#stuart dixon

The lyrics weave in the mood with threads of sounds from jazz, acoustic, country all woven into a diaphanous cloth of sounds by the dextrous vocal skill of Irene Rae’s voice. A perfect addition to lovers of singer/songwriters

The Light Game is the second album from Irene Rae. The album opens with a cascading fall of tones and textures from cymbals, piano and guitar. The influences are touched upon in this rhythmic jazz opening and so much more it is a mood, setting the perfect introduction to the melodic vocals of Irene Rae as she sings Never No. The instrumentation is a mix of bold tones and subtle tempos ensuring…

Above Image Courtesy of Harvey Nichols Birmingham

With spring just around the corner earlier this month Harvey Nichols Birmingham invited Birmingham bloggers in store to preview the new Spring 2012 arrivals and to cast an eye over this seasons key looks.

I was so excited to attend this event, the thought of Spring and beautiful clothes motivated me to brave the snow and make my way to the Mailbox Birmingham to see what was on offer.

Stuart Dixon the Assistant Retail Manager for Women's wear and Personal Shopping at Harvey Nichols presented the 6 key looks for Spring... “With masculine lines and androgyny at the forefront of A/W11, it’s time to bask in feminine pastel shades, pretty whites, and vivid floral prints. It’s going to be a girly summer.”

So first up was "Keeping it Casual"

I love this smart casual look enabling you to still feel and look sexy in an ACNE open back shirt, £190, a pair of For All Mankind jeans, £185, YSL Tributes, £550; and Mulberry Alexa bag, £795:

Next up was "Brightening things up for a Summer Evening"

Florals are a spring must have and can be worn in so many ways, I love this Just Cavalli floral dress, £365; with Christian Louboutin shoes, £595; and Jimmy Choo clutch, £295:

 This next look is perfect for a spring occasion, Stuart states "This gorgeous white dress is a clever blend of futuristic sculpting and lacy elegance"  Skater dress by Philip Armstrong, £785:

Check out the Christian Louboutin 160ml heels, £635:

And this cute Alexander McQueen hard case, £825:

My favorite look was "90s Grunge" bringing it up to date with this effortlessly cool Pinko dress, £205, Pinko suede layered cardigan, £645 and Mulberry Daria satchel, £695:

And my faves, a pair of camel Jeffrey Campbell boots, £95:

'The Swinging 60s' gets a modern make-over, Missoni dress, £580; Christian Louboutin white patent shoes, £510; Jimmy Choo bag, £595:

'Go Global' with this season’s love of tribal prints – Pinko maxi dress, £410:

And a pair of YSL Tributes, £550:

Following the presentation we took a walk around the store to preview some of the other spring must haves, check out my favorites below:

Malene Birger

If you know me you know I love anything that shines and sparkles, these Malene Birger designs are sophisticated and subtle with just a hint of shine and sparkle:

The new brand on everyone lips is Victoria By Victoria Beckham which has sold out like hot cakes, but we managed to find one or two pieces like this cute little shift dress:

Philip Armstrong satisfied my obsession with spikes and studs, this hot one shoulder dress is stunning at £985:

And check out the spikes on these Christian Luoboutin clutch bags:

And Sam Eldelman peep toes shoes, I was in my element!! :-)

Colours of the season, Neon Brights! by the Cambridge Satchel Company:

Girls being girls we had to have a trying on session so we checked out the Jeffery Campbell boots:

The Doll on Fashion tried on a pair...

And so did Sunny from Wardrobe Mag...

I had a relaxing hand massage at the Elemis counter, I highly recommend this:

Some of the bloggers below:

Myself, Sunny from Wardrobe Mag and Emma from Fashion Mommy

And Emily Jayne image consultant below in her fab outfit :-)

The gorgeous wearable treats, goody bag and glasses of bubbly on arrival made battling through the snowy weather all worth it!!

And if you want to check out what Harvey Nichols Birmingham has to offer then register for the Harvey Nichols Birmingham Fashion Weekend which includes new season fashion shows on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th March – and this time there will be eight catwalk presentations held over two days.

For the first time, the luxury store will stage the shows at a specially constructed Fashion Theater in The Mailbox.

Guests can enjoy drinks and canapés before indulging in the very best of the S/S12 collections from the likes of Pinko, Philip Armstrong, Alice + Olivia, Sass & Bide, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin.

Customers can reserve seats for runway shows to be staged at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm on both days and can then “shop the show” afterwards.

Tickets for all shows are free, but booking is essential. Please call 0121 616 6008 or email [email protected]. The Fashion Theater will be on Level 3 of The Mailbox.