Little Sister Limelight
Everyone is talking about Pippa stealing the show from her big sister bride. I must admit she did look immaculate in that slinky silk satin dress which would be unforgiving to anyone with a sliver of cellulite. Simple yet so elegant, the only thing missing on her was one of our bridesmaid heart necklaces which the now "Duchess of Cambridge" should have ordered her from us… If you can't get access to the crown jewels for your wedding we think these necklaces are the next best thing! Click now to see necklace
I Carry Your Heart (and rings)
With so many brides-to-be loving our exclusive ring bearer bowls we’ve added a new one to our collection. Comes with little heart ceramic, this one bears the words "I carry your heart". To quote Beyonce, If you like it then you should put a ring on it!
What to get the bride with it all?
Bag a prince. Tick
Wear bespoke McQueen dress for your big day. Tick
Don a 20 carat sapphire ring flanked by diamonds. Tick
What we bet Kate doesn't have is this. Our Murchison Hume eco-fabulous six pack of glamorous, all natural cleaning products. Smelling delicious and with fun names such as "Counter Intelligence Surface Spray" this is as high class as you can get when it comes to cleaning. Shop Now
The Confetti Cannon
No album is complete without an iconic kiss-the-bride moment under a cloud of confetti. This is one of my favourite photos from our wedding day. The effect of people throwing petals or paper confetti at the bride and groom usually results in a side-wind effect and the couple with a mouthful of flowers. So I strongly recommend the confetti bomb for your big day. Shooting an abundant amount of petals up in the air you'll get that fluttering down effect, which makes for a magical photo. I found mine at simplyrosepetals.com
Just married Bikinis are back
Mrs Chow's “Just Married Bikinis” are back! A bride-to-be essential, these bikinis come in aqua, pink or white and make the perfect gift. With a sexy cut, non-see through fabric and adjustable ties the bride will want to wear this swimsuit long after the honeymoon is over. Click to shop.
Merci Beacoup
Say thank you to your guests with these exotic Medina cards. With some beautifully handmade with swarovski crystals and gold inside the envelopes it's a wonderful way to finish off your beautiful day.
Comes in hot colours, jewelled Amalfi or pastel thank you notes. Click to shop.
Aurora Yellow Print
Chinoiserie is defined as Fanciful European interpretations of Chinese styles in the design of interiors, furniture, pottery, textiles, and gardens. Perhaps as my mother is Australian and my father Chinese my love of Chinoiserie has something to do with this East meets West element too. Taking such inspiration, I art directed the Peacock Chinoiserie print for our new fashion collection “Birds of a Feather”. So now rather than just surrounding oneself with this artform, we can wear it too! Click to shop this Kaftan now.
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 and their potters perfected the blue and white porcelain ceramics so that they came to represent the virtuosity of the Chinese potter today. Our blue peacock print was inspired by a similar vase I have at home. The blue is just so spectacular and accentuated by the contrasting crispness of the white.
Our "Birdsong" Silk Dress
Contrasted to the vase shown left, instead of a dragon we decided to use a beautiful peacock with extravagantly long and intricate feathers in this print. We love the embellished white stone belt which matches the extravagance of this garment beautifully. Our exquisite print features on several of our dresses and kaftans in blue, grey-blue and aurora yellow. Click to shop.
From Fashion to Fine China
Piece by piece I have been collecting Jasper Conran’s Chinoisiere Wedgewood China. My favourites are the tea cups with a green or white background and silver edging. Can you imagine eating off anything more beautiful? I can’t.
The Runway Return of Light Denim
I remember getting my first chambray shirt in the 1980’s so was nostalgic about it coming back in the “teenies” (apparently the new name for this decade). I didn't plan on doing any denim for this latest collection so tried to bring it in as a colour on the finest of silk cotton. See right...
The Grey-Blue Hue
So the colour I chose for one of the prints was a grey-blue, inspired by the comfortable light fabric of Chambray. I wanted to give the garments a relaxed, denim feel; like these tops and dresses in sand-wash silk and the finest silk cotton. Click to shop.
Favourite Coco Quote
This is one of my favourite quotes, which we printed in the lining of a beautiful cashmere wool Coco Ribbon coat. From the writing flew a hummingbird out of a pretty birdcage all the way up the silk lining. With my love for everything Chinoiserie, you'll be seeing more such elements of surprise in our future fashion to come. For those lucky enough to have bought one of these coats some years ago, I do hope you love yours as much as I love mine.
Coco Ribbon is one part ribbon one part chocolate
Our name, Coco Ribbon, was derived from two favourite things. One of those being my favourite; chocolate. It’s no surprise then that this month we have shipped in my favourite chocolate brand, Prestat, in the most delicious packaging. You can find them in our Coco LOVE gift boxes...
....Prestat was given a Royal Warrant by Her Majesty the Queen and for over 100 years their chocolates have been enjoyed by royalty and nobility, stars of the stage and screen, bishops and abbots. Indulge in the heart assortment box for £8.99 and make sure you keep the boxes to re-use as they are simply too extraordinary to throw away. Click to shop all Gift Boxes.
Love Notes
Sealed with a Kiss
Could these necklaces be any more romantic? They’re the perfect gift to win you major brownie points. The Love Bug necklace (£49) is the one bug any girl would love to catch this Valentines whilst the Envelope necklace (£45)means that she'll get the message without you having to write your own love letter. For other LOVEly gift ideas click to shop!
To Have and to Hold
To the right is my favourite photo from my wedding day. And for the day I searched high and low for a simple ring bearer bowl to carry our rings to the altar. Apart from overly elaborate polyester cushions the task was not an easy one but I finally found “the one” from Texan artist, Caroline Colom Vasquez....
.... This modern-day heirloom made from pure white porcelain is both sweet and chic. Each bowl comes with a soulful messages like “I love you”, “with this ring” or “to have and to hold’ imprinted within and makes a beautiful keepsake to hold jewellery or your favourite little things. To take a peek at what else we have for brides-to-be click here now.
Inspiration
December 2010
Hark the Herald Angels
Since this is our pre-Christmas inspiration edition, I thought it apt that we feature some angels. So here are two... Kristin wearing Coco Ribbon's Sparkles Fly gold sequin dress available soon and my Ottmar Hoerl angel sculpture which usually sits overlooking me on my desk. The sculptured angel looks quite solid and as if it would shatter if it was dropped however it's actually made of a soft thick plastic - something I only discovered after ordering it by mail from Germany. If you'd like us to let you know when this dress arrives please email thegirls@cocoribbon.com
Have you been Naughty or Nice?
When Dita Von Teese came to Sydney recently she bought almost half of the lingerie at Elegantly Scant's Paddington Store. These silk red knickers come with four removable suspenders. Very Von Teese and very naughty! At $89, click to shop.
If you'd like to take the lead of the Queen of Burlesque but the colour red and suspenders are not your thing, why not try these sophisticated Emerald Green ones instead? Nice. At $46 click to shop.
Coco-to-Go!
We've done all the hard work for you by putting together ten gorgeous Gift-boxes-to-go in time for Christmas. There is one for every type of girl from the Love Luxe Box to the Jet-set in Style collection. The goodies come beautifully presented in our chocolate boxes with a splash of turquoise inside and our gros grain ribbon as well as a glossy swing card. From £28 click to shop boxes now.
Absolut-ly Divine
My friend introduced me to this delectable, stylish and tastes like-it's-tricky-but-it's-not cocktail. Simply mix two shots of the vodka in a short or tall glass with ice, depending how strong you like it, top up with dry gingerale, then sprinkle in a few mint leaves for colour and zest. Perfect for picky party guests and Absolut-ly delish!
The Handover Hangover Cure
For those of us who experienced the Hong Kong handover from British rule to China in 1996 you may also recall the Hong Kong hangover which came after the solid week of decadent partying that July. From black tie junk soirees, to casino nights at the Mandarin and parties on The Peak it was a glamathon of cocktails, canapes and very little sleep. Here I learnt the art of defying the hangover which I'll now share with you...
Drink half a glass of milk before going out and eat a little something too (toast is good). Put the following items beside your bed: electrolyte rehydrating drink (you can buy the powder at any chemist) half a cucumber and two panadol - drink, eat and swallow all of the latter respectively when you get home.
In the morning use the Partied too much Pack's energy patches, puffy the eyebag slayers and bender mender to get you fresh as a daisy again ready for another night of dancing on tables.
At £9.95 get your Partied too much pack now.
Fringe Festival
As an Aussie I know uggs.. and you can get all sorts indeed. The more common kind are the ones you see everywhere - US owned and made in China. In case you weren't aware, "ugg" is a generic term that has been used in Australia for decades meaning sheepskin boot. At £98 click to shop
These fabulous fringed ones we stock are not only exclusive to Coco Ribbon in the UK but are authentically made by hand and made in Australia with the finest sheepskin available. Why be a sheep when you can be a shepherd? At £119 they also come in chestnut. Click to shop!
Little Black Dress of the Cashmere Kind
A Beauty Spa for your Bags (the hand-kind)
As if being able to take you pooch for an organic, luxe grooming, blow drying, mani-ped session at DOGUE wasnt enough, there's now a day spa for your bags! So if you fancy a bit of botox for your Birkin, plumping for your Prada or lift for your Louis Vuitton then check out mybagspa.com for each to come back looking like they've just been to the Bahamas (with a little nip and tuck).
In the Mood
Nothing illuminates your ideas more than a mood board. Do them before you embark on anything creative.. decorating your home; planning your wedding or in my case - creating a bespoke print. Choose your topic then tear out pages from magazines that catch your eye; colours, objects, moods. Layer them on a large piece of cardboard and voila - suddenly you have clarity of the direction you should go.
This is one I put together for our fashion print palette. We created two bespoke prints based on the hues – a pretty pastel called Pistachio and Aurora, a show-stopping yellow.
Macaroon BOOM
Move over cupcake, the macaroon obsession has stolen your thunder. Have you sampled the Lindt varieties? Rainbow-coloured, drop-dead delicious and immaculately packaged - it's all of our favourite things combined. Try the decadent passion fruit or salted caramel ones. Believe me, your 'buds won't look back.
Quote To Note
I am a quotaholic. I just love them. Inspired quotes make you smile, reflect and sometimes laugh out loud. In a brief sentence, they can give you new insight, put things in perspective or simply uplift you. And this is one of my favourites which comes from the clever book of quotes Keep Calm and Carry On – Good Advice For Hard Times.
"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing." George Bernard Shaw Click to see book now
TDFT (To-Die-For-Things)
One of my most favourite things is my beloved tweed Chanel bag, spotted from 50 metres away in the window of Chanel in Paris on Rue Cambon. I love dressing it down with my vintage Levi’s jacket (which I bought for £35.00 at Portobello market in London). My thinking is that if you’re going to invest in a bag like this, you might as well get one in a colour that pops… and then team it with something understated.
Cocktail Rocks
Nothing makes a statement more than a glittering cocktail ring. Here are a few from my prized collection - the Kenneth Jay Lane bumble bee is a favourite as well as the Cabachon ring on top which you can buy now on our jewellery pages. I bought the antique-crystal ring holder on eBay after struggling to find a new one anywhere else. My eBay tip – "Watch” the item and hold off on bidding until the very last minute. Patience is a virtue ladies!
Feathered Friends
Take a peek at our 10-second snippet from our "Birds Of A
Feather" fashion film clip that you'll see early 2011 when the collection hits stores (and
our website). The concept behind the name, you ask? Coco Ribbon is a girl’s
best friend and the beautiful souls who agreed to help out by
taking part are all good friends. We had a lot of fun shooting it on the day, although a generous
amount of Moët was required for Dutch courage!
Our Global Girl’s City Guide
This is your go-to list of all the chicest things to do, see, eat, drink and explore in our favourite cities. We’ve covered New York, London, Paris and Sydney... with more to come soon. So whether you are lucky enough to live in one of these wonderful cities or are planning a visit - do check out our Global Girl’s Guide for some fabulous insider tips!
