Friday, 29 June 2012

This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

ASOS, Blogs, Margherita Missoni, Pamela Love, Sale, Slutty Brownies, The Londoner, Wedding, Wedding Dresses, Weekend, Winter Kate

Woohoo! It's Friday!

Hello weekend!

And in Hong Kong, it's Hello LONG weekend because Monday's a bank holiday! Double whoop! Having said that Tropical Storm Dokisuri is heading straight for us... so the beach is a no go, BBQs are going to be a bit of a wash out and junking is going to be grim/pretty dangerous. I predict a long weekend of vodka fuelled evenings and hungover DVD days. I guess it could be worse...

But before the weekend fun kicks off, here's the 3BM round-up of what we've been up to, this week the Mice have mostly been...

Eyeing up the Winter Kate fall collection look book: laser cut leather, lots of sixties prints and an eye-popping colour palette of jade, turquoise, buttercup and fire-engine red plus a particularly lust-worthy fur coat... its almost enough to have us wishing away the summer so that we can get snuggly in these gorgeous pieces from our fav boho luxe label. Almost, but not quite, we haven't had nearly enough sun yet... In the meantime though, how about a cut-price Winter Kate fix? The ASOS summer sale has an amazing selection of Winter Kate up to 50% off, ready, steady, SHOP!

Winter Kate Neela Jumpsuit

was £345 now £172.50

Winter Kate Passenger Maxi Dress

was £315 now £189

Winter Kate Padma Mini Dress

was £275 now £192

Winter Kate Deepti Swing Tank

was £115 now £69

Images via: www.asos.com

Taking wedding stalking to the next level. Our favourite summer Monday morning time waster is logging onto Facebook for a bit of wedding stalking. At this time of year you're guaranteed plenty of fresh material each week and what better way to stave off getting started on the week's to do list than checking out the photos of that girl you went to primary school with recreating the lift from Dirty Dancing during her first dance... This week though, as well as trawling through the usual glut of Facebook photos we've also been swooning over the stunning wedding snaps from the weddings of two of our biggest fashion crushes, edgy jewellery designer, Pamela Love and princess of zig zags, Margherita Missoni.

Not a bad bridesmaid dress, a profiterole or a Dirty Dancing lift in sight, both weddings were, as you'd expect, ridiculously stylish. Love wore bespoke Mara Hoffman, a crown of wild flowers and YSL shoes. Missoni wore a self-designed gown made by Giambattista Valli. If you haven't seen them yet, here are a couple of shots of both weddings - a little light Friday wedding stalking for you...

Pamela Love

Images via: www.vogue.com

Margherita Missoni

Images via: www.graziadaily.co.uk

Doing overtime in the gym after being particularly bad last weekend and making the gazillon calorie but super delicious Slutty Brownies (brought to you courtesy of the lovely Rosie of The Londoner). So called because they're very easy and incredibly naughty, these brownies really are to die for. With a layer of brownie sitting above a layer of Oreos which in turn sits above a layer of cookie dough, we feel pretty guilty introducing you to the recipe but it's genuinely too good to keep to ourselves... See you on the treadmill next week!

Image via: www.thelondoner.me

Thursday, 28 June 2012

Silicon Assets: EK Thongprasert

Ek Thongprasert, fashion, jewellery, Joyce, Liberty, necklaces, Shopping, silicon, Thailand

It's the second most abundant element on Earth after Oxygen. It makes up 90% of the Earth's crust. And it's used to produce silly putty, solar panels, concrete, computer chips, breast implants, bricks, car windscreens, My Little Ponies and car parts.

But the latest, and in our view, greatest use for Silicon, is Ek Thongprasert's stunning necklaces.

After meeting at University in Bangkok, jewellery designer, Noon Passama S. and fashion designer, Ek Thongprasert, moved to Antwerp and set up the brand which focuses on using unusual materials to create intricately crafted pieces of jewellery. The line has been snapped up by chic boutiques all around the world from Opening Ceremony in New York to Colette in Paris. London blog buds, you can bag your delicious silicon jewels at Liberty; Hong Kongers, we're pleased to report that Joyce is a stockist. For everyone everywhere else you can buy online from RunIn2 which currently has some great pieces in the sale and for future reference you can shop the Ek Thongprasert trunkshows on Moda Operandi.

We're totally in love with the a/w 12 collection, here are a few of our favourites:

The Return of Persephone Necklace

€530

Image via: www.modaoperandi.com

Lipstick Red Yawning Apollo Necklace

€170

Image via: www.modaoperandi.com

Artemis' Dance Necklace

€290

Image via: www.modaoperandi.com

The Celebration of Dionysus

€255

Image via: www.modaoperandi.com

Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Callixto: Exotic Treasures Just a Click Away...

accessories, Callixto, home decor, jewellery, Shopping

How great is it when you're browsing in a bustling market in Uzbekistan and you come across the perfect ikat cushions to liven up your sofa at home? And isn't just amazing when you're in Peru and you spot a man sat at the side of the road handcrafting gorgeous pendants set with semi-precious stones which are going to be just perfect for working the Aztec look by the pool in your Mara Hoffman kaftan.

Oh, you haven't been you Uzbekistan or Peru recently? No, us neither... But thanks to the uber fab online boutique, Callixto, trinkets and treasures from artisans scattered all over the world are now only a couple of clicks of your mouse away. You can pick up skull and flower adorned bracelets from Barcelona, neon animal print scarfs from Korea and a leather bib necklace from Uruguay all without leaving the comfort of your sofa.

Global nomad Sasha Dennig is the founder of Callixto and gypset glamour personified. When I met her, she was effortlessly working a crisp white shirt with delicate gold jewellery and a sleeveless bolero embellished with chunks of turquoise (she picked it up in Thailand nach...). Sasha's just the kind of girl that you want sourcing your accessories, jewellery and home decor. While she spends the majority of the year travelling to far flung corners of the globe to seek out the unique and beautifully crafted pieces that she sells on the site, last weekend she hosted a pop-up shop in Hong Kong's Noho. From the moment I walked into the shop, I knew that my credit card was in trouble...

The pop-up has packed up shop in Hong Kong for now but the good news is that we can all get our Callixto fix online. For the perfect piece to finish off any look, log on and get shopping. But remember when the compliments start flooding in, it's "This? Oh it's just something I picked up in Istanbul..."

Here's the round-up of the 3BM current Callixto crushes...

Silver Ribbon & Rhinestone Necklace
£38.50/ HK$465.65

Torcaza Necklace

£70.58/ HK$853.70

Tumi Pendant with Lapis Lazuli

£160.40/ HK$1,940.23

Theodora Rings

£121.90/ HK$1,474.57

Crystal Wrap Me Up Ring

£102.66/ HK$1,241.74

Aziza Cushion

£44.91/ HK$543.26

Raya Cushion

£38.50/ HK$465.65

Images via: www.callixto.com

Tuesday, 26 June 2012

The Little Black Jacket Exhibition Coming to Hong Kong!

Carine Roitfeld, Chanel, Hong Kong, Karl Lagerfeld, Little Black Jacket, The Space

I recently spent a very happy half hour poring over the gorgeous photographs in a friend's copy of the Chanel The Little Black Jacket Book. Styled by Carine Roitfeld and shot by Karl Lagerfeld, the book is a collection of black and white portraits of an array of fashionistas, models, film stars and general beautiful people each donning the classic Chanel little black jacket for their close up.

The book is stunning but I'm super excited to discover that I'll get another chance to check the photographs out, and this time in the flesh, when they're exhibited in Hong Kong this summer. After the exhibition has wowed the fashion crew in Tokyo, New York and Taipei, Hong Kong is next on the list. So from July 7th head down to The Space in Sheung Wan to ogle gorgeous people, in gorgeous couture, looking gorgeous....

Here's a sneak preview...

The Little Black Jacket
July 7 - July 16
11am - 7pm

The Space
210 Hollywood Road
Sheung Wan
Hong Kong

+(852) 2826 5406

Stellar Cinema: Classic Films Under the Stars

Cinema, Film Screenings, Picnic, summer

I stumbled across this little beauty of an idea whilst researching fun things to do in London this Summer! I'm always interested in reading about new bar openings, pop-up restaurants, festivals...really any excuse to get the girls together for a few drinks and a gossip! SO....this was right up my street!

Open air Cinema Screenings....you can buy a ticket, pitch up with all your best buds, a picnic and some wine and enjoy a golden oldie all together!

Nobody puts baby in a run of the mill, dingy, scratchy seat, chewy popcorn Odeon cinema!!!

The Luna Cinema is an events company that organises open air cinema events all across the UK from the more conventional: London Parks and country castles to the more unusual: ruined abbeys and even lidos! Just visit the website, peruse the monthly film schedule at all the different locations and at the click of a mouse book your tickets for you and your friends...easy peasy lemon squeezy!!

The Screenings kick off from July until late September playing a wide variety of films..my favourites being 'Dirty Dancing' at Rochester Castle, 'The Artist' at Kew Gardens and 'The King's Speech' at Wakehurst Place! If you're lucky some of the venues/locations even have dining options and hampers you can pre-order to save the hassle of packing a picnic!!!

Now all we need is a long hot Summer so that we can make it a weekly treat and work our way through the list all around the country!

Image via www.virginmedia.com

Monday, 25 June 2012

Pop-up Pasta: Pret A Diner

Art, Giorgio Locatelli, London, Neon, pop-up, Pret a Diner, Restaurants

As I push publish on this post there are 5 days, 9 hours, 33 minutes and 15 seconds left.

Time is running out....

No, we're not talking the Apocalypse, we're talking pop-ups, pasta and paintings - to be specific, Pret A Diner which has been resident in Mayfair since 9th May and closes its doors for good this weekend. If you miss out, you may never experience anything quite like it again... well, until it pops up somewhere else that is...

The website proclaims, 'This is not a pop-up restaurant - this is a dining experience' and this time, we're inclined to believe the hype.

Brought to us by the German catering power house, Kofler & Kompanie, the current pop-up is Pret A Diner's seventh in Europe and second in London. Always runaway successes, previous pop-ups have been housed in a former coin mint in Berlin, a disused movie theatre in Munich and, last October, the Old Vic Tunnels in London. This time the location is Grade II listed, 50 St James' Street, a former gaming house frequented by the Duke of Wellington, and more recently the casino and private members club, Fifty.

Provocatively entitled 'Italians Do It Better', this year's London extravaganza, blends Michelin starred Italian cooking with Italian art and music to create a complete sensory experience. Bringing an element of competition to the evening, diners can choose between a traditional Italian menu served up by Northern Italian, chef, Giorgio Locatelli or a menu with a more contemporary slant offered by one of five other guest Michelin starred Italian chefs (including Paolo Marchi and Viviana Varese). The food is reportedly sublime, think ricotta stuffed zucchini flowers with tomato consomme; Angus beef, burrata and rhubarb; and tuna tartare with tomato and olive concasse.

The gastronomic feast is served up in a dining room which is one part Nonna's kitchen and two parts Baz Luhrmann's Romeo & Juliet with a sprinkling of sleek, contemporary minimalism. Rustic, wooden communal tables strewn with lace doilies and candelabras, jostle with Philippe Starck ghost chairs and graffitied walls. Affixed to one of the walls, a pink neon basketball hoop adorned with chains and crystals serves as a modern day chandelier. Continuing in the basketball court vein, high mesh fencing encircles the tables creating a complete contrast to the huge, elaborate, floral arrangements scattered throughout the space. Everything comes together to create the perfect backdrop for an evening of Bacchanalian excess.

And while the food may be exceptional, its not the only reason to visit. Locatelli's tiramisu is perfectly complemented by contemporary Italian art including Olivia Steele's Emin-esque neon installations and Aron Demetz's wood carvings. The soundtrack is provided by a diverse range of Italian musicians from electro house DJs to 40s-style blues and jazz singers.

After supper, expertly mixed, killer cocktails are shaken up by the boys from the bar of the moment, The Bar with No Name (which we tipped you off about in February).

For an unforgettable, decadent night of la dolce vita, we suggest that you nab one of the last tables going pronto. And if you're not London based, fret not, a string of brand new international pop-ups are tabled for later this year. Rumour has it Hong Kong's on the list, we hope it's true....

Images via: www.pretadiner.com

Italians Do It Better

Pret A Diner

50 St James' Street

London

SW1A 1JT

Booking via:

Website - www.pretadiner.com

Email - eat@pretadiner.com

Tel - +442074994736

(Closing weekend is booked out, but you can join this weekend after dinner via guestlist@pretadiner.com)

Sunday, 24 June 2012

On the 3BM iPod: Lucy Rose

Bombay Bicycle Club, Lucy Rose, Music

We defy you not to love 3BM's latest music crush, Lucy Rose.

If you're sure that you've heard her mellow, dreamy voice before, you're probably a Bombay Bicycle Club fan. Rose started as the group's backing singer and graduated to lead vocalist on tracks such as Flaws. Currently working on her debut album which will be released this autumn, the Warwickshire born singer is tipped to be one of 2012's hottest new stars. We love each and every one of her first four singles and can't wait for more in September...

Lucy Rose - Middle of the Bed

Lucy Rose - Scar

Lucy Rose - Red Face

Lucy Rose - Place

Saturday, 23 June 2012

Crown Jewels: I Know The Queen

fashion, I Know The Queen, jewellery, Jubilee, Shopping, The Queen

Do you know the Queen?

Presumably you know she's celebrating 60 years as British Monarch this year? I'm guessing you know she likes corgis, gin (particularly Dubonnet) and horses? But did you know that she currently has three corgis, Monty, Willow and Holly? And did you know that her wedding cake was made by McVitie (we like to think it was made entirely of Jaffa Cakes...)? We're guessing you don't know the Queen as well as you thought you did after all...

We bet there's something else Queen related you don't know too... less to do with corgis or Jaffa Cakes, more to do with jewels - our latest jewel obsession in fact: I Know The Queen.

The luxury jewellery brand takes inspiration from family heirlooms, vintage trinkets and royal baubles, mixes these in with contemporary designs and a neon colour palette resulting in gorgeously unusual pieces that you'll be handing down to the next generation of fashionistas. From headpieces to necklaces, bracelets to earrings, we're seriously coveting every single piece (we're particularly obsessed with the necklaces...). So forget the bunting, let's not concern ourselves further with Fearne Cotton and Paloma Faith's discussion about Jubilee themed sick bags, why don't we all go shopping for our very own set of crown jewels...

Skittles Necklace 16

£169.00