Month: October 2015

Something for the Weekend: Waddesdon Manor

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Waddesdon Manor is a former Rothschild home located in Buckinghamshire. I’ve visited a lot of National Trust properties this year, but this has to be the most opulent of them all.

It’s so large I couldn’t fit the entire building in one photograph, and it takes 15 minutes to walk from the car park to the property (they run a shuttle service for those less inclined to hike across the fields).

It was designed by a French architect in the style of a french chateau and used as a weekend home. The family are still involved in the upkeep of the property and the charitable works associated with the estate (including the aviary which has a role in the conservation of endangered tropical birds).

Inside the house is filled with all kinds of curiosities – including the Elephant Automatron I’ve included in this post. (It’s also currently playing host to several art exhibitions/installations – my favourite of which were the paintings by Francesco Guardi, an artist who captured Venice so beautifully.)

LV Series 3

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I was walking down The Strand in London recently when something caught my eye… It had the words ‘Louis Vuitton’ and ‘free’ on it so I had to investigate further! What followed was a wonderful walk through the Louis Vuitton A/W 15 collection and the opportunity to see how it intertwines with the history of the brand.

In their own words: “Series 3 is a stand alone exhibition showcasing a designer and his creative process and influences. Far more than a simple collection it is a stream of consciousness, dreams and self-reflexive journeys. Inside a designers mind, muses intertwine with cherished memories and visions of new shapes, cuts and meticulous craftmanship. He sits between the past he embraced and the future. The designer’s careful thoughts pair with a delicate artisanal touch: a new moment of excellence born in this union. “Series 3” retraces Nicolas Ghesquiere Autumn/Winter 2015/2016 collection for Louis Vuitton. “Series 3″ is a sensorial journey, venturing deep into the designer’s soul and an artisan’s heart. An adventure along the emotional corridors of Louis Vuitton.”

There are regular tours through the exhibition (led by charmingly handsome tour guides in perfectly tailored suits) and along the way there’s the opportunity to meet one of the artisans who painstakingly manufactures each bag by hand.

This Louis Vuitton Series 3 exhibition has free admission (online reservation is recommended but not strictly necessary) and runs until the 18th October at 180 The Strand.

If fashion exhibitions are your thing, then you might also want to check out Chanel’s Mademoiselle Privé exhibition which will run at the Saatchi Gallery from 13th October-1st November.

Alghero, Sardinia – Part II

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This is the last post in my Sardinia series. I may have only spent a week there but there was so much to see and do – when I got home and started wading through all the photos I realised how much we’d packed in. If I could do it all again I would go for longer so that I could take a little more time to soak it all up. It really is a little gem of an island.

On my last night on the island, I was really craving Pizza so, on a recommendation, we headed of to ‘Casablanca’ – which must be the cosiest little bistro in the Winter months as the restaurant has gorgeous vaulted ceilings. It was so warm though, that we opted to sit out on the street under the night sky and take in the atmosphere of the Old Town.

Dress: Grace & Mila (similar here)
Sandals: F&F