My Haul

Quick precis of my how my Christmas Wish List’s Parts 1 and 2, performed.

H&M, H&M knitwear, boyfriend cardigan, anthracite grey cardigan

I am now in possession of the very lovely Zara asymmetric earrings, I have a firm promise of the Tiffany and Co, ring, for my upcoming birthday on February 12th, and I’m just about to press ‘purchase’ on my TOPSHOP silver chelsea boots. A very solid 50% success rate on my first attempt at a public Christmas Present List.  My top random Christmas gifts that I didn’t know I wanted until I got them were, a very tiny sparkly knit Boohoo tank top, new knee high black sheepskin boot slippers from Celtic and Co, my last pair lasted 4 years and I just love, love them, a very huge boyfriend cardi from H&M in a gorgeous and practical anthracite grey, a’ classic con twist’ camel coloured detachable lining trench coat from the Ines de la Fressange collaboration from Uniqlo ( which my lovelies is now no longer available anywhere apart from my wardrobe), and a lovely little flounce of a Brandy Melville T, in black. Always hits the spot.

Brandy Melville, T Shirt Top, black long sleeved top

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Happy Christmas Me, Part 2.

I am so lucky and thankful to have so many wonderful things, most of them not tangible, so my Christmas list reflects little chinks in my wardrobe and on my dressing table.

Anyway, it’s good to have goals…

 

I’m as happy to mix designer and high street with jewellery as I am with clothes, which is good as I have much more fun like that and a far, far less restricted budget, although I do love real the jewellery classics, pearls, diamonds and platinum, but gilding the lily with fake fripperies is fun too. Thanks to Yves Saint Laurent and his inspirational accessories muse, Loulou de la Falaise, I’ve had the best masterclass in mix and match fake jewellery trickery ever. I have found fabulousness in the aisles of Mango, TOPSHOP, Forever 21 and Urban Outfitters this season. Go on, root around, pile it on and don’t wear the same stuff two days running. You can wear it wrapped all around your wrists, dangling from your ears and in many coils around your neck. Put it all on with your t shirt and jeans, your fake fur, your leather or pleather anything, and utterly everything else that you own. I love masses of things jangling around my wrists, and I always wear a man’s watch. Makes my wrists look skinny!

I have featured 3 pieces that I’d like to own and wear on the same day, together, anywhere with anything. Huge silver wedding band ( no law against masquerading fraudulently in it), from Tiffany and Co. Diamonds by the Yard pendant necklace, also from Tiffany and Co. And lastly I crave these asymmetric sparkly earrings, as worn by pointy toed Darcy Bussell on Strictly Come Dancing, earning a 10 out of 10 from me and a thank you to Zara

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Cultivated Swedes

Maril Kemp, Swedish Model, long blonde hair, Laraine Ashton, Peter Marlow Model Composites

Here is Maril another Swedish Top Model, a very special person in my modelling career and hugely valued friend. Maril was the very first model that I ever worked with. Our agent Laraine Ashton IMG ( now known solely as IMG), had told me that another of their girls would be at the same job and would take care of me. Hah, 103 years later, Maril is still on speed dial on my phone.

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Hitting The Road.

Vanessa Voegele-Downing, style guru, fashion guru, model , ex model, redhead, beauty
Uniqlo coat, trenchcoat, raincoat, Beret, grey scarf, wool scarf, Le Chameau boots, black skinny jeans, Autumn leaves, scotland, woodland, Scottish Woodland
Nourish, keynote speaker, style guru, fashion guru, weekend course, beauty ,fashion, diet, boutique hotel , York

I’m going national! I’m extremely excited and a little nervous to announce that I’m taking The Model Edit on the road. I have been invited by the ever so energetic, enthusiastic and all round glorious woman, Linda Barker, to join in with her new project, Nourish. On January 23rd at Grays Court Hotel, in lovely York, I shall be taking to the stage to meet you to  tell you my top style ideas and to listen to yours. I can’t wait to meet everyone attending or thinking of attending  (get your skates on, filling up fast) and get down to sorting out, liberating and proving, that you can give yourselves permission to enhance, embrace and encourage your current beauty right now. Wherever you are at any age, you own your appearance. Grab the follow spot back on you, get that second look!

Recycled Models

Mick Lindberg, model, model composite

I have toyed with the idea of giving you insights into former models and what they’re doing now, because I want you to know that there is life after modelling. As I pondered the viability and your curiosity in this subject, Mick Lindberg’s Stitched Stories exhibition invitation slithered through my letterbox. Mind made up. Currently housed at Anthony Hepworth Fine Art Dealers, in Bath, Stitched Stories is Mick’s latest exhibition. Mick was a model whose pictures were stuck to my bedroom walls long before I threw my hat into the modelling ring. She has modelled all around the world with everyone in the industry who was anyone in the industry.

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The Ham Yard Experience

The Ham Yard Hotel, Soho London, Hotel, luxury hotel, Firmdale Group

When most of you weren’t looking, I went with some friends for a Birthday ( not mine, you’ll know when!) at this gorgeous Hotel, situated on approx 1/2 acre of Soho’s land. Redolent of this district’s steamy, slightly edgy past, the fabulous Firmdale Group have capitalised on this slightly naughty and sumptuous area and gone all modern decadent by creating The Ham Yard. It’s truly a treat at any point in any  24 hour period. All of whatever ‘ it ‘ is, goes on here. Feather filled six feet deep sofas, everywhere. Colourful puffy cushions, Books, Art, Food, and such pleasure flinging Cocktails of both types, alcohol and people  to assail the part of your brain that assimilates, fabulousness. This excitingly modern Hotel is a  fabulous silky mix of chic and glamour. It’s not exclusive but you’ll need to switch your sensory receptors to go, as you won’t want to miss a thing here.

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Borderline Boring

Book, reading, Amy Poehler,

I really want to spread the joy by writing about a book that I’m utterly passionate about. I want to have the feeling of falling in love with, the prose, a character inhabiting a book’s pages, the ethos, concept and insight or to be really committed to turning each page so much so that I want to force you all to love the book as much as I do. I wouldn’t hold back because, I’d want to tell you all so that you don’t miss out. None of these yearnings am I feeling about Michela Wrong’s book, Borderlines. My disclaimer is, just because you saw me reading it, doesn’t mean that I like it. Kindly someone in our book Club took a punt and suggested this for our current read. As with all of us, we don’t write the books, so no stones thrown at the purveyor. I feel as though I’ve taken one for the team. ‘ I’ve read it, so you don’t have to’, sort of thing. But I do want to keep you in the loop with my life, therefore a little component called reading is fairly important and I wish I could rant and rage in depth about just how much I disliked Borderlines by Michela Wrong (don’t…). A good rant would be exciting and maybe controversial even, but it’s not even worth our time. Apologies to anyone who may feel that it’s their seminal read. Just ain’t mine. Moving on in order to alleviate the dreary, I turn a 180 and shall spread the joy garnered from Amy Poehler’s book Yes Please. It isn’t the answer to all our prayers but it is an answer to some of our uncertainties. It’s not a ‘self help’ but it’s a ‘help yourself ‘ read. I have laughed, been incredulous, been critical and actually been a little enlightened. Not about her famous life, so much as her un-famous life. She is totally real and reveals some painful mistakes and some previously unspoken, but quietly suspected advice on sex, which I admire and may employ. Amy Poehler referenced some girl giggles that we all have waving at us from our school days and which we must remember, we don’t need to be in a school uniform to experience. I love this woman, all her facets. She’s a flawed friend…like all of us.

This is a book that slips down a treat and it filled me up with a happy confidence that it’s all ok.

Wetsuit Myself

wetsuit, bra, striped top, red curly hair

My wetsuit’s swan song for the season went pretty well, I mean it is still a case of the ultimate Chinese Burn at every epidermal point of contact, but as with birthing babies, there is an endgame.

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Cornwall, Wetsuits, Rewind

wetsuit, mirror, curly red hair, iPhone5

I don’t know if any of you remember the harmony involved between me and my wetsuit…? For those of you that missed it the first time, I’m attempting to put it on again this weekend in Cornwall. Why would I? Deference to a friend’s last hurrah to her 40’s. She’ll be happy that she invited me… Monday should bring you all the debrief.

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