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Necklace by Helena Bonham Carter

Iconic London department store Liberty has teamed up with British household names to create a collection of ‘National Treasures’ for charity. Continue Reading

We’ve been a bit slow catching up over the last few days (see the Fashionista:London News category to find out why!) but the good news is that there will be plenty of exciting fashion events happening this week to keep you occupied.

High Street Fashion Week began yesterday on Oxford Street, and until Friday retailers along London’s most famous High Street are offering loads of discounts, incentives and events to make your shopping experience that much better.

Today sees the launch of Carharrt Inc. at House of Fraser, Schuh are giving away a £5 voucher towards your next purchase when you spend £50 or more, and Next and New Look have their Autumn/Winter collections in store now for your purchasing pleasure.

Tomorrow is, of course, Fashion’s Night Out, and we’ll be rounding up all the best events for you later today so you’ll know where to go to find the coolest parties and hottest stores.

You’ll also find the London College of Fashion’s Flexible Factory popping up at The Plaza on Oxford Street, where students from the college’s part-time undergraduate courses will be showcasing their work.  On 9th September the space will host a catwalk show too (you’ll need to contact the LCF press office for tickets on 0207 514 7427).

For the full line-up of events and offers, visit the High Street Fashion Week website.

In possibly the best news of the decade, high street giant H&M have announced that their latest collaboration will be with ultra-luxe Parisian fashion house Lanvin.

After posting a series of teaser videos on their Facebook page showing various stereotypical designer types waxing lyrical about the collection, and days of speculation as to who it could be (Bottega Veneta’s Thomas Maier and Carolina Herrera being two of the names that were bandied about), it was revealed this morning that Alber Elbaz and Lucas Ossendrijver of Lanvin will bring a touch of French luxury to the high street in November.

The collection, which will include both menswear and womenswear, will be available in 200 stores worldwide on 23rd November, but all will be revealed to the world three weeks prior on 3rd November in a video presentation online.  Unlike some previous collaborations where the designer’s vision has been concentrated into an H&M price point, it sounds as though the Lanvin for H&M pieces might be nearer the top end of the high street scale.  Still, given that in Lanvin’s mainline collection a pair of satin trainers costs more than £300, it will certainly be a vastly more affordable way for us all to buy into the Lanvin dream.  The only question that really remains to be answered: how can H&M possibly top this?!

I don’t know about you, but I’ll be keeping 23rd November absolutely clear in my diary.  Actually, that’s less than three months away …  Best start queueing now!

There are few things as iconic as Dr Martens boots (they made it into Selfridges Forever Shop, after all), and over the Bank Holiday weekend you can pick up a pair for less at the Summer Warehouse Sale!

Taking place in the equally iconic location of Spitalfields Market, the sale will be held over four days, from 27th to 30th August, and will be open from 10am to 6pm every day.

Get yourself down there and snap up a bargain quick-sharp – classics like these won’t be around for long!

Dr Martens Summer Warehouse Sale, Unit SP1F, Spitalfields Market E1 6AA

Just a quick reminder that there are a couple of exciting things happening in the vicinity of Oxford Street and Regent Street today:  firstly, the Regent Street French Connection store opens its Frock Swap pop-up shop today.  Remember when we told you about the charity swapping event whereby you’d get £10 off a new French Connection frock if you took an old one to your nearest store?  Well, all those swapped dressses have been gathered at the Regent Street store and are now for sale at a tiny £10 each!  Amongst them are dresses donated by Cat Deeley, Holly Willoughby and some other famous names, so make sure you get down there as soon as possible to snap up your favourite.  And just in case you’d forgotten in the excitement, it’s all for charity too, and good causes Magic Bus and Kids Company will benefit from the event.

A brisk walk along Oxford Street to Selfridges will bring you to the second event opening today: an awe-inspiring exhibition of Vivienne Westwood’s shoes in the department store’s Ultralounge (lower ground floor).  Brought together in one place are some of the most famous shoes in history from five decades of designing by the Grand Dame of British punk style.  We’ll certianly be there to check it out!

Next month looks to be a busy one for fashion fans in London: not only is it London Fashion Week, but there are also lots of sample sales, vintage fairs and other events, not to mention Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out which is set to  be bigger and better than last year’s inaugural event.  Listed below is a preview of what to expect, but as always we’ll be digging around for more details and more events, so save up your pennies and make space in your diary!

Sample Sales

• Thursday 2nd September – Sunday 5th September: Secret Sample Sale, Truman Brewery, Brick Lane; Entry £1 Expect to see a mix of fantastic labels such as Cavalli and Westwood and lesser-known names at up to 80% off.
• Thursday 9th September – Sunday 12th September:  Orla Kiely Sample Sale, Chelsea Old Town Hall; Entry £1 (for charity) Fans of Orla Kiely’s retro geometric prints can snap up a bargain – past sales have seen clothing, bags and accessories reduced by 70% or more.
• Friday 17th September to Sunday 19th September:  Women’s Designer Warehouse Sale, Islington Studios, N7; Entry £2 A legend amongst in-the-know Londoners, the Designer Warehouse Sale offers more than 180 brands reduced by at least 60%.
• Friday 17th to Saturday 18th September:  Rupert Sanderson Sample Sale, The Music Rooms, South Molton Lane Add to your shoe collection with Rupert Sanderson’s beautifully crafted heels at 60% to 80% off.
• Thursday 23rd September to Friday 24th September:  Margaret Howell Sample Sale, The Music Rooms, South Molton Lane Indulge in some of Margaret Howell’s impeccable tailoring at up to 80% off.  Also includes menswear, home and fabrics.
• Thursday 23rd September to Sunday 26th September:  London Fashion Weekend, Somerset House Now a regular fixture on the calendar after London Fashion Week, there are always some bargains to be had at up to 70% off – this year it has attracted names like Twenty8Twelve, Donna Ida and Angel Jackson.

Vintage Fairs

• Every Saturday:  Cabbages and Frocks, St Marylebone Parish Church, Marylebone High Street A regular market where you can find everything from high-end vintage to a gourmet lunch
• Saturday 4th September: Jumble and Pearls, The Horatia, Holloway Road Possibly the most fun you’ll ever have rummaging for a bargain, Jumble and Pearls is half party (with resident DJ) and half vintage and designer shopping.
• Sunday 12th September: Vintage Fashion Fair, Primrose Hill; Entry £3 A wide selection of vintage clothing and accessories from the 1800s to 1980s is always available at this regularly held fair.
• Sunday 12th September:  London Vintage Fashion, Textiles and Accessories Fair, Hammersmith Town Hall; Entry £10 before 10am, £5 after A huge fair that has been feeding the capital’s craving for vintage for more than 10 years.
• Sunday 19th September:  Frock Me!, Chelsea Old Town Hall Worth popping along to just for the fabulous tea room, Frock Me! is another long-running fair that Kylie has been known to pop along to.
• Sunday 26th September:  Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair, The Urdang, The Old Finsbury Town Hall; Entry £4 Not only can you pick up a beautiful piece of vintage clothing here, you can also have it altered to your taste at the on-site Alteration Booth.

Openings, Launches and Other Events

• Wednesday 8th September:  Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out Following on from last year’s successful event, FNO will consist of hundreds of events across London, with many brands offering one-night-only discounts and in-store entertainment, all in the name of shopping.  A fashionista’s dream come true.
• Wednesday 8th September:  Launch of Browns Shop 24, South Molton Street To coincide with FNO, Browns opens its newest concept store, bringing together timeless pieces from the labels for whom classics are signature pieces – a one-stop-shop for the perfect wardrobe.
• Wednesday 8th September:  John Lewis Oxford Street relaunches its Womenswear floor Also joining the FNO party, John Lewis opens its revamped fashion floor with limited-edition pieces designed by the likes of Osman, Philip Treacy, William Tempest, Terry de Havilland and Alex Monroe.
• Friday 17th September to Wednesday 22nd September:  London Fashion Week, Somerset House Unless you’re lucky enough to have bagged show invitations, you’ll just have to do like the rest of us and loiter outside Somerset House for a glimpse of the impossibly stylish people that make the fashion world go round.
• Saturday 18th September to Sunday 26th September:  London Design Festival Celebrating design of all kinds, this festival is comprised of over 200 events in various locations across the capital, including several fashion-oriented events.
• Thursday 23rd September to Wednesday 29th September:  Origin London Craft Fair, Old Spitalfields Market Pick up a unique piece of jewellery or fashion accessory at this fair which celebrates craftsmanship in the UK and beyond, and gives you a chance to meet the people who make your purchases.

We’ll also be publishing a round-up of all the fashion-related exhibitions that are opening, closing or continuing throughout September and updating you on all the news and views as we get them, so check back soon!

Growing up, Benetton was somewhere people went for brightly-coloured sweaters, but as I got older I kind of dismissed it as a fashion destination.  However, it looks like I should go and give them a second chance, as the Benetton flagship store at Oxford Circus is due to relaunch this afternoon with a makeover and a whole load of fun and games for shoppers to participate in.

If you’re over 15, you can be dressed by the stylists and pose for a Benetton ad-style shoot which will then be featured on Benetton’s website and Facebook page.  There will also be the opportunity to meet the two UK winners of Benetton’s ‘It’s My Time’ competition, where ordinary people were given the chance to star in a Benetton campaign shot by the legendary Josh Olins – I say ordinary, but they all look like models to me!

If that’s not enough, you can shop exclusive promotions on must-haves whilst enjoying aperitifs and an in-store DJ AND the first 300 customers will receive a special goodie bag with their purchase – now if that’s not a reason to be forming an orderly queue, we don’t know what is …

Whilst I’m sure the brightly-coloured sweaters will be in there somewhere, there are some seriously hot pieces floating around in the autumn/winter lookbook and ad campaigns – I am particularly coveting the suede mid-heel hiking boots, which are surely the perfect everyday stomping-around-town shoe for people like me with an allergy to flats.  There are also some fabulous leather pieces, tailoring, prints, accessories and some super-cute Fairisle-type knits which are perfect for the snow-bunny look as seen on the D&G catwalk.  Looks like it’s definitely time to give Benetton another chance!

The official re-launch event is open from 4pm to 8pm today at the Oxford Circus Benetton store.  Enjoy!

Benetton, 255/259 Oxford Street, London W1B 2ER

A gown from Matthew Williamson's Autumn 2010 collection

We’ve been quiet for a while, and we’re sorry if you’ve been rocking in a dark corner somewhere without your sample sale fix!  But to make it all better, here’s a peace offering:  the Matthew Williamson sample sale starts at noon today!

Shimmy on over to Westbourne Grove to pick up past-season pieces from the ready-to-wear, beachwear and accessories lines at up to 70% off.  Find Williamson’s signature embellished and kaleidoscope-printed gowns and draped minidresses at a tiny fraction of their original price, and if you’re heading off to the closing parties in Ibiza soon, you’ll definitely be wanting some super-glam swimwear, so why not head over to grab a beach-ready bargain?

The sale opens at 12pm today until 7pm this evening, and is also open from 10am to 7pm tomorrow.   There will be a £1 entry fee but, as we’d expect of one of our fave Brit designers, the proceeds will all go to charity!

Matthew Williamson Sample Sale, 20th Century Theatre, 291 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2QH

The Desiree dress from Minna's AW09 collection

Three London-based eco-concious labels are joining forces for a fabulous sample sale starting this afternoon.  For a seriously chic dose of upcycled, recycled and ethically-sound shopping, head on over to the Goodone studio in N1 between 4pm and 10pm for huge discounts on past season stock and samples, as well as up to 50% off the retail price on personal orders of Goodone’s new autumn/winter collection.

Goodone do amazing things with waste fabric and leftover product, as well as upcycling discarded t-shirts and the like.  Check out the video on the About section of their website for a visual explanation of their mission, and a few scary truths about the waste created by the fashion industry and its consumers: if that doesn’t make you want to buy their sustainable pieces, then a quick look at their past, current and upcoming collections certainly will.  We’re coveting the body-con crochet dress and Aran knit bomber from their Autumn/Winter range (which will be available to order this evening with big discounts).

Minna is another label noted for minimising waste and using ethically-sourced fabrics, and this evening you’ll be able to find their pretty, hand-embellished dresses and blouses at minimal prices too.  Finnish designer Minna Hepburn also creates a range of gorgeous little girl’s clothes and whilst we’re not sure whether they will be on sale this evening, you can buy online at Minna’s website and these pieces are just to cute not to!

Nina Dolcetti is the brainchild of Cordwainers graduate Elisalex do Castro Peake, who designs all her shoes to use offcuts and waste leather as well as eschewing environmentally-unfriendly chrome tanned leathers in favour of ethically-sourced vegetable tanned hides.  Everything about a pair of Nina Dolcetti shoes is carefully considered, with heels constructed of sustainable cork and wood, and recycled leather used for the soles.  And as if that wasn’t enough, every pair is handmade in a small factory right here in London town, so by buying these shoes you’re supporting local industry too!

If you like your fashion with lasting feel-good factor, get on over to Southgate Road, N1 from 4pm this afternoon to snap up some amazing ethical pieces with huge discounts.

Goodone Studio, Studio 1B, 2-4 Southgate Road, London N1 3JJ