Welcome to the first edition of my new series: Made You Luxe. Whilst I created Magpie DIY as a platform through which to share my designer-inspired DIY tutorials, I reasoned that there were some great pieces already on the high street that fulfil the Magpie DIY ethos, but wouldn’t translate well into a tutorial. In this series, I’ll be showcasing the pieces I’m loving, but can’t quite work my magic on (hey, we all have our limits).
One of the best things about Instagram is that it allows me to discover new pieces. I’ve lost track of the number of fashion pictures I’ve liked that detail unique necklines, exquisite embroidery (I’m looking at you Georgina Chapman!) and must-have pieces that scream ‘buy me!’ One of the worst things about Instagram is that too often, I fall in love with items waaay out of my budget. This happened recently when someone posted these Dune plimsolls. Fringe, embellishment and suede? I wanted them. But (I see a theme emerging here…) I wasn’t prepared to sink £80 on a pair of slip ons when I knew they could be recreated for a fraction of the price. And what could be better in today’s Instagram brag culture than posting a pair of kicks with the caption ‘I made these’ *cue adulation*?
Don’t be put off by the number of steps in this tutorial. It’s like a Jamie Oliver 15 minute meal – once the ingredients have been prepared, the assembly will be speedy.
The Mademoiselle Privé exhibition at Chelsea’s Saatchi Gallery is causing quite the stir amongst fashion fans; I went during opening weekend with my best friend, and within half an hour the queue had snaked its way outside the gallery’s grounds and halfway down the King’s Road (which, if you haven’t been, is long). To cut a long story short, we ended up leaving the queue before we entered (so I haven’t actually seen the collection yet), but being the eager beavers we are, we had arrived early and so were in the gallery’s grounds during our short-lived queueing. This meant that when we left, the organisers assumed we had been inside and gifted us with a chic, grown-up party bag (!). This was a canvas tote, printed with the exhibition’s minimal logo, and a matching poster. I’ve been in the market for some new wall art for a while now, so being gifted these materials was the inspiration for my latest tutorial, incorporating Chanel’s favourite embellishment: the pearl. And rest assured, I will be revisiting the exhibition (and posting photos on Instagram), I just need to wait for my gallery gal to return from her jaunts abroad!
In case you’ve been living under a rock, pom poms are in right now. I suspect it all started with the birth of Fendi’s Bag Boy Karlito, the super-cute, super-expensive (£1100!) bag charm, beloved of models and celebrities alike. Now the high street is getting in on the act, with more modestly-priced versions gracing the shelves. Since I had some pom poms left over from a previous DIY (more on which later), I wanted to create my own take on the bag charm. Unlike most stores, which are championing the single, large pom pom, I used two smaller-sized pom poms for balance and movement.
This tutorial is perfect for the time-starved – it only took me 15 minutes to create!
When any design house uses embellishment in every collection, they become a firm Magpie favourite. Enter Dolce and Gabbana. The Italian designers are known for their heavy embroidery and beadwork, cementing their status as one of the world’s most luxurious brands. Of course, luxury invites elitism; in order to own a piece of D&G perfection, one must possess a hefty fortune. As it happens, I do not, so when I saw these Vally pumps grace the runway, I knew they would be perfect DIY fodder. Read through to discover how to add a high-end piece to your high-street wardrobe…
Magpie DIY 