My new blog

I can now be found at Not Just Another Cupcake, a wink at the many stay at home mums who set up cupcake businesses. As a home creator I'll be finding inspiration in food, crafts, style, health and gardening. Enjoy!

Goodbye! It's been a great 3 years

Source: Image Shack

Following the birth of my second son just 18 months after the first, I've decided to take some much needed maternity leave. Saying goodbye to a business that I built was a difficult decision but my family must now come first.

Brittique was launched as an online boutique to support up and coming British designers. Looking back I feel proud to have worked with so many top names including the already well known like Amanda Wakeley and Maria Grachvogel through to the new stars such as Louise Amstrup and Merle O'Grady.

Of course we have stock to clear so we've cut all prices by at least 50% - including the new season collections from Caroline Charles and Peter Jensen.

Thank you for all your support over the past 3 years. It has been fun and now I'm looking forward to spending time being mum for a while.

Merle O'Grady: Find of the month

Merle O'Grady has caused quite a stir in a very short space of time. Her feather weight perspex jewellery was snapped up by Beyonce while on a break from performing in Dublin. Since then customers have been clamouring to buy her unique and striking jewellery. The lightness of the perspex is particularly good for those who love big dangly earrings. You won't even notice these but everyone else will.

Bionda Castana new shoe gods

Grazia have named the design duo behind Bionda Castana the new shoe gods. Not only do Bionda Castana shoes look amazing but they're actually walkable. Good news if you're a size 40 because that's the last pair we have left of the Amber shown here.

A ball gown fit for a bump

Normally an invite to a swanky black tie masquerade ball would be so exciting that I'd barely be able to sleep. But being so heavily pregnant I was dreading it. What to wear with such a big bump? And black tie means to the ground. The lovely Louise Amstrup offered me a beautiful black dress with a beaded bodice. But sadly it didn't fit the belly.

However I did manage to find some silk I'd stashed probably about 10 years ago waiting for the right pattern. So Saturday I did some manic sewing. Thankfully I did manage to get it completely finished and pressed with a couple of hours to spare. It was actually a very simple bump friendly and colourful dress just as I'd envisaged.

The event was a 40th birthday party for the wife of an ex-colleague of my man. I'd actually never met the wife. It's very odd going to a party not knowing the birthday girl. And I didn't even meet her on the night.What a party! Most weddings are not this extravagant. Held at the V&A Museum the surroundings were just beautiful. It had a Venetian theme, hence the masks. I'd bought ours online and hoped that it matched my dress - luckily it did perfectly.

Back to the party. There was a string quartet on gondola in the middle of the lake in the garden. After we moved inside past the sculpture gallery there was a live band. The daughters aged 13 and 10 sang a beautiful song from Hairspray where they had adapted the words for their mother. They were incredible! Such confidence. I had tears in my eyes. Following the band were opera singers. Other entertainment included massages, makeup sessions, an ice cream stand (see picture above!) and a photo booth.

I'd actually managed to slip my feet into these Gil Carvalho 4 inch heels for the occasion. While the shoes were very comfortable for my feet, it was my legs that had the problem. My legs held up quite well until about 11pm. By then I was ready to limp to the car and go home to my lovely soft bed. You can imagine the relief when I took off my shoes and walked on flat ground. Bliss! But beauty means suffering, even when pregnant!

Kate Tailyour features in Metro

I feel really good when I'm wearing a great outfit. I feel even better knowing that it's not only made from ethically sourced, organic fabrics but that it's produced in Britain - actually just down the road from us in lovely Hackney. As featured in Metro today, Kate Tailyour's collection is just that, ethical and local, something that should appeal to eco-enthusiasts and fashionistas alike. This collection is available exclusively from Brittique. Look out for her AW09 collection which will be available for preorder soon.

Our PR gets papped with Kate Bosworth

Source: Just Jared

PRs really do have the active social life don't they? Our wonderful PR Liz was at the recent Rodarte dinner hosted by Kate Bosworth and happened to get snapped in the background. Liz is wearing the fabulous Louise Amstrup stripe panel dress while Kate is looking rather regal in this Rodarte frock.

So excited about these shoes

Of course I love all the shoes I stock but some I love more than others. These Verity by Bionda Castana fall into that category. They are so elegant and, the best bit, they're orange! I do have a thing for orange. Remember my ginormous Chloe Heloise handbag? These shoes are going to look great with that. They'll also look great with the new AW09 collection from Louise Amstrup with the hint of orange in the print.

Preorder Verity now to avoid disappointment.

Emma Cook speaks out about rumours

We can all breathe a sigh of relief that rumours circulating last week that Emma Cook was closing were just that, rumours. Emma Cook spoke with Grazia this week dismissing the rumours and confirming that her label was continuing but with a focus on a lower priced diffusion range as well as her collaboration with Topshop. What good news!

Shop Emma Cook here at Brittique.com.

Giant shoe sale: 40-90% off all shoes

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Daily Mail's best boutiques

Daily Mail featured Brittique as one of it's best boutiques.

"The latest fashion news, latest designs and preorder of collections to come are some of the options at Brittique, a beautifully designed online boutique with a fabulous selection of covetable contemporary clothes and accessories including dresses, bags, heels and jewels."

Thanks Patricia from Thesiteguide.com and Daily Mail!

Metro's favorite new accessories

Metro picked the infamous Amber by Bionda Castana as their top new accessories for the summer. These shoes became a must have item after Agyness Dean wore them for British Vogue. You're in luck if you're a size 40/41 as that's the only size we have left. Remember they do come up about 1/2 a size bigger but can be laced in.

Source: RihannaDaily.com

Rihanna seems to favour emerging British designers. Last year she stepped out in Emma Cook's fantastic jumpsuit - I can't wear mine enough in summer! Recently the American based singer was spotted in this Hannah Marshall short sleeve jacket. She really is super stylish and it is great to see a celeb who doesn't have to be dressed in big name designers all the time. It would be wonderful if more celebs would embrace up and coming designers from across the globe.

My lost top found after 2 years of searching!

Attending the Madonna concert in Madison Square Gardens last year wearing the too small Louise Amstrup Bow Top, Amiee McWilliams leather trousers and a clutch by Ignes


Over 2 years ago I had a press request for the Louise Amstrup bow top. The press sample was already out at Elle Magazine so I reluctantly sent off my personal top. Sadly it vanished. Elle claimed it had been returned, my warehouse claimed they hadn't received it back and my PR didn't have it either. Luckily we did get press from it and very quickly sold out of all tops.

I was so upset. It really was my favorite top. I loved wearing it with white jeans and silver shoes as well as the leather trousers shown above. I even begged Louise Amstrup to make me a new one but she didn't have anymore fabric. But she did send me a size 8. It was OK, but it wasn't really long enough for me to wear comfortably with my skinny jeans. I preferred the drapy feel of the size 12.

We have just moved warehouses in the last couple of weeks and I have been personally overseeing the stocktake and packing of all my beautiful Brittique.com clothes. There was an odd box leftover that seemed to have damaged clothes and just stationary items so I just left it - until today. What a surprise I got when I unpacked it and right at the bottom was my beloved top neatly folded in the magazine's bag. I'm thrilled! But now I'll have to wait a few months post baby to get back into it.

The future's orange

As soon as I saw these Bionda Castana Verity shoes I thought of the Louise Amstrup AW09 collection. I just love orange and can't wait to pair these Verity's with the Louise print pinup dress and matching slim wrap belt in orange. The shoes and dress are available to preorder now with delivery in August.