Essex Magazines

Essex has felt so cold and wintry recently that it’s hard to imagine a time without snow on the ground. However, staff at Marsh Farm are celebrating an early spring, with the arrival of this year’s first newborn lambs.

“All of us are aware that Essex has recently been experiencing its worst winter conditions in almost a generation, and very few of us can say that the conditions haven’t had an impact on our lives, whether it’s not being able to get to work or the shops, or getting our children to school.

As the cold snap looks set to continue, residents may be finding it harder to meet the costs of keeping warm this winter. 

Fashion folk are a curious bunch, and we’ve found that they tend to collect equally curious things. In our new Take Five feature, we get the lowdown on our favorite industry personalities’ most treasured trinkets.

Arrows are a recurring motif in jewelry designer Pamela Love‘s work (evidence: the pendant on her new silver necklace that depicts a hand grasping three of them, and the pair of crystal arrows she crafted for a recent CFDA/Swarovski project). But for Love, the pointy projectiles aren’t just design elements—they’re tangible symbols that she’s treasured since before she can remember. “I’m not really sure why I gravitate to them,” said Love, who recalls digging arrowheads out of the ground as a child. “I love how they’re so strong and so delicate, and how they can mean so many different things. And I love what a beautiful shape they are,” she added. For those not in the know, Love explains that “two arrows crossing means peace and friendship, two arrows running parallel means war, and an arrow piercing a heart means love.”

Over the years, Love has amassed quite the collection of arrowheads, arrow trinkets, arrow tattoos (of which she has four), and actual arrows. “I have about twenty of those,” she said. “I don’t get too crazy.” Here, the designer discusses her five favorite arrow mementos with Style.com.

1. These are actual arrows. I can’t even remember where I got them—I pick up arrows in antique stores when I travel to the Southwest. These are two of my prettiest ones.

2. This is an antique Navajo ring that I got about ten years ago in New Mexico, during a road trip. It’s so tiny. I can only wear it on my pinkie. It has the two arrows crossing, which means peace and friendship, so it’s a really nice reminder. I used to wear it all the time, but I’m afraid I’m going to lose it—it’s very easy to lose a pinkie ring—so now it’s on display in my apartment.

3. This is a bundle of decorative brass arrows that I got about two months ago from my friend’s store The Hunt, on the Lower East Side. It’s a store that sells weird antique oddities. Again, it’s the arrows crossing, and I bought it from my friend, so I thought that was really special. It sits next to my bed.

4. This is a necklace by Aurélie Bidermann. I’m a really big fan of her work, and I just thought it was one of the most beautiful arrow pieces I had ever seen, and I had to have it. I bought it about two years ago, and I keep it on display in my apartment. The way it’s carved is so beautiful, so for me, it’s more of an object than a piece of jewelry.

5. This is a little copper box that has arrow detailing on the top. I keep it in my studio, next to my desk. One of my best girlfriends gave it to me with a present inside, but I actually liked the box better.

Design was never far from the heart of 28-year-old newcomer Rosie Assoulin. “I did terribly in school my whole life,” explained the Brooklyn native during a preview of her debut collection. “But this world came out of it. I retreated into this intimate space of design.”

Assoulin, who put in a brief stint at FIT (she dropped out after four months), got most of her fashion training while interning with Oscar de la Renta, in New York, and Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz, in Paris. “Every single thing goes through their hands,” she recalled. “They’re so passionate. They don’t change for other people. They really do what works for them. And you can’t touch that.”

Although Assoulin was constantly sketching her own designs during the aforementioned apprenticeships, it wasn’t until she was back from Lanvin, taking care of a new child and working in event planning, that launching her vision felt right. “My friends Claire [Distenfeld] and Leandra [Medine] had been pushing me to do it for years, but it always seemed very scary,” expressed Assoulin. “And it is scary. But it started to be scarier not to do it.”

Assoulin took the leap for the Resort ’14 season, and the resulting collection is a wearable assortment of voluminous couture-inspired tie pants, button-downs, and sculptural evening dresses and separates. “There’s a juxtaposition between the homespun, the very formal, and the casual [that informs every piece],” explained Assoulin as she held up a pair of loose-fit drawstring cargo pants and a structured cream crepe blouse. Her initial references—images of men in Morocco and Kazakhstan wearing “these beautiful sarong skirts with a pressed button-down and blazer”—take shape in Italian-sourced, New York-manufactured clothes for “strong characters.” A refined play on boyish white JNCO pants in cotton faille, as well as a hand-painted, gracefully draped silk cocktail dress, stood out in particular. At the end of the preview, Assoulin told us that she hopes clients can see her—and her mentors—in her collection. But, she added, “hopefully, you’ll make it your own.”

Joseph Altuzarra debuted his romantic Resort ’14 collection earlier this month, and while shooting his lookbook, he and photographer Simon Cave had a thought. “We came across the idea of wanting to make something that was atmospheric and more of a visual manifestation of the Altuzarra woman,” the pair told Style.com. Enter Altuzarra’s heady black-and-white Resort ’14 film, which, styled by Vanessa Traina and Melanie Huynh, stars models Magdalena Jasek, Manuela Frey, and Kayley Chabot. Directed and set to some moody beats by Cave, the short sees its heroines dressed up in pieces that, as Altuzarra explains, “were very strong in silhouette and details. We wanted to create something that was very classic in mood, and highlight the masculine and feminine contrasts.” Blindfolds and fluttering veils of sheer black and white chiffon lend an air of mystery to the spot that, we have to admit, is seriously sexy. “A large part of the collection was about exploring the idea of seduction and sensuality, with lace details and lingerie elements in many of the pieces,” said Altuzarra. “The blindfolds and veils were an extension of this concept of seduction and provocation.” Catch the sultry film’s debut above, exclusively on Style.com.

Splits expected over gay marriage - Conservative Party divisions over legalising same-sex marriage in England and Wales are set to be exposed again when the plans return to the Commons later. [BBC Politics]

IS THIS NOT A WASTE OF TIME?????

Scientists finally prove our brains detect grammar errors without us even realising it - Neuroscientists from the University of Oregon finally have proof that our brains can detect grammatical errors without even realising it. [Daily Mail Tech]

Sony investor urges company break-up - US hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb says Sony should spin off up to 20% of its entertainment business and shore up its struggling electronics arm. [BBC Business]

'Abandon' hospital A&E plans plea - There are calls for a major shake up of accident and emergency services in south Wales to be abandoned due to the current crisis in demand. [BBC Health]

AUDIO: UK TB infection an 'urgent problem' - A report by MPs has found that progress in getting rid of the tuberculosis is "painfully slow" and claims that multi-resistant strains are now an "urgent" problem. [BBC Health]

VIDEO: NHS should look after 'the whole person' - Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham says that merging the NHS with social care would be better value for money [BBC Health]

It appears that the government is attempting to control the newspapers and news sites. Free speech will not
be part of Britain. 1984 will be here. Cameras in your street, secret police trials, Councils and Government cover ups.
Control of TV and News Content. Control of emails and internet viewing.
BACK THE NEWSPAPERS NOT THE GOVERNMENT- YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE ALL NEWSPAPERS- BUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS OUR HERITAGE. WITHOUT IT WE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED STATE. NOBODY WILL TRUST US.WILL YOU BE A MEMBER OF THE SECRET POLICE.

Clegg rejects 'web snoop' bill plan - Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg says Lib Dems will not agree to any new law allowing all Britons' online activity to be recorded. [BBC Politics]

New energy tariffs 'still confusing' - Reforms to energy tariffs could leave consumers struggling to find the best deal, says Which?, but the regulator argues the changes have been misrepresented. [BBC Business]

New energy tariffs 'still confusing' - Reforms to energy tariffs could leave consumers struggling to find the best deal, says Which?, but the regulator argues the changes have been misrepresented. [BBC Business]