V&A Exhibition- Shoes: Pleasure and Pain

Christian Louboutin once famously said: “A shoe is not only a design, but it's a part of your body language, the way you walk. The way you're going to move is quite dictated by your shoes.” At The Amazing Blog we could not agree more.  From June this year all the way through to January 2016, the V&A will be home to a very special fashion exhibition exploring the transformative power of extreme footwear, our fascination and obsession with shoes as well as their agonising aspects.

 
In this exciting exhibition, there is an unrivalled collection of more than 200 pairs of historic and contemporary shoes from around the world. Some are as old as 2000 years and have never been seen before.  The collection includes shoes worn by high profile figures including Marilyn Monroe, Queen Victoria, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kylie Minogue and the Hon Daphne Guinness.  There is footwear for men and women by 70 named designers including Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Prada.

Exhibition curator, Helen Persson, said: “Shoes are one of the most telling aspects of dress. Beautiful, sculptural objects, they are also powerful indicators of gender, status, identity, taste and even sexual preference. Our choice in shoes can help project an image of who we want to be.”

In addition, the exhibition reveals the evolution of shoes and how little style, material and shape are so much more symbolic than you realise.  This exhibition is a must for any fashion lover or someone passionate about history.  You can find out more about it here.

Bedtime Stories: Gothic Fairytales

Do you fancy ghost stories? Are you looking for something different to do with your Wednesday evening? Well, we here at The Amazing Blog have a suggestion. Bedtime Stories: Gothic Fairytales is coming up in a couple of weeks on May 20 at the 40 Winks Hotel.

Gothic Fairytales will take its audience into a dark world of gods, beasts and handsome devil lovers. The show titled, ‘Love in the Shadows’ was created by Sally Pomme Clayton. This shadow puppet performance will send shivers down your spine.

David Carter, owner of the 40 Winks, has been putting on these unique story nights since 2009. In addition to raving reviews from national newspapers and magazines, Bedtime Story Nights, it has made the Saturday Times list of the '60 Best Things To Do In Britain' and the Sunday Times Travel Magazine hot list of the ‘14 Most Amazing Things To Do In The World.’

Although the events are called, “Bedtime Stories,” this isn’t your typical pyjama party. The attire is elegant pyjamas that impress and seduce. There are even prizes for the best pyjamas!

The price is £30 per person including cocktails and snacks. Shoot an email to reservations@40winks.org to reserve your spot ASAP as they fill quickly! While you’re waiting for the spooky evening to come, you can check out the venue on the 40 Winks website.

Friday Favourites - Easter Treats and Events

Easter is one of our favourite times of year here at The Amazing Blog. It symbolises the start of spring, when we can shed our winter coats and make the most of sunnier weather. Not to mention all of the chocolate and cute paraphernalia that comes our way! This year, we’ve put together a list of our favourite things to eat and do in the capital, in the hope that we can inspire you all to have a fabulous Easter weekend.

We all know that Easter wouldn’t be complete with a tasty treat or two, and for us, there’s nothing more indulgent than the delectable chocolates from Demarquette. Artisan UK chocolatier Marc Demarquette loves to experiment with flavours, but is a traditionalist at heart, and that is reflected in everything he makes. Among his delicious Easter sweets are beautifully crafted chocolate quails eggs in the style of hot cross buns. These Easter delights come in three delectable flavours - Strawberry, Passion fruit and Salted Caramel - and they’re the perfect decadent treat if you’re looking to spoil someone this Easter. Shop all of their Easter chocolates here, or get the hot cross bun inspired chocolates pictured here for £12.

Speaking of sweet treats, there’s nothing like having chocolate for breakfast, an activity that’s only really acceptable on national holidays. Choc on Choc have thought of the perfect way to disguise your chocolate brekkie with their Chocolate Egg On Toast - a delicious white chocolate egg nestled on top of a milk chocolate slice of toast. A perfect treat for children and adults alike, you can even have a nibble on the cutlery when you’re done! Grab your most important meal of the day here for £12. They did always say that brown bread was the healthiest kind…

If you’re looking for a way to work off the Easter weight, the London Dungeons have put together an event that will scare the calories off. Their ‘Bad Eggs’ trail will run from the 5th to the 27th April, and will have visitors hunt for bad eggs, hidden in the shadows of the dungeons, before meeting the ‘Eggsecutioner’ for a lesson in torture. If that wasn’t enough for a creepy Easter, there’s also Death by Chocolate – a Victorian sweet shop in the bowels of the dungeon, where the confectioner is a notorious poisoner. With flavours like mustard and chilli to risk, you’ll never look at chocolate in the same way again. Book your tickets online for a guaranteed spot and savings, with tickets starting at £20.50 for adults and £16.50 for children.

Just a bunny hop away in High Street Kensington, you can celebrate Easter the way it’s supposed to be with a good old fashioned Easter Egg Hunt. The luxurious Roof Gardens is owned by Virgin mogul Richard Branson, who will be hosting an exciting hunt for kids to take part in. One lucky attendee will win a deluxe egg courtesy of ChoccyWoccyDoodah. An event for children and adults alike, they will also offer an Easter tipple or two so that parents can relax while the kids play. The festivities kick off at 11:45am on Sunday 5th April, so head on down for an egg-stra special Easter. 

Event - Alexander McQueen "Savage Beauty" 2015

London Fashion Week 2015 was a smash hit, and it got us super excited for all of the latest fashion creations we’ll get to enjoy this year. Recently at The Amazing Blog, we came across a must-see event that will keep your passion for fashion alive. The Savage Beauty by Alexander McQueen exhibit is officially coming to London after its successful run at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Savage Beauty is the first retrospective work of the late Alexander McQueen to be presented in Europe. Known for his dramatic, dark and boundary-pushing catwalk collections, the designs will be presented with the same cutting-edge staging as his runway shows.

In New York, Savage Beauty became one of the top 10 most visited exhibitions, appealing viewers beyond the normal fashion demographic. If fashion isn’t exactly your cup of tea, it’s still a worthy exhibit to check out. The New Yorker wrote, "Even if you never bother with fashion shows, go to this one." 

The exhibition is currently on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum and will run until 2nd August 2015. You can view ticket details and information here.

OhLaLa Macarons - "Macarons and Martinis" Event

Here at The Amazing Blog, we absolutely love having a fun girl’s day out. What’s better than spending quality time with your girlfriends over drinks and yummy food? When we heard about the Macaron and Martinis Events from OhLaLa-Macarons, we knew it would be the perfect venue for our next girl’s day.

The Macaron and Martinis Events are designed by the talented team at OhLaLa, where you’ll be delighted with culinary excellence in a gorgeous venue with amazing people. Each event lasts for two and a half hours, and includes unlimited macarons and martinis. The company hosts public events, as well as hen parties for soon-to-be brides.

During the class, you’ll learn how to make your own macarons, since you’ll be able to take home a box of 12 designed by you. After you’ve had your fair share of sweet treats, you’ll get to go behind the bar for a lesson in martini making. You can even make your own recipe with the ingredients provided, and the bartender will name it after you and will give you a card with the recipe on it to take home. Talk about fabulous!

The next public event is on 28th March, and you can book your spot for it here. Ticket prices are £65 each. If you’d rather have your own private event with your friends, you can email the staff directly via the email provided on the bookings page of the site.