It's all in the detail

Prints and patterns are seducing the fashion world this season, making us all peer at little closer at what each other are wearing and hunt out quirky pieces worth a second look for ourselves. Here, four of my recent second-hand finds reveal their secrets under the zoom lens. Click on photos to enlarge.

Hunting shirt - £5, Emmaus Stockholm

Gap peplum top - £4.50, British Heart Foundation, Brighton

Kate Moss Topshop shirt - £5, Loved, Worn & Reborn

Laura Lees at Topshop - £4, Loved, Worn & Reborn

Stockholm interior style

Sleek lines, simple silhouettes and a striking industrial aesthetic - Scandinavian style always seems fresh, clean and contemporary, despite having its roots firmly planted in the iconic Mid-Century Modern era.

Here are just a few of the inspirational yet everyday interior items I spotted during my visit to Stockholm: 

The enchanting world of Monki

One of the shopping highlights of my recent Stockholm trip was visiting the wonderland that is Monki world. H&M-owned Monki is one of Sweden's most exciting trend-led fashion exports, and recently opened it's first UK stand-alone store on Carnaby Street.

Having not yet had the pleasure of visiting the London shop, I was happy to experience the weird and wonderful concept store in its home city and came away suitably enchanted.

The 'Sea of Scallops' design of the outlet I visited boasted merry-go-rounds, mirrored surfaces reflecting the happy pink and yellow colour scheme and items hung at various heights by rope. A grown-up playroom complete with plush Monki characters to collect.

These 'yes', 'no' and 'maybe' hooks in the dressing rooms are just one example of the small details designed to put a smile on your face.

The all-singing-all-dancing brand also produces a rather awesome read, full of interviews with inspirational women, charming illustrations and insights into the intriguing world of Monki.

With an identity so strong, it's easy to see why the company is making such waves in global fashion at the minute, and I haven't even mentioned the clothes yet!

Combining the sleek, structured and simple designs characteristic of Scandinavian style with youthful colour pops and quirky prints, Monki brings something unique to the overcrowded fast-fashion market. And, like H&M, the price point is equally attractive.  I picked up this heart print dress for just £15 in the sale and I think my online Monki account will be seeing a whole lot of action this year...

Monki magic

I'm falling ever more in love with Scandinavian design, and my latest crush is Swedish-born concept store Monki. The brand takes the simple silhouettes of the Scandinavian aesthetic and adds urban, girly and fantastical twists, resulting in easy-to-wear pieces imbued with a tongue-in-cheek sense of fun.


Prices range from 3 euro for socks to 130 euro for coats, with the majority of pieces on the international site under 50 euro. So affordable that my wish list for spring/summer is, for once, within the realms of financial reality. Peter pan collar top, camel coat, quirky tee, heart print dress and sheer cranberry shirt = £150 - throw in a black pleated mini and some cute accessories and you've got yourself a covetable capsule wardrobe.


Can't wait to raid the real-life stores in Stockholm next year!

Looklet.com - a brand engagement dream

When Beyond Retro announced that some of their stock was now available to play stylist with on Looklet.com, it prompted an hour of unofficial down-time at work. I hadn't realised that this was the tool I'd seen fashion bloggers use to illustrate their take on the current trends, and once I did, I was hooked.

For Looklet virgins, the site allows its users to style outfits from a number of high-street, designer and vintage brands, offering a choice of models, backgrounds and effects.


It's easier to make things look pretty than with Polyvore sets, and you don't have to go out and buy stuff and spend hours taking photos, deleting photos and generally becoming frustrated that you don't look like a model in order to share your outfit creations - Lookbook.nu is not my bag.

The site attracts 500,000 hits a day from all over the world and, as I said, is naturally popular with fashion bloggers looking to share their style. A brand engagement dream - so, what does it cost for a retailer to get their stock on site?


A contact from the site told me that there is no cost for brands to be represented - all they would need to do is loan some samples of an upcoming season’s stock to the Looklet.com studio in Stockholm, covering the shipping costs back and forth.

Seems like a cheap and quick win in terms of online exposure and engagement and would also be a great tool to use for client’s on-site content, enabling content creators to put together good-looking seasonal outfits to illustrate fashion editorial.

I'll definitely be encouraging my high-street clients and vintage contacts to join the likes of Topshop, Zara and Beyond Retro and get in on the act before the site owners start to capitalise on the social tool as they could do.