Frugal February

Yesterday I stumbled across 2 blogs - Dolly Mix and Big Girls Browse - both of which enlightened me to Frugal February... Aha, just what I need! Suffering from post-Christmas / silly season expenditure, my disposable income has hit an all time low. So this month I vow to spend as little as possible. Whilst I will remain loyal to my daily extra-hot, double shot, skinny cappuccino - there will be no money spent on clothes, cosmetics and beauty products. There will be no mid-week drinking out (I may stretch to a cheap bottle of wine at home) and Saturday nights out will be capped to £40? Can you have a good night out on £40?? Watch this space!


I cycle into work everyday (a 14 mile round trip!), saving me the cost of transport and I always make my own lunch, which must save me a fiver a day... I play netball 2, sometimes 3 evenings a week and also on a Saturday morning (which means I tend not to go out on a Friday night) and I have a Virgin gym membership (not cheap!) so try to make good use of it on nights I'm not playing sport...

How hard can this Frugal February lark be, if I just immerse myself in exercise, lay off the vino and big nights out and show a little restraint for 29 days towards pretty clothes, shoes and earrings?! Then maybe some of that self-restraint will carry itself over to March too... here's hoping!

Dave Cornthwaite - The Creative Explorer

On Thursday evening The Marketers Forum were lucky enough to host a talk by Dave Cornthwaite, an adventurer, author, documentary maker and motivational speaker.

“Choose comfort or choose ambition. They don’t come in the same box”

At 25 Dave had a well paid, but unfulfilling job as a graphic designer, his own house, a long term girlfriend and a cat… however he gave all of it up in pursuit of a dream. Having always wanted to write, Dave realised he needed ‘stories’ in order to enable his writing. A turn on a longboard in 2005, gave birth to an idea to travel the world, raising awareness for causes he was passionate about, whilst creating material he could write about…

He began planning 2 incredible journeys, which saw him skate the length of Britain from John O’ Groats to Lands End and then in early 2007 he pushed his skateboard Elisa, 5823km across Australia between Perth and Brisbane. Dave became the first person to cover these distances on a skateboard and has a Guinness World Record to mark his achievement, a host of global media coverage and a remarkable book entitled BoardFree, detailing his journey.

Dave’s odyssey across Oz, fuelled his passion for adventure and travel and he threw himself into further experiences, activities and charities. Soon after, he became the face of Aquaskipping, a human-powered hydrofoil and broke the British speed record. This was followed by a kayaking expedition in late 2009 along the Murray, Australia’s longest river, from the source to mouth. Dave has put together a documentary about his experience to raise awareness for environmental and climatic factors affecting the once great river.

Soon after, Dave tried stand-up paddle boarding and crossed Lake Geneva in the summer of 2010, a distance of 86.9km in a record breaking 2 days. Once again, he has captured and documented his journey.

All these adventures have led to Dave dreaming up ‘Expedition 1000′. His aim is to raise a million pounds for charity by “undertaking 25 separate journeys in excess of 1000 miles in distance, each using a different form of non-motorised transport. The project will cover every continent, cross the three major oceans and see Dave reach both poles.”

You can find out more about ‘Expedition 1000′ by visiting Dave’s website.

Dave’s intention is to inspire people to follow their dreams and think outside the box. Dave closed his talk with TMF by encouraging the audience to make a list of everything they want to achieve in life, be it small or large and then make it happen.

He did.

For more information about Dave, what’s he’s up to and how to support him you can visit his website or connect with him on Facebook (Dave Cornthwaite) or Twitter (@DaveCorn)

Tom Ford Shades

Tom Ford sunglasses are the business. Always oversized and generally rocking a retro vibe they are the celebrity’s shade of choice. Universally loved by Hollywood’s leading ladies (and men), Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have all been snapped modelling Tom Ford shades in recent months.

Nicholas Hoult has become the poster boy for Tom Ford sunglasses, since starring in Ford’s Directorial Debut, ‘A Leading Man’. Alongside his female sidekick Carolyn Murphy, his face is regularly splashed across the fashion glossies and billboards. It’s certainly been an interesting career trajectory since his geeky turn in Nicholas Parson’s ‘About a boy’!

Tom Ford is primarily known for his menswear and accessories but this year he shocked the fashion world by throwing a surprise ‘Cocktail Party’ which was in fact designed to reveal his first womenswear collection in 6 years. Top fashion folk were invited to the ‘Cocktail Party’ which was held in New York and had all the hallmarks of a Fifties couture show. Ford asked women that inspired him to model his spring/summer ‘11 collection, among them were; Beyonce Knowles, Julianne Moore, Daphne Guinness, Lauren Hutton and Amber Valetta. Ford commented “I want to concentrate on real women and the real customer. It’s all about individuality, individual style, different body types, women who have their own style.” One official photographer was present to avoid press leaks and its rumoured photos of the show will not be released until January next year!

Such secrecy has created even more of a buzz about Tom Ford. If this story is anything to go by then every woman in the fashion-know is going to have Tom Ford on her radar! As is always the case designer clothes are way beyond our budget, but thankfully with a little scrimping and saving, designer sunglasses are not! With this year and next, seemingly obsessed with all things vintage, Tom Ford sunglasses are the perfect label to hit the retro mark. There are so many different styles and most of them are beautifully oversized which was such a common trait in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.

Thankfully the sun hasn’t disappeared just yet and there’s always the need for the perfect pair of shades to take you through the winter. In order to be bang on the money for next year’s big trends we’d suggest investing in a pair of Tom Ford sunglasses and you won’t be disappointed!

Vogue's Fashion Night Out

Having finished my marketing course early on Weds 8th Sept in Regent St, I thought I'd have a cheeky browse around Topshop and slink off home. However as soon as I hit Oxford Circus I realised this was no ordinary Wednesday night.. it was in fact 'Vogue's Fashion Night Out'. Brilliant.

Free cranberry and gin cocktails in Toppers, mad booming music in the lingerie shop on the corner, martini's and a photo booth in River Island, live styling in the window of Pull and Bear, 'walking in high heels' lessons in Selfridges along with free tequilla slushies and a celeb sighting! None other than pregnant Lily Allen, looking very glamorous, holding court in The Wonder Room in Selfridges at a private party.

The West End was awash with beautiful, sexy, fashion people and the paps! There was a real energy and excitement and I got on the train back home on a high - that may have been the tequilla though!

New Shade Station Lifestyle section!

Have you seen our hot new Shade Station Lifestyle section? If you’ve yet to check out our fab community pages then you’re missing out! With fresh booty to be won every month, an up-to-the-minute celebrity sunglasses and watches guide, discounts, blogs, free wall paper to download and a chance to get your pic on the website, our lifestyle section is fast becoming a vibrant hub of activity.

We’re as obsessed with celebrities as the next person and we’re especially keen to know what branded sunglasses, watches and accessories they’re wearing. Why you ask? Well, so we can let you, our fab Shade Station customer, know exactly who’s wearing what, what’s hot this season and how you can bag a bit of celebrity style. Every week we feature sizzling hot designer sunglasses in our ‘As seen on…’ section, and then add a cheeky discount. Now who can resist a bargain?

You can follow the latest style news and learn all about established sunglasses and wristwear brands and upcoming designer labels in our Shade Station Style Blog, which is fresh and celebrity focused. What’s more you can download cool wall paper for your computer desk top or peruse the snaps from our latest fashion shoots.

But we’ve left the best to last, why not let rip with a ‘Hello World – Check me Out!’ and get your mug shot pinned on the Shade Station website! You can even win money for it! Our ‘Get your pics out’ section is a chance for you to show everyone your beautiful face in your best sunnies. Just go to ‘Get your pics out’, upload a picture of you in your Shade Station sunglasses and then sit back and wait for the phone call! Well that’s not strictly true, all our lifestyle visitors will vote for their favourite pic by clicking on the shot. The person with the most clicks in a month will win £50 – depending on how expensive your taste is, that’s a new watch or a half price pair of sunnies! If you’re shy and would rather remain behind the camera, you can still join in the fun by voting for your preferred photo.

Our lifestyle section is designed with you in mind and we hope you like it. Check in regularly for the latest celeb style, seasonal trends, discount brands and get your face seen in ‘Get your pics out’. Get involved, tell all your friends about us and we’ll love you forever!

Ray Ban have Summer Stitched up!

If you’re not in Ray Ban sunglasses this summer you may find yourself in the minority… The Ray Ban craze shows no signs of abating – quite the contrary in fact as they’ve already updated their tasty portfolio of shades this year.

At the beginning of 2010 Ray Ban introduced their ‘Rare Prints’ range of Wayfarer sunglasses – a twist on the original block shades, with subway designs, floral motifs and stripes. In addition to some snazzy prints, Ray Ban have released the Wayfarer II, an update on the Wayfarer style with two tone coloured frame and arms. The summer is the perfect time to add more colour to your palette and Ray Ban make it super easy, as so many of their Wayfarer designs are colourtastic! Just pop a pair on and you’ve nailed a couple of trends in one go!

Most young celebrities acknowledge the style power of Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses and some are die-hard fans. Stylish men and women who wear Wayfarers include; Rachel Bilson, Kate Bosworth, Dominic Cooper and Robert Pattinson.

Continuing with the colour theme and also picking up on our love for oversized shades, Ray Ban’s Cats 1000 are a great pair of sunglasses to cover your peepers this summer. With acetate frames, massive lenses and a retro style, the Cats 1000 come in a range of bright colours including acid pink and yellow, tortoiseshell and two tone.

Another hit this summer for Ray Ban has been their sunglasses style RB4141. A little like a re-worked Club Master, but with Wayfarer arms, these shades have smaller round lenses and smack of Sixties vintage with a new age twist. Worn by the likes of Lady Gaga and Pixie Geldof, the perfectly round lenses are a huge trend this season.

And finally we couldn’t leave without mentioning our love of Ray Ban Aviator sunglasses. The original and still the best – these beauties were designed for pilots back in the day and now adorn everyone from Cheryl Cole, Kylie, Tom Cruise and David Beckham. Loved by all and sympathetic to most face shapes, Aviators are the classic stylish option to some of Ray Ban’s wackier styles.

2010 Festival Sunglasses Trends

Summer is officially here, the sun is shining and we couldn’t be happier! With the warmer months comes the usual smorgasbord of amazing festivals to get your hedonistic thrills at. Whether you enjoy moshing at ‘Download’, country pursuits at ‘The Green Man’, teenage kicks at ‘V Festival’, fancy dress at ‘Bestival’, glamour at newbie ‘Vintage at Goodwood’ or the mystic of ‘Glastonbury’, you must ensure you’re dressed for the occasion.

Festivals, fashionable summer gear and cool sunglasses all go hand in hand. Maybe it’s the influence of Gaga or perhaps Dita Von Teese, but this summer is all about kooky and vintage. With styles from the Fifties and Sixties making a comeback, we predict this year’s festivals to be awash with vintage shaped sunglasses in a cat’s eye style or small round frames, oversized sunglasses in reds, greens and brown and retro-looking shades.

The festival season kicked off with April’s Coachella Festival in California, where a host of celebrities dazzled with their fashionable threads and on-trend sunglasses. Kelly Osborne was spotted wearing small round framed lilac sunglasses, Katy Perry went retro in angular black frames with a bold white stripe across the top, Dita Von Teese personified Fifties elegance in oversized brown sunglasses with graduated lenses and Kate Bosworth dressed to impress in classic Ray Ban Aviators.

Aviators and Wayfarers from Ray Ban transcend fashion and will always be popular and current. For classic sunglasses you can’t go wrong with either of these styles for festival frolicking. The same goes for oversized glam shades. Designers like Gucci, Bvlgari, Versace, D&G, MDG Sunglasses, Chanel and Pucci all have great sunglasses for summer goddess style. On the other hand if you’re a seasonal type of girl with a desire to look fabulous and ‘now’ – take a leaf from Kelly O’s book and opt for small round shades. This style was all over the spring / summer catwalks and looks great in pastel coloured frames teamed with a floral frock or playsuit. Or you may want to play the vintage diva with cats eye shaped sunglasses – again a strong trend on the catwalk this year. Look to brands like Prada and Marc Jacobs to achieve this look.

We’ve got our Big Chill tickets and our festival sunnies sorted. Now it’s just a case of praying for sunshine! Here’s hoping….

Crazy for MDG Sunglasses

Well it looks like the Queen of Pop has another big hit on her hands… Following her successful turn advertising Dolce and Gabanna’s Spring / Summer 2010 collection, Madonna has joined forces with the Italian duo to design and produce a portfolio of fabulous sunglasses. With a history of bold fashion choices and a popular collaboration with H and M, it’s unsurprising that the original Material Girl has chosen to venture further down the fashion path.

Available next month at Shade Station, the MDG collection consists of 6 pairs of oversized sunglasses that have had both fashion people and journalists gushing.
It is the first time D and G have ever ‘co-branded’ a collection and it is testament to the strength of their relationship with Madonna, that she is the first. Of the alliance they said “Designing an eyewear line with Madonna was a new experience for us. The oversized and wraparound designs are sexy and very feminine, like our clothes. Madonna’s creative contribution and unique point of view were key, even in designing the MDG logo.”

The MDG sunglasses bear both Madonna’s name and the MDG logo on each arm and are definitely one of the hottest brands to be seen in this summer. Of the six styles, three are classic Riviera style, with thick black frames in round, square and oval with dark lenses. There is an unusual pair with transparent red frames and mottled red and grey arms and the final two are more ‘matrix’ looking with a metal top bar and graduated lenses.

The hype around this first MDG Sunglasses collection is enormous and we can’t wait to get our sweaty hands on these knock out shades! We’re certain this range is going to go like hot cakes so to be sure you’re in Vogue this Summer keep a keen eye on Shade Station…

Blogging

I'm currently sat in class 3/4 of the way through a 12 hr social media crash course.... Ultimately I'm hoping it will give me some hints and tips to help me write my Digital Marketing Plan for my Digital Diploma and also enable me to promote The Marketers' Forum to a greater extent online.

So far I've learnt the importance of discovering your 'Core Process' in order to display your vulnerability online and encourage people to engage and participate with you, particularly when blogging. After some discussion, soul searching and a little help I came to realise my 'Core Process' is 'Creating Environments'. With this in mind, I need to go ahead and let this drive my online activity and build my 'brand'.

Until people start engaging with my blogs and participating with comments and discussion, I am simply 'Social Broadcasting'(Penny Power). In time I hope this will change and I can encourage people who read my blogs to get involved!

Blogs should be the 'nerve centre' to your website!

We love Ray Bans!

Have you seen the one where the guy gets a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses tattooed to his face? Or the one where the
chameleon changes colour every time it touches a 'Colourized' pair of Ray Ban sunnies? Or the one where a cow gives birth to a naked skinny man wearing white Ray Ban shades? Or even the one where 100 people freestyle wearing a selection of Ray Ban sunglasses?

Thanks to the internet, companies like Ray Ban are finding crazy, hilarious and abstract ways to advertise their product and make some global noise. Clever, off-the wall short virals are without a doubt one of the hottest ways in 2010 to get people talking about a brand. Ray Ban has always been slightly ahead of the curve and their sunglasses appeal massively to the internet generation, thanks to their retro, classic designs, cool advertising and huge celebrity endorsement.

Hot young thing Marina, the flame haired lead singer of band 'Marina and the Diamonds', always carries a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers in her handbag, even at red carpet events. In this month’s Instyle magazine she is quoted at The Brits saying her Wayfarers "... are great on no make-up days." Other fans of Ray Bans are well documented. You name a young Hollywood celebrity and they’ve probably been pictured in a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers, Ray Ban Clubmasters or the classic Ray Ban Aviator.

New to the Ray Ban collective this year is the Rare Prints line and The Outdoorsman range. Adding a fresh twist to 2 old classics, Ray Ban have rejuvenated their already incredibly popular Wayfarer and Aviator styles to bring them bang up to date for a new decade. The humble Wayfarer has been attacked with stripes, pastel floral patterns and even a subway map for 2010 and the ever so stylish ‘suits anyone’ Aviator has been given a facelift with a luxurious hint of leather across the bridge,

If the Met Office is anything to go by, we’re in for a scorcher this Summer, so make sure you spend the sunny season protecting your eyes with the coolest brand on the sunglasses block.

70's Influenced Tom Ford Shades

Although Tom Ford’s directorial debut ‘A Single Man’ narrowly missed out of an Oscar this year for it’s leading man, Ford was still a winner in the fashion stakes. Dressing both the Oscar hosts, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, he also created a one off tuxedo for Colin Firth with ‘For Colin Firth’ stitched inside the jacket.

Actors like Brad Pitt, are well known to be fans of Tom Ford’s stylish clothes label and although Ford hasn’t yet produced a fashion line for women, he designs sunglasses for both sexes. The current Tom Ford sunglasses campaign shot by the man himself, sees ‘About a Boy’ actor and current Tom Ford muse, Nicholas Hoult, looking suave working the camera with honey blonde model Carolyn Murphy. The campaign is playful and sexy, with both Hoult and Murphy taking it in turns to wear his and hers, thick black 70’s influenced Tom Ford sunglasses.

The retro style oversized sunglasses Carolyn Murphy is sporting, are called ‘Nico’ and are from the new Tom Ford sunglasses range. Other new sunnies include Aviator style ‘Ramone’, ‘Peter’ and ‘Marco’, oversize cut out styles ‘Carla’ and ‘Clemence’, thick contemporary frames ‘Patek’ and ‘Claudia’ and the Tom Ford ’special cross over’ designs ‘Eugenia’ and ‘Georgette’.

Lux Michael Kors watches

Michael Kors is an American power house. Not only is he a lux designer of great note, he has a starring role in TV’s Project Runway and is the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America (that’s the fashion Oscars to you and me!) Where does a man who is juggling some serious balls have time to breathe, let alone embark on new projects? His latest is a fabulous new make-up line in collaboration with Estee Lauder, aptly named ‘Very Hollywood’.

Michael Kors counts some of Hollywood’s leading ladies among his loyal fans. Packing a punch at the Oscar parties this year was Jennifer Hudson in a midnight blue Michael Kors gown and comedian of the moment, Tina Fey, in a dazzling one-shouldered Kors number. These ladies made the headlines and created quite a buzz for the Michael Kors brand…

Michael describes the type of women he creates clothes and watches for as “… a woman of any age, any nationality and who is fashion conscious without being a fashion victim”. Sounds like anyone of us, if only we could afford some of his beautiful designer lux clothing! Thankfully his watches, sunglasses and accessories are a little more affordable.

Michael Kors watches are very elegant and stylish, in keeping with the beautiful clothes he produces. We especially love all the tortoiseshell watches in his collection. Tortoiseshell continues to have a strong fashion presence this year and Kors ensures there’s plenty of the wonderful print to go around. There’s no shortage of vintage gold and white Michael Kors watches either, which all makes for a classically decadent collection.

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.