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Accent Clothing will be hosting a launch party to celebrate the release of the luxurious Canadian outerwear brand, Moose Knuckles.

Renowned for its quality, the Moose Knuckles A/W collection comprises of contemporary weatherproof coats for men, women and juniors – all exclusively available at the Leeds independent store. As their name suggests, Moose Knuckles is rebellious, feisty and proud to make a habit of disregarding the rules. With their tech-savvy yet fashion forward sportswear designs, this is plain to see.

Uniting fashion with function, Moose Knuckles offers stylish apparel that can withstand sub-zero temperatures.

On Thursday 7th December, Accent Clothing will be holding an in-store event to celebrate the UK launch. All of Moose Knuckles’ own events carry the tag line Future Party People so Accent Clothing aim to bring this concept to life by hosting a ‘post-apocalyptic’ themed evening.

The event will kick off with a brand presentation showcasing best-selling styles from the A/W collection, and 1 lucky guest will have the chance of winning one of these sought-after jackets during the night!

Award winning hairstylists from Piranha Hair Studio Leeds, will be on hand to provide hair tattoos using intricate barbering techniques, whilst Jägermeister will be providing the guests with thirst-quenching speciality cocktails.

Local Leeds dj’s will be keeping the crowd entertained with a mixture of funky beats and party sounds. Invitees can also expect limited edition goodie bags with treats provided by Accent Clothing & Jägermeister, including the Moose Knuckles survival kit!

“We are really excited to be stocked by Accent Clothing! It is one of the best independent stores in the country and their fantastic staff are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about fashion. It’s the perfect environment for Moose Knuckles and it shows in the results they are achieving already. We can’t wait for this event to put Moose Knuckles firmly on the fashion map in Leeds!” – Terence Duckworth, Director at Pop Up Showroom

Red Door Leeds, will be hosting the official after party to continue the celebrations, welcoming all guests with a free arrival drink.

It is sure to be a night of indulgence and a truly unforgettable event!

Finding a good appliance repair technician is never going to be a straightforward process. Appliances can be expensive to replace and that is why it is important that you do some research before you decide to work with any technicians. There are some qualities you should look out for and we’re going to highlight some of them.

License and Insured

When looking for an appliance repair technician, you want to work with someone that is properly licensed and insured. Anything could happen while the technician is repairing the appliance and you don’t want to be liable in case of an injury. There is a possibility that the technician could end up damaging the appliance completely. To avoid such a predicament, make sure that the appliance technician has liability insurance and worker’s compensation insurance just to be on the safe side.

Experience

One sure way of determining the experience of the technician is by looking at the number of years they’ve been practicing. The more years, the more the experience. Such a technician might have handled an issue that is similar to yours in the past and will be in the best position to know how to go about the whole process. A technician with decades of experience will obviously have a track record of successful repairs. You can check out https://www.oliver-appliance.com/ for more help on this.

Local

You need to make sure that the technician is from your locality and they have a physical presence in the area that they serve. A local technician will have a reputation to maintain and wouldn’t do something cynical just for the sake of making a quick buck. With a local technician, you can reach out to them in case of an emergency. You also reduce the chances of working with a con artist since you’re assured that the person is from your locality.

Expertise

The technician that you’re working with needs to have the necessary expertise needed for the job. Not all appliances are created equal. There are some that will be more challenging to repair compared to others. That is why it crucial that you’re getting a technician that can handle different appliances. They should also be up to date with the latest developments in appliance technology.

Warrantied Repairs

You want to work with an appliance repair technician that can stand behind his work. You can only be sure of this when the technician provides a warranty. The bare minimum should be a warranty on workmanship. This gives you the peace of mind that the problem will be fixed. You don’t want to call the technician a couple of weeks later to fix the same problem. A shoddy technician won’t provide a permanent fix with the hope that you will call them again so that they give a new quote.

Dedication to Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is a key element in any service business. The technician should go above and beyond in providing a fix for your appliance. They should offer timely service and you don’t have to follow up when you agreed on a schedule. A good technician will also ensure that you’re thoroughly informed of the problem and the repair process. They will not have a problem when you ask a lot of questions.

Personal Service

If you’re looking forPittsburgh Appliance Repairs, make sure that they’re offering personal service. Personal interactions between customers and business are quickly disappearing in the service industry. You want to work with a company that is genuinely concerned about your problem and you’re not just another number to the business.

Good Communication

A good appliance repair technician should be good with good communication. You want to constantly be aware of what is happening at any given time. The communication process will begin right from the moment you reach out to the technician. You want to work with a technician that is open and transparent so that you can know what to expect should you decide to work with them. Every customer is important to a business and a good technician will not only be concerned about the money.

To sum it up, getting a good appliance repair technician doesn’t have to be a daunting endeavor if you know what you’re looking for. Since there are so many technicians out there, make sure to narrow down the list to your locality. It is recommended that you work with a registered company because there will be someone responsible in case there is an issue. The company will have the proper credentials for the job.

Here at House of Coco, we know the value of a great pair of sunglasses. And with spring finally bringing in some welcome sunshine, a fabulous pair of sunglasses should be on everybody’s shopping lists for the season.

Whether you are lounging on the beach in the Maldives, or enjoying a warm après ski in the Swiss Alps – a good pair of sunnies is an absolute must for any stylish jet-setter. Not only are sunnies the perfect finishing touch for any ensemble, they also serve as the perfect travel companion no matter where your destination. From Oliver People’s feminine yet angular styles, to Céline’s modern take yellow frames, House of Coco rounds up the best Superstar Sunnies of the season, to help you pick our your new favourite pair just in time for your next holiday.

  1. Swarovski Clear Sunglasses £120
  2. Sener Besim S3 in Nero/Graphite £1076
  3. Oliver Peoples Rassine in soft rose gold & Magenta £255
  4. Grey Ant Iemall $370
  5. Céline Yellow Sunglasses £320
  6. Ace & Tate Frances in Poppy £98
  7. Moncler Gold sunglasses £300
  8. Ace & Tate Vivian in Rose Gold £148 www.aceandtate.co.uk

Everyone knows we love a Girl Boss here at House of Coco so this week we caught up with The Bulb a creative production agency that produces sustainable events. We wanted to know more about the event agency and of course Selina Donald and Ruth Weldon the driving force behind the The Bulb!

They bring creativity and passion ensuring that every event they design and deliver is good for their client, and the clients budget, the community and most importantly the planet.

Tell us a little bit about you – how did you meet?

Ruth We have known each other for over ten years and first met in Leeds. We have the same circle of friends and had been bumping into each other at parties and social gatherings for a while. When I moved to London, I got in touch with Selina as she was looking for a freelancer to work with her at ITV as well as to fill a room at her house. At one point we were living together, working together and planning our business together!

How important is sustainability to you?

Ruth We don’t see sustainability as a separate entity to The Bulb, us or our work. It runs through everything we do – all of our decisions are made based on our values and ethos.

This year has been a momentous year for sustainability and climate change. The creation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the ratification of the Paris Agreement with 112 countries agreeing to do everything in their power to fight climate change. Climate change is a bigger risk to the world than terrorism but yet people just don’t know about it which is worrying.

Selina At the moment we are busy working with a team of experts to finalise our manifesto and reporting and metric system. We have chosen five key areas that we know we can have an impact, reducing food waste, choosing production materials responsibly and setting three year targets that will result in measurable positive social, environmental, economic and community impact.

We are building innovative partnerships with people from different industries, taking findings and understanding how we can be better

Ruth Transparency is one of our core values, and setting clear targets and reporting regularly on them keeps us accountable, drives us and allows us to share what we’ve learned and inspire others to head the same direction. Our approach will develop, grow and adapt as new information and trends shape them, and as our business matures over the years.

How did The Bulb begin? Tell us more about your ethos and what you stand for

Selina Sustainability has always been an interest for me, from an early age I have been following the news on climate change, sustainability development and animal rights. Working on the London 2012 Ceremonies, I was part of the sustainability committee and it was the first time that I realised that events are notoriously wasteful but yet don’t need to be. I’m really proud that we delivered the most sustainable Ceremonies in Olympic and Paralympic history.

Ruth We’ve both worked in the events industry for over ten years, have had brilliant experiences working with huge brands and knew the market was saturated with great agencies. We looked at our passions and expertise as well as what was missing in the market and decided that we wanted to create an innovative and forward thinking agency. Deliver on our passions and expertise.

We spent three months researching, identifying our strengths, weaknesses and meeting key people in the industry and from potential clients to put the concept in front of them and see what they thought. It gave us the confidence to know that it there was a gap and we were the right people to fill it.

We are all about the #girlboss here at HoC tell us what motivates you?

Selina That’s one of our favourite hashtags to use! Other successful women motivate us. We are so lucky to have a group of fantastic and inspirational female friends, mentors and colleagues that we can bounce ideas off, talk through the emotional rollercoaster of running your own business and just encourage and instill confidence in each other.

We went to the recent TEDX Covent Garden Women and it was fantastic – some of the women have been through things that you can’t even imagine and to hear them talk so positively and discuss their achievements was incredible. I guess the other motivation are the young girls that we mentor, we want to succeed so we can inspire them to succeed – if we can do it then so can they.

Favourite holiday destination and why

Ruth As well as The Bulb, we also have another business called Ruth Alexander Weddings which is a wedding planning agency based in Ibiza. Ibiza is an island that has been special to us for a long time and we decided that we wanted a work-life balance from the mania in London and set up over there too. We have ten clients at the moment and all the weddings are beautiful, high-end and creative set everywhere from a beach, to private villas and even one wedding in a woods! It gives us the opportunity to work but also get out of London and get some head space, do some yoga and relax in the Balearic countryside.

ruthalexanderweddings.com

What do you like doing to relax?

Selina Ha! – erm…aside from the time out in Ibiza, I really love to read and have to have a book on the go that is nothing to do with work in order to switch off. Recent brilliant recommended reads are When Breathe Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi and Men Explain Things To Me by Rebecca Solnit – both completely different but brilliant reads.

Ruth I have a puppy, Rafferty. He is absolutely nuts and keeps me on my toes! I love going out for long walks with him and having that time out.

Selina you have an extensive background in events – what makes The Bulb different?

Selina The Bulb is set up differently to any other agency in London. We’ve taken all of our experience and passion and put it into one agency that delivers brilliant, creative events using digital technology and innovations but with the added bonus of being responsible to the environment and society.

We know that the businesses who will thrive in the future – including events companies and those who commission events – are those who can do great things with less. We have done away with the ‘old fashioned’ approach to events with the past legacy of food waste, unconscious energy use, throwaway sets and short-term focus. We also have a particular passion for social sustainability and how we can use events as platforms to empower, educate and engage an audience.

It’s a mans world – have you faced any issues being women in the events industry and how do you tackle them?

We disagree that it’s a man’s world. It’s a scary time but it’s also an exciting time – women are coming together to revolt again patriarchy and rising the profile of women’s rights across the world. Look at the #HeforShe campaign lead by the fantastic Emma Watson, the WOW festival run by Jude Kelly at the Southbank Centre, the rise in feminism across the board – people are talking and making a difference.

Yes, somehow the most powerful position in the world has been filled by a misogynistic predatory man but this should just encourage more shouting and more action. It means that we have to come together as people to highlight and unite against wrongdoings. People are finally talking about rape culture, the gender pay gap, the impact of porn and social media and encouraging women to ‘lean in’ and stand up for themselves and we have to make sure that those conversations do not stop. We certainly won’t be silenced and will shouting from the rooftops, using our events as platforms to further encourage social change.

If you could change one thing about the world today – what would it be?

Selina The current deforestation and impact on the oceans. There are one third less wildlife in the world today since 1970. There are so many species of animals on the brink of being extinct because we, humans, are cutting down their homes, making way for palm oil and the like, filling the oceans with plastic which kills over one million sea animals a year. Every time you use that plastic straw in the pub, it stays on the planet for over 500 years and ends up floating around in the sea. Imagine the world without us, or the world without animals – pretty powerful stark contrast isn’t it?

We are loving Planet Earth Sundays at the minute – how do you spend your days off?

RuthWe LOVE Planet Earth too! There was a great interview with David Attenborough where he was asked what should we do about Donald Trump and he replied, ‘perhaps we should shoot him’. Brilliant! David Attenborough for Prime Minster and World Leader we say!!

Back to the question though… we spend our days off (which are minimal at the moment) with our loved ones, we have the same brilliant circle of friends who are incredibly supportive of what we are doing and we love nothing more than a fun, boozy Sunday roast in an East London pub – red wine, Yorkshire Puddings and lots of laughs!

Your company values are wonderful! How important are they to you to maintain – even in the toughest of situations?

SelinaThe creative concept and sustainability of our events are intertwined. We will not ever deliver an event without the impact of the environment at the forefront of our planning. These are our passions as well as our work so we know that we will maintain them and keep credible.

Name a place in the world where you’d love to organise an event?

Selina I was talking about this last night! Our dream brief would be to organise the an event on the Virgin Galactic Spaceflight. How incredible to organise an event in space, looking back on the Planet. I think it would be a life affirming and changing moment, you would realise just how insignificant we all are.

Richard – if you are reading this – get in touch!

What can we expect from The Bulb in the future?

Ruth BIG things! We are releasing our manifesto and reporting targets in January on our year anniversary. We’ll be starting the year in Las Vegas working on a huge project for Redken. Then we’re working with Vivienne Westwood’s Climate Revolution to produce an 800 people event to start Fashion Week off with a bang in February as well as working on International Parity Day – the day celebrating and promoting equality between everyone. There’s lots of exciting conversations taking place and we absolutely can’t wait to see what 2017 brings.

Who inspires you?

Selina We were incredibly moved by Michelle Obama’s speech on women, education and Donald Trump. It was so powerful, you could have heard a pin drop in our office. Michelle for President 2020 we say!

Ruth Both of us are lucky enough to have fantastic mentors who have supported us along the way and provide objective advice to help us move forward and which we are incredibly grateful for.

Selina We’re also inspired by the younger generation. We keep meetingso many amazing people in their early 20’s who have start-up’s and are absolutely smashing it! It’s so inspiring to see someone young, confident in their abilities and not afraid of failure.

Thank you for taking the time to speak to us Selina and Ruth! we are so excited to hear more from The Bulb – and you can keep up with their journey and adventures

Instagram: @thebulbldnTwitter: @thebulbldnFacebook: The Bulb – https://www.facebook.com/The-Bulb-1243086739085171/

Yes, listen up y’all it’s World Afro Day this Saturday 15th September and we are loving the sass that comes with it. Our very own Editor-in-Chief Laura Bartlett has the best afro curly hair you have ever seen, we all swoon after her locks.

The afro has been around since as far back as we can remember, and it evolves beautifully over time. Famous afro’s over the decades include those of Nina Simone, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Mel B, Lenny Kravitz, Jamelia, Beyonce, Solange Knowles and so many more.

We are into Cantu’s full collection of products that help maintain the beauty, strength and style of a great afro in 2018.

To achieve a full fro we recommend Cantu Grow Strong Strengthening Treatment. It prevents breakage and conditions fragile hair whilst replacing vital moisture lost through styling damage. Priced at £5.49.

For a smooth and enhanced natural curl pattern we love Cantu Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream as it reveals fizz-free volume with a subtle hold. Priced at £7.99.

Cantu Define & Shine Custard elongates curls and gives long lasting hold, perfect to achieve a natural textured curl. We adore this product for curly hair. Priced at £5.49.

To keep a fro on point we’re into Cantu Coconut Oil Shine & Hold Mist. It seals in moisture and tames frizz and flyaways. This is a must have product for all afro wearers. Priced at £6.99.

If it’s serious curl definition that you are looking for with your fro then our go to is Cantu Coconut Curling Cream, it leaves the hair super soft and super shiny. Priced at £7.99.

All Cantu products can be purchased at high street Boots stores, Superdrug stores, and online via FeelUnique.

Anne Poon’s jewellery presents the concept for how to integrate the new and old materials with a refreshing & simplistic design approach. It is not just about making new beautiful things with new materials, it is more about going back to the wild vintage stores, old bead stores and reviving these forgettable, discontinued but treasurable gems. Simply because for one reason: they arouse imaginations. They deserve better, and she wants to bring these inspirations back to life.

Here, she tells us more…

When did you launch the brand and what was the reason behind it?
I don’t remember exactly when- I just started making jewellery back in 2005 as an outlet to unleash my creativity- at some point I designed so much that I just decided to launch a website to share my passion. And then the response was good and that encouraged me to keep going.

Whats your background?
My background is in Architecture and I am still practicing as an architectural designer. My past experiences have involved different building types, from high rise tower, hotel, villa to now single family custom home. Somehow it seems very different from jewellery design but indeed it shares some similarities, like understanding human scale, proportions, texture and aesthetics. It strikes a very good balance to me.

How many people are involved in the company and what are their roles?
There is no one else- I play every role from design, sourcing, making, styling, photographing, marketing and the packaging. I learn a great deal from every single aspect and I strongly believe this is very important for a designer to understand this entire process. But of course I really hope someday I don’t have to do them all!

If you could start over with the business, would you do anything differently?
I would have started my business without a full time job. Though I am still treating my business like a hobby, I have no regrets on that and intend to keep that vibe going. Or else I won’t be able to stay true to myself.

What is the hardest challenge you have faced since you started the company?
A few…I suck at marketing; this is the biggest challenge to me, I just have a super thin skin. I constantly have to remind myself from switching a designer position to a business woman position.

Tell us one fact about you that people wouldn’t know?
can’t wear my earrings cos I don’t have my ears pierced anymore. They were pierced when I was a kid and found they were super annoying from not getting infected. From time to time, people always have the same reaction when they discover I don’t have my ears pierced.

To date, what has been the highlight since launching?
The highlight has been invited to a jewellery exhibition show in Milan this February and also being interviewed by House of Coco Magazine! The Milan show was a three days exhibition with other 120 designers from everywhere in the world. It was very touching when you see your works being seriously treated like an art work in the gallery. That moment I dropped a tear and thought ‘wow, look at what you did.’

Which city do you feel most at home in, London, Paris or New York?
I don’t think I have spent enough time in the above cities to make that call, though I always crave to go back to know better. A homey feeling is another story. Besides my origin, Hong Kong, I would say San Francisco (currently my residence) feels mostly my home.

Three beauty products you can’t leave the house without?
Powder Blush, eyebrow brush and eye cream.

Style means….?
Style means just being yourself, I also feel to stay true and be able to understand yourself is very important.

Best thing about London to you?
The art & the history, AND Alexander McQueen.

Statement shoe or statement bag?
Neither, I care more a jewellery piece than bags or shoes. Sometimes I feel like I am a dude who just wants to walk out the house with an iphone and a credit card.

If you had to, what piece of clothing from your wardrobe would you wear everyday?
Jumpsuit, that’s a no brainer.

Favourite love song?
Livin’ on a Prayer by Bon Jovi. It is not really a love song, but I switch my favourite love song all the time.

Best place for a coffee?
The best coffee will take place at my good friend’s place or just home-made by my hubby.

Most memorable piece of advice given to you?
Don’t listen to people’s advices; all you need to listen is your heart.

Guilty pleasure?
Spend an afternoon on a stack of art/fashion/design magazines, complement with a giant bag of the Japanese Calbee BBQ potato chips, just lie on my couch and do nothing else.

In future, how do you plan on expanding the company?
Since I suck so much in marketing & business development, I need to either find a business partner or beat myself up to work on it.

Find out more…

Website: www.annepoon.com

Instagram: @capoon

Susyo is a jewellery brand that is all about positivity and if you own one of their designs then you will get the positive vibes too. Here, we go behind the brand to find out more…

When did you launch the brand and what was the reason behind it?
Susyo is a new brand born in 2017. My great passion in drawing mandala and studying the energies that move the universe has led me to create objects to wear that it’s beautiful to look at and at the same time has a balancing function of the energies. From here, the idea of creating the “Chakra Bijou” was born. These are real fashion objects loaded with the positive energy of the various chakras.

Whats your background?
After studying at the Academy of Fine Arts I spent some years in teaching and then I’ve always worked as a designer for home textiles. My life has always turn around design and after so much experience I decided to collect all my energies for a new birth and I gave life to Susyo.

If you could start over with the business, would you do anything differently?
I think this is the right way. There is no bijou line based on the sacred geometries of the Mandala and the energies of the Chakras. Susyo transforms the object of the soul into fashionable objects through the use of different colours and materials. Because we all need a new beginning)

What is the hardest challenge you have faced since you started the company?
Challenge with myself, put all my skills and all my passion in this fantastic project. And take it all the risks that this adventure entails. For now we have a big audience appreciations and I hope Susyo continue to grow.

2018 is here, where do you plan on taking the brand?
The challenge for 2018 will be to maintain highest standards and continue to produce craft products even if sales will grow (hope). The bijou Susyo are made entirely by hand from drawing to the assembly and I want them to stay that way.

To date, what has been the highlight since launching?
There have been several important moments. First of all, the moment I took my life in my hand and decided to do what I love. Then all the different steps from choosing the name of the brand to the realize of first pieces. Every single moment is important to realise your dream.

Which city do you feel most at home in, London, Paris or New York?
Being very romantic … of course Paris

Three beauty products you can’t leave the house without?
The face cream, mascara and eye shadow

Style means….?
Be yourself and do not be afraid to show it. My bijou are born for this. To mix emotions and style and to embrace a world that until now has focused only on the emotions as well.

Best thing about London to you?
The style

If you had to, what piece of clothing from your wardrobe would you wear everyday?
Military black boots

Favourite love song?
“The power of love” Frankie goes to Hollywood

Best place for a coffee?
At home on the couch with my friends, between chatter and laughter

Most memorable piece of advice given to you?
Listen to your heart

If you could spent 24 hours in anywhere in the world, where would it be?
The sea is the place I most like, especially the colours of the sky and the tropical seas fill my heart and soul, so I would choose Polynesia

In future, how do you plan on expanding the company?
Our e-commerce is going well for now. The dream would be to open my own store and start creating other items to complement the bijou. Now we try to keep up to foreign markets as well as Italy. In the long run we will see. The most important thing is that our products always maintain the balance between energy and fashion because we believe that those wearing a Susyo object should be wrapped up by its positive energy as well as its beauty)

Find out more…

People can find out more about Susyo bijou the following websites and social media links

https://susyo.it/en/

Contact: info@susyo.it

Social media:

https://www.instagram.com/susyo.it/

https://www.facebook.com/SUSYO-109482189785430/

https://it.pinterest.com/susyo0009/pins/

Disclaimer: This #TeamCoco writer does not know anything about art. I would never pretend to and I actively shy away from Arty talk; that’s why we have our residential art guru Rachael Lindsay.

However, if you are spending any time in DownTown LA (or DTLA as the cool kids call it) you have to get a free (FREE?!) ticket for new modern art museum on the block, The Broad (S Grand Ave, DTLA). Open since September 2015, the stunning piece of modern architecture acts not not only as home to Eli and Edythe Broad’s extensive collection of influential art but also a mix of permanent and special exhibition space.

When we visited we were lucky enough to experience the permanent collection to gawp at life changing pieces of art you didn’t even know you knew or had influenced you from Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Barbara Krueger to Takashi Murakami and Roy Lichtenstein.

The special exhibition ‘Creature’ thematically displayed pieces by some of the artists in the permanent collection (notably Koons’ ‘Metallic Venus’) alongside pinch-me-I-can’t-believe-I’m-in-front-of-this work like Damien Hirst’s ‘No Arts, No Letters, No Society’ and Andreas Gursky’s ‘SH III’.

Heading back to the stunning foyer we got our timed tickets for the star attraction, Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room. As an incredibly personal installation, the lines for this are long as it is designed as a single person experience.

Lamentably, a mirror selfie in this space seems to be the main reason for most of the excitable people in the queue, hoping to nail their Tinder profile pic that says ‘Oh hey there, I’m cultured AND fun!’.

We go in, camera firmly in pocket and sit on the floor of the platform that is surrounded by water to enjoy 1 minute alone with this astonishing piece. Get in the queue early when you arrive as there was a 5 hour wait for this experience, but you can leave the gallery and come back when you are texted to do so!

Tickets are available for this incredible museum from https://www.thebroad.org/visit

They are completely free and released at the start of each month.

In addition to the art you’ll find in LA’s incredible museums be sure to check out some Street Art while you are in town. A great place to start is https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/what-to-do/culture/urban-art

A designer watch adds instant glamour to any outfit, giving it an opulent makeover that’s sure to impress even the fussiest of fashionistas. Not only do they come in a myriad of timeless designs, but the price often reflects the high quality and durability of the product itself.

A well-made timepiece is well worth the investment, but many of us struggle to raise a lump sum of cash large enough to pay for one. If you’re searching for the perfect designer watch without the hefty price tag, look no further than this article. Here are our top tips on buying a luxury watch while on a budget.

Often costing thousands of pounds, many people can’t afford to buy a brand new designer watch outright. Rather than trawling through site upon site looking at brand new pieces you can’t afford, consider having a look at luxury watches online or any watch brand.

You can find your dream designer piece at a reduced rate, often with little to no wear. Remember to read descriptions and check the condition of the watch to ensure you’re getting the best deal possible. Buying pre-owned means you don’t have to compromise the quality of the watch nor have to pay the significant price tag that comes with it.

Some websites that specialise in selling second-hand watches will allow you to pay using a credit service, making it even easier to purchase a designer timepiece. By purchasing a watch through finance, you can pay off the balance over time rather than a one-off lump sum. This makes it far easier as you can choose a date that coincides with your payday. You typically have to pay a deposit upon purchase, but this is a small fraction of the total price.

If you do decide to buy second-hand, make sure you go through a professional website that can guarantee the authenticity, function and condition of the item. A good website will offer certification of the watch to prove it’s an original.

Don’t buy a designer watch without any type of authentication, however tempting the low price may be. It’s worth searching for a website that can clarify the origins of your chosen watch. This should also include any refurbishment details and if any of the original mechanics have been changed.

If you’re struggling to raise a deposit for finance or want the funds to pay outright, consider adopting some general saving tips. It may take a while to save up the cash to buy your dream watch, but it’s an investment that will last for years to come.

From selling unworn clothing online and budgeting your spending to cutting down on entertainment costs and avoiding fast food, there are plenty of ways to save money. Put your spare money aside and allow it to build up over time, whether that be in a physical piggy bank or a separate bank account.

The act of putting funds away for safekeeping means you won’t be as tempted to break your saving streak.

Here at House of Coco we are always on the lookout for stylish brands making an impact in the fashion industry. If you haven’t come across Asquith London yet I guarantee once this conscious fashion brand is on your radar, you’ll be spotting it regularly in your yoga class, on the school run and in your local coffee shop.

Founded by Alice Asquith in 2002, this yoga and activewear range combines high quality with style and best of all this ethical, eco-friendly brand is not just for the yoga mat, it can be styled for a more relaxed day look. Alice who was taught to ‘make and mend’ by her grandmother has always made her own clothing, when we meet at the Asquith Eco Summit, she is sporting a stylish floral jacket she made in her 20’s and it still looks chic and timeless on her. She greets me like an old friend and wants to know what I think of the brand. I’ve got to be honest, hands up, I hadn’t come across Asquith until recently. My yoga kit is mainly dominated by Nike staples and the odd piece of Lulu Lemon however I’ve a feeling this is about to change.

The new collection is a range of wearable staples, beautifully designed with soft, durable fabrics. It’s inspired by Alice’s love of Miami and its Art Deco buildings. Pops of blue and white are scattered throughout the pieces. Asquith’s style is classic yet flattering and multi-functional, you can easily take it outside the studio. I have to be honest, I live in my Asquith Harem pants and have my eye on their jumpsuit, ideal for travelling in.

The range features two core fabrics, Bamboo and Bambor (a natural performance fabric Alice developed and trademarked). Both are ethically made in a Global Organic Textile Standard approved factory in Turkey. Bamboo is an environmentally low-impact and sustainable fabric, it’s ideal for activewear as it’s breathable, naturally anti-bacterial and wicks moisture from the body to the exterior of the fabric so it can evaporate more easily. Asquith is always innovating and looking for ways to increase their sustainability taking cues from leading fashion brands; “Stella McCartney is leading the way when it comes to sustainable fashion, says Alice. She lives and breathes sustainability with her brand. And I love her use of modern, innovative fabrics and technology and focus on a more circular economy”.

It’s evident that Alice is on mission to produce stylish pieces that are made with love and you can feel that her new collection is a labour of love. Asquith is not just about the environment, its about the people. Alice regularly visits the factory in Turkey that makes her collection, run by a strong female matriarch character. “It’s like one big family, we lunch together, swap recipes and there’s a real sense of togetherness” she says.

Asquith is a brand that produces gorgeous clothes with a conscience. For more information on the collection visit www.asquithlondon.com