Part two | Portobello People

This post is dedicated to Vintage shop lovers and food fans… 

If you’re wondering where to spend your weekend here are a few more of my favourite photos from when I took myself and my DSLR camera to Portobello Road Market on Bank Holiday Monday.

Enjoy.

The first chap pictured in this post is Alexandro, an Italian photographer, who stopped me in my tracks at the top of Portobello Road and asked if he could take my photo. He pulled out his old Nikon film camera and snapped a headshot. I decided to repay him by taking a portrait of him too.

After saying goodbye to Alexandro - my belly still full of Nutella and banana crepes - I passed an iced lemonade stall and felt compelled to ask the man if I could take his photo. He looked so serene amongst summery oranges and lemons and the quaint hand-painted signage.

I went on my way, strolling in the sunshine, spying vintage shop after vintage shop on Pembridge Road – the road that runs up to Notting Hill Gate. Here you will see shop windows piled high with old books, comics, graphic novels, kewpie dolls and retro costume jewellery, as well as trinkets and designer shoes sitting alongside Natwest Wade ceramic money boxes - the piggy bank of many an ’80s child.

The little Vintage shop I went into was called Retro Woman. It can be found at number 20 Pembridge Road. It is a treasure trove of vintage designer shoes, clothes and accessories. The shoes are kept in glass cases that makes the whole shopping experience feel a little like you are selecting museum-worthy collector pieces.

Well, actually, if you’re a real fashion fan with an eye for a designer bargain - you probably are looking at museum-worthy pieces.

If you follow the road from Notting Hill Gate, in the opposite direction of Holland Park, towards the city, you will pass lots of little coffee shops and pizza places. If you look closely you might even spot the two women sitting on the floor of a takeaway restaurant making savoury pancakes for eager customers. I couldn’t resist taking a photographic momento.

If you missed part one of this post you can read it here.

Directions to Portobello Road Markets…

If you fancy a visit to Notting Hill and Portobello Road, check out the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea website for more details.

Check out the TFL website for Tube details on how to get to each of the London Markets.

Photography © Lucie Kerley

If you love vintage, you’ll love Notting Hill and Portobello.

If you’re thinking about having a wander down *sings* Portobello Road! Portobello Road!

Do it. 

Here are a few of my favourites photos from when I took myself and my DSLR camera to Portobello Road Market.

It was Bank Holiday Monday, I was still feeling a little under the weather and needed a pick me up. I decided on some ‘me-time’ (partly because the Tubes were disrupted and I couldn’t get across - easily - to East London to spend the day with my friend Marcos.)

With JMG over 100 miles up north and not available at my disposal, I went for a walk to:

1. indulge my senses
2. unleash my creativity
3. swap my fashion blogger hat for my documentary photographer hat
4. satisfy my hunger for a nutella and banana crepe
5. be charmed by the many lovely stall holders and folk who greeted me on my journey. 

Smiles all round.

If you fancy a visit to Nottinghill and Portobello Road, check out the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea website for more details.

I was quite surprised how quiet the streets were on Bank Holiday Monday. I was expecting Portobello Market and Notting Hill to be heaving with tourists? But no. It wasn’t the usual Euston Station free-for-all I had anticipated. How refreshing.

There are some lovely well-known boutiques like Cath Kidston, along with the likes of All Saints, Kurt Geiger and Religion. However, the beauty of Portobello Market - as it often is with any market - is the joy of the undiscovered. Take a peek at my blog post about my visit to Columbia Road and Broadway Markets - another weekend must-see!

The vintage clothing, 1930s enamelware, old signage, letterpress lettering, old maps, harris tweed, clockmakers, knob shops, art galleries, antique shops, street food and home-made iced lemonade. It’s wonderful.

One of my favourite such shops was Chloe Alberry (pictured above) which featured a vast array of beautiful door furniture, colourful glass bottles, vintage tiles, cabinet hooks and mirrors, and many more curiosities.

To get to Portobello Road, I searched google for directions and quickly realised that my local 295 bus from Hammersmith to Ladbroke Grove would drop me close by, in under 40 minutes.

Check out the TFL website for Tube details on how to get to each of the London Markets.

Photography © Lucie Kerley

Let me introduce you to Young British Designer’s Charlotte Taylor of @CTaylorLTD and her wonderful Sloane Square #CTPopup Shop.

I recently had the good fortune to receive a beautifully illustrated invitation to the press launch of the Charlotte Taylor Sloane Square pop-up shop.

From the Holly V Maslen designed invitation alone, I knew I was in for a treat.

Charlotte Taylor, and her kaleidoscopic world of prints, first came onto my radar into my wardrobe after spying her AW12 creations on Young British Designers and the rest, as they say, is history.

Charlotte’s prints are bold and daring. They instill confidence in their wearer. I promise - I’ve worn them a lot!

They turn heads. 

“A collection inspired by a mother/daughter adventure through Rajasthan, India in April 2012, presented to you is a rich, colourful, playful yet modern take on this magical land.”

From parrots, lanterns and trumpets in AW12, to peacocks, the Taj Mahal, feathers and cows in SS13. Her pieces are always colourful, fun to wear and beautifully made.

When you visit the Charlotte Taylor Sloane Square pop-up store in London, which is open until the 7th June, you will see for yourself just how very irresistible her pieces are.

NOTE: I had to mentally-prise myself out of the two little quilted jackets - I loved them that much! (See photos)

“Traditional techniques complement Charlotte’s quirky prints and elegant silhouettes in a vibrant, endearing collection for spring/summer 2013.”

The small peacock quilted print bomber jacket in orange and - its sister - the Taj print quilted bomber jacket, in pale purple and lime hues, are the perfect summer statement jackets to throw over a simple shift dress, (I’m wearing my new Cos striped knit dress in the photos) or even a pair of jeans and summer sandals. 

“Watch out for India’s national symbol, the peacock, whose elaborate feathers are heavily featured, along with the sacred hump back cow and infamous Taj Mahal.”

My other favourite pieces from her pop-up shop include the Taj quilted dress and the Taj bandeau bikini. You can never have too much Taj in your life as far as I’m concerned.

Charlotte selects her prints carefully and reworks them by crafting numerous garments. All equally covetable.

I’m a big fan of Charlotte Taylor, the person (a fellow Northerner, as I found out at the press launch) and her work. I’m genuinely excited to see what guises her next collections come in. A dark ‘Circus’ theme is on the cards for AW13 and I can’t wait!

Charlotte Taylor Pop-up 

54 Sloane Square

London

SW1W 8AX

http://charlottetaylorltd.com

Photography © Lucie Kerley

Hello lovely people,

If you enjoy reading my daily rambles, seeing my photographic food reviews, virtually tasting cocktails with me and sampling delicious coffee, ogling my eclectic wardrobe choices and giddy life adventures..

Please nominate me and www.lucieloves.co.uk for
‘Best Lifestyle Blog’ in the @CosmopolitanUK Blog Awards 2013?

I’ll love you forever if you do… Thanks! http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/_mobile/blogs/cosmo-blog-awards-2013/enter-the-2013-cosmopolitan-blog-awards-nominate-now

Pre-shoot planning over brunch @AlbionsOven - it’s gotta be one of my favourite breakfast/brunch food haunts in Shoreditch.

Lucie Loves… @LDNCoffeeFest 2013 in photos - Part Five @TrumanBrewery

Some tasty things I tried (alongside all the coffee…)

Simply Hibi - Hibiscus tea, it was delicious. Rather delicate in flavour and apparently very good for you. 

Spit-roasted pork with rocket and apply sauce on ciabatta with a side of pork scratchings. mmm.

Green and Blacks white chocolate. I LOVE white chocolate!

Lucie Loves… @LDNCoffeeFest 2013 in photos - Part Four @TrumanBrewery

We love coffee, food, herbal tea and tech.

Check out this amazing digital coffee roaster kickstarter project that JMG stumbled across on one of the stands at The London Coffee Festival. http://www.ikawacoffee.com/kickstarter

I fell in love with the pretty Solaris flowering teas and have put a glass teapot and box of their mixed tea onto my payday wishlist and a BIG FAT ‘proper’ coffee machine onto my ‘I can only dream of owning…’ list. It’d look amazing in our very own Grand Design (one-day.)

Lucie Loves… @LDNCoffeeFest 2013 - Part Three @TrumanBrewery.

The London Coffee festival isn’t JUST for coffee lovers, it also has a wide variety of world foods, tasty sweet treats and special teas. 

How cute are these cupcake cases!

Real women. Real easy make-up by NARS at Urban Retreat, Harrods.

We were introduced to the NARS Spring 2013 Colour Collection; paprika, vivid cyan, parakeet green, soft pink tulle, sangria and fuchsia rose. The names alone are enough to want to make you walk into your nearest travel agents, book your flights, pack your slinkiest bikini and passport and jet off to faraway, exotic shores… *sighs…*

I enjoyed watching Jane and her team put the new SS13 product range to-the-test to create flawless bases and dramatic smokey eyes on the lovely ladies waiting for their professional make-up touch-up.

One ladies diffused grey smokey eye really reminded me of the make-up look worn by Natalie Portman in the Miss Dior advert.

Jane and her team had worked their magic on the lucky ladies at the NARS masterclass to show them how to create achievable day-to-night make-up.

There are a plentiful supply of NARS cosmetics at Urban Retreat, Harrods - in-store and online at the Urban Retreat Beautique. 

Photography © Lucie Kerley

BLOGGED. Part Three | Lucie Loves… Behind-the-scenes at the #WeOwnTheNight @NikeUK @ELLEUK photoshoot

The We Own The Night photoshoot was fuelled by great music, yummy Chicken Ceasar, Greek and Beetroot salads and delicious fruit smoothies as well as a few bubbly glasses of Rose Prosecco.

After we’d done our final group shot we signed up online for the race at Victoria Park and made our way home.

I met some really cool ladies from a variety of fitness, fashion and lifestyle blogs, that I recommend you check out:

• Alicia Waite from lissiloves.blogspot.com
• Elle Hankinson from www.runlikeelle.com
• Laura, Kim and Rachel from foodandlycra.com
• Katie Glass from www.katieglass.com

It was only when coming out of Shoreditch Studios that I noticed that we were right next to the Nike 1948 space and that they had a fantastic streetart covered van outside advertising the Eric Koston Chomp Ollie Skateboarding Tour that was going on inside. Such a cool website. But that’s Nike for you…

GIRLS! Sign up for the 10K We Own the Night Run and run with me.

Photography © Lucie Kerley

BLOGGED. Part Two | Lucie Loves… Behind-the-scenes at the #WeOwnTheNight @NikeUK @ELLEUK photoshoot

In preparation for my photo being taken, I was asked to select some pieces of Nike sportswear from the rather extensive selection on the display rails, and with the help of ELLE UK Fashion Assistant Alice Watt (aka @OldLadyAlice if you want to find her on Twitter), my ‘look’ was complete. I was then whisked through to hair and make-up to put the finishing touches to my glamorous running look. (As opposed to my usual beetroot-faced-running-look.)

I watched as the gorgeous Alannah Sparks  and Alicia Waite worked the floor - giving the pro sports models a run for their money - striking some poses for the ELLE UK Photographer, Fanny Latour-Lambert.

Remember girlies, if you fancy signing up for the 10K We Own the Night Run and running with me sign up now.

Photography © Lucie Kerley

BLOGGED. Part One | Lucie Loves… Behind-the-scenes at the #WeOwnTheNight @NikeUK @ELLEUK photoshoot

On Thursday I was delighted to be one of the 30 or so Fitness, Fashion & Lifestyle bloggers to attend a Nike x ELLE UK photoshoot to kick off the exclusive female-only We Own The Night 10K running campaign. 

It all started when I received an amazing email off Stephanie from Nike UK who said that she felt I was one of the people who could help change the way other girls see running.

++ Cue shocked and simultaneously excited expression on my face ++

I was immediately hooked by her flattery and decided to take her up on the challenge to create a new running culture for women like me who are not mega-fit, like to wear a pretty clothes and (occasionally) run/go to the gym  in a full face of make-up because that’s just how they roll/start the day.

My own fitness regime varies greatly.

Since moving to London 6 months ago, it took me a while before I got myself into gear and joined a gym. I was beginning to miss my ‘me-time’. As any of you girls who live similarly hectic lifestyles will know, it’s easy to get swept up into the day-to-day routine of Eat-Work-Sleep. I wanted to reintroduce a bit of time to unwind, chill out, and think about my health and mental well-being. 

Before moving to London I was exercising fairly regularly - about 3 time a week. I’d do various Les Mills workout classes at my local gym, Harborough Leisure Centre, including:

•  Body Balance -  a fusion of Balance, Tai Chi, Yoga and Pilates choreographed to music
• Core Control or Circuits - alternating between the two - which are quite similar fast-paced workouts consisting of light weights, balance balls, planks, crunches, russian twists, sprints and other core exercises
• Body Pump - which is basically weight-lifting to music and the best de-stress session EVER.

Before I decided to join a new gym I needed to work out how much extra money and time I’d have left over each week/month after paying for travel, food, and general living costs. I then joined Virgin Active UK, it’s not cheap at £78 a month, but it is a lovely gym or should I say ‘Health Club’ as it likes to call itself.

At Virgin Active, I started doing a bit of straight Yoga - something I’d not ventured into before - trying out different varieties such as Hatha and Ashtanga, also known as Power Yoga. I’ve done a couple of fast classes, including TRX suspension and Kettlebells, and doing a few weakling lengths of the swimming pool. I’m a CRAP swimmer.

Haha! I’ve just been googling the definitions of various types of Yoga and up pops:

“Yoga triples the time that men last in bed.”

Oh? 

So, when I received the email/accepted the challenge from Nike UK, I decided to get out my old barely-used Nike ‘05 running trainers (yes, they are that old) and hit the treadmill at the gym - I did a post on my first early morning run experience here. I have run before, but not on a regular enough basis to build my fitness and stamina up.

At the Nike x ELLE UK photoshoot, I was delighted to receive a Nike goody bag to set me up for my We Own The Night 10K training. It included a small Nike+ Fuelband, a pair of silver/white Nike Free 5.0+ womens running shoes and a pair of black running shorts, a training diary with pre-planned dates leading up to the big 10K run event on May 18th 2013 at Victoria park, London.

Lucky me.

Gifts accepted I’ve got to do the run now.

If you fancy signing up for the 10K We Own the Night Run and running with me sign up now.

Photography © Lucie Kerley

REBLOGGED from @jamfactory @BOIKZMOIND:

Very stoked to say that there’s a 3rd edition print run of the BÖIKZMÖIND DVD & photo book now on sale at the BÖIKZMÖIND online store!

The package costs £29 and features the full BÖIKZMÖIND fixed gear bike documentary (see here for a trailer) plus a 20-minute making of edit as well as photo gallery and bloopers real. The DVD is an all-regions disc so will work anywhere in the world, nice!

The book is a digitally numbered & editioned 95-page 22cm-square photo book featuring behind the scenes photographs, sketches & notes, cataloguing the entire creation of the film!

That’s all held together by a magnetically-sealed screenprinted cord-embossed wrap cover, which was all put together by hand by myself & my good friend Jake Ivill.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to my friends Rik and all the guys at Ripe Digital for printing the book and to Josh & Bex at Whiteduck Screenprint, for printing the wrap covers, it’s great to work with such ace people, especially with them also being in the South West!

There’s just 100 DVD/Books in this run, so grab yours whilst you can. I will happily ship them worldwide, so head on over to the BÖIKZMÖIND store and pick one up:

boikzmoind.bigcartel.com

#BLOGGED Summer lovin’ (what I want to wear when the weather gets warmer…)

Like a breath of summer air, that’s what opening my little YBD parcel felt like. I was greeted by zingy orange Charlotte Taylor, sea blue mermaid-style Atalanta Weller and stunning Meli Melo butter-soft arm candy. I immediately wanted to unwrap them all, call my friends and tell them to get dressed up so that we could all go out and play*.

What I’m wearing:

• Zebra Cotton Mini Dress by Charlotte Taylor at Young British Designers
• Apricot Suede Cropped Biker Jacket by H&M - an oldie but a goodie  - similar ones are often available on eBay for a bargain!
• Thela Bag in soft navy leather by Meli Melo at Young British Designers
• Sea Blue Sandal Wedges by Atalanta Weller at Young British Designers
• Beaded multi-colour bracelet, a lovely little shop in Puerto   Pollensa, Majorca
• Spike and pearl chainlink necklace from Topshop (2012)
• Eagle handchain and ring from Topshop (2012) - see similar handchains here.

(*Read: Drink mojitos + dance to 90s RnB and a bit of 00s garage until our feet hurt and our faces ached from smiling.)