Donna Ida (aks DR. Denim) is one of Britain’s best fashion boutique entrepreneurs. She is renowned for her denim emporiums across London which provide a mecca for those wanting to find the perfect pair of jeans. For several seasons now Crumpet has been seen hanging on the rails of Donna Ida boutiques.

Who are your go-to brands for everyday basics? I live in jeans so I wear a lot of tees from Splendid and Kain to go with skinny jeans and blazers. I also can’t live without Hanky Panky Knickers, the low rise thongs in a rainbow of colours.

Brands/items to save up for/ Lusting after? I love Chanel for classics and investment pieces but I also like fun seasonal bags too. I’ve got a great Stella McCartney snake print bag for this season. I also love shoes from Miu Miu and YSL, they fit me perfectly and are always comfortable. Right now I’m lusting after some great pointy toe heels from Jimmy Choo for AW. We’ve barely had a Summer and I’m planning what I’ll wear for Winter – of course!

A typical Saturday  A typical Saturday is the gym in the morning then the day in the office spent catching up. Occasionally I’ll work in the shops too if we need an extra pair of hands. In the evening we usually see friends or have a dinner to go to, but if I can just go home and watch television with my husband that is absolute heaven!

Cats or Dogs? Dogs. I have two chihauhas called Romeo and Julio. We even created a section on our website for Denim Doggy Style for dogs and their stylish owners.

In another life what would you do/be? Something crafty, I like to make things.

Last year you raised £50,000 for Jeans for Genes and this year you are holding your own event – what advice can you give to women and men who are thinking about taking part? To just get involved. we’re working with a fabulous lady called Ruth Field author of Run Fat Bitch Run and her ethos is so inspiring. You don’t need a fancy sports kit, or a gym membership, you just need to do it. I think if you have a voice in any way, you should use it to help people. That’s what I try to do with Jeans for Genes. I want the message to be positive – be healthy and raise some money to help people less fortunate at the same time.

Finally what are your 2 favourite pieces from the aw12 collection and why/ what would you style them with? 
The black polo neck and the black and purple block print that are both exclusive to Donna Ida are pieces that I’ll live in. Cashmere is essential for AW – so easy to wear and it always looks chic and elegant.

To find out more about Donna Ida click here or go to www.donnaida.com and for the exclusive pieces- watch this space to get involved with Donna and Jeans for Genes day please go here.

Over the bank holiday weekend I went to Turin to visit a friend. We stayed in Bra where she is a student of the University of Gastronomic Sciences- founded by Carlo Petrini. He also created the Slow Food Movement, which promotes a new way of eating, searching for the best quality in food, promoting the protection of biodiversity and keeping culinary traditions alive.

As expected, I ate my weight in cheese and drank plenty of wine. The area is in Piedmont so went to visit a vineyard and tried the local wines. The wine was truly delicious, like nothing I have ever drank before and cost us no more that 15 euros! Above is a picture of the family who welcomed us with open arms, wine, a wonderful goats cheese and local salami.

Above are a few pictures of the places we visited. Pictures taken by Iona and Ophelia. To find out more about The Slow Food Movement click here.

Ever the reluctant model- we managed to snap this pic of Zara before she left HQ.

A few pictures of the warehouses in China.

Several times a year Crumpet’s Creative Director Zara takes a trip out to Chang Ping in the Guang Dong province of China. As much as Zara likes to hang out with the production team, drink green tea, hit the spas and browse the fantastic markets this trip is by no means a holiday.

At this time of the year Zara has two main tasks. The first involves polishing up the final samples for the Spring Summer 13 collection. By this stage in the year pieces have been hand printed, stitched and dyed and as the creative director she needs to liaise with the team to decide what samples can make the cut and what needs to be adjusted or changed. Reports back of ice cream shades, popping pastel and laced silk textures transport us out of this grizzly day in London to a warm summer’s day soaking up some rays and drinking pimms. The more enjoyable task of the two is definitely the second. Zara scours the textile markets like a hawk hunting for yarns, fabrics and accessories for Autumn Winter 13. A little like cooking, we try to use the best and freshest ingredients in order to put together something that is unique and delicious in its own right. Even though sticking to the recipe usually has a great outcome we like to mix things up and step outside of our comfort zone when creating clothing made from different yarns and textures. Nothing beats the feeling of using the finest ingredients to make an original creation better than the recipe.

With the job carried out Zara can now catch up with Chao our long standing manager out there who has recently been made a father- Congratulations! For any more information on the production and offices out in China please get in touch with us at info@crumpetengland.com

Last night I had the privilege of being taken to the Hirst exhibition at the Tate. I have to say that I am a slightly reluctant appreciator of the artist. Perhaps naively I have never really “got” his work. I can appreciate it nonetheless and I was very happy at the thought of going to see his work, which for the first time is curated in such a large and detailed manner.

On entering the exhibition, we were greeted by the shocking piece, A Thousand Years It depicts the full life cycle of a fly and was produced by Hirst barely a year after he graduated in 1989. The two-room vessel houses both a box of maggots and a severed cow’s head. Maggots hatch into flies and feast on the carcass- so the circle begins. However an insect light executes any of the flies that happen to journey too close, this is supposedly Hirst’s ironic statement about the ephemeral nature of life.

I had seen the tiger shark in formaldehyde once in the flesh and several times in books yet it still captivated me in such a hypnotic way. One first sees the shark as an intimidating killer searching for its prey yet the killer has now been killed. Hirst portrays the shark in such a vulnerable light. The live butterfly installation In and Out of Love was somewhat euphoric after seeing this vulnerable situation, truly a beautiful sight it is such a pleasure to go from two extremes of emotion so rapidly in one exhibition. Yet somehow one can only think  the beauty is all nature’s, not Hirst’s. And I felt a little sorry for the butterflies.

I went trying to be open-minded about Hirst, hoping to be converted. Indeed it was thought-provoking but I left no more convinced of Hirst and his work than I was before.

For more information on the exhibition click here.