana Makri

Ever since I discovered jewellery designer ILEANA MAKRI (Link) in a store in Mykonos a few summers ago, I have been obsessed with her. Her fine jewellery line comprises of delicate gold chains with creatures like snakes, beetles, hands of fatima that  are encrusted with tiny diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. She also makes larger stunning pieces like earrings and rings. Most of her delicate jewellery can be worn everyday and always catch lots of attention. I bought a snake necklace and still love it. The only problem? Her items tend to be quite expensive and have gotten so much more so over the years!

Typical jewellery designs by ILEANA MAKRI (Link) 

I was thrilled when she recently launched a contemporary line called I aM. It contains items that are below $1000 and are made with the same fine craftsmanship and attention to detail as her regular line. The only difference is that the pieces are gold-plated sterling silver, titanium, and bronze. Everything is still stunning, is a statement piece, and would make a perfect EID gift! 

Here are a few of my favourites from the collection:

Chantilly Earrings (Link) 

Dice Snake Ring (Link)

You can still own a piece of her signature collection with this great alternative. 

Made of rose gold plated silver, this ring has ruby encrusted eyes

Gold Plated Antoinette Earrings (Link) 

These SCREAM attention! 

Maple Bud Cuff (Link) 

Bronze Beetle Cuff (Link) 

To view the full collection, CLICK HERE 

Collaboration Alert: Mary Katrantzou X Current/Elliott

Mary Katrantzou prints? LOVE! Current / Elliott jeans? LOVE! Now imagine them collaborating to create a funky, slightly edgy yet wearable collection of denim and casual wear - OBSESSION! I'd say its a match made in heaven :)

The hotly-anticipated collection was launched on March 28 on mywardrobe.com (link)  and has almost completely sold out in a matter of days. It consists of printed jeans, tops, shorts and dresses and was inspired by Katrantzou's Spring/Summer 2013 collection of bank notes and postage stamps. According to Mary Katrantzou, she looked at stamped visas and passports for inspiration (vogue.com). Everything is really cool and screams Mary Katrantzou but has the edgy and urban cool vibe of Current/Elliott. 

Here are my favourite pieces from the collection

Ankle skinny printed jeans (link)

I LOVE these jeans. The vertical print makes them very slimming.

 I would pair them with a plain black or white tee or shirt

Fortune Teller Cross-front printed dress (link)

Acrobat shirt (link)

Albatross Skinny Jeans (link)

Ashdale Dress (link)

The collection will be sold on MatchesFashion.com , Nordstrom.com and Netaporter.com in the near future. There are a few items currently being sold on mywardrobe.com

1 Pair of Jeans, 3 ways!

Jeans are a wardrobe staple and can be worn in many different ways to suit every occasion. For the Denim Trends of Spring/Summer 2013, CLICK HERE. This season, MyWardrobe.com is your one-stop-shop to finding the perfect pair of jeans. They have a very large selection of jeans to suit every body type for you to choose from.

I chose a pair of HUDSON color block cropped skinny jeans and styled them in three ways: A casual day outfit to run errands in, a casual evening outfit to wear when meeting your girlfriends, and a more formal evening outfit which would be perfect for dinners or drinks.

* All of the items below are from Mywardrobe.com with links under each picture to the website where they can be purchased or better viewed.

CASUAL & COMFORTABLE DAY OUTFIT
 

1. ELIZABETH AND JAMES Victoria embellished tshirt (link)

2. HUDSON colour block jeans (link)

3. SOPHIE HULME large tote (link)

4. ASH Nude and Lemon Vanilla Hightop (link)

CASUAL EVENING OUTFIT

1. MARKUS LUPFER sequin lips jumper (link)

2. HUDSON colour block jeans (link)

3. VINTAGE HEIRLOOM CELINE Arc de Triumph Bracelet (link) - LOVE!!!

4. 3.1 PHILLIP LIM bubble pouch (link)

5. DUCCIO VENTURI lace up sandals (link)

FORMAL EVENING OUTFIT

1. HELMUT LANG coated cotton blazer (link)

2. RAOUL embellished leather tank (link)

3. HUDSON colour block jeans (link)

4. ANTON HEUNIS earrings (link)

5. VINTAGE HEIRLOOM CHANEL bag (link)

6. SIGERSON MORRISON leather and snake pumps (link)

I hope the outfits above inspired you to make the most out of your jeans! :) 

Which outfit is your favourite?

Outfit Du Jour - Mywardrobe.com Event

Dress: Scuba dress by TIBI (Link here)
Necklace: Anton Heunis (Link here) 
Bracelets: Kabiri (Link here and here)
Clutch: VBH
Shoe Boots: Valentino

MY Wardrobe Shopping Event Chez Moi

On Monday night, I hosted a FABULOUS fashion event at my house! My-Wardrobe.com from the U.K. brought over a selection of their Spring/Summer 2013 collection to showcase to my nearest and dearest friends. The clothes were absolutely amazing, the vibe was fantastic and everyone seemed to have a blast shopping the rails.

I luckily have a sister who is a party planner and she recreated a store atmosphere so everyone felt like they were browsing in a real shop and not just an online store. The overall effect was AMAZING! We had a nail bar from Sugar Urban Nails where the ladies could get a colour change and there was delicious finger food from Circle Cafe in Abu Dhabi.  Each guest left with a My Small Obsessions goody bag filled with fashion cookies from Partiperfect Catering and an exclusive discount to use on My-Wardrobe.com. 

I would like to thank everyone who attended and made the event such a great success and I can't wait for the next one! :)

Don't you LOVE fashion events?! :)

Spring Trends at MyWardrobe

It's that time of year when the sales are ending and there are new items on the racks each week. I always have difficulty shopping at this time because I'm still unsure about what the Spring trends are. I wouldn't want to spend money on something not in style and then watch it hang neglected in my cupboard! Luckily, Mywardrobe.com has created a style guide and categorized their new pieces based on the hottest trends to look for this Spring. Enjoy :)

THE SIXTIES

The 60s are making a comeback through shift dresses, A-line cuts trapeze shapes and peter pan collars in BRIGHT colours

Here is a modern take on a 60s-cut inspired dress.

RICHARD NICOLL silk jacquard shift dress

CLICK HERE for more 60s inspired outfits

PRINTS

Prints were all over the catwalks for Spring 2013 and you can wear them head-to-toe matched, mis-matched, or one piece a print and the other a block color. The rules are lax - just have fun with this trend!

Loving these prints and the way the model is wearing them - Off-duty chic done right!

 ACNE Print shorts and top

To view more PRINTS, CLICK HERE 

VOLUME

Indulge in a new silhouette this Spring- Volume! Wear oversized shirts, skirts, or dresses. 

The key to this look is to offset the volume by pairing it with something slim and fitted

(e.g. a bubble skirt with a tight top) so you don't end up looking too frumpy!

This TIBI dress will look good on because the top is fitted and only the skirt is big and ruffled.

The color is absolutely FABULOUS! 

CLICK HERE to see more VOLUME on Mywardrobe 

LEATHER

Leather is still very on-trend this Spring - wear it as much as you can before it gets hot out!

Choose coloured leather to look even more stylish

This classic THEORY leather jacket in green will instantly update your outfit

CLICK HERE for more LEATHER items

SPORTS CHIC

Designers have been influenced by sports wear this season and bring us clothes 

using tech fabrics, mesh panels, stripes, and zips. 

Avoid looking like you are going to the gym by teaming pants with high heels and 

dresses with funky trainers

I like the way this bomber jacket by THEYSKENS' THEORY is teamed with skinny jeans and ankle boots. Very sports chic and flattering at the same time

CLICK HERE for more SPORTS CHIC looks

GRAPHICS

Stripes, checks, grids, circle prints, monochrome and loud colours and motifs are IN. 

This is a trend that I might not be able to wear but be BOLD and try it :)

I like this silk Andy Warhol printed poncho and would wear it to an post-beach party like Blue Marlin

CLICK HERE for more GRAPHICS

MY ADVICE is to buy what suits you- don't be bullied into buying items that make you look bad but are trendy. You will just end up looking off. There are some really great trends this season so purchase wisely and enjoy your updated wardrobe! :)

BEHIND THE SCENES at MyWardrobe.com

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at the big online retail companies? Do you ever think about their location or how the clothes you buy are displayed? When we visit brick and mortar stores, each brand usually has its own distinct store layout, decor and setting that makes us recognize it in any country around the world. Online retail websites sell many brands and have no stores to visit - just websites! 

When I was in London in October, I was lucky enough to visit the showrooms and offices of Mywardrobe.com - what an eye opening experience! I expected to go to a large, unexciting warehouse but instead, their offices are located in short, cute red brick buildings in the midst of high rises in Camden. The interiors are all white and clean just like the layout of the website and the staff are dressed super funky!

The BEST part of my visit was the sample room filled with every single item that you find on their website in a size ten (my size!). The displays were so inviting and things that didn't attract me on the site, looked fabulous in reality! Even though I regularly shop online , I get a bigger thrill seeing the clothes, feeling their fabrics, and trying them on to see how they fit. I had a field day trying on things and snapping as many pics as I could without looking like a tourist :)

They have won many awards and have them on display at the reception

Carrying a red envelope AILA clutch 

A sparkling Iosselliani necklace (now 30% off), very comfortable Sam Edelman flats (now 40% off), Wilbur & Gussi clutch (now 30% off)

Outside of the sample room is another one with racks and racks filled with new season clothes that need to be photographed. New items are introduced on Mywardrobe twice a week and this is where they are sorted. This room was even more fun than the last as I got a sneak preview of items that no-one else had seen before! I was like a kid in a candy store haha!

New season neon yellow PREEN DRESS- the color is amazing! (find it here)

Absolutely OBSESSED! with this Heidi Klein raffia hat! (Find it here)

Sophie Hulme leather tote (find it in blue here)

I hope you enjoyed the sneak peak! Make sure you visit www.mywardrobe.com to view their new season collections- there are some really beautiful items :)