Two words that make my heart melt: brunch and Burberry. Give me a dose of good, delicious food and an incredible fashion exhibition and you've won me over. So I guess you could say last Thursday was the most perfect day for me! My friend Sarah and I headed into London to enrol at our university, but decided to make the most of our day by aimlessly exploring the city we call home.
Though one part was most certainly planned.
Brunch at Farm Girl Café.
It's a true oasis amidst the bustling city.
You can read more about the Farm Girl story right here.
We spotted the owner, Rose Mann, in a rather enviable sartorial creation. What a babe.
After you've ordered, you'll truly understand why this is every blogger's and instagrammer's paradise.
We ordered their most infamous dish on offer, the Buckwheat Berry Pancakes and while I ordered the classic Rose Latté, Sarah opted for a very cool option of a Coconut Drip. It was all insanely delicious and was scoffed up within seconds.
We chatted, giggled and smiled our way through a rather blissful start to our day.
Then, we were left free to meander around one of my favourite London neighbourhoods.
If you're headed to Notting Hill soon or just want to know more of what the area has on offer, you can read my blog post of all lovely recommendations.
As you may of seen from my instagram, I've been wearing this new Topshop denim skirt non-stop. It's a classic wardrobe piece that has incredible versatility, and it pays homage to my favourite sartorial decade, the 90's.
I teamed the denim skirt with a geometric print jumper that is incredibly old (vintage Topshop? Not quite as cool as a Chanel charity shop find), chunky brogues and a large orange bag for a pop of colour.
We hopped on the train and enrolled at London College of Fashion. As boring as it may seem, it was all a little exciting - we're officially UAL students! It was so lovely to finally meet some of the people on my course too.
We invited a few of the girls we met to the Burberry Makers House Exhibition.
Open until the 27th September, Burberry teamed with The New Craftsmen to launch a pop-up fashion and craft exhibition, set in the venue the September 2016 runway took place. After seeing the buzz unfold in front of our eyes on the 19th September, the day of the show, (read about it here), Sarah and I knew we had to see the collection for ourselves.
The exhibition was dedicated to the inspiration behind the collection - Virginia Woolf's Orlando, Nancy Lancaster's gardens, and the way a house evolves over the years. These influences were largely notable in the courtyard filled with busts, sculptures and a mural resembling Ditchley Park (the country house Lancaster is buried in). Inside, a grand staircase is draped in a green patterned carpet; its design based on a ceiling tile from a house Lancaster had decorated.
Inside, craftsmen and artists can be seen practising their works, talking and inspiring visitors. The ground floor space is as much a celebration of Burberry’s heritage as it is of making: the company’s archivist is on hand to tell little-known stories about its past, such as its history of making coats for pioneering aviators. Unfortunately, we never got to hear of the incredible stories, but we did see him touring a little group around.
The building also offers a fascinating insight into how a new season collection takes shape: on one wall is a giant mood board covered in fabric swatches, photographs of Lancaster’s work and stills from the film adaptation of Orlando alongside sketches by Bailey.
Upstairs, you'll find my favourite part of the exhibition.
This is the exact space where the September presentation was held. You can watch the runway on a giant screen, wander among the mannequins, touching the decadently luxurious fabrics as you go, or sit on the pink benches once reserved for the frow and press, to gaze at the work.
Call me a biased Burberry girl, but the garments were amazing. Each fabric was so luxurious, each silhouette was unique and every classic item had a twist. At every mannequin, I swooped in to see the intricate detail up close.
I love the fact that this exhibition is open to the public. You don't even have to book a ticket or pay, you just simply walk through. Burberry fans, not just consumers (like myself), can get a close-up look of the collection without being confined to the somewhat stuffy and pretentious stores that feel far too intimidating.
The event marks the first time that Burberry has released its collection straight away during Fashion Week. It typically takes up to six months for clothes to hit stores after runway shows but Burberry – along with many other brands – is doing away with this long lead time in favour of a ‘straight-to-consumer’ approach.
It’s hard in this over-saturated fashion market for brands to get ahead, do something different and original to capture the attention of millions of social media followers. No longer is it just about impressing fashion editors and buyers alike. Thus, this runway-to-retail is the true future of fashion.
And you truly want to immerse yourself in the experience, why not pull up a chair and relax in the café, which sells delicious treats straight from Thomas' Café in the Burberry Regent Store.
...spotting a colourful wall which screamed 'take pictures here'.
So, naturally, we did.
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| Sarah is wearing: Top - Brandy Melville Jacket and jeans - both Topshop |
Makers House is open from 21 to 27 September. It is open from 10am until 6pm on 23 and from 10am until 7pm from 24 to 27. For details and a schedule of events see burberry.com. If you go, be sure to tag me in any of your photos!
Be sure to also give Farm Girl Café a visit too.
If you've been to the exhibition, what did you think of the experience?
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