MLPR - Marie Louise Public Relations.

Yeah – Thursday night, and the sun is still shining!  After a great appointment at MTV’s studios it was a quick cab journey to check out a few Notting Hill openings.   First up was the preview evening of the Mary Portas Living and Giving shop on Westbourne Grove for Save the Children.  We’d arranged for our client Designer Alterations to offer a 10% donation to the charity for any alterations needed by customers from when the shop officially opens on Saturday.  It was great to snoop around and see all the fabulous bargains to be had – which ranges from vintage Chanel handbags to new Marc Jacobs pieces and lots of Jaeger!  Am sure they will be mobbed but with rails of stock so be sure to check it out. 

Sadly Mary Portas wasn’t there, but we made do with this life-size cut out  (see above)

Just around the corner on Ledbury Road was the opening of the new Vintage Academe shop which has incredible designer vintage pieces,  ranging from Thierry Mugler, Pucci to original Halston.   Great for one off pieces and the party was rocking – with lots of ladies in vintage frocks serving some delicious sparkling vodka!

Then if was off to Soho catch up with ex-colleagues from my Channel Five days who now work in all kinds of places like Channel 4 and Sky TV.   

Finally a quiet dinner in Soho & a black cab journey home as the light of London flashed by. 

We love London!  Have a great weekend

Last Friday we met up with the lovely Amber Jackson, from the This Morning fashion team - see below for some great tips on how to get onto the show

1. What fashion stories do you have on the agenda at the moment, and which ones are you most excited about?

We are working of our Sex in The City ‘Get the style of..’ feature, I love the clothes in the SATC films and shows, so looking forward to doing out take on the girls individual styles. 

2. What advice would you give to PR’s pitching to you?  Should they call or email, and how often?

Emailing us on a Wednesday afternoon is probably the best bet as we have fashion on our show Tuesdays and Fridays and we only really plan a week ahead of ourselves. Emailing is best as we place the emails in a folder to remind us ho to call in

 3. What tips can you give for appointments?  How much product do you like to see, and what can the PR do to make an impression?

The best bits from a collection of items that sum up the brand are the best to see. On appointments its just nice to be able to put a face to a name and phone voice.

4. Is there anything you recommend PR’s avoid doing when pitching/attending appointments?

Probably talking too much about the brand like a script, its better to discuss the items and brands rather than being told what the are like.

5. How many emails do you get a day, and what percentage of those do you manage to open?

 I receive on average 75-100 emails a day, but I do manage to read all of them. Evens if  it just quickly, if its of interest or importance I’ll place it in a folder to follow up on.

6. What is your wish list accessory for this season?

A great bag! I struggle to find a really great bag, this season I’m looking for a great vintage style clutch to go with my summer looks

7.  What’s the best PR freebie gift you’ve ever received?

 Freebie are never expected but always a nice surprise. Vouchers are always great to receive as you can spend them as and when you wish, but once I received a gorgeous charm necklace which I loved.

8. Top press trip you’ve been on?

Dinner at Gaucho was a great night out with press, we ate drank and laughed!

9. What tips can you give PR’s on how to make a story catch your eye?

I’m not sure, for us its really just about weather the items are relevant enough for our story or web blog, as we can’t be seen to be favouring one brand in particular.

This summer if you need frock, clutches, cuffs, cocktail rings, and now hats … we have something for every occasion.  The latest must-haves are the great hats by the very clever Olivia Roat.

www.oliviaroat.com

http://katiechutzpah.blogspot.com/

In this sprawling metropolis, it’s becoming more and more difficult to establish real finds…you know, the type of place you just know all your friends will love but you’re a bit selfish to tell everyone about it as it’s your special place? This can range from the best (undiscovered) vintage stores, designer exchanges, new louche cocktail bars and, in my case, the lingerie boudoir.

 I only discovered this particular ‘find’ at the end of last year when invited to drink fabulous Hendricks cocktails at a pre Christmas shopping event. Well, it would have been plain rude not to! As the website itself says, “Apartment C is about hanging out in your knickers, drinking gin out of a teacup, and reading the Last Tango in Paris out loud.” And, if you change the last one to Vogue, then tick all three.

 Set in a black and gold backdrop of Art Deco and 1960s furniture, from the moment you enter you discover a devilish selection of extremely sumptuous and sexy silk, chiffon and lace lingerie, silk loungewear, costume jewellery, niche perfumery, hand picked vintage novels and glam, fashion books. However, the interior of the store is as exciting as the stock. Details not to be missed are the taxidermy light fittings which use pigeons as pendant Lamps by award-winning designer Jericho Hands – and collectible furniture including 1960s Egg Chairs & a vintage Chaise longue.

Owner and creative director, Kenya Cretegny says: “The primary focus of Apartment C is to offer our customers access to a beautifully edited mix of the world’s most creative, fashion-focused, lingerie designers. It’s my personal mission in life to bring the girls the coolest stuff I can find! So the collections range from delicate, romantic themes, to directional fashion statements utilising technical fabrics or thoughtful detailing.”

The wide range of whimsical lingerie is the type you long for and dream about your boyfriend buying you, but that only happens if you drag them there. While we’re on that subject, there is seating next to the changing area and the original 1930′s cocktail cabinet for males to sit, scoff G&T’s and wile away the time while they try not to blush, look awkward, sneak glances at women’s bras and get turned on by the sexy assistants or the tasteful clients who know exactly what they want from their lingerie; To tantalise, to tease but most of all, to have exquisite taste.

Apartment C stocks designers ranging from Damaris, Bordelle, Mimi Holiday, Marlies Dekkers, Stella McCartney, The Lake and Stars, Princess Tam Tam and the wonderfully named and daring, Lascivious. Beautiful vintage style silk, velvet and chiffon robes from Kiki are paired next to diaphanous chemises from Damaris, Claire Tough and Elise au Couturier and fluid, silk pyjamas from Kirsty Doyle. Distinctive show stopping jewellery is available from Mawi, Fiona Paxton and Rings Eclectic. At the moment, Apartment C even has a 1st Birthday sale, so go on, indulge yourself. www.apartment-c.com

Our resident fashion blogger afficienado Katie Chutzpah (as featured in last sunday’s Sunday Times Style) illuminates on the changing media landscape & teenage young blood, from the fashion ranks.

“You may probably be aware of the current hot debate in the fashion world that can be deconstructed as follows: bloggers versus fashion establishment. The power is shifting and thus unstabilising a great many as unbridled enthusiasm and quite often, hype, is traded and preferred to fashion editors with informed opinions but botoxed inexpressive faces of scorn. The new fashion vigilantes are here.

It appears that the new addition to the fashion hierarchy has caused an outbreak of ‘pass the smelling salts’ as overstretched PRs are ill informed (many don’t read blogs and don’t know good ones from bad), mainstream fashion hacks have their shackles up (sometimes quite rightly) as newbies crowd their territory and well, *sotto vocce* often the blogger dresses as a working spectacle and wannabe fashion personality rather than a fashion reviewer – you only have to look at pics of Tavi, Bryan Boy and Diane Pernet to see that. But mostly, it all boils down to youth, or more rightly, enthusiasm versus old guard, the power shift to new media and the hunger for new thoughts and opinions. ie. the new radicals. Even the feted CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) has, for the first time, awarded voting stature to two famous bloggers (Bryan Boy and Tavi) which has caused consternation in the ranks.

It seems now even the legion of designers is already being mauled by youth. I recently attended the launch of the A/W ’10 collection of LUBLU by Kira Plastinina. Plastinina is 17 and has been designing since she was 14. SEVENTEEN! Yes, that’s right, she’s already a seasoned pro, selling to Harrods for the second season and is well known and sold in her native Russia, Eastern Europe and in L.A. My first question is how can one have garnered knowledge of design, technique and form a unique interpretation of fashion when so young? It takes years and unbridled talent, surely? However, Kira is up there with the best of them and importantly, her collection is selling. My second question is re finance. But, dear readers, I’m still none the wiser. It’s a sad fact that many incredibly talented British designers go bust as they concentrate on design and obtaining a unique style rather than number crunching and sales. It was St Anna of Wintour, after all, who stopped the genius of Galliano from going down le toilet, by encouraging hedge funders to back his collection. And the rest is history.
Miss Plastinina is surely saved from the realities of the rough and tough of a start up business by a wealthy backer but this doesn’t detract from her enthusiasm and determination. The collection itself is distinctly ‘All Saints’ by way of the Blitz club circa 1982, all shades of black, grey and muted cream textures with an outbreak of frills, beading and one shouldered dresses. Crucifix necklaces are added for further dark goth vibes but the whole air is of glam but wannabe edgy Muscovite meets Hoxton. A Russian Twenty8twelve if it pleases you.

Kira Plastinina may not be setting the fashion world alight with her collection but she’s sure to please a host of teenagers and women who dig Russian style and who (long to) hang out in Boujis, Vendome and China White. And that, is the power of youth.”

March 10th – Apartment C goes cyber…

…which is good news for gift-giving boyfriends in need of inspiration/prompting (delete as appropriate). From this week, the Marylebone High Street boutique’s buxom bounty-load of top lingerie labels will be laid bare online for the first time. Find a frill or two amidst the gorgeous sets and separates from labels like Stella McCartney, Wundervoll, Princess Tam Tam and Damaris.

Alternatively, for those with no one to impress who plan to snuggle up at home with Ben and Jerry (the ice-cream of course) – don’t despair! There are plenty of comfortable, curve-embracing loungewear pieces to choose from. We’re certainly seduced.

apartment-c.com

Once a month or so, we are going to be talking to different editors to dig out some interesting & insider knowledge.  First up is Jane Druker, the editor of Healthy Magazine.  Jane’s career spans London, New York and  Sydney and positions have included Fashion Features Editor on You, Health Editor on Grazia and Beauty Editor on Australian Vogue.

What are you working on at the moment?

I am working on the cover of the May/June issue of Healthy – each one has to be special so getting a crack team of photographer, stylist, talent (either model or celeb or chef) and hair and make-up in uppermost in my mind right now.

What is the best ways for PRs to pitch a story?

The best way for PR’s to pitch is definitely email first, I find telephone pitches irritating because you don’t have the information to hand

How many emails do you get a day and can you read them all?

I get approximately 80-100 emails a day.  I skim read everything except those that go straight in my junk mail, any copy I have to read I print out. I only spot errors in printed matter rather than that on screen.

Any tips on what PRs should avoid doing?

Pr’s shouldn’t call me – unless they are inviting me to a spa trip in New York/Rajastan/other!

Best invite you have ever received?

Best invites are usually travel related – a trip to Cuba and Jamaica was a particular favourite

Best press day you have attended?

Hmmmm….fraid they all segue into one

What is your wish list item for this season

Celine handbag, classic nude Louboutin courts

Best PR gift

- Chanel camelia corsage – Christmas pressie when I was beauty editor of Vogue circa 1995 and a gold Jimmy Choo evening clutch 2006

Top Press trip

Cuba/Jamaica(see above) – danced, drank, travelled and laughed….a lot!

Top tip to make a story catch your eye?

It has to be TAILORED…to my magazine. It’s hopeless when PR’s don’t know the product they are selling to. So, read the magazine and suggest a regular slot your story could fit into. Do your homework!

www.healthy-magazine.co.uk