Fashion picks: favourite pieces from #Resort2015

My favourite fashion shows/collections are usually the couture collections for A/W as they tend to be more layered, dramatic, and bold. That said, I am absolutely loving looks from the Resort 2015 collections.

Favourites: 

• Lanvin - I want every piece in my wardrobe as they are very similar to what I like to wear. The designs exude an almost nonchalant attitude but are quite polished in their edge. LOVE.
• Talbot Runhof - Talk about flirty, cutesy, and quirky. There's something here for all sorts of women from chic to street. There's also a pink (!!!) dress I adore as it reminds me so much of Audrey Hepburn.
• Temperley London - Two words to sum this up: ultra cool. The type of stuff I'd love to wear to work... and play after.
• Josh Goot - I've always liked the designer's 'graphic geometric' take on clothes and prints and this collection is a testament to the strength of his roots. 
• Gucci - I'm not usually a Gucci fan but this collection boasts gorgeously chic casual pieces that are absolutely wearable. Mostly day wear, there's nothing new with the silhouettes here but there's a certain element of class you get from simplicity and the juxtaposition of prints.

Here are my favourite looks: (Photos from Vogue)

Alice + Olivia

Jenny Packham | Issey Miyake | Erdem

Proenza Schouler

Gucci | Emilio Pucci | Louis Vuitton

Naeem Khan

Antonio Marras | Tory Burch | Nicole Miller

This Talbot Runhof number is way too adorable

Temperley | Mary Katrantzou | Giambattista Valli  

Everyone looks great in an Armani suit. Everyone.

Talbot Runhof | Zimmerman | Lanvin

Josh Goot's style of graphic geometric is very apparent in this dress.

Dennis Basso | Lanvin | Ralph Lauren

Chica in Chanel!

Christopher Kane | DSquared2 | Escada

Oh, Temperley. I would love to wear you every day.

Giorgio Armani | Jason Wu | Gucci

What are your favourite looks from Resort2015?

Plaid Boy and Girl Next Shore in Paris: Louvre Part 3 - "Voulez-vous prendre #OOTD et #selfie avec moi?"

Plaid Boy and Girl Next Shore in Paris: Louvre Part 1 - "Donde es la Mona Lisa?"

Plaid Boy and Girl Next Shore in Paris: Louvre Part 2 - "Ou est la Venus de Milo?"

Plaid Boy and I decided to skip the Richelieu Wing altogether at the Louvre as we were so hungry. We ascended to the base of the glass pyramid and saw dark clouds nearing like Dementors about to attack. 

So we decided to maximise what was left of the sun's coyness and headed out... 

...to take #OOTDs because Plaid Boy wasn't wearing Plaid! Har har!

Despite the lighting, I love this next shot because of the two people in the background. So many stories stemming out from such a candid second. 

Save for the bag, I was wearing mostly high street: Zara top (similar) | Asos mac | Miss Selfridge jeans (similar) | H&M lace ballerinas

Of course we had to take jump shots.

Plaid Boy may have won the jump shot photo of the day, though. Check out the intensity on that face!

And I swear my jump was higher than it looks. Grr, Plaid Boy, Grr!

There were loads of people taking selfies.

So we took hundreds of non-cringey (or so we hope) cheesy ones of us, too.

But is it really still called a "selfie" if there's two of you? Selvesie? Couplie?

I love the Louvre, I really do. I know some locals scoff at the sight of it as it's such a touristy place to visit and do but, as with walking along the banks and bridges of the Seine, I feel that it's one of those places that brings out the old school romance of the city. Make sure you go with a full stomach and a free half day to make your visit worthwhile.

With Lo(u)v(r)e,

#bubbasinparis

Enoteca da Luca St Paul's: where large plates seem tiny

So I had post-work dinner at Enoteca da Luca with C & P last week. I (thought I) was first to arrive so I parked my butt by the bar and ordered some scotch to kill time. I've just been served my drink when C rang to say she's by the dining area. It didn't take long until I realised I was at the one in Guildhall, and not the one on Watling Street (there's three of them in the city). Had to down my drink quickly before I staggered to where she was. It was only a 7-minute walk but I do hate being late!

The restaurant's mantra is 'piccolo e bello' which translates to 'small is beautiful'. Being a relatively petite person with massive belly capacity, this was quite intriguing. I enjoy the concept of sharing plates/tapas as punters get the chance to try more dishes but I do prefer the feeling of having had a proper meal instead of feeling like I've only just grazed.

The St Paul's restaurant is tiny; the ground floor covers about 25 at most and the basement covers an intimate party of 10. I like the look of it: rough wooden countertops lined with oils and vinegar on one side and a semi-industrial bar space on the other.

The tables are quite close which makes it conducive for intimate conversations and cheeky tete-a-tetes. (The ladies next to us were overheard complaining about how close we were sat next to them.) 

The wine list is extensive, with over 100 bottles to choose from. Most of them are Italian but there are a few good ones from elsewhere.

We ordered the antipasto misto (£14) platter to start. It had cured meats such as salami, mortadella, and prosciutto and a few pieces of foccacia on the base. The quality was good - the meat fresh and the bread crisp. Good enough for two people to share, three's quite a stretch.

We saw some sort of homemade pasta with crab (£14) on the menu so we went for that. I was pleasantly surprised to see a smear of aligue (crab fat) on the side of the plate. It's the first time I've seen aligue served in any restaurant in town so I wondered if they made their own or if they had jars of it imported from Italy/Asia.

The dish itself was good. The noodles were freshly made and cooked al dente. Strips of courgette and red bell pepper added some texture. There wasn't much crab meat, but there was enough crab flavour in the sauce. The only let-down was the size. This was already a large portion and it still came out tapas style. I suppose I expected 'large' to be Italian-style large (ie good for 2 people), but I can easily finish this on my own and have room for another plate. And dessert.

We ordered the chargrilled rib-eye (£16.75) which beautifully came in medium (as requested - I was trumped 2/3). I thought it said 10oz on the menu but it seemed less than that. Perhaps I was imagining things... but usually I don't agree sharing a steak unless I know how much of it is served per cut. Plus, I remember P & I discussing how we can easily devour 10 ounces of beef on our own on a hungry day. Nevermind.

Admittedly, it was really succulent and juicy. The meat was still tender and was generously seasoned. I enjoyed it a lot and could have easily finished the whole lot. With the crab pasta to start. 

Flavour-wise the 'triple cooked' chips were deliciously seasoned. I wished it was a bit more crisp on the outside, though. And I wish there was a bit more of it!

Dessert came in the form of a flourless chocolate brownie (£6.75). It looked amazingly rich when it came at our table.

Which, I suppose, is why I was disappointed with the subtlety of cocoa flavour. The foam of cream was a bit lacklustre too.

Overall, I think Enoteca da Luca St. Paul's is a nice place to catch up with mates over wine and a few nibbles if you're not too fussed about eating. It's super close to One New Change as well, so if you fancied something a bit more intimate then this could be an option. Service is pretty quick and the ambience is pretty decent. Expect a few more calories consumed in vino rather than food though. (They do have a relatively wider menu in Devonshire Square.)

Enoteca Da Luca St Paul's
21 Watling Street, London, EC4M  | +44 (0)20 7332 0102
Ave spend pp: £45 with wine