Bartley’s label, Luella, ceased trading after its ready-to-wear producer closed last month and its main financial backer pulled the plug on any further investment, the company said in a statement emailed to Reuters on Wednesday. BOOOOO! This is such bad news…I have a gorgeous little Luella purse and was planning on buying it a sister in the shape of a bag from their AW 09 collection.

VSQ Ltd, which also distributes for Armani, advised Luella that it had decided not to invest further in the label, the statement mentioned.

“This is a very disappointing situation for everyone involved with the brand,” Luella Bartley said.

Well put Luella…we’re all crying into our Luella bags :’(

I’ve just come back from Somerset House and 180 The Strand, which after a week of the London Fashion Week is now kicking off the London Fashion Weekend in association with Elle where over 120 designers are offering fabulous discounts for their autumn/winter 09 collection. The event started yesterday and will be going on until the 27th September.

For me the highlight was certainly the catwalk which was hosted by Louise Row, who not only looked beautiful but was brilliant.

And check out the shoes!!

Sadly my camera by then was dying and I only managed to grab a few shots.

Shoulder pad trend

Prints trends

Manish Arora, I loved his animal inspired collection, nicely quirky

Jaeger London

After the catwalk, with the goodie bag over my shoulder and a glass of champagne consumed, the shopping continued. Did I find anything? I did, but not for myself, a wicked leather jacket for my friend for £49!!

But as with sample sales, be prepared to pull your sleeves back and work through the rails. Will they or won’t they have your size?!?!

Any draw backs? As beautiful as Somerset House is and as perfect as it was for the London Fashion Week, this event is much busier and the rooms get packed. There was even a ‘one in, one out’ stage, but you can use the time to gossip and plan your hunt if you’re there with friends!

It can also get a bit packed but if you are a dedicated bargain hunter, then there is no stopping you!!

When:
Friday:        11am – 9pm
Saturday:   9am – 6pm
Sunday:      9am – 5pm

Where:
Somerset House and 180 The Strand
London
WC2

Tickets:
Starting at £12.50
order online

Who’s there:
Luella, Ben de Lisi, Richard Nicoll, Lulu Guinness, Sass & Bide, Emma Cook, Beatrix Ong, Belle & Bunty, Eley Kishimoto, Kors by Michael Kors and Philip Treacy and many more!!!

You can feel that September’s London Fashion Week is around the corner and the industry is all excited. So are we!!!

If you’re not one of the lucky ones officially invited to the events you can get a taster by attending the forthcoming London Fashion Weekend. You can browse and purchase (uh dangerous) the collections from hundreds of Fashion Week designer stands, most of which are manned by the designers themselves and best of all take a seat in the official British Fashion Council catwalk venue and watch a 40 minute professional catwalk show featuring directional designer trends.

With over 120 designers offering fabulous discounts, fashion and beauty tips from the experts and catwalk shows in the official London Fashion Week venue. Last season’s exhibitors included Luella, Ben de Lisi, Richard Nicoll, Lulu Guinness, Sass & Bide, Emma Cook, Beatrix Ong, Belle & Bunty, Eley Kishimoto, Kors by Michael Kors and Philip Treacy.

You can guarantee, with Autumn/Winter 2009 being described as the city’s most dazzling performance in years, the event will not disappoint.

If you want to get on top of the season’s tricky trends such as shoulder pads, leather, silks, organza and tweed, then this event is for you. Or if you just want to have a great day out with the girls (and boys!!) and leave with a goodie bag feeling part of London Fashion Week, then make sure you get a ticket.

When:
24^th – 27^th September 2009

Thursday:  5pm – 10pm
Friday:        11am – 9pm
Saturday:   9am – 6pm
Sunday:      9am – 5pm

Where:
Somerset House
180 The Strand
London
WC2

Tickets:
Starting at £12.50
order online