Last Sunday I went with my friend Cristina to an event hosted at the
Brickhouse in Brick Lane. The weather was gorgeous so I worn my tea dress and vintage looking shoes by
Amarena Chic ready for an afternoon organised by the UK Tea Council "
Just My Cup Of Tea".
The host of this event was model, singer and vintage lover
V.V.Brown together with fashion stylist
Alexis Knox who mingled with the fashionable crowd, some in vintage garb with fantastic hairstyle and make up.
The afternoon was starting perfectly with tea served in vintage and mismatched cups and saucers, refreshing cocktails with tea as one of the main ingredient and tea cakes stands with delicious macaroones, meringues, brownies and biscuits.
The ground floor room had little tables with fresh flowers and books about teas and fashion. Delicious sandwiches have been served, classic style like cucumber, salmon and cheese, egg and cress, while sipping our teas and our cocktails, waiting for our host to introduce the afternoon event.
The models were waiting, dressed up with Alexis choices, ready to show us how to transform something found in a vintage or charity shop and make it wearable and unique.
This lovely DJ has been spinning tunes all afternoon mixing old classics with more contemporary sound, without being intrusive and adding a pleasant background to the afternoon.
Alexis and V.V. are with one of the models who is wearing a pick from the upstairs "swoom" (swap room to the not initiated).In here V.V. asks Alexis how to accessorise this ensemble to make it just right, and during this session Alexis show us that just a bead necklace or knotting a blouse changes completely the look of an outfit.
During the afternoon a make up artist has given to some of the guest a make up and hairstyle session and I've been amazed by how just a few expert strokes of a brush and a hairspray made possible to change a look with beautiful curls and hairdos reminding me of Audrey Hepburn and her chignon.
In the garden a tea leaves reader has been dispensing her insights for many of us who wanted to know what was going on in our life and a bit of future thrown in. It is very fascinating looking at the tea leaves swirling inside the tea cup and listening to what they mean depending on were they were positioned.
Several kind of teas were available to be tasted and they were even more appealing just being served in vintage teapots and poured through a strainer.
Dresses are ready to be picked up by their new owner, together with shoes, costume jewellery, silk scarves and handbags. I've found a fantastic bag mock croc in light brown. The maker must be an old english label "
Mac of Norwich" and my friend left with a cute necklace with an enamelled butterfly.
I'm going to look for a tea set like this, tea is just so much more delicious when drank in style and I'm sure I'm going to host an similar afternoon for my friends at my place. Fashion and tea work well together and now with all the choice we've got in shops, we can create a tea menu with a great range of flavours.
Inside the goodie bag where we put our treasure we've found two fantastic books, a guide to the "
Perfect Places for Afternoon Tea" published by the
AA Publishing in association with the
Tea Guild and the
United Kingdom Tea Council and "
The Magic in Tea Leaves" by
Amber McCarroll which I believe will keep me entartained for a while.
Pictures courtesy of Just My Cup Of Tea
