THE COAT OF THE SEASON

Spring is upon us meaning that a whole new shopping trip is needed. Living in the unpredictable British climate it is important to have a variety of clothes for every occasion, meaning that a spring coat is definitely an essential. Pastel brights have been a huge trend with the designers this season and the high street has taken note of this, especially Zara. Zara has always been one of my favourite brands and I LOVE their coats. So much. So when I saw their newest selection I couldn't help but spot one which I knew was going to be a hit; the yellow 'coat with pockets' (or as I am going to call it - THE COAT OF THE SEASON)

Zara Yellow Coat - £99.99

HOW TO SURVIVE A SAMPLE SALE

I love sample sales. I get a little tingle of excitement when I receive an email from companies that I love but can't usually afford (i.e. I'm too much of a cheapskate to spend more than £20 on anything) telling me they're having a sample sale, and recently my inbox contained one of these emails from one of my favourite brands; AQ/AQ. So, after trying desperately to find a time I wasn't working/at uni/eating, I headed over to The Old Truman Brewery just off Brick Lane to see what this sale had to offer me. The Old Truman is the most common place in London to hold sample sales (there's pretty much always something going on) and I have been to at least 5 sales there. So, having some sort of experience in the sample sale area, I have decided to put together this list of things you need to know if you're going to be braving a sale.

The queue outside the sale - AQ/AQ on Instagram

PRADASPHERE

Prada has always been considered as one of the most iconic and luxurious Italian brands in history. Everyone lusts over a Prada-something, whether you're a millions miles away from being able to afford it and do everything you can to find a good copy ("Hey look this is just like that Prada bag! For £8! In Primark! I can draw the logo on and nobody will notice right?") or you can afford it but have so many already that you're wondering whether it's necessary ("Ok, I have 53 pairs of sunglasses but only 7 of them are Prada so there's definitely room for another couple in my collection. There's no space in my wardrobe? Whatever, I'll build an extension.")
Now, however, everyone and anyone has the chance to see and touch some real life Prada, all made possible by the new Pradasphere exhibition at Harrods.

"I don't want to look. But it's Prada. So I'm going to look."
Made in Chelsea's Stephanie Pratt will do anything for Prada it would seem...

LEADING LADIES

I can't help but notice that here has been a lot in the press about Marks and Spencer recently. As well as just being named the UK's Most Ethical Retailer 2014 (beating H&M and Zara), they recently launched their Leading Ladies campaign in March which caused a storm in the press. 

ALEXANDER WANG X H&M

Despite being a fashion promotion student, I usually steer clear of designer x high street collaborations. This is mainly because 1. the ‘designer’ clothes don’t seem to differ much from what the rest of the shop sells (Rihanna’s winter 13 collection for River Island consisted of tartan and florals… River Island’s winter 13 collections consisted of tartan and florals...) and 2. it’s always horribly overpriced. However when I heard that H&M have announced a collaboration later this year with none other than Alexander Wang, I couldn’t help but let out a squeal of excitement.

KEEPING HER FEET ON THE GROUND: THE ROYAL DUCHESS

I don't know what it is about the Royal family but I LOVE them. Despite still not quite understanding what the Queen does (I'm hoping the Olympic parachute jump is a reflection of her duties) or even knowing who half of the royal relatives actually are (Lady Louise and Viscount Severn? Nope me neither) I think they're great, and one of the newest members, Kate Middleton, is my favourite.

KATE MOSS: STYLE-QUEEN OR HAS-BEEN?

No matter your opinion on Kate Moss (and come on now, everybody has one), she has long been a British fashion icon for both her modelling and her designing. After her last Topshop stint in 2007, she is now partnering up with the high-street giant once again, bringing out a new collection at the end of this month.