MLPR press day

Yesterday morning, I headed down to the swanky Westbury Hotel just off New Bond Street for MLPR’s Press Day. Greeted with a cup of coffee, I was shown around the new collections of their rather impressive clients – a glance around one beautifully decorated room and I saw quirky jewellery, stunning shoes, sexy lingerie and inviting knits. There was an array of swimwear and summer collections to admire, which got me rather excited for the summer!

Let’s start with Fleur b, a new label launched in November of last year – although you wouldn’t guess it from looking at the collection. Created by designer and retailer, Fleur Bird, who as a businesswoman and mother of two, understands the pressure on working women and wanted to create pieces that offer elegance and style to women, but which can be put together very easily. The range is full of soft, silky blouses and dresses, featuring on-trend prints – perfect for the office or the beach!

If you’re never sure of what to wear on holiday or on beautiful summer nights, look no further than Ingenue, a designer dress label from London. It was only launched in 2010, but its huge range of brightly coloured and boldly printed dresses, it has amassed fans such as Alesha Dixon, Emma Bunton and Helen Mirren. 

And if you’re dreading the perfect bikini hunt of 2012, Miss Mandalay is the brand for you. Originally aimed at women with a larger bust, Miss Mandalay now offers comfortable and fashionable lingerie for women of all sizes. Designer Lorraine Morton, technically crafts the collection to fit, support and flatter. If that sounds good to you, Miss Mandalay is stocked  in John Lewis, ASOS and Bravissimo

Summer doesn’t just mean holidays – It also means weddings! One of the first things that caught my eye were the stunningly beautiful shoes by London wedding shoe designer, Emmy Scarterfield. Emmy Shoes specialises in beautiful and feminine wedding shoes and seriously, these are shoes to die for! She offers brides the chance to create their own style with a unique custom-made service. Ornate details, such as feathers, butterflies and beading can be added to create a completely original shoe. 

Situated next to Emmy Shoes were Wilbur & Gussie’s amazingly luxurious clutch bags made from beautiful fabrics combined with vintage-inspired brooches. A statement bag from Wilbur & Gussie will bring to life even the simplest of outfits – It’s no surprise that the brand has been featured in every high-fashion magazine, including Elle, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. Find them in luxury department stores such as Liberty’s and Fenwick’s, and some cool independent stores like Austique and Anna. 

Tatty Devine is already one of Britain’s coolest jewellery brands and has a huge following across the globe courtesy of their unique, witty and offbeat designs. 

At the MLPR Press Day, the cult jewellery label presented their new and exclusive Charm Club, with a pop-up workshop to make bespoke charm bracelets and necklaces. Members of the Charm Club can choose from a huge assortment of charms from black cats, white skulls and glitter initials to create their own piece of statement jewellery by collecting these original charms. I was lucky enough to have a personalised charm necklace made for me!

Membership starts at £40, which includes both a necklace and a bracelet, plus three starter charms – each month, members will be the first to receive the latest new charm design. The Tatty Devine Charm Club will officially launch in July 2012. 

OK, so remember that scene in Clueless where Cher chooses clothes from her closet using a computer programme? Well, now you too can have an online wardrobe! Total Wardrobe Care offers a clothing storage solution to those of us whose wardrobes are way too small for our clothes! For a fee each month, Total Wardrobe Care will manage, organise and store your favourite garments to create space in your wardrobe. Using the website, you can look through images of your clothes and order them back as and when you need them. Store your winter clothes in the summer and vice versa – perfect! For more information, click here.

And last but not least, introducing new brand Dote, with “a collection that is dedicated to the art of sleep.” Definitely my kind of label! Dote is a label for both men and women, whose purpose is to create beautiful sleepwear and loungewear – from cable knit cardigans and blanket wool dressing gowns, to silk slips and elegant pyjamas. The British brand have endeavoured to source the majority of their collection close to home. The collection features plush woven blankets from the west of England, traditional Liberty print cottons and Scottish cashmere.

All I can say is, I left with a very urgent need to shop!

Khaleda Rahman
Photos: Sara  Reverberi