Quintessential Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is one of those of things that everyone aspires to experience at least once in their lives. Introduced in Britain in the early 1840’s, it has ever since been one of those traditionally British affairs now enjoyed all over the world as an occasional indulgence or celebration. We have to say we are partial to a glass of bubbly and some delectable macaroons. So the Innu London team has decided to share our top 5 afternoon tea spots in London. 

The Goring Hotel

With this gorgeous weather and our love for champagne and macaroons we highly recommend paying a little visit to The Goring Hotel in Belgravia for a lavish afternoon tea on the veranda. Perfectly chilled Bollinger, fresh strawberries, delicate macaroons and a view to die for. What more could you possibly ask for? 

The Corinthia

One of London’s newest 5 start rated hotels, perfectly located just moments from Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden, offers a unique Afternoon Tea setting. Dine under the stunning ‘Full Moon’ chandelier featuring 1000 Baccarat globes in clear crystal and with bespoke William Edwards’ tea sets to create an intimate space. Whilst this glorious weather lasts why not book in their enclosed courtyard lined with maple trees for a splendid outdoor tea. 

The Ritz

Served in The Palm Court, ‘Tea at the Ritz’ is a quintessentially English Institution. Arriving at the Ritz is a typically luxury experience that everybody has to undergo. Immaculately dressed waiters serve you a selection of 16 loose leaf teas as well as finger sandwiches, warm freshly baked scones and the rest all from the deluxe Palm Court.

Designed originally for the ‘high society’, the dramatic decor of high walls with gold coated detailing, glistening chandeliers and romantic flower arrangements make this one of the most desired Afternoon Tea spots in the world. 

Grosvenor House 

Grosvenor House has been enjoyed by frequent royalties, celebrities and business leaders since 1929. Unlike other afternoon tea places, The Park Room and Library are tranquilly decorated with comfortable sofas with live piano entertainment for guests to indulge in. 

The Athenaeum

Awarded the Tea Guild prestigious award for ‘Top London Afternoon Tea’ in 2012. The Athenaeum must be added to your ‘tea to-do list’ per say, immediately. Diners are escorted into the secluded and elegant Garden Room overlooking Green Park to enjoy dainty delicacies, fresh leaf tea in exquisite china cups and of course a glass of their finest Champagne. 

I’m sure your taste buds are tingling as much as ours at this moment in time so grab your friends together and enjoy an opulent and relaxing afternoon at one of the top Afternoon tea spots in London. 

Don’t forget to dress for the occasion, perhaps a simple Innu London dress or maybe even add some vibrancy with an Innu snakeskin clutch bag. Explore our range of handmade luxury goods. This fabulous affair has also inspired us for a future campaign with an upcoming collection involving a lavish tea party in a Knightsbridge penthouse…

Until next time

Love Innu London 

xxx

The History of the Polo

The prestigious game of polo has been enjoyed all over the world for over 2,000 years. The Innu London team decided we’d dive deep into the history of the of the oldest sport and more importantly the history of polo fashion and share it with you divine readers. So here we go…

Equestrian polo was first played in Persia way back to the 6th century BC. The first ever polo field, Naqsh-i Jahan Square in Isfahan, Iran was built by King Abbas I in the 17th century and is a truly spectacular site. 

The Naqsh-i Jahan Square

The 4 a side horse sport was soon passed onto other areas in Asia, including India, China and Japan. The word ‘polo’ got its name from the Tibetan word ‘pulu’ which means ‘ball’. 

In the 1962 the world’s first polo club, The Calcutta Polo Club was founded by two British soldiers. 

Since the sport spread to England, the British who have been credited for spreading polo worldwide, mainly to Western Europe, Argentina and the USA. The Argentinian team holds first place in the global rankings. As I’m sure you know, the famous and exclusive Hurlingham Polo club is the UK governing body , who drew up their own set of formal British rules in 1834 which are still in effect today. 

Hurlingham Club, London

British settlers organised the first formal game of polo in Argentina in 1875 in the capital of Buenos Aires. The locals took a shining to the sport and had several club openings in the following years to accommodate their new love for polo. Unsurprisingly, the South American country is credited globally as the mecca of polo due to their high level of talent. 

Only a year later, polo was introduced to the USA. Now over 77 countries worldwide play polo, indoor, outdoor and on the beach and has been re-recognised by the International Olympic Committee since 1998.

The USA polo club in Wellington, FL 

Now, the summer is peak polo season, particularly in London… we don’t even have enough hands to count all the events on our fingers. The main polo events that take place are sponsored by Cartier and Veuve Clicquot, not forgetting the world championships. Others include Polo in the Park, The Sandbanks Beach Polo, Hurlingham Polo Open and British Polo Day which is now a global tradition occurring in 11 countries worldwide. 

Innu London at the Sandbanks Beach Polo this year

The Cartier Polo

Cartier first sponsored the International Day in 1984, shortly becoming the largest and most prestigious polo spectator events in the world, attracting over 25,000 people at the Guards Polo Cup. From this, the Cartier went on to sponsor the Queen’s Cup with only the best polo players in the world, making it a highlight for the sports elite and spectators alike. 

Similar global events including St Moritz Polo, Cartier International Dubai Polo and the Cartier World’s Elephant Polo Championship are just a few of what Cartier and the polo have achieved together. The likes of Kate Middleton and the other royals have attended these events as well as other A-listers such as Emma Watson, David Gandy and the Delevingne clan.

Here’s a quick fun fact for you…the Audi International was sponsored by Cartier until 2 years ago when the royal family no longer attended and the sponsorship was swapped. The Audi International takes place on Saturday 26th July at the Guards Polo Club. More information here: http://www.guardspoloclub.com/tournaments/audi-international-polo-2014

The Veuve Clicquot Polo

Veuve clicquot sponsor polo events from LA, Miami, New York to the Gold Cup which happened to of taken place at Cowdray Polo Club last weekend, also which happen to be the most elite events of the year. Major celebrities including Chloe Moretz, Lily Allen, Tasmin Egerton and Jodie Kidd are regular attendees of such a high profile event. 

The oldest sport in the world has been influenced fashion over the years. From Hermes,  Belstaff, Gucci and of course Ralph Lauren, these fashion brands have designed equestrian style fashion for the affluent societies of the world, and are often labels regularly seen at the polo events.

Since the polo began it is almost as if society has provided a uniform for such an occurrence…chic, sophisticated and elegant, finished off with an over the top headpiece ( well at least for the ladies). Here are some outfits from over the years of polo and you’ll see the attire has not changed much…

Discover the Innu London evening wear range and I can assure you there’ll at least be one thing to tickle your fancy…and I do hope we haven't bore you much!!

Until next time

Love Innu London

xxx

London Fashion Week - September

London Fashion Week is only 8 weeks away and I think we all know how quickly that is going to come around. Kimberley (our head designer) has been designing every hour under the sun as she is sooo determined to out do her amazing success so far - the woman is a perfectionsit after all. 

The show is being hosted by the ever glamourous Savita Kaye and her company House of iKons. Conceived in late 2011, it is a platform to help highlight new designers from around the globe. With the show taking place at the renowned London Hilton  Paddington on Saturday 13th September. Savita has travel the world far and wide in  search for the next best designers of our generation and Innu London has been chosen as one of 18 amongst an array of incredible talent. The event has already grabbed the attention of world wide press from CNN to Fashion TV and BBC World as well as very high profile guests and buyers that will be attending. 

Innu London has been asked to open the entire show and I can not express how honoured we are so we thank you for this opportunity.

To add to the excitement, we are delighted to announce that we will collaborating Mozafarian jewellers who are creative diamond specialists. The company was set up in 1821 and has since escalated into the success. They created the most important example of 20^th Century Islamic Art in Jewellery, which was exclusively exhibited, to royals and presidents in the 1960’s. Since then they have shown their exquisite pieces to royal families all over the world from their showrooms in London and in Dubai, which showcases their most opulent and superior pieces. Mozafarian jewellers are one of the world’s class jewellery businesses where a member of the original family still serves its customers. They also proudly support the British Red Cross, British Heart foundation and the Caudwell Children’s Charity.

Baharez Mozafarian wearing a bespoke Innu London dress at the Butterfly Caudwell Charity Ball.

Just picture this, beautifully handmade evening dresses hand crafted by Kimberleys own two hands depicting the elegance and class that Innu London possesses with an added touch a diamond sparkle....the show will be truely magical and mesmerising. 

Tickets are available here http://wwwe-tickets.com/event/house-of-ikons/. Remember to book the afternoon tickets as we are opening the whole show at 3:30pm (DEEP BREATHS...AND RELEASE).

In the meantime please visit our press page as Innu London have been so busy everyone seems to be writing about us at http://www.innulondon.com/pages/press

Until next time

Love Innu London

xxx

Moz

Sandbanks Polo, 2014

Last weekend was the Sandbanks polo in which we were asked by the fabulous Julian Bennett to put on a fashion show and we thought it is only fair to share that experience with you.

Kimberley and I arrived, unfortunately rather late on Wednesday evening due to a slight problem with road closures and getting lost… but that’s not really important. Anyway, Thursday morning we were up bright and early to go and meet the beautiful models and get them fitted. Luckily for us the Polo is situated right on the most beautiful beaches in the UK, Sandbanks so as soon as we had finished for the day made camp on the beach and got our tan on. We even had a cheeky swim. 

The following day was the first day of the polo. We arrived around 2pm so we could enjoy the Polo, atmosphere and cheeky glass of bubbly before we had to be backstage getting prepared for the 5:30 fashion show. Innu London was one of 5 designers including Amoire, Laguna Star, Thomas Farthing and Jo Black Craze. We had the pleasure of working alongside Jo Black Craze during London Fashion Week earlier this year in February.  The first show went extremely well, resulting in polo goers approaching us after the show to congratulate and even request to buy the dresses. All in all a great success naturally treating ourselves to a glass of champagne or 2…

The last day of the Polo, Saturday was much busier and therefore more nerve-wracking for us as we had 2 shows to do that evening. And especially as Kimberley decided to add 2 more dresses to line-up at the last minute!!! But as always we managed to sail through and put on yet another fantastic show that was very well received by the amazing crowd and I can safely say we’d be more than happy to do it all over again next year. 

A special thanks to the models, DFMA Make-Up, Dune Hair and Beauty, Richard Budd Photography and of course Julian and Natalie for directing and organising the whole thing. 

Explore the journey we had this weekend here: http://www.innulondon.com/pages/the-sandbanks-polo-2014

But even though we are now back in London we are delighted to announce that our dear friends at Seen in the City have launched their online fashion and lifestyle magazine on 14th July and we are proud to share our feature piece with you all! So please take a look at their new online magazine and we would love to know what you think of the interview!

Finally, please remember our summer sale, you only have until the end of the month and we certainly do not want you to miss out!

Until next time, 

Love Innu London

xxx

Nicky Beaches of the World

Nikki beach resorts have become one of the most desirable beach hangout spots for the affluent societies…and the not so much. So we have given you the lowdown on global phenomenon that is taking over the world.

The original Nikki beach was launched in 1996, developed as a hidden gem in South Beach, Miami. The name established itself as the landmark night club and a general party playground. On 5th July, the Miami venue will host the Bacon Beach Bash. So make sure you work yourself up an appetite because with more than 50 dishes of cured pig meat…you will need it. 

And for you readers who are celebrating the 4th July, expect your favourite American dishes from bacon mac and cheese and bacon lasagne. All of this as your party your way through the day. 

As Cabo is one of the most exotic places in the world, this luxurious, jet set utopia is not a place to be missed. Located on the deluxe El Medano Beach, the waters are crystal clear and is known to be on of the most swimmable and saftest beaches in the world. Nikki beach, San Lucas is an extension of the personalised service and eclectic atmosphere of the ME by  Melia. Experience some of the best global cuisine articulated by a culinary interpretations of Asian and Mediterranean food that can be enjoyed under the stars. 

St Barths is a world renowned hotspot for the rich and famous - Beyonce, Demi Moore and Mariah Carey to name a few. Meeting the same European minimalist contemporary look, the beach club is a haven. You definitely won’t be disappointed with the entertainment provided throughout the season - fashion shows, live performances and themed events. 

‘No Carbs before Marbs’, this is universally known as the best VIP party place in the world. The season opening White Party is seen as the heralding opening of the summer. The Don Carlos Resort in particular is the go to place imported straight from Miami. The ultimate stop for your trip with the sexy glamorous atmosphere everyone enjoys.

Situated in the heart of the Red City the Marrakech Nikki Beach season goes from 10th March through to 2nd January…so basically all year round. The resort is lavishly decorated with a traditional Nikki Beach style with an oriental magical touch. And if you fancy getting out and about, just up the road is Menara Gardens. The local young Moroccans say its the most romantic place in town…make sure you pay them a visit all you couples out there.

Opening only 2 years after Miami in 1998, the St Tropez venue went straight to the top of the list for ‘Greatest number of famous faces per square meter’ (Yes thats a real thing) - Leo DiCaprio, Sylvester Stallone and Paris Hilton are amongst these faces. St Tropez and St Barths are the only 2 locations in which you can hire out private villas with nothing less than complimentary gourmet provisions and a luxury wine package. 

Of course being in France, there is a cliche of a postcard picture in its surroundings…Pink ochre buildings with red tile barrel roofs and blue and white shutters. Its simply mesmerising. 

With breathtaking shores of Layan Beach and unprecedented views of the Andama Sea, Phuket is the only Nikki Beach resort surrounded by private estates and hotels…we can only imagine. 

The oceanfront resort includes pools, indoor and outdoor dining options and opium beds, Earlier this year, the Grand Opening White party took place on the 7th March to mark Nikki Beach Phuket its official debut. 

A usual place to expect some of the world hottest Dj’s as well as designers it seems. Only last week did the admired wedding dress designer, Vera Wang celebrate her 65th birthday on a 130ft yacht before indulging in the Nikki Beach Mallorca delights. 

Located perfectly on the east side of the party island of the world, away from all the hustle and bustle of San Antonio and Playa D’en Bossa, Nikki each Ibiza is the obvious choice this summer. Their opening White Party is happening tonight so if your lucky enough to be there….we highly recommend going!!!!

Finally, in the heart of the water park lies Nikki Beach Johannasburg, South Africa. It is the newest hotspot for parties and celebrity sightings. Decked out in stunning wood over the main pool enjoy food, cocktails and of course, VIP service.

Don't forget to check out our sale because you will be needing a whole luxury wardrobe for your trip to the nikki beach of your desire.