Villages of Hope Bra Bank Initiative

Here at Amazing PR we love an excuse to go shopping and what better reason than donating all our old bras to a good cause meaning we have a legitimate excuse to go and buy pretty new underwear?! I’m sure all woman have at least a few unwanted or off-white bras hanging around at the back of the chest of drawers that we have either outgrown or got bored of and will never see the light of day again. And let’s face it, as much as we may love the comfort and durability of our 3-year-old no nonsense bras sometimes we need to have a good old spring clean.

Until the 1^st July (so be quick!) charity initiative 'Bra Bank' is encouraging women to donate their old and unwanted bras to send to remote villages in Kenya and Zimbabwe through the charity Villages of Hope to give those in need a little physical support and comfort with the help of a pre-loved bra. The Villages of Hope charity provides food, education and healthcare to needy communities, and the bras will be donated to women there, so they have the physical support they need while working their land and looking after their children. By donating old lingerie you will be able to help communities across the world in a practical way and know that after the vital support the bra has given you, it can go on to help someone else. Any bras not shipped to Africa will be recycled by BCR Textiles who pay £1 per kilo for bras collected and send a cheque directly to the Breast Cancer Campaign (www.breastcancercampaign.org).

Bra Bank are asking for any style of bra (preferably not too sexy or see-through) and any size, especially very large or very small sizes (maternity or nursing bras are fine). Please wash all bras before donating them and check the straps and clasps are in working order and there are no rips or tears. Please note they are only collecting bras, so no knickers/other lingerie.

Go to www.bracollect.co.uk to find your nearest Bra Bank or send your unwanted bras to:

Bra Bank

c/o The Orchid Group

Park Mill

Burydell Lane

Park Street

St Albans

AL2 2HB

Lusso London & friends 10% discount day

Our fave one-stop-shop for luxurious, individual accessories and stylish pieces, Lusso London, has teamed up with Borderline Fabrics, Ana Zenic Design and The Trading Post to offer a 10% discount day. They are all based in Worlds End Studios on Lots Road so this promises to be the perfect opportunity for anyone looking for some great fabrics and furnishings for their home - with the added bonus of an opportunity to treat yourself to a gorgeous little something from Lusso London at the same time. Alongside the jewellery, accessories and clothes from Lusso, Borderline Fabrics offers fabric and wallpapers in diverse prints - think geometric, paisley, and floral designs. Ana Zenic, an interior designer inspired by the history of decorative arts and Chinese design, combines the comfortable feeling of England with Asian mystique in her pieces. Whilst The Trading Post provides a unique mix of merchandise with a range of textiles, decorative objects, cushions, furniture and paintings.

Tuesday 21^st June

9:30 am – 6:30 pm

Worlds End Studios, 134 Lots Road, SW10 0RJ

Check out Lusso London's website here

Personal stylists...on beer money

If your own personal style can be a bit slapdash and you are always the last to find out about the newest it-bag or shoe style of the moment, then a little help from StylistPick will prove a godsend. This is a one stop shop for the latest must-have accessories that are selected specifically for you - but without the usual celebrity stylist price tag (Princess Bea maybe take note for your next royal engagement?!). Combining the convenience of online shopping with the luxury of a personal stylist in a monthly membership package means you can soon be on your way to a wardrobe any fashionista would be proud of.

To help the fashion gurus at StylistPick pin down your unique style you first have to take their style quiz. I am usually a quiz-phobic, clicking manically until it is over, but I rather enjoyed this one with its selection of celebrity style inspirations to choose between and even offering my feedback on some current on-the-money accessories. Once they have got a handle on your personal style (nothing worse than turning out boho babe when you are in fact more punk rock influence), the fashion experts at StylistPick will then work through the current hottest accessories to match you with a personally tailored selection of bags and shoes each month. Something rather like a magazine’s ‘best of’ page will be delivered to your inbox each month, but this one is edited with your personal style in mind. There is no fee or strings attached to becoming a member, if you see something, or several things, in your style edit that takes your fancy you can purchase them for just £39.95 each.

There is no obligation to buy something each month (we may want to look like we have a celeb stylist but we don’t always want to be faced with the credit card bill). If you are a new StylistPick member and have not chosen to buy anything from your personal showroom you will not pay anything. Once you have purchased something via StylistPick all you have to do is visit your showroom between the 1^st and 5^th of the month and choose the ‘skip month’ option and you will not pay anything. If you don’t choose to skip the month or pick an item then the £39.95 will become full credit to be used on the site at any time.

So if you fancy becoming a member of an exclusive fashion service, providing you with unparalleled access to the latest trends (not to mention being able to get your hands on them for £39.95) and the leading style experts – including Grace Woodward, Louise Roe and Arabella Greenhill - before anyone else. Then get signed up to StylistPick now and wait for your fashionista friends to start getting accessory envy.

KM

Good for rain or shine

Something essential for this recent bout of rainy weather is a good umbrella. At the Amazing PR office we like to stand out from the crowd, which is why we prefer Fulton umbrellas to protect us from damp days. Fulton is a British brand which offers a wide range of folding and walking decorative umbrellas. The umbrellas are offered in both women’s and men’s designs with the women’s range being more bright and colourful than the more demure men’s selection. There is a wide variety of patterns and prints for those people who want something a bit different  including snakeskin, lace and their particularly beautiful flower ones (I will admit that these are my favourites). Fulton also has a designer range with collaborations from the likes of Morris & Co and Lulu Guinness that feature more abstract designs.

An added bonus of Fulton is that all of their umbrellas have wind resistant frames that minimize the risk of your umbrella falling victim to a particularly stormy day. The umbrellas are available on their website or from a variety of retailers such as Selfridges and Debenhams. A folding umbrella typically costs £18 while a walking umbrella retails for about £25.

Previous Post

If we have something clear at the Amazing PR Offices it is that the Swatch watch has long been crowned the Rolex of plastic watches. The simple, rounded forms makes it perfect for any occasion and the affordable price tag means you can get away with becoming a bit of a collector without your bank account taking a hammering (I know people with some seriously expensive watch habits, this one is pretty guilt-free).

This Swiss brand knows the importance of a good collaboration to get their fans all excited over what is, to all intents and purposes, the same watch over and over again. The latest collab with renowned photographer Rankin is one of my favourites. His collection of three ‘Eyescape’ watches are inspired, in his own admission, by an obsession that has developed thorough his career with people’s eyes.

Rankin’s all-seeing eye comes in three colours, black, white and semi-transparent. 

Rankin Eyescape Watch - £36.50

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