Uterqüe snake skin ballerinas with chain detail

If you haven't come across Uterqüe yet, you have been missing out on a paradise for the smart-casual minimalist. Created in 2008 by the Spanish group Inditex, the brand is the most recent addition to the likes of Zara, Massimo Dutti, and Oysho…with a twist: it heralds the revival of accessories as the key to a well-finished look. Garments are discreet, handbags inconspicuous, but accessories are gold, bold and the life of the look. 

These snake skin ballerinas, accessorised with a gorgeous chain strung over the front, is the epitome of what the brand is about: basics framing the beauty of detail. It's an immaculate recipe for well-rounded wardrobe.

Zara lace pencil skirt

Last weekend, I went to the Vogue Festival 2014, and heard from some of the most influential figures of the fashion world. It also posed some interesting questions that got me to reflect on my own interpretation of 'fashion', but much more importantly on my personal style. One of the questions asked at the incredibly engaging and relatable first talk of the weekend entitled 'Personal Style - and do you have it?' was:

"If you had to pick one brand to wear for the rest of your life, what would it be?"

For Fashion legend Lucinda Chambers, a giant, corporate brand would never replace the decades of individual and personal style items haggled over in the bustling stalls of Portobello market. For the lovely and inspirational Amanda Harlech, nothing would ever be as timelessly elegant as Chanel Couture. And for all her enviously quirky ways, Alexa Chung picked Topshop! 

For me, it was a no-brainer: Zara is the winner.

I have been lusting over the lace veiling the Burberry SS14 collection this year, and fell head over heels when I saw it re-done (minus the granny pants shining through!) by Zara. I'm not a massive fan of the colour red, and definitely not of the colour purple. But together they look beautifully bold and subtle simultaneously. My new favourite thing this season.

What brand would you wear for the rest of your life?

Trapezing in to Spring

Today is a beautiful sunny day in London. For weeks, the skies have alternated between between buckets of icey rain and depressing drizzles that have kept my wardrobe in tones of Winter blues. But today's yolky sun, tearing apart the brilliant blue sky calls for a reawakening of the palette. What better celebration of the turning of the seasons than Céline's strikingly elegant Trapeze handbag in its Summer 2014 colours? Cobalt blue and sunflower yellow - I can almost see the South of France...

Cara for Mulberry

When it comes to grabbing the It Girls and running with it, Mulberry is the name to follow. Its been nearly two years since the roaring British fashion house announced their last collaboration, and we have been aching to see how they’d top the suave Del Rey number from 2012. But when Cara wandered on to the catwalk on Sunday, bare-foot and naughty eyebrows flaring, we knew we’d found ourselves a new Alexa to fall in love with all over again.

It’s something about the cheeky, fresh-faced 21-year old that makes this 3-in-One collection so gripping. She has the sort of doll-face that takes us back to the days of Twiggy, entangled with the grungy awkwardness pioneered by Kate Moss. And just like that, an edgy blend of quilts and rivets on retro-tinted leathers emerged from the ethereal forest of the Mulberry set. Cara X Mulberry took London Fashion Week by storm: crossing the best British supermodels with the best of British style. 

Large Cara Delevingne Bag in Black Quilted Nappa

But ultimately it’s the heritage behind it that has us bewitched by the bag of the moment. What Mulberry and Cara brought together to the table on that Somerset shoot over a year ago was a profound and mutual love for elegance – the English way: a marriage between functionality and beauty, with hidden pockets of oozing charisma.

Limited Edition Cara Delevingne Bag in Taupe Silk Classic Calf with Lion Rivets

The result is a bag that embraces the English character, as well as the English lifestyle. As Mulberry puts it, “It can be worn on the back: for running from the gym to work, or from train to plane. It can be worn on the shoulder: it can take you from work to dinner, or from town to country. It can be hand-held: for maximum elegance at all times or when you need to rise to an occasion”.  What more could we ask for?

Cara Delevingne Bag in Green Quilted Nappa

For the full Cara Collection visit Mulberry.