Belle & Bunty: my favourite green dress

My favourite dress is the Willow in emerald green silk by Belle & Bunty which was in their shop window earlier this week.  Belle & Bunty launched their new Bridal styles today, read their blog about it here - my favourites are the Mae and the Darcey - or go and visit them at their boutique on Brecknock Road.

hand beaded and sterling silver jewellery made by Clara Francis

Belle & Bunty - Spring Summer 2012

Belle & Bunty design some of my very favourite frocks (I'm in love with their Primrose dress, one of their Magnificent 7 bridal dresses) - I had a little peak at their Spring Summer collection the other day which has a delicious selection of dresses and jackets in pastel and bright colours which are perfect for the summer social season. Pop along to their boutique on Brecknock Road which has been decked out in pretty ribbons to have a look for yourself.

*love* red and pink Drama Shift Dress

far left: Midi Willow Dress in Trippy Rose

next to this: Lucky Lace Dress in Grey & Melon

middle: Dominican dress in black and sand

far right: Boucle Clover Blazer in aqua

on a spree to New York - souvenirs

Before my New York visit becomes old news, here's what I brought back home as souvenirs. I went for primaries: blue, yellow and a dash of red.

Manhattan is awash with global highstreet fashion brands, like Gap, Mango, Zara, Topshop, H&M, All Saints... There are no Madewell stores in the UK (yet), which is why I chose a scarf from there: a brilliant blue edged with pale pink, white and bold black lines, and printed with botanical images which I like to think are American, since one of them is corn maize and I am sure a British designed scarf would not have an image of this very American food-stuff (think corn chips, maize oil, and the lethal corn syrup).

There are plenty of American Apparel stores here in the UK, but it is all made in downtown LA which appealed to me as I was buying Made In The USA while I stayed in the USA. Also, it is cheaper to buy American Apparel gear in the States than over here. I am just a little bit obsessed with yellow and this bright yellow with blue zip jumped out at me - bought at the Bleeker Street store, near to where I was staying.

These large clutches are very handy for keeping notebooks and papers all together when I am at work, as a bag within a bag. The little pale lemon purse will be used for make-up: the red souvenir I bought was an 'Angel Red' Clinique lipstick. Or it can be used as a small clutch on a night out, a I did on Saturday, with the yellow key ring attached to make a wrist-strap - room enough for purse, mobile, keys and lipstick too.

Vogue Fashion Night Out: Belle & Bunty and Sweet Couture cakes

Last week I popped along to see some of Belle & Bunty's beautiful frocks in the Sweet Couture cake shop in Covent Garden at the Vogue Fashion Night Out. The frocks were gorgeous, as always - the cakes were delish. But surely this is a dynamite combination?

Mrs Osborn's favourite shops - Belle & Bunty Boutique

Step inside Belle & Bunty's boutique, away from the hustle and bustle of Brecknock Road N7, and you enter into an oasis of calm, elegance and beautiful silk frocks. Belle & Bunty, founded by Alice Shreeve and Hannah Coniam, design the sort of elegant clothes in flattering shapes and colours that make you think 'hurrah! at last I have found...the perfect outfit for a wedding / party / night out on the town / [insert your own elegant moment here]'.

You can see their Magnificent 7 Bridal collection in all it's glory (and I think these dresses would not look amiss on the red carpet, should you ever be in need of a gown for the Oscars) and the newly arrived Spring Sumner 2011 collection is also in stock.

some of The Bridal collection: The Bunty, The Belle and The Estella (left to right) in very pretty shades of pink and cream

Spring Summer 2011 collection - on-line next week...

my favourite, because I love green: The Willow dress (also part of their Bridal collection) featuring a nice little collection of roses at the neckline

There are sparkly jewels too at the Belle & Bunty boutique such as tiny, handmade gold plated dragonfly earrings and vintage-style dress rings found by Alice and Hannah.

For those not already in the know, Brecknock Road is also home to Bumblebee (health food shops), Classic Shoe Repairs (the place to get your designer shoes repaired), and Salvino's Italian deli.

Belle & Bunty, 45a Brecknock Road, London N7 0BT
020 7267 3322

Love is...(Part 1)

...a cliche of red and pink.  Get ready for Valentine's Day

Go out on the town wearing this little number: Belle & Bunty Eliza silk georgette maxi dress at ASOS

red Cambridge Satchel available here 

snuggle up under a Melin Tregwynt blanket (range of sizes available): Knot Garden, in ember, available here

say it with...lobsters from Tatty Devine

for the key to your heart: Susannah Hunter key ring from here

Belle & Bunty - Magnificent Seven

I've been wanting to blog about Belle & Bunty for some time as they are just the sort of company bursting with home grown talent I like to support - but I thought that all their glorious frocks were made abroad, until Alice (Belle) put me right on this. Their Magnificent 7 collection, for those seriously elegant moments in your life, are made-to-order here in London.

Inspired by the wedding dresses that Alice and Hannah wore to their own weddings (The Belle and  The Bunty), this collection has been snapped up by other brides-to-be, and it's easy to see why: silk dresses in chic and flattering designs that are reminiscent of 1940s Hollywood glamour.  No frock horror here.

If I wasn't a Mrs already, I'd be dreaming of The Primrose for my big day (I'm liking the fact that its design 'celebrates curves') - it's available in a beautiful dark teal colour, and also in traditional 'bridal colours'.

Their lovely boutique shop is in Tufnell Park on Brecknock Road, where you can check out their full daytime and evening wear collections (note to fans, there is a sale on right now, up to 60% off) - when I last visited they also had in stock Alex Monroe jewellery which goes well with their elegant designs.