#Celfie Mania...

Now I think if we're all honest we'd admit to being partial to a smidge of over-indulgent #Selfie one-on-one action! Whether that be a cheeky snap to a boyfriend or girlfriend, a 'how do I look' capture before a night out or a holiday smoast lazing on a lounger cocktail in hand! The self-portrait of the digital age swept the world hard back in 2012 and continues to reign in a royal fashion.

So who's to blame for the rise and rise of the #Selfie? Well the celebs of this world have got a lot to answer for - the likes of Bieber, Kelly Brook, Miley and Rose H Whitely have been busy posting posy photos of themselves for quite some time now and don’t seem to be showing any signs of growing tired of this me, me, me mentality…

And it's not just starlets, popstars and models getting involved in this photographic phenomenon... Jules of Sincerely Jules (one of our must-read fashion blogs) has taken this trend to the next level and created the ultimate fashion blogger tee with a twist! Playing on the Céline craze and the #Selfie sensation she's designed... wait for it... the ‘Célfie’ tee - genius!!!





It's yet to explode and take over the world in the same way the #Selfie has but watch this space as Ashley Tisdale has already been papped rocking one and other high profile bloggers like The Blonde Salad are also getting in on the action…

If you're late to the #Selfie party, follow the 3BM how-to bluffers guide in mastering a kickass #Selfie of your own...

1. It’s all in the angle - tilt your Smartphone to 45 degrees angle just above your eyeline – this is deemed generally the most forgiving
2. Lights, Camera, #Selfie – a flattering beam of a backlit light, artistic flare or a touch of reflective flash will have you positively glowing 
3. Pose for your life – a stellar #Selfie is all in the pose … the perfect pout, a cheeky rasied brow, a sideways smirk
4. Vintage filter – Instragram the hell out of your snap *B&W is always the most flattering

This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

Another week has flown by filled with a new bout of holiday blues but this time for Mini Mouse! This will be last time we cram your Instagram and Twitter feeds with holiday snaps we promise....well for this month anyway! 

When we haven't been miserably moping around and trying to ignore the fact we spent Euros like it was Monopoly money, this week the Mice have mostly been....

Day dreaming at our desks of poolside Champagne o'clock and being well on our way to tipsy before 1pm! Coming home from holiday is the worst, especially when you go from beach to office in a mere 12 hours - my normal holiday sleep quota! This being my last sunny beach break of the year, (although feeling as I currently do, I strongly believe that the only way to shift this severe gloom is to book another...) I made sure that I made the most of every waking second!

This we definitely did with a vegeance! We're talking a very, very drunk flight there, losing my passport on the plane and only just avoiding deportation, 14 hour drinking sessions, table dancing at Izzy's Sunday beach party, drinking champagne like it's one of our five a day and sunbathing my way through the most horrendous hangovers...it's safe to say we had a ball and celebrated the last few rays of summer like everyone should....!!! 

Hyperventilating over the leaked look book of the Isabel Marant range for H&M! We expressed our extreme excitement back in June, however now we've seen some actual evidence of this monumental fashion collaboration and it's simply too much! From what we've witnessed all promises have been kept with the creation of a killer collection exuding chic effortless style yet still keeping the Marant trademark edge of attitude. The mental wish list I totted up whilst scrolling through the gallery was mammoth, with very little that didn't make the cut! Uh oh, poor bank balance!

Lou Doilion takes centre stage in the look book and who better to model the collection than the daughter of Jane Birkin who personifies edgy Parisian perfection. If cute boho prints, textured jackets, slouchy boots and spray on leather are your thing (how can they not be?!) then we think you may also be a little bit in love with the collection!

Get 14th November in your diaries immediately, this is when Isable Marant x H&M hits down in 250 stores worldwide as well as on line! I can already envisage the fights....! 

After all that excitement, I thought I'd leave you with a Friday song! If you've had about enough of twerking, tongues and latex but quite like Miley Cyrus' We Can't Stop, then check out Bastille's cover! A lot less controversial and a bit more comfortable to watch...

Right all you lovely people, go get excited because it's...

Catalunya Hong Kong - Hell Yeah, I'd Tapas That...

Yeah, I'm not sure about the pun in the title either. It made me snigger when I first came up with it though, so I'm sticking with it....

But, one thing I am sure about is the subject of the pun - new(ish) Hong Kong restaurant, Catalunya. So certain in fact, that as I left after my first visit, I attempted (without success) to book straight back in again for a week later... This was love at first bite (my word play is definitely veering dangerously into bad-Dad-joke territory today, I apologise).

Opening in a blaze of mega-hype backed up by brilliant reviews back in May, I've heard countless great things about the food at this modern tapas hot spot and have tried and failed to book a few times. When you consider that Catalunya is spread over a colossal 8,000 square feet space and is still perenially packed you have to figure that they're doing something right...

So a few Saturdays ago, having made sure that I'd reserved a table a few weeks in advance, I headed out to deepest, darkest Morrison Hill with two of my best girls to see what all the fuss was about...

We started off with a round of cocktails. I opted for the Stairway to Heaven - bacardi, vanilla syrup, pineapple puree, celery, a slug of lime juice and a dash of egg white all topped off with coriander leaves. Unlike any cocktail I've ever sipped before, this was sweet and savoury with a very delicate flavour - absolutely delicious!  You've also got to love a cocktail that comes with its very own dry ice supply...

Which also helped to make everyone else's cocktails look pretty darn awesome...

While we gossiped over our cocktails our first nibble of the night arrived - the spherical olives. Catalunya's executive chef, Alain Devahive Tolosa, spent a decade honing his molecular wizardry in the kitchens of El Bulli, but this is the only molecular dish on Catalunya's menu. What may look like any old regular olive, turns out to be a little bubble of olive juice which bursts on your tongue - fun, innovative and not to be missed.

We followed our faux olives up with a delicious spread of dishes to share. The tomato tartar...

...the avocado and lobster roll...

...the Tortilla de Trampo - to quote from the menu: 'also called the "Sin Tortilla", this is the perfect example of lust in gastronomy'... all at once creamy, spicy and familiar yet decadent...

...the calamares with lemon mayonnaise...

... the gambas al ajillo...

...and last but not least - the ham, cheese and truffle bikini. 

Nope, we're not talking an itsie bitsie swimsuit, this is the grilled cheese sandwich to end all grilled cheese sandwiches. It may not look like anything particularly mindblowing but seriously, this is the sort of dish that changes your life. After one bite this went straight onto my last supper menu.

In fact it was so good that as we fought over the crumbs we decided that there was nothing for it but to order a second round of truffly, cheesy deliciousness... Total piglet behaviour but we were three VERY happy little piglets!

A jug of sangria later and before we knew it, the lights had gone up and the waiters were sweeping around us. Nothing for it but to bid a sleepy adios and head off back to Lang Kwai Fong for a nightcap.

For delicious cocktails, fingerlicking great tapas or actually, even just for one mouthful of ham, cheese and truffle bikini, Catalunya is a total smash!

Catalunya

G/F Guardian House Morrison Hill,

Oi Kwan Road,

Wan Chai,

Hong Kong.

+852 2866 7900

On the 3BM iPod: Alice Jemima

With the announcement of iTunes Radio and the fact that we often shun our iPods anyway these days in favour of Spotify or 8Tracks, calling our music posts 'On the 3BM iPod' is beggining to feel like calling them 'On the 3BM Walkman' or 'On the 3BM Gramophone'... Possibly time for a little rethink...

That aside, today's fab music lovely is a definite must hear whether you do that via your practically prehistoric iPod or any of the more whizzy newfangled ways to listen to great tunes... Alice Jemima is a 20 year old singer songwriter from Devon. She's a little bit Lucy Rose, a little bit XX and a lot awesome!

Check out her gorgeous floaty, etheral EP, All the Boyfriends, but make sure you don't miss her stunning covers of Drive's Nighcall and our absolute fav - No Diggity (we think it may just even pip Chet Faker's version and that's saying something...). 

Alice Jemima - Nightcall (Kavinsky Cover)

Alice Jemima - I didn't Know What To Expect

Alice Jemima - No Diggity

Giles Deacon X DFS : Match Made in Design Heaven...

What happens when you an iconic British fashion designer and a British sofa specialist join forces?

This of course...

Bold, brash and brilliant with more than a bit of lip - it can only be the work of design legend, Giles Deacon! The limited edition result of a collaboration with British sofa manufacturer and retailer DFS, dubbed the 'Lipgloss', this sofa is the perfect fit for any fashionista or design aficionado's living room. Taking a monochrome base and adding pops of neon, it also incorporates the lip motifs we saw strutting down the Giles SS '14 catwalk just last week! 

Images via: www.style.com

New season amazingness in your home months before it hits stores, we likey! 
Picture this graphic beauty in a New York Loft or warehouse style apartment with exposed brick walls, sash windows and sky high beamed ceilings - this is going to look pretty darn hot, no?!

We were lucky enough (thanks to PR extraordinaire, Ellie Marsh) to catch up with the brilliant Giles himself just before LFW and put a few 3BadMice questions to him. This is what happened...

We asked...

Coco Chanel famously said “the best things in life are free, the second best are very expensive”, do you believe that you need to spend a lot to look stylish? What’s your take on fast, disposable fashion?

...and Giles answered:

Looking stylish does not have to be expensive; a good mix always works for me. For example, take something vintage, something high street and something designer and make it your own.

You’ve always shown in London and you’re one of our very favourite British designers, what does being British mean to you and how do you feel British design differs?

Giles: I think London and the UK is one of the most interesting places in the world to be a designer. There is an incredible acceptance and interest in new ideas across all artistic and design related disciplines, which has enabled so many people to express their vision and turn them into internationally recognised businesses.

You’ve been involved in a number of programmes to foster new design talent including New Look Style the Nation and now the DFS Bursary Scheme, what advice would you give to new designers just starting out?

Giles: I think the best advice for new designers is to work out what makes you different and what your strengths are within to give you a better chance of succeeding. Also work hard and be nice to people!

Who are your new talent ‘ones to watch’ in the design field at the moment?

Giles: I really like Simone Rocha's work

Do you have any special rituals when you’re designing or during your shows?

Giles: In the run up to the show I always like to get a new pair of trainers, this season I will be wearing addidas superstars. I also make sure I have some pot pourii from Santa Maria Novella. Practically speaking, I always try to eat well - which is the most difficult. And of course, have some fun!

What’s been your favourite fashion moment to date?

Giles: My favourite fashion moments were winning the designer of the year award and dressing Sarah Jessica Parker at the Met Ball this year.

Can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind your sofa design?

Giles: I wanted the sofa to have clean modern lines and to be instantly recognisable as a "giles" piece. We scanned in a load of illustrations I did onto my iPad and played around with the scale and proportion. I decided I wanted some kind of monochrome pattern underneath and a photographic montage of mountains really worked well.

How does designing home décor differ from designing clothes?

Giles: Designing home decor is pretty similar in that it’s all aesthetic and technical problem solving. It’s fun to think about designing something that doesn't have to fit a body though.

How would you describe your home décor style?

Giles: My home decor is an electic mix of antiques, modern objects and found/collected items. I also love colour and pattern, so it is anything but minimal!

Where’s your favourite place in your home and why?

Giles: My favourite place in my home is my kitchen which is named "Marbella" - it’s fun and frisky just like Marbs!
You’re sitting on your brand new Giles Deacon X DFS creation, describe your perfect sofa evening.

Giles: My perfect evening would be sat on the sofa catching up with friends with some nice drinks, snacking on some good salami and cheese and listening to music! 

Thank you Giles!

As we mentioned in the interview as part of the collaboration Giles has also launched a bursary scheme with DFS to support young British design talent looking to start a career in the industry. Young designers will be set the challenge of applying their design skills to a real world sofa design brief and the winner will receive support in launching their own career in design - pretty neat, a design icon who isn't too big for his boots to give back!

The limited edition sofa and footstool are available to buy online now at DFS.co.uk. This piece of design history can be yours for £3,500*! 

* For anyone desperate for a little bit of Giles for their home but struggling with the idea of forking out, we always like to justify our fashion purchases using a little cost per wear mathematics and home shopping is no different... Let's just say you sit on it twice a day for 5 years and we're already looking at a bargainous 95p per sitting - sold! 

Shady September : Anna-Karin Karlsson

It's September yes but if last weekend was anything to go by we don't have to say bye bye to the shades just yet! I fully intend to see Autumn in wrapped up in a cosy soft scarf, classic cape, a tres chic trilby and a pair of statement sunglasses. The evenings might be getting longer but that doesn't mean the days aren't filled with crisp sunshine.

It has to be said us Mice are suckers when it comes to a good set of shades, we've bought you Retro with Raybans, Shades with Sass and Jimmy does more than just Choos blog posts ALL dedicated to sunglasses. Well now here's one more to add to the 3BM collection, this time Anna-Karin Karlsson takes centre stage - fierce, fabulous and blows all eyewear boundaries - this Swedish designer injects the sun in sunglasses in my opinion!

Her route to fame began with a job in a London opticians at the age of 19 and she very quickly stepped up the career ladder designing eyewear for the rich and fashionable and even Royalty. Suave and sophisicated Saville Row men of the world used to pay Karlsson a visit after being suited and booted - she was the real deal when it came to custom made eyewear with flair and still is...

We've anticipated the question upon your lips ... where can we get our mits of a pair of Karlsson's creations? Simple - none other than the one-stop shop for all things fashion - Net-a-porter of course! 

Rose Rouge Cat Eye Sunglasses  £480

Rose et le Mer Cat Eye Sunglasses £480

Alice Goes to Cannes Glittered Cat Eye Sunglasses £480

When Trouble Came to Town Square-Framed Sunglasses £480

Cause I Flippin' Can Cat Eye Sunglasses £610

Isola Ella Cat Eye Sunglasses £480

Alternatively, if you want to trial, pose and pout first hand before you part with your dosh Londoners get down to The Box Boutique and Hong Kongers visit Joyce Boutique, Lane Crawford or Liger ... You're welcome!