Our new blog has been updated with a fab feature on ‘How to make a fab Dior Rose’ to decorate all those fab Christmas Pressies with.  We give a step-by-step guide for you to make your own.  Join us at our new location:

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Here is a taster!  And please remember our to follow us at our new URL as new posts will not be posted on this site any longer.

From now on updates on my blog will be on my website.  This allows me to manage my web and blog from one place i.l.o 2.  The blog will still look exactly as it does here, its just now all in one place.

www.illyria.uk.net

The blog tab is clearly visible at the top of the webpage along with the other section headings.

Thank you and please keep reading!

The world’s most famous seducer is back in London town.

My nose is always quick to sniff out anything vampiric.   And yes before you ask, I love the Twilight books and films, the Vampire Diaries and just about anything else with fangs.

My love for the undead fantasy world was born many years ago when I was probably as little as 7 or 8.  My mother was mad about Dracula films and would watch them as often as possible.  My father on the other hand didn’t have much interest in this sort of thing so I became my mother’s late night film companion.

The Sell a Door Theatre Company currently features Bram Stokers Dracula, as adapted by Liz Lockhead, at the Greenwich Roundhouse Theatre.  This is a fantastic and intimate theatre, which allows you to be only a few feet away from the cast.

The play was brilliant and the cast superb in their performances, which were both impressive and convincing.  I loved in particular Kieran Hennigan’s performance of the role of Renfield.  It was without a doubt one of the most convincing ‘mad man’ performances I have seen to date.  His intensity was infectious and his despair tangible.   At the start of the play he successfully draws the audience into this dark world he so fears, setting the scene for what is to come.

When the Count made his appearance I was not disappointed.  Louis J Parker as the Dracula suits the role down to a ‘T’.  His longish curly hair, deep voice and throaty laugh are complimented by extremely good looks and a very commanding performance.  Very similar to the character of the Dracula in the adaptation in which Gary Oldman played; you cannot help but identify with his longing for his lost love together with a deep rage that is driving him towards finding her again.

I found the play provocative and intense to the point of delirium and worth seeing more than once – a reason I am taking a group of lady friends to see it again soon.

Dracula will be on at the Greenwich playhouse till the 5^th of December.  The theatre is not very big so do not miss out on getting your tickets booked ASAP.  This is simply the perfect get together for a group of friends before Christmas.  And on a cold winters night you will no doubt leave the theatre feeling just that little bit warmer.

Click to view slideshow.

Till next time, take care

x

It’s been a week or so since I have last published an article.  Please bear with me as we are making some changes to incorporate the blog into my website.  This has meant manually transferring each and every blog and we are hoping to be done by mid week next week.  An exciting article on some sparkly things on the way though!!!

Take care,

xx

I am back from my visit in South Africa and it was just wonderful!  The weather was incredible and I managed to enjoy a number of days being lazy by some or other swimming pool.  I spent the last few days of my visit in Paarl, Western Cape Winelands, with two of my best friends of 20 years, Darrol and Hendrik, seeing what they have been up to.

Darrol and Hendrik were couture designers in South Africa for most of their lives.  And as the saying goes…..sometimes in life it is just your day! Because these two have managed to land themselves the ultimate project.  They were commissioned to transform a family home in Paarl, Western Cape region, into a boutique guest house, which upon completion they will also manage.

For the last year they have been busy with the renovation, redesign and styling of this new project. The result thus far is simply fantastic! With the build complete they are now in the final phases of decorating and await delivery of all of the soft furnishings, furniture and final decorative pieces.

This venue will be available to overseas visitors with completion expected by mid December of this year.  I took a few sneaky pics to give you all a taste of what the final product will look like, but do bear in mind this is currently a blank canvas!  There will be a total of 5 on-suite rooms decorated to the highest of standards, with a number of lounges for relaxing and sipping a drink or two, including a library.

What makes this place incredible is the view over the Paarl valley and Drakenstein and Franschoek mountains as well as the huge garden.  Included in the slideshow are a few of the amazing flowers that grow in this garden.  And with a swimming pool of 20×8 meters!!!!!!!!!!! you simply cannot get bored in your quest to be idle. And yes, this is where I spent most of my days doing absolutely nothing!

I hope you like the initial pictures and I will publish a full piece once every detail has been completed and they are ready for the press launch party. One thing is for sure this is going to be one amazing venue for an intimate wedding away!

Click to view slideshow.

Till next time, take care

PS:( Hendrik, the blue is for you

xx

With the NWS over, I am excited to publish the photographs from the scheme I based my stall design on.  I wanted to do something different and as I am a film fanatic, I decided to shoot a short film to project on one of the walls in the stall.  The purpose of this film is to show artistic and creative ability.  The theme is loosely based on the movie The Company of Wolves.  The concept is below and as you will see the inspiration for my decor was developed from this image.  The video can be viewed further down in the blog, located between the lovely stills taken on location.

The short film, 7.5 minutes in total, shows two girls in a whimsical setting, having a picnic and playing dress up.  They day-dream about getting married and are, at almost half time in the film, transformed into brides, but danger lurks around the corner!

PHOTOGRAPHS BELOW ARE BY SARAH MORTON PHOTOGRAPHY

We are often told that our desires can be dangerous and that we should avoid them, it can only lead to disaster. In I dream, I desire, the scenes set the stage for the playing out of desire – the desire that as girls we become aware of through our teenage years. The desire here is clear – but so too is the prohibition and the danger, represented by the wolf.

In the short film however, rather than being afraid of that which they desire, they embrace it and decide to follow a path unknown and hitherto forbidden to young girls, in search of womanhood.

PHOTOGRAPHS BELOW BY CRAIG ALLEN

I invite you however to watch the 7.5 minute film.  You will no doubt have your own interpretation and come to your own conclusion.  We were able to capture some beautiful footage and I am sure you will love the dramatic introduction of the wolf, about half way through.  I would love to hear some comments and feedback.

THE FILM

I would like to take the opportunity to thank Adam Cluer from SE3 Productions for producing the film.  I know that we are both so proud of the final result, and I enjoyed the editing process no end!  Brides, looking for a videographer who will offer something a lot more than the conventional, this is your guy!! The film was shot on location at the Woodlands Farm Trust.

PHOTOGRAPHS BELOW ARE BY SARAH MORTON PHOTOGRAPHY

Thank you to Janet Mohapi-Banks for the wedding cake both in the film and for my stall, Chantal Flores for the gorgeous arrangement in my stall at the show, Aga Borowa as make-up artist, Katherine Elizabeth Millinery for the head-pieces as well as Lucy Ledger Design for the vintage stationary. The stills photography was done by Craig Allen and the lovely Sarah Morton. Thank you to Zuzanna, the dark-haired beauty who has been a good friend of mind for over 10 years as well as model Georgina Leahy.  Styling and Directing was done by Illyria Events. Last but certainly not least a huge thank you to Katy Stenhouse from India Jane in Blackheath who kindly provided all the beautiful furniture and accessories for the stall.  I loved each and every piece, thank you so much!

I am leaving for South Africa this coming Sunday to visit family as well as a safari lodge, and brand new venue in the Cape region of Paarl due to open in December.  Will hopefully speak to you all from there, if not before I go.

Till next time, take care

xx

Till next time, take care

xx

Choccywoccydoodah is an art and design focused chocolaterie based in the Bohemian city of Brighton.

They specialise in one-off chocolate sculptured fantasies, bespoke cakes, chocolate gifts, birthday cakes and just about any other treat, especially naughty ones, that one can conjure up.  All of course, in chocolate

Their chefs bake these amazing chocolate cakes, using a top-secret recipe, which has been in the Choccywoccy family for three generations.

They use only the finest Belgian chocolate couvertures and coatings, and where they are able try to source ingredients from local Sussex suppliers.

A choccywoccydoodah chocolatier undergoes a huge amount of intensive training, and is actively encouraged to use initiative to design and invent wonderful, delicious and fun chocolate creations.  And if you didn’t see this one coming, most of their chocolatier’s actually come from an art background!

They have two chocolatier florists who hand make, from solid chocolate, the most astonishing chocolate flowers.  The secret technique is completely unique and doesn’t involve any pastes, fondants or glycerin!  Just chocolate.

Chocolate floristry, for them, is constantly evolving and by researching nurseries and flower shows they are able to adapt their skills to always stay ahead of fashion trends.

In addition to the incredibly creative chocolatiers, they have a superb front of house team with customer service skills, which are second to none.  They are trained to have an extensive knowledge of the chocolate for sale and will gladly spend as much time as needed, to ensure customer satisfaction.

In their Brighton bar du chocolat, their team of chocalistas serves the best hot chocolates, slices of cake, dipping pots, milkshakes, and sundaes in an atmosphere of lavish extravagance.

You can judge for yourself, but it is clear that this is a dynamic, talented and experienced team of people who seem to stop at nothing short of magic to create unique and mesmerising cakes and treats.  If ever there was a reason to indulge oneself in chocolate, I think it has been found.  Not of course that chocolate ever needs an excuse, in this case, only an artist.

Race you all in Brighton!

xx

She has sold her collections internationally from Selfridges Designer rooms to Harrods, Kleinfeld in New York and Bridal boutiques through out Europe and The United States including special design contracts with David’s Bridal USA.

My curiosity to find out more about the creative woman behind such a successful business led me to seek some time with Angela at her new studio in Kew, Richmond.

Angela completed her training in fashion design at the Liverpool Arts School and explained to me how she knew from an early age that she wanted to be a part of the arts world, whether in fashion design, painting, textiles or pattern cutting.

One of the most notable moments in Angela’s life was when she opened her first shop on London’s Kings Road. It was during this time, she explains, that she “accidentally” became involved in the design and creation of wedding gowns. While renovations were taking place she placed a mannequin with a wedding dress in the shop window.  Passers by used to stop and peek into the shop, wish her success with the new venture and tell her how much they loved the dress in the window display.  This was all the encouragement she needed to actively become involved in wedding gown design and creation.

The ability and desire to be creative and experiment with new and different concepts, and raw materials is what drives Angela in her everyday life.  She always tries out new ideas and pushes herself to live and work beyond the conventional.

As a signature style she favours the bias-cut and slightly vintage inspired designs, which are mostly expressed in slinky and short dresses.  Angela believes that the most important aspect of a good design is the pattern design and cut.  Angela’s technical team has been with her for many years and she regards them to be some of the industry’s best artisans’.

For the 2011 season Angela favours a pleated structure, layers of pleated lace and ribbon in cotton and lace tulle with layers of chiffon in coffee au lait colours, as well as tones of aqua and terracotta.

Angela’s many famous clients seen wearing her dresses including leading English stage and film actors Samantha Bond, Glynis Barber and Katherine Zeta Jones, aristocracy includes The Duchess of Argyll and artist and rock star Lady Theresa Chipman, the beautiful ballerina Marguerite Porter and the worlds no 1 soprano Renee Fleming.

Angela’s design philosophy is simple: to create a beautiful and unique work of art – so intricately cut that they create a perfect, elongated silhouette that appears to caress and flow seamlessly with the form of the body. In addition to her own line of exquisite bridal gowns, Angela designs assessors, evening dresses, mother of the bride outfits, suits, shirts and corsets she, is a master of fine tailoring.

Angela is currently designing an exciting new range of beautiful home-ware products for her online shop which will be active soon.  Keep an eye out for the launch date, as this will no doubt be an event not to miss out on!

Angela was kind enough to share a few of her top tips, which will no doubt come in handy when you choose your perfect gown, as well as caring for it in the run up to your big day.

• When it comes to making the final big decision there are a few tips to remember to help you choose your perfect dress.  First, think about whether it is appropriate for the location and style of wedding day.  Keep and open mind when trying on styles, its different from any dress that you normally would wear, most of our clothes these days are very unstructured, but you may well look best in a tightly, fitted and boned corset. Find something unique, every one loves a surprise! Be sure the dress is not so fussy and big that it over powers you, you must wear it, not the other way round. When making the final decision follow your intuition and instinct!

• Do not buy a dress unless you are absolutely sure it can easily be adjusted to fit and flatter you perfectly, an inexpensive dress, may well not turn out to be a saving in the end.

• Dresses that are mass-produced abroad wont do your carbon footprint any favour, if this is something you care about, and are often made with poor quality fabric.  Smaller, designer labels are not usually not much more expensive, more beautiful and more flexible in helping you achieve that perfect fit and cut.

• Be very careful that the hemline of you dress is just right. Normally, I cut just skimming the top of the shoes at the centre front then sweeping slightly down the hit the floor at the sides. This way you will not trip over and the line is elongating.

• Beware of borrowing a friend’s veil.  They are very rarely the correct length or style to complement your shape or dress design.  The veil should be cut in harmony with your gown, to just the right length and volume, too shot or too big will spoil the look. If your dress is understated and slim in cut, try a big long veil with lace trimming; it could really add some drama!

• Be careful on your way to the venue, when you sit in the car remember to smooth out the fabric beneath you or drape the folds to one site, this will help prevent stepping out in creases. Make sure the car is clean inside and outside.  A bride I know caught her train along the under side of the car and had to walk down the isle with a large oil mark on show!

• Find a photographer who will take some full-length shots of you and your bride’s maids before you leave for the wedding. Set aside half an hour to do this and ask you mum or best friend to make sure the gown and hair is perfectly arranged.  Make sure that the background is uncluttered and has a complimentary colour. Think of it like a fashion shoot.

• Do not be afraid to use a hairpiece if you are going to have an up-style. The results can be spectacular and look completely natural, ask your hairdresser to do a trial run.

• If you can afford the extra cost use a re professional make up artist on the big day. Put on plenty of translucent face powder, you do not want to look shiny faced in the photos!

Till next time, take care

xx

I have loved hats since I was a little girl and wear them to this day.   My love for hats is something I inherited from my mother; there was not a hat in this world that she could not wear with style.  I so vividly remember how graceful she looked when she adorned herself with a hat, her long slender neck seem to be particularly emphasised as was her delicately chiselled jawbone and high cheekbones.  Perhaps there is no other form of accessory to draw so much attention to our face and say notice me than a hat or some form of head dressing.

So it was with great pleasure that I went to meet with Katherine Elizabeth this week to find out what she has in store for the up coming winter/autumn season.

I was pleasantly surprised when Katherine opened the door to her studio, herself adoring a gorgeous fascinator.  This of course is only testament to the Lady’s passion for hats, which started during her University days when she saw a show by Frederick Fox.  This show, I can say safely, was the deciding factor for Katherine’s destiny as a milliner, and aren’t we lucky!

During our meeting I tried on a variety of hats and felt like a girl who has discovered a treasure chest! Katherine Elizabeth is a London based, multi-award winning milliner, whose achievements include the Walpole Awards, Lff Profile Awards, and the Dzina Fashion Awards.  Katherine designs and creates hats for just about any occasion; the only limitation can be your imagination.

Past commissions include designer at John Galliano, House of Dior and Asudari shows at Paris Fashion Week.  Some of her most famous clients include: Dita Von Teese, Lily Allen, the Soho Dolls and Henry Holland both for stage and film.

As well as designing hats Katherine Elizabeth Millinery also hosts their eponymous Mad Hatter Couture parties. Now this is great for a hen or as they are nowadays called ‘swan’ parties. Guests immerse themselves in the wonderful world of millinery couture to create a sumptuous bespoke fascinator made with the finest ethically-sourced feathers, beads, trims, costume jewellery and fabrics.

These events last from 2/3 hours and are perfect for team building experiences as well as providing a fun and wholly inspiring environment for colleagues (if a corporate event) or private guests to immerse in.  Do visit Katherine’s website for more details, but I can certainly recommend the mad hatters tea party as a different and unique experience.

The minimum number of people they would usually accommodate for an event is eight.  The parties come in two packages, with the first being from £38 per person including the full collection of beautiful materials and trimmings.  The second package is £55 per person, and includes more extravagant fabrics and larger trimmings to make a finer couture masterpiece.  Both options come with expert tuition and a finished designer headpiece to take away!

They have a few small extras that you can add on to give your Mad Hatter’s party a more delectable Alice in Wonderland feel.  For an extra £10 per person, they will provide a full antique tea set and crystal jars.  For £20 per person, the team can provide vintage afternoon tea.

Also, on offer is the renowned make-up artist, Fiona Tanner, to make everyone feel special on the day. She is available at £200 per party.

Events can be held in a venue of your choice, i.e. the office, our studio/ gallery, hotel, wine bar, or any private VIP room.

For the new autumn/winter season Katherine will be choosing colours such as grey, black, dark and navy blue as well as red.  Many designs will still have that 20’s vintage feel to it, but with added sparkle.

Katherine has kindly lend me a few pieces to use in a fashion shoot so keep a look out for the images, which should be published either just before or after the NWS in October.

In the meanwhile give Katherine a call for all your desires relating to hats!

Till next time, take care

xx