Updates: Terra Plana Sample Sale Today Only!!

Get thee down to 124 Bermondsey Street, London Bridge SE1 3TX as today there will be a huge sample sale of Terra Plana's footwear which retails at between £90 - &190. Some of the shoes are as low as £30.

Today only!!

Updates: Dance Inspired Photoshoot

Check out the dance-inspired photoshoot that myself and Miss Aniela put together before Christmas 2009 with two gorgeous new up and coming models Yvette and Sam at the Hotel Pelirocco. I was lucky enough to scout Sam myself at her place of work, she has such a great mixture of classic and contemporary and Yvette is just so elegant and beautiful. I am also officially launching the La Luminata magazine in early March, so if you fancy coming along, drop us a line: info@laluminata.co.uk

Photographer: Miss Aniela. Styling: La Luminata. Make-Up: Ania Gastol. Hair: Kazuhiro Takabatake. Lighting assistance: Juliet Greig. Models: Yvette Asiedu and Sam Podmore. Shot in the Hotel Pelirocco, Brighton.

The clothing is a mixture of Vintage from my own collection, Vintage Mary Quant and Dancewear from Stretchwear.

Updates: The La Luminata Little Etsy Store

There are some new vintage treats on the La Luminata Etsy store...grab your hand-selected original vintage pieces here!

Updates: La Luminata’s Fashion Focused Trendwatching Blog

For quick snippets and visual candy, step on over to Rachel's non-commercial Fashion blog, which focuses on images, ideas, concepts and new trends. If your after some visual inspiration then this might just be your kind of place...

Updates: The Little La Luminata Etsy Store

So my friends, check out my new Etsy store where I will be selling some of my hoarded vintage clothing collection!

First come first served my beauties, happy new year xxx

Updates: 10 Pledges For 2010

So...2009 is seeping away and 2010 is getting ready to shake it's way in! Here are my 10 pledges for 2010...make yours below!

1. This is the year that I get into 'Credit' not 'Debit'. For too long have banks been sucking away at my finances with interest charges, 'handling fees' and who knows what else in the name of the almighty banking laws. Well no more...this year I am reversing the situation and showing them who's boss!

2. I'm going to do away with using cotton wool to remove my make-up and will instead be switching to using muslin cloths. Washable, re-usable, waste-free...perfect.

3. Getting crafty. I'm finally going to prioritise my creative needs and I'm going to start making things, recycling old clothing, furniture and generally buying a lot, lot less. I can't wait!

4. Number four is speaking up! Now, you may already think that this happens already due to La Luminata and indeed it is a great platform to have. However, I plan to take this even further in the new year and to challenge large corporate company standards, to speak out on the fur trade and animal cruelty, to cooperate on every level to bring about a fairer and greener world. 2010 is all about joining together and making this happen.

5. Investing only in new designers that I believe in ethically and morally. Although this has been a major trend throughout 2009 I will be taking this one step further in 2010 and making sure that 80% of my purchases are made through independent companies, fairtrade groups, ethical labels and small businesses. I've started off this year by pledging my support to a great new label on Catwalk Genius and I intend to invest my hard earned money ONLY in new local or ethical talent.

6. I'm going to try eating more raw food in the new year to give me more energy. Although this is something that I have been trying in 2009, I just haven't been as committed to this as I would have liked. This is such an easy decision to make, it just requires commitment and organisation!

7. 2010 is the year that I intend on taking giant leaps ahead with La Luminata. Watch this space!

8. Doing less is my new mantra for 2010, or should I say "Doing Less & Doing it Better". Or not so much doing less but doing things in a more organised, thoughtful and intelligent way which will leave me more time to relax, for family, friends and hobbies. It's not about the fast-fixes, it's about  long-term planning. How can we get to a bright new tomorrow if we can't make today work? I'm going to get simple, effective and to the point in order to reap the best benefits for myself and others.

9. Getting green-fingered is another big priority! January will see me attempting to grow my own little indoor herb-garden. If that goes succesfully, I'm going to try and grow some vegetables indoors...just think of all that money saved not to mention the fun and satisfaction to be had!

10. Staying content. This is a hard one as unfortunately we live in such a consumerist society that we have all been taught to want / need more and more until we feel that whatever we have isn't good enough. Well that way of living is not for me thankyou! From now on and every day onwards I am deeply content with everything that I have and everything that is on it's way to me. I'm going to have to work on this feeling and even more so at still feeling this way when things are not so peachy, but if I can achieve this within a year...well, I'll have learnt a truly wonderful and long-lasting gift.

So...Bring on 2010, I will be spending the night dancing away with my friends in my diy white fringed dress which I made over Christmas. Did I mention 10 is my favourite number...happy NYE everyone! xxx

Updates: Wishing You Happiness, Peace & Love at Christmas

La Luminata wishes you a wonderful Christmas full of warmth, love, peace and happiness.

This has been a rollercoaster of a year in many ways and we are sincerely looking forward to 2010 and all that it has to offer. We would like to give a massive thank you to all of our lovely readers, for your comments, interest in us and connections that we have made in 2009. We hope that it's the start of something long and beautiful. We couldn't have done this without your support.

On a personal note, I would like to reflect on the last year...

I lost my intelligent, wise and creative grandmother this year who passed away with total dignity and love for us all. She is, will and always be my source of inspiration. She taught me a lot about nature, birds, how to treat our fellow humans and how to create something from nothing. Not to mention the amazing artwork that she would create and hang up on her walls. She was a most giving and loving woman, who especially at Christmas we will all miss dearly. On a more positive note, we have a new addition to the family...Baby Luca! Who came into this world in November and is the much adored new son of my sister Louise and her husband Fabrizio. Congrats guys!!

I have been overwhelmed and humbled this year by some of the people that I've met and especially through the work that La Luminata does. Not only are we surrounded by talented and passionate individuals who are amazing in every way at their craft but they are charming, friendly, helpful and very down to earth despite their status or achievements...our kind of people.

I want to say an extra special thankyou to these people who have made this year really special in no particular order...My dad, sister and brother-in-law, Natalie Dybisz, Sean Collymore, Ania Gastol, Nina Sangri, Siobhan Wilson, Juliet Greig, James & Abby Kennell, Emma Stephens, Katariina Järvinen, Our new Magazine Manager Carly Gordon, all of our writers, Anna Rodgers, Alex Colburn, Richard Pilton, Sallyanne Flemmons, Amy Hudson, Ophelia Fancy, Nin Castle, Natasha Bailie, Terra Plana, Tom Greenwood, Bethania Matheus, The Ethical Fashion Forum, Juliet Carr, Tom Raffield, William Jay, Ryan Frank...phew! And last but not least my boy, David who has supported La Luminata from a tiny acorn into an ever-growing tree. You are all so appreciated!

Let's make 2010 the best year ever in terms of love and compassion to one another, tackling climate change, human rights and balancing this World into something supportive, long-lasting and sustainable...It's time to give back xxx