Fashionable tea time!

The Berkeley London, a very prestigious hotel in London, has come up with a fashionable twist to the otherwise traditional afternoon tea.

The designer afternoon tea appointment is called, Prêt-à-Portea, and it is inspired by the themes and colours of the fashion world. Prêt-à-Portea is served in the Caramel Room daily from 1pm to 6pm.

The menu is transformed every six months to follow the changing seasons in fashion. So besides their renowned tea infusions and delightful canapés, the main attraction comes with the collection of cakes and fancies that bear big names in fashion and each and everyone is designed with the brand in mind.

Some examples are:

•   Valentino orange and ginger clutch cake closed with oversized chocolate bow

•   Bottega Veneta colour blocking pink and gold pear mousse and clementine cremeux coat with matching macaroon button

•       Dolce and Gabbana signature gold starred chocolate éclair dress filled with hazelnut cream

•             Stella McCartney must-have polka dot sponge cake dress

•     Burberry Prorsum stylish black and white double breasted chocolate biscuit coat with snow white vanilla icing

•             Miu Miu winter spice glittery high-heeled shoe biscuit

•   Jill Sander pomegranate and grenadine mousse dress topped with colourful chocolate flower pattern

•        Lanvin show-stopping cassis bavarois dress with crème de mûre jelly topped with signature folded meringue

•    Sonia Rykiel striped chestnut cream and almond sponge cake dress complete with trendy metallic sparkles

Prêt-à-Portea adds a creative twist to the classic elements of the traditional English afternoon tea with cakes and pastries resembling the latest catwalk designs for the style conscious.

So if you are in London, don’t forget the mandatory appointment for every fashionista who wants to be known as such! 

Pitti Immagine Uomo 2010 Highlights

My Factory
My Factory is the new Pitti Uomo project that will be featured in the Lyceum this coming June. Embodying the new sensitivity that has developed from the busy intersection where fashion, youth culture, music, graphics and the new media meet, My Factory is a new trade segment linked to today’s metro culture where the passwords are experimentation, eclecticism, eco-sustainability and modernity. The focus will be on full and capsule collections by young creatives and products from international brands sold in trend stores and online.Settings by Oliviero Baldini.

Design by Patricia Urquiola
After its successful debut last January, Patricia Urquiola’s new design for the Main Pavilion is making another step forward
and up. With a strategy based on an approach of advanced experimentation in fashion and how it is distributed and used, Ms. Urquiola has gone to the Upper Level involving the Classico Italia exhibitors and has created a sort of department store with more open stands to facilitate dialogue among the products. Like the Lower Lever, the Upper will feature Pop-Up Stores, special areas dedicated to lifestyle and accessories – from jewelry to footwear, from fragrances to pocket technologies – that combine artisan skills with contemporary styling.
Pitti Woman Precollection
The sixth edition of Pitti W_Woman Precollection, the Pitti Immagine fair-event devoted to women’s collections will be held in Florence from 15 to 18 June 2010 concomitantly with Pitti Uomo 78. A selected group of 75 international brands will present exclusive previews of their 2011 spring-summer collections in the Dogana on via Valfonda.

Jill Sander
Pitti Immagine has invited a major name in international fashion – Jil Sander – to present a show on the Pitti Uomo 78 catwalk. Thursday evening 17 June, Raf Simons the house’s creative director will stage the première showing the 2011 spring-summer Menswear Collection “starring” the brand’s unmistakable look.

Who is on Next?
In June, Pitti Immagine will proudly present the second edition of WHO IS ON NEXT? A PITTI UOMO the
competition organized by Pitti Immagine Uomo, Alta Roma and L’Uomo Vogue, that seeks – and finds – new talents – Italian or based in Italy - in men’s fashions. During the fair an international panel of buyers, fashion journalists and opinion
makers will judge the collections submitted by the 8 finalists. Then the panel will announce the winners in the two categories - prêt-à-porter and accessories.
I FINALISTI / THE FINALISTS:
AI_
CAMO
DEAD MEAT
FQR, MAURIZIO MIRI
OZONA
PIERRE-LOUIS MASCIA
YUJI MIUR

C.P. COMPANY
Emotional event for C.P. Company. The event will take place on Tuesday 15 June from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Sala Ottagonale at the Fortezza da Basso and will celebrate the featuring of C.P. Company at Pitti Uomo. The soirée, organized in cooperation with L'Uomo Vogue and Pitti Immagine, will be an emotional event enriched by images, light and music with a performance by the guitarist Maurizio Solieri and his band. Inside the Sala Ottagonale there will be the screening of moving images featuring the history of the past advertising campaigns by C.P. Company and on this occasion Enzo Fusco, FGF Industry's owner, will present the updated version of the legendary Goggle Jacket.

Sundek by Neil Barrett
Sundek, the historic beachwear brand is expanding its range with PE11, urban wear to complement the beach items that are an integral part of a total look: a new version of the rainbow short, t-shirts, polos, jackets, walkshorts and accessories characterize a collection that combines tradition with research and innovation through new and interesting partnerships.

Harmont & Blaine
Bassotti Inside: a site-specific performance of Luisaviaroma conceived by Felice Limosani for the launch of the "Harmont & Blaine" woman collection. A limited edition - created for the event - will be available exclusively on luisaviaroma.com.