Duchess of Cambridge's choice of Yellow dresses causes shopping frenzies according to eBay

Early this year, world colour authority Pantone announced that a purplish violet colour called Radiant Orchid was to be the key colour of 2014.  Then it was all changed thanks to the unique exhibition of Vincent Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London and made sunny Yellow the most-sought after colour this Spring.

Now HRH The Duchess of Cambridge has made it official having been sporting yellow dresses on her recent 19-day official visit to New Zealand and Australia with her hubby The Duke – Prince William, and with baby Prince George in tow.

According to eBay, one of the world’s largest marketplaces, the Duchess has triggered a frenzy shopping spree of yellow dresses on its UK site to almost double during the royal family's visit down under.   

eBay reported a staggering 95%* rise in sales of yellow dresses.   In addition, sales of both floral (+94%)** and green dresses (+88%)*** spiked hugely overnight from the moment Kate was pictured wearing these styles during the tour.

eBay spokesperson, Laura Wilkinson-Rea comments, “The Duchess of Cambridge’s wardrobe undeniably affects what’s in when it comes to style-hunting on eBay, with sales consistently skyrocketing after she is photographed in the latest trend. From dresses to must-have accessories, there are loads of brand new items on eBay.co.uk for your yellow fashion fix.”

*eBay internal data: Period of 16th – 20th April 2014

**eBay internal data: Period of 19th – 20th April 2014

***eBay internal data: Period of 12th  - 13th April 2014 

Cashmere World Forum 2014 to take place in September in Hong Kong

Is there a need for a Cashmere Quality Mark? What are the latest technologies and new developments from cashmere producing markets and other precious fibres?  
What are the issues concerning sustainability and caring for the environment?

These are some of the topics that will be discussed in the Cashmere World Forum 2014 slated to take place during the Cashmere World trade fair, September 25-27 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.  The event will also coincide with Fashion Access, the international trade fair for fashion accessories, footwear, bags, and other finished leather products.
Organisers have also announced an International Advisory Committee as well as a panel of Confirmed Speakers for the Forum. For more information on the committee members and speakers of Cashmere World Forum 2014, click HERE.
UK companies interested in participating in Cashmere World, please contact myfashionconnect@gmail.com for more details.

FASHION ACCESS trade fair attracted 11,800 international visitors to its 30th Anniversary edition.

Hong Kong trade fair FASHION ACCESS celebrated its 30^th Anniversary by playing host to more than 11,800 international trade visitors (including 8,697 buyers)  from 83 countries at its latest edition. The fair was held 31 March to 2nd April at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, and organised by APLF.

The focus of this edition of FASHION ACCESS (staged concurrently with the Materials, Manufacturing & Technology (MM&T) Fair) was on Fall-Winter 2014/2015 collections for leather and fashion accessories, footwear, bags and apparel presented by 482 exhibitors from 25 countries and regions. Among this year’s exhibitors were 104 first-time exhibitors from Bangladesh, China, Chile, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Madagascar, Netherlands, the Philippines, Taiwan and USA.  The Philippines and Turkey also set up special product display platforms to highlight their respective specialties and crafts.

The country that saw the largest increase in visitor numbers was China, as the country's transformation from a manufacturing to consumer-led economy continues.  Buyers  from China increased significantly by 7.78% this year in comparison to last year’s event, and many of them were representing established European and US retail brands with operations in China.

In its efforts to create business and trading opportunities between buyers and exhibitors, the organisers set up “Buyers Meet Sellers” breakfast meetings, and continued with its sponsored Hosted Buyer Programme that was participated by 23 buyers from 11 countries which included buyers from department stores Lotte form Korea and Franck Et Fils from France.

"If I could rate 1- 5 stars I will give Fashion Access a 10."

Buyers were impressed with the event as a resourceful fair for their business. From the US, Shiela Mae Rivera of Hardy Pink said “If I could rate 1- 5 stars I will give Fashion Access a 10. This is the best fashion fair I have attended in Asia so far. I was able to connect with high quality suppliers that could support my unique designs. Also, I am amazed with the organisers’ arrangement on networking events and information on the mobile app, which saved me a lot of time.”

According to Natalie Lacroix from Franck Et Fils of France, one of the companies that took part in the Hosted Buyer Programme, the fair has been useful for sourcing: “This is my first time to Fashion Access and I am impressed with the product designs which are suitable for our private labels.”

Vladimir Kvantaliani from Ketroy LLS of Russia concurred: “We are a Fashion brand in Russia with retail stores in London, Moscow and Ukraine. Fashion Access is full of opportunity and the scale is perfect. I attended the business matching and breakfast meetings. The exhibitors are all good quality. So far I have already found 7 contacts that I will further develop partnership with.”

A glamorous display of quality designs from Turkey. 

Fair exhibitors were equally pleased with the fair.

Nina Widaryatun from PT. Dowa Hanandy Utama in Indonesia, said: “I have been visiting APLF for more than 10 years and this is our first time to exhibit at Fashion Access. We believe this is the best place for us to promote our product to the global market and we have received orders from Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore on the first day of show! We definitely will come back for the next edition.”

Hong Kong's Irene Lai from A-Leader Luggage Manufacturing Co. Ltd. added: “We are very happy with Fashion Access this year. There are many new visitors who are interested in our men’s leather bags. I think business-matching meetings organised by Fashion Access are very helpful too.”

At the Fashion Trends Space at FASHION ACCESS - a platform provided the season's trends for shoes, bags and fashion products, featuring the best picks from exhibitors’ collections. "Cosmic" influences were projected as the key Spirit of the Season for innovative and fantastical themes, bold colours and materials.

Click HERE to take a look at the Fashion Trends Space photo gallery.

The next edition of FASHION ACCESS will take place from 25 – 27 September this year at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. Click HERE  to find out more.  

Interested exhibitors and trade visitors in the UK, please contact myfashionconnect@gmail.com for more details.

Miniature gardens – no green fingers required.

Not a keen gardener?  No matter.
Most of us can contend with the risk-free no green-fingers required Amaryllis that come ready-planted in a pot of soil.
Just put the bulb in the soil provided, add water everyday and wait, and we are soon (after a few weeks) rewarded with great results.

Meanwhile, with space being a premium in London (as in many big cities), not everyone can afford a property with a garden or outdoor space.
Cut flowers like these can bring a lot of joy and the strong colours provide added impact to any table top floral displays.

Jewellery label Cadenzza's presentation of their latest collection on a table decorated with romantic flower arrangements.

For something more serene and thought-provoking, London-based botanical designer Alyson Mowat has just launched her range of hand-crafted terrariums under the Botanique brand. Alyson offers bespoke low-maintenance miniature gardens to bring enjoyment to city dwellers.

THE JEWELLED GARDEN - Inspired by faceted crystal and bohemian boudoirs, the plants are chosen by colour to compliment the different stones included - Amethyst, Smokey Quartz or Crystal Quartz.

DESERT ROSE – An oasis of calm and tranquility; a garden of succulents or cacti in desert sand.

At the launch event this month in the Forest room at the Hospital Club in Covent Garden,  Alyson put on a display of elegant terrariums  – each promises to be a miniature biosphere that can infuse a sense of Zen into our home or workplace.

Each glass encasement has the ability to draw you inwards into its magical world and calms you from the hustle and bustle of the city life outside.

The terrariums are elegant showcases of succulent plants and cacti stylishly displayed among desert sand and semi-precious stones - Amethyst, Smokey Quartz or Crystal Quartz.  In some, a delicate orchid; others an aloe vera is suspended delicately exposing its roots.  Enclosed in these specially-designed glass displaying structures is a miniature world of refined tranquillity.   Unlike cut flowers which perish, the ecosystems in the closed terrariums mean the plants last for many months without need for attention or effort.

“My story is one of cultivation, curation and adventures across the globe in search of green inspiration. In my desire to celebrate nature, yet remain firmly rooted in the urban jungle of London, I have established
Botanique to create natural scenes and lush backdrops in city settings,” said Alyson, whose miniature biospheres offer low-maintenance natural beauty in homes or workplaces without the slugs, bad weather and hard labour.  

SUSPENSE - Displayed in water instead of soil, the transparency and geometric simplicity of this design focuses the eye on the sculptural beauty of the whole plant. The construction of each piece allows you to easily lift the upper part without disturbing the plant or pricking your fingers to change the water. Available in clear or with electric neon edges.

BOTANIQUE Terrarium Collections are available nationwide online.

All photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

Galactic Swimwear from Artemis South

Cassiopeia galaxy-printed bikini.

While some of us may look up to the sun for summer inspiration, designer Rae-Emily Smith looks up to the stars and her latest collection features galaxy prints and the garments are named after Constellations.

Hydra bikini.

And to reflect the bold swimwear, the brand Artemis South’s latest promotional shots show off strong physiques with a futuristic take. 

Ara printed bikini.

Made in Kent in the UK, the inspiration has come from the Greek goddess, Artemis, who was known to be a fierce hunter and protector as the goddess of the night.

Triumph supports creatives with Women in Making campaign

With cobbled streets, fashionable shops, theatres and lovely eateries (including one by Jamie Oliver) Seven Dials is undoubtedly one of my favourite chill-out places in London.  Conveniently located near Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Holborn tube stations, Seven Dials has a village-like feel that is characteristic of the area.   And as the sun is shining warmly and I am trading in my sweaters for light dresses, I am keen to update my lingerie to suit the new season.  Having learned that underwear maker Triumph – the official catwalk lingerie supplier during London Fashion Week – also provides a fitting service, I wasted no time to go down to their concept store – Maison Triumph at 57-59 Monmouth Street in Seven Dials to have a look. 

In keeping with Triumph’s 128-year heritage, the Maison Triumph shop has an old-worldly charm about it.  

While it has an airy, relaxed atmosphere, I feel I am entering a lady’s boudoir.  Upstairs you’ll find on display its current collections including divinely desirable and sensuous luxury ranges, special body shapers and minimising lingerie for fuller figures.  Also there is a wide range of sexy designs. Perfect to receive as gifts.  (Husbands and boyfriends take note.)

 Downstairs in the basement is where its creative workshops and talks are held throughout the month of April with demonstrations and classes for illustrations, textile design, crockery and cooking.  

Throughout the store are displays of the work by the creative women, including jewellery designer Hayley Kruger and textile designer Karen Woods. I've picked up a schedule and hope to join one of these sessions. 

As for my quest to find a new summer bra, the friendly Ieisha was very helpful.  After telling her what I was after – to find a flattering but comfortable bra -  I was shown to the fitting room where we had a discussion about my size, and after measuring under my bust, Ieisha when to find the suitable bras.  She returned with a couple of options for me to try.  While I love the more luxury half-cup design in cream with black contrasting trim from the luxury range,  I felt the Amourette design in soft stretch lace was more flattering for my slight build.  I can see why Ieisha said this is their best seller.  

I tried it on and loved it instantly, while a few moments later Ieisha returned with  a half-padded one of the same Amourette range and another full-padded one with soft flexible under-wiring for comfort.  They were all nice but after fitting them and talking it through with Ieisha, I found the fully-padded option was the best one for my summer needs; suitable for dresses and Tee-shirts too.  The selected Amourette 300 comes in the usual black and white, but this season they are also in a fuchsia colour called Passion Fruit and a mauve one called Volcano (see picture above).  Feeling inspired, I went for the Passion Fruit, imagining it will look nice under lacy tops for alfresco dining.  To go with it I selected the lacy Maxi brief over the Tai option.  More details on the Amourette range can be found by clicking HERE.  

This has been a very successful visit to the Maison Triumph concept store which will run till June 2014.  

All photos above featuring Maison Triumph in Seven Dials are by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect. 

Coinciding with the pop-up, Triumph is also hosting a very fittingly-named campaign - “Women in Making” - an initiative to empower women, “to celebrate true craftsmanship and expertise”, and give them a head-start in developing a successful business.  Triumph wants to reach out to creative professional creative women dubbed “Makers” across a variety of disciplines. 

Women in Making 2014 influential panel of creatives include, left to right, Thea Green, Lizzie McQuade, Roksanda Illincic, Georgina Coulter and Sophia Webster.

Women are invited to show off their inspirational business idea via the triumph.com/womeninmaking website.  They can create their own social profile through showcasing their inspirations,  their craft and proposed business plans.   Culminating in June, a winner of the “Women in Making” competition will be announced and her prize will include a £10,000 bursary from Triumph to contribute towards her business, and also a year’s worth of valuable mentoring from a panel of “Influencer Makers”, plus the chance to be showcased in Fenwick of Bond Street.

The ‘Women in Making’  competition was debuted in Autumn/Winter 2013.  This year, the line-up of influential mentors and judges for this SS2014 season.  They include Thea Green (founder of Nails Inc), Lizzie McQuade (winner of the Autumn/Winter 2013 campaign), fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic, Georgina Coulter (Fenwick Bond Street’s womenswear and lingerie buying manager) and Sophia Webster (British Fashion Council’s new generation award winner). As well as offering advice and mentorship to the candidates and the eventual winner,  the panel of  Makers will also be creating one-off designs showcasing their respective attributes. Roksanda will customise 5 sets of lingerie, called ‘Roksanda’s Amazing Sensation’ that will be displayed and sold within Maison Triumph.

Thea will create a one off nail colour for Triumph, named ‘Makers Red’ which will be a free gift at Maison Triumph from mid-April. She will also be supporting Triumph on their collaboration with London Fashion Week by providing a nail colour to all the shows Triumph lingerie is supplied to.

Sophia will create three customised shoes that will be showcased within Maison Triumph.

Lizzie McQuade will be creating bespoke hats to retail within Maison Triumph.

And finally Georgina will be offering retail insights to the winner in a mentorship session, hosting talks at Maison Triumph to inspire women who want to get into business, as well as working with season’s winner to retail in Fenwick of Bond Street. The influencing “Makers Collective” will provide a series of mentoring sessions to the winner lasting a whole year. So creative women of the universe, don't miss this great opportunity to get a major boost on your ladders to success.  

Jewellery set with stones and magnets for well-being.

Looking well and feeling good is the motto for a good life for many of us.

Whichever way, new to the UK market is Magnetix Wellness, a German brand of designer jewellery that not only look good on but can help to promote well-being too.  There is a wide range of designs for women as well as for men, children and even our pets (and of course their owners too).

The brand was founded by Dr. h.c. Petra Doring and the individually designed pieces are embedded with jewel stones such as Swarovski crystals and pearls, Cubic Zirconia and magnetic elements to help alleviate muscle and joint pain that one might endure in daily life.

According to Kate Bunney, marketing director based in Yorkshire, each piece of Magnetix Wellness jewellery or product includes one of the most powerful magnets in the world - neodymium magnets - which help tackle minor aches and pains, increase energy levels and reduce stress and depression.
Even for those who do not wear jewellery, the brand has a Power Heart device the size of a large coin that is flexible to use.  It is equipped with the extra strong magnets and a counter plate thus one can "attach" it to any piece of clothing or a bandage and place it anywhere where it is needed.  Accordingly, the device will work its therapeutic magic against the centre of pain when it is in contact with skin.
All photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

Osprey London's new flagship a treasure trove of leather, fashion, home and lifestyle products.

British brand Osprey London’s new flagship store on Regent Street in the capital is a shopping destination that features an eclectic mix of leather goods, accessories and unusual lifestyle products.  

Apart from the craftily made leather bags that the brand is known for, and timeless fashion accessories such as silk scarfs, cashmere knitwear and jewellery, there are unique furniture, decorative hand-made gifts and bespoke designs.  Many of the products would not be out of place in a taxidermy shop or a museum even.  Some may allow your mind to go travel a bit when you learn of the stories behind them – where the inspiration came from, how or where the product was conceived and made. But ultimately it feels like a thoughtful home filled with treasures found or sourced from different parts of the UK and around the world indeed.

To celebrate the new store, which was officially opened on April 4^th, is the launch of an exclusive range of ladies’ bags.  Founder and designer Graeme Ellisdon’s new Equestrian Leather Collection is made from opulent Vachetta leather and features saddlery-inspired Italian craftsmanship. 

The new Equestrian Leather Collection.

The new collection takes pride of place in a distinctive display in the new 5000 square foot store in a Grade 2 listed building.  Situated merely a stone’s throw from Piccadilly Circus opposite the Lilywhite’s store, the new two-story space was previously occupied by Barclays Bank since 1923. Designer Graeme and his wife Alex have created a unique space that is true to the spirit of the building.  

As the brand’s diversifying product portfolio that includes bespoke furniture, fragrances and candles, the range now also embraces a selective range of food products spanning from olive oil to apple juice, honey and condiments, the shop includes the Saddlery Café in the lower ground floor, a hospitality concept that first originated in the brand's St. Albans location in 2011. There are seating areas in spaces that were the former bank's vaults. Surely you are encouraged not just to visit and shop but linger and chill out in this lovely store.

To see more pictures of the Osprey London flagship, click HERE.

All photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.

Superdry launches Premium Collection and Premium Lounge

Superdry AW 2014

The British brand Superdry known for its authentic and vintage inspired logos on applique Tees and fleeces, hoodies and granddad tops, lumberjack shirts, denim jeans, quilted jackets and mountaineer inspired parkas, has launched a Premium line which delivers modern cuts and clever detailing. 

Superdry Premium draws together targeted collaborations with home-grown designs and luxurious limited-edition lines that celebrate heritage and design.

The Superdry + Timony Everest Sebiro collections showcase men and women lines that draw from tradition.  

Note the opulent detailing that  upscale casual classics with bespoke beading, sequin embellishments.

While still reeling from their fashion show held earlier in the year during London Collections: Men, Superdry launched its Premium Lounge in the lower ground floor level of their flagship store in London’s Regent Street, the new home to their Superdry+Timothy Everest tailoring and the Premium Collection.  

The Art Deco lounge was built in 1929 and was originally a barber shop.  The elegant space has been restored to reflect the opulent feel of the Premium Collection.

James Holder, Brand and Design Director, comments,"This unique space, which is steeped in heritage features, reflects the quality and timeless design of Superdry's luxurious, limited edition lines."

In addition to the Premium Lounge, the Premium Collection is also found in selected stores and on the Superdry website.

All photos by Lucia Carpio for My Fashion Connect.