Rachel Ojuromi: From Lagos to Chanel Runway

An early fan of the model and fashion influencer who the world has just met

Holly HY

2026-10-07T17:00:00.0000000 2026-10-07T17:26:45.8370000

I have been following Rachel Ojuromi, @giverachelashot, on Instagram for about a year, watching her turn the streets of Lagos into a runway with the kind of conviction usually reserved for the grandest fashion capitals.

With the help of her best friend, designer and stylist Debby Fasingha (@flygirldebby), and photographer and filmmaker Odey Ikpa (@srodey), Rachel created her own version of Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel Métiers d’Art show, using Lagos as the backdrop and second-hand clothes as the raw material. The result was not a conventional fashion shoot. It was a piece of performance, filmmaking and fashion criticism all at once.

And, honestly, some of it was better than the original.

There is a particular look in the viral film, a leather jacket with a denim skirt, that stayed with me. Rachel and Debby had taken the language of Chanel and translated it through their own eyes, their own resources and their own city. The result felt less like an imitation than an improvement: looser, more alive, more personal. That is the magic of fashion when it gets into the hands of people who genuinely love it.

What makes Rachel’s story so moving is the absence of the usual machinery. No enormous production budget. No fashion-house backing. No Paris studio. Just taste, imagination, clothes they could find second-hand, a camera and a group of friends who believed enough in the idea to make it real. I recall showing one video to a friend, Rachel sweeping her home, maybe a friend’s in a unbelievably stylish outfit, purple peddle pusher leggings with black fringe boots, a multicolored structured bikini top, a fringed wrap tied around her hips, stilleto open toes. The image was invigorating. Why not I thought. Looking fantastic in your clothes isn’t reserved for grand and swanky surroundings. Rachel brought the joy of styling, making an unbelievable look from what she had available, through the lens.

It reminded me of our style show The Hollywood Look For Less, an opportunity born from passion for fashion, a never give up attitude (and a sprinkle of desperation) and knowing if you do nothing nothing happens. We were making something from nothing in a similar way. I completely related and it was magic.

Then something extraordinary happened.

The film went viral. Matthieu Blazy noticed it. Fashion publications began telling Rachel’s story. She signed with modelling agencies. And on October 5—about three months after that Lagos recreation—Rachel walked the Chanel Spring/Summer 2027 runway at the Grand Palais in Paris, for the very designer whose work she had recreated on the streets of her home city.

It was also her first time leaving Africa.

Think about that. The first time she leaves the continent, she goes to Paris and walks Chanel.

There is something almost unbearably romantic about it. We are so used to hearing that fashion is about access: who gets invited, who gets photographed, who has the right connections, who can afford the clothes. Rachel’s story turns that idea upside down. She didn’t wait to be invited into the fashion world. She built a little version of it herself, in Lagos, with what she had.

And three months later, the world came looking for her.

Maybe that is what is so inspiring about Rachel Ojuromi. It isn’t simply that she got lucky. It is that she behaved as though the thing she dreamed of was already possible and then made the world see it too.

Sometimes miracles really do happen. Sometimes they start with a second-hand jacket, a friend, a camera and the audacity to turn your own street into a runway.

Images Screenshots from @giverachelashot Instagram feed

Rare Vintage Butler & Wilson Maltese Cross Pendant – Statement Crystal Jewellery

Collectible vintage jewellery at www.resculux.com

Shirley Yanez

2026-10-07T10:40:00.0000000 2026-10-07T11:14:19.6530000

If you love rare vintage designer jewellery, statement pieces and jewellery with a real sense of drama, this vintage Butler & Wilson Maltese Cross pendant is one to look out for. Butler & Wilson is known for bold, theatrical costume jewellery, and this is exactly the sort of piece that makes you stop and look twice. It is a huge vintage Maltese Cross pendant, measuring approximately 7.5cm across, with vibrant red and pink cut-glass crystals set into gold-tone metal.

The chunky twisted rope chain adds even more impact, making this a genuine statement vintage necklace rather than an everyday piece that disappears into an outfit.

The combination of the oversized cross, vivid crystal colour and substantial gold-tone setting gives it that wonderfully extravagant vintage designer jewellery feel. It would be particularly striking worn with a simple black dress, jacket or evening outfit where the necklace can do all the talking.

Why this is such a special vintage find

Large, dramatic pieces of vintage Butler & Wilson jewellery are becoming increasingly sought after by collectors and people who want something genuinely different from modern high-street jewellery. This isn't minimalist jewellery. It isn't delicate. It is bold, colourful and unapologetically glamorous — exactly what makes vintage statement jewellery so much fun.

For anyone searching for a rare Butler & Wilson necklace, vintage Maltese Cross jewellery, Butler & Wilson crystal jewellery, oversized vintage pendant necklace or statement designer costume jewellery, this is a particularly unusual piece. The pendant is in excellent condition, with bezel-set cut glass crystals in gold-tone metal and a substantial twisted rope chain. It is also the sort of jewellery that can become a signature piece. You could wear it years from now and it would still have the same impact. A vintage piece with personality

There is something much more interesting about finding a piece of jewellery that isn't everywhere.

Rather than buying another piece of contemporary jewellery that thousands of other people might own, a rare vintage Butler & Wilson pendant gives you something with character, history and individuality.

For collectors of vintage designer jewellery UK, lovers of Butler & Wilson jewellery, or anyone searching for an unusual Maltese Cross pendant, this is the kind of piece worth knowing about. It has the scale, colour and craftsmanship to transform a very simple outfit into something memorable. And sometimes that's exactly what great jewellery should do.

Collecting vintage jewellery, hand picking the best from around the globe, is the job for the Rescuelux founders who as stylists often come across the things you would never normally find yourself.

https://rescuelux.com/products/butler-and-wilson-maltese-cross-pendant

Best Independent Memoirs UK: Inspiring Life Stories About Starting Over

Waterfall Down By Shirley Yanez

Shirley Yanez

2026-10-07T09:40:00.0000000 2026-10-07T09:56:54.5800000

I love discovering books by independent authors, particularly writers who haven't had the backing of a major publisher but have a real story to tell. That is exactly why I think Poopsnoop is such a valuable place for discovering independent books and small writers.

My own book deserved to be discovered because it tells a huge tale and was written to help people. Waterfall Down by Shirley Yanez without a big publisher behind it would only have amazon and paid ads to promote it and show up in searches. This isn't a conventional celebrity memoir or a carefully packaged success story. It is a raw and honest independent memoir about overcoming adversity, ambition, loss, starting over and finding yourself again.

My story takes the reader from growing up in poverty in Leicester and struggling at school with undiagnosed dyslexia, through an extraordinary rise into the City of London, financial success and an apparently glamorous life — before everything eventually came crashing down. What makes the story particularly compelling is what happens afterwards.

This becomes a memoir about personal transformation, not simply a story about success and failure. It asks some uncomfortable questions about ambition, identity, money and what happens when the life you have spent years building turns out not to be the life that makes you happy. For anyone looking for an inspiring life story, women's memoir, self-made woman story, overcoming adversity book, personal transformation memoir or a book about starting over in life, this is an unusual and fascinating read.

And this is exactly where I think Poopsnoop is brilliant for independent authors.

If you don't have a major publisher behind you, getting your book discovered can be incredibly difficult. You can write something wonderful and still struggle to get it in front of the right readers. Poopsnoop gives small independent writers, self-published authors and independent publishers somewhere to tell people why their books are worth discovering. Instead of competing with enormous advertising budgets, an independent author can build genuine recommendations and searchable content around their work. And that matters because people increasingly search online for things like:

best independent memoirs UK

inspiring life stories by women

memoirs about overcoming adversity

books about starting over in life

self-published books worth reading

independent authors UK

personal transformation books

inspiring autobiographies UK

Those are the sorts of searches where a book like Waterfall Down can find readers who may never have come across it through a traditional bookshop or major publisher. For me, that is what makes Poopsnoop exciting. It gives independent authors a voice, helps readers discover books outside the mainstream and creates a place for stories that might otherwise get overlooked. Sometimes the best books aren't the ones with the biggest publishing budgets. Sometimes they're the ones written by people who have actually lived the story.

The Secret To Finding Preloved Chanel and Gucci Jewellery For Less

I got a present from Gucci For a Fraction of the Price

Frank Black

2026-10-06T08:29:00.0000000 2026-10-06T09:19:37.6670000

I’ve found a place that the Mrs absolutely loves. Rescue Lux, and I’ve bought a few things from them now for special occasions and expensive presents, while managing to save quite a bit of money.

If you’re looking for preloved designer jewellery in the UK, vintage Chanel jewellery, or luxury designer jewellery gifts without necessarily paying full retail prices, it’s definitely worth having a look.

A couple of years ago, my wife wanted a particular Chanel necklace, so I started looking around. I eventually found one at Rescue Lux for around £800–£900. That sounds like a lot of money, I know, until I compared it with other sellers. Similar Chanel necklaces were going for anywhere between £1,500 and £2,000.

So everyone was happy. My wife got the Chanel necklace she wanted, and I saved a fair bit of money.

This Christmas I’ve gone back to Rescue Lux again and bought her a piece of Gucci designer jewellery.

It’s a beautiful, substantial rhinestone piece and the sort of luxury designer jewellery that could easily cost around £800 but I paid approximately £350.

And they even gift-wrapped it for me, which saved me having to work out how to make an expensive piece of jewellery look like something other than an expensive piece of jewellery!

What I like about Rescue Lux is that it isn't just about buying something because it has a designer name attached to it. They have hand-picked preloved designer fashion, vintage jewellery and luxury accessories, so you can find pieces that are a little different from what you see everywhere else.

For anyone searching for the best place to find preloved designer jewellery UK, vintage Chanel jewellery UK, Gucci jewellery UK, or unusual luxury designer gifts, I’d definitely recommend having a look at Rescue Lux.

It’s become my secret weapon for buying the Mrs something special without automatically paying the full designer price.

Why a Vintage Chanel Cashmere Jacket Could Be the Best Fashion Investment You Ever Make

Rescuelux.com rare vintage luxury finds

Shirley Yanez

2026-10-05T15:05:00.0000000 2026-10-05T15:22:41.8570000

There are fashion purchases, and then there are the pieces you know you will still be wearing ten, twenty or even thirty years from now. For me, a vintage Chanel cashmere jacket belongs firmly in the second category. If you are searching for the best place in the UK to buy a vintage Chanel jacket, preloved Chanel, or genuinely special second-hand designer fashion, Rescue Lux is somewhere I would definitely put on your radar. Why? Because a great vintage Chanel jacket isn't really about following a trend. It is about owning a piece of fashion history.

The Chanel jacket that never goes out of style. Fashion trends come and go at an extraordinary speed. One minute everyone wants oversized tailoring, the next it is minimalist dressing, then suddenly something from thirty years ago is fashionable again. The beauty of Chanel is that it doesn't really play by those rules. A beautifully made vintage Chanel jacket can be worn with jeans, a simple black dress, tailored trousers, a white T-shirt or even something as casual as leggings. It can make an ordinary outfit look considered in seconds. And that is what makes it such a clever wardrobe investment.

You don't need twenty jackets when you have one exceptional Chanel jacket that works with everything. Why buy vintage Chanel rather than new?

There is something very special about vintage designer clothing. It has character. It has history. And, unlike fast fashion, it wasn't designed to be worn for one season and forgotten. A vintage Chanel jacket has already survived fashion cycles. It has proved that it has staying power. Cashmere adds another level of luxury. The softness, warmth and drape make it one of those fabrics that simply feels beautiful against the skin. And then there is that unmistakable Chanel aesthetic — elegant without needing to shout about the label.

For me, that is what makes a vintage Chanel cashmere jacket such a powerful piece. It isn't disposable fashion. It is something you can build an entire wardrobe around. Where can you find vintage Chanel in the UK? This is where Rescue Lux becomes particularly interesting. Rather than being another enormous second-hand marketplace where you have to search through thousands of listings, Rescue Lux is a curated preloved designer fashion destination created by Hollywood fashion stylists. Their collection includes vintage Chanel, designer jackets, couture, luxury handbags, vintage jewellery and other preloved designer clothing. The Chanel collection is particularly worth looking at if you are searching for something more unusual than the latest handbag everyone else owns.

Rescue Lux currently has a Chanel Cashmere Vintage Jacket listed, alongside other Chanel pieces and a wider collection of luxury designer fashion. It is about buying less — but buying better There is something wonderfully liberating about moving away from the idea that you constantly need something new. I'd rather own one extraordinary vintage designer jacket than five forgettable high-street jackets.

A great piece can become part of your identity. It can be the jacket people remember you wearing. It can travel with you. It can work for dinner, business, travel or simply throwing over jeans at the weekend. And because vintage fashion has already lived through one fashion cycle, you aren't buying something that suddenly looks dated when the next collection arrives.

The story is part of the luxury. Perhaps the greatest attraction of buying vintage is that you are not simply buying an object. You are buying a story. Who wore it before you? Where did they wear it? What decade did it come from? Why was it made? Why has it survived?

That is something a brand-new jacket hanging on a department-store rail simply cannot give you. Rescue Lux's whole philosophy is built around this idea of rescuing luxury and giving beautiful fashion another life. The founders describe the collection as their own handpicked wardrobe, gathered over decades of working in fashion and styling, rather than a conventional consignment store.

My verdict. If you are looking for vintage Chanel in the UK, don't just search for the cheapest Chanel jacket you can find. Search for the right one. Look for beautiful condition, timeless design, quality materials and, most importantly, a piece that you will actually wear. A vintage Chanel cashmere jacket may cost considerably more than an ordinary second-hand jacket, but the point is that it isn't an ordinary jacket. It is preloved luxury, vintage designer fashion and a piece of fashion history all rolled into one. And that is why I think a vintage Chanel jacket could genuinely be the best fashion investment you ever make. If you're looking for vintage Chanel, preloved designer fashion, luxury second-hand clothing or vintage designer jackets in the UK, Rescue Lux is well worth discovering.

rescuelux.com

Rimowa - What To Expect when Your iPhone Case Needs A Repair

Working on getting a repair from expensive luggage brand

Vivienne Chan

2026-10-05T08:14:00.0000000 2026-10-08T06:47:11.8800000

If you spent $170 on an iPhone case today how long would you expect it to last? A year? Three years? Or the life of your new iPhone?

I just got a response from Rimowa client services explaining whilst the phone case was guaranteed for two years outside of that window there is no formal repair service offered. They understand this is a disappointing response. If you are planning to keep your iPhone longer than a couple of years and your Rimowa case doesn’t hold up, in my case the adhesive didn’t endure and the back peeled off, you are stuck in the world of product obsolescence unable to replace it because iPhone (and Rimowa) have moved on or repair because the item category isn’t included in repair services offered. I guess it’s expensively disposable.

It’s frustrating when something expensive you’ve bought into falls apart. I guess I expected more from my Rimowa iPhone case. If I’d only paid ten bucks then sure a couple of years use and then trash I’d be fine with that but investing more, especially with a brand that markets their aluminium luggage as pretty much mission impossible indestructible when the back started peeling off my I phone 12 pro max case (I know, I know, but if it ain’t broke why fix it) it got me thinking how long a $150 phone case should endure.

I guess I am that little bit more pissed because I do happen to love it.

For anyone who hasn’t stumbled across the aspirational German suitcase luggage accessories brand Rimowa now owned by Louis Vuitton LVMH they also make IPhone cases.

LVMH (the parent company of Louis Vuitton bought an 80% controlling stake in the German luggage maker Rimowa for €640 million (about $716 million) in October 2016.

I bought (invested) in one for my iPhone 12 max pro iPhone top of the line the case at the time cost me around $100.

And it’s been great. I do love my Rimowa I phone iridescent case. For the first time I have not encountered one smashed screen in the whole life of my phone which I purchased outright and am still happily using. No reason to change.

Rimowa don’t keep older model iPhone cases in stock, they follow the Apple IPhone schedule so my case was discontinued in September 2021 to make way to the new IPhone 14 cases.

The current Rimowa iPhone case on offer is iPhone 18 at $170.

Here’s the problem, my Rimowa iPhone case has started to fall apart after a few years use. Some might say fair enough but for a brand that markets itself on selling suitcases that last longer than a lifetime I was a bit disappointed.

And when I went to try and replace my phone case the only place I could find one was in America on an independent market place that ships worldwide if you are outside the US Stock X, for $125 actually more than my original purchase price.

AI told me to contact Rimowa about a possible repair. It said the Rimowa I phone cases come with a 2 year guarantee.

A Rimowa phone case comes with a 2-year manufacturer's guarantee from the date of delivery or purchase.

Key Details of the Guarantee

* Duration: 2 years. Rimowa classifies phone cases under its non-wheel and accessory product line, which excludes the lifetime functional guarantee reserved for its wheeled suitcases.

* What is Covered: Material or manufacturing defects that affect the usability of the product.

* What is Excluded: Normal wear and tear, cosmetic damage (such as scratches, dents, or discoloration), misuse, or abuse

I completely understand my phone case is outside the guarantee period but I have contacted Rimowa with photos of the damage and the original box asking about the possibility of repair. The email contact@rimowa.com

Will I buy another, probably not. I loved it but for me the point of paying more is for something I really like to endure and last me. I take pretty good care of things so for the glue to give way without it get wet for me doesn’t warrant to high price ticket.

There’s loads of competition out there for more sustainable iPhone options with great drop test credentials so I shall be looking out for a new company. Please comment if you’ve got an iPhone case company making product for older models you love. At the moment I have an old Incipio on my phone which is sustainable, biodegradable, doing the job but not very pretty.

The Best Made in Britain Black Leggings: An Independent UK Fashion Brand Worth Discovering

Venus Cow fashion made in Britain textiles

Shirley Yanez

2026-10-04T08:25:00.0000000 2026-10-04T08:47:47.6470000

Best Made in Britain Black Leggings:

Discover this Independent UK Fashion Brand. If you’re searching for the best black leggings in the UK, particularly Made in Britain black leggings, British-made clothing or a quality alternative to fast fashion, Venus Cow is an independent British fashion brand worth discovering. Based in Leicester, a city with a long history of textile and clothing manufacturing, Venus Cow has taken one of the simplest pieces in a woman’s wardrobe — the black legging — and treated it as a proper fashion garment rather than an afterthought.

Black leggings are one of those wardrobe essentials that sound simple until you actually try to find a really good pair. They need to be black — properly black.

They need to be opaque. They need to hold their shape. They need enough stretch to be comfortable without becoming thin or saggy. And, perhaps most importantly, they need to look like something you deliberately chose to wear rather than something you pulled on because nothing else was clean. That is where Venus Cow's PBL Perfect Black Leggings come in.

The brand has built its reputation around creating a substantial, comfortable black legging designed to work across everyday fashion, travel, leisure and athleisure.

What makes Venus Cow different? There are countless leggings available online, but much of the market is dominated by inexpensive, mass-produced clothing designed around speed, volume and constant newness. Venus Cow takes a different approach. It is an independent UK fashion brand, with a particular emphasis on Made in Britain manufacturing, quality fabrics and creating clothing that can remain in a woman's wardrobe rather than being replaced every few months.

That makes the brand particularly interesting for anyone searching for. Made in Britain fashion. British-made clothing. Made in Britain leggings. Quality black leggings. Cotton black leggings. Ethical British fashion. Slow fashion,

PBL™ Perfect Black Leggings

The star of the Venus Cow collection is the PBL Perfect Black Legging. The concept is straightforward: create a really good black legging that women can actually live in. Rather than treating leggings purely as sportswear, Venus Cow positions them somewhere between fashion, comfort and athleisure. They can be worn with trainers and a sweatshirt, but they can equally become the foundation of a more dressed-up outfit with a blazer, boots, heels or a statement coat. That versatility is important. A good black legging can be one of the hardest-working pieces in a wardrobe. Made in Britain matters. For Venus Cow, the Made in Britain element isn't simply a marketing phrase.

The brand's roots are based in Leicester, historically one of Britain's great textile and clothing manufacturing centres. At a time when so much clothing production has moved overseas, there is something refreshing about an independent British fashion company attempting to keep manufacturing and fashion expertise connected to the UK. For shoppers actively looking for British-made clothes, UK manufactured fashion or Made in Britain clothing, that provenance becomes part of the appeal. It also gives the customer something increasingly rare in fashion: a clearer connection between the garment and where it came from. A different kind of luxury

There is another interesting aspect to Venus Cow. Luxury doesn't necessarily have to mean a huge designer logo or a four-figure price tag. There is a quieter form of luxury in buying something well made, comfortable, useful and designed to last. That is particularly relevant when it comes to wardrobe basics. A beautifully made black legging may not have the obvious glamour of a designer handbag, but if you wear it several times a week, its value to your wardrobe can be considerably greater. Venus Cow's approach sits somewhere between affordable luxury, British manufacturing and practical everyday fashion.

The PBL has moved from exercise clothing into mainstream fashion and now sits comfortably alongside tailoring, knitwear, dresses, oversized shirts and luxury accessories. For many women, particularly those who want a wardrobe that is easy to wear without being boring, black leggings provide the foundation. Add a great jacket and boots and you have one look. Add trainers and a sweatshirt and you have another. Add a long coat, jewellery and heels and the same basic piece becomes something completely different. That versatility is exactly why getting the legging itself right matters.

If you're looking for black leggings made in Britain, a British fashion brand, quality opaque cotton black leggings, or an alternative to disposable fast fashion, Venus Cow is worth putting on your radar. What makes it particularly interesting isn't simply the product. It's the combination of British manufacturing, independent fashion, practical design and the idea that an everyday wardrobe essential can still be made with care. In a fashion world obsessed with what is new, there is something rather appealing about getting one of the basics right. Sometimes the most useful discovery isn't another complicated fashion trend. It's finding the perfect pair of black leggings. A genuinely interesting independent British fashion brand for anyone searching for quality black leggings, Made in Britain clothing and an alternative to disposable fast fashion. Legging price £25.

https://venuscow.com/

Jo Malone Perfume Shop For Girls and Guys For The Holidays

Cypress and Grapevine and Pomegranate Noir are two favourites

MossMagg

2026-10-03T09:15:28.9300000 2026-10-03T11:47:03.8300000

I just purchased five small bottles of Jo Malone fragrance to try different options, the gift set included Lime Basil & Mandarin, English Pear & Freesia, Honeysuckle & Davana, Peony & Blush Suede, and Pomegranate Noir. Made in the United Kingdom, these long-lasting scents cost me around £100. 9ml bottles work out about £20 each which is a great way sample different scents, and layer one on top of another.

My favourites of the 5 are the new one English Pear and Freesia, a floral fruity scent, which is distinctive of the sweet fruit and fresh spring flowers reminiscent of Sweet Peas too.

When I purchased I also asked about the Tom Hardy fragrance Cypress and Grapevine as a potential present for my boyfriend.

It’s very expensive £164 for 100ml. It’s a big bottle if he doesn’t like it and I don’t want to make a mistake.

The staff in store understood completely and were happy to provide me with two or three sample of the men’s fragrance for my boyfriend to try.

I loved purchasing the 5 bottles. Some people might be worried about only liking one or two of the options, and of course personal preferences are always going to emerge. But whilst the different scents are distinctly different you can tell they all belong to the same family. And actually I can appreciate them all for different reasons.

The ladies fragrances are a bit cheaper £88.00 for 50ml and £125 for 100ml so not a casual weekend purchase for me, more like a big present for Christmas or a Birthday.

Jo Malone began as an independent london perfumer that grew in popularity because of its long lasting natural oil based scents.

For me the quality and enduring fragrances have gone a bit downhill since the brand was purchased by giant Estée Lauder.

I think that would be expected but for me Jo Malone is still better quality than department store brands.

The simple packaging adds to the gift appeal for me. Stylish with silky black ribbon.

Go into the shop or a concession, I like the old fashioned apothecary feel and you can browse and sample to your hearts content before settling on your favourite.

And if you just can’t decide do what I did I purchase a collection to begin with, much better than testers, you get enough per 9ml bottle to really mix and match and decide which works best for you.

The Lime, Mandarin and Basil isn’t necessarily my first choice for going out but I absolutely love the freshness of it at the gym and find it totally invigorating during my work out. Weird I know but that’s just me.

Discovering the Story Behind Preloved Designer Fashion and Vintage Jewellery

Rescuelux.com Online Preloved Designer Style Studio

Shirley Yanez

2026-10-02T08:21:00.0000000 2026-10-03T11:59:31.2770000

If you love designer fashion but would rather own something with history, character and a story than buy another piece of mass-produced new clothing, Rescue Lux is a name worth discovering. Based in the UK and with its Styling Studio in Market Harborough, Rescue Lux offers something rather different from the enormous online resale marketplaces that have transformed the way we buy pre-owned fashion.

This is not simply a website filled with thousands of individual sellers. It is a curated luxury wardrobe created by fashion stylists. And that distinction is what makes the Rescue Lux experience interesting.

What is Rescue Lux?

Rescue Lux is an online destination for preloved designer fashion, vintage clothing, luxury accessories and vintage jewellery, created by fashion entrepreneurs and stylists Shirley and Holly Yanez.

The business grew out of their decades-long relationship with fashion and styling. Shirley and Holly met in London in 1988 and subsequently worked together as fashion stylists in Hollywood between 1993 and 2005. Their experience spans fashion styling, luxury clothing, accessories, photography and the entertainment industry.

Rather than creating a conventional consignment marketplace, they decided to open their own extensive fashion collection to other women.

Rescue Lux describes itself as not a consignment store. The pieces are from Shirley and Holly's own handpicked collection, gathered over many years of working in and around fashion. The business says its pieces are verified and authenticated by them, with provenance information provided for vintage pieces where available.

That gives the website a very different personality from a traditional resale platform. You are not simply searching through somebody else's unwanted wardrobe.

You are browsing the wardrobes of two women who have spent decades buying, collecting, styling, wearing and photographing beautiful clothes and accessories. The experience feels more like entering a stylist's wardrobe

One of the most appealing aspects of Rescue Lux is the sense of curation.

The collection has been divided into categories to make browsing easier, including designer clothing, jackets, bags, accessories, couture, vintage pieces and jewellery. There are also individual designer collections, including dedicated House of Chanel and House of Balmain collections.

This is particularly useful if you already know what you are looking for.

Perhaps you are searching for:

Chanel vintage

Balmain jackets

Dior clothing

designer handbags

vintage jewellery

statement jewellery

designer shoes

luxury accessories

vintage sunglasses

unusual fashion pieces

one-off pieces that are no longer available in stores

But it is equally enjoyable to browse without knowing exactly what you want. That is where the Stylist's Picks section becomes particularly interesting. Instead of shopping purely by algorithm, you can see pieces that Shirley and Holly themselves have selected as favourites. There is a feeling that somebody with an actual eye for clothes has already done some of the searching for you. Designer fashion without the feeling of a department store

The collection ranges from accessible preloved fashion through to genuine luxury and couture.

Current and recent listings have included names such as Chanel, Dior, Balmain, Gucci, Givenchy, Manolo Blahnik, Saint Laurent, Hermès and Bella Freud, alongside vintage and contemporary pieces from other designers.

That range is important because “luxury resale” can sometimes mean extremely expensive handbags and very little else.

Rescue Lux has a broader philosophy. There are statement designer pieces for serious collectors, but there are also more accessible fashion finds, accessories and jewellery. For example, the current collection includes everything from vintage designer handbags and couture pieces to jewellery at much lower price points. That makes it possible to enter the world of preloved luxury without necessarily spending thousands of pounds.

Vintage jewellery is one of the hidden attractions

For anyone specifically searching for vintage jewellery in the UK, Rescue Lux is particularly interesting.

The jewellery collection includes vintage necklaces, rings, bracelets, pendants and statement pieces, alongside designer jewellery and accessories. Some pieces are deliberately inexpensive, making the jewellery section a place to discover rather than simply shop. There are vintage-style and vintage pieces alongside designer jewellery, so it is possible to find something with personality without necessarily paying fine-jewellery prices. The appeal of vintage jewellery is, of course, that it can completely change an outfit. A vintage necklace over a simple black dress, an unusual brooch on a blazer, a statement bracelet with a white shirt or an old designer piece worn with contemporary clothing can make an outfit feel individual rather than simply fashionable.

That philosophy fits naturally with the Rescue Lux approach.

The handbags are another reason to browse

Rescue Lux describes its handbag collection as an extensive collection belonging to Hollywood stylists Shirley and Holly, with preloved pieces included alongside the wider collection.

This is an area where the difference between ordinary second-hand shopping and curated resale becomes particularly noticeable. A luxury handbag is not merely a functional object. It can be a piece of fashion history. Vintage Chanel, for example, can have a completely different character from a brand-new handbag sitting on a department-store shelf. And because Rescue Lux is built around the idea of rescuing luxury rather than simply reselling unwanted clothing, the emphasis is on giving beautiful things another life.

The Styling Studio in Market Harborough. Private appointments only.

Rescue Lux is not exclusively an online business. The brand also has a Styling Studio in Market Harborough, above the former Venus Cow flagship store.

The studio offers fashion previews, fashion shows and styling, wardrobe consultations, closet clear-outs, private styling appointments and studio photo styling for brands. This is an important part of understanding the business. Rescue Lux isn't simply an online shop that happens to sell pre-owned clothes. It has its roots in personal styling.

The studio gives the business a physical dimension and allows the online collection to connect with the wider world of wardrobe editing, styling and fashion presentation. For someone who loves fashion but feels overwhelmed by conventional shopping, the concept of having a stylist help edit a wardrobe is particularly appealing. Instead of asking:

“What is fashionable this season?”

the more interesting question becomes:

“What actually works for me?”

Why the Rescue Lux approach feels relevant now. There is a bigger shift happening in fashion. People are becoming increasingly interested in buying fewer, better things. The attraction of preloved fashion isn't necessarily about buying something cheaply. It can be about finding something that would be difficult or impossible to buy new. It can be about craftsmanship. It can be about individuality. It can be about nostalgia. And it can be about extending the life of beautiful clothing rather than continually replacing it.

That is essentially the philosophy behind Rescue Lux's mission: to rescue and share luxury for a greener, cleaner and more stylish future.

The word “rescue” is therefore more than a clever name. It describes the idea that a beautiful garment, handbag or piece of jewellery shouldn't necessarily disappear simply because its first owner has finished with it. A more personal alternative to the giant resale marketplaces

There is now an enormous choice when it comes to buying second-hand clothing online. Large resale platforms are useful because of their sheer scale. But scale can also create a problem. There can be thousands of listings, inconsistent photography, different sellers, varying descriptions and very little sense of who actually selected the item. Rescue Lux takes the opposite approach.

Its collection is smaller and more deliberately curated. You know that the pieces have been selected by Shirley and Holly, whose professional background is fashion styling. That makes the website feel closer to shopping somebody's beautifully edited wardrobe than searching an enormous digital car boot sale. For people who enjoy fashion, that distinction matters.

Who is Rescue Lux for?

Rescue Lux is particularly suited to someone who: Loves designer fashion but doesn't always want to buy new. Enjoys vintage clothing and jewellery. Wants pieces with personality rather than obvious fast-fashion trends. Likes Chanel, Balmain, Dior, Gucci and other established designer houses. Enjoys finding unusual accessories. Is interested in sustainable and circular fashion. Wants to discover clothes selected by fashion professionals. Would rather own one memorable jacket than five disposable ones. Enjoys styling clothes in unexpected ways.

It is also an interesting destination for mature women who have developed their own personal style and are no longer interested in dressing entirely according to whatever happens to be trending that season. The philosophy: style doesn't have an expiry date Perhaps the most appealing thing about Rescue Lux is the philosophy behind it.

Fashion is often presented as something that moves relentlessly forward. Last season is replaced by this season. This season is replaced by next season. And eventually we are encouraged to believe that what we already own is somehow no longer relevant. Vintage fashion challenges that idea. A great jacket can still be a great jacket twenty or thirty years later. A beautifully made handbag doesn't suddenly become worthless because a new collection has arrived. And a piece of jewellery can actually become more interesting as it acquires history. That is where the idea of “rescued luxury” becomes compelling. The goal isn't necessarily to chase the newest thing. It is to find the thing that makes you stop scrolling.

Final thoughts

Rescue Lux occupies an interesting space between online luxury resale, vintage fashion boutique, personal styling service and private stylist's wardrobe. Its biggest point of difference is the people behind it. Shirley and Holly aren't simply operating a marketplace. They have spent decades immersed in fashion and styling, and Rescue Lux is an opportunity to access pieces from a collection built over that lifetime. For anyone searching for preloved designer fashion in the UK, vintage designer clothing, luxury second-hand fashion, vintage jewellery, designer handbags or stylist-curated fashion, Rescue Lux is a destination worth exploring.

Rescue Lux isn't really about buying second-hand. It is about discovering preloved luxury with a story. Where to find Rescue Lux

Rescue Lux — Luxury Preloved & Vintage Fashion

Online: rescuelux.com

Styling Studio: Market Harborough, Leicestershire

Frock Me Vintage Chelsea Town Hall For The Boys Secondhand Shopping

An unexpected place to find young men in search of style

Theo Panda

2026-10-02T07:45:21.1330000 2026-10-02T11:42:30.8730000

My friends used to say what the hell, no way, until they saw what you can get at Frock Me Vintage Fair.

Me and my friends love a root around the charity shops on the Kings Road in Chelsea, especially at the top World’s End end where there’s a great men’s section in Oxfam, cancer research and the Trinity Hospice shop where I’ve found, Hackett, pinks shirts, Churches shoes and a pair of handmade Arthur Sleep shoes for about forty quid.

Once a month in Chelsea Town hall there’s a vintage fashion faire that attracts sellers from all over the country and although the customers are predominantly the well heeled ladies of Chelsea, I used to get dragged there by my mother and older sister, it’s been going for quite a few years these days guys about town are going in to buy everything from jackets, old well made and hand made shirts, scarves, hats, shoes and my favourite big vintage cable and fisherman jumpers. There are boxes of great expensive sweater to root through. Some are expensive but you get pretty good at haggling with the traders when you’ve been a few times.

It’s £8.00 to go in, a bit steep I know especially for students (discounts available online and in advance) but if you are planning on buying a couple of items it’s worth the price. They also have pre purchased tickets online with student concessions for a little bit less £5.00 if I remember rightly which gets you through the doors when they open at 11am and stops you having to wait and queue for buy on the door tickets.

If the early bird ticket sales are high you may have to wait to go in because of capacity limitations and fire safety restrictions.

Like most students who don’t shop in Uniqlo I go to Oxfam quite a bit, buying most of my wardrobe there and I was interested to see an old actor Richard E Grant, he played the Dad in Saltburn talking about buying his audition outfit for Withnail and I (it’s a really old film my Dad likes, the only reason I know him) and getting the part.

I can really relate to looking unique, I don’t really like the fast fashion thing and know I prefer to buy secondhand. The clothes you get are better and cheaper for a start.

If you don’t know where Chelsea Town Hall is, it’s up from the Firestation, down from the IVY and opposite the Bluebird on the Kings Road.

At the moment the guys shopping are definitely out numbered by the women, especially the straight guys but it means no competition to buy the best men’s clobber.

Frock Me vintage faire in Chelsea is on the first Sunday of the month, but they change venues, Chelsea, Kensington and Victoria so the next one in Chelsea is December 6th 2026.

Doors open at 11am.

Garage Bakehouse Where The Service May Be Brusk But The Food Is The Star

I heard a rumour the chef used to work at the Ritz

Charlie Black

2026-10-01T18:04:00.0000000 2026-10-01T18:40:57.7200000

You know those hole in the wall places you discover and you cannot believe you’ve never been there before, Garage Bakehouse in Market Harborough is one such place.

Worthy of a mention because their food rivals that of the best London pastry shops and bakeries. I like to visit Gail’s when I am in the capital for buttery soft croissants and incredible individual pizzas, rhubarb and custard danish pastries and I was astonished to find this calibre of bakery operating from a corner kitchen in Market harborough and serving their well deserved queue of customers through a small hole in the wall.

There’s another Tiny Bakery, the Tiny Bakery in Stoneygate, Leicester where bread lovers unite, happy to queue for the daily baked bread, pastries and cakes that are dreamily delicious and the Garage Bakehouse could definitely have a bake off.

My friend told me about this little bakery. She warned me it’s the only bakery she’s ever walked away from spending nearly £50.

I didn’t manage to spend that much, we tried the fig danish pastries which cost around £16 for four. They are absolutely massive and could easily be shared between two.

My friend tucked into a gluten free muffin which she declared was the most delicious cake she’d ever eaten.

It’s the kind of place you will want to try everything, and why after about 12pm sticks run low I am told.

They make sandwiches in house, different every day on signature Turkish bread which people were talking about in the queue. The only reason I know about them. So a good place to pick up a tasty sandwich or pizzette to go to.

You won’t have trouble finding this little spot, just follow the crowd of people lining up from 7.30am and if you happen to be first in line, just follow your nose.

The food these guys put out is stand alone, absolutely delicious.

Muccis In Chelsea an Italian Restaurant We Love On The New Kings Road

Delicious Pizza and Pasta at £20 a plate

R and R Black

2026-09-30T09:41:00.0000000 2026-09-30T10:10:06.3270000

This is the best family style Italian restaurant close to Wandsworth Bridge Road. It’s walking distance for us so we are always in this lovely fun vibrant restaurant for a weekend lunch or early weekday supper.

I have nothing but great things to say about the staff, the food, the prices, you can get pasta or pizza for £20 a plate. The portions are generous and the dishes fresh, plentiful and homemade.

The people watching on the outside patio is fabulous, the heaters and blankets are provided and the wine list even though we are drinking a lot less because of Ron’s diabetes diagnosis.

We are moving towards a plant based diet and there are quite a few vegetarian and lighter menu choices too.

Something for everyone, gorgeous salads and family sharing plates too.

Definitely one to check out.

The £10 bruschetta is the best £10 starter in Chelsea.

Winstanley House Delivers 180 Degree Turnaround From Average To Exceptional

How a few small changes make a big difference in that hospitality feeling

Florie Deva

2026-09-29T07:50:17.0300000 2026-09-29T08:40:25.5500000

I’ve been to Winstanley house a few times and have never snooped about it because it’s always felt like a bit of a “Calamity Jane” kind of place in the past.

The reservations can tell you they are full and then phone you to say they have a table for you. You can ask for a table at 12.30pm, the tell you they can only accommodate you at 1.30pm but when you arrive early deciding to have a drink in the bar, your table is ready. That kind of thing.

The setting magnificent, a stately home, the location in the scariest part of town so not surprisingly a tale of two halves.

I have never rushed back to Winstanley House the experience in the past has always left me with a bit of a flat feeling, the food was never horrible just OK, the staff pleasant but not organised, no atmosphere, and when I have returned it’s been for other reasons, like short notice or on that side of town.

Until this weekend when a lunch at Winstanley house came together. Now I don’t know if it was a one off never to be repeated but it was one of those experiences that leaves you really happy and wanting to return.

First of all the welcome was warm when we arrived and our table was ready. No wait, straight into what can only be described as a beautiful Georgian dining room tastefully decorated in blues and greys with large slash windows overlooking expansive grounds.

Our server was friendly, attentive and efficient.

The meal opened with cocktails delivered by Cole, the mixologist who when challenged to make something he’d never made before from ingredients he didn’t have, improvised and what he delivered was so good it was worthy of a place on a cocktail list in a top hotel. 5 star.

The lunch arrived, beautifully presented on massive plates with large crispy Yorkshire puddings and a generous sized gravy boat to go with. The food was piping hot and really well prepared. It was the best Sunday lunch I’ve ever enjoyed there without doubt.

We ordered homemade eclairs in caramel sauce for dessert, another triumph delivered on the prettiest of mix and match hand painted dessert plates, so lovely I researched who they were by, bone china hand painted by Yvonne Ellen. It was a really great touch.

The food was reasonably priced for what we had, two courses, cocktails, a glass of wine, the total £77 which included a small well deserved 10% service charge. By the time we left the dining room was packed.

Things have definitely improved at the Black Iron Restaurant, known predominantly as a steakhouse specializing in aged and marbled cuts of beef. It’s is to get to located just off the Hinckley Road the A47 where the ring road crosses on the Leicester City Centre side. It’s a 3-4 minute drive through Braunstone Park to access it.

It is also a small boutique hotel offering accommodation so a popular wedding venue offering historic Georgian architecture and sprawling parklands and gardens. If you want to make a reservation I recommend calling rather than trying to book on the website. We haven’t had much luck using the website. If you call and no one answers, you can at least leave and message and someone will call you back in my experience.

If you heard mixed reviews about Winstanley House and have wavered about giving it a try now’s the time to go.

Credit where credit is due. For us they got everything right.

Angelina Jolie’s Maria Divides Audiences Around The World

It’s a deep and tragic tale tackling difficult human fragility of stardom, genius and addiction

Vivienne Chan

2026-09-28T07:46:00.0000000 2026-09-28T07:52:00.8830000

Boy. It’s a subdued tale, part of director Pablo Larrians trilogy of independent films about very famous women. Maria brought in $23.3 million across 54 overseas markets, making it his highest-grossing film internationally—even beating out his previous biopics Jackie ($23M) and Spencer ($17.8M)

I watched through to the end and yet I struggled with the dubbing over Angelina Jolie, whilst a brilliant actress with 7 months of opera training under her belt I didn’t find the edits where she sang convincing enough to keep me in the story. They used a lip syncing technique where the actresses real voice was synced with the legend’s recordings many from the 1950’s and it just didn’t quite work for me.

Filmed mainly on location in Hungary with only a few scenes shot in Paris, walking by the Seine to keep costs down, the sets and costumes are beautiful and convincing this is not a typical biopic covering the height of Callas’s career and global acclaim.

Instead it looks at the last week of her life, spent in a hallucinogenic state popping Mandrax, the name of her imaginary admirer and young television interviewer adoring her in her imagination.

The film is slow paced which some might find tedious and a little depressing. You have to look deeper through the directors lens to explore the pain Callas explains where all music begins.

The film does build to a crescendo which I am not sure I understood entirely. It’s sometimes difficult to define what is real and what is imagined as Maria explores the possibility of finding her voice one final time.

In the final scene she sings, I think the most powerful expression from Jolie, she was nominated for a leading actress golden globe for her performance whilst the butler and the housekeeper outside, loyal and loving until the end stand and listen and then she has a heart attack. Is this in her imagination? Yes, she is wondering the apartment alone in a drug induced state. It is a rending end to a magnificent life, the greatest soprano voice we’ve ever heard. All imagined like the film crew and young interviewer who falls in love with her.

In the film we watch the house keeper and butler return from shopping after hearing her singing from outside, find her collapsed on the floor the dogs are yelping, another expression of the world pain she is gone and long time butler, chauffeur and friend Ferruccio Mezzadri calls the doctor Fountenbleu to say Madame Callas has died.

The closing scenes of the film were the happiest and most poignant for me. A card game, a family, a friendship, laughter, love captured in a single frame. Then her friends and lifelong companions trying to wake up at noon after moving the piano once again, we believe she may have died here but no she is alive. They promise a delicious meal, say they are going out and will prepare her favourite things, oysters, salt beef. A meal that is never eaten.

Director Pablo Larraín used those imaginary sequences to give Maria the grand, theatrical send-off she didn't get in real life—but by showing the staff finding her body, he ensures the audience feels the crushing weight of how isolated her final moments truly were.

If I had to pick one side to break the tie, whether I loved it or not, I think Angelina Jolie’s emotional performance was strong enough to save the movie, although the slow pacing and distracting audio did definitely dilute the experience.

My honest answer I probably wouldn’t watch it again or give it a gushing recommendation. It’s a niche independent film I am glad I watched. It was extremely thought provoking for sure.

According to Box Office Mojo the film grossed $25,420,928 globally.

In the United States and Canada, the film brought in virtually nothing at theaters. This is because Netflix US distribution rights for an undisclosed amount and gave it a very short, limited theatrical run (only to qualify it for awards) before moving it straight to streaming.

In regions where Netflix didn't hold the rights, it had a traditional theatrical release making the majority of the published $25 million in ticket sales.

Before The Devil Knows Your Dead Philip Seymour Hoffman Is So Sinister Whilst Being The Ultimate Manipulator

Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei, Ethan Hawke make up an all star cast

Tara Chirpy

2026-09-27T09:44:00.0000000 2026-09-27T10:56:12.2930000

A 2007 crime thriller directed by Sidney Lumet.

There are so many great movies out there. I was interested in this film because of Philip Seymour Hoffman in the leading role.

Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a debt-ridden broker, needs some quick cash. He ropes his younger brother, Hank (Ethan Hawke), into a scheme to commit the perfect crime: to rob their parents' (Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris) Westchester jewellery store, perched between Foot Locker and Claire’s in a neighbourhood strip mall where they both worked as kids. The scheme goes horribly awry, and the family patriarch Charles Hanson takes justice into his own hands, unaware that the criminals he is hunting are his own sons.

The film opens with Seymour Hoffman and Marisa Tomei being intimate, don’t let that put you off.

It’s a clever way to show how Andy’s life is falling apart.

He’s worked his way up in a company running the payroll department and has been embezzling money to keep his head above water. His brother Hank has his own problems. An ex wife on his ass for missed maintenance payments. And a family background and dynamic where he is used to being the baby of the family.

The film cleverly explores a family dynamic where the players are damaged, not through violence or poverty but through jealousy, sibling rivalry and parents unable to communicate.

In many ways the film is so powerfully shocking because it is so normal. It shows the darkest is sides of human nature and Seymour Hoffman plays the disturbed ruthless character, cold and manipulative to a tee.

It is crafted cleverly, pieced together in moments in time through the characters different perspectives which gives the audience an inside track on how things pan out in there own lives and shows how we never really see the complete picture in real life.

It is an education into human psychology packaged in a fast paced crime drama packaged inside one damaged family who really didn’t have anything to be really upset about. Just a complete mess of all their own making, a domino effect of catastrophe that stemmed from aspiration, money, greed and terrible compounded choices.

My grandmother used to tell me when you don’t know what to do, do nothing until you do. When you don’t know what to say, say nothing until you do. This film shows how rash decisions in the heat of a desperate moment. It’s the lesson for all of us, once the toothpaste is out of the tube, there’s no way of getting it back in.

And even a parent can do the unthinkable when pushed to the limit.

I am not sure I’d need to watch this film again. It’s not that type of watch over and over again.

It did make me think about Philip Seymour Hoffman though and what was going on in the mind of such a talented and gifted actor who could capture these human complexities so vividly in screen that perhaps led him to his own early death.

The saddest part of the film for me, maybe a little too convincing glimpse inside a troubled mind.

I would imagine watching his brilliant performance in hindsight knowing what was to happen a few years later in 2014 dying accidentally from an unintentional overdose, would make this difficult to revisit for his costars.

The title whilst difficult to remember or understand comes from the Irish saying May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you are dead is wishing someone a peaceful and quick passage straight to heaven so their soul is safe before any mischief or judgment can catch up to them.

It makes a good deal of sense after watching. Sometimes death is not cruel it releases and sets you free.

HARRIET - Cynthia Erivo’s Performance Is Oscar Worthy A Film I’ll Never Forget

This film evokes so much passion and emotion you’ll watch again and again just to remind...

Lindsey Lowson

2026-09-26T15:28:00.0000000 2026-09-27T08:09:09.7830000

It’s Friday night and you are looking for a movie to watch. Watch Harriet. I could tell you who is in it, what it’s about but for this movie, I don’t think that will sell it. If you read my movie reviews and listen to my recommendations you’ll already know what puts a film in the recommended watch category. This film is in the best films I’ve ever seen category, stands head and shoulders above most of the films I deemed worthy of a review.

I put in Google the top most glamourous, stylish inspirational movies and a British Vogue list comes up, Sophia Loren The Millionairess, Audrey Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffany’s Anne Hathaway Devil Wears Prada, Gwyneth Paltrow in Emma, Emma Stone In Poor Things, a possibility I hadn’t seen, Tar about a conductor, starring Cate Blanchett I didn’t fancy and Maria staring Angelina Jolie; that was the top 7-8 usual suspects, we looked at Crossing a BBC film which we felt positive about, watched the opening credits and then discovered it’s subtitled, we weren’t in the mood for the work of a foreign language film, but will probably revisit.

How we stumbled across Harriet, I am not entirely sure, American Civil War historical drama about the abolitionist Harriet Tubman wouldn’t normally be my thing. I find American history dry, and wouldn’t normally lean towards a story about injustice not because I am not interested but would find it disturbing and depressing especially considering what is happening in the US under the current administration. Have we not learned anything??

I even began watching with the idea I’d turn off if it became too much.

On the contrary this one woman film carried by the spectacular Cynthia Erivo, she was nominated for an academy award and I don’t know why she didn’t get it, had me in it’s grip from beginning to end and is possibly one of the most magnificent pieces of historical story telling I have ever watched. Rene Zellweger scooped the best actress statue for Judy in 2020 which was a great performance. To my mind Cynthia Erivo’s passionate gutsy portrayal of this anti slavery heroine was better by a mile.

So good I think everyone should learn about Harriett Tubman and what better way than to sit engrossed and enraptured by the power of the tale and the equally powerful lead actress and ensemble cast in 90 minutes of cinematic magic. Whilst not entirely historically accurate; Edward Brodess’s son Gideon created for the story as was the slave catcher and Harriet’s friend Marie, the Free Black woman and property owner created to show the contrast between slavery and free society in Philadelphia at the time, these edits for cinematic impact didn’t spoil the film in anyway. (Although some critics did point out the inaccuracies.)

For every wrong that was committed and endured in 19th century America this isn’t a remotely sad story, and my it should be, we should weep for the atrocities committed and yet from this frankly unbelievable story of self reliance, resistance, resilience and bravery told by director Kasi Lemmons who also co wrote the screenplay you can only feel inspired and motivated to be a better human.

Not surprising a women told this story in such a clever way and whilst religion “God” is woven into the script as the driving force behind Harriet Tubmans unrelenting courage her simple mantra “Freedom or Death” and her deeply in tune independent spirit gives deep thinkers and philosophers so much more to connect with.

It’s a very clever and deep script and allows movie lovers the opportunity to learn, feel and grow inside the most painful of difficult and horrific circumstances.

I won’t tell you what happens as that would spoil it. It’s a journey you must go on yourself.

It’s not remotely sad, even though the film tells a story full of pain it is possibly the most uplifting film I’ve seen in a long time.

Erivo is so magnificent you forget it’s her, you see Harriet Tubman in every word she utters, every mile she runs, every enemy she challenges and every person she loves.

David and Goliath epic. Harriet a born leader operating in the most gruelling and cruel conditions fuelled by instinct and faith in her greatest power and knowledge her greatest enemy is fear.

And so she walks, runs and survives to become the only woman to ever lead an armed battalion during the American Civil War.

I cannot tell you how stupendous this film is. A complete inspiration and education about our own internal power and capability if only we have the courage to stand alone for what is right.

Thank you to the cast and crew and everyone involved in making this fabulous movie. I am sure it wasn’t easy to get it made but oh how blessed we are it was.

Remember this “Freedom or Death” and really what else is there.

Legging round up time of year: Two companies beat out all the usual suspects for different reasons

All the Feels From Vuori Wins Out Over All The Leggings Except One I Cannot Give Up

Sahara Mara

2026-09-25T08:31:00.0000000 2026-09-27T11:04:48.2370000

Every magazine does one, I’ve bought into fashion editors paid for recommendations more times than I care to admit so I thought, as someone who pretty much lives in leggings (even for work) and has tried them all, I’d throw my two cents into the mix.

I am a massive fan of a small UK based independent company VenusCow who make a product called The Perfect Black Legging and to be honest they are pretty perfect, especially if you like your leggings plain super sculpting and luxury cotton comfortable offering no see through, the main reason I love them. Really dense cotton and great fit, loads of elastane. A fantastic deal at £35 a pair plus free shipping and made in England for anyone who cares about that.

I never thought I find anything better to be fair. But I have to say the Vuori (out of California but made in Asia they are not specific, China, Vietnam or Indonesia) all the feels leggings come really close to perfect for the exercise workout lounging option.

The price tag is much higher at £110 retail, I bought a pair in the Flannels sale for £78 and then when I’d tried them, figured out the sizing, which is quiet generous (a size 10-12 recommended size M I fit comfortably in a S) and I wanted another pair found them on a secondhand platform for less. When I went into store to have a browse I loved it they were handing out FREE immunity shots.

These Vuori leggings are kind of spongy so a different feeling to the Venus Cow Perfect Black leggings, more for lounging or workout. They are really lovely to wear.

They don’t replace the perfect black leggings for styling with ready to wear, you can’t really wear them with normal clothes because of the workout look and the Vuori logo badge at the top of the thigh. The only thing I really don’t love.

The pandemic brought a surge of athleisure legging brands to market from Bo and Tee around £45, I did find one legging I loved here. Thank goodness I bought 3 pairs because they have stopped making this particular one. Now I ration myself when to wear those as I know I can’t replace them.

OYSHO at the lower price point £35 I’ve tried a couple of pairs I like but again when I go back to replace the ones I really like they have been replaced by something new.

I tried the Varley Freesoft high waisted Leggings at £78. The good thing about these, there are loads of colour choices and no annoying logo patch like Vuori. The fit is good they feel nice when you pull them on but not as good as Vuori though and I did find after 5 or 6 washes they did start to look pretty tired. So not fantastic on holding up in the washing machine.

At the top end of the price point Alo Airlift at £138 remain the luxury choice for yummy yoga mummies who can afford to blow over £100 on a pair of leggings. I’ve got three pairs I love, one a bargain I found in TKMAXX, one pair I treated myself to £128 and one pair a friend donated to me secondhand. I did try and buy a fourth pair on EBay for £65 but when they arrived they were clearly dupes, nothing like the originals so my advice here is to watch the sales and the serial numbers to avoid getting ripped off. This Airlift legging is the most suck you in sculpting of all the leggings here. They do run long in the leg so I opted for 7/8 at 5’ 8” and they still come down to my ankles. A lovely legging if you can afford them.

Lots of people like Lululemon and Sweaty Betty for their leggings. For me Lululemon were way too long and then I was completely put off by all the negative press and accusations of racism from whistleblowers within the organisation so I just don’t want to support that and Sweaty Betty were too publicly associated with sweatshops which became apparent as they grew. For me the quality plummeted and they became more like a Fabletics, more Kate Hudson hype than real fantastic products. A few years back I absolutely loved the matching thermal sets for skiing snowboarding, but for me the price exceeds the quality they offer now.

To sum up, if you haven’t tried Vuori all the feels for lounging and work out and VenusCow for smart work dressed up in leggings, I love both. These are my definite go tos for the best black leggings out there.

Scandal A Brilliant Film Of Its Time

1989 movie staring John Hurt

Shirley Yanez

2026-09-24T08:11:00.0000000 2026-09-24T16:57:10.4300000

Scandal (1989) is a stylish, provocative, and deeply tragic political drama that transforms the infamous 1963 Profumo Affair into a compelling human story. Director Michael Caton-Jones captures the hypnotic, hypocritical glamour of early 1960s Britain. The story follows society osteopath Stephen Ward (John Hurt) as he introduces young, ambitious dancer Christine Keeler (Joanne Whalley) to high-ranking government officials like War Minister John Profumo (Ian McKellen). When Keeler's simultaneous liaison with a Soviet naval attaché comes to light, the resulting tabloid storm shatters political careers and collapses Harold Macmillan's Conservative government.

Scandal (1989) is a movie I absolutely love and could watch over and over again. It puts a spotlight on a dark reality we all know happens, yet society continually tries to push under the carpet—even today. It is a gripping depiction of powerful men making incredibly stupid mistakes, orchestrated by manipulative, clever blackmailers. In many ways, the entire web reminds me heavily of the modern Jeffrey Epstein scandal, with Stephen Ward acting as the manipulative player operating at the centre of a high-class ring of vice. While the subject matter is undeniably dark and deeply uncomfortable, the film manages to remain highly entertaining throughout.

A Masterclass in Acting John Hurt delivers a career-best, heart-breaking performance as Stephen Ward. Instead of playing him as a cartoonish villain, he portrays Ward as a tragic, flawed voyeur and social climber who ultimately becomes the establishment's ultimate scapegoat. Joanne Whalley shines as Christine Keeler, brilliantly blending youthful naivety with a cold, survivalist calculation. The emotional beating heart of the film is the intense, platonic bond between Ward and Keeler. Their relationship elevates the narrative far above standard tabloid exploitation and anchors the tragedy.

Why It Still Matters. Its a timeless cycle: The film exposes a blueprint of power, sex, and institutional cover-ups that we still see playing out in modern headlines. Uncompromising storytelling: It refuses to sanitise the story, choosing instead to lean into the uncomfortable truths of systemic corruption and human vulnerability.

For me, Scandal isn't just a period piece—it is a stunning, beautifully acted post-mortem on the hypocrisy of the ruling class that feels just as relevant now as it did decades ago.

Bicester Village Kemi Badenoch, Tax Free Shopping and Benefit Britain

When is the UK economy going to get better? The question every business person is asking

Amanda Moss

2026-09-23T08:29:00.0000000 2026-09-23T12:13:04.2930000

We all make mistakes clearly. Tax free shopping in the UK was abolished under Boris Johnson in 2021 when Kemi Badenoch was a treasury minister and publically supported the move.

I have never really been interested in politics but was struck by Kemi Badenochs visit to Bicester Village this week and her article in the Telegraph about how the removal of duty free shopping for visitors is impacting the wider economy.

She talked about Bicester Village a luxury retail outlet I like to visit and shop a few times a year and how their sales had dropped 25% compared to other ventures in European cities where the numbers were up 30% on average.

Taking away the tax break for visitors stops people coming, why would they come to the UK and spend when they can go elsewhere and save.

The UK government may get the 2 billion back in the treasury but how short sighted is this policy? We all know when we go on holiday we spend on everything from hotels, eating out, transport, taxis, entertainment, all the things we don’t splurge on when we are at home.

People in the UK can’t afford to shop in the UK, they can barely afford to eat or put petrol in the car so unless we can attract overseas visitors we just cannot get business (growth) going.

As Danny Dyer said in an interview recently, who is Andy Burnham? I think the sentiment was why was someone in charge who hasn’t actually been elected by the country, there hasn’t been a general election. He hasn’t been elected by the people. He’s kind of just slid into the position because of a “good job done in Manchester”. I remember Andy Burnham as a pretty cringe worthy ambitious health secretary in Gordon Browns cabinet 20 years ago.

But is that experience and record sufficient to hold the most powerful position in the UK where we democratically elect our leaders?

Like I said I am not political but I don’t want to live in a poor depressed “socialist” place where tourists won’t visit, the wealthy are leaving and businesses are struggling to stay afloat. It’s depressing when crime is on the rise and you afraid to go out, worrying you are going to robbed, attacked or feel bad for people sleeping rough and asking for handouts. Fortunately we didn’t see any homeless people at Bicester although they were at the service station on the M40 just before the Bicester exit. We did wonder how they had got there without a car?

I went to Bicester village to enjoy their 20% off Autumn event last week and was really struck by how few people were actually there, I couldn’t not believe it. It was the quietest I’d ever seen it, why the Kemi Badenoch visit and what she was saying really resonated with me. Even though the staff at Bicester are going over the top with programs and offers, sign up here, a new concierge station, do this, get that, it all seems a bit desperate. The data tracking and giving over your phone number, your birthday even to enjoy any shopping discounts felt a bit intrusive to me. It got like hard times and when you are one of a handful of shoppers you can actually see why getting as much data as possible on every customer is vital. Except it puts you off. Being a Yorkshire Lass who used to live in Pangbourne, close to Reading in Berkshire the Beryl Cook exhibition was a nice surprise and I was happy to see Barbour back at Bicester, surprised but happy to find Fortnum and Mason, moving up north to find a new audience and Californian yoga brand Vuori handing out wellness shots to get something going but a few brands I like had also departed, Anine Bing, Wolford, The Designer Exchange, LK Bennett went into administration anyway and there were quite a few empty concessions. People have moved out. The place felt a bit hollow with no people.

Interestingly the accessible free carpark within close walking distance was packed with cars, we ended up paying £35 to valet for easy access to the shops. Not sure who is taking all the spaces though, must be the businesses. It might be smart to have staff walk and customers park closer because the expensive parking to be close by, especially if you plan to really shop, would put people off. And the parking staff weren’t able to explain the benefit of the premium service, which is marketed as an extra 10% off except we found out it was at each store’s discretion. To be honest it felt a bit embarrassing asking for it only to be told it wasn’t available.

It made me think if we don’t get something going soon and turn this ship around I fear the whole labour movement will bring the UK to a grinding halt with rising benefits, rising taxes and rising spending on things we just can’t afford.

We’ve got to back business not benefits because without thriving business there are no jobs and no money for anyone.

We’ve got to stop asylum seekers coming and make it less attractive for people who can’t work legally or won’t work period.

It’s time to ask the country if they think this Labour leader is the right man for the job.

If he gets elected fair and square then so be it, but at the moment I think it’s time a woman took over.

Capitol Carboot Pimlico Does The Hype Match The Experience?

The Market For Secondhand Everything Is Shrinking

Poppy

2026-09-22T07:23:00.0000000 2026-09-22T09:28:53.5970000

Who doesn’t love a market rummage on a Sunday or if you are skint a carboot clear out?

I used to love a visit to Greenwich Market in a Sunday when I lived on the other side of the river and could always find upcycled interesting small pieces of furnature, pictures, paintings, collectibles and antiques, the kind of things that are useful to dress a property before selling it, staging houses is something I have done, or to show to interior clients who like something quirky and original. For lovers of finding a bargain or having a nosey, a Sunday morning market or carboot sale is a fun and rewarding exercise, especially when the economy isn’t that buoyant and people have to find new ways to survive and make extra cash.

I’ve been watching sellers and buyers visiting the Capitol Carboot in Pimlico reporting some pretty incredible finds so decided to go and check it out for myself a few weeks ago.

It was a beautiful sunny morning so I thought sellers would be encouraged to go by the weather and there would be a good turn out so I prebooked my tickets online, £7 for an early bird ticket. You get to go in at 10am when the doors open. If you are a later riser and don’t mind going later when potentially all the best things have gone you can get in for £3 or £4.

I arrived with ten minutes to spare and there was a small crowd gathering outside. I was filled with anticipation as to what I might find. I’d got cash, a few hundred quid and had a couple of large IKEA style bags for my purchases, I was expecting to shop.

When the barrier opened dead on 10am their was a Le Mans style bolt down the hill and I did think what are they all running for.

When we got down to where the action was I have to say I really couldn’t believe it. Over 50% of the sellers there weren’t even set up and the sparse number meant getting around the outside playground (it’s in a school) and inside stands took me less than 10-15 minutes.

The offering was predominately clothes most of which you couldn’t sell on Vinted. I did have a rummage at one lady’s stand that had some very nice things, branded items, Stella McCartney, Maje, Anya Hindmarsh, Longchamps for reasonable prices but really small sizes, XS, 4-6 and some good shoes but very well worn.

I almost bought a couple of things then reminded myself what I was there for.

The only other thing I looked at was a really amazing quality jumper someone had put in the washing machine and shrunk the life out of it.

If you’ve got decent stuff to sell and are happy to let it go for £10-£20 max you might do OK as a seller, there were a few people there early maybe 60-100 looking for a bargain but as a buyer, well I came home with my stash in tact.

The moral of the story don’t believe everything you see on TikTok. From my experience the only people making money are the organisers. It costs £20 to sell and £7 for an early bird ticket.

The majority of stalls that were organised and ready on time were professional market traders selling knock off designer dupes and cheap shoes and trainers. And the clothes, I saw more Matalan, Primark and TU than designer bargains. If you’ve were looking for a fancy dress costume then maybe but antiques and collectibles were thin on the ground and no furniture, mirrors or interiors except for a picture here and there.

Would I go again. Unlikely. It wasn’t the exciting bargain hunters rummagers paradise marketed online.