WIBTW (What I Bought This Week): NYC

I've just come back from two weeks working in NYC (which you will hear a LOT about in upcoming blog posts to follow), so this week's pocket money was spent in the Big Apple. We didn't have a lot of free time but my speed-shopping skills are pretty well-honed and I managed to pick up a few gems whilst there.

I discovered J Crew big time whilst out there, as although I've heard the buzz for years I've never actually been in a store till now. So I went a little bananas. But if you are selective the prices are really good (some stuff like dresses goes up to a few hundred quid) and I got a wool jumper, cargo pants, a scarf, horse print socks (of course) and a really lovely silk print skirt for less than £200, which I think is very good.  The customer service here was amazing (Simone you rocked), as it was most places in NYC. Us Brits have a lot to learn, I hate to say.

Kate Spade was a bit exciting. I wanted a lot in here, but as my bank called me whilst I was in there to check my card hadn't been stolen, I limited myself. I needed a new wallet and I got a gorgeous patent coral red one.

The cool shops of Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg were VERY tempting, with amazing designer jewellery but a little out of my price range. However I found an amazing jewellery designers shop opposite one of our many hotels on 8th Avenue called Phoenix Roze where I bought the cutest gold necklace with 'C' charm. I wear it every day now - it replaces a similar one that I bought last time I was in NYC and recently broke. So that's allowed, right?!

Here are some snaps:

Accessories love | Reiss AW13

Oh hello, it's a sneaky little preview again!

Last week Reiss held their AW13 press day and although I've been ultra-busy, this was one event I was really keen to get to, as Reiss is one of the more top-end brands I get to work with on a regular basis. I do work with designer, but not that often. In fact I pride myself on making cheap-as-chips clobber look luxe (nearly every single item in the fashion editorial section of my website is High Street). Reiss makes that job a little easier for me with it's high-end quality and design.

I thought their shoes and bags this Summer were spot on, and chatting to the team at the press day in their plush boardroom (which has the softest thickest carpet in the world FYI) it seems the idea was to turn that up a notch for AW and really make sure they outdid themselves when it came to accessories.  And they did.

The Reiss design team's key idea was to merge not only male and female collections (men's and women's sat seamlessly next to each other throughout the space), but also fabric. The big 'thing' for them - they don't like to be mega trend-led - was mixing texture. This filtered to accessories too, which for me, were the stars of the show.

I love the simple, expensive designs that subtly say "I cost more than £80", without screaming designer.

Here are a few phone snaps of my edit of their AW accessories... (angles and space are never in abundance at press days, sorry!). Check out the different leathers, texture clashes, the beautiful designs... Gorgeous.

Reiss accessories designers, if you are listening, you did good. Very good.

Look out for these AW pieces hitting down from July.