Two minutes with... Lulu Guinness

Hi fashion fans,

To celebrate Designer Day today and a Today's Special Value from one of our most fabulous designers, I caught up with the lovely Lulu Guinness to talk handbags and more...

Tell us about your inspiration for Today's Special Value bag

Today's Special Value boasts our new best-selling shape - the Romilly. I've created it in a new fabric and in new colours that are just for QVC customers!

What would you choose to wear it with? And which celeb would you like to see wearing it?

I would wear my black Moschino dress with it - classic and simple so the bag really makes a statement. Lauren Laverne always looks great and is a huge Lulu fan so I could definitely see her wearing it!

What types of bags will we be seeing this season?

The theme for our current collection is London Calling and features lots of Union Jack bags and British themed-designs, so the perfect accessory for the party season would be one of my bags that incorporate this, with a touch of added sparkle.

My first black tie event of the party season

Hi all you fashion lovers,

I've just attended my first black tie event leading up to the party season and I was very pleased to meet Maureen Bramham, one of our regular customers, who I must say was turned out beautifully. 

All the ladies at the event had made a special effort for this glamorous occasion. The trend for the men seemed to be dinner jackets with coloured bow ties, all very daring indeed. I opted for a classic slim black tie. 

One accessory that I think would have been very useful for some of the ladies would have been a shawl or wrap, giving them an extra layer to wrap around their shoulders on arrival and adding an extra splash of glamour. My favourite has to be the Pure & Simple pashmina with beaded fringing. 

Plus, also check out Dream Keeper's beautifully embellished shawls. They have a vintage feel to them which will allow you to arrive at your festive celebrations looking fabulous and also avoid any cloakroom queue when it comes to carriages home.

Love Glen x

My Christmas food preparations continue...

Hi all you food lovers,

My first love is fashion but I also have a passion for food and cooking, so on the back of last weekend I just thought I would let you know how my prep and sample recipes are going for the Christmas period. I prepared these mussels (below) on Saturday evening with a view to serving them for family and friends on Christmas Eve.

Here’s my recipe...
 
Sautée one banana shallot in unsalted butter. Once soft and translucent add a diced knuckle of ginger, half a chopped chilli and one chopped clove of garlic.

After a couple of minutes add a glass of crisp dry white wine, bring to the boil add your scrubbed and de-bearded mussels (make sure they are all closed before you put them in) put the lid on and steam until all the mussels are open. This should take around four to five minutes.

The presenters talk Christmas fashion...

  Hi fashion fans,

As you know I've really been getting into the Christmas spirit, and so I asked some  of the presenters about what they'll be wearing on Christmas day and if they've made any funny festive fashion mistakes…

 So what will you be wearing on Christmas day this year?

Debbie F: Oh hopefully something smaller than I’m wearing right now! Diet Chef is on the horizon!!

Jilly: Hopefully PJs until at least 1pm!

Debbie G: An apron as I spend so much time cooking!

Alison Y: I don't dress up on Christmas Day - I'm running round like crazy. So I start in jodhpurs and pretty much stay in jodhpurs. I'll also be wearing odd socks with holes in guaranteed, unless someone has bought me new socks and then I'll be wearing those.

Your questions answered...

Hi there,

A few of you posted questions on the blog, I hope my answers help!

This question is from Alison Crawford and is quite a common issue for larger women...

I am a size 20 (22 - 24 in coats and dresses) and I would like to buy a dress for myself but am a good old-fashioned 'apple' with a large chest. I like the look of the Tiana B range but am not sure which dress would be suitable for me, also being a big girl patterns and striped frighten me, and I don't want to look too old fashioned which is what usually happens if I buy from high street stores.

I am so pleased that you like the look of the Tiana B range, I love these dresses. With the dress being a key look this season its well worth buying into this trend, as far as being a full figured girl you shouldn’t be afraid of prints.

I'm really getting into the Christmas spirit!

Hi fashion lovers,

After my first Christmas gift show last Saturday, I'm really getting into the Christmas spirit!  On the train home I started to think about our Christmas menu and decided that when I got home I would start to experiment with the starter….

Here’s what I came up with - a gazpacho base with a white crab meat centre, topped with avocado guacamole and deep-fried Japanese bread-crumbed king prawns. It's then finished with a drizzle of mango vinaigrette with groundnut oil, ginger, chilli and lime juice. What do you think?! There's a photo on the right, but it's not that clear sorry!I tested the recipe out on my son Ali who gave the thumbs up. I'll let you know how the menu progresses!

In the meantime if you fancy a fashion fix catch the Fashion Gift show at 12 o’clock tomorrow - I'll be with you with some Style Inc and also Deerstag slippers. Also look out for the Pure & Simple Pashminas as they make fabulous Christmas gifts for loved ones.

I'd love to know what you'll be cooking over the festive period, let me know what you're doing and we can inspire each other!

Love glen x