This Little Girl Is Lost: Instagramming Spring

You can tell when summer is upon us in England. The sunglasses come out, as do the flip flops, long pushed to the back of your wardrobe, and all over the high street window displays change to bright colour's and everyone starts panicking about getting bikini ready. 

To celebrate what will hopefully be the end of a long, cold winter I've gathered together some of my favourite instagram snaps from the past few months. These are the moments that kept me warm through winter and the ones I'll cherish as we moved into Spring. Here's to a Summer of making more unforgettable memories. X

Holly Fulton was a memorable show from LFW

The MiH jeans press day was a real treat

Watching Nina Nesbitt perform at the Yumi press day

Trying out Drink, Shop & Do, near Kings Cross

Lazy Sunday afternoons in my back garden

At Somerset House for Pick Me Up graphic arts festival 

The artwork at Pick Me Up kept me smiling all day

Pornstar martinis at Dirty Martini, Covent Garden

Ps. To follow me on Instagram just click the link on the right hand bar, its @girlislostblog for outfit posts & general musings. 

Friday Treat Time: J Crew Dreamcatcher Necklace

It's Friday and it's payday for most of the UK. In This Little Girl Is Lost's world that can only mean one thing: Friday treat time needs to be bigger and better than ever before.

Behold, new online this week is J.Crew's cubic zirconia and matte crystal 'Dream Catcher' necklace. It's so blindingly beautiful you shouldn't look directly at it unless wearing sunglasses. Set the statement maker against a plain t-shirt or sweater to make it really pop! The necklace is £154 and you can get it from Net A Porter now, just click below. Happy Shopping!

 

Review: Sunday Sanctuary at Bar Galante

A little bird told me about Sunday Sanctuary a few months ago, and after booking way, way in advance my turn finally came this weekend to experience London's new chic getaway at bar Galante, Chelsea.

Hosted every Sunday and strictly for girls only, me and a friend booked in to the 12 - 3pm slot and on arrival we were greeted by a lovely waiter who led us to our seating area and brought us our free, and very tasty Bellini. So far so good.

With a big screen TV showing a different film each week (we had the joy of the first Sex and The City movie, not the second film thank god) you can choose to watch with their cordless headphones, or just chat and catch up on some gossip.
 

There were also two ladies on hand from Bliss spa across the road dishing out free mini manicures and a masseuse was also there to work away those aches and pains. Me and my friend both opted for manicures though on reflection I think a massage may have been more beneficial as my manicure really was mini - lasting less than ten minutes and the masseuse was going to work on people! Be warned in advance though, you are a very lucky lady if you manage to get both treatments in the allotted time, so choose wisely.

What's more when it all comes to an end you are given a goody bag filled with Bliss products. In my bag was hand cream, body butter, body wash and a free treatment at the spa which I will definitely be taking advantage of.

Oh and did I mention the best part which is that this is all free*!

If you want to experience it for yourself just email Galante at rsvp@bargalante.com to book a place - but beware, you could be in for at least a month's wait as this particular hangout is proving popular with Londoner's.

*Food and extra drinks, both alcoholic and non alcoholic ,are available at an extra cost. Though I wouldn't recommend getting the food due to the tiny portions, I can highly recommend the basil and strawberry lemonade.

MiH Jeans Pre Autumn / Winter Collection

After attending their press day last month I'm actually in love with denim label MiH Jeans pre autumn/winter 2013 collection. Here's why.

"For MiH denim can be all things at once: a high fashion style statement or a perfect basic, slouchy elegance or figure-hugging perfection" so says the press release. And what's more, for once the rumours are true.

The jeans in the collection are are understated perfection - faded, pieced and patched, colour and print giving way to experiments with dark dyes and subtle fading - exactly what you want from a jean come autumn. Plus, details are pared back enough to make them wearable with pretty much everything you already own. Bonus!

There are also two new styles to covet. Being hailed as the new skinny, the Cape jean is a shaped mid-rise jean, which is fitted through the waist, hips and thighs, into an easy, elegant ‘bell’ leg. Meanwhile the Bodycon is not for the faint of heart - coming in dark indigo sateen and black denim, this new fit uses innovative fabric technology with power stretch and power recovery to hug you in and make you appear a size smaller.

Fans of MiH can also expect to see a bigger ready-to-wear section than ever before. Highlights include slouch knits, patterned silk shirts and incredible embroidery on leather (see jacket above for further proof) alongside animal and camouflage prints. Meanwhile, sportswear detailing shines through in jersey pieces. Now that's my kind of denim collection.

Brand Bio: Chloe Lonsdale, Founder and Creative Director of MiH Jeans, has jeans quite literally in her genes. In the 1970s, her father Tony Lonsdale, known as the ‘Blue Jean King’, set up the legendary Jean Machine stores - the first in the UK to import US denim - while her model mother, Chekkie Maskell, was the Chloe re-launched her godfather’s Made in Heaven label in 2005 as MiH Jeans, and the label now has over 500 stockists worldwide.

Image Source: Pre autumn / winter 2013 look book.

Spring /Summer Press Day Refresher!

The autumn / winter 2013 press days are in full swing at the moment and though I must have been invited to half of them, alas not only have I had a nasty case of the flu, I also started a brand new job last week, which has kept my bum firmly planted inside and away from the showrooms. 

Though I'm sad not to be seeing some of the new collections in person I realised today I'm potentially saving myself a fortune. Looking back at the Spring / Summer press days and counting up the number of pieces I've already bought is making me feel *almost* glad I have the flu. Case is point is the white dot shirt from Selected Femme which is currently "out for delivery". Or how about the fact I've spent the past two Saturday's in Mango lying in wait for a boulche jacket to drop. I may as well go set up a bunk bed in the changing room I want so many of their pieces coming out this year...

With this in mind I've taken a little trip down memory lane and counted down my favourite press days from spring / summer 2013 below. There's still plenty to get inspired by, and still time to start shopping of course! Just click on the image to go to the full press day round-up. 

The Mango Press Day top 5 buys:

Suede high tops 

Coachella-ready denim shots and jacket 

Nude point toe shoes 

Bright orange blazer 

Cream blazer 

"Two key themes emerged this season from the mind of DAY's founder Keld Mikkelsen - "Orientalism" and "White Stuff". Both looks blend ethnic craftsmanship the label is known for with a modern take on classics." Top buy: Indian embroidered tunic.

By Malene Birger celebrated turning 10 with the 'Celebration' collection of classic brand pieces, reinvented in new colour ways for Spring. Top Buy: Cream leather studded jacket

Cashmere brand Crumpet looked cooler than ever this season with tie-dye and dip-dye prints in pink, blue and green alongside classic leopard. Top buy: Paisley shirt dress with stud collar.

For more press day pictures click below:

• Darling
• Selected Femme
• Dagmar  
• Thu Thu
• Second Female 
• Vero Moda 

New In This Week

Going shopping this weekend? Don't leave the house without casting your eye over the little girl lost edit of the best pieces which are new in stores this week.

As you may be able to tell I'm completely obsessed with print this season, alongside ornate detailing and touchy-feely fabrics. As always, I'm crushing on Zara but Mango and Topshop have also caught my attention on the High Street. Going straight to the top of my 'if money was no object' wish list though are the Rio Sunset Sandals by Sophia Webster. They're pure shoe porn! Happy Shopping! X

 

1. Clutch, 29.99, Zara. 2. Jumper, £38, Topshop. 3. Earrings, £25, ASOS. 4. Skirt, £40, Topshop. 5. Top, £29, Louche at Joy. 6. Top, £600, Isabel Marant at Net a Porter. 7. Trousers, £39.99, Zara. 8. Jacket, £79.99, Mango. 9. Shoes, £340, Sophia Webster. 10. Bag, £24.99, H & M

 

One To Watch: Stinne Gorell

My post on Soaked In Luxury's amazing Spring collection yesterday reminded me of some of the other great brands I've seen coming out of Copenhagen recently - like eponymous knitwear label Stinne Gorell.

I met founder and designer Stinne during my trip to Copenhagen Fashion Week this February in her pop-up showroom. On display were pieces from her core 2013 and autumn / winter 2013 collections including chunky poncho's, pom pom bobble hats and some cosy knit-dresses that were the perfect antidote to the freezing cold weather in Copenhagen at the time!

The unique thing about Stinne's collections (and why they really stood out for me) is her approach to fair-trade ethics and high quality fabrics, on top of using local production methods. For example, all hand knitted items are made by Danish women either in production facilities on the Isle of Bornholm as part of a socioeconomic project, or in private homes all over the country. Amounts produced are limited, making them all the more precious, but are the perfect investment if you're after something no one else has!

Particular favourites are the 'Poncho n' Belt' pieces (see below in pale grey and marine blue) and the 'Granny' poncho (above) in Alpaca, along with an array of chunky snoods and baggy beanie hats.

 

At this time, the Stinne Gorell is only stocked in Denmark, but you can find out more about the designer and the beautiful collections online here.

 

 

This Little Girl Loves: Soaked In Luxury

So Spring is still proving elusive, despite our best efforts to wish it into existence! That's just one reason why Soaked in Luxury's new collection is a necessity for every wardrobe with fun colours and inventive prints - everything to make it feel that Spring will come a little faster.

Fresh colours and soft, fluid fabrics run throughout, creating a really feminine look; from dresses in bold stripes or blown up artsy prints to on-trend jumpsuits. Metallics are also big news from gold buttons, studs and shiny beading - it's the extra details that count for that big statement. Light chiffon maxi dresses, white shirts worn with seperates and laser cut detailing are also big news this Spring.

Flirty pastel colours such as light yellow, soft rose and cool turquoise are combined with classic navy, light khaki and cream, to leave your wardrobe with an endless list of combinations, along with a wardrobe staple - leopard print.

Biography: Launched in its native Copenhagen 5 years ago, Soaked inLuxury’s mission to be the bridge between the high street and the fashion houses. Stockists include Fenwick, House of Fraser, JOY, Amazon, Coco Marie, Hoopers and many independents nationwide.