Ooh La La, The Richmond Bag in Paris

Photography: Brian Minkoff

Bag: The Richmond

Is there a more photogenic capital city than Paris? arguably not in my humble opinion.

We sent our iconic Richmond Bag travelling just before Christmas ( and Omicron), so here’s a bag’s eye view of this beautiful city.:

From the newly renovated La Samaritaine Paris Department store

to the Place Vendome

The Louvre

The Eiffel Tower

Le Marais and it’s delicacies

Art Deco meets the new iphone at the Place St Michel

Even the bears over do it sometimes, but how can you not?

 

Despite Covid ,Paris is as beautiful and as tasty. In fact, maybe Covid restrictions and complications have made short, successful getaways even more special.

Happy New Year to all, may 2022 be healthy, happy, tasty and a whole lot easier.

Bag fit for a blogger

My sister in law Sharon, is a lady of many talents. Apart from being a photographer and global traveller, she is also an amazing cook, consummate foodie and writes her own food blog.

It goes without saying that as my sister-in-law she has a decent collection of Nadia Minkoff handbags, mostly large bags that can accommodate her camera and lenses and are suitable for travelling.

So when we launched our Borough Camera bag she was intrigued to know if it would work for her ‘ bloggers’ camera and we decided to let her test-drive it and tell us what she thinks.

So here we go, Sharon and her Borough Camera bag, on location in Cadiz Spain. And for those wondering the camera is a Fuji X-T20 with a 18-55 lens.

We’re happy to confirm Sharon has advised that bag, camera and photographer are very well matched!!

The BaH Collection launches for Winter 2019

“The dictates of work are as compelling for a woman as for a man”

(Barbara Hepworth)

Sculptor, Barbara Hepworth, has been an inspiration throughout my life. An all-time favourite of my mother, I was introduced to her work at a young age and grew up with it. Initially fascinated by her smooth tactile textures and by her abstract yet natural forms, I later discovered her remarkable strengths as a woman and artist.

 

A trip to St Ives in 2019 to visit both Tate St Ives and The Hepworth’s Trewyn studio & garden was so captivating, it became the backbone of my Nadia Minkoff London ‘BaH Collection’.

“Ideas come with a rush in a place like that & I feel that forms will become concrete at great speed.”

(Barbara Hepworth, The Sculptor in the Studio/Sophie Bowness)

St Ives was battered by gale force winds on the day of my visit, so strong as to make it impossible to walk along the waterfront, it was eerily quiet and deserted bar the noise of the wind battering the rooftops and whistling down the narrow cobbled alleyways of St Ives.  I had the fortune of experiencing Trewyn studios and garden entirely on my own, apart from a large tabby cat, happily asleep next to the door.

The BaH Collection is a deeply personal homage to Barabara Hepworth’s work, studio and her many attributes which I have found so inspiring:

Ambition, determination, clarity of shape and form, balance and the ability to translate female physical experiences into her art.

“The BaH collections aesthetics and colours are drawn from this journey, minimal and clean I hope they encapsulate my interpretation of Barbara Hepworth whose enduring legacy continues to be as remarkable both as a female trailblazer and as an artist.”

 

The St Ives Tote bag exploring curved edges and smooth metallic leathers

The Full Circle belt bag, designed to be both feminine and functional

The Barbara Half Moon bag, sculptural and stand-alone

The ‘kelp green’ leather Rena bag, a nod to the garden and sea in an oily, textural leather

 

 

The Abstraction pouch, minimalist, clean and timeless

Vive Paris

Location: Paris

Bag: The Richmond midi in Blue

Photography:Brian Minkoff photography

What a difference a day makes….

When shooting our blog post in Paris a couple of weeks back, the fire at Notre Dame could not be imagined.  It would be impossible for us to post this blog without reflecting on this.

Notre Dame is said to be Paris’s most visited and beloved monument, surpassing both the Eifel Tower and the Louvre. Having weathered many a storm since construction on it started in 1163, no one would have thought that 850 years later Notre Dame’s main spire and roof would be ravaged by a massive fire.

The world now watches as France and Parisians start the difficult task of establishing the full extent of the damage and work towards rebuilding its finest monument.

We will take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy and relaxed Easter- recharge, spend time with family and friends, eat chocolate 😊  We leave you with photos of an overcast but beautiful Paris.

 

Make it a London Christmas / Part 2

I have found concluding 2018 difficult, it’s been a tough year in general ,most certainly for the High Street and for anyone who works in fashion. I wish I could say I am ending it on a high and feeling optimistic for 2019, hard as I try I am not. But I most certainly don’t want to end it on a low and I am certainly hopeful that 2019 will surprise me for the better.

I will let London, my source of inspiration,do the talking for me. Captured by photographer Dennis Madden over the festive period and right up to date 31/12/18, New Years Eve.

From Trafalgar square, to China Town

The all new Coal Drops Yard in Kings Cross, and the iconic Royal Albert Hall

From towering Christmas trees in Euston, to ho ho ho in Soho, and some much needed Angels in Regent Street

Spectacular skies over Waterlow Park in Highgate

And last, but most certainly not least, my very own Waterloo sunset

Wishing you all health, happiness and good fortune in 2019

x Nadia

Make it a London Christmas/ part 1

Photography: Dennis Madden 

Those who know me know the diversity found in London is the backbone to my brand, Nadia Minkoff London   and a constant source of inspiration.

But as 2018 draws to a close I have doubts and concerns over London’s future, a sentiment I believe I share with many a Londoner. So in this, the first of my two part ‘Make it a London Christmas’ blog I will attempt to share London snapshots,taken over the first two weeks in December by photographer Dennis Madden as he captures my musings through his lens.

I start my journey at The Thames Barrier, recently highlighted in the news

Are we really down to 15 years before we sink?

 

In the shadow of The Emirates crossing  and City Airport flight path, just past the waste land, extensive riverside luxury developments being built. I wonder if there is anywhere affordable left in London?

Well, the wading birds still seem happy enough in Victoria Park, aka Tower Hamlets ‘people’s park’ and the winter sun makes an appearance, shinning through the Holly, I do love a good London park, it feels familiar, all are equal here

In upmarket Fitzrovia the Victorian toilets are now a speciality coffee and brunch cafe
We love our speciality coffee us Londoners, especially me and in an old Victorian toilet?? it’s a win-win

Regents place on the North side of Euston Rd  is unrecognisable, what a face lift and so festive with it. I wonder if London can continue to regenerate like this in the next few years, so who’s going to be moving into these offices and buying these flats?

Back in North London the Victorian street lamps light up Alexandra Palace. It is becoming decisively grey and chilly, but atmospheric like a film set.  I Haven’t decided the ending yet, it’s a cliff hanger at the moment

 

TRAVEL: FILM, FISH AND FRITES, St Malo & Dinard

 

Images and details: Brian Minkoff Photography 

Travel Bag: The Camden tote in Mustard

Travelled with: There and back overnight on Brittany Ferries   from Portsmouth to St Malo .  There’s an excellent buffet ,so a pretty good start

 

Commuted: There’s a small ferry boat that goes from St Malo to Dinard and back every hour

Stayed at: Castelbrac  St Malo, 5 star luxury in a unique setting

 

Ate at: Brasserie du Sillon, right on the St Malo beach, where my starter (slightly not kosher) Plateau de fruits de mer  (oysters, langoustines, king prawns, whelks and winkles) and the Mrs’s  mackerel fillets marinated in Muscadet were fantastic as were the whole grilled  snapper (my favourite fish) and C’s Chateaubriand in a creamy mustard sauce with thin, thin chips. Followed by a pistachio pavlova with strawberry sorbet and crème brulée with Madagascan vanilla

 Le Sept Mers in St Malo overlooking the beach where we indulged in foie gras, crab with grilled avocado and fennel, pork belly with sage, smoked cauliflower and mash, cod baked with sea greens, a chocolate ganache with absinthe and a fruit soup with ginger and yogurt sorbet.

 

Stayed at: Le Nouveau Monde, St Malo and highly recommend,

Ate at:  our favourite restaurant, La Gonelle, overlooking the bay where they bring the fish fresh from the tank. We indulged in fresh sardines and then shared a whole turbot baked in beef juices with rosemary potatoes and a bottle of local cider.

 

 

 

Visited:  The Dinard Film Festival,  This  film fest offers access to paying punters and is very friendly.

Bag verdict: The Mrs loved the bag-very soft leather and a lovely colour and lots of room. The attached purse was neat too.

A bientot!

ESCAPE… Amsterdam inspiration

I try and make sure that every work trip I do is also a source of inspiration. I see something that catches my eye and imagination everywhere.  What interests me I capture , save, then reference. My recent trip to Amsterdam was particularly inspirational , it’s a city I love full of colours and tucked away corners. So here we go, I am sharing my ‘inspirational highlights’ with you, will be interesting to see what of these filters down to my next collection

Amsterdam is:

Cheese & cheese newspaper

Van Gogh:

Flowers & Urban gardening:

Canal side living:

Bakeries:

 

some of the best Indie shops I’ve seen ( Matter.of.material)

Lovely Paris, The Boss!!

Bold colours in doorways, that match my Brewer Travel bag to perfection

 

ESCAPE..THAILAND’S ISLANDS-PART 2, RAILAY

Having gotten over my jet lag and effortlessly adjusted to life in Koh Samui (see Part 1, Koh Samui) I headed on down to the Andaman Coast, destination Railay.

There is 1 airport in Koh Samui, it is privately owned so flights in and out of here are not cheap like other internal Thai flights but they are quite spectacular. The airport resembles a resort with lush landscaped gardens,boutique style shopping and pretty swanky toilets!!  Passengers are ushered to the planes via the runway, in converted golf carts and the views of Koh Samui from the air are breath taking

Flight: Koh Samui to Krabi with Bangkok Air, approx 50 mins flight, £87 with in-flight snack

Krabi airport to Ao Nang by shuttle: 30 mins

Ao Nang to Railay by long boat (there is a hire booth on the beach) approx 15 mins

Railay is accessibly only by boat and yes, you do have to climb in and out of a ‘long boat’ clutching your suitcase through the sea, but it is so worth it. Laid back, chilled and welcoming I can’t recommend it enough.  In my books it is as close to a slice of paradise as it gets. I would go there again in a heartbeat.

Stayed at: Railay Bay resort and spa prices start at £150 for a double room

visited: Nang Phra beach, a beach like something out of the Jurassic period, with towering rocks, caves and stalagmites. No dinosaurs , but plenty of monkeys in the surrounding forest. It’s a busy tourist destination and at the weekends the traffic from Ao Nang to this beach is quite overwhelming, so avoid if you’re looking for solitude.

Tham Phra Nang fertility caves, a shrine full of carved wooden phalluses

walked: through The forest to Tonsai beach, welcome to the chill-out zone!

 

Ate : fresh grilled fish at the local style restaurants between the East and West beaches

Chilled: roof top balconies of the local bars

watched: the sunrise and the sunset

indulged: in some early morning canoeing off Railay Beach and the nearby rocks. For those of you into rock climbing , this is the ultimate jungle gym

Next: Part 3, Kamala, Phuket

Escape… Thailand’s Islands, Koh Samui

My travel bags: The Brewer Holdall, The Angel bag 

Travelled with: Thai Airways from Heathrow /£750.00 return ( Mid Feb) , 12hrs to Bangkok/13 hrs return to Heathrow. Perfect service and customer care from start to finish.

Connecting flight Bangkok to Surat Thani with Thai smile £35 single ( mid Feb ), 55 mins. Great service, you even get served drinks and a snack

Bus from Surat Thani to Don Sak port, then boat to Koh Samui approx 2 hrs, spectacular scenery and air conditioned decked cabin. I chose to sit on the deck and watch the views.

Stayed at: Bandara resort and spa from £85 per night including breakfast. The breakfast is on the beach restaurant and quite spectacular, not to mention the views

Bophut fishing village is a 5 minute walking and is totally charming with a large selection of chill out cafes on the beach as well as restaurants and a weekly market selling just about everything from fried grasshoppers to suits.

Optional day trips:  Chaweng, Big Buddha

 

Eat: fruit- lots of it, Fresh fish- sold by weight, grilled in front of you, Phad Thai- it’s so, so good

Drink- Coconut Cappuccino, as many fresh coconuts as you can

Relax- enjoy the sunsets

 

NEXT: Escape Thailand’s Islands, Krabi and Railay