QVC SS12 press day

We all know that QVC does fabulous twinkling jewellery and the creme de la creme of cosmetics, I’ve blogged about their collaborations with gemologists and jewellery designers before and we’ve all had a sneaky peek at the Elemis or Decleor demostrations on their channel. They are so much more than a place to pick up distinctive jewels and pore perfecting potions though. When I popped down to Oui Rooms for their SS12 press day, I discovered just how diverse QVC are – practically a one stop shop for everything. Here are my favourite bits and pieces from their many collections. 

Lulu Guinness – I have a major style crush on Lulu’s quirky, playful designs. The travel collection really appealed to me as I’m off on holiday soon, but I also love the doll face collection too. 

Jewels – The Butler & Wilson shiny, shiny jewels really caught my eye. Can you blame me? The snake and dragon pieces really reminded me of Chopard’s animal collection which I saw at Selfridges’ Wonder Rooms over summer…but for a fraction of the price. 

Interiors – The interiors section was essentially my dream decor realised. Fluffy and soft to the touch in pastel shades and ruffles and beading details, it was the perfect girly wonderland. As impressive as the cooking implements are, it’s probably safer for me to find a Moroccan restaurant rather than attempting and failing in the kitchen. 

Beauty – I saved the best for last. QVC literally have all beauty bases covered whether you’re after haircare from the likes of Percy & Reed and Frederic Fekkai, skincare from Elemis and Perricone MD, nail polish from OPI and Leighton Denny or make up from Jemma Kidd or Benefit. They have pretty much every premium brand under one roof. 

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The cute work outfit

I know, I wear this floral Zara skirt a lot and you’re probably a little bored of it but I’m not! I love buying a piece on a whim and realising that it’s one of the magical go-with-everything items that was missing from your wardrobe for forever. I really didn’t expect such a loud, bright, patterned item to be like that though. I thought the rule was to buy quality staples in basic colours and throwaway colourful trend pieces seasonally to accentuate your wardrobe for a short time. Rules were made to be broken though, and I would happily wear this skirt in a different way every day of the week. Ok, I’ll stop gushing about it now.

I paired the skirt with one of those wardrobe basics, a plain khaki tee. This one is from Alexander Wang and I’m a convert and believer in investing in quality pieces for your wardrobe. The fabric is really soft and silky, plus it just hangs so nicely. I tucked it into my beloved skirt to give my silhouette a little bit of definition as the skirt has a bit of a bell shape. I’m not sure if you can tell from the image, but the tights I’m wearing are actually blue. I have a billion pairs of very similar lace tights in black but opted for the colourful option. Which went down very well, especially with Alex Reid (Katie Prices’ ex), who complimented me on my hosiery. Not bad for a sale steal from M&S!

The shoes are absolutely gorgeous, aren’t they? My new favourite pair, I actually bought them to as ‘work shoes’ but they’re too pretty to be worn for work. They’re by Guess and from Sarenza, the leather is amazingly soft and they are super comfy. What more could you want from a shoe? The bag is my current favourite and a great, roomy everyday bag. I love the striking but subtle-ish gold accents. What a beaut. I’m glad I finally have some shots of my jewellery as I do love a shiny jewel but never manage to capture what I’m wearing properly. Details are underneath each picture. Super huge thank you to Susie from Take Out in Couture for the amazing pictures, definitely my best outfit post. 

Tshirt – Alexander Wang (from Net-a-Porter)

Skirt – Zara

Belt – Vintage

Tights – M&S

Shoes – Guess, courtesy of Sarenza

Bag – Michael Kors (from The Outnet)

Key necklace – courtesy of QVC

Ring – YSL (from Net-a-Porter)

Lion head bracelet – gift from Florence

Red and metal bracelet – COS

Spike bracelet – Joomi Lim (from Nyla Boutique)

Charm bracelet – Links of London (from Selfridges)

Bee charm – Peculiar Vintage (from Rokit)

QVC Jewellery Event

Last week, I popped along to the cute and quirky Soho Hotel to meet up with QVC’s jewellery buyers and two of the hottest new designers on their impressive roaster – Lauren Adriana and Ana De Costa. Lauren is a qualified gemmologist and explained that she works with precious stones to create really special pieces for one collection a year, similar to Ana who also has one collection a year and creates bespoke pieces in silver. Partnering with QVC allows them to create larger diffusion collections and reach a larger audience, while retaining their design integrity and aesthetic.

As an absolute jewellery addict, I was in my element checking out pieces from both of these talented ladies as well as Tomasz Donocik and SHO who also have collections with QVC. I think Lauren’s big, bold 70s inspired collection was probably my favourite , unfortunately it didn’t photograph very well in the lighting. Ana’s collection was very light and girly while Tomasz’s collection was clearly inspired by architecture and surrealism, making for some very distinctive designs. 

Tomasz Donocik

Ana De Costa

Lauren Adriana

Wednesday Wish List

How perfect is this pretty fan for the hot weather, especially on the stifling hot tube. It’s by a London-based family business called Domakaya, who specialise in limited-edition accessories. The collection includes handbags, hats, scarves and shawls adorned with beading, emboirdery, brooches, lace and velvet trims. Domakaya has recently been featured in all the big glossies including Vogue, Elle, Grazia and Instyle. Available here. 

Next season sees the launch of Jasper Garvida’s first limited edition piece, the gorgeous moss green silk Katherine dress. Jasper wanted to go back to the days when luxury was unattainable, special and highly covetable. There will only be twenty of these gorgeous dresses available via the website from August 2011, with each having their own serial number.

Speaking of luxury, I think it’s meaning has lots it’s way over the years. Nowadays it’s all about products with the logo emblazoned all over it. That’s why I love English, family-run firm Tusting so much. For over 130 years, five generations have been tanning, grading and trading beautiful, subtle  leather pieces which are pretty much free of logos. I adore their soft form travel bags, the eyecatching orange colour of this bag just highlights the beautiful workmanship even more. Available here. 

Is wishing for next season’s pieces cheating? I just can’t help but covet Maggie Angus’ collection for Autumn/Winter 2011. It’s inspired by nocturnal creatures and it has cosmic influences. Each piece is made from black glittered Perspex, reflecting the mysterious and magical universe at night. My favourite piece is the Ursula bear necklace, bears are my favourite animals. Available here. 

I was fortunate enough to meet jewellery designer Lauren Adriana towards the end of last week at a QVC event. This girl really knows her jewels; she is a qualified gemmologist and has a super exclusive, super expensive mainline collection. She also has a collection with QVC which is more affordable but still has her signature 70s-sinpired design and precious stones. This black agate and 1.8ct citrine ring is so bold, so me! Available here. 

QVC Press Day

When you see those three little letters – QVC – what do you think of? Before attending their press day, images of strange gadgets, questionable clothing and great skincare deals would spring to mind. I’ve got to admit, I have flicked on while channel surfing and see amazing deals on the likes of Decleor and Elemis. I’ve never bought anything though, the concept of buying something advertised on TV seems very American to me. If I’m going to shop for something at home, it’s going to be online!

However, having seen some of the amazing jewellery and beauty/skincare ranges they stock, I may have to give it a whirl…or at least shop through their website! They had a lot of clothing and jewellery which had been used in the recent Sex and The City movie, so they are definitely bringing in more fashion conscious pieces. The jewellery was amazing, like a true magpie I’m attracted to all things shiny and bling-y. I saw jewellery from the likes of Butler and Wilson, Disney Couture and Kenneth Jay Lane and some Lulu Guiness bags.

They also had some really amazing make up and skincare, including Bobbi Brown (love almost anything by her), Benefit, Jemma Kidd and Philosophy. I’m a bit of a Bobbi Brown fiend, I have so much of her make up. I like quite a natural look and her foundations and bronzers are lovely. Online, they have an amazing range which includes skincare, brushes and make up palettes as well as bronzers, eyeliners and concealers and foundations. I’m also trying out some of the Philosophy lotions and potions which were in the goodie bag, lovely stuff so thumbs up from me.

Thank you QVC, for opening my eyes and educating me. And of course those scrummy cupcakes!