Wearing: Sweater – Topshop. Skirt – Zara. Heels – Valentino. Bag – Nina Ricci ‘Ballet‘.

For those kind, brave-hearted folks who follow me on Instagram will know that I’ve recently taken on a 6-week beginners’ ballet course at the City Academy, all part of a personal ‘spring clean’ campaign brought on by a sudden onset of severe eczema a couple months back. It’s still a bit of a battle, although the flare-ups are much less aggressive nowadays… I’m still trying to adjust my lifestyle and work towards curbing it, accepting it can’t be completely cured. A spot of ballet every week seemed like a gentle, manageable solution to get myself back to being a little physical, while revisiting something I loved doing imitating when I was a kid. Coincidentally, a week into the course, I got an email  from Nina Ricci to work on a video to coincide the launch of their new bag, named Ballet. It felt natural, so I accepted. We shot the video in Frame, my preferred dance-studio in Shoreditch (long time-followers will also remember this particular Black Swan-inspired barré class 2 year ago), and while I was hoping to explain the connection to my personal initiative, we decided to keep it light and frothy (+ squeaky). Thankfully, the bag isn’t all that fluffy and airy in character, it’s actually a very solid construction of beautiful, supple leather met with suede; golden metallic detailing that hint on a bit of maturity and luxuriousness. If anything, it”s the size of the bag that gives away the personality of the owner, carrying a little more than what’s necessary, perhaps hiding a secret or two it the interior. Hope you enjoy the video!

Collaborative post with Nina Ricci.

Bag – L.K. Bennett Rosamund

Gabi and Mike of Cup of Couple, new-found soulmates.

Hello from NYC! Just a quickie before grabbing some breakfast and diving head-first into the city. I know I kept piping on about ‘going to #NYFW’ on Twitter, but in truth I’m here with Levi’s to celebrate their Station to Station campaign launch and really keen on seeing Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs properly. Because let’s be honest, fashion week is pretty much the same everywhere, but you can’t download a walk in Central Park from style.com. I know you don’t subscribe to this blog to check the latest and hottest, although seeing how much I seem to be affected by this jetlag I can really only deliver week-late and lukewarm… but I have a feeling you don’t really mind, do you. For anything warmer may I suggest following on Instagram? 2-minutes-in-the-microwave warm, but hey, still better than nothing.

Anyway, we spent most of our time in Williamsburg on the first day, and if not for this crippling jetlag I’d have spent more time exploring but all I remember doing that day was half-reclined in a bench in the Wythe hotel garden tracing clouds in between interviews with Levi’s execs. I’m going back next week for a proper sweep through, and please do let me know if you could spare some NYC recommendations, especially good grub spots!

Power of simple, minimal: Charlie May AW13

Studio shots courtesy of Charlie May, shot by Nicole Maria Winkler

If we all had super powers, mine would surely be chasing my own cape until I puke out breakfast all over the carpet. My dear friend Charlie May, blogger for Girl a la Mode and designer for her own names-sake brand Charlie May, her super power would be her minimal, modern, streamlined design aesthetics. Even when she’s not wearing a cape (white, and made of Napa leather, I’d imagine), her gusto for sleek minimal rubs off on her everyday style too. I’ve had the pleasure to design her new e-commerce site, launched just over a week ago, and since I’ve also been painfully holding back on sharing her AW13 collection until the pieces are released for purchase, you’ll agree this is perfect timing. And as a little bonus, I’ve asked Charlie to demonstrate how to make a simple wrap skirt (a la Charlie May SS13), should you wish to own a bit of her in your own wardrobe. Only if that didn’t sound as creepy as it came out…

Photo by Park & Cube at Charlie May AW13 show in February

Photo by Park & Cube at Charlie May AW13 show in February

• This wrap-skirt can be done with practically any type of fabric, but for a true Charlie May style, try silk, cotton mesh, or leather.
• If you don’t have enough fabric to make straps, or if you don’t feel up for sewing, then try using ribbons! (Grosgrain, silk…etc)
• For advanced sewers, try adding buckles or double D-rings to the straps instead of the tying method. The inner flap can also be secured with a button.
• For a slightly thicker wrap-skirt, or if using fabric that might fray at the edges – cut two mirrored templates, sew the edges (like a pillow!), pull inside out, and iron. The edges will be neater and the skirt thicker.

Charlie is giving away an Ostrich leather tee from her AW13 collection, some lovely Bumble & Bumble products and two tickets to her SS14 show during London Fashion week, so make sure to enter!

Random cupcakes photo because I am princess cake, haven’t you heard.

Sweater – ASOS. Frilly Skirt – Zara (similar here). Heels – Valentino (lower heel version). Bag – c/o Couronne. Headphones – Frends (and here).

It’s that time of year again when you’re supposedly very, very busy due to ‘fashion week preparation, and when suddenly everyone is very simpatico about any shortcomings. Didn’t reply to your urgent email for a week? It’s OK, you must be super busy. Instagramming useless stuff like the crack on your wall? It’s OK, aren’t you a busy girl? Randomly bursting into tears after finishing your last ice cream? There, there, it’ll be over soon. Although, I do feel as though lately I’m fuelled by this false sense of hurry, running around sniffing like there’s a fire (or hidden garlic & herbs bagel) somewhere and eventually not getting anything done 100%…  i.e getting frustrated that the kebab shop man isn’t cooking that damn chicken fast enough so I can go home and half-answer an e-mail while half-glueing gel-soles into all my heels. BECAUSE OMG FASHION WEEK. And I’ve started to scream this like how you’d yell ‘SPRING BREAK!!’ while flashing random strangers. Hey new guy followers. Anyway. I’m really not busy, not more than I am during the rest of the year. Yeah, I’ve got a few shows I’m dying to cover (Mary Katrantzou, are you listening, pwease?), but I just need to charge my batteries and top-up my Oyster card for that. Tell you what, I AM busy re-watching Arrested Development and drinking Tabasco by way of very bloody Virgin Mary’s from bed. LIKE OMG I’M BUSY TALK TO MY SECRETARY OK.

Grüezi aus Zürich! (Gear up for the mother of all long posts!)

Make My Switzerland app, available on Android and iPhone

Can you believe how clear the water is?!

Viadukt, ze ‘hip’ corner, North-West Zurich

Frau Gerolds Garten and the Freitag tower

Züri Fäscht

Top – Amber Sakai. Shorts – Thierry Colson. Bag – JinYoo103684. Shoes – H by Hudson. Bar necklace – Kirsten Goss Urban Edge.

The first time I was in Zürich I was back in uni, on a layover home from London to Warsaw during the winter holidays – I arrived in the night, watched the first snow fall, and left at dawn. Hey, I was 21 and practically wearing a diaper, what did I know about efficiency? It’s the age when you turn a 2.5h flight into a 10h one (commonly known now as the Ryanair logic) and still call it an adventure. I locked my luggage at the airport and took a train into the city with just a DSLR, which turned out was missing the memory card. A good friend took me around town at midnight and the city was completely empty and quiet. It was so beautiful. Nothing was recorded, and in the morning I packed up the unused camera and took the first plane out.

Now, I have no idea who found out about that trip, because my second visit was precisely the opposite and fulfilling everything that was missing from the first. As a guest of the Swiss Tourism board, I was invited to the city of Zürich to test out the Make My Switzerland app ahead of its launch. It was July, we boarded a Swiss flight on a midsummer morning, blasting with air conditioning and oozing with general Swiss efficiency. It was the height of the Züri Fäscht, a festival that happens every three years, reportedly attracting 2 million visitors from around Europe (Zürich itself only has a population of 1.83 million, mind). My camera was appropriately equipped, as I’m sure you can see, with even a spare card and battery in my back pocket. Clifford Lilley, one of the ambassadors for the app and one firework of a character, took me around ze ‘hip’ areas of town (Viadukt/Frau Gerolds Garten) on rented bicycles, which also turns out to be the best way to travel within the city. Later I attempted to see the Old Town in daylight with my favourite style crusader, Jen and Fred, and ended up spending most of the afternoon repeatedly getting separated and looking for each other in the crowd. Eventually we gave up and resorted to one of their favourite past-times as locals: a dip in the canal, which is pretty much like swimming in a bottle of Evian (straight out of the fridge, brr!). If you’re anything like me and enjoy seeing cities with a bit of peace and quiet, visit Zürich any time of the year, except the three days during Zuri Fäscht. (Also ideal if you do plan on using the app) But if you’re looking to be a part of the greatest summer celebration, with the biggest fireworks and the most civilized (?) festival etiquette I’ve experienced in my life, then book your tickets now for 2016.

A big thank you to the Swiss Tourism Board for the hospitality!