Welcome to a scorching Zips It Up.

The weather is insanely hot here in the UK.  From Mallorca to Ibiza to London, I can’t escape the soaring temperatures.

But we should be careful what we wish for, because it could be back to regular business next week – i.e. cold, grey and even more worth complaining about.

It’s days like these when I like to walk (boho) barefoot everywhere (ignoring dirty feet and blisters). Wouldn’t it be handy if we could do that permanently throughout summer, and when the pavement became too hot simply rock up to a vending machine and buy a pair of fold away shoes, small enough to pop into one’s bum bag?

Well, surprise surprise, welcome to ‘ROLL A SOLE’.

Cleverly designed to fit in your handbag, car or office desk, these Roll A Sole shoes neatly roll up, ready for when you can’t walk another step in uncomfortable conditions.

These would’ve been particularly handy in the ‘old days’ when we used to stagger home from the club in inappropriate shoes after hours of dancing. Remember ‘dancing’? I wish I knew about Roll-A-Sole back then – genius idea!

The company was created by American Matt Horan – who decided he was fed up of giving his girlfriend a piggy back home every time she went out in high heels. The very stylish shoes (especially their ballet pumps) come packed away in a neat little box – which includes a ‘high heel carry bag’ to put your own heels in – much classier than carrying them.

Unfortunately, the vending machines are all in Las Vegas – where the designer lives – but you can buy them right here at trusty Amazon. Totally worth it in my opinion – they’re stylish, comfortable and well made.

Onto this week’s instalment of Zips It Up, and OBVIOUSLY we discuss how to keep cool, discover a seaside fashion boutique and explore whether ‘fox-eye’ make up trend is racist.

I love quirky small independent boutiques. But they’re harder to find these days, especially in London. Yes, there aren’t many left, but if you venture out of the city and into smaller towns you’ll come across something like this, in Whitstable, Kent, the town otherwise known as ‘Notting Hill On Sea”.

Whitstable is very close to my heart, as I spent every summer in the seaside town as a child. It was where my Russian Grandmother lived.

Back then, I spent all my time on the beach and not in the shops. Clearly, that would be the other way around now. From The Hummingbird Bakery to the gorgeous ‘MARINA’ – Whitstable is happening right now big-time.

Marina is a quirky boutique in the very fashionable Harbour Street of Whitstable. They sell beautiful vibrant silk wrap dresses as well as antique silk sari dresses and each dress is unique.  Sequin dresses, sequin trousers and hats for festivals as well as quirky one-off pieces and contemporary designs too. All hats and accessories are sourced from independent designers.

There’s a men’s section too, which is very popular. Stylish silk shirts for all occasions, all looked after by Joe Kelly.

DJ Lisa Loud has been collaborating with owner Susie Swetman, marketing the wrap and sari dresses, as seen here. She’s modelling this absolutely beautiful yellow dress which is jaw dropping. She looks incredible.

You can contact Lisa on Facebook Messenger and Instagram if you wish to purchase or discuss sizes and prices etc @ DJ LISA LOUD

Check out Marina Boutique on Instagram or pop in if you’re in Whitstable this summer on your staycation. 

The mercury has soared upwards in the UK over the past week, seeing London reach 37 degrees Celsius.

In common with much of Britain, my other half  and I simply couldn’t sleep. We took turns to have cold showers and adjust the fan speed.

So how does one keep cool at night and in general during a heatwave?

If you have a cool shower and then allow the water to evaporate off your skin… It will definitely help cool you down.

A hot water bottle filled with cold water and ice helps – keep it temporarily in the freezer, but be careful about putting ice onto skin – it burns!

A cool flannel around your neck helps, plus putting sheets in the freezer, being careful not to risk any ice burns.  There are cooling gel packs and pillows available on Amazon, but surely these must warm up fairly quickly?

In other words, there is no perfect solution.

This summer, many of us are spending more time at home due to Covid-19. A lot of homes can overheat, so it’s important we continue to check on older people and those with underlying health conditions, particularly if they’re living alone and may be socially isolated.

Overall, it’s time to be nice. As grumpy as being overheated makes all of us feel!

Finally, if you can afford £250 on a portable air con unit and have somewhere to vent the pipe, then ultimately, that’s the answer. Why didn’t I buy one at the beginning of the summer?  It’s a given that if I buy one now, it’ll be the kiss of death for any further warm days!

Well it’s August 2020, but not really “August” as we generally know it. We’re past the half way mark in this, the year of chaos, with fingers firmly crossed that things can only get better.

I am currently in the Balearics, making the very most of the “summer“ and following last week’s bumper Ibiza fashion instalment of Zips It Up, there was a huge response to the IBIZA FEST WEAR feature. The piece covered a sexy collection of Ibiza inspired swimwear, straight out of the UK, which keeps us all feeling connected to the white isle.

Former model Karen Seafield built ‘Ibiza Fest Wear’ in under 5 weeks throughout the pandemic, and is now hosting a model casting to find the face of Ibiza Fest wear, in Newcastle.

Karen has teamed up with The Purple Peacock in the city, and the event will be held on the 19^th August  at 7pm. The casting will have 3 stages and models must pay a small fee of £10 to get involved prior to the night. The event will consist of a panel of 3 judges who will make the decision of who will get through to the next stages and who will have to leave. Pre-registration is essential and can be done online at www.ibizafestwear.co.uk

The entrepreneur has chosen The Red Sky Foundation as the brand’s charity to support, this charity raises money and awareness for cardiac care for babies, children and now also for adults with heart problems across the North East and beyond.

Karen has raised over £250,000 for numerous charities nationwide over the past decade and carries on doing so into the future.

Do you think you got what it takes to be the face of Ibiza Fest Wear?

More information for the Red Sky Foundation found here, https://redskyfoundation.com/.

In this week’s round up, we check out beautiful summer espadrilles, Judge Jules merchandise and funky facemasks from upcoming designer Annie Murrey.

They’re my favourite Balearic shoes ever. I wear them constatly in Ibiza and Mallorca every summer. They are crazily comfortable, the colours of the summer (which I chose personally) and they literally complete my entire boho wardrobe. You simply have to grab a pair of these super stylish summer shoes by Alice X.

Alice X shoes are fast becoming an essential part any summer wardrobe. Over the past two years, these classically styled espadrilles with a thoroughly modern colour twist have gained an underground fanbase that keeps coming back for more.  Instantly recognisable, this year’s collection includes nine different styles, including a premium leather slider, each one oozing poolside luxury. Suffice to say, these super comfy shoes are a must for any holiday, whether home or abroad.

The UK-based business is managed by design team in London, hand-producing the shoes sustainably in limited runs in its Spanish factory. Keeping things small and only selling directly to consumers via its website has proven invaluable during this difficult year. The strategy has worked, sales have doubled, and designs are already in place for SS/21.

Alice X sent me a pair of gorgeous espadrilles in my favourite summer colours, and I adore them. You can own some too – with this special discount for for Amanda Zips It Up hipster zipsters.

I spoke to the team about their collection and current sale for summer 2020.

“We love the fact that once a customer buys our shoes, they come back for more because they like them so much. They tell all their friends about us and they buy too. You can’t beat a personal recommendation and that’s what’s really helped in this very tough market. We in turn provide exceptional customer service, and we’ll do everything we can to help. It’s the only way to be”

With a summer sale in full swing, you can own a pair of eye-catching Alice X shoes at a fantastic price – buy now for this summer, or invest for next year.

As a bonus you can use the code AZIU10 for an additional 10% off all sale prices and free UK shipping.

WWW.ALICEXGLOBAL.COM

There’s no escaping FACE MASKS. They have been the look of 2020 and the LAW of this summer. I have spent the past month in the Balearics, and there’s no escaping them. They are everywhere – just like Coronavirus news stories.

From Gucci and Louis Vuitton logo designs to pretty Liberty floral prints, right through to the “standard” white surgical masks, everyone from Boris to Kate Moss is donning one

And as with any new fashion, it doesn’t take long before someone customises a garment and puts their own stamp on it, ready for the masses.

Yes, you can go for designer masks if you have an ‘out there’ attitude (or, like me, keep things on the low-low and just wear a throwaway surgical mask).

For those who like it quirky, I came across the brilliant young designer Annie Murrey, who has created an ‘eye catching’ collection of masks featuring everything from star prints and photos of your cat through to the words C**T and F**K OFF.

As we speak, Annie is designing a personalised unique mask for me, which I will reveal ASAP. I asked Annie for a few words about the business – here is just a brief selection of her wonderful and wacky creations. 

“My name is Annie and I am the owner of Sewdoodles. I make everything from blinds to bags to wedding ring cushions, to robes. Well, that was in my ‘past life’ before lockdown happened. 

Now a new world has been born, and people must wear masks by law. I observed how impersonal they were – like a sea of Stepford Wives walking around. So I road-tested a few of my ideas on my friends. Not just the quality but also the ‘feel-good factor’ (having to wear a mask for so many is no easy feat). I believe I have managed to finally achieve the “must-have mask” in my designs.

My masks are easy to wear, fun but above all else safe.”

Contact me and I’ll put you in contact with Annie.

Facebook / Annie Murrey

So “clubland” as we know it has entered a new era. Namely, it has temporarily ground to a halt during these unprecedented Covid times. Yes, dancing amongst the masses to your favourite DJ in a hot sweaty rave is becoming a distant memory.

As you probably know, my other half has long been a multi-generational firm fixture on the dance music scene. In this Covid year, his festival weekends and summer in Ibiza have become a lot quieter, without the gigs and events that were a massive part of our lives.

However, he found a way to reconnect with the clubbing community during lockdown, live streaming DJ sets from our home DJ booth every week to hundreds of thousands of home-based clubbers. Our lounge has become a dancefloor and Saturday nights have become exciting and LOUD again.

Another positive move during this pandemic was the launch of a merchandise collection for fans of Judge Jules, helping us all to feel a little bit more ‘connected’ during self-isolation.

Here is a taste of his clothing line. There’s something for everyone: you, me, the kids. Even Mum and Dad.

The designs and slogans are simple and straight to the point. So many people (hundreds of thousands of you) contacted us to say thank you for literally “saving them” during lockdown. Therefore, putting some merch out there seemed the logical thing to do. 

We’ve received some brilliant pictures of kids dancing to Jules’s Saturday night sets and people organising weekly parties, dancing along to his live streams on their TVs and devices in living rooms across the globe. 

We hope some of these garments make you feel that you’re still ‘out there’ and when this is all over, they will be a reminder of the history that we all made in 2020.

Find everything, including size guide and prices at

www.judgejulesshop.com

Welcome back to Zips It Up, a fortnight since you last saw me. I’ve been blissfully Balearic, on a family holiday in Ibiza and Mallorca. 

Obviously, not too much is occurring fashion-wise, because the world has still ground to a halt. Factories are closed, shops are only just re-opening with old stock and designers have been self-isolating. But there’s just enough independent fashion going on from the UK to Spain for me to tell you about.

Whilst on London’s Hampstead Heath amongst all the dog walkers, lazily browsing through my fashion mags, I discovered this piece about the latest accessory to come out of Italian label Bottega Veneta.

It would certainly fit in around these parts of London, as I see little black dog poo bags everywhere. And the new BV bag is almost identical.

Bottega Veneta describe the BV Twist as having a “soft sack shape with handle that looks casually knotted and slips around the wrist.” At £1,650!

Pets at Home sell 200 dog poo bags for £1.50. I’d start with that option to familiarise oneself with the ‘look’, and then make a decision.

Back in the Balearics, there’s one thing I hate during summer – mosquitos. They’re the quickest way to shove a beautiful outdoors evening straight indoors. Sometimes, no matter what kind of repellent you use, the little buggers still won’t leave you alone. That’s why we all need a pair of Coghlan’s Bug Pants (even if they do look rather stupid).

The full-length pants are made of ultra-fine mesh, protecting your skin from mozzies. They have an elasticized drawstring waist and cuffs, so they’ll prevent even the most devious bugs from sneaking in. The Bug Pants are lightweight and cool, meaning you’ll prefer putting these on in 90-degree weather to a pair of jeans or shorts.

You can order them on Amazon for around £10.  Whilst they do come in different sizes, they’re unisex and the elastic waist will accommodate all shapes. When driven insane in the extreme by mosquitoes, one tends to adopt extreme measures.

Anyway, enjoy this packed Balearic special of Zips It Up and catch you again next week.

So, as I write this, we have just been dealt a brutal blow. The UK government has advised against travel to the Balearics. Bang in the middle of what is already a crushed summer. When the Balearics have way less cases of Covid-19 per capita than the UK. Bonkers.

To be fair, we have experienced some decent summer 2020 temperatures here in the UK. Some of us have splashed out on a mega paddling pool for the garden. This may be about the closest some people may get to a  Mediterranean holiday this year. But for those of us who are used to wearing our bikinis on the beaches and pool sides of Ibiza, let’s bring Ibiza to Blighty.

Welcome to Ibiza Fest Wear

A collection of beautiful Ibiza swimwear designed by my friend Karen Seafield. You can discover all of your holiday essentials for what’s left of this season and for 2021 in one place. 

Ibiza Fest Wear is a brand born through the love of the Balearic island. The collection of swimwear and festival wear is inspired from the free spirit, music and colours we all know and love from the party island.

Their aim is to provide you with seriously sexy swimwear, fest wear and even cover the small details that make big statements via accessories. With their extensive outreach, contacts and collaborations in Ibiza, they have totally nailed the look for you.

Karen Seafield is a successful business woman who has over 25 years’ experience of owning a PR business. After discovering her love of Ibiza from working and partying on the island, her clothing brand was born. 

While shopping for Ibiza outfits, Karen was shopping all over the internet for clothes, swimwear and festival wear. As a result, she wanted to build a brand where all Ibiza clothing could be found in one place.

And here it is www.ibizafestwear.co.uk

Although two metre social distancing and mask wearing are both in full effect, it’s a blessing that we can now shop again, and there are some bargains to be had out there. Everything is on sale, to get rid of old stock.

Two labels epitomise Ibiza and Mallorca for me.

World Family Ibiza at Sluiz sums up “Balearic Boho” like no other brand

Maxi dresses, waistcoats, boots and bags with the boho hippy vibe will always be on trend on the White Isle. This family run business has literally dominated the island, with their homegrown look which can be found at Las Dalias Hippy market, their shop in Ibiza Town, online and at Sluiz. Here are a few items on sale which you should grab right now.

Over on big sister isle Mallorca, the huge Fashion Outlet Festival Park – home to super Spanish designer Adolfo Dominguez – has a sale on too. Although this label is much smarter than the Boho vibe of Ibiza, it still has flavours of Zara and Mango and feels so very Spanish. It’s particularly good for menswear. Plenty of stylish, cool linen shirts and simple cotton dresses are in stock, which will last you a lifetime. Here’s my pick of the best bargains right now.