A SHOT OF COLOUR

I love notebooks... Apart from their obvious practicality, when beautifully made, they are a pleasure to own and flick through from time to time.
As the beginning of the year is the ideal time to renew one's stock, i love these by Orla Kiely, which having her signature colours and prints, are definitely smile inducing.

Containing 128 off-white ruled pages and being perfectly sized for a handbag, like a bunch of flowers in the home, or an uplifting scent, they're the perfect antidote for handbag depression.

Besides the bags, clothing line, stationery and homewares, the irish designer has teamed up with Target, so if you're in the US, an exclusive line of Kiely's homewares will be available at Target stores from the 15th February.

( Written by Lola, Stills courtesy of Orla Kiely )

THE CAT'S MEOW

We're excited to announce our soft toys are now available from Little Catwalk, the recently launched online children's boutique for everything lovely and sweet.

Based in Spain, besides our creations, this yummy mummy's dream of an online retailer also stocks desirable clothing items from Caramel Baby and Child, Antik Batik, Little Paul & Joe and Tammy Donohoe's, plus kiddie-friendly accessories such as Kidsonroof eco doll's houses, and Child Child Chair award-winning table and chairs combo.

Check it out and fall in love whether you're a parent or not... the items on offer are that cute.

( Written by Lola, Photos courtesy of Little Catwalk )

MILK + NÓMADA

Our latest creations, Ms Honeysuckle and Mr Moustachio I, have appeared on the lovely website of children's lifestyle magazine Milk.

You can read the full article here.

Also in the news is the opening of portuguese designer Alexandra Moura's guerrilla shop, 'Nómada', where besides her designs, you'll be able to find our soft toys, Boa Boca gourmet products, A Vida Portuguesa trad re-editions, and fellow fashion designers Ana Salazar and Dino Alves creations, among others.

This guerrilla shop, a first of many, is open from today until 17th August, on Av. 25 de Abril, loja D, Figueira da Foz, so if in the neighbourhood, don't forget to drop by.

( Written & Photographed by Lola )

VINTAGE GLAMOUR

In the old days glamour was a serious business... It was a definite no-no to go out without the proper attire, which included wardrobe, jewellery, handbag, shoes, perfect makeup, and a lot of poise.

A world away from mass-production, everything was handmade and cherished for years to come, and although most people didn't have much of everything, they had the proper items.

American Vogue was published twice a month (on the 1st and 15th), and amongst its contributors was the talented Cecil Beaton, who portrayed society women both through illustration and the photographic lens. House and Garden widely displayed the idea of the perfect home, and Vanity Fair dwelled on the international scene of the time and the faces who made it.

When WII came, women's lives, in Britain for example, transformed dramatically as they had to play their part in order to change the course of history. Even voteless, they worked as nurses, ambulance drivers, munition workers, tram conductors, and land girls.

In publications such as Vogue, women were told to support the country's morale by looking as lovely as ever, which with rationing meant modifying existing clothes, or making new ones from whatever fabrics were available using Vogue Pattern Book.

It's lovely to look at images from the past, and thankfully Condé Nast has an online store on which one can purchase, or simply browse, high quality prints from their magazines' archives, including Vogue, Vanity Fair, House & Garden, GQ, Goumet and Living.

Other great photographic archives are the ones from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London - V&A Prints (also available to purchase) and V&A Images, which are obviously rather complete and filled with beautiful images.

( Written by Lola )

ATONEMENT AT THE BAFTAS

I'm constantly disappointed with movies. More often than not, i feel the need to never, ever step foot on a movie theater again. I really do.
Upon seeing the Atonement trailer i instantly knew this wouldn't be one of those movies, and was right.
Based on a novel by Ian McEwan - adapted to screenplay by Christopher Hampton - and directed by Joe Wright, it takes place in an english country house in 1935, in the hottest day of the year, in a glorious peaceful time between WI and WII.
It tells the story of Cecilia Tallis (played by Keira Knightley), the older and somewhat distant daughter of an upper-class family, and Robbie Turner (played by James McAvoy), the kind-hearted son of the housekeeper, who clearly has feelings for Cecilia - feelings she also has but doesn't admit owning. Briony, Cecilia's 13 year-old sister, is quite prodigious for her age, but when stumbling upon a situation she doesn't quite fully understand, the child inside her speaks louder, a dreadful lie is told, and lives are ruined... her own included.
The performances throughout the movie are truly spectacular, and so is the period wardrobe and photography, which begins bright and sunny but turns greyer and greyer with each scene, only made more obvious by the beautiful, breathtaking music.
This is one of the many stories of a period in our history that although terrible and filled with sorrow, also tells a tale of hope and love.

I can't stop but wondering how many wonderful books must be hidden in the memories of those who survived the war, some of them still alive today.

The Baftas will take place this Sunday, 10th February, on 195 Piccadilly, and Atonement is nominated for 14 awards, including best film, director, adapted screenplay, leading actor, leading actress, music, wardrobe... the list is just too long to go on.
Quite beautiful and emotional, this is my favourite movie, set on my favourite historic period, so i'm quite biased in hoping it wins in all categories.
In the meanwhile, and before the ceremony, one can always visit its entertaining website, explore the visual book, read the novel, purchase the newly released DVD, and listen to the truly wonderful soundtrack by Dario Marianelli.
True food for the soul.

( Written by Lola )

READY TO GO

When it comes to travel bags, we love the ones by Globe-Trotter for its luxury, vintage feel and amazing quality. Shops wise, 10 Corso Como is one of our favourite for its eclectic choice of products and spacious shopping area. When you put the two together, you only can get a great result: the new range of Globe-Trotter bags by 10 Corso Como.

With an exterior in matt grey - a re-edition from the Globe-Trotter archives - with black leather trimming and the 10 Corso Como monogram print inside, the bags are the perfect accessories to travel in style.

Exclusively available at 10 Corso Como.

( Written by Álvaro, Photo courtesy by Globe-Trotter )

GLAMOUR PUSS

Because life can't always be serious and we do need a bit of humour in our daily affairs, i find fashion writing, when wittily done, the perfect secret weapon to unwind and let go ( along with a late session of Foyle's War on DVD, and a cup of spearmint green tea ).

Camilla Morton, a british fashion writer who has worked for The Times, The Telegraph Magazine and Harper's Bazaar, has written the most delightful books, which being non-fictional, they're more of resource guides for style oriented women.

The first one, How to Walk in High Heels, is a truly amusing and beautifully designed book, with delightful illustrations by Natasha Law ( definitely a plus where i'm concerned ), and covering the usual subjects such as grooming, gardening or packing, in a modern way. With a foreword by John Galliano, what makes it much more exciting are the added tips from experts such as Manolo Blahnik, Stella McCartney or Anya Hindmarch.

More of an almanac-style book which goes through the 1st January to the end of the year, A Girl for All Seasons is 528 pages of good fun. With illustrations by Natalie Ferstendik, each month covers a few 'How to's', features a travel postcard ( Paul Smith's London, Erin O'Connor's Wales ), a muse of the month, a book review, and being Camilla Morton, also a focus on footwear.

Although not everyone's cup of tea, i believe these are happy, eclectic and humorous books not to be taken too seriously, which show us life is simply too short to dwell on everything all the time, bringing a smile to one's face even on the bleakest of winter days.

( Written and Photographed by Lola )

IN THE BAG

With the A/W 2007 season in mind, we've launched four new beautiful zipper bags.

Perfect for keeping everything in place in your handbag or tote in the most gorgeous manner, and measuring 21 x 15 cm ( 8 by 6 inches ), Wooden bags are handmade from 100% cotton fabrics ( outer and lining ), and adorned with two wooden button designs, a terrier dog and a 747 plane.

In 4 fantastic colours - ochre, prune, latte and brick - and contrasting threads, they can house everything from travel necessities, make-up and beauty products, first aid, jewellery, camera and iPod, documents and currency.

Lovely as a gift for a loved one ( yourself included! ), Wooden bags are available in our online shop.

( Written and Photographed by Lola )

LISBON FASHION WEEK'S SHOP

Moda Lisboa, Lisbon's Fashion Week, begins tomorrow its latest edition, Move, which will take place until Sunday 14th October on Cidadela de Cascais.
Besides the fashion shows, it will also feature a temporary shop where you can find, among others, our soft toys.

( Written and Photographed by Lola )

COUTURE AT THE V&A

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London features, from 22nd September to 6th January 2008, an exhibition entirely dedicated to the fascinating world of Haute Couture.

The Golden Age of Couture begins its retrospective in 1947, when Mr Dior launched the 'New Look', and ends a decade later, featuring the work of Paris-based couturiers such as the aforementioned Cristian Dior, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain and Hubert de Givenchy, and also of London-based Norman Hartnell and Hardy Amies.

Illustrated with period gowns and photography, this post-war fashion tribute is a must for those ( myself included ) who revel in the Hitchcock-heroine look of that era.

Don't forget to also visit The Art of Lee Miller, a photographic retrospective of the life of the once american Vogue model, Man Ray lover and muse, and acclaimed photographer.

V&A at Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7

( Written and Photographed by Lola )

FEMALE FORM

Natasha Law's work is at the same time delicate and intense, soft and empowering. The first time i had a glimpse of it was on the pages of british Vogue a few years ago - a red on white ink sketch featuring a woman from behind, so demure yet incredibly striking.
Her highly recognizable work, which portrays the female form in saturated glossy paintings and deceptively carefree illustrations, has since then appeared, among others, on solo exhibitions at Eleven in London and Voltz Clarke in New York, a few books, and commercial ventures such as Jemma Kidd's makeup range and accessories designer Beatrix Ong's shoe boxes.

Law, a mother of three and sister to actor Jude, works from her studio in Camberwell, South London, to which she sneaks off when the children are in bed. Since last year, the artist has added yet another dimension to her work in the form of Lou Lou and Law, a clothing brand featuring her trademark sketches on Ann Louise Roswald's clothing designs, and available at a few select shops.

( Written by Lola )

( ALL IN A ) DAY'S WORK

As a long time admirer of Vinnie Day's beautiful jewellery, it's almost impossible to look at her bohemian designs and not feel tempted to add one or two pieces to one's collection.

Brought up in Kenya, where she started designing, her inspiration comes from travelling to such magical places as India, resulting in a elegantly cool collection of necklaces, bracelets and earrings frequently worn by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Jacquetta Wheeler or Sienna Miller.

Favourites? Well, everything is so delicately made is perhaps hard to pinpoint a few items, but probably the 24K vermeil shell charm drop earrings (shown here), gold and rutillated quartz necklace snakey in 24K vermeil , and gold earrings in vermeil with leaf clusters are the pieces which wow the most.

Now that's what we call a gold overdose!

( Written by Lola / Photo courtesy of Astley Clarke )

STYLISH POOCH

We love dogs, and what's not to love? Great companions, warm, cuddly, pure and honest, and let's face it, as cute as they come. Because La Maison de Lola has its very own little friend named Dot (because of her dots), we are always delighted to see something beautiful and stylish for the canine bunch.

Paul Smith has a line just for dogs, but we particularly love his trademark multistripe dog collar (available in sizes small, medium and large), the swirl grained lead (to create contrast), and the metal dog collar tag, which is just adorable and gives your pooch a little playmate of his own.

Definitely too cool for (canine) school!

( Written and Photographed by Lola / Stills courtesy of Paul Smith)

DAFFODIL CINDERELLA

Shoes, shoes, and more shoes. Although not always in need of yet another pair, we just seem to fall in love with its sculptural designs, its colours and materials, and even the way they can effortlessly take you back to a bygone era.
As shoe designers go, not many are as gifted as british designer Rupert Sanderson.

In business since August 2001 and passionate for the craft of shoe making, Sanderson spends 4 months of the year in Italy overlooking the artisans’ work, making sure each shoe is a piece of pure perfection.
Always named after a variety of daffodil, his designs come in five toe shapes, and heel heights which range from 10mm flats to 10 cm stilettos. Far from trying to be fashionable, the emphasis is on simplicity, silhouette and elegance, something which makes him work not only for his namesake brand, but to be also highly requested by prestigious labels such as Margareth Howell and Jean Muir.

Besides the lovely designs of his current collection (soon to be replaced by the A/W 07 one), we’re in love with his elegant boutiques, the first opened in 2004, with furniture sourced by architectural salvage company Retrouvious. In addition to the heavenly shoes, you can also buy a piece of furniture, attend a tea party, and taste the home-made cake, a speciality in its own right.

If in London, be sure to visit Rupert Sanderson’s first boutique at 33 Bruton Place, Mayfair, or the recently opened at 2a Hans Road, Knightsbridge.

( Written by Lola / Photos courtesy of Rupert Sanderson )

THE CONRAN CASE

Travelling is always nice, so why not do it with style? Designed by Terence Conran, the latest Globe-Trotter trunk is the perfect excuse to buy a new travelling case.
Available exclusively at The Conran Shop around the world, the trunk is based on the classic Globe-Trotter model, but with a few twists. Cream on the outside and with prussian blue cotton lining, the case is adorned with black leather straps and brass trimmings, making it impossible to resist to.
Luxurious and light, the special edition Globe-trotter is the best accessory to take to either a one day trip to Paris or a week in New-York.
Just don’t leave it behind!

( Written by Álvaro / Photo courtesy of Globe-trotter )

I'M NOT A PLASTIC BAG

Every once in a while comes an item that makes a stir in the fashion world. More often than not, that item is designed by Anya Hindmarch, a british handbag designer, mother of five, with a keen eye for everything lovely and elegant.
Upon such successes as Be a Bag and the Neeson plaited leather tote, and after a two-year process, Anya Hindmarch launched, along with We Are What We Do, the I’m not a plastic bag, an environmental tote in canvas primarily designed to replace the use of plastic bags in a stylish way.
Being limited edition, 20000 bags were made – 5000 to be sold by Hindmarch, another 5000 by We Are What We Do, and 10000 at Sainsbury’s locations all around the UK.
As fierce long-time Anya fans we’ve pre-ordered ours on her website, and we’re glad we did so because once they hit the shops in the UK, they sold out within the hour.
If you couldn’t purchase the first edition ones don’t despair: there will still be some cream/brown bags available in July at 10CorsoComo in Milan and Brown Thomas in Ireland, and other colour editions throughout the world: cream/navy blue in North America, cream/bottle green in Japan, and cream/grey in South East Asia.

Even for those who don't appreciate this particular bag, just raising awareness to this issue is a truly positive thing.
Because plastic bags contribute greatly for global warming, all of us should take a positive action. Today.
Please read this for more info on the subject.

( Written by Lola / Photographed by Álvaro, Still courtesy of Anya Hindmarch )