THE DEPARTMENT STORE OF THE FUTURE | TOM DIXON X WALLPAPER MAG @ SELFRIDGES

In search of the weird and wonderful as always, I finally got the time to visit the much anticipated Tom Dixon's Multiplex in partnership with Wallpaper magazine and welcomed by Selfridges at the Old Selfridges Hotel. For a long-standing department store, Selfridges really does know how to nail a campaign and with that, a collaboration. 

They take the idea of a campaign to its fullest, with the a multi-sensory experience, encompassing a range of online and offline communication and best of all, the events, workshops and talks by industry leaders. They then recreate a concept store holding an exclusive range of products relating to the campaign idea. Previously, they have toyed with the idea of beauty with 'The Beauty Project', showed their support to women and reclaiming lunch breaks with the 'Work It' campaign and even created the Festival of Imagination, inviting a whole world of highly techy designs and concepts.

This Autumn, Tom Dixon, contemporary lighting designer and Wallpaper magazine have joined forces to create the mother of all department stores, The Multiplex. Named the 'department store of tomorrow', the floor plan is divided by fashion, art, beauty, interiors etc but as you can see in the photos above each section within the space has been conceptualised to really appreciate and enjoy the product on display. 

I have got to say, the product selection hit the mark, especially with a broad range of Clerkenwell merch which I love anyway, featuring my new favourite handbag designer Olive Cooper. The quality, design and materials of each product on offer seems to have undergone some tight quality control and specifications, that make them all very much suited to a certain audience - me included.

Just for the pleasantries of the experience it is worth a look at and to see what our future John Lewis or Selfridges could look like too. If you are in the mood for a little down time from the manic rush of Oxford Street, there is a cute little Abigail's cafe and an independent Gelato stand within the space than you can munch on one of the most amazing tripple chocolate cookies and a cwaaffee over a spot of blogging.

Has anyone else been to the Multiplex?

A #LFW EVENT | MEET LORNA LUXE

 Last night I had the pleasure of catching up with a few bloggers, PR's & journo's for what was fashion blogger Lorna Luxe's first public talk about the world of fashion, blogging and a few style tips for her style loving fans. The event held at the Hoxton hotel in Holborn, was the perfect setting to hold such chilled and conversational session with the very bubbly Lorna. 

After literally just waltzing in to The Apartment  thinking I was late (the private space of the Hoxton used for all sorts of events and classes), to my surprise I was greeted by Lorna herself who was just about sipping on a cucumber martini till walked over not even recognising her. She was so approachable and smiley, with such a cute little outfit on. Obviously repping one of her classic pussy bow shirts, acessorised with a black brimmed hat, and some purdy pink lippy. Such a babe!

As everyone mingled, drank and of course got snap happy, we were all ushered to take seats before Lorna  began. She started off by talking about her latest movements at NYFW as she collaborated with Olympus to follow a week in the life of the Felder Felder sisters, which she absolutely loved and how the heck couldn't you!! With their chilled out vibes all day everyday despite the fashion week havoc going on 360 degrees. She then made it back in time for LFW to do what she does best, street style posing, show watching, constant Instagramming, spending time with her new found blogger and Insta buddies. 

Although I don't particularly share the same style as Lorna, her photography and blogging tips were a hit and honestly she made me laugh throughout the whole night as she referred to herself having blagged her way through becoming the very successful fashion blogger she is and her very very supportive hubby John, who will attend events with her, take her photo diary shots and of course buy her the clothes she desires #jel. Her honesty and humbleness was seriously inspiring as she welcomed questions and offered advice and support to aspiring bloggers, which not a lot of people would do, so for that, thank you Lorna.

Like a lot of bloggers, her life revolves around social media (& that all important 9 square grid) and placing herself in the most picturesque of situations. I mean god forbid going to an event with dark lighting, where she was unable to take the perfect white scale, high contrast, grain free image! but uh-ha she tackled that point, giving away her little gem of a secret... the white scaling app which I totally forgot to write down (NOTE TO SELF: find this!!!)

The night was a success and I walked out of Holborn feeling inspired and pretty chuffed that despite now working in Media, I still have the drive and passion for the fashion world *excuse the cliche and well as loving personal style ,which is something that will never go away. 

OSLO, NORWAY - JUST ONE NIGHT

Soruce
Hidden in the slopes of Oslo, Netherlands is a magical place called Hollenkollen, a ski jumping hill the size of..well I couldn't tell you. What I can say is even if I was scared of heights, absolutely hated the cold orr had the choice to lie on a beach on a Croatian island. I would jump at the opportunity of living in this bad boy! 

Living at that height would be a far less traumatic experience with the interiors being so damn amazing. For something that is so angular & futuristic, it has been turned into a warm, personality filled home with all the design features I would wish for in my own home.

Minimalistic with hints of colour, warm fabrics with lots of open space, cosy but simplified. I have basically changed my mind. I no longer want to run away to live in a tree house, this will do just fine! :)

CULTIVATING SELF-AWARENESS | HH DEUX

PART ONE: HackingHappiness Summit 2015

So....Last night after the event I scurried back to my place to have a peaceful hair wash and snuggled into bed after finding myself very relaxed and at a strange sort of ease after the event.

Starting from the beginning, I was greeted by the rather friendly hotel staff at the  Hoxton, Holborn and made my way to the event space called The Apartment with it's own bar and lounge and two large, homely board rooms. On arrival, the bar staff handed myself and few other early birds our signature house pressed Hubbard and Bell juice before networking and mingling. 

With this type of event, other peoples motivations for attending really fascinates me as it doesn't necessary scream out major networking opportunity nor does it offer any sort of freebie (or one that many people would consider a freebie). A colleague of mine (who may I point out declined my offer to attend) felt it sounded slightly 'preachy' and along the same waves of therapy, which is totally fair. Tapping into people’s emotions especially communicated through a talk format can be quite personal and many would much rather go for a meal, to a bar or just simply have a chilled night in after a days work.

Meditation allows you to get to know yourself better. There is no hiding on the meditation cushion, your anger, boredom and your anxiety is present in that moment and allows you to embrace and overcome that emotion.Butttttt not for me! For myself and the 13 others that attended the talk, it was insightful and educating and actually very enjoyable and applicable to everyone’s very digital lives. The speakers Sebastian Nienaber (founder) and Palma Michel, a mindful leadership advisor did a great job to incorporate interesting facts, examples, interactive activities and key take-always to practice and be aware of in your daily life.

I think that if you are one to practice yoga and meditate, self- awareness may be something that resonates quite well as the two are heavily linked. Many of the attendees were that type of person, however It is unfortunate as a talk of this sort can be so helpful to people who don't realise it.

Self-awareness is about training your attention. Much like you would train your body at the gym using resistance methods to help build muscle, but in this case its training your mind and resisting the attention you give to passing thoughts.

By doing this, you give yourself more to the present moment, allowing you to be open to emotions in that moment keeping your body more relaxed. It will help you to optimise yourself to be your best self at that time. Going to the mental gym is the practise of meditation.

Amongst my own knowledge that that presented by Sebastian and Palma, I am making it my mission to do some sort of mind training every day, which when commuting can be quite easy. It helps break up the day with a moment of calmness before starting your professional day at work. 

Ok, so it all sounds quite deep and spiritual but it was a unique Tuesday and building up to my summer Yoga retreat and new dynamic training program it was the perfect session to keep me motivated and keep my mind on the prize...a life time of happy thoughts!

SKL

HACKING HAPPINESS | THE HOXTON

It's back! and I am glad to say that this year I managed to keep on top of my events, so the I could get involved. Hacking Happiness is a summit that has been developed to target the the growing number of people who are ever more intrigued by the 'self' and how the body functions. The topics include mindfulness, neuroscience, meditation, nutrition and basically all things that affect our day to day bodily functions.

This year Hacking Happiness is working alongside the Hoxton Hotel to bring us a number of talks that delve deeper into the idea of happiness and how to achieve it in today's ever digitalising, over productive world.

I am here currently writing at the newly developed Hoxton Hotel in Holborn, a sister to its original in Hoxton, where the atmosphere is liver than ever for a Tuesday. I am awkwardly sat on a iMac with the screen closer than should ever be and at I height I feel is making me feel overly short. The ergonomics are all wrong, but the interiors are mostly definitely on point!

See below the talks that are happening this year. It's is of a much smaller scale but I am hoping the content and quality will remain the same.

Check in right after the talk, peace!

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Cultivate Self-Awareness

Knowing yourself is at the heart of emotional intelligence and the first step in managing your inner landscape. Session two shows you how to create a life with self-awareness and, invites you to find out "who" instead of "what" you want to be. Together we will explore and introduce techniques how to increase awareness and unlock your true potential.

Boost Your Productivity

Our modern work life environment is dominated by information overload, 24/7 connectivity, multitasking and back-to-back meetings - the ability and space to focus has become increasingly rare. Session three introduces next practices to increase your productivity, de-clutter your life and improve your focus.

Increase Your Creativity

Creativity is a dance between what we know and what we don´t know, and it is through this dance that we make meaning of the world around us, making the unknown knowable, the unconscious conscious and the invisible visible. Session four provides inspiration on how to awaken particular states and qualities of mind that boost your creativity.

You Are What You Eat

Come down to The Hoxton, Holborn and join Hacking Happiness for a mindful breakfast. In the last workshop in our series on Mindfulness at The Hoxton, we will be discussing Mindful Eating…that's the kind of eating which doesn't involve automatically reaching for the biscuit tin, something we're all guilty of.

The session will enable you to walk away with the tools to be more aware of what you're eating, both quantity and quality. It's not a diet, it's about focusing on the diversity of ingredients, their texture and taste, to connect to the food that's nourishing our body, mind and heart. So that when you allow yourself a treat from the biscuit packet that treat stops at one biscuit and NOT the whole packet. Imagine that…

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FANCY IT?

SKL

THE EDIT

COCONUT OIL

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I began using coconut oil around 4 years ago, way before the mad coconut oil hype, but found so many more uses for it as it become more popular amongst the clean eaters and beauty fanatics. I started out using coconut to help soften the ends of my hair as an overnight hair mask. I then went on to using the oil to soothe my eczema prone skin, which led to just using it as a post-shower oil to massage into wet skin before bed (lush).  I wouldn't recommend using this in the morning but it makes for the perfect bed ready body for a cosy night in.

I know that using coconut oil while cooking is a thing for major health driven eateries, but I tend to only use it in the odd morning smoothie or for my protein pancakes. More recently, I have got myself into a pretty gross habit of rubbing a small amount of coconut oil on my teeth as a natural whitener, which is also said to have great effects of reducing sugar cravings and aid in weight loss. Overall Coconut oil over the past year has been THE health obsession that everyone has been talking about.

It is the must-have thing in every cupboard as it will always come in handy, a bit like aloe vera.

PHILOSOPHY FACE WASH

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I have always been aware of Philosophy as a brand, but never quite took it seriously till now. I was purely being over judgemental about the packaging, as it look too simple. An amazing friend of mine currently works at the Boots head office and is constantly exposed to some amazing products and samples that she can trial and rave about to me and The Purity Cleanser was one of them. I am a sucker for going by recommendations as it is the best way to get an honest opinion of the product in question.

I used this face wash for as long as I could make it last, which was quite a long time considering the size of the bottle as the constancy is very light and fairly runny. I usually go for quite thick and harder cleansers as I personally feel that the most is being done to my skin, but this changed my thoughts completely. I loved the smell! It was clean, very fresh and natural and reminded me of rubbing all sorts of Cowshed hand lotions over my face.

It left my skin feeling refreshed, oil-free, and very soft. The perfect base before putting on any make-up.  This is all without any sort of exfoliating beads making it the perfect every day face wash.

MICCELAR WATER

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Next up is another friend recommended product that I am now sharing. Miccelar water is becoming a big thing in beauty for removing make-up in the most natural and softest way. This product by Garnier was amazing and I have passed it on to many friends and family. It was a pretty decent sized bottle that has lasted over 6 months for only £4.00 from Boots, but unfortunately for me and my minor eczema bursts, it slightly irritated my eyes leaving tiny little red dots.

So although it was so easy to use and the best thing to remove all face make-up, I unfortunately had to revert back to the old Simple face wipes.

TANGLE TEEZER

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Last Christmas, Santa gifted me with my all black Tangle Teezer that is loved by everyone in my family and yes that included my dad. He has gone to the extent of sneaking down to my room to steal it and hide it in his cupboard everyday...probably until he thinks I will forget. Every evening I go back up to get it back.

It is amazing for wet hair or used as an in shower hair brush, but for me and my fair hair it doesn't do the best of work to my dry hair. The fluffy fresh look isn't really my thing but everyone's has got to have a Tangle Teezer in their life. If it wasn't your thing growing up, pick one up now.

Limited edition Lulu Guinness Teezer anyone?

CLARINS IRIS TONER

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 My go to skin care brand has got to be Clarins for an everyday skincare regime. I used to use the youthful energiser range, but it is always good for the skin to shake it up every now and again, so I opted for the Iris toner and face cream. The toner is perfect for London commuters to help get rid of unwanted dirt and dead skin cells, to leave it feeling clean, fresh and even all round. I am a huge believer in toner and have been using the stuff for years, especially after commuting or a night out where my face needs an extra scrub to get rid of excess make up...it can be seriously satisfying. 

NO BUMPS

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It is likely that 80% of girls have experienced some form on the dreaded ingrown hair from shaving or waxing. It can become quite irritating and sore depending on the severity of it. The cause? Can sometimes just be blocked follicles from thick body butters or oil and sometimes from the combination of shaving and waxing.  Some people use Aloe Vera to calm it down, but this is only a temp solution. No Bumps is a pretty harsh smelling potion that helps to tackle the bad boys. Use a tiny bit on a cotton pad in the morning and before bed and watch the area clear up (after a couple of weeks).

KIELS AVOCADO EYE TREATMENT 
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I was on the hunt for a light and cooling under eye cream that would not speed up my anti-aging regime, but keep my eyes at bay, removing dark circles and restoring the youthfulness to my eyes. This Kiels eye cream is very light despite its slightly dewy consistency and appearance. All it takes is a the tiniest dab, a mix within the fingers and patted on to the area across the whole of the orbital bone. It helps brighten, firm up and energise the eye with natural avocado.

BARE MINERALS CORRECTING CONCEALER

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I have been weighing up the Touch Éclat by YSL, Boiing by Benefit and the Bare Minerals concealer for a while now. I have been going back and forth to each concession counter to help make up my mind. My decision: Bare Minerals! It has amazing thick coverage with the smallest amount. The tiny little compact is almost too small but comes with a little handy mirror to dab on your concealer through out the day if needed.

ELIZABETH ARDEN'S EIGHT HOUR CREAM
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I've heard people raving on about this for years but never really knew what it was best for. I have had my little bottle for around 2 years with the odd bit of use maybe once a week. I originally set out to use the skin protectant for my lips as they get really dry in the winter months. I then shared the usage to my dry little elbows and cuticles over night as an intense moisturiser. Last year a friend of mine said she used a small amount on her face as an overnight moisture mask and it really helped to even out her skin tone. So on it I got! and will use it over blemishes and dry areas of my face throughout the year.

It is a little bit like Coconut oil in that it can be used for so many different purposes but once you have them in your cupboard, you eventually find the right times to use them in ways that work best for your skin.

So, there are my 9 product reviews and recommendations that I hope will be useful and insightful for your next beauty shop. I have more recently purchased a few more pieces to add to the collection, which I am in the process of using so they will form the basis of my next beauty edit.

If you guys have any suggestions or have tried any of the products above please share...

SKL

FLANERIE DOWN IN CHELSEA

Flânerie

flâ·ne·rie
Aimless idling; dawdling

I wouldn't instantly place Hermes w/ the idea of flanerie (aimlessly wondering) or as the  Saatchi gallery put it - 'urban wandering', but more so precision, Parisian class with autonomy, butttt to go in line with the grand opening of their flagship store in Londonn, Hermes have stepped out of their Birkin bag and entered a Wanderland of all things fantasy. Bringing designer lovers that one step close to the world of Hermes.

After a 10min queue to the exhibition itself  I was beginning to think there were free bags being given out as guests slowly stepped foot by foot into the first room of video projections and enchanting mirrored lighting. The journey through Wanderland was honestly spectacular! Like nothing I have ever seen before within an indoor space as the passages all replicated the journey of a wonderer on the street of Paris, gifted by all things Hermes.

Each element that you can imagine has been carefully considered in the designing and curating process including all senses being tickled along the way (except the sense of wanting! Because that I didn't get).

“The journey through Wanderland draws its coherence from two intrinsic elements of la flânerie: dreaming and freedom of spirit"
- Bruno Gaudichon 

11 rooms, 11 sets and an endless count of things to look at and experiences to enjoy. There was no sign of a fast-pace life right outside the doors as exhibition goes literally strolled and wondered the streets of Paris. If only the Parisian cafe was real? The one thing that was missing was a croissant and coffee!

For such a classic and perfected brand the use of digital technologies within each piece created something so unique to a fashion exhibition of this sort. It was highly creative with elements of surprise and excitement, which for me, put the designer in a whole new light of contemporary fashion and style.

It was an exhibition like no other and I would 100% recommend heading down to the Saatchi gallery to take a look if you are at all curious....

Hermes Wanderland.

FRESH-FACED | MALAIKA FIRTH

Via. Telegraph Magazine

After her appearance on the cover of the Telegraph magazine, for me Malaika Firth has been outed. Friends with Jourdan Dunn, who mentors her along her journey in fashion, you know there are only big things to come for her.

Flicking through weekly sups at work, while the rest of my colleagues jump at the business and money sections of the weeks papers, I picked up and added the Telegraph Magazine to my pile to read. Why? Not only were the silhouettes, hues and style of the clothes right on the mark, but I couldn't help by crush over her small almond eyes that really make her stand out and look delicate; the way I fall for Cara, Kendall and Freya Beha.

Only having Model.com (ing) her I realise how late I am in seeing her potential when the rest of the fashion world already has, but on these regular 'fresh-faced' posts, I like to pick out the models that fit my idea of beautiful, Malaika being my next.

After I read her article in the magazine, I feel her humbleness and nativity, which is always a bonus with a model that is being exposed so fast. To give you a bit of a trailer on her, she is 21, born in Mombasa, Kenya and now lives in East London. Her most prided moment so far has got to be the fact that she is the first black model to be the face of a Prada campaign in 19 years. I say this but I really don't agree. We're now in 2015 and the faces of fashion are still so limited and still lack a lot of  ethnic faces in such a large spectrum of possibilities. One ethnic face for Prada makes big news, but should this really be the case? 

On to the above editorial for the Telegraph Mag. I am obsessed! Each piece used in the shoot has a very distinctive fit and style but equally they all go in-line to create actually a really minimalist, androgynous capsule collection that belongs in my wardrobe. Forget prices, I WILL find my own more affordable versions of each piece. If you look at the way each outfit is dressed, be it a belt, excess fabric, folds or buttons. They help dress the look without adding tacky embellishments or even jewellery for that matter. That - I love!

This side of the season I am all focused on creating single-coloured looks that dress to impress without adding any accessories to complete it. Surely this can't be that hard to find

So off to Zara Trafulic, COS and Weekday it is for me.

FRESH FACED | HOLLY MAY SAKER

"Don't let anyone hold you back and if you have a dream then go for it. You need to have a thick skin in this industry so be prepared." - HOLLY MAY SAKER

She may not be talk of the world like Cara and Kendall, but her stardom is rising from this year on having walked for high profile shows in New York and London. 

To give you a bit of background about the model, she's said to be an 'English Rose' being a 20 year old Scoucer having grown up in Marbella. She had the pleasure of working with the uh-mazing Steven Miesel for the cover story of Vogue Italia. Aside from the huge names we are exposed to every day, which 20 year old walks for the biggest names in the country: Burberry, Jonathan Saunders, Topshop, Erdem, Issa, Margaret Howell, Jeremy Scott..& do I really need to continue. Jaw Shock!

She is basically killing it in fashion right now and this may have come from her friendly nature and appreciative and loving relationship with current boyf - he clearly does her good! I have no doubt that we will be seeing a lot more of Ms Saker, but in the mean time appreciate that sharp jawline and almond eye shapes.

She's just done her time taking over I-D's Instagram but be suyre to check her out! @hollymaysaker

Source: I-D Vice.com

EVENT | THE INTERSECTION...

Last night as part of the Creatial team and representing Tech City News, I attended a General Assembly event, 'The intersection of Fashion, Tech and creating memorable brand experiences' at Lyst Stdios in Hoxton Square with a pretty fashtech savvy line up of industry panellists including the amazing Lauren Stevenson, co-founder of  of PR agency Aisle 8, who had a feature last week in Stylist magazine and had a high profile career at Mywardobe.com and Harrods. She has now leaped into the world of entrepreneurs and started things up herself. Bold Move!

For me, she stood out most on the panel offering some really interesting insights into the world of fashion and marketing, pulling out brands who are at the forefront on fashion. Lucky for me, I managed  to have a chat with her after the event about the formation and execution of my new project, the social influencer app Creatial and then going on to sharing a few mutual contacts at Botticca and Moschino. Such a lovely woman! Everyone knows about the catty fashion world, but it really does stand out when someone so successful gives time and energy back to help establish the new generation of talent. Victoria Chang, founder of Style Barista, Emma Watkinson, founder of Silkfred.com, Sarah Walter, CCO of Metail and Craig Crawford of SomoGlobal were also on the panel making the response to each question so varied yet so responsive

Aside from the help yourself bar and endless supply of Vivid vitality drinks, dishing out my new business cards and  talking till my mouth was dry, the event turned out to be a huge success. It has definitely given me the little shake and stir I needed to get myself back on track!

With that in mind, I have taken it upon myself master the art of code, by this I mean spending my lunch on Code Academy (FREE of course), using interactive methods learning that even my mother could master, but yet I'm still not quite there.

Tonight, I find myself  going along to an 'Hour of code' event as part of a general movement to promote coding as a skill in life. I will of course report back on my newly learned language of  HTML, CSS and Javascript. Talk nerdy to me!

@SOHINIKLAKHANI On Instagram