Style : Carlton Drew

East Coast style in LA : Carlton Drew

 I discovered Carlton Drew on Instagram (@carltondrew) and eventually, on a recent trip to Los Angeles I was able to visit the shop itself. Carlton Drew brings East Coast style with a modern edge to Los Angeles - my kind of shop.

 Naturally, I had on my best modern prep outfit... Louis Vuitton Success brogues in Navy Canvas / Leather mix, Embroidered Anchor Shorts by Bank Fashions, Striped shirt by Vivienne Westwood, Shades by Tom Ford.

 Carlton Drew had posted on Instagram some days earlier the new line of 'Lemon & Line' cord bracelets he had just received - naturally I made a beeline straight for these

 I also picked up a couple of tees from 'Declaration' and some shirts from 'Shades of Grey by Micah Cohen'  (With Carlton Drew very kindly throwing in a freebie - thanks!)

 Carlton Drew is a very well curated shop with a great selection East Coast preppy style product, located at 8016 Melrose Avenue, just up from Fred Segal - it's a great location in a very up and coming area.

Carlton Drew,
8016 Melrose Avenue,
Los Angeles,
CA 90046
(323) 782 - 1434

Website : Carlton Drew

Style : Outfits

Outfit shots

 

 Chris' Outfit

 Pastel sheen colour block shirt - 'Bläck' at McQ, Stockholm
 Pale denim skinny jeans - 'Zumo' at Fittz, Prague
 Slip on brogues in Cognac - 'Melrose Loafer' by Louis Vuitton
 Leather / Stainless Steel H belt - Hermes
 Orange 'Clic Clac' enamel bracelet - Hermes 
 Leather and 18ct white gold love bangle - Cartier
 Tortoiseshell sunglasses - TF236 'Olivier' by Tom Ford

 Paul's outfit

 Grey marl jersey with woven collar polo - 'Josef Sloboda' at Fittz, Prague

 Skinny jeans - 'Max Le Light' by Acne

 Jacquard satin slippers - 'Spotlight' by Louis Vuitton

 Leather / Enamel H belt - Hermes

 Brown tortoiseshell sunglasses - TF197 'Leopold' by Tom Ford

Attend : Armani / Deli

Armani/Deli @ Armani/Hotel, Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai, UAE

 I had a fantastic lunch at Armani/Deli when I was in Dubai recently. Ever since the world's first Armani/Hotel opened here in 2010, I've wanted to visit and see what all the hype was about.

Armani/Deli is situated in the lower floors of the hotel, at the base of the Burj Khalifa (The world's tallest building at 829.8m) The interior is as slick and stylish as you would expect from Armani, a black and cream minimal place.

The menu was traditionally Italian with a modern twist - we both had our 'go to' signature dishes - 'Spaghetti Lobster', and 'Black Truffle Pappardelle' - needless to say they were absolutely delicious.

Armani/Deli is, naturally, set out like a deli, with a large seating area. The seated section has beautiful calm views over the Dubai fountains along to The Address hotel. The deli section features freshly prepared dishes, cold cuts, deserts, and a bar / coffee counter.

 We had a great lunch here, it was a cool place to chill, away from the hustle and bustle of Downtown Dubai - The service was immaculate and the prices surprisingly reasonable.

 I'd now love to visit some of the other food and beverage outlets in the Armani/Hotel, maybe next time I'm in Dubai!

Armani/Deli - Website

Burj Khalifa - Website

Style : Outfits

Outfit shots

 A new feature on this blog - I'm going to start posting some more outfit shots. Hope you enjoy. 

 Paul's Outfit

 Green Deco Pattern Blazer : Reiss
 Cotton jersey polo with silk collar : Alexander McQueen
 Black skinny jeans : 'Max Cash' by Acne
 Black patent leather slippers with ponyskin moustache :  'Watson' by Christian Louboutin
 Green polka dot pocket square : Tom Ford
 Black Sunglasses : TF97 'Arnaud' by Tom Ford

 Chris' Outfit

 Cobolt Blue Blazer : Reiss
 Blue pinstripe shirt with rounded collar and collar bar : Reiss
 Blue twill cotton trousers : Reiss
 Navy perforated suede slippers : 'Spotlight' by Louis Vuitton
 Black and Grey geometric pocket square : Tom Ford
 Black sunglasses : TF236 'Olivier' by Tom Ford

Hallway Interior : Modern French Vintage

Hallway Style

 Following on from decorating my bathroom (see Bathroom Interior), I've moved onto the hallway and I've just finished. Again, I've kept the style calm, fresh and quirky - my 'Modern French Vintage' style.

 I also posted some shots on my Instagram account : @opulentscrawls

Padded Linen White Wallpaper: Koziel @ Rockett St George
Bespoke Mirror: Joby Woodhouse
Antelope Heads: SIA
'Wey' Frame: Habitat
Vintage Vogue covers: Broadway Market
Large Vase & Orchids: Habitat
Horseshoe: Trekehners Can Jump
Owl Bookends: Laura Ashley
Pearced Book (on Shelf): Pearced Book Blog / Amazon

Attend : Woburn Coffee House

Woburn Coffee House, 21 Market Place, Woburn.

 Bank holiday weekend calls for a day out in the countryside : we visited historic Woburn, a perfect Georgian village. We were visiting to take afternoon tea at Woburn Coffee House.

 Situated in a 400 year old house on Market Place, Karen and her team have created a beautifully fresh boutique coffee house: a modern traditional interior, combining mix match crockery, and a beautiful walled garden to sip Pimms in the summer months.

 We were presented with an amazing 5 tier platter of finger sandwiches, scones, slices of cake, brandy snaps, Mille-Feuille and beautifully crafted cream profiteroles in the shape of swans.
 Whatever you can't manage can be taken home in a goody box...

Woburn Coffee Shop features a tranquil walled garden, opened up in Summer months for afternoon tea and Pimms.

 Woburn itself is a quintessentially British village - dating back to Saxon times. It's even been listed in The Sunday Times as one of the 'best places to live in Britain'
 The village has lots of cool antique shops, restaurants, gift shops, a farmers market and great scenery - all this, and only an hour from central London...

Woburn Coffee House
21 Market Place,
Woburn,
Bedfordshire.

Reservations : 01525 290050
Web : Woburn Coffee House 
Web : Woburn Village 

Attend : 'Fish & Chips', Prague

Fish and Chips, 21 Dlouha Street, Prague

 After a long weekend break in Prague, I stumbled upon a restaurant that was a pure case of right time, right place - there was nothing I fancied more on that Sunday afternoon than a good old English Fish & Chips.

 Quintessentially British in design, a rarity in the gothic architecture of Prague, this simple, stylish and modern Fish & Chip shop was both a 'take away' and a sit down restaurant.
 The simple design was paired with a simple menu, made modern with the additional serving of mini bottles of Veuve Clicquot.  

 The cod was perfect in beer batter, the chips were just the right 'chippy' chips - Gourmet Fish & Chips! The interiors had quirky takes on all things traditionally fish and chips - newspaper wallpaper, red phone boxes, soho writing and quirky 'Save Water - Drink Champagne' slogans.

 The dining area was reminiscent of London tube tiles with 60's pop art and an opulent glass chandelier centre piece. The swinging glass doors opened directly onto the street, ready for some people watching...

 Fish and Chips,
 21 Dlouha Stret, Prague
 Facebook page : Fish and Chips

Stay : Buddha Bar Hotel, Prage, Czech Republic

Attention to detail in all aspects of this opulent design hotel

I recently stayed at the famous design concept hotel 'Buddha Bar Hotel' in Prague, Czech Reupublic.

 More photos and full review can be seen in the 'Stay : Hotel Reviews' section of this blog, or by clicking here

Instagram : The last month

Photo Update

April - A busy month again, well I did run The London Marathon this month!
I did manage to get some other stuff in other than running and training. This is what I've been up to:

L-R: Driving over Tower Bridge, the next time I would cross this would be during the Marathon; Sweetie Darling, It's Patsy and Eddie's house, my training helped me rediscover my local neighbourhood; Registration Time, the big day finally came!

 L-R: Stylish times, spring finally came and I still found time to dress up; Cut Throat Shave, you need to look good to run, treating myself to some pampering time; Bob Bob Ricard, you also need to eat lots to run - BBR was amazing.

 L-R: Buddha Bar Prague, time to relax post Marathon; Neon Chandelier in the Buddha Bar restaurant - my first night out drinking in 4 months; Reservé, Our party table!

 Follow me on Instagram : @opulentscrawls
 http://instagram.com/opulentscrawls

Observe : Pearced by H.Ryder

'Pearced' : A classic tale of boy meets designer

 A couple of months ago I had the privilege of reading the first proof of 'Pearced' by H.Ryder.
  I read this in the fitting surroundings of the mysterious, far away desert retreat of 'Qasr Al Sarab' in The Liwa desert, UAE.

 Now, the published version is available to buy on Amazon for Kindle.

 Adventure, mystery, fashion, humor and more... H.Ryder has a knack for noticing those little things in everyday life; the things that make people unique and full of character, the hidden meanings in apparently simple objects, the sense of adventure in new challanges, it all makes for a great read. I'd devoured it in a couple of days...

 

 'Pearced' : A Classic tale of boy meets designer.

 Denim Guru Tharie Charles needs a new challenge, her job is predictable and she’s jumped the toughest course on her maddest horse and survived. Her interview at RANDom, the newest hottest denim brand, may prove to be the twist in the tale she’s been looking for. She’s weird, and has a talent for discovering trends, her brain makes connections others discard.

Daniel Pearce, the founder of RANDom Denim is young, charismatic, gorgeous, and her new boss. He makes no secret of his desire for her, he wants her badly... to design for Milk&Honey, the womenswear branch of RANDom. Tharie can’t resist however hard she tries, Daniels gooseberry grey haunting eyes… she is powerless, saying yes to all his questions. Daniel makes it clear he’s in charge, but Tharie is from Dagenham, no one tells her what to do, it’s just her nature. The sexual conflict between them is an incredible aphrodisiac, their charged affair leaves them learning more about themselves as they learn about each other. Can this intense attraction last?

 Desperate to discover the meanings of drawings and clues left for him his whole life, together they embark upon an adventure to unravel the meanings of the unusual imagery which leads them far away. Joined by an intrepid group of colourful characters, they scour the depths and uncover lost treasures, whilst Daniel scours Tharie’s depths and uncovers her lost treasures!


'Pearced' is available now on Amazon for Kindle - 'Pearced' Kindle
Pre-order paperback on Amazon - 'Pearced' Book
Pearced - The Blog

Observe: Alice Gabb Illustration

Alice Gabb stationary at Broadway Market

I visited Broadway Market in London's East End, it reminds me of how Portobello Road used to be - emerging craft stalls, delicious food stuffs and a great atmosphere.
 One of the stalls that stood out was Alice Gabb's stationary stall - continuing my love of re-vitalizing the art of letter writing (see Louis Vuitton's Stationary Room post)

 Alice states that her work is inspired by her love of language, British Regalia and vintage curiosities. She designs fine stationary, to try and encourage people to write more letters.
 The stationary line includes 'fine envelopes for splendid correspondence' and features hand screened monoprints of antique cartouches and frames.

 Alice is at Broadway Market every Saturday, and is also stocked at Anthropologie on Regent Street and Kings Road in London.

 Alice Gabb Illustration - Website
 Alice Gabb - Shop
 Broadway Market, London, E8 - Website

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium

Cat Cafe coming to London

Slightly off topic for this blog, but something I just had to share : Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium is coming to London!

 I've seen the concept before on many of those 'look at how wacky the Japanese are' programs, and with the current trend of cats being the new cultural phenomenon - just look on every social media site out there (youtube videos, instagram posts, tumblr blogs etc) this was sure to happen in London soon.

  Lauren Pears' cafe concept is simple: Too many people in London don't have the space, time or financial commitment to give a cat a home, and therefore miss out on the pleasure of keeping a cat.

 The Cat Emporium will take rescue cats from 'Mayhew Animal Home' and provide them a safe, comfortable home. In turn humans can visit the cafe and pet the cats whilst having some tea. Vouchers can be purchased on her Shopify page.

 The project has been funded by crowd funding website indiegogo, raising £110,000 to enable the project start up.
 Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium is going to be located in Old Street area of London's East End - and I can't wait to visit!

 'Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium' blog - click here

Attend : Corinthia Hotel

Champagne Afternoon Tea : The Corinthia Hotel, London

 It's been a while since I've been for afternoon tea, and tea at The Corinthia hotel has been top of the must visit list for some time. So on a bitterly cold March afternoon, it seemed the ideal time to indulge in some treat therapy.

 The Corinthia hotel opened to much fanfare in 2011. The building originally opened as The Metropole hotel in 1885, and the facade retains much of its original grand hotel charm.
 Afternoon tea is served in the opulent central lobby, a light and airy space with huge hanging glass chandelier.

 The Corinthia hotel afternoon tea offers a great selection of teas, many from Tea Palace - I had 'Afternoon at The Palace' - a tea with a refreshing, light aromatic taste and the perfect accompaniment to sweet afternoon treats.

 
 The selection of cakes are served on a tall 3 tier freestanding platter. My particular favorite was the chocolate sponge roll filled with dark chocolate ganache topped with a sugar rose petal. The oversized salted caramel macaron was amazing, dipped in chocolate and finished with flaked almonds.

 Afternoon tea was delicious, it's in a very grand and smart setting, yet with an overall feel of relaxation within a very calming environment. I'd love to go back in the summer and take afternoon tea in the outdoor central atrium court.

 The Corinthia Hotel
 10 Whitehall Place,
 London
 SW1A 2BD

Stay : L'Hermitage Gantois, Lille, France

A unique, charming hotel 

I recently stayed at L'Hermitage Gantois in Lille, France. It's a charming hotel in a converted hospice, dating from 1664.

 More photos and full review can be seen in the 'Stay : Hotel Reviews' section of this blog, or by clicking here

Achieve : London Marathon 2013

London Marathon 2013

I'm in training for the London Marathon 2013 on Sunday April 21st.
I recently had the experience of training in the desert - whilst staying at 'Qasr Al Sarab', a retreat in the world's largest uninterrupted desert; the Liwa desert.

I'm running for a local charity. If you'd like to sponsor me, please follow the link below:
My London Marathon sponsorship page - click here

Instagram : The last month

Photo update

I realize it's been a month since I've posted - it's been busy. This is what I've been up to:

 L-R: Damien Hirst at The Belvedere, Holland Park; Sunday outfit - A new Tom Ford pocket square and Louis Vuitton Electric boots; Patum Peperium 'The Gentleman's Relish' Ltd Ed porcelain cases at Partridges; Food Heaven at The Belvedere, Holland Park

 L-R: Snowy Days on my Vespa; Snowy Rooftops - A view from my apartment; Goyard on Mount Street - My new shopping destination street; Cable Knit - A new deep green cable knit with toggles from Joules

 L-R: Boulevard - in Paris for trade fairs, watching the sunset from the hotel; Folies Bergere - Stumbling across Art Deco Icons whilst shopping in Paris; Desert Retreat - Some relaxing time at Qasr Al Sarab, Liwa Desert, UAE; Dune Bashing - some adrenaline driving in the desert

 Follow me on Instagram : @opulentscrawls

 http://instagram.com/opulentscrawls

Art Deco Breakfast

Breakfast : England Preserves

  'England Preseves' condiments are the perfect accompaniment to a stylish Art Deco breakfast. 

 The artisan jams that 'England Preseves' make are locally sourced and hand made in Bermondsey. The company began in 2001, and the jams have made their way from the local farmers market to gourmet menus. I love the Art Deco design labels.

 They help make a quintessentially English and luxurious jam on toast -perfect for a quick Sunday breakfast.

England Preserves : Website
Toast knives : India Jane
Vintage Art Deco plates
Vintage Art Deco toast stand

Style : Cocoa Juvenate

Hotel Chocolat Beauty : Cocoa Juvenate

 I've had a fondness for all things 'Hotel Chocolat' since my visit to the Rabot Estate in St.Lucia last year (see post Attend:Hotel Chocolat Rabot Estate) So I was excited to hear about a new beauty range launch from the chocolate house; 'Cocoa Juvenate'

  The Cocoa Juvenate candle is described as being "inspired by the beautiful blend of natural scents all around the Cocoa Juvenate Spa, set amongst the cocoa groves of Rabot Estate, Saint Lucia"
 It sounds like the ideal candle to beat these miserable, dark winter days - and the rest of the range sounds just as uplifting.
 The scheme will also work perfectly in my new bathroom : Bathroom Interior

 Hotel Chocolat - Cocoa Juvenate