Caroline Issa for LK Bennett

This week, I invited along to one of my favourite department stores, Fenwick Newcastle, to have a sneaky peek at Tank Magazine editor Caroline Issa's limited edition collaboration with LK Bennett.

The capsule collection, comprising of footwear and bags, are absolutely exquisite and so detailed; the craftsmanship is astounding. Issa, inspired by her travels to Thailand, has pair the neutral tones of leather and canvas with hot pink, green, yellow and red embroidery to such beautiful effect. I'll let the images speak for themselves. Absolutely gorgeous.

It's brilliant that we have this collection available to buy in the North East and that brands and retailers are recognising the high demand for these high-end products in the region. Hats off to Fenwick!

Prices for the accessories start at a very reasonable £245 for footwear and £275 for bags - a snip when you think of the craftsmanship involved.

The collection is exclusively available at Fenwick Newcastle and other LK Bennett flagship locations.

Fashion: Chanel Makeup Confidential

Erm, ever so slightly obsessed with writing my name and anything I can think of for that matter, in the Chanel make-up font!

Fancy Chanelifying your words? Click here!

Fashion: Vintage Vogue Covers

A few years ago, a good friend of my mother's was clearing out her house, preparing for a big move to the wilds of Cumbria. She called one evening, having discovered boxes of vintage Vogue, L'Officiel and Brides magazines in her attic and asked if I'd like them - she knew I'd give them a good home and treasure them dearly, so I jumped at the chance. Most of the issues date from the 1970s and are in impeccable condition, so I thoughr I'd share a few of my favourites covers with you - my particular favourite is the Silver Jubilee issue of British Vogue from 1976; I hope they do something equally as special for the Diamond Jubilee in June.

Afternoon Tea at Jesmond Dene House

Today marked the start of my 3-day birthday weekend, so Joe and myself headed to the beautiful Jesmond Dene House in Newcastle, for a spot of Champagne Afternoon Tea to kick-start the weekend in style.

Such an occasion demanded a special piece of clothing, so I opted to give my Topshop Navy Spot Ankle Grazer Trousers their debut. I teamed them with black suede ASOS pumps, my faithful ASOS Navy Crombie coat, plain black H&M jumper and my treasured Mulberry Alexa.

The Afternoon Tea in itself was a grand affair - we started with Champagne, and then a selection of the most delicious finger sandwiches, scones and pastries. My favourites were the Roast Red Pepper sandwiches and the Chocolate and Mint Macaron - Joe dived straight in for his favourite Ham and Pease Pudding sandwiches (a lovely, Geordie touch for this Afternoon Tea).

I really cannot recommend Jesmond Dene House enough - not only do they do the wonderful Afternoon Teas, but they serve some exquisite food in their Restaurant (I had a mean steak for my birthday there last year).

Today, I also received something in the post which I've been waiting for patiently - my silver, Vega ring from new jewellery label Paper & Chain. The jewellery duo, based in Worcester, have created my dream jewellery - very simple, sophisticated designs, all with a subtle edge. I can't wait to add more to my collection.

Above: Vega ring by Paper & Chain on middle finger; Knot ring by unknown (I've had it ever since I can remember!)

Fashion: Prada Uomo Autumn/Winter 2012/13

Only Miuccia Prada could bring us such an inspired collection and cast for Prada Uomo Autumn/Winter 2012/13.

Jamie Bell,  Emile Hirsch, Tim Roth, Willem Defoe, Adrien Brody and Gary Oldman? Bloody brilliant casting by Russell Marsh and Adam Hindle.

See Style.com's review here

New Year's Eve 2011

...and, this is too cute not to share.

Have a wonderful New Year's Eve! See you in 2012.

A holly, jolly Christmas.

This Christmas has been truly great; I've spent alot of time with mine and Joe's families, eaten way too much and had some much needed rest. I was spoilt rotten this Christmas - I finally received a beautiful milk glass cake stand from RE, which I been coveting forever, Balenciaga perfume, which came so beautifully packaged I didn't want to open it and a new 50mm lens for my Canon 450D (SO impressed with it).

To see in 2012, I will be playing hostess - having some friends round to my parents house to eat Nigella's Chocolate Guinness Cake amongst other things, drink hand-crafted cocktails and play board games. The last few New Year's Eves have either been spent abroad or in Newcastle, so it'll be a welcome change staying in. I'm more than ready to begin a new year - 2011 has been filled with a lot more lows than highs, so 2012 had better bring more good news than bad! What have you got planned for this New Year's Eve?

Christmas Time in the North

I am having the busiest few weeks at work in the run-up to Christmas, preparing for some big projects post-Christmas, so my blog is taking a back seat, which I am not too thrilled about! However, I have some exciting treats lined up over the next few weeks which I'll be sharing with you soon, including seeing The Puppini Sisters' live at The Sage, visiting the brand new Urban Outfitters store in Newcastle, shopping in Corbridge, Christmas festivities with friends, a trip to Yorkshire and finally, Champagne Christmas Afternoon tea with Katie and Paula.

Hope you're all having a lovely Advent period so far - I've been stuffing my face with sweet mince pies, red wine and mulled cider!

Image source: Pinterest

Fashion: The Man

I've become increasingly intrigued by super slick menswear and stylish gentleman ever since I first stumbled upon The Sartorialist (many moons ago now...), depicting beautiful men in beautiful clothes out on the street; since the inception of London Fashion Week's day dedicated to 'The Man' and the launch of Net-a-Porter's brother site Mr Porter. My penchant is for classic mens' tailoring made contemporary, so here I give you a smorgasbord of inspiring looks, impeccable style and the subtly eccentric.

1 + 2/ The Sartorialist 3/ Style Salvage 4/ Fashionbeans 5/ The Great Divide 6 + 7/ The Sartorialist 8/ Style Salvage  9/ The Great Divide 10 + 11/ William Yan 12, 13 + 14/ Backyard Bill  15 + 16/ William Yan 

Inspiration: Eleanor Hardwick

Photography is a complete escape mechanism for me: I love the unusual and the dreamy which transport me to another land, so of course I'm slightly obsessed with Eleanor Hardwick's photography. At only 18 years old, she's already shot for clients including Harper's Bazaar, 125 Magazine and Jack Wills. Pure, raw talent.

See more of Eleanor's beautiful photography at http://eleanorhardwick.com