Archive - Page 31 of 299

A Weekend Away

Collaborations • Editorials

What does the perfect weekend in the country look like for you?

My perfect weekend in the country involves a drive from london in a lovely car, preferably driven by my husband. Ideally the drive isn’t too long, a couple of hours is perfect. If a break in the journey can be arranged at a charming eatery or shopping destination even better. Ideally both together. Then on to a bit of culture. Arriving finally at our destination for whatever event or activity we have been invited too. It’s the greatest privilege and luxury to be invited to stay with someone. I always take it as a huge gesture of kindness and friendship. Being a good houseguest is an art – one no doubt I am still attempting to master. I always feel I haven’t done enough. The balance of being helpful but not forcing help on your host, being present but giving your host time alone to do what they need, being polite but also fun. Hopefully one day I will be there, but in the meantime I do my best.

If I’m ever heading out of London towards Bicester Village I always make that the break in the my journey, and now they have the Café Wolseley the food experience alone is enough to justify stopping there. Since the expansion there is so much newness. When Kit and I visited a week or so ago we both ran around like mad, so excited by the huge amount of new shops. I bought my husband his favourite quarter zip jumpers, some pieces for my family and I got the most beautiful little pair of black feather pointed pumps. I was so tempted by the white shirt I am wearing below with the balloon sleeves. This is the perfect time of year to pop in to Bicester Village because it’s when they have a huge amount of fresh stock for the new season. I shop in two ways at the village, one, for myself, and two, for others. For myself I am quite flexible, if the fit isn’t quite right but I love the style and the discount is amazing (as it always is at Bicester Village), then I compromise and buy it with the intention to alter it later. If I’m buying presents, I try and shop more carefully and only purchase when I am 100% they will like it.

For this editorial I wanted to share my Autumn Winter Essentials. All the pieces featured are in store now! So rush to the Village to grab them. I wanted to share a weekend casual look, a day to night party look (perfect for when long lunches slip into drinks) and a full blown evening statement look. All captured at the beautiful Waddesdon Manor, which is only about 15mins from Bicester Village, perfect for a culture kick after all the indulgent shopping and eating (or just continuing spoiling yourself and book now the wine tastings they host in their wine cellar). For a full list of the brands at Bicester Village see their website. You can see other stories I have created with their pieces at Blenhiem Palace and at Bicester Village too.

The Casual Look

Coat Sandro
Shirt Sandro
Jeans Levis
Boots BA&SH
Hat The Kooples
Glasses Max Mara
Bags Bally
Scarf N Peal Cashmere

The Lunchtime Luxe Look

Kaftan Oscar de la Renta
Shoes Gina
Bag Bally
Sunglasses Max Mara

The Evening Event Look

All Oscar de la Renta

Photos by Kit Lee

Fashion

Fruit Shopping

London • Outfits

I love peaches, nectarines, greengages and plums.

Those Summer Dresses

I’m not normally one to jump on the brand bandwagon, and buy from the multitudinous new premium highstreet and niche brands that endlessly seem to launch, peak and simmer. However Reformation has become much more than that for me. Mostly, this is down to fit. Many brands seem not to flatter a more curvy figure, they appear designed for a more athletic, smaller breasted, beautifully light figured woman – a woman I am not. So often in these little minimal numbers I end up feeling I look much larger than I am, or simply just average. Reformation on the other hand seems to have designed into its DNA a love for all women. There are styles which would suit and fit the tiniest of fairy figured women, as well as those that suit a more rounded figure like mine. They also have a bigger selection of sizes than most brands in their category. The only negatives are that they ship only from the USA and therefore I have to pay import tax, but at least I now know my size (S or 2) and can order in bulk without too much concern. Another thing is they generally produce pieces in limited batches, so once they sell out thats it, so rush to buy something if you like it. Too many times I have missed a dress dithering and lived to regret it. I just put in another big order with some winter friendly options. In my basket was this long sleeved dress, a striped dress I have had my eye on for a while, a little simple top, a knitted top and a little black dress I thought would be good for dinners. You can see more styles I have worn on my various channels, like this little black number, this evening dress, this little top and these trousers.

Dress Reformation

Bag Loewe

Shoes Manolo Blahnik

Watch Rolex

Necklace Wanderlust & co

My favourite little fruit and veg shop

As far as I know this little fruit and veg shop has been around forever. Certainly older friends remember it for many friends as a memorable shop of Kensington. I love to visit it both to buy fruit and vegetables but also for the fresh juices they press in store. They are really reasonably prices and come in delicious mixes. Favourites of mine include the green juices and the lemon and ginger.

D.McKay Fruiterer

21 Harrington Road, Kensington, London SW7 3EU, UK

Photos by Kit Lee

Lifestyle

Chateau du Grand Luce

Home Decor • Inspiration • Stay

The Chateau of dreams. I spent a few days here to celebrate my belated 30th birthday and I couldn't wait to share it with you.

The Chateau

The Chateau dates from 1760-64 and it is said that the original patron died of a heart attack when he first saw it complete because it was so beautiful. His daughter then inherited it and was so loved by the locals that she was spared the guillotine during the french revolution, after inviting the villagers to come and live with her following a local fire.

When the PR for the Chateau got in touch with me and said they would love to host me and had the ability to host parties – instantly I thought of my most recent missed party opportunity – my 30th birthday. Having got married a month or so before I turned 30, we decided it just wasn’t the summer to have a big birthday party too. Fortunately we had come to that conclusion, since Matthew then got appendicitis on Honeymoon and would have been in so much discomfort at that time. So I was half heartedly thinking I would still like to do something and maybe an end of 30th birthday would be a fun idea.

The Chateau’s timing was perfect. They fully embraced what I wanted to create and we set forth planning the events and guest list for the weekend. I filled the house with 20 guests for a series of activities. But before they arrived I wanted to capture the beautiful Chateau, so you would be able to get an idea of what you would be able to rent should you like to ( I also created some fashion stories which will be coming soon). The stunning flower arrangements were all done my my darling mother with flowers from the Chateau gardens.

It’s currently available for weddings and parties, shoots and short term rentals. However they are in the process of turning the space into a hotel. They are nearly finished creating a stunning little spa and gym, a restaurant and bar will follow. They are taking bookings from 2019 onwards.

Chateau du Grand Luce

Chateau du grand luce

The grounds

The beautiful grounds include a large formal garden and cutting garden, orangery and green houses. The pool, based on its predecessor, a reflecting pool, is round and simple, just perfect amongst the opulence of the rest of the grounds. There are lots of areas to entertain. With the ballroom (converted stable) and chandeliers in the formal gardens ready for an impromptu party at anytime! The stable was used as a cinema by the locals between the wars and during the second world war, the space under the stage was used to hide works of art from the Louvre collection.

The Bedrooms

The bedrooms are mostly across one floor and are stunningly decorated, each totally different with it’s own feeling and atmosphere. There were several darker more masculine rooms, which are lovely but it was too dark to do them justice in photos, so you will have to explore them yourselves! I stayed in the first room below, you will be able to tell which one because my birkin is on the bed. As far as I remember all the bedrooms are ensuite and lead off a central gallery.

Thank yous

A huge thank you to Matthew for driving Kit and I down early and helping us shoot despite his phone going off the hook with his work.

Thanks also to Kit for working so hard all weekend to create the stunning photos.

Thank you always to my mother for coming early to give all her creative input and for creating all the stunning floral arrangements which the whole weekends excitements were centered around.

Thank you to all my guests for making the trip out to celebrate with me.

Finally…

Thank you to the lovely Chateau for hosting me and my guests for such a spectacular weekend.

Photos by Peony Lim , Kit Lee