SASS AND BIDE

You have to do at least one show for London Fashion Week right?  For me it was Sass & Bide, and as it was my only show it had to be a good one – which it was.  Held at the Royal Horticultural Halls, it was the perfect background for the cool edgy monochrome of the show.  

The Sass & Bide girls have raised the bar taking Sass & Bide to an International stage with their strong direction which is instantly recognisable as the core Sass & Bide DNA.

And of course there was the people watching…..Poppy Delevigne, Sasha Wilkins and Alison Mosshart were all in attendance adding the necessary glamour and buzz.

And of course there was the people watching…..Poppy Delevigne, Sasha Wilkins and Alison Mosshart were all in attendance adding the necessary glamour and buzz.

Sass and Bide

 Candice Lake

Liberty London Girl Sasha Wilkins

 Hannah Wick from Harvey Nichols

 Allison Mosshart

Donna Ida, founder of Donna Ida Denim x

QUEEN FOR THE DAY...

If I was Queen for a day the first thing I’d do is unlock the Diamond Diadem and settle it onto my head. The Diamond Diadem is my favourite crown – none of that front only frugality of a tiara for me!  (plus, I can never work out how they get them to stay on).  Wearing the Diamond Diadem I would summon the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, and tell them they will be participating in the Donna Ida Summer of Sport to help raise money for Jeans for Genes.  They’re all sporty, should be a doddle for them.  It’s a quick 5k run, 26k trek and a 65k bike ride (the one that has really got me worried).

That should polish off the morning.  In the afternoon, much as I love all dog breeds, I would add some Chihuahuas to the fleet of palace Corgis.  When I was growing up my neighbours had a Corgi and when Woody, our lovely gentlemanly neighbour picked me up, Kelly the Corgi was overcome with jealousy and jumped up and bit me on the backside.  Therefore, I think an addition of gentle Chihuahua love could benefit the palace.

Another thing that’s important to me is the tricky issue of parking.  I’ve racked up a Birkin’s worth of parking tickets over the years and would decree a free parking day across the City.  It may cause havoc but there would be collective sighs of relief from all motorists who don’t have to worry about parking for once.

In the evening I would love to go to an official event.  I’d feel a bit silly wearing the Diamond Diadem all day without going somewhere special in the evening.  Something simple, a State dinner would do.

For a chance to win denim vouchers, tell us what you would do as Queen for a day before midnight on the 5th June. The best answer will be chosen on the 6th June. Tweet us or comment on the blog with your answer. The winner will receive £50 voucher for Donna Ida to spend on full price products.

Donna Ida, founder of Donna Ida Denim

Tweet me @DonnaIda and check out the website at www.donnaida.com

 Images courtest of www.donnaida.com

HARVEY NICHOLS JUBILEE THEMED WINDOWS

I love a good window display and my eyes were out on stalks when I saw this. Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge, are celebrating Her Royal Highness’ Diamond Jubilee with quintessentially British window installations.  It took me a few weeks to get back and take some snaps, but here they are…

The windows have a vintage feel with faux boutiques such as ‘Harvey Nickers’, ‘Nic’s Plaice’ and ‘Blooming Lovely’ – yet they are contrasted with contemporary styles and on-trend outfits. Totally tongue-in-cheek, but absolutely worth a look.

Donna Ida, founder of the eponymous denim indie Donna Ida x

Tweet me at @DonnaIda and read my diary here at the Donna Ida website by clicking here.

See more images after the jump...

VISITING BOTTEGA

The power of Twitter – it’s how I met my good friend Sam who owns Bottega in Tarporley, Cheshire.  I’ve been trying to squeeze in a visit for months now but finally made it last weekend. The highlight of the trip was discovering her fantastic boutique.

If you’re in the Tarporley area you really must go – I was there for hours and kept finding new things to snap up (so it’s probably a good idea I’m safely stashed in London most of the time). One of the things I loved most about Bottega is the Birdcage Café, delicious food in a beautiful atmosphere.

Donna, owner of Donna Ida, x

Bobby Dazzler with Sam and my furry friends

 I stripped this table bare

My kind of card.

Sam with her son Harry and mum Trish.

DONNA LOVES SKINNY JEANS

Paige Premium Verdugo Skinny Jean in Florence - James Jeans Twiggy Skinny Jean in Slate - J Brand Major Skinny Jean in Black

It’s no secret that I love my skinny jeans.  Because a) any – ANY – shoe looks good with them (ok not a wedge) b) you can wear them year-round – as with most jeans they’re delightfully season-less and c) they’re good on the vertically challenged.  

I have three that I wear all the time and they’re my fail-safe options.  If I haven’t worn one of them in a week I’ll suddenly spy a pair and think ‘ah! you! you’re coming with me today’.  I pretty much wear the same thing all the time and just mix and match the bags and shoes.  

So here they are – my three secret skinny weapons!  And before you ask – they’re ALL super comfortable. They wouldn’t get a look-in otherwise. Wear with heels, flats, sandals or tuck into boots.

Donna Ida, founder of Donna Ida  x

A MORNING IN THE LIFE OF DONNA IDA

My twitter friend @junosayshello asked me last week how I get up so early each day and suggested I write a blog outlining my morning routine.  It reminded me of when I was growing up and I could never eat my dinner, but my sister always did.  I tried so hard to match her mouthful for mouthful and try to keep up.  God how I WISH that was the case now.  So if you need some morning inspiration, read on!

A morning in the life of Donna Ida:

4.45am

I wake up.  I’m always ahead of the alarm.  I think my body instinctively doesn’t like a fright so wakes up before it can go off.

4.50am

I turn off my first alarm just before it goes off, and spend the next ten minutes checking emails/twitter/instagram.

5.00am     

I turn my second backup alarm off about a second before it sounds.  Get up – I don’t hesitate or ‘lie there’ just in case I suddenly nod off again.

5.05am 

Turn on BBC World News, put on Mou boots and dressing gown (sexy) and let my two Chihuahuas Romeo and Julio out of the kitchen.  By this time they’re literally throwing themselves against the door desperate to be released.  I walk them around for about 5 minutes – just long enough for them to perform their morning ablutions and have a sniff about before going back upstairs for breakfast.

5.15am     

Feed Romeo and Julio and then myself.  I either have porridge (which I soak the night before – delicious!) or scrambled eggs with rye toast.  I eat while I’m watching the news and pacing between the bathroom and my dressing room.

5.25am    

The next ten minutes is spent finishing breakfast, having an espresso or two, showering, and doing 100 squats in front of the TV.  That’s my 2012 thing – 100 squats every morning.

5.35am 

Pull on the outfit I decided on the night before.  If I haven’t picked a whole outfit I’ll at least know in my head half of what I plan to wear.  I hate standing there not having a clue – it wastes so much time and always makes for a bad outfit.  Even if you just decide on one item to wear the night before it makes dressing so much easier.

5.45am       

Brush teeth, check hair and kiss Bobby Dazzler goodbye (what’s the point of leaving the house that early if you’re not going to disturb the person you live with?!)

5.50am           

Pull out of driveway.  If I’m not in the car and driving by this point I’m going to hit traffic and be late.

6.40am – 7am 

Arrive at Starbucks on Sloane Avenue, pick up a black Grande Americano and drive on to the office in Belgravia.  And the day begins!

Donna Ida, founder of Donna Ida 

DONNA IDA THORNTON ON INTRODUCING NEW BRANDS

Introducing newness to Donna Ida with a fresh buying approach to a brand and introducing new brands is key.  

Each season there will be one or two labels we don't buy back into to make way for new ones.  When I first opened Donna Ida in 2005 I was being approached by new denim brands every 10 minutes.  Now there are very few new denim brands that make it to the top but of the ones that do you know they've made it for a reason - because they're good.  The fit and fabrication are vital.  They're the two key elements.  If a denim brand gets the cut and fabric selection right, and offers little else that gets in the way of the rest of the customer's outfit then there's really no stopping them.  

For SS12 we have launched Bleulab in the UK.  A genius brand which offers all of the above plus a cute nod to the economic climate - they're reversible.  Bluelab are offering all of the above plus a cute nod to the economic climate - they're not trying to reinvent the wheel, they're just giving us two instead of one.

Donna x

THE DENIM CLINIC

One of the first things I noticed when I opened Donna Ida was how intimidating a lot of people find shopping.

It was an eye opener for me - I take a practical approach to shopping i.e. you've bought it and now you need me to come and buy it so the business can keep ticking over - but it became apparent that people are often very worried about going into a shop and even more worried about asking for help. The Denim Clinic was founded on this basis - so customers can book in and know there will be happy expectant faces ready and willing to help. It's no different from the service you would get if you walk into any of our boutiques, but it's the reassuring element that works.

When we relaunched http://www.donnaida.com/ the big challenge was to translate that same in store service to the online experience. There are how-to videos guiding the shopper through different styles of jeans, and offering suggestions for body shapes. We even translate the language of denim - what the rise is, what the leg opening means, how to measure your waist. 

Having the Denim Clinic both in-store and online is a big part of the Donna Ida brand - I'm very conscious that you can buy jeans literally anywhere, but it's making people want to buy their jeans at Donna Ida that's the trick.

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Donna x