UK Kolours.com

French Connection Partners With "Sherlock Holmes"

2011-11-24T14:53:00.004Z

NEW YORK, Nov. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- French Connection U.S. has teamed up with Warner Bros. Pictures to promote the studio's upcoming release of "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" through multiple vehicles designed to get consumers excited about the film as well as the fashion brand. Capitalizing on French Connection's and Sherlock Holmes' British heritage, this partnership was a natural alignment.

Beginning on November 7, 2011, all French Connection U.S. retail store locations will be paying homage to "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" by displaying "Inspired By" looks from the film in store windows, fashioned by the label's creative team. French Connection's AW11 Men's collection lends itself perfectly to the film association with many Sherlock Holmes- and Watson-friendly pieces included in the line. Three-piece suits, tailored pea coats and trousers, and popular British accessories such as snoods are key items.

Within the brand's retail stores, consumers will have the chance to enter a sweepstakes in which the winner and a guest are flown to NYC to partake in a private screening of the film before it is released in theaters on December 16, 2011. Entry into the sweepstakes is also available to consumers through French Connection's ecommerce site: www.frenchconnection.com, where there will be a link to the trailer for the film, as well. French Connection will be promoting the partnership and sweepstakes through their social media channels of Facebook and Twitter.

About Warner Bros. Pictures/"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows"

Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as the world's most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and Jude Law returns as his formidable colleague, Dr. Watson, in "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows." Sherlock Holmes has always been the smartest man in the room…until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large—Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris)—and not only is he Holmes' intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective. The cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead as he spins a web of death and destruction—all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history.

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

UKKolours.com are official stockists of womens French Connection and mens French Connection clothing.

UK Kolours - Hot brands, latest styles, great prices!

French Connection: Well-Designed, Stylish Clothing

2011-10-30T13:37:00.044Z

Founded in 1972, French Connection set out to offer well-designed fashionable clothing that appealed to a broad market. French Connection clothing now delivers on-trend, quality fashion with a tasteful and sophisticated twist.

So long as French Connection has got its offer right, price is not necessarily a barrier to success.

Take Pippa Middleton's lead and work transitional dressing in our chic Streaky Stripe Dress. Embracing the AW11 trend for jewel colours in teal.

At the heart of French Connections business is a passion for clothes. After 40 years in the business French Connection is now one of the most recognised fashion brands on the high street. In 1972, when French Connection was conceived, they set out to create well-designed, stylish clothing that appealed to a broad market. Staying true to that intention, French Connection has since become synonymous with fashion and style and it remains their prime goal to create and maintain brand credibility and distinctiveness in an ever-more crowded market place. Driven by innovation and change, the brand's strength lies in balancing new and exciting ideas with consistent delivery of quality and affordability

A/W 11/12 Trends for French Connection
Men: Preppy classics are pronounced with an almost British accent and the colour balance plays a fundamental part in this. Warm ochre chinos with red gingham or solid charcoal shirting. Its preppy but not what we have grown accustomed to. The narrowing of the chino-esque pants and dark, over-dyed denim works in tandem with the slightly shorter length tweed jacket. All pieces are classic yet refreshingly re-imagined, dropping into existing favourite statements with ease.

Women:

French Connection draw inspiration from the 40s, 60s and 70s as they pay homage to this season’s trend for all things retro. Elegant and timeless, the forties was the decade that championed ladylike style. Making a dominant return to the runways for A/W11, French Connection capture the eras mood in a prim blouse offset by masculine tailored trousers and bold red top.

Into the 60s - a decade defines by boxy silhouettes, playful accessories and big hair. Chanel is the era’s ingénue look in siren red and block heels platforms.

Into the 70s - continuing its reign on the catwalks, the seventies strides into autumn/winter featuring retro knits, flared denim and wide brim hats. Be inspired by the decade glamorous off-duty starlets and accessories with snakeskin.

Here is some of our great selection of French Connection mens and womens clothing:

French Connection Oxford Shirting Shirt Light Blue

French Connection Restrain Wool Military Coat Darkest Blue

French Connection Sashie Fitted Stretch Dress Pavlova Cream

French Connection Streaky Stripe Block Colour Dress Black/Officer Blue

French Connection Wonderland Wool Flared Coat Black

And Celebrities continue to love French Connection's effortless style:

Come and check out UK Kolours collection of French Connection womens and mens clothing here

Streetwise & Streetwear

2011-10-21T12:25:00.050+01:00

URBAN AND STREETWEAR TRENDS FOR THE SPRING/SUMMER 2012 SEASON

What are the high streetwear trends that everyone will be wearing in 2012? The fashion on the streets oozes class, style and that edgy look. And this season it came with a parade of new ideas for beautiful clothes for 2012. Regardless of age, body shape and style preferences, you have the chance to experiment with new designs and prints. High fashion designer trends are becoming increasingly accessible to the stylish masses thanks to the great British high street.

Fashion trends of the past few seasons primarily focused on tradition and authenticity. The young fashion for the Spring/Summer 2012 season looks modern, cool and uncompromising with expressive colours: grass green, bright pink, bright yellow, pool blue and red for shirts, pants and shoes. Ruffled dresses and skirts with impressive floral prints or monochrome drawings will put you on a journey into the realm of dreams and romance, a world of uber-sophistication and femininity.

Prints are back with a bang in 2012 – with the likes of flowers, dots, retro or something fruity – prints are definitely in for autumn 2012!

As far as men’s street wear trends goes, fashion week exhibited a handsome mix of rustic fabrics and rugged aesthetics made suitable for modern urban warriors. Many collections still took their cues from women’s fashion, infusing floral patterns into suiting and finishing outfits with accessories like long scarves or satchels; however, this isn’t the feminized menswear we’ve seen from other designers in previous seasons. Denim is huge. The athletic shirt and sneakers are also on the fashion map for 2012.

Govern the classic black leather jacket, the street wear essential that never really goes out of style. The look of duffle coats and preppy gear firmly to the fore, the look of urban and street wear is sporty and preppy: rolled-up chinos, brief shorts combined with cotton shirts and comfortable lace-ups or casual espadrilles. For besides the classic, sporty maritime looks featuring striped patterns and traditional red-white-blue colour combinations, there is also a lot of natural flair.

Online stores are giving us a more wider range than ever before at more accessible prices, so finding that perfect style has become easier and easier with everything being at your fingertips. It also gives you the chance to see the styles first hand and go back to make that final decision without that extra hassle of visiting the high street. Shop the latest styles and the hottest brands at UK Kolours.com

Lipsy Pixie Lott Collection Autumn/ Winter 2011

2011-10-14T10:42:00.024+01:00

Pixie Lott launched her new Autumn/Winter Lipsy collection with a bit of a bash in London last week. To celebrate her brand spanking new collection, Pixie shimmied about town in a few of her favourite pieces, including this cute Lipsy Pixie Lott Sequin Elastic Bodycon Dress in Black, which is available from UK Kolours.

Pixie said that it had been a "dream come true" to design her own fashion range and thanked all of those at Lipsy who had helped make it happen. However, having been involved in the creative process from drawing board to finished collection, it's us that should be thanking Pixie, and so she was presented with an award to recognise the success of her previous best-selling Spring/ Summer 2011 range.

The full Lipsy Pixie Lott Collection is available from UK Kolours here:
And remember, our prices are always better than RRP!

Taking design direction from the likes of Chanel, D&G and Burberry Prorsum, Pixie's fantasy fur jacket is bang on trend and a real statement piece and following the success of her best-selling debut fashion ranges earlier this year, Pixie is back with her A/W collection, exclusive to Lipsy! "I'm having such great fun turning my style ideas into an actual fashion range, so I am really excited to be launching another collection," Pixie says. “This time I've taken style inspiration from some of my favourite style icons like Briget Bardot and Edie Sedgwick and what I love to wear out with my friends."

The 20-piece collection is again made up of two distinct ranges, this time 'Pixie Rocks' and 'Pixie Party'. And judging by the success of her S/S 11 party dresses, you'll be pleased to know that there are loads more night-out pieces to choose from! In-keeping with this season's top catwalk styles, Pixie has kept the colour palette in her collection simple, with intricate detailing adding interest.

Pixie and Lipsy's celeb friends filled up the trendy Public nightclub in Chelsea last week to help our favourite pop star celebrate the launch of her A/W collection. Having changed out of the pretty lace top smock dress she'd worn for her daytime interviews and PAs, Pixie was party-perfect in her fierce Lipsy Pixie Lott Pleat Detail Bandeau Dress. Among the other celebrities partying in the VIP area were Mollie King, Jade Ewen, Konnie Huq, Dionne Bromfield, Chipmunk, Tinchy Stryder, Jayne Dunn, Ali Bastian, David Gandy and boy band, The Wanted, all looking even more gorgeous in the flesh - this was one pretty party!

The full Lipsy Pixie Lott Collection is available from UK Kolours here:

Rainboots With A Colourful Twist...

2011-10-09T23:45:00.008+01:00

Havaianas have launched a gorgeous new collection of rain boot wellies. Initially, exclusively at Selfridges earlier this year and now they have arrived at UK Kolours. They definitely give boring rain boots a colourful twist and these are perfect for taking to festivals to survive the rain and muddy fields and for the wet winter months.

We all know and love Havaianas for their cult flip-flops which are cool, comfy and functional. But since they entered our feet’s lives they’ve launched trainers, pumps and espadrilles and now they’ve stepped even further into the world of footwear practicality with a new wellies range. Recognising the huge market for summer festival fashion in Britain’s unpredictable climes, they’ve made the humble welly boot fun with their signature lively designs - from bold block coloured styles to colourful patterns. They’re soaring high on the fashion forecast so snap them up now and bring on the festivals!

Havaianas, the Brazilian flip flop brand are now popular worldwide. In 1962, the São Paulo Alpargatas company began to produce a sandal based on the design of the Japanese flip flop, called the zori. However, instead of using straw to make them, they used rubber, which made a very comfortable and durable sandal. In the 1960s, Havaianas were sold at small, neighbourhood stores for a low price, and were purchased exclusively by the lower classes. For this reason, Havaianas were known as “chinelos de pobre” (poor man’s flip flops) during this period. Nevertheless, Havaianas were very successful at the time, selling a thousand pairs a day. Due to their popularity, many imitator brands arose, and in 1970 Havaianas came out with a new campaign called “Havaianas: As Legítimas” (Havaianas: the Legitimate Ones) to try to beat the competition.

It wasn’t until 1994 that Havaianas became a success with the middle and upper classes in Brazil. By 1996; Havaianas had truly become a national brand, reaching new consumers all over the country. By 2000, the brand became a hit with celebrities and models, and the following year Havaianas began exporting their flip flops. Now wildly popular from the US to Australia, Havaianas have been featured in important retail stores, high end fashion shows, and even the Oscars.

First, they designed the flip flop, the perfect accessory for the summer months. Next, came the Soul Collection a mix of trainers, high-tops and espadrilles; a shoe fit for everyday wear and the chilly-spells! And now to complete the all year round ‘Always Summer’ spirit Havaianas are launching the Rain boots range!! These vibrant styles launch in 8 vibrant colours and prints, which are available for both men and women. Made of rubber, it compiles all Havaianas iconic elements: The Greek pattern of the strap, the rice pattern sole and the flash colours. The Rain Boots collection is composed of 8 colours (2 unisex and 6 feminine): Green, Black/Yellow, Pink/Light Blue, Purple/Pink, Grey/Pink, Turquoise/White - All available at UK Kolours.

Vogue Fashion's Night Out 2010

2010-09-27T13:12:00.014+01:00

The fashion frenzy is coming to an end in London after a fantastic London Fashion Week and the build up to it at Vogue Fashion's Night Out. Having had such a great time last year Michelle and I were very excited for this year's event.

We started the evening a little earlier than usual by having dinner at our favourite place for yummy dim sum before moving on to our first stop at the French inspired Nicole Farhi. The store turned into a French creperie for the evening with music from Bluey Robinson. It was a glamorous evening - we were surrounded by the fashionably fabulous including Nicole Farhi herself and superstar boxer David Haye.

After a scrumptious dessert of crepes we moved on to the funky sounds at French Connection, followed by Topshop, Mango, Zara, Reiss and ending up for after party drinks 'til late into the night.

We had a fantastic time and even managed to grab ourselves some bargains!

Looking forward to next year!
Karen x

Enjoying some bubbly at French Connection wearing the Winter Sun Wool Coat!

At Topshop

Photobooth fun at Reiss!

Fash Fest!

2010-08-27T12:41:00.001+01:00

It's that time of year again and our own Michelle and I are getting mucho excited about the up-coming fash fest that is the Vogue Fashion's Night Out!

Last year was the first and we're glad to see it's back again this year, bigger and even more fashionable! More designers, department stores and high street chains have signed up for 2010 with even more exclusive discounts, guest appearances and prizes on offer.

Among the many glamorous highlights is a very special appearance from Giorgio Armani who will co-host a cocktail party with Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman at his New Bond Street store.

I expect our invites are in the post Giorgio?!

The official T-shirt for the London 2010 event features a print by illustrator and print maker Sanna Annukka. I don't like to say I told you so but I have been a champion of Annukka's for some time (if you're on my Christmas card list you may recognise the last two years' cards as Annukka designs)!

Follow me on Twitter for updates throughout the night and keep and eye out for our post-event report and pics!

Vogue FNO - 8th September - http://fashions-night-out.vogue.co.uk/

Karen x

http://twitter.com/ukk_karen

2010-08-13T11:39:00.007+01:00

We are well into the buying season for Spring/ Summer 2011 and I headed into London yesterday to visit some of our brands and check out what's new for next year. My first stop was Guy who represents Havaianas. He is also the man for several other brands including Ugg, Blowfish and a new addition to his portfolio, Native footwear. The new additions to the Havainas 2011 collection look great and there are some nice new colours in the core styles as well as some excellent new additions. Havaianas have also introduced a snazzy new Espadrille this season and will definitely be a feature of the UK Kolours summer collection for 2011. Watch this space.

I'm also pleased to report that we will be adding Native footwear to our brand offering very shortly. New to the UK, these funky and far cooler alternatives to Croc's are the new must have's for the festival season and will soon be taking the UK by storm. I personally love the Fitzsimmon (the hiking boot style) but the Jefferson (which looks similar to the Converse All Star Low) will be very popular.

After popping my head into Numph/ Sugarhill Boutique who are located close to the Havaianas showroom, I quickly headed down the road to see Brett at French Connection. I was just about on time but I shouldn't have worried as Brett was already running behind with his previous appointment and so he parked me at the cafe next door with a cup of coffee and I caught up on emails for 5 mins. Outside the FCUK offices there was a small commotion a bit further up the street so we headed up to take a look at what was happening; it turned out that the X-Factor duo Jedward were sitting atop of a van doing a promotional event for a magazine. I took a quick snap on my phone. I think its fair to say that Brett was much more exited than me at the presence of the pop two-some.. sorry Brett, just kidding.

After the excitement (?) we headed into the showroom to check out the new mens SS 2011 collection; there was some very nice pieces and in particular I was a fan of the new mens chino's (which are/ will be everywhere soon) and the new selection of Harry and Wills polo shirts (as Brett aptly described them). There was also a very nice selection of signature FC knits and coats that will be making an appearance on UK Kolours in 2011.

After saying goodbye to Brett, I headed back into the centre of town. Now this meeting was a little hush-hush and so I can't really say too much but hopefully I will have some exiting news very soon! Watch this UK Kolours space..

Anyway, until next time.
J

My work experience at UK Kolours

2010-05-21T16:38:00.006+01:00

I was excited to start my first day of work experience at UK Kolours. I am in year 10 at St Albans Girls School and I am taking my GCSE’s this summer. I was interested in working at UK Kolours as I love clothing, especially Hollister, Aeropostale and Jack Wills and I wanted to know more about how an internet company actually works. I thought it was going to be a relatively easy job preparing clothes to be despatched to customers, but there is much more to the business as I was soon to realise.

I was working in the main office with James and Steve and there was a calm but fun atmosphere which made me feel relaxed and comfortable. On the first day I had to take in a lot of information about how the whole process is managed and I worked hard to get my varied tasks finished. I worked on the back end of the companies websites, organising and sorting the various clothing lines that are listed and also allocating product recommendations for the customers. Its fair to say I was very tired by the end of my first day.

Tuesday came around pretty quickly. I was looking forward to my second day and wondering if it was going to be as eventful as my first. The orders were flying in from all over Europe and so I helped Steve and the team prepare them so that they could be shipped out straight away. Before bagging up the clothing you need to make sure that each item is in perfect condition and thoroughly checked. It was impressed on me that the company always want customers to be delighted with their purchase and that every order should be handled and packed to a standard that you personally would like to receive it in.

Wednesday was more of a relaxed day. I would be working with James shooting the first of the Indah Womenswear video podcasts. I helped James set up the equipment in the photo studio next door to the UK Kolours offices. After lunch, Michelle, who would be presenting the video, joined us. James thought that it would be a good idea if I assisted Michelle on the video and so Michelle and I got changed into two stunning dresses from the brand ‘Not the same’. It was great fun. It really showed me how difficult the job of presenting was and although several of the takes ended up in hysterical laughter Michelle did a great job! We spent some of our time on Thursday editing the video for upload and you can view the Indah video podcast here:

Doing my work experience at UK Kolours has given me a much greater idea of what goes into all aspects of running an online clothing business. I would happily come back for work experience again, and would consider maybe doing something similar with my future. UK Kolours is a great clothing website and they are a great and hard working team. Many thanks for taking me on for a weeks work. It’s been an amazing experience!

Charlotte B x

Hollister + Ugg = Hugg

2010-04-06T17:19:00.002+01:00

Ever since the invention of the term teenager in the 1950’s there have been several clothing styles that have defined each period for this age group. The first that springs to mind is the James Dean ‘Rebel without a cause’ look of 1950’s America. This featured the leather jacket, plain white t-shirt, denim jeans and classic black boots. Many would say that this iconic look defined the era.

In the UK during the 1960’s the mods and the rockers were at opposite styling ends of the time. The mods and rockers were two conflicting British youth subcultures and sparked moral panic in 1964 when images of the gangs fighting in Brighton were beamed into the nations homes. The rockers adopted a macho biker gang image sporting their black leather jackets. The mods adopted a pose of scooter-driving sophistication, wearing suits and other clean-cut outfits. By late 1966, the two subcultures had faded from public view and media attention turned to two new emerging youth subcultures — the hippies and the skinheads.

By the late 1980’s, the advent of acid house and the style of baggy oversized jeans, brightly coloured hooded tops and trainers of ‘the casuals’ was in stark contrast to the other prevalent sub-group, the Goths; who wore dark clothing and sported black makeup, numerous silver piercings and Doc Martin boots.

So what is the defining look of 2010 Britain I hear you ask? Well, ladies and gentlemen I give you ‘HUGGS’!

In short: Hollister + Ugg = Hugg

The Hugg is the uniform of choice for the female teenagers of 2010. The styling consists of the obligatory Hollister* hooded top which is normally accompanied by either leggings, sweat pants or on occasion a denim skirt. Then finally to complete the look the essential Ugg Boots. Normally the classic short in Chestnut Suede or perhaps the Classic Long with the tops folded over to reveal the sheepskin lining. A common addition to this ensemble is the Jack Wills Gillet. This is normally navy blue although this is not a total must for our budding Hugg.

*Please feel free to substitute the Hollister hoodie with either Abercrombie & Fitch or Jack Wills.

I have no doubt that should you be walking down your nearest high street you will see swarms of Huggs flitting about between well-known high street stores. They normally move in small groups and are often seen texting or IM’ing friends on current events from their iPhones. I have long noted the existence of this teenage uniform but have recently felt the need to put a name to this group of brand conscious bettys.

I could muse further on the need for fitting in or fulfilling a sense of belonging that is surely at the physiological heart of these youth uniforms or perhaps explore the massive influence and proliferation of big multinational brands but… I shall save that for another time.

NB I did initially consider using Jack Wills as an alternative to Hollister but the outcome (I believe the term is portmanteau) of JUGGs wasn’t nearly as user friendly.

Until next time.

James

http://twitter.com/ukk_james

Pure Womenswear & Stitch Menswear Tradeshows

2010-02-17T10:03:00.013Z

For most, Sunday 14 February was Valentines day, but for myself and Karen it meant an early start and a trip into central London. Our first destination was Stitch, a menswear tradeshow taking place at Billingsgate Market on the banks of the Thames. This was the first Stitch show and featured a selection of up and coming and more established brands. Amongst others we talked to Original Penguin, Fenchurch, Farah Vintage and Ifuku during our brief morning visit.

After a quick coffee and bite to eat we headed over to Olympia for Pure Womenswear. Pure has established itself as one of the biggest clothing shows in the UK and is broken down into 4 distinct sections; Directional, Studio, Boutique and Young Fashion. It also has an increasingly large accessories and footwear section and this year for the first time launched ‘Label’, a specific area for young branded fashion. Brands showing in this area were the likes of Bench, Ringspun, Junk Food and BC London. After having a quick chat with our contact Robbie from Bench we went to check out Rutme. This is a new Scandinavian label and is the little sister of Numph. We are stocking Numph in our Indah womeswear section launching very soon and we we’re interested to see the look and feel of the brand. With more vibrant prints and colours, Rutme will certainly appeal to its younger market and is definitely one to keep an eye on! Thanks for the head up Marika!

Having caught up with several of our brand contacts and agents, we then nabbed great seats for the performance of Soul II Soul at the show. Soul II Soul was re-launching their clothing brand that was so massive back in the late eighties and treated the large crowd to a few of their classic tracks including 'Keep on Moving' and 'Back to Life'. I managed to grab their founder, Jazzy B, for a quick photo before the performance. What can I say; the man’s a legend… and a really nice guy.

After a sneaky glass of champers at the bar we went to check out a few more of the brands on show; I particularly liked the new womenswear collection from Scotch & Soda; Maison Scotch. This is their second season and I very much doubt their last. We also saw the new Pepe Jeans collection and their very entertaining rep Karen. The new Pepe campaign is being fronted by the TV presenter Alexa Chung. Both of these brands are real possibilities for UK Kolours. For our Indah womenswear section; collections from Vero Moda, a new Australian label called Staple, the Dutch company The Barn and also Ese O Ese stood out. We shall see what happens with these.

As evening fast approached we headed away from Olympia with bags of info, goodies and sore feet. Fortunately Karen had her Rollasole’s with her in her bag and so the heels came off the she made it home in comfort ;-) I just want to take this opportunity to thank the guy who fell asleep next to me on the tube on the way home. You provided great entertainment for the majority of the carriage for most of the journey. Thank you.

Until next time…

James

http://twitter.com/ukk_james
http://twitter.com/ukk_karen

Press Release: UK KOLOURS LAUNCH INDAH THEIR NEW WOMENSWEAR BOUTIQUE

2010-01-28T15:29:00.005Z

Indah; Indonesian, meaning beautiful

UK Kolours, the St. Albans based online designer clothing store is launching a new womenswear boutique selling specially selected womens clothing and accessories in March 2010.

Indah have secured contracts with some of the most in-demand womenswear names from across the globe and will launch with a limited number of carefully selected brands which will offer customers something beautiful, chic and exclusively unique. Karen Taylor, UK Kolours Creative Director comments "Indah is a treasure trove of ethnic fabrics and elegantly styled designs, a bohemian oasis of spirituality and gorgeousness!"

Confirmed brands include: Numph, Bohemia, French Connection, Kaffe, Aftershock, Satya Jewelry, Havaianas, Peppercorn, Fransa, Not the same, Ishka, Sugarhill Boutique, Sirup, Oxmo and Carling.

Media Contact Information
Name: Michelle
Website: http://www.ukkolours.com/indah.asp
Email: michelle@ukkolours.com
Phone: +44 (0)203 1740159
City: St. Albans
County/State: Hertfordshire
Country: United Kingdom

The girls get down at French Connection's Electric Disco

2009-11-11T21:40:00.005Z

On Thursday UK Kolours' Marketing Consultant, Hannah and I (Karen) joined French Connection for an evening of VIP shopping!

We rushed into London town from sleepy Hertfordshire as soon as we could get out of the office and at Oxford Circus station we climbed the steps out into the magic of Regent Street at Christmas time! The lights had been turned on and the new crossing had opened… I was very excited!

At French Connection's Regent Street store we were welcomed into the warm with a complimentary glass of wine and a delish choccie! The store was buzzing and we mooched round with our wine and chocolate, checking out the fabulous Winter Collection.

The Benefit 'make-uppers' were doing wonderful things and all the lovely girls from French Connection were looking after everyone, and keeping me topped up!

The party dresses really were the star of the evening, their sequin sparkle attracting shoppers like magpies! Moon, Spirit Catcher, Mae and Damask dresses all very popular… but how do you choose?!

The bold statement jewellery and accessories also got a lot of attention, the Spirit and Moon clutches my favourites of the bags.

After some hard work (!) we were starving and popped round the corner to grab a Thai before heading back out of the Big Smog home to Hertfordshire!

Another day, another fabulous VIP event!
Karen x

If you're a French Connection fan stay tuned… we'll be bringing the best of the Spring/Summer 2010 Collection to UK Kolours and Indah in the New Year.

UK Kolours - Freshers Week University Promotion

2009-10-09T12:54:00.003+01:00

The clever marketing bod’s at UK Kolours decided that this year we should run Fresher’s week promotions at some of the home-counties top universities.

Armed with UK Kolours promotional bag’s, mix CD’s, discount cards, lollies and other goodies we visited the lovely students at a selected number of universities in September and October 2009. These included Cambridge, Oxford, Surrey and Hertfordshire.

The brilliant re-useable promotional bag’s came in two colours; we had navy back-pack bags for the guys and deep purple shoulder bags for the girls… although we occasionally had the odd guy and girl who wanted the opposite colour ….Hey, its all good!

The mix CD’s were from Danny Tammuz of London’s Players Posse and Choice FM. Thanks Danny! Hot mix!

Our first visit was to Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. It was lovely weather and there were students everywhere. We managed to double-park down a side street right next to the uni (James has inside knowledge of the area as he had studied in Cambridge). We were bombarded! Everyone wanted to get their hands on the UK Kolours bags! It wasn’t long before we were completely out! Hi to all the lovely people we met that day!
Driving away from the university – it was very rewarding to look around and see blue and purple UK Kolours bags everywhere!

Our next university visit was Guildford the following week. I have never seen such a big uni! The campus has its own Starbucks! James and I again double parked in a “secret location” and again the bags went down a treat. I then decided to try my luck and go inside the main tent where most of the activity was happening… It was rammed packed full of students. I walked up and down the isle with endless amounts of bags weighing me down, but with every step the load became lighter. When I quickly ran out I would have to run around the corner (where James sat eating his sandwich – thanks James)… to get more bags! And yes, soon enough … all bags had gone. Two universities down, three to go ….

Next up was the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield. This time, UK Kolours James, Steve and I went along. I think in total we were standing there for half and hour. We literally got stripped of our promo bags. They were a winner. We even gave a bag or two to the nice parking attendant! Thanks for your help. We hope your sons resolved their fight over the promo bag!

Next, back to Cambridge again… This time we parked up and positioned ourselves right outside the Kelsey Kerridge sports centre where the Fresher fair was taking place. The weather was amazingly bad! It was tipping it down with rain. Luckily we all had worn our hoodies. Aeropostale for me and Hollister for James… LOL! Although it was raining non stop and we got pretty soaked we had a great time bantering with the students and the other promo people around us. On the plus side for me, there was a real hottie handing out promotional gear to student’s right next to where we were standing! Thanks…whoever you were… :-)

Last but by no means least; we headed to Oxford University on a crisp Wednesday morning. We had given out so many bags already our supplies were low but we were looking forward to our visit to this lovely City. I had forgotten how beautiful Oxford is. It took us an hour and a bit to get to Oxford from our HQ in St. Albans. The Fresher’s event was happening at the Examination school on the high street. We had only been there for 5 minutes when we bumped into Rosie, one of our UK Kolours models, who is now attending Oxford University. Well done Rosie! Brains as well as beauty ;-)

After a slow start (we should have known that most students don’t get up until lunchtime) the numbers began to increase from a steady stream to suddenly a flood! Thanks to James and his now infamous double parking the supply of bags and goodies kept coming. A special thank you to the two Oxford policemen for your understanding :-) After a short time we were inundated and then… we were totally out. Every single bag was gone! Big apologies to those who missed out.

All in all we had great fun meeting the future leaders, doctors, vets and barristers on our 2009 university travels. A big thank you to all the great people we met in our Fresher’s week promotions and good luck to you all! Enjoy the bags!

Michelle. x

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Fashion's Night Out!

2009-09-15T12:56:00.010+01:00

And here we are again… The UK Kolours girl's Michelle and Karen hit the town last Thursday night to attend the brilliant ‘Fashion’s Night Out’ in collaboration with Vogue magazine. Fashion’s Night Out was hosted in stores simultaneously in 13 fashion capitals across the world, including London, New York, Milan and Madrid.

Stores such as Mango, Miss Selfridge, H&M, Gap, French Connection, Selfridges and Burberry opened their doors to fashion frenzied shoppers in a bid to boost the economic gloom by pampering, gifting and even slashing prices to entice shoppers to treat themselves… Hey, it worked on me!

We came out of Oxford Circus tube station and headed straight towards Topshop where most of the crowds were gathering.

First things first, myself and Karen were on a mission to find the free bubbly which was being handed out in really cool miniature bottles; which let me tell you was not easy to find.

We started browsing and managed to pick up some really cool, funky garments and great ideas within the first 10 minutes.

Around the Topshop stage, an assistant gave us a flyer for Vogue’s top tip Autumn Winter ‘10 trends presentation, which was about to start. We took our seats… right at the front. Excitedly we sat enjoying the free chocolate and champagne :-)

The top tips and the models were so good that they even persuaded me to buy some of the featured clothing. I love my Boho woollen cardie from Topshop!! All good inspiration for Indah Autumn Winter ‘10!

After Topshop, we headed down towards Bond Street to check out H&M, Selfridges and Burberry where lots of exiting things were happening.

It was now after midnight and so in need of refreshment we headed to Camino’s Spanish Tapas bar in King Cross for a late drink and a bite to eat… Yummy as ever!

Karen and I had a really good and more importantly an insightful evening and came back with lots of info and ideas. Fashion never stops!

Until next time…

Michelle x

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UK Kolours Photoshoot - Behind the scenes

2009-09-08T16:32:00.010+01:00

A model's diary by Brogan

An early start had commenced and everyone seemed enthusiastic and excited as the rest of the models and I went into hair and make-up. Instantly I knew the team at UK Kolours clicked as they cracked jokes together. I felt nervous, as it was my first professional photoshoot for an up and coming company. Luckily however both my boyfriend and I were involved in the shoot which made things easier.

The other four models were relaxed and easy to get on with as we talked, laughed and joked around together. There was a really friendly atmosphere as the preparations continued. It definitely helped that we had all met the day before the shoot to get to know each other and the UK Kolours team, so we all knew who we would be working with before the day of the shoot. Although our ages were not exactly the same, Rosie, Abby, Sam, Tom and I were all in the same boat. All of us wanted to produce the best photos for UK Kolours, and reach our full potential.

Hair and make-up took a while but no one seemed to mind about getting pampered! Clare, Marta and Aga did an excellent job. The team knew the look they wanted to achieve but other options were taken in consideration. I loved the clothing we were modelling which was from brands such as Hollister, American Eagle Outfitters, Aeropostale, Ralph Lauren and Havaianas.

A couple of hours later, when the stylists had finished, we headed into St. Albans town centre for the first part of the photoshoot - summer. It wasn't the best weather but no surprise there as this is England! We all bared the cold and enjoyed a great start to the day. Karen, the photographer, had designed each setting but we were advised to incorporate our own ideas into the pictures.

Shoot number two - autumn was underway faster than summer; mainly as we all knew the plan of action. Back for hair and make-up, outfits change and grab a bite to eat. We were racing against the clock! The energy of the team gave me the adrenaline rush and boost of confidence to get the photos the UKK team needed for the campaign.

For ordinary people the change of seasons happens during the course of a year whereas for this particular modelling job, we adapted summer, autumn and Winter in under 24-hours. I'm not embarrassed to admit, it was a challenge, orientating myself for each shoot. Thankfully, the weather cleared up as the day continued. It was eventful however, walking around St. Albans town in the afternoon sunshine whilst wearing fur foodies and big coats. There were a few odd looks heading our way!

Overall, the day was such a good experience and I think it was the UKK team that made it that bit more special. Everyone just seemed to fit, like a puzzle. I would happily do a shoot again for UK Kolours as it was just so fun and enjoyable. There was no pressure on us as models, everything was just simply and laid back. The best way to start off a modelling career is working with such talented people and I'm lucky I had the opportunity.

Brogan. x

Check out the behind the scenes footage from the photoshoot here:

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The UKK girls hit Pure!

2009-08-12T20:12:00.013+01:00

At the beginning of the month Michelle and I gave up one of our valuable lazy Sundays to attend Pure Womenswear exhibition at Olympia. Not that it was much of a hardship… we got to look at gorgeous clothes all day!!

We went to source new brands for Indah, our new venture. It's all about ethnic fabrics and bohemian style so we decided to stop at Portabello Market first. We had a good rummage around and found a couple of bargains for ourselves as well as spotting a couple of good stalls for Indah!!

After lunch we headed to Pure. There were lots of great brands and some fabulous lines, we were in heaven! We even caught the last catwalk show of the day which was super glam even if we weren't on the front row!!

We've made some great contacts and hopefully you'll be seeing some new brands when Indah launches in the spring next year!

Karen
x

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UKKolours Brand New Blog

2009-07-23T20:53:00.008+01:00

Just a short welcome from the all new UKK blog.

We'll be covering all the exciting happenings at UKK which we hope are going to be HUGE over the next few years.

We're very close to launching a new-look website with some great new functionality and we're expecting big things to happen! So, we look forward to the journey, with you, along the way to world domination!

Karen

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