A New Adventure

From miserable, grey, wet Heathrow to a hazy sun in the morning sky over Abu Dhabi. After a 7 hour flight spent watching '500 Days of Summer' and the brilliant 'Up'and attempting to get a little shut eye I've arrived to a gleaming Middle Eastern airport. Having had minimal sleep and aware that it should be the middle of the UK night, it feels very odd suddenly landing in bright sunlight at what should be 3.30am. As we cruised in to land the landscape is truly original and fascinating. Hugging the shoreline are large shimmering buildings, entirely dwarfing tiny houses and creating an amazing sense of scale. I thought I could see huge schools of fish in the clear water, however that may have been coral, but the water was bright blue and then perfect sand on the shore and then miles more sand and greeny blue waterways and canals. It's a beautiful sight and really remarkable. It's absolutely man-made, as the symmetry is so precise, but I can't really see how and why those canals would be used. There are random individual houses on their own sandy islands surrounded by these waterways and no apparent way, bar a boat to get anywhere! People have said to me that Abu Dhabi is like a huge building site and certainly once I'd got past the beauty of the initial coastline and the surrounding area and nearing the airport it does open up into a massive construction site. There are some fascinating buildings - a huge globe, again, just on it's own gleaming in the morning sun and from where I'm sitting overlooking the runway there's a beautiful curved control tower - like a large sail. I'd like the opportunity to go into Abu Dhabi itself but I guess that will wait for another time, as it is I'm on my way to Sydney - a city in a country that I've yet to visit and I'm about to embark on 3 months of living and working in a totally new and exciting environment. Bye Bye Britain, so long cold weather, farewell Christmas around the fire - Aussie here I come!

Join the 'Fash Pack' with Oddity Candy Watches from Adidas

Colour is big news this summer and Shade Station is spoiling you with our on-trend colour palette and amazing selection of designer watches and sunglasses. For your fashionable summer wristwear look no further than Adidas and their new Oddity Candy range. The equivalent to Lancôme’s Juicy Tube Lipgloss for lips these brightly coloured watches will arm you with perfect digital timing and the necessary pop of colour on your wrist to embrace this season's trend.

"But I don't 'do' sport!"

Yes, that may be the case but we bet you still wear Adidas shell toes to the pub and have worn an adidas tracksuit or hooded top to the supermarket at some point. Adidas is of course the premier sports label, however it is also a lifestyle label. Stella McCartney and Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto both know this, as does glossy magazine, Instyle, which featured the Adidas wrist-candy in last months issue. The point is; Adidas Oddity Candy watches are both functional and superbly fashionable.

With a rainbow selection of hues, the Oddity Candy range has colours to suit all tastes, from turquoise and dusky red to green and baby pink. For those with more traditional tastes, white and black are available and those who embrace colour will love the Adidas Oddity Candy watch in ‘vibrant orange’, which is exclusive to Shade Station.

For all your pursuits this summer, colour is a must and the easiest way to wear it, is a burst of Oddity Candy on your wrist!

Tom Ford

Tom Ford seems to effortlessly transcend the gap between being an established designer and that of a relative newcomer. You could categorise him with the old guard like, Armani, Valentino, Cavalli and Lagerfeld simply because he is such an established name and has had success within groups and independently. However you can also bunch him together with the likes of Stella McCartney, Luella, Giles Deacon, Marc Jacobs and DSquared, because in reality, he’s not that old and hasn’t been in the business for decades either.
Tom Ford sits in a rare place within the design industry for just this reason. He demands respect because of his success, his designs are timeless and classic and yet he’s as quick to push the boundaries as any other young aspiring designer trying to make a name for themselves.

For proof of his success you can look to the time he was Creative Director at Gucci in the Nineties. At the time Gucci was a big name, however it was virtually bankrupt and didn’t have the youth vote at all. Enter Ford. He injected a fresh optimism and pizzazz into the Italian design house and as a result made a name for himself and seduced an entire generation to Gucci’s charms. Remember the velvet slim line hipsters and the skinny satin shirts loved by Gwyneth Paltrow and her contemporaries? Tom Ford helped Gucci become the A-Lister’s label of choice.

In 2004 Ford left Gucci and started his own label. His previous success enabled him to hit the ground running and within very little time ‘Tom Ford’ became an established, sought after label. From his accessories range to his menswear and sunglasses collection, every piece screams style and panache. The most recent offering from Tom Ford is a ‘Made to Measure’ service for men’s dress shoes. Dress shoes are traditionally conservative and there is little choice between styles. Again, step forward Mr Ford. This inspired collection will offer no less than 18 different styles and will be made to the exact foot size specification. Once again Tom Ford stamps his mark in the world of fashion and shows both the dinosaurs and the young pretenders just who’s really boss.

Many celebrities are fans of Tom Ford’s designs, including Brad Pitt. This spring saw the actor dressed head to toe in Tom Ford, from his sunglasses to his shoes at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Pictured wearing a pale pink ‘Spencer’ suit with an open neck white shirt, Brad Pitt looked dashing and modern, accessorising with a pair of the very latest Tom Ford aviator sunglasses and a grey cashmere scarf. Brad Pitt rarely pus a foot wrong when it comes to fashion and by wearing Tom Ford when he’s under the glare of the camera lense, Pitt ensures he remains fashion’s darling and every women’s fantasy.

You may not have the status or cash to rival Brad but you can certainly give him a run for his money in the sunglasses stakes. Tom Ford sunglasses are incredibly stylish and also the choice of eyewear for another ladies man, James Bond! Ford’s sophisticated range of shades is ultra modern whilst also remaining slightly retro and classic. The aviator is a must in every man’s summer wardrobe and Tom Ford delivers, with varying styles of aviator shades within his men’s collection.

CocoMania!

This summer sees the release of 2 films about the life of Coco Chanel. Surprisingly neither looks specifically at her life as the world’s foremost fashion designer; rather they concentrate on darker, lesser-known periods of her life.

The first starring Audrey Tautou, famous for her starring role in Amelie, is entitled “Coco Avant Chanel” (Coco before Chanel) and explores Chanel’s life as she grew up in an orphanage in rural France and scraped her way to Paris, via odd jobs and wealthy men. The film bears witness to her transformation from effectively little more than a peasant girl to a woman who became known for her style and the embodiment of chic. Audrey Tautou was born to play Chanel. Like Coco, she has similar androgynous body measurements and an astonishing facial likeness with high cheekbones, dark hair and porcelain skin. Her wonderful turn as the headstrong designer, has elicited rave reviews from French cinema goers and critics alike.

The second film in a season of Chanel biopics stars Lagerfield muse Anna Mouglalis as Mademoiselle Chanel and is called “Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky”. Merging fact and fiction, the film follows the love affair between a young Chanel and the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky during the early 1920s. The film closed the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and was met with praise for its direction and set design in particular.

Both films are sumptuous tales depicting periods of Coco Chanel’s life, however it is entirely coincidental that they have seen the light of day at the exact same time. As it is, both pictures have begun this summer’s trend of ‘CocoMania’.

Although never far from the limelight, Chanel is currently having a HUGE fashion moment. In addition to both movies, the French design house is currently producing all the outfits for Penelope Cruz in her latest film with the Spanish director Pedro Almodovar “Broken Embraces”. Almodovar has praised Chanel as “One of the best inventions of the Twentieth Century”. The English National Ballet has also announced that all their dancers will be performing at Sadler’s Wells in June wearing Chanel Haute Couture, to celebrate the centenary of Ballets Russes – an early Twentieth Century Russian Ballet Company.

The fashion people are also hot on the Coco trend, at this years Paris Fashion Week, Jefferson Hack, co-founder of ‘Dazed & Confused’ magazine and father to Kate Moss’s daughter, held a party in Chanel’s private apartments in the Rue Cambon, to which, a host of French society, models and celebrities were invited.

Chanel has been a driving force in the fashion industry and has given society some of its most influential and iconic produce to date. No scent in history has had as much success as Chanel No 5, the black quilted chain bag has become a symbol of style and affluence, the little box Chanel jacket has been copied the world over…. And there’s more… Coco made pearls fashionable, stripes and the signature little black dress.

As summer 2009 implodes with CocoMania it is essential that budding fashionista’s are armed with Chanel fodder. Most designer pieces are far too expensive to enjoy, however sunglasses, as well as being a summer necessity, are an affordable must-have item, and they don’t come much better than Chanel. Shade Station will be stocking Chanel sunglasses for the summer, so you can indulge in your Chanel moment and keep abreast of the hottest trend this year.

Celebs, Sunglasses, Cannes!

If you’re celebrity savvy like me you will have been watching all the action at the recent 2009 Cannes Film Festival with interest. The stars, the dresses, the parties and the gossip kept me entertained for at least, oh, a week!

Angelina and Brad put on a show of togetherness in answer to reports of an imminent split. Penelope Cruz braved the festival whilst suffering with flu. Twilight’s Robert Pattinson’s non-stop partying was widely reported. Surprise at the pairing of Hero’s Hayden Panettiere and T4’s Steve Jones, seen canoodling onboard David Furnish’s yacht for the duration of the festival. Paris Hilton and her beau Doug Reinhart courting the paps as usual and Mariah Carey promoting her new film ‘Precious’. As well as 2 films depicting the life of Mademoiselle Chanel and an appearance from Chanel ‘s Creative Director, the unflappable Karl Lagerfeld, made for an exciting week.

The French Riviera was awash with Hollywood Glitterati and the sun shone brightly, so unsurprisingly we were treated to a role call of the latest, most fashionable sunglasses as modelled by the A-Listers.

Police sunglasses were a popular choice amongst the men, with director Quentin Tarantino, rapper Neyo and the newly reformed Spandau Ballet all sporting various cool looking styles. Brad Pitt took to the Red Carpet for his movie ‘Inglourious Basterds’ wearing top to toe Tom Ford including a sharp looking pair of Tom Ford style aviators. Both Robert Pattinson and Orlando Bloom flew the flag for Ray Ban, with the Twilight star rocking some Ray Ban Clubmasters and Bloom wearing nothing but swimming shorts and a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers.

German born Diane Kruger is rarely seen without her Ray Ban Wayfarers and Cannes was no exception this year. Eva Longoria turned up the heat with a sizzling pair of large red Gina sunglasses by Louis Vuitton accompanied by her husband, basketball player Tony Parker. Red head Julianne Moore was pictured wearing a stunning pair of oversized black Gucci shades and singer Mariah Carey chose a fabulous pair of Roberto Cavalli sunglasses for her photo call. Closing this year’s festival was Chanel muse and actress Anna Mouglalis with her film ‘Coco Chanel & Igor Strvinsky’ wearing.... Chanel sunglasses of course!

Frame Acadamy

The Wahanda team rose early this morning and donned leg warmers, to check out Frame, the new dance, fitness and holistic studio in Shoreditch. Housed under the railway arches between Curtain Rd and Shoreditch High St, Frame is the coolest, cosiest dance studio we’ve ever had the pleasure of setting eyes on. Combining exposed brickwork and plenty of wood and glass, the building is a light, modern, happy place to be. One large dance studio dominates the space, with several further smaller studios designed for mat work and spin classes, and another for reformer pilates.

There are well designed changing rooms for both men and women, with showers, plenty of mirror space, hair straighteners and products. Tucked away up some stairs is a little nook with squashy sofas and a viewing gallery, designed as a communal area for members to kick back, relax, check their emails and/or have their hair and make up seen to.

The team behind Frame are two bright, sparky twenty something girls, Joan Murphy and Pip Black. Having both come from business and marketing backgrounds, they had a dream to create a hallowed place combining fitness, fun and convenience. It was as if they had climbed into Wahanda’s head and stolen all our ideas for a fabulous workout venue. In addition to a body popping, totally rocking array of classes, Frame serves up a ‘help yourself’ style breakfast bar every morning to set you up for the day ahead and then on Thursday and Friday evening’s there’s a team of hair stylists and make up artists on hand to beautify you before you hit the tiles… we couldn’t have organised it better ourselves!

Those annoying, stoic membership schemes are thrown out the window too as Frame have introduced a pay as you go swipe card that you can top up as and when you wish – so it’s goodbye to lengthy contracts and hello to fitness freedom.

Exercise has never been so fun and Wahanda can verify this having learnt a few Lindy hop moves this morning. Tone up with aerobic classes like the Jane Fonda Tribute and the Buff Workout, embrace your inner showgirl by learning burlesque, the lindy hop or the charleston and find your inner balance with acrobatic yoga and pilates. These are just a handful of classes for you to try and from £8 a class, prices are light enough to enjoy all that Frame has to offer.

Pretty in Prada

Let’s face it, who doesn’t want to own a pair of Prada sunnies. Prada has become synonymous with style, elegance and good taste. Never knowingly over the top or excessive, Prada is always on trend and rarely puts a foot wrong.

One of last years hottest celebrity sunglasses trends were Prada’s Butterfly shades. At one time or another most of Hollywoods A-list could be seen sporting them. Nicole Ritchie, a big sunglasses fan, spent most of the summer in hers as did Paris Hilton and actress turned singer turned Anglophile Juliette Lewis. This year’s collection is all about smooth curves and wide frames in black and royal purple. The perennially popular aviator also gets an update for 2009 with a double bridged nose and an unusually wide arm. Eva Longoria has already been seen in this 56IS aviator style this year. While we’re yet to predict which style will prove a hit with the fickle fashionistas, you can bet your bottom dollar Prada will be adorning many a celeb face this summer.

Although Prada pre dates The First World War, (it was founded in 1913) it didn’t really enjoy commercial success until Miuccia Prada took over the company reins in 1978 and even then it wasn’t an overnight wonder. Having laid the groundwork throughout the Eighties, Prada finally came into it’s own in the early Nineties with the explosion of celebrity voyeurism, when just about every media darling was seen in Prada’s elegant threads. The ball kept on rolling and in 1998 the company launched their own line of sunglasses, which have proved popular with celebrities and ‘civillians’ alike. For all of us who covet a Prada piece but can’t quite (ok, not even nearly) stretch to over a grand for an item of clothing, their collection of eye wear means we can all own a little of the dream.

The Himalayan Day Spa

When an invitation to have a sneak preview of the new Himalayan Day Spa opening in Chiswick, dropped through my inbox, I was naturally thrilled and within minutes all booked up and mapping out the train journey to west London!
To say I was excited was an understatement, this is the first Himalayan influenced spa in the UK and I was one of the first to visit!

Sitting pretty on Chiswick High Road in an old bank, is the spa and hiding behind a big impressive wooden door (to keep those bank robbers out) is a haven of pure relaxation. A large reception area greets you, beautifully uncluttered and decorated in shades of nude and brown with plants and himalayan-sourced artefacts dotted around. There are four treatment rooms split over two floors, including a spacious treatment room for couples, a relaxation area, a jacuzzi and separate manicure and pedicure stations. Throughout the spa are loving, unique touches. There are wonderful carvings and pictures on the walls, an antique statue in the hallway, large copper bowls for soaking client’s feet in the pedicure area and the paper used in the extensive spa menu has come directly from the Himalayas. All this is the creation of the spa owner Kalpana Gurung.

Kalpana spent the first six years of her life in the Himalayas and has lived, studied and worked in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore before coming to London in 2007. Her background is in business and she and her Aunt, Sakun, an experienced therapist, are the brains behind the self-financed operation. The concept is interesting, because surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly for those in the know) the Himalayas do not have a spa or beauty culture to speak of. There is simply no money in the region and the last thing on people’s minds is a quick pick me up facial or a pampering massage, so consequently there are no spas or salons across the vast mountain range. The Himalayas stretch across six countries – Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan – and it is these countries that influence the culture of the the area and in turn, the design and approach adopted by The Himalayan Day Spa.

While I was there it was only fitting that I tried a Himalayan massage, and what a massage it was! Incorporating techniques from Thai massage and Swedish with some deep tissue and lymphatic drainage, my therapist, Sakun, kneaded and manipulated my body into a state of pure relaxation and bliss. Using an oil from the all natural brand Pevonia and accompanied to the sound of traditional Himaylayan music, Sakun’s fingers, knuckles and elbows truly worked magic. After an hour of pampering heaven it was time to take my leave and believe me, I left reluctantly, but not before vowing to return another day.

The Himalayan Day Spa opens to the public on Friday 13th and will be offering 20% off all treatments until the 31st March, and then 15% and 10% in April and May respectively. Regular clients may also take advantage of a 10% discount on all treatments by joining the Spa’s Pampering Club for an annual membership fee of £50.

Gyrotonic Pilates

I'm always keen to try something new in the name of health and beauty, however when it was suggested I try out a Gyrotonic Pilates lesson, my first thoughts were 'What on earth?' followed by mild fear and intrepidation upon seeing the cranky looking Gyrotonic machines.

My introduction to Gyrotonic exercise took place in a very private residence in central Marylebone with the divine Sandie Wilson. She runs her business Personal Pilates from her apartment, in which several rooms play host to a number of giant machines, which look like they've come straight out of a 1930's Swiss correction institute - all wooden frames, pulleys, weights, stirrups and ropes. This particular form of pilates using machines is called The Gyrotonic Expansion System.

The Gyrotonic Expansion System was created by former dancer and choreographer Juilu Horvath in the Eighties who devised the system to help him strengthen and develop mobility and prevent injury. The system combines weights to create resistance and various other contraptions like rotating wheels and stirrups (used both for the hands and feet – although not simultaneously) to enable the user to perform hundreds of spiral movements and produce greater depth within each stretch and exercise. As the moves are circular rather than linear (as in traditional mat pilates) the practice encourages the user to use the fullest range of the body.
Gyrotonic is particularly famed for creating lean lithe limbs, this is because the breadth of movement forces you to engage multiple muscle groups at the same time, unlike weight-lifting for instance, which isolates muscle groups and leads to the bulky pumped up look muscle men sport.

After a steaming mug of lemon and ginger and a chat we got down to business. Wearing tracksuit bottoms and a vest I climbed onto a bench a similar size to a traditional gym weights bench with rotating wheels and handles one end and a pulley tower with weights on the other. Having watched Sandie perform the first movement with total ease and grace, I grabbed the handles to have a go. The idea was to turn the right wheel clockwise and the left anti-clockwise one after the other in a flowing motion whilst moving my body forward and and then arching my back in a swooping gesture and breathing in and whooshing out at strategic points in the cycle. Being fairly uncoordinated at the best of times I found this exercise a little tricky and rather than adopting a flowing motion my actions were jerky and slow. Help was on hand though, with a light touch Sandie guided my body through the cycle ensuring I was maintaining the correct alignment and gently nudging me in the right direction. To a chorus of encouragement from Sandie I eventually nailed it and moved on to a number of varied exercises using the wheels. Whilst doing the exercises it struck home what Sandie had told me about Gyrotonic's being similar to dancing. The fluidity (when you eventually achieve it) is beautiful and I found myself at times, lost in the moment.

From the wheels I moved to the leg exercises. With the stirrups over my feet, lying with my back on the bench I see-sawed my legs back and forth and made great circular patterns in the air, amongst a host of other moves. Each time Sandie encouraged and corrected my position and the whole of the leg work section of the session felt very nurturing, light and free.

At the end of the session I felt I'd used up all my concentration and that I'd worked my body hard, although I wasn't sweating. Some exercises require you to use your body in ways you rarely do, twisting and curling, however I left Sandie's flat (after another mug of delicious lemon and ginger) feeling elated and excited to have learnt something new.

The next day my muscles were smarting with the good pain that tells you you've had a thorough body work out, which in my books is bliss. Although tricky to begin with, Sandie assures me it doesn't take long to become familiar with the basic moves and develop a smidgen of coordination and then you'll be on the path to lean, mean limbs, dexterity and overall well-being.

Power Plates: Tried and Tested

Power Plates: Tried and Tested.

The lifestyle Institute

Location: Set in the heart of the pulsing financial City district, seconds from the Barbican Centre and within walking distance of Moorgate, Liverpool St and Bank. Perfect for busy city types to pop in for a lunchtime half hour class.

Facilities: Top floor studio, intimate and cosy. Low lighting, chilled funk music, candles. Four power plates located at front of studio in front of a floor to ceiling mirror.
Changing facilities partitioned off from room by curtains.
Poor bathroom facilities. Ladies and men's located on ground floor and first floor respectively. One ill-kept, grubby looking shower and very little space to change.

Class: Half hour class. Great tuition, guidance and encouragement from Jessica our instructor and owner of the studio. Easy to follow instruction and she tailored the class to suit our differing fitness levels and abilities. Ended the session by lying on our front then backs to allow the plate to intensely massage our quaking legs.

Overall: Once in the studio the atmosphere and staff are very welcoming. The instructors are very sympathetic to your abilities and are knowledgeable and informative. The lifestyle Institute would be particularly good for personal tuition due to the intimacy of the space and the care and attention the trainers bestow upon you. The only thing letting this wonderful business down is the inept showering facilities, however these are easily avoided by simply washing when you get home!


Power Tone – Mayfair

Location: A fairly unkempt entrance on Maddox Street, off Regent's Street. Less than five minutes walk from Oxford Circus. Clients must use the stairs off the street into the basement location.

Facilities: Although below street level the studio is very bright, airy and welcoming. It feels exactly the sort of place you could do some serious exercise. The main room houses four power plate machines in front of a floor to ceiling mirror. Beyond this is a smaller room with one machine for private instruction and located at the very back is a further room used for various massage treatments. The changing facilities consist of two spacious curtained-off areas in the main studio and a toilet upstairs, however there are no showers.

Class: My class was a one on one with personal trainer...... Although the basic preamble about the equipment was minimal, the session was fluid and very enjoyable. Because the focus was solely on me, we were able to go at pace and managed to fit a number of exercises into the 25 minute slot. The session ended once again with an intense thigh massage on the plate and finally a lower back massage.

Overall: The class was mid-morning and I had the studio to myself, my instructor was the only other person in the room. The direction was very good and I felt like I had a thorough workout. During the session the phone rang quite often and perhaps it would have been useful to have someone else manning reception.


Movers and Shaper – Vauxhall

Location: In the new development in Vauxhall opposite the bus and train station. Exit 6 if you emerge from underground. Easy to spot from the road.

Facilities: A very welcoming studio with funky wall paper in shades of mauve and taupe. Nice size and feels spacious. Flowers on the front desk add a nice touch. Four power plates in a partitioned-off area in front of floor to ceiling mirror. One further small room housing one power plate machine used for private instruction or an introduction to the club. A changing cubicle at the back of the studio and toilets by reception.

Class: The session began with a massage warm up on the plate, followed by a series of pulsing exercises. Positions adopted on the plate differed largely to those followed at the other two studios. My instructor Bob was very friendly and genial. He clearly has a wealth of experience and the session was very informative and fun. He radiated enthusiasm and motivation and finished with a vibrating thigh and calf massage on the machine.

Overall: Movers and Shakers is part-owned by Bupa and as such offers a nutrition and energy personal training service to every member in the form of 'Fitbug'. The Fitbug is a small electronic device which records your daily energy use and reports back to the Movers and Shaker's trainers. Combined with information on your daily calorie intake, you and your trainer are able to chart your fitness progress.
This studio had more of a gym feel, despite the elegant decor, this was probably due to the male instructors though. The music was motivating and despite the lack of shower facilities this is a great studio to come and use on the way to, or from work.


Good Vibes – Fitzrovia

Location: Situated on Little Riding Street, a quiet road hidden behind the hustle and bustle of Oxford Circus. Perfect for media types popping out for a half hour fitness blast.

Facilities: A very large reception area, decked out in white with orange bubble chairs, colourful chandeliers and large ornate mirrors. In the hallway between reception and studio are two changing rooms and directly opposite these, two toilets with one accommodating a shower cubicle. The studio is at the back in a fairly large room with five power plate machines. There are floor to ceiling mirrors on two walls and a pleasing glass roof. There are witty touches throughout the venue.

Class: The group class began with a warm up followed by a chunk of leg toning exercises, some brief arm exercises then a punishing abdominal work section, followed by a warm down massage on the plate. Of all the classes I've attended this felt like it had the best structure, although our instructor seemed slightly more 'light-weight' than those in the other venues.

Overall: Good Vibes definitely gets the girlie vote and the changing facilities here were amongst the best I'd seen. The studio appears to be more geared up for groups rather than personal training and despite knowing that we were all beginners there was little to no instruction about the power plates and how they worked.
This is the perfect studio for a fun workout session however more serious fitness types may turn their noses up.
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Cult Clubmaster

Anyone who keeps a beady eye on our blogs will know we're not averse to blowing Ray Ban's trumpet now and again. But hold the press, the Wayfarer's younger brother has reared it's meddling head to divide your affections. Known as the 'Clubmaster' this model features a 1950's brow line bar and was Ray Ban's homage to to the stars of the Fifties and Sixties. First released in 1986, the Clubmaster was an instant hit and proved very popular with America's burgeoning hip-hop and pop culture.

Following the massively successful re-release of the Wayfarer and it's continuing popularity, Ray Ban got smart and produced another ace with the re-launch of their equally iconic Clubmaster model. The original came only in black and tortoiseshell, however lucky Noughties kids can choose from 7 new colours.

As fitting a much loved star, it's relaunch was held with grand aplomb at The Bowery Ballroom in New York in December '08, with more celebrities in attendance than you could shake a stick at. Taking inspiration from their Fifties and Sixties theme, Ray Ban hired a host of hip American musicians, including The Black Kids, to perform re-worked popular tunes from the vintage era. The guest list read like a promoter's dream with everyone's favourite Gossip Girl stars; Blake Lively, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford and Ed Westwick working the red carpet, alongside Hollywood sweethearts Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson and even the elusive Kevin Bacon put in a rare appearance, perhaps tempted by the retro Eighties Clubmaster and nostalgic for his 'Footloose' days?!!

Of course now all the stars have their mitts on these toptastic shades, Ray Ban can rest on their laurels; surely the only way is up. And as for which style to go for... we say a little indulgence never hurt anyone, go on buy a pair of each!

Reveiw of Aqua Sculpture Day Spa in Hammersmith

I was given a £150 Wahanda voucher as a gift and having browsed the salons in partnership with Wahanda, settled on the Aqua Sculpture Day spa near Hammersmith, realising that I'd get more more for my money at a smaller local spa, than one of the more established one's in Mayfair.
The Spa is very well presented and easy to find. The reception area, has an Eastern influence and is very well appointed. I picked up the most recent Times Magazine while waiting and noticed the spa had received a very good review from The Times Salon Spy and subsequently felt glad I'd visited before the stampede!

I opted for the Inch-loss Universal contour Wrap, a facial and a basic manicure. To my delight all three were discounted in the New Year promotion.

My therapist Florence led me downstairs, along a beautifully dimmed corridor lined with lanterns to my treatment room. Once there we discussed what I hoped to achieve from the treatment and which facial would be best suited to my skin. She was very knowledgeable on all aspects and answered my endless questions regarding the treatments I was having and the ones they offered, very succinctly and with ease.

I was told to strip to all but paper knickers, whilst Florence took about 10 different measurements in order to compare my vitals before and after the treatment. I felt a little uncomfortable standing naked whilst she wrapped the bandages around me and thankfully she realised this and constructed me a bandage bra (!) before ensconcing the rest of my body with the wrap! Once wrapped from heel to neck she helped me put on a special silver suit to ensure the heat could work it's magic. Ordinarily at this point, the client would lie on a heated bed under blankets for an hour and do very little, which I realised could be a little dull, so opted to have my facial whilst the wrap went to work detoxing my sorry body...

The facial was wonderful and very relaxing. My skin felt amazing to touch and plump until the next day... The music was pretty good too, switching between generic spa music and a cooler more foot tapping sound with I couldn't begin to describe now.

After the hour's facial I was unwrapped mercifully quickly as the exposure made me feel very cold. Thankfully it was over quickly and after a brief towel down and more measurements I got back into my clothes. Apparently I'd lost a total of 10 inches all over, which I was slightly doubtful about, but my jeans did feel slightly more comfortable! Obviously in order to ensure the inches stay at bay a course of wraps is recommended.

Upstairs for my manicure, which was lovely and over all too quickly. Unfortunately my nail polish had chipped slightly the next day which I was a little disappointed about.

My only gripe was the sales talk and I eventually ended up buying 2 products due to the persistence of my therapist. I would have felt more comfortable if the sales patter was less incessant. However luckily for me, due to the incredible good value of the treatments I had almost enough credit left within my voucher to cover the price of the products and only ended up paying a minimal amount on top. Before I left I was actually given a few Matis sample products to try at home, which it turns out are excellent...

Overall it was a very good experience and I would definitely return for further treatments.

"The future's so bright I gotta wear shades"

Those fickle fashion designers and trend setters that dictate our yearly flings and love affairs with countless styles of sunglasses are to blame. We enter a new year and our much prized glasses from the previous season are cast aside, just as in years gone by, as we clamour to see what we should be buying in 2009 to keep up with the fashion crowd and stay one step ahead of the girl next door.

2008 was a colourful year for sunglasses, quite literally. British style was optimised by Lily Allen and her plethora of rainbow hued shades, just as Paris Hilton paved the way for our compatriots in the USA with enormous white rimmed sunnies. It was a year of kiddie style, joke glasses, that when worn amongst other trend followers seemed acceptable, yet worn in the wrong situation or within an ill-informed crowd, elicited sniggers and strange glances. These sunglasses were accepted, expected and rife throughout the long summer of festivals and frivolity, but like all fun trends were forgotten by the end of the year.
In the same year Ray Ban's Wayfarers showed no sign of lagging as the Eighties trend held strong. Similarly Oakley's limited release of their iconic frogskins filled a gap in the market and were embraced by celebrities and fashion followers alike. And who can forget Kanye West's 'shutter shades', which spawned a host of copycat disciples and ran away with the prize for the most ridiculous glasses of the year, despite a strong field of contenders.

2009 looks set to become a vintage year. Along with the re-emergence of bygone styles, those in the know are cautioning you to hold on to your ray bans and aviators as these classic styles are set to continue their steady growth. The big news though is 'round' mod-like sunglasses. Yes you heard me correctly and no, this time we're not channelling John Lennon. Think Jackie O and Audrey but smaller. These beauties were crawling all over the Spring/Summer 09 runways, leading the way were big hitters Ralph Lauren and Lanvin. Of course the celeb's are hot on the designer's heels and both Mary-Kate Olsen and Lily Allen have both been papped wearing them. Another surprising trend is classic horn-rimmed styles, which Chanel were sporting in their new season's collection. Colour wise it's all about tortoiseshell this season, which is a welcome change to those who felt left out in the cold by last years crayola colour shades.

And there you have it. Your definitive guide to this years coolest sunglasses. It's a bit of an odd-ball mix and there's some howlers in there, but wouldn't fashion be dull if we didn't shake it up a bit and look silly occasionally?!