Fresh Designers at Wolf & Badger

Everyone has their favourites in fashion. Whether it's Topshop (guilty) or H&M, or even Alexander McQueen or Prada, there's those brands and designers that we relate to, connect with, and just keep going back for more. But when your wardrobe is overpopulated with these brands, it all feels a little flat. It's like really loving going for dinner at Honest Burger.... so you go nearly every day. There's a good chance that after a while you might get a little bored of Honest Burger.
Okay, what I was really trying to get at is that you should experiment with new brands and designers to stop your wardrobe from becoming so one-dimensional. But now I just really want to eat burgers... Anyway, how do you even go about finding some shit hot new designers to repopulate your wardrobe with?

Wolf & Badger is a store that feels a little more like a curated shoppable gallery of all the greatest and most exciting new talent in fashion and jewellery design. With a tag-line like 'Discover New Designers' you can hardly go wrong there. They have two stores, one in my dream neighbourhood of Notting Hill, and the other in the also not-too-shabby neighbourhood of Mayfair. 







As much as I'd like all of the designer garments in the world, shoes and accessories are the first place to start, so it seems only natural that I have developed a borderline obsession has developed over this Alisa Smirnova London round bag. Handcrafted from luxury cowhide, with black suede lining and silver lining, it feels super luxe when holding in your hand and chunky enough to swing at someone and make some damage if the time really called for it (sample sale weapon anyone?) If that's not a true sign of die-hard quality, then I don't know what really is... Smirnova designs for 'contemporary femme fatales, confident and strong women', and quite frankly, I don't think I could find a brand with an ethos that's quite so close to my own.

Snakeskin boots are something I used to fear. Once deemed acceptable only on the feet of cowboys, cowgirls, and other Wild Wild Westerners, somehow they infected my instagram explore feed, making me desperate to get my grubby fashion claws on a pair. Yet high street stores never quite hit the mark with their efforts resembling cheap shiny faux-snake-leather that wouldn't look out of place at a Soap Star awards circa 2003. The leather of these A + EM snake boots are laser cut for scale authenticity and the attention to detail is completely unmatched. Plus, no breaking in was required: not only are they the coolest boots ever to grace my feet, but the comfiest.
Fancy a payday treat? Use the code WBFASHIONSLAVE to get off at Wolf & Badger. You can shop my guest edit of Wolf & Badger here.

Topshop Dress | A + EM Boots * | Alisa Smirnova London Bag *

The Tan Accessories Edit

With the seventies trend in full swing for SS15, it's no surprise that 70s shades have also made a huge comeback in everyones colour palette. My usual overly gothic black shoe and bag combo has been thrown to the back of the wardrobe in favour of butterscotch tan hued accessories by Dorothy Perkins. It's like I'm looking at my wardrobe through sepia toned sunglasses.







Never one to stray away from tonal dressing, I've paired these Dorothy Perkins tan accessories with a neutral beige safari style shirt dress by Rare London. As much as I love style and trying to look as much of a put-together babe as possible, I also love sleep and being lazy, so any form of dressing that requires minimal thought is a bonus. Clearly, a super comfy shirt dress in a neutral colour with neutral accessories was going to be a winner. But judging the serious creases in my shirt dress, my laziness to style ratio was a little bit balanced more on the lazy side. I think this is a wakeup call for my inner-domestic goddess telling me I should probably learn how to iron...

Rare London Dress* | Dorothy Perkins Shoes* | Dorothy Perkins Bag* | Dorothy Perkins Sunglasses*

My Hair Secrets Revealed: All About Keratin Bonded Hair Extensions

After 6 years of wearing them, I can reveal the truth behind all the volume in my hair is in fact hair extensions! Hear about all of the methods of extensions I have tried, my favourite method keratin bonded extensions, including the application, cost, and damage (surprise- there isn't any) as well as a before and after picture.
Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel!

Rebecca Minkoff: Wanderlust Part III

For the final part of the Wanderlust collaboration I channelled a sports luxe vibe. As a fashion journalist, that's a term I've grown to really hate, but how else can I say it? Gym chic? Athletic Aesthetic? Either way, the bold monochrome printed Lola bomber by Rebecca Minkoff has just the right amount of summer time attitude thanks to its zesty citric lime contrast stripes.






After all of this Wanderlust I think I'm finally on the verge of booking a last minute mini-break with my mother that will no doubt involve sitting on the sunny shores of Spain with a pile of trashy chick-lit novels and one too many glasses of sangria. I can't wait to throw this jacket over a black mesh bikini and loose fit runner shorts.

Rebecca Minkoff: Wanderlust Part II

For part II of my Wanderlust collaboration with Rebecca Minkoff I thought that I'd channel summer-chic by sheltering from the hot sands in favour of shaded city streets and boulevards. Well, in reality I just walked 5 minutes down the road in Shoreditch. I suppose that's the beauty of London at least: even if you're stuck here it's so large and diverse that you're unlikely to ever run out of things to do.







Want to pretend that you're Holidaying in some province in the South of France when really you're stuck in London? You can do that. What about going back to the prehistoric ages and walking with the dinosaurs? Well you hardly need a time travelling machine when you can just head to Crystal Palace. As long as the sun comes out, I can throw on my Rebecca Minkoff Margot top with a pair of silk loose fit shorts and explore everything on my doorstep. Who needs a holiday when you've got an Oyster card...

Photos by Carl Thompson 

Rebecca Minkoff: Wanderlust Part I

Wanderlust is a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world

At least, that's Wikipedia's diagnosis of this condition.
A strong desire to wander, travel and explore the world? These are symptoms I can guarantee feel all too familiar when you haven't been on a holiday in three years. The UK is a wonderful place, but I feel like I'm about to go stir crazy. I'm over royal babies. I'm over electoral dramas. And I think might even be over eating fish and chips. 







Everyone I meet wherever I go seems to have some exciting stories to tell from far away lands of intriguing cultures. The only tales I have to regale them with in return is from the three years I studied in Wales for my undergrad degree. Well, Wales is still technically kind of another country and it does have it's own language... But it hardly gives the same spiritual reawakening one might get whilst conversing with some monk in an ancient Thai temple or whilst being off your tits from some mystery bucket at a Full Moon Party.







For those people actually holidaying this year, this Lena dress by Rebecca Minkoff is an essential beach to bar piece. Its versatility means it can be dressed down with Birkenstocks or flip flops, then dressed up with heels in the evening. Or if you're stuck in London like me, only dreaming of hot exotic sands and 'finding' myself, then it'll at least take you from your hungover brunch at your local artisan cafe to a rooftop terrace bar without compromising glamour or comfort.

photos by Carl Thompson

Spring Monochrome ft Lacoste L!ve

Who said spring had to be colourful? Sometimes the best outfits are the most simple and versatile. In this case, I've refined my wardrobe to a monochromatic palette. What better way to match the grey scaled cityscape of good old London town than with a stripped back colour scheme? Classic black trench coat, white peg trousers, and a black crop top form the basis of this minimalistic look. But the Devil's in the details, and the details are in the shoes. Lacoste L!VE's Broadwick MP style, stocked on ASOS.com, add a new dimension to this typically flat monochrome look with it's semi-metallic mock-croc leather. 







This season Lacoste L!VE takes on a fresh approach with iconic styles � taking the Lacoste DNA and giving it a unique twist. With it's heritage style, the Broadwick trainer has become a modern icon over the past few years. The late 80s inspired court shoe transcends basic black and white by exploring different textures through dynamic and tactile materials like the Nappa leather tongue and vamp, side panels in luxurious faux croc skin embossed leather and silky suede facings and heel counter. The sports luxe feel is enhanced with subtle debossed croc branding and a retro-influenced white sole unit

ASOS Top | Topshop Trousers (similar) | Lacoste L!VE Broadwick MP Trainers* | Missguided Hennie Trench*  

Tips for a Successful Blog Photo Shoot

Over the past 2 years of Fashion Slaves� existence, the photography has grown from awkwardly posed pictures of my outfit taken against a door with a white bed sheet pinned to it, to prancing around the streets of London through rain, sun, and even one time, snow. But it�s never been a story of effortless photo-shoots resulting with Kate Moss-style images. I can't even begin to count the many photographic disasters, from rows with my photographer at the time (my Dad) to ripping a giant split all the way up the back of a skirt before daring skirt splits were even the look du jour. So here are my top tips for a successful blog photo shoot, all of them learnt by failing miserably and making many mistakes on the way.

Find a great photographer

Having a great photographer is paramount to looking like a mega street style babe. If you have an actual budget or happen to be a millionaire or something, then pay one. If you don�t, charm the ass of any photographer you can and work in collaboration with. Contact people studying photography degrees that might want the experience of working with a �highly esteemed fashion blog� (yes, package it just like that). If all else fails, get your boyfriend, mum, dad or sister to take the photographs, just anyone who loves you enough to take you yelling direction and photographing tips at them. 
One of the most important things with a photographer is chemistry, trust, and patience. A photographer you have chemistry with will make you feel comfortable and bring out your best. I have bitch-face issues in my photos so I need someone to make me crack a smile on my miserable face from time to time so I actually look like an approachable human.

Confidence: Don't Feel Like a Dickhead

At least try not to feel like one. I know it�s hard when you�re posing outside of someone else's pastel house whilst the owners glare at you for being so super vain and narcissistic. The sooner you overcome this the better. I�ve had people stop and stare, photobomb me big time, and of course the little boy that said �Daddy, she�s not a model.� Correct observations child, but I have no time to bore you about the ins and outs of life as a fashion blogger, so excuse me whilst I continue to walk away from the camera and look back, swishing my hair, as if someone has just yelled �Sophie wait you forgot your Chloe handbag!�

Have The Right Kit 

Charge your cameras! I wrote a LFW checklist post saying how important this is, and lo and behold day 1 of LFW I only went and showed up with just one bar of battery. Always bring a spare memory card with you in case you go overboard with the photographs too.

 Outfit preparation

I try and shoot about 3 looks in one day to save the time and effort of actually getting changed out of my work-from-home uniform (aka, pyjamas) more than once a week. Do an online shop before or make sure you�ve spoken to brands and arranged delivery or pulled pieces a few days before your planned shoot so you have them all ready to go and you�re not waiting for the arrival of your postman (I guarantee he will be late.)

Location Location Location 

An outfit can really come to life based on where it's snapped so find somewhere that works with  the outfit. I try to go for a slightly gritty urban venue for more casual and streetwear looks (ooh, edgy). When I go for a more classically chic look I opt for the big white houses and beautiful streets around South West London. Chelsea and South Kensington are favourites, but are getting a little overdone now. Try be imaginative and explore different roads. Get a little lost and add more fun to the shoot.   

Water and Snacks

Unless you�re doing pitstops in coffee shops and fancy spending a fortune on a limp, overpriced salad then take some food and drink with you. I have the kind of face that really shows my emotions so when you suffer from seriously bad cases of hanger (hunger-anger, for those unfamiliar) this is clearly a huge negative. How do supermodels do the whole not-eating thing and then look so great in their photographs? When I�m bitch-facing in a photograph, it�s not because I�m trying to do a blue steel look, it�s just because I�m hungry.

 Umbrella

So you can control your photographer, outfits, and your hanger levels with a bit of mid-shoot refuelling, but the weather? Come on, it's the UK we're talking about. So for when the heavens crack open mid-shoot a giant umbrella should do the trick. Spring is notorious for brief on-off showers, so recently I've taken to sheltering under an umbrella for five minutes whilst the rain passes rather than wasting time dipping in and out of coffee shops or high street stores.
Happy shooting people!

Images via Tommy Ton, The Sartorialist, Designscene, and Pinterest.

How To Wear: The Utility Jumpsuit

What beats wearing really comfy pyjamas? Wearing something that feels as comfortable as pyjamas that you can wear out in public without garnering a few unimpressed side eyes, that's what. Say hello to the utility jumpsuit: the lazy fashionable girls' new best friend.







For SS15's utility trend, designers like Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren and Victoria Beckham pulled influences from military uniforms- perhaps that's why I couldn't resist channelling GI Jane next to this rather large army-looking vehicle? From cargo pickets to army green, the utility trend is all about making the durable and comfortable luxe.







Neutral shades of camel, smokey grey and dusty khaki make this an easy trend to work with the relaxed silhouette, so it's perfect for those serious cba days. Want to look stylish when hungover but just cant handle squeezing your fragile self into a pair of skinny jeans? This jumpsuit will see you through a spring/summer full of beer-garden boozing and roof terrace parties. Avoid looking too Top Gun by pairing with sliders and luxe accessories or a pair of high-impact black strapped sandals. I can already see myself drinking Mojitos on a rooftop bar wearing this open over a bralette... 

Forever 21 Jumpsuit* | Topshop Ranch Sandals | Daniel Wellington Watch* | H&M Bag

Daniel Wellington Watches: The Tiniest Little Details

Without wanting to sound too sentimental about fashion and appearances, I find that creating an outfit sometimes seems a little bit like putting together the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Okay, not only does that sound sentimental but it sounds cheesy too. It is true, however, in the way that we play around with clothes and accessories and try and find things that fit to create a whole perfect image. Some pieces simply don't and won't work together. You can try and mash them together as much as you want, but it's probably going to look pretty shit in all fairness. Since owning a Daniel Wellington watch it always seems like my outfit is incomplete without one. The tiniest bit of arm candy can pull together an entire outfit, from picking up the silver in your earrings or bracelet, or complementing the rose gold in your jacket's zip fastening. Their minimalist simplicity leads to timeless versatility. My two favourites have to be the Classic Sheffield Lady* and their new release, the Classy Sheffield* and you can get 15% off for the rest of May at Daniel Wellington with my special discount code fashionslave.