22

Though I often looked for the one, I finally

had to admit that there is no cure for

Paula Mclain, The Paris Wife

Photography by Jordana Louise-Smith

Illustration and Text by Charlotte Manchester

One of the greatest fashion cities of

the world (in my opinion the best),

Paris has all to offer in terms of the

latest styles and fashion masterpieces.

Whether you have the money to spend

on the latest Chanel and Dior

creations, or whether you only have

enough to go sightseeing on foot,

you w ill leave feeling fulfilled

and rejuvenated.

The atmosphere in Paris at the

beginning of March 2014...preparations

were being made for the famous Paris

Fashion Week. As I walked through

the streets, there were visions of Rolls

Royce’s pulling up outside the most

renowned hotels in the city, models

strutting down the street in clothes and

shoes to die for and the latest guests

arriving for the eagerly awaited

catwalk shows.

On every major street in the city

shops oozed class and sophistication,

each store carefully selecting the best

products to advertise (after all Paris is

the birth place of Haute Couture).

The feeling of the need to succeed in

order to purchase the likes of Dolce and

Gabanna and Chanel was overwhelming.

Watching passersby gazing at the

items they craved showed the impact

Paris advertisements and merchandise

had on people from all parts of the

world; no matter what their culture or

personal tastes may have been, there

was something for everyone.

The weather was great, which made

the atmosphere and experience of

shopping all the more worthwhile.

From the big name couture stores, to

the smaller, lesser-known businesses,

Paris was packed w ith tourists and

locals eager to buy exclusive products

instead of waiting for the rest

of the world to catch up. This,

combined w ith the amazing, world

famous landmark s of Paris, such as

the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame

Cathedral, ensured that shopping in

Paris was like nowhere else on Earth.

Illustration by Charlotte Manchester

www.raphaellehlimi.com

Paris born designer Raphaelle H’limi debuted in 2011 w ith her collection

“ Coming soon” which captured the attention of the press, pushing her on to create a second collection and w in awards for design.

2 years on and the designer is still capturing the attantion of the fashion

world w ith her amazing but minimal fashion, which she describes as

“fashion that is for a confident girl that doesn’t obsess over her flaws but

think s that maybe - just maybe, they actually add to her unique beauty”

'

40

Photography by Jordana-Louise Smith

Text by Mary Vasey

WHEN A MAN IS TIRED OF

HE IS TIRED OF LIFE,FOR THERE IS IN

LONDON ALL THAT LIFE CAN AFFORD

SAMUEL JOHNSON

London, England: City of

culture, city of history, and city of

fashion. It truly is one of the most fast-

paced moving cities in the world. No

wonder it attracts thousands of tourists

each year. With countless activities

to do there is no chance to claim

boredom. It’s not just the activities that

attracts tourists, the Royals are a major

factor w ith Buckingham Palace only a

few minutes’ walk from South Bank... it’s

a site not to miss!

I have often viewed it as a place full

of class and flock s of celebrities

walking down the street, a complete

misconception, as it is a rarity to bump

into a high profile celeb casually. In

fact I have been visiting London from

the young age of 5 and it was only

last summer, whilst working at a local

bar and restaurant in Richmond, that

I saw two stars – Trevor McDonald,

arguably his time has come and gone,

and Catherine Tate, attended a comedy

night held at the bar. At first I did not

recognise her, I simply thought it was

another customer waiting to be served

– she was dressed in jeans, black boots,

a khaki green coat and a navy blue hat

(practically covering her face), hence

the reason I did not realise who I was

serving until she wondered downstairs

to the comedy event.

I guess the classiness has come from

the fact that it is common knowledge

there are numerous bars and

restaurants covering the streets, all

oozing character and sophistication,

with top notch service and the most

exquisite drink s. Of course this all

comes w ith a meaty bill but it is nice

to treat oneself and feel like royalty for a day… or five? With the introduction

of ‘Made in Chelsea’ to our screens it

only makes us as viewer’s desire the

life they lead – I mean what is so bad

about going out in the best designer

clothes w ith your posh totty friends

to the hottest party in town full of

London’s aristocrats. But London is so much more than

its ‘posh’ crowd; the city is full of

spectacular historic and modern

landmark s that look quite picturesque

during sunset. On my latest visit I have

created the top 5 must see sites.

#5 The London Eye is a fairly new

asset to the city, which was built for

the millennium, offers tourists a 360

degree view of a vast 25mile radius

of the city. It takes up to half-an-hour

for the wheel to finish allowing ample

time to gaze at the city’s wonders.

#4 The gothic castle-like Tower

Bridge, built in the 19th – century,

is very much not hard to miss as it

stands proudly over the river Thames,

awaiting a boat to pass through it’s

blue gates. The bridge also mark s the

end of the famous London Marathon

that has taken place each Spring

since 1981, attracting hundreds of

participants from all over the world to

run for charity.

#3 St. Pauls Cathedral, created by

Christopher Wren, is one of the city’s

most beautiful pieces of architecture.

It’s fantastic to visit on a warm

summers day, as all flowers are in

bloom and the grass is full of lushness

and life.

#2 The Shard has been in

construction since 2003 and only

recently finished in 2012. The

87-storey glass skyscraper is an

incredible sight and can be seen from

miles away. Inside offers a range of restaurants that offer spectacular

views, a viewing gallery – which is said

to be better than the London Eye, a

Law firm, and in May of this year hotel

Shangri-La w ill be opening!

#1 Big Ben has to be first on my list, as

it look s simply spectacular at any time

of the day. However I cannot stress the

beauty of it when lit up at night and

it’s reflection on the river Thames –

breath-taking.

42

Big Ben by Charlotte Manchester

The London Eye by Charlotte Manchester

48

As devoted fashion followers w ill

know, Isabella Blow was one of the

most inspirational people within the

fashion world during the late 20th and

early 21st centuries.

Starting as an assistant at US Vogue,

Isabella made her way into the heart

of the fashion world, due to her

incredible talent spotting skills of new

and upcoming designers. As can be seen

by the success experienced by young

designers such as Alexander McQueen

and Philip Treacy, who she catapulted

into the limelight, she played an

essential role in building up their

success and giving them

a reputable name.

Her natural sense of style made her

a fashion icon in her own right, for

example, becoming a muse for Philip

Treacy and his many extravagant hat

designs. Due to her unique ways and

strong personality, Isabella was able to

make her way into the centre of the

social scene in the London fashion

industry and is still largely admired by

fashion followers.

However, despite this w idespread

success w ithin the fashion industry,

Isabella herself struggled to understand

how she fitted into this industry. This,

amongst personal issues, led to her

becoming very depressed, attempting

a number of suicidal acts, which

eventually led to her premature death,

aged only 48 years.

This season, Somerset House, London,

is celebrating the life and success of

this intriguing fashion icon. In a one-off

exhibition, it features a large variety

of Blow's many unique, eye-catching

outfits along w ith magnificent pieces

from exceptionally talented designers

she discovered including Alexander McQueen, Julian McDonald and

Philip Treacy. Through clothes, film,

photographs and quotes, Isabella's life

story is told in a way never seen before,

hearing from those who were closest to

her w ithin the industry and showcasing

collections by Alexander McQueen

and Philip Treacy in particular.

This amazing fashion galore is an

opportunity in a lifetime to explore and

understand Blow's life and work and is

not to be missed.