WHEN IN LOUIS VUITTON - The Monet of all Luxury Brands

What came first the Bag or the Egg??


Now I know that this is slightly off topic for  a When in Fashion post, however I feel it only right that I should post something about this incredible brand.

Louis Vuitton is a store of timeless fashion, everlasting class and a dedicated team. I have spent three months here and have never seen so much compassion to a brand as the Louis Vuitton group possess.

Louis Vuitton is at the forefront of Visual Merchandising. With its creative team based in Paris, a dedicated North America group,  it strives for best in class actions and boy oh boy do they succeed.

If you take a look online at the Fashion Night Out windows for 5th Avenue,  you will understand why. Based on the FW11 catwalk show in Paris the windows are decked out with mini Kate Moss figurines, strutting their stuff over levels of catwalk which encompasses one of the gorgeous looks.

It is such a sight to behold that you feel engrossed by the sheer level of creative thought behind this window. This optical illusion is one of the many great things the brand does to keep the story of Louis Vuitton alive and I have come to love it.














In other stores windows there is a comic take on ostrich eggs hatching out shoes and wallets, Legs with bodies as bags walked by a lean and delicate mannequin. Simple yet beautifully structured, these walls keep you ' oohing' and 'ahhhing' and you wander- ' Which came first the Bag of the Egg???!!'

This is truly the Monet of windows, the Degas of presentation and the Cezanne of representation and I can't wait to see what they come up with next!


This is a must visit When in New York

Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air
I know I can count on you
Sometimes I feel like saying "Lord how they come up with that"
But you've got the Style I need To see me through



LV got the style 
LV got the style 
LV got the style 
LV got the style 
LV got the style 
LV got the style 


for more info see:
1 E. 57th St

WHEN IN CAFE SELECT - USA vs. Austria

Have you heard of Cafe Select?? ( Haben sie gehort von Cafe Select?)

Deep down I am a bit of a german. I love my schnitzels, I love the weisswurstel and I love a good Spezi! ( Basiccally a mix of fanta and coca cola - wierdest but best mix ever!)

Walking down Lafayette street is great. There is always something interesting. If you are stuck for a place to dine, have a gander down Lafayette. It is always bustling and there are some fab finds.

I tried one night with the German boyfriend, Cafe Select. It has this uber retro feel to it, a bit industrial and a bit american trendy diner.

When I saw the menu on the outside my eyes turned into saucers as I saw Schnitzel and I grabbed hold of my boyfriends hand and said ' YUP we are going here!'

Starting with an aperitif and followed by a bottle of wine, this place does saxon ( a mix of german/ austrian/ Swiss - they are) very well. Of course there is the US twist to it however it is a very enjoyable experience.

I thouroughly enjoyed my meal and the ambience is perfect for one of those lazy evenings where you want a good hearty dinner and a cool vibe all mixed in to one. You are surrounded by the uber cool Soho area, and chic people of south Manhatten flicker in and out. So obviously I felt right at home !

If you want a good meal and you like people watching this is the place to go! This is a must dine When in New York

Haben sie gehort von Cafe Select
Mit a bang
Mit a boom
Mit a bing-bang bing-bang boom
Aaah, haben sie gehort von Cafe Select
Mit a bang
Mit a boom
Mit a bing-bang bing-bang boom

For more info see:
212 Lafayette St # A
New York, NY 10012-4025

When in Das neue Schwarz - Play dress up!

My walk in Wardrobe in Berlin

Berlin Mitte has lots of cool stores, all hidden and packed away. However some of them you really need to go digging for or you need to know someone uber cool who has the low down on Berlin's fashion scene ( like myself for example- don't want brag, but one is partial to a bit of fashion scavenging!)

Hidden in a Berlin hof is a store that is like a dress up closet that you used to play in when you were trying on mummy's shoes, hats and pearls smothering yourself in lipstick posing in front of the mirror...or was that just me???

Das neue Schwarz ( translated into The new black) is a little boutique vintage store located in the heart of mitte.

With beautiful one off pieces, this is definitely the kind of place you go if you want to find an amazing designer product.

There are no windows showing you a display of outfits and there is no real entrance. You simply ring a door bell and walk through a courtyard to see an open door, almost as if you are going to someone's house for dinner. Very casual, very low key and all about the fab fashion.

If you like to find pieces that are out of the ordinary and you love your vintage fashion then this is a place for you.

This is a must visit When in Berlin

The moment I wake up
Before I put on my makeup
I try on something from Das neue Schwarz 
While combing my hair now,
And wondering what dress to wear now,
I try something from Das neue Schwarz 

for more info see:
Mulackstraße 37
10119 Berlin, Germany

WHEN IN BAR LUZIA - An ongoing House Party!

trend·y

   [tren-dee]  Show IPA adjective, trend·i·er,trend·i·est, noun, plural trend·ies.

adjective

1.

of, in, or pertaining to the latest trend  or style.

2.

following the latest trends  or fashions; up-to-date or chic:the trendy young generation.

3. Bar Luzia - Oranienstrasse Berlin 

We all like our hang out joints on a Friday night. We like them because we know what we can expect. However I am the kind of person who thrives on the unexpected. Yes there are times where we want our comfort zones however, there is a fragment of our brains who wish for the edginess and the cool vibe.

Bar Luzia is one of those sleepy places by day and a ram packed nocturnal hang out during the night.

The interior is dimly lit and all you can see is the flicker of candlelight hovering against the redbrick exposed walls. Old vintage furniture litter the room and who find yourself ducking and diving to find a space at the bar. Usually on most nights and in most circumstances I wouldn't dream of entering such a packed place as all I want to do on a friday is relax after the stressful week, however I will make an exception for this bar.

The cool, bright young things visit this bar in the deep underbelly streets of Oranienstrasse in the east of Berlin.



The base of the music playing in the background is like a rhythmic pattern of the ins and outs of the crowd. Always changing and keeping the atmosphere alive.

I kind of feel as if I have just gatecrashed someones house party, you don't know anyone when you enter, the setting is very casual yet everyone looks effortlessly cool and you feel a bit foreign however you leave feeling as if you have made a pile of brand new friends.

This is a must visit When in Berlin

From the cradle bars
Comes a beckoning voice
It sends you spinning
You have no choice......

You hear laughter
Cracking through the walls
It sends you spinning
You have no choice

Following the footsteps
Of a rag doll dance
We are entranced
Spellbound at Bar Luzia 


For more info see:
Oranienstrasse 34 Berlin Kreuzberg

WHEN IN STAR STYLING - A fashionable Amazon Rainforest!

Amazingly Wacky!


Take a Halloween costume, mix it with John Galliano's inspiration closet and sprinkle some underground Berlin party scene and there you have Star Styling!

You enter the store and you feel as if you have wondered into a fashionable amazon rain forest! Plants and trees deck the out the room and scattered between the leaves you find some incredible pieces.

The clothes are as wacky as the setting, neon, fringing, bobbles and toggles, see through fabrics, patchwork, tape and buttons etc. the list goes on! Don't be afraid, you don't need to wear all these pieces at once. By looking through the store I find it interesting to choose a piece so avant garde that you know that none of your friends will have anything like it. Then pair it with something classic and you have yourself a runway inspired look.

It is really refreshing to see a brand have fun with fashion and less of the seriousness that comes with the industry. Starstyling is one of those brands that pokes fun at the traditional fashion stigma and is a tribute to the Berlin fashion scene.

I can spend ages looking through this store as I want to touch and understand each piece. That in my opinion is a clever brand concept. It takes all the taboo elements of fashion, all the dos and donts and makes them fashionable!


This is a must visit When in Berlin

I'm wild again
Beguiled again
A simpering, whimpering child again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered at Starstyling

Couldn't sleep
And wouldn't sleep
Until I went and looked in this magical store I seek
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered at Starstyling 

for more info see:

Mulackstraße 4
10119 Berlin

Victoria Bar - Where fond memories are made

Impeccable drinks and a wonderful atmosphere!

Berlin is one of those cities where you can find great bars in the most unsuspecting of places. I love Victoria bar. My boyfriend and his family are regulars there and I always trust their judgement when it comes to a good drink, as hey! what do I know, I like anything that looks pretty but usually tastes like washing up liquid.

Victoria bar is one of those cool, hip yet classic bars really focusing on the drinks. It is a pleasure to go somewhere and see that the barmen have a real passion for their trade. They know every drink on the menu as if they were the lyrics of their favourite song. The vibe is always bustling and you can relax after a days work or meet up with a group of friends and enjoy chit chat over a glass of something great!

Last time I had the most wonderful experience there. It was my 5 year anniversary with my boyfriend ( yes I know old married couple already! ) and we had spent a lovely evening having dinner and bar hopping. We ended up in Victoria bar where we sat with his brother and his mum who has impeccable taste in good drinks. We ended up being the last customers in the room at the end of the evening at around 5 am. Our waitress, a good friend of the family sat down with us and introduced us to some fantastically interesting new drinks. And in the spirit of the moment, I heard a familiar old song taking me back to the streets of New York city, and Woody Allen movies. We all got up from the hazy corner seats and danced. With drink in hand, empty bar and in sheer pleasure of ones company we danced through Victoria bar lip sinking to the song.

This is the kind of bar where only good memories are made. This is a must visit When in Berlin.

I'm Chiquita banana and I've come to say
Bananas have to ripen in a certain way
When they are fleck'd with brown and have a golden hue Bananas taste the best and are best for you
You can put them in a salad
You can put them in a pie-aye
Any way you want to eat them
It's impossible to beat them
But, bananas like the climate of the very, very tropical equator
So Please remember to visit Victoria Bar!! 

For more info see:

potsdamerst. 102 10785 Berlin, Germany 030 25759977

WHEN IN SIPS - SIP up!

Incorporate your five Senses in the art of Drinking!


Finding a good cocktail is like finding a good partner. Rare, can be a little bitter, sometimes unsweetened, can have no taste at all or can knock you out of your seat but when you find it, it is truly magical! 


I was introduced to SIPS in Antwerp on the corner of the Gillisplaats in the heart of the south. A small bar, the classical kind with one talent. The drinks. Having one of the most famous cocktail makers in Belgium SIPS is the kind of bar you go to after a long day at the office, or after a nice hearty meal with friends. 


There is pretty much nothing this bar can't produce. Great G&Ts, every cocktail under the sun and I especially love their take on a Pimms. 


It is the kind of place where the elite of Antwerp go to be seen 'sipping' on a sleek martini glass.The bar encourages you to incorporate the 5 senses. Smell of the cocktail, the sight of the rich colour of the drink, the pure taste of the drink, the sound of a clinking glasses and the touch of one glass with another.


SIPS also offers workshops for those who want to test their skills in the art of cocktail shaking. Or if you are having a party they have a take away option of pre made cocktails ( Shhhh - don't tell your friends! They will never know where the amazing drinks come from at your party. For all they know you are the Maestro of all cocktail makers!) 


SIPS is one of those all round relaxed bars that gives a relaxing taste to some classics. 


I would usually head over to SIPS with the boys (who want a good drink and the excuse to have a fat cigar! ) after a long day at the office. It was a great way to end the week and a even better way to begin the weekend.




SIP up your troubles in your fav old cocktail
and bury them beneath the sea,
i don't care what the people may say,
As long as I am in S. I . P 



For more info see: 

http://www.sips-cocktails.com/