Black - Black.co.uk - The Black Blog

Flutter Buy

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:32:00 +0100

When the delivery of a spectacular one-of-a-kind cashmere stole arrived unnoticed in the office last week, I was placed in a moral maze. Upload or pocket? Immediately, I pictured what I would wear with it; J Brand jeans, racer back black vest, Gucci blazer, my Joan of Arc Zara pumps. Winner. Just enough of a memory of Summer with which to trip into Autumn. Hand out, ready to stash it into my bag and (obvs leaving an anonymous cheque for I am not a crook) head for the hills, The Boss entered and exclaimed with bright-eyed zeal:

"What is THAT? GORGEOUS!'.

THAT is this: a Sheer Purple Cashmere Stole with Giant Butterfly Applique. I found the sample for this a few months ago having failed to notice its existence in the sample cupboard for the last 4 years. And having spent days draping it languorously around myself as if in some Cliveden reenactment I decided to produce another of these cashmere miracles. Here it is:

I assume the above makes the outcome of my moral maze pretty clear...

£225 Shop Now >>>

Analyse This

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:07:00 +0100

On Friday night at around 10:30 I arrived back from holiday into Gatwick's North Terminal. Joy and rapture. Because, just as our flight touched the ground, so did 11 other flights which meant frantic must get in the fastest queue must get in the fastest queue mania at immigration and then an hour long wait eyeballing the baggage reclaim screen with the apocalyptic zeal of hedge-fund shorter followed by another hour tracking down a cab. It was fun and certainly did justice to a good holiday (see gratuitous blurry Blackberry holiday snap). Ah Espana.

Then came the domestic stuff: unpacking, washing, drying, ironing, shopping and disinfecting the Gaggia. Followed by the work stuff: scrutinising the emails that, days earlier, I had merely scanned with a glibness of heart and a fluttering of soul. Then yesterday was our management meeting and boom! adrenaline injection what with all the enormous Christmas (yes indeed Christmas) preparation to do, sales reports, traffic reports and so on. Business. Boom!

This morning, however, was my husband's first day back and so begin the 5:30 starts, at desk by 7. As a consequence my days also start this fiendishly early. So I like to break in the day by doing the following:

1. Updating our Twitter page
2. Checking our Facebook page
3. Analysing our website's traffic for the previous day.

The latter is the most fun. This is because as well as providing us with vital information about the traffic we get to our site at www.black.co.uk, we also see what terms or keywords people type into Google that lead them to our site. In among the searches for the products we actually sell such as women's scarves, women's scarfs (sic), men's scarves, wraps, pashminas, leather gloves, cashmere throws, cashmere socks* and so on are searches for products and 'things' that we certainly do not sell.

Here are a few gems

1. 'are leather placemats a good idea'
2. 'cashmere mother of the bride'
3. 'bedroom accessories for men'
4. 'i want to buy hair of a black woman'
5. 'straw Robin Hood'

... needless to say there are also searches that should never see the light of day...

The wonders of the internet. Rivalled only by the wonders of the British Aviation Authority.

ps. Are leather placemats a good idea?

* Over-done linking here is at the behest of our SEO guys. Reads easily doesn't it?

Jolie Jolly

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:50:00 +0100

I had the unusual pleasure of a trip to Paris with a friend to visit another friend who has a bookshop there. Normally, trips to Paris are work-related and are crammed with meetings and shows. And normally, this blog is work-related and crammed with products and news and press. However, I imagine that you may be in the holiday spirit given that it is heady mid-August and I thought it might make a nice change to feature a few favourite Parisian spots. Some are even Black-related though whether this is a successful case of business mixing with pleasure remains to be seen... Feel free to comment.

The jazzy window display at Lanvin on Rue de Faubourg St Honore.

The entrance to the Pavillon de la Reine, our hotel in Le Marais, a small ivy-addled palace which is hidden behind a magnificent centuries-old wooden door along the Place des Vosges - scene of splendid cloak-and-dagger action of Dumas's La Reine Margot.

My friend had a mandate to pick up tea from Fauchon for her ma. So we popped in. Before doing so, I snapped the window as I loved the pink and yellow neon against the black and white branding.

Love the ornings...can't think why.

My friend's bookshop which days earlier had been the location for the filming of Woody Allen's new movie with Owen Wilson and Carla Bruni...

Popped into the newly-designed Philippe Starck by at Le Meurice

And supper at Costes. Given that it was mid-summer we had the blue-moon experience of getting a table without booking. This does not make the prices easier to swallow, however. NB €22 Quinoa.

So there we have it. A blogular holiday. Restorative.

Going Hell For (Long) Leather (Gloves)

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:16:00 +0100

This autumn/winter brings great delight to us given that we are the keenest long leather glove aficionadi going and said gloves are ... wait for it .. so hot right now. We started off four years ago with these, our classic long leather gloves and then added these long suede gloves, and then a pair of these (my erstwhile favourites) until these bad boys came along: long black suede gloves with swarovski crystal scatter. Oh and not forgetting these.

Last month's Vogue Catwalk report devoted a page to arguably one of the most glamorous accessories going:

We've circled a few of our favourites - we've added similar pairs below.

Black Suede Elbow Gloves with Gold Zip

£99

Long Plum Leather Gloves with Button Detail (BrightByBlack.co.uk)

£90

Long Black Satin Lycra Gloves

£45

Long Leather Gloves with Seam Stitch and Tassels

£145

And our most popular style to date.

Long Leather Gloves

£95

We Deliver

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:18:00 +0100

We have chosen not to have a testimonials page because (from our point of view at least) testimonials can often read as if they have been written by the company itself. We are very lucky indeed to have customers who are incredibly generous with praise for our products and our service and receiving these comments is great for motivating our team.

Every so often, however, we get an email from a customer that stands out for one reason or another. We think that the comment below is especially interesting for our new international customers. Perhaps you live in the US, Australia or Japan and question when your order will get to you and in what timeframe. Our main method of international shipping is with sovereign postal services rather than blue-chip couriers and costs a fraction of those to boot (£13 approx $20). This customer ordered her gloves on the Monday and they arrived on the US West Coast by the Saturday. We were thrilled with the United States Postal Service and can't help feeling that the enormous growth of online shopping has been a contributing factor to their increasing efficiency:

Hello,

I want to thank you for such good service after I placed an order for your Black Bow Cocktail Gloves. The order was placed at the last minute, and I had them sent directly to my hotel in Portland, Oregon for an evening wedding I was attending last Saturday. The gloves were waiting for me at the front desk when I arrived and are just gorgeous! I had so many compliments from everyone. They looked absolutely elegant with my dress and jacket and really "made" my outfit. And I cannot thank you enough for such prompt service and a wonderful product.

Back in Stock - Single Black Tahitian Pearl Necklace

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 12:21:00 +0100

Back in stock - our consistently best-selling piece of jewellery, the Single Black Tahitian Pearl Necklace. Subtle beauty, elegance and refinement, this continues to be the favourite gift purchase for hundreds of our customers.

Price: £110

Pearl Type: Round, peacock-tinted, barely speckled.

Cape-ability Black

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:10:00 +0100

My uncunningly punning mind went first to 'Cape Crusader' and then thought better of it. Next up, 'Cape of Good Goat' and shortly after I hit rock bottom.

So I went about doing something else (we're currently working on a bespoke print for a scarf for a famous London charity) so I did a bit of that and sent stuff off and got stuff back etc. Business.

And then, BOOM. Capability Brown. Capability Black. Cape-ability Black. Perhaps the last permutation is step too far. Perhaps not. Who knows? Who cares?

Vogue cares. Vogue cares about capes right now. (apologies for tattered edge of image. Was overwhelmed):

And that is something I am pleased about for I care for capes. They have been the mainstay of our Autumn/Winter collections for a number of years now. Last year, we introduced the black/bright contrast with this Black and Magenta Double-Sided Cape in Cashmere and Silk (£195) selling up a storm:

This year, we're backing the black/camel as the dead-cert, given that camel seems to be the colour and you really cannot go wrong with this combo. As indeed the black/ivory. Both are currently sold out but we expect new stock by the end of August.

Camel and Black Double-Side Cape - Cashmere & Silk SOLD OUT

Black and Ivory Double Sided Cape - Cashmere & Silk SOLD OUT

For Bright meanwhile we have been a little more experimental with a navy/ballerina pink version winging its way in and a coco/terracotta to boot.

Terracotta. Brown. Cape-ability brown. Capability Brown.

Ps. Our best-selling cape to date is this one:

Mirabel. Simple, elegant, timeless.

Design Inspiration cont ...

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:47:00 +0100

Three ladies ... Taken from a mural in a room of a certain hotel near Nice.

Hot off the Press - ELLE features our Hibiscus Silk Scarf

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:21:00 +0100

Hibiscus Silk Print Scarf - 100% Silk. £120. BrightByBlack.co.uk

Dress Minister

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:17:00 +0100

At a dinner on Saturday night I came face-to-face with my very own minister. The Minister for Abi.

No. Not what happened.

When the Rt Hon Ed Vaizey MP told me that he was Minister for Fashion and Ecommerce (AKA 'my minister' as he declared himself), I think I said something like: 'No way. I don't believe you. I can't believe there's a Ministry of Fashion'. My reputation for being gullible could not have preceded me on this occasion, given that we were strangers. I know nothing about politics. He is indeed Minister for Fashion (and Culture, Communications and the Creative Industries ... plus archaelogy, broadband and digitised technology...etc, etc.) - and, impressively, he appears to know much about it.

It turns out that he is in awe of the British Fashion Industry; taking very seriously the significance of the sector within the British economy (worth £1.6bn in retail terms) and also as a cultural export, whose creative reputation pitches it at the apex of the global stage. Recently he had been invited to attend a NEWGEN event. NEWGEN is a brilliant program that invests in, sponsors and consults emerging designers just as they are coming to prominence and therefore when they most need it. It is organised by the mighty British Fashion Council and sponsored by TopShop while the UK Ambassador for Emerging Talent, Sarah Mower, plays an instrumental role.

(Above - Backstage at Christopher Kane, autumn/winter 2010 at London Fashion Week February 2010. Christopher Kane was a beneficiary of the NEWGEN project)

Mr Vaizey spoke to me of Erdem, Christopher Kane and Browns. He said he was planning on installing a mannequin in his office whose garments are to be changed every six months in strict accordance with S/S and A/W. 'What about Resort?' I asked. Nonplussed, he got up to speak.

Still, what a breath of fresh air to hear an MP speak so excitedly about fashion and to really understand the importance of the industry not just on an economic basis but also on a creative level - for in the world of design it is this that leads often to profitability and not just a stark focus on the bottom line.

Neck und Neck

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:21:00 +0100

Isn't it good to know that when a woman gets hold of the subject of football she gets right to the heart of the things that matter?

And those would be:

1. Why does David Beckham look so dramatically better in the M&S for England suit than Capello?
2. Does Frank Lampard exfoliate and if so what brand does he use?
3. Isn't there a certain unexpected tenderness in Steven Gerrard's eyes when he does that interview thing at the end of the game?
4. (And crucially) How well dressed is the Germany coach?

Joachim Loew, the Germany coach, knows how to wear a cashmere scarf. Sorry to say it given Sunday's imminent tie, but he does. Regard Exhibit A:

As an Accessorist* I have an internal response mechanism that leads me to compare this scarf instantly with Black's cashmere scarves.

On this occasion I thought of the Rivington Superfine Scarf; lots of caps, er, etc. But it would not do just to post a standard picture of it. No. Because Loew wears it so well, we needed to step up to the plate. Go head to head.

Introducing Toby (and England), our Sales and Marketing Manager, wearing the Rivington Superfine Cashmere Scarf (£85):

Who wins in this crucial Scarf Tie**? England or Germany? Comments below please...

* Do not consult dictionary. This is a real word.
** We sell these too.

Middle Eastern Magic

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:52:00 +0100

An idea can strike you anywhere. Preferably not in the eye.

For various reasons, middle-eastern and arabic art and architecture are sources of inspiration to me. The flowing curvature of Cyrillic script, the rich and earthy palette of terracotta, sapphire blue, emerald green set against taupe, brown, gold and khaki and the heavenly allusions of fountains, abundant water and luscious fecund gardens.

This said, I thought I would share a few images (taken in Egypt) that are a focal point for new design work.

Stars and Shadows

Peacock. I think.

Canvas and Palm Trees.

What would be your arabic artistic inspiration?

Black Bubble

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:59:00 +0100

First thing this morning I engaged in a certain Monday ritual: cruising fashion blogs. I tell thee, seeing the title ‘Blackest of The Blacks’ – a recent entry from Style Bubble – is like being whopped across the face. Yes, my interest was piqued.

You see, black (the ‘colour’, not us) gets a mixed press. If you were to open up any Vogue Catwalk Report, no matter what season, among the florals, the metallics, the urban guerrilla, the military urchin etc, there is invariably a black page – positioning its status in the world of fashion as nothing other than mandatory. This is often to the chagrin of many fashion editors. Despite being ubiquitous and incredibly popular its use is criticised for being the resort of the unimaginative. Two words to the contrary. Rick Owens.

Style Bubble’s blogger, Susie Bubble, was writing about an exhibition called ‘Black: Masters of Black in Fashion and Costume” at the Fashion Museum in Antwerp. While the exhibition explored the history of black in fashion and historic costume, paid homage to the fashion houses whose use of black resulted in creating masterpieces (Chanel, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent) and delved into ‘the potential of black in diverse materials’ (fur, lace, leather), its very presence led Bubble to feel a certain ambivalence about the role of black in fashion.

“I have an estranged relationship with the supposed cornerstones of fashion where black reigns and is apparently meant to be THE colour that dictates the foundation of our wardrobes. Just to pull "xxx is the new black" as an example already gives the colour weight and superiority above all else”

She has a point. It’s not fair that an un-colour should hold such unrivalled hegemony in the fashion food chain. Yet I can’t foresee the colours ‘blush’, ‘taupe’ or ‘cerulean’ getting their own exhibitions. (Neither does Bubble). The more I think about it, the more the room at Harrods that houses Givency, Balmain and Lanvin et al could quite easily be regarded as a gallery of black artistry. I’d even skip Antwerp altogether and head straight to Rods for an education in the majesty of black fashion. Far from being the resort of the unimaginative, designers handling black have to work even harder than those with a rainbow of colours or prints to hand to bring the darkness to life. Look at the work that goes into creating this:

Givenchy SS10

Or this:

Balmain SS10

Or this:

Lanvin SS10

Hmmm. I wonder whether we should start selling single gloves a la Lanvin ...

Bright Red Leopard

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:54:00 +0100

I have just returned from a meeting with colour consultant, Manina Weldon, in Kensington. Red Leopard, her company, advises people on the colours that will best suit them in order to draw attention to and augment their finer features; particularly the face. While I was there on business grounds (Red Leopard will be selling a number of BrightByBlack.co.uk scarves to their customers from this month onwards, including a number of exclusive colour-ways) I had a fascinating insight into which colours should be worn on whom.

Now, it should come as no surprise to regular readers of this blog that I like black and wear it often and will by hook or by crook find a way to wear it in the summer (thank you black Bamford silk mac). Manina told me that black was not my colour. It was like taking a bullet.

Luckily today I was wearing colours that are ‘me’ (navy, tan, Babylon Scarf, light denim) and ‘me’ is blond, blue-eyed; generally of the ‘yellow’ ilk. The world is divided into ‘yellows’ and ‘blues’ it seems and the ‘yellows’ should focus mainly on wearing soft spring and summer colours such as blush, peach, terracotta, turquoise, pastels, coppers, tans; in short soft, delicate colours. Meanwhile the ‘blues’, (Manina - brown/black hair, cocoa-brown eyes) are rather enviably licensed to wear winter colours such as black and bright, bold colours including red, magenta, emerald, cobalt.

While what I gleaned from the short time I was there was merely surface-scratching stuff, it was nonetheless intriguing and I plan to run an experiment on myself, wearing ‘yellows’ to find out if my life gets perceptibly better. I fear, however, that this endeavour may go the way of the Monday morning diet and I will revert to blackness.

I wonder, was Coco Chanel a blue or a yellow?

(Red Leopard, 1 Thackeray Street, W8 5ET, redleopard.co.uk, 0207 937 2222)

Bright Blog - Safi Square Shawl - Back in Stock.

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:07:00 +0100

Back in stock and just in time for this sumptuous summer, drrrrrrrrrrum roll!

Safi Square Shawl.

When this shawl first hit the site it sold out almost instantly, thanks I think to the tantalising lusciousness of the colours (we were also featured in a magazine, which helped). We've had reports back from the customers who bought from our first delivery and, by consensus, it is an absolute favourite. These same customers report that they have been stopped in the street when wearing it by women who ask where they can get one. This is also, phenomenally, the case with the Babylon Scarf.

So here we go, back in stock for all of you who have been keeping an eye out for it. I have one and find that it looks winning with grey marl and white; these neutrals really bring out the colour. (NB: limited stock available).