London Fashion Week

Just as you've packed away your summer wardrobe, replacing maxi dresses and wedges with chunky knits and elasticated waistbands, London Fashion Week comes to town. And working one season ahead as usual, there's sure to be an array of mouth-watering designs hotly anticipating next summer's trends. With fashion festivities galore around the capital, from catwalk shows to exclusive after-parties, London is sure to be buzzing for the next five days with the creme de la creme of the fashion industry taking front row spots at the hottest shows in town. If, however, you are not one of the fortunate few whose celebrity status has earned them countless FROW passes, or indeed don't happen to be the editor of a particularly glossy fashion magazine, help is at hand from us mere mortals at The Amazing Blog who have picked out the finest fashion finds that London has to offer.

First up is the front-row inspired manicure from Leighton Denny at the John Lewis Beauty Hall. In celebration of London Fashion Week, eager fashionistas can get their hands ('scuse the pun) on a bespoke manicure with a shade from Leighton Denny's latest A/W collection. From Temptress, a purple sparkle, to Starlet, an antique gold, there's a shade to suit all of the new season’s most prominent looks. Between the 14th and 18th of September the manicures and being offered for free with any purchase from Leighton Denny, and are the perfect way to get your fingertips fashion week ready. Available from John Lewis Oxford Street, John Lewis Stratford City and Peter Jones.

And for those of you after something a bit more cultural is an exhibition of The London Look photography challenge at the Horniman Museum. The work is the result of a competition from the Horniman and lifestyle website, Londonist, which challenged amateur and professional photographers to consider the style of Londoners and capture the essence of the city through street photography, either spontaneous or posed, Whittled down from 350 to just 14 striking images, you can expect to find London's eclectic style frozen in time.

Finally, if you're a fan of both food AND fashion, check out Sister by Sibling's collaboration with W London. Known for their shiny lurex knitted skirts, fully leopard knitted suits and pom pom mohawks, they have teamed up with W London to open a wacky tea salon in honour of London Fashion Week, complete with pink leopard print cushions at the W Lounge. The pastries are going to be a fashionista's cry away from your average selection, with biscuits caked in yet more leopard print, purple Victoria sponge, rose petal jam financier cake as well as Pink Rock Shandy cocktails. The exclusive tea will be served over five days only and is sure to be a highlight of any worthwhile LFW itinerary.

So whether you're after an indulgent treat, a bit of culture of the finest of foods, check out The Amazing Blog's LFW picks, and get those glad rags on!

The Glow Company

At The Amazing Blog, we all like a tipple or two and a night on the tiles so we're pretty sure our followers do too. You know that feeling when you’re having a beer and enjoying the music in a pub, right? When you're not even talking to anyone, when you're just chilling and you're in a world of your own. The Spanish equivalent of "switching off" is “estar en mi mundo” which roughly translates as "being in my own world". Now, we all know what we’re talking about. It’s the time for that song that you and your best friend love. That song that you both always sing together. You're caught in the moments, arms swaying wildly, perhaps even a bit of air guitar when you turn round for a high five, only to realise you're now dancing solo and your friends are no-where to be seen. The enormity of the club is now aparent and there chances of finding your friends are slim. Alas, you've been brought back to reality with a thud!

Having been the victim of such an occurence on a number of occasions, I'm pleased to report I no longer suffer from billy-no-mates syndrome on a busy dance floor thanks to a rather clever concept - the phosphorescent t-shirt! Now I can “be in my own world” without any problem; I know that my friends won’t lose me, as it's all-too easy to find me in a club! But, anyway, that’s not the best part of this awesome t-shirt. Do you want to know what it is?

The Glow Company has created this t-shirt that is all kinds of cool; so much so you can even write your own message on it! The t-shirt comes along with a laser, so that you can write whatever you want on it. After that, you’ll be able to erase it easily and write something else. Forget about giving your phone number away, write it on your top and shimmy up to the person you've been checking out (not the most subtle of approaches but worth a shot!). Forget about having to repeat your name because that girl/boy can’t hear you with the pounding music - write it on your top. Forget about being ironic, sarcastic or funny, write it down and point!

At The Amazing Blog our favourite one-liner to enscribe on the top is: “Don’t worry, babe, you won’t get lost, tonight I’ll be your lighthouse” - I think I'll give it a go over the bank holiday weekend!

So, for your very own personalised glow-in-the-dark t-shirt, head straight to The Glow Company.

Royal Style

Here at The Amazing Blog we're a very style conscious bunch, and if there's one thing we've learned over our combined fashion mishaps, it's that classic style never goes out of fashion. So with this in mind, we always have our new style icon Kate Middleton to steer our wardrobes from Primark to Princess, and the book Royal Style by Luise Wackerl has every fashionable young royal from recent history to reference. This beautifully compiled book is not just full of pictures but insights into each royal. With each picture comes historical and social context, proving time and time again how classic style transcends eras. Ever since Grace Kelly glided into royalty, the world has looked to royals (well, some) for classic fashion, after all, who better to dress like than a princess! From Marie Antoinette, to Princess Diana, to our beloved Duchess of Cambridge, Royal Style encapsulates each of their styles, their similarities and their differences. The book is perfect for fashionistas and royal-watchers alike, you don't need to have an extensive knowledge of either to enjoy the collection.

So whether you're looking for a gift for a fashionable friend, or a stylish book to have on your coffee table, the Royal Style book is sure to impress. Available from Amazon.

Hetty Rose Workshop

We've all been there. You find a pair of amazing shoes, hopeful that they'll go with every outfit you have or will ever own, and then they fall apart the first night you wear them. Or they'd be the perfect shoe if the heel wasn't so high, or the bow was in a different place. If you've ever felt like you could be the next Christian Louboutin, or if you just want a unique pair of shoes that are so completely you then the Hetty Rose Workshop is the place for you.

At the Hetty Rose workshop you'll be guided and tutored by Hetty herself to make your own pair of designer heels. You get to make your very own 'Mika' slingback heel, which are made using vintage kimono fabric. They'll be your exact size, and whatever kimono fabric you'd like.

The Hetty Rose workshop is definitely an investment at £195, but how often do you get to design and make your own perfect pair of shoes?! The experience alone is enough to make you want to go, and you won't believe the amount of preparation and work that goes into making one pair of shoes.

Perfect for a tame Hen Do, birthday, or a special treat for the leggy lady in your life, the Hetty Rose Workshop is a fun day out for any girl. The next workshop is on the 7th of July at Hylands House Chelmsford from 10am-4:30pm, so book your place with Hetty asap! 

Topshop "Reclaim To Wear"

I think it's pretty safe to say that most of us want to do our bit for the environment. Whether it's using recycled paper in your printer, making sure to separate your rubbish or using a bag-for-life on your food shop, we're all pretty conscious of being good to our planet. So in the spirit of recycling and a love of fashion, Topshop has teamed up with Reclaim To Wear to create an "upcycled" collection that launches today.

The whole collection is produced from discarded materials, such as surplus stock and production off-cuts.The collection consists of 8 pieces, and includes blouses, dresses, sweatshirts, shorts and jeans. Even if you're not a regular shopper at Topshop you'll be sure to find one of these quirky pieces appealing. The collection is one of many collaborations which hope to increase sustainability in the fashion industry, and there are sure to be more brands following suit.

Reclaim to Wear was the brainchild of Orsola De Castro and Fillippo Ricci, who started the eco-fashion label From Somewhere. They saw textile waste as a big problem, and since 1997 they have been teaming up with designers and retailers to create collections using these discarded materials. Their initiative is helping reduce mainstream wastage by working alongside it.

I normally don't need a reason to shop, but if you do, helping the environment is as good as any! The range launches today and is available in store and on Topshop's website.