Happy Monday

Happy Monday! I hope a good weekend was had by all. Mine was fab, with a great combination of culture, exercise and hanging out with friends and family. On Friday evening I went to see The Handmaiden, a beautifully shot and styled film about deception and seduction in Japanese-occupied Korea. The costumes were stunning, drawing inspiration from the kimonos of Japan as well as the delicate lace dresses of Edwardian England. I saw it at the Picture House Central which is just off Piccadilly Circus in the old Trocadero building and has a rooftop bar with stunning views over central London.

On Saturday evening I went ceroc dancing, which is always fun and a great way to blow the cobwebs away. On Sunday I went for a very long walk in Richmond park, ending up at the Isabella Plantation where the rhododendrons and azaleas were out in full force. The colours were stunning and very inspiring, in varying shades of magenta, fuchsia and everything in between. This is the best time to go, so get down there before it's too late!

I also put some time aside to create items for my Cheeky Leopard store, which I love doing. I have my lovely little studio and can spend hours in there, fiddling with fabrics and coming up with new ideas. As a designer/maker, I am always in awe of how other professionals create their wares and have just been checking out the beautiful film on the Anya Hindmarch website where it illustrates the amount of attention that goes into making one of her bags. I'd like to think the same care and attention goes into making a Cheeky Leopard bag. Click on the image below to see how one of her beautiful bags comes to life.