Alex Monroe - Bermondsey Boutique...

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a Press Day at the new Alex Monroe boutique. With a huge love for his pieces and of course that Bicycle Necklace, this was an amazing chance to see the inner workings of how a Monroe piece is made, and meet both the team the Man himself.

Established in South London back in 1986, Alex's jewellery is stocked in high-end shops all over the world, but the Boutique located in Bermondsey is his very first shop. Ideally the Pashley would have been my mode of transport there, but with torrential rain hammering down, I thought it best not to turn up dripping water all over the floor and displays!

Decorated with an eclectic theme, the feel of the shop is very organic; borrowed wooden cabinets which once housed preserved Butterflies, to logs, plants and birds, the boutique is a reflection of Monroe's fascination with nature and the beauty of the English countryside...

The Boutique is an intimate space, which showcases the jewellery beautifully. As Alex and his team explained, this lends itself well to the ethos of the Monroe Jewellery experience; each piece is handmade in their workshops (which also includes one in on the premises), giving both a personal and individual identity to the item - something the customer should experience when they walk into the shop.

Alongside showcasing some of Alex's most iconic pieces (you can't think of Alex Monroe without thinking of that Bumblebee necklace), visiting the boutique also gave me a preview of the new collections coming out. Every year Alex produces four collections, he's created two (yes, TWO) for the next season. These collections are entitled 'Dream of Me' which is made-up of quirky and romantic keepsakes (*hint-hint* to The Boy)  and 'Best of British', a tongue-in-cheek celebration of quintessential Britishness to coincide with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

After a tour around the Boutique, I had the chance to chat with Alex and the team (who are lovely) about my favourite piece from their entire collection... the Vintage Bicycle Necklace!

A combination of my biggest loves, this intricate little necklace was borne out of Alex's love of cycling - and it was fantastic to find out that he cycles everywhere, as do a majority of his team! Of course, the Necklace simply had to come home with Lady Vélo... it was made for me, right?

I highly recommend cycling down to Bermondsey and popping into the magical Jewellery Box that is the Alex Monroe Boutique. Beautiful craftsmanship, gorgeous designs and a team more like a family than work colleagues... thank you all for a wonderful morning and allowing access to me and my Camera!

More of my photos from the day can be viewed in this Flickr Set.

Alex Monroe Boutique
37 Snowsfields, London SE1 3SU

Big Day Out: Brooks Saddles and Vélobici...

A couple of weeks ago, me and The Boy had the pleasure of visiting the Brooks Saddle Factory! Thanks to the brilliant organisation by twitter friends @CraftieDutchie & @_Blixa_, the plan was to get together with some fellow twitter-cycling friends and have a tour around the plant, along with a cycle-stop or two for lunch and drinks.

It was a big day out for sure: a 06:30am meet with the lovely @thefixedfactor was arranged outside of the RFH, to load up our bikes into the van we'd hired with him. Although it was an insanely early start (setting off from East London at 05:20am), it was so worth it... just to see London bathed in those dusky hues...

...and of course having such clear roads was a treat.

A few hours later (and a few sleeps in the van for me), we arrived in Smethwick and met up with the rest of the cycling-crew:

From left to right: @offthelevel, @cycleslikeagirl, @evilgordon, @CraftyDutchie, @thefixedfactor, @_Blixa_, @grobelaar, @EdwardHealey - wonderful to put real faces & bikes to twitter handles after all this time!


Stepping into the factory was amazing: it's an intimate operation, with just under 50 people working the production line - all of whom are at different work stations but all knew one another. This isn't something that occurs often in a workplace, and was magical to see...

(Courtesy of @_Blixa_)

Steeped in tradition, there is an overwhelming sense of pride with each Saddle made by the Brooks team. I love every element of my Pashley, so it was very special to see where my B66s was made, and meeting people from the team who would have worked on it. 

Our two hours at Brooks was fascinating: meeting the workers & seeing how much effort goes into each piece and has made me appreciate my Saddle even more.

After a quick pub-stop, me, The Boy and @thefixedfactor I  headed off with @_blixa_, who had organised a meet-up and cycle through Market Bosworth with Chris Puttnam, one of the founders of Vélobici, and his friend Matthew. Another British company, Velobici make high-end cycling clothing and accessories - all of which are designed to be used for "cycling, socialising or working". This is something that strikes a chord with me when it comes to cycle-style, so it was a pleasure to meet Chris & discuss the ethos of his clothing!

Market Bosworth is a beautiful town to cycle though; so peaceful and picturesque...

I had a lot of fun cycling with the fellas, but as you can see, my Pashley isn't quite the calibre of speed machines they were on! There were also some false flats that caught me right out... it was quite an effort for me! My legs were certainly worked by the end of that ride - damn! 

A lovely and very generous surprise at the end of the ride was dinner at The Black Horse Restaurant, owned by Chris' brother Mike. Joined by Matthew's lovely wife & kids, we gathered in the bar for a very special preview of the upcoming new line from Vélobici (stunning!) and then sat down for 'Pie and Wine night'... oh my gosh, did I NEED this...

(Pie shot courtesy of Ian James)

This was the perfect ending to a wonderful day out on the bikes: A massive thank you goes to Chris for his immense generosity, thank you Brooks for having us and showing us the workings of your factory and a special thank you to @_blixa_ & @Craftydutchie for organising such a brilliant day! 

More photos from the day can be viewed here.

Many thanks to The Boy for photographic assistance again x

VCG in Marie Claire...

Marie Claire, May 2012.

This is one of the last things I would have even dreamt of happening when I started this blog two years ago... a mention in Marie Claire Magazine! VCG has popped-up in the 'Reporter' section of MC, which highlights the "trends, people and places" on their radar for the month.

It's always fantastic to see cycling & fashion being recognised as something that is possible, so having Vélo-City-Girl sited as one of the "go-to Brit blogs for cycle style tips" is rather amazing for me. From comments on the blog, to messages on twitter from girls who are getting back on bicycles, it's touching to know that my little corner of the internet is inspiring women out there & is being enjoyed....

Massive love to you all... and keep on riding in style! x

Rolling in the Spring...

The sun came out to play last Sunday.

We had a lazy morning.

Then decided to head out and roll with the sunshine.

The Boy rode in Red.

This Lady rode in ice cream ripple colours.

Lillies were out on the Pond.

Boy being... well, a 'boy' on his bike.

A slow cycle home in the evening light.

Finished with a Gingery delight.

London in the Spring on our bikes.

Welcome back.

Cover Girl: Cycle Style...

From an email I received from Horst A. Friedrichs back in May 2011 which lead to some amazing photo-shoots & meetings: fast forward to March 2012 and 'Cycle Style' the book has been published... with a rather familiar 'Lady' with a Pashley on the back cover... 

At the risk of sounding like a gushing mess, this is one of the best things to have happened to me! I was over the moon when Horst asked me to be a part of his project, but being the cover girl on the book has completely blown me away.

The book is beautiful, with its varied mix of London Cyclists across 192 pages. Horst has done such an amazing job on this and Prestel have produced a fantastic publication...

Some of my favourite cycling friends and style icons are in the book, including the lovely Fleur de Geurre with a red Pashley Britannia

... and it's also rather nice to say I'm in the same book as one of my favourite designers who embraces cycling with such passion... 

Mr Paul Smith! 

It has been a brilliant experience and of course, The Boy played a major part in all of this too. He came along to the Shoots, took photos for me to use on the blog and made a friend in Horst too, something which clearly didn't go unnoticed by the man himself... 

Seeing Ian being 'thanked' in the book was a rather special thing indeed.

With the official 'launch party' for Cycle Style coming up in a couple of weeks, it'll be fabulous to see Horst again, and meet-up with fellow cyclists in the book. Of course a blog post on that will follow, but in the meantime, get your hands on a copy of Cycle Style :) 

Team GB - The Stella McCartney / Adidas Kit Launch....

So, the Team GB Olympic Kit has been revealed to the world, in a launch at the Tower of London. The buzz surrounding the collaboration between sports brand adidas and designing powerhouse Stella McCartney has been immense... but it seems there have been more cries of  "off with 'er head!" at the Tower, drowning out any joyful reactions to the kit...

As pictures of it appeared on the official Facebook page from 11am this morning, the comments that began to flood in were initially of utter disapproval of the design. Ranging from the rather blunt "Really bad" to "the overall design is just rubbish", there was one recurring theme throughout the comments on there and other social media sites which kept on popping up;

"Where is the red, white and blue? Where is the British Flag?!"

The British public seemed to be in utter shock by the design - you might as well rename the initial reactions as 'TracksuitGate'... (cheers @SimonAlexTyler for that one!). As I was discussing with a friend on Twitter, it would appear most people were "expecting the obvious" of a largely white kit, festooned with the British Flag. The design clearly didn't go down that path, and I totally respect and admire McCartney and adidas for going down a more imaginative and creative route for this design.

As McCartney pointed out, the Union Flag was a prominent element of the design, which had been over two years in the making:

"... For me, it's one of the most beautiful flags in the world and it was important to me to stay true to that iconic design, but also modernise it and present it in a contemporary way." 

McCartney didn't "forget about the flag" or "not get the memo" as people have been saying online at the moment. The geometric shapes in the flag are just as iconic as the colours; the flag has simply been broken down, but is still present in the kit.

I have to admit to being slightly baffled by what currently feels like the general consensus of "how will we distinguish who our athletes are taking part in the cycling events?" If you're really asking that question, it begs me to ask if you actually know who our Olympic Cycling team are...

Perhaps the international response to the kit will be more positive, but I definitely stand by the kit and give a thumbs-up to adidas and McCartney for the direction they've gone in. You're looking great Team GB - go for it!

Fashion Thursday: Vulpine Bike Apparel...

The world of cycling fashion has a new face on the block, and it's certainly one to be excited about.

Long anticipated and much spoken about amongst the cycling scene, Vulpine Bike Apparel has launched -  and its founder Nick Hussey has brought something rather special to the market.
A true labour of love, Hussey states that Vulpine was "borne out of love and frustration"; his love for cycling which goes back to his childhood days and his frustration of cycling clothing being "stuck in a Lycra-warp for 30 years".

Being a leisure rider on my Pashley, I've never felt the need to dress in 'high performance cycling clothing' to ride, but the ethos of Vulpine (that clothing should work off the bike as well as on it) struck a chord with me, especially after having the chance to see some of the pieces up-close and personal...

With the performance characteristics of high-end sportswear, there isn't a touch of Lycra in sight; we're talking about garments made from the finest Merino Wool and incredible attention to detail from the stitching right down to the buttons and fastenings.

From what I've seen so far and with more designs to come (including a dedicated Women's range) Vulpine has a lot to offer. I'm especially impressed at how it blended in with my everyday wear. I love being able to mix and match within my wardrobe and it was easily achieved with the pieces I tried. Practical (digging the back pocket on the Top to keep my keys in!) and rather beautiful, I predict big things for Vulpine.

Website: Vulpine.cc
All photos by Paul Calver Photography

Tights about Town...

As the dark winter becomes a distant memory, the time has come to start pedalling towards Spring and put some colour into my cycling wardrobe.

What better way to welcome the bright days than with Fashion Tights? They are a fantastic way to inject a splash of colour when riding. There is a whole world of alternative tights out there, some of which are guaranteed to put a smile on your legs...

"Schneewichen" & "Otto" - Les Queues de Sardines

If you haven't come across them before, I suggest seeking out independent French label Les Queues de Sardines. Embracing bold graphic prints with a sometimes wickedly dark slice of humour (the Schneewichen tights will give you a clue), LQDS have some fantastic designs in their collection. If you're after an unusual yet stylish edge, they are certainly worth checking out, and are very comfy to cycle in too.

"Crystal Lux" & "Leon" - Bebaroque

Bebaroque Tights are all about opulence and luxury in the world of hosiery. From Swarovski Crystal embellishments to prints that give the appearance of having tattooed legs, Bebaroque provides a unique and beautiful twist to accessorising with your legs on two wheels.

Cycle Style Video...

Still courtesy of F.Milovac on Vimeo.

With just over a month to go, the excitement for the release of Cycle Style is building up... and the promo video for the book is now online!

Meeting with Filip Milovac in December to do my bit for the shoot was an absolute blast, so seeing the finished product earlier this week was fantastic. Filip & Horst have done an amazing job with this, incorporating some of the portraits that will be included in Cycle Style.

Enjoy the video - and see if you can spot some familiar faces in there too...


Cycle Style from Filip Milovac on Vimeo.

Spring in my step...

Spring-time Cycling in London may seem like a distant dream at the moment, but there is no harm in getting ready for it starting now. Besides, January is the best time to pick up some serious fashion bargains - especially if you're not a slave to 'Seasons' & like me, will happily wear clothing and accessories that make you feel good, no matter when they came out.

My 1st piece of bargain hunting came via of one of my favourite online shopping haunts, Net-A-Porter...

You can't beat the feeling of glamour when one of their big black boxes turns up, right?

The joy in the box - Swedish Hasbeens!

Even though I don't "do" Heels on a regular basis, I've wanted a pair of these for ages. They went in the NAP sale, reduced to £48 - I HAD TO!!!

With wooden 4.1 inch high heels and 1.2 inch high platforms, they actually make for a comfortable shoe. Granted, I've been walking around my house in them to break them in, but I plan on doing some cycling in these too!

Look out for them on the Pashley when the weather changes... I can't wait.

Cycle Style - The Book...

Do you remember that Photo-Shoot that me and my Pashley took part in last Summer?

Well, it was for Horst A. Friedrichs third book, 'Cycle Style', which celebrates the brilliant and varied fashion in London's cycling scene. I'm very pleased to finally be able to tell you that I'm going to be in the book, along with featuring on the back cover too!

"Cycle Style" Book Cover courtesy of waterstones.com
Photo by Horst A.Friedrichs

Horst and his assistant Filip Milovac contacted to let me know the news, and to ask me to be in the promo-video for the book launch. I was over the moon to know I'd made it into 'Cycle Style', and was bouncing off the walls about the cover... that's something I never expected to happen.

I met up with Filip last month for the video shoot on Columbia Road. It was a gorgeous Friday afternoon in December - a bit chilly but very bright... perfect winter cycling weather! It also meant I could wrap up warm on the bike, and not be smothered in heavy & plain clothing... 

Photo by Filip Milovac* 

Scarf: See by Chloé

Leather Biker Jacket: Topshop

Black Jumper: M&S

Bag: Vintage Mulberry

Tweed Shorts: Mango

Big Ben Tights: Henry Holland

(I had to wear those tights - celebrating London's cycle style, right?)

Brogues: Topshop

The adorable Filip - photo thanks to a kind passer-by who clicked the button! 

I can't wait to see the finished video & of course the published book. It's been a wonderful experience and a fantastic project to be a part of... roll on March for the launch!

*Thank you to Filip for these shots of the day for the blog.