News

Summer already? MFP checks out Summer 2014 at Wellington Fashion Week

Apr 09, 2013

With the impending chill of Winter, last week was the perfect week to have Wellington Fashion Week. Myself and a bunch of other folk were lucky enough to check out collections for Summer 2014 on the runway. Lovely! New Zealand Fashion Week always shows Winter collections, so this was a fabulous time for designers to show off what wondrous summer goodies they have conjured up.

Many of you will know that MFP currently stocks fantastic designers High Noon Tea (New Plymouth) and Arielle Mermin (Mount Maunganui). After viewing the group show we are super excited to announce that Madame Fancy Pants’ hangers will be graced with gorgeous garments by the talented Silence Was.. (Auckland) and Mardle (Wellington).

Here are some sneak peeks at looks we loved at the Wellington Fashion Week group show from High Noon Tea, Mardle and Silence was.

All runway shots are by Jenn Hadley Photography. Do make sure you check out her Wellington Fashion Week photography competition entry which features High Noon Tea, Kate of Arcadia and Madame Fancy Pants. Gorgeous!

XClaire

Ways To Wear

Apr 03, 2013

Hello lovelies! Hope you had a wonderful long weekend and are enjoying your week so far! I must admit I'm going through some serious chocolate withdrawals, but I’ll survive, you don’t need to worry about me (although, any unwanted chocolate will be gratefully received)!

This week, seeing as it is Wellington Fashion Week, let’s talk about fashion. Now, Winter IS coming. It might not seem like it, but it will eventually get cold, and we should look forward to that. Snuggly slimline jumpers, deep Autumnal oranges, navies and jade greens, woolen coats and little red rain capes; Winter fashion is sensible and very cool, in fact, very Wellington. Black, the most Wellington of shades, need not be boring. Black pants need not be unflattering. To prove it, check out these beauties, and some Ways To Wear them.

Highnoontea’s Ada Pant. Gorgeous. Woolen, black, classic, and very flattering. Highnoontea is stamping its mark on the New Zealand fashion industry with a strong identity of directional tailored comfort, and you can see why. Designer Sheryl White sources inspiration from a love of music, film, literature and vintage clothing. These Bauhaus inspired pants are the perfect foundation for a tailored yet comfort driven look, check out these two looks for some inspiration:

Look One is a smart yet comfortable look for a day spent in town, a bit of time at work, with a few errands to run and a coffee or two thrown in. A pop of colour with the lovely red Norma wallet, which fits in everything you need for the day. A simple necklace completes this understated look. (Highnoontea Ada Pant and Gerhard Top, Status Anxiety Norma Wallet, Figs & Ginger Necklace.)

Look Two is your “going out for drinks with the girls” look. Comfortable, a little bit cute and a little bit sexy. The deep orange sheer shirt with an adorable owl print is perfect for Autumn and works beautifully with a long statement necklace. The mint green nail polish clashes with the orange and pulls this look together. Sling the Calyx bag across your body to add a little more edge to your look and you’ll keep ‘em guessing. (Highnoontea Ada Pant, Arielle Mermin Sweet Virginia Top, Kate of Arcadia Calyx Bag, MFP Leave Your Love Tonight Necklace)

I hope these looks get you inspired and feeling a little more excited for Winter! Remember that tomorrow evening, April 4th from 5 until 7pm, we are having a little shindig here at Madame Fancy Pants to celebrate Highnoontea’s debut at Wellington Fashion Week. Come have a little drink, check out those Ada pants, and receive 30% off all purchases of Highnoontea.

Hope to see you tomorrow, otherwise have a fantastic week filled with fashion!

Anneke xoxo

I May Have Been Eating Chocolate Whilst Writing This Blog..

Mar 27, 2013

Hello there! Welcome to another weekly Madame Fancy Pants blog post!

First of all, an invitation. We would love to see you here next Thursday evening for a little tipple and a look through High Noon Tea’s collection, plus enjoy 30% off all purchases of High Noon Tea on the night! This is all to celebrate High Noon Tea’s debut at Wellington Fashion Week as part of the SS’14 Group Showcase next Friday; purchase your tickets here for an evening of exciting fashion.

Easter is coming up this weekend and with that comes chocolate, family time, craft and chocolate. Yeah, I said chocolate twice.. I’m seriously looking forward to guiltlessly eating my way through an entire Easter egg trail! Maybe I’ll have a lazy Sunday walk afterwards, maybe. With that in mind here are some cool ideas for crafts and chocolate.

First up are these seriously cool classic blown egg decorations (Eggs with moustaches. So. Cool.)! You’ll know how to create these lovelies from your childhood, if you can’t remember you can learn how to here. Then just decorate them how you please, these have been stenciled, but try dying, dipping or painting. An easy craft idea that you can make with kids.

Mmmm.. chocolate! These cute Easter themed chocolate bars are easy to make, just melt some chocolate and stud with your favourite toppings. All thanks to one of our favourite blogs, A Beautiful Mess.

Another DIY chocolate idea: if you want to learn how to make your own Easter chocolates this weekend, check out Agnes Almeida’s awesome video all about easy chocolate making and you’ll be making your own chocolates in no time. Check it out here.

Oh, I didn’t forget about all you vegans out there, and non-dairy kids can enjoy this trio of recipes too! Thanks to Laura at Hungry and Frozen, my favourite Wellington food blog, here are some delicious vegan friendly chocolate recipes (just sub out honey for agave nectar if need be): No-bake Vegan Cookie Dough Truffles, Water Chocolate Mousse and Cocoa Sorbet.

With all the delicious chocolate out there, it pays to make an informed choice in regards to your Easter goodies. Palm oil is in a lot of chocolate treats, and as it’s important to protect our environment and the habitat of some pretty special wildlife, it’s best that we avoid purchasing products that use palm oil. Auckland Zoo has come out with this handy guide to choosing palm oil free goodies, so check it out before you go buy your treats!

The newest issue of Extra Curricular has just arrived here at MFP. This issue is all about new beginnings, very fitting for Easter! There are tons of interviews with crafty people, pretty pictures and some delicious recipes to try out. For a full run down check out their blog. Isn’t the cover amazing? A lovely read and a lovely gift for the crafty gal/guy in your life who doesn’t like chocolate. (I can’t actually imagine a creative type who doesn’t love chocolate, but there will be a few out there I’m sure!)

Hope you all have a lovely weekend spent with family, friends and chocolate!

Thanks for reading,

Anneke xox

Hoot Hoot!

Mar 20, 2013

We love our little critters here at Madame Fancy Pants; we have animals aplenty adorning our shelves, our walls, our notebooks, our everything. We even have critters adorning our clothes!! Arielle Mermin has created a blouse that is both adorable and sophisticated, and is covered in cute wee owls! The Sweet Virginia Top has 3/4 length sleeves, slightly sheer fabric and its deep burnt orange colour makes it perfect for the cooler months that are headed our way. This beauty is a sheer, soft polyester and is $195. Lovely!

In other news, our favourite funny, yet slightly dark, friend is back in store; All My Friends Are Dead. Yes, the title is kind of depressing, but it's definitely worth a read if you're in need of a giggle. From the Pirate who's friends all have scurvy, to the tree who's friends are all end tables, you'll be giggling away and wiping away the tears at the same time. This little friend will cost you $25. Critter related? Yes! Dinosaurs!

Today, Claire and I have been busy making and prettying up a step stool to help me around the store as I am a little vertically challenged (short). We went for a grey top step and a wicked teal bottom step for a pop of colour. DIY is where it's at, and grey and teal are definitely the colours du jour. Kind of tempted to sport this watch whilst I am teetering on top of the new stool, colour co-ordination is always a good idea right?

Thanks for reading! Enjoy the early Autumn sunshine!

Anneke xox

Lovely New Things!

Mar 14, 2013

We have lots of wonderful things to share with you, lovely reader!

First up are the super cool May28th Watches that have just arrived on our doorstep! They come in cool colours and lovely designs; at $60 they are pretty and practical! The 08:16AM watch with its classic black strap and regal stag design is perfect for the upcoming cooler months whilst our customer favourite 12:40PM, hot pink and full of flowers, is a great pick for brightening up your day. Check them out!

If you’re in the mood for an at home manicure, try out the lovely Kester Black Nail Polishes. These polishes are free of any nasty chemicals, so you’ll be caring for your nails whilst dazzling your admirers! We have a few new polishes to round out our collection and add to yours; Asteroid- a clear polish with shards of sparkle, Fairy Floss- a pretty pastel pink and a magical Matt Top Coat; which transforms shiny polish to an edgey matte look. The ladies at Madame Fancy Pants love Buttercream- a classic nude opaque polish; layered with the Matt Top Coat it creates an understated look to pair with brighter outfits. They are $21.50 each and we have testers in store so feel free to come and try them out!

For those crafty yet tech savvy lads and lasses we have a range of Cross Stitch iPhone Cases which you can stitch up yourself! Cool right? From $35, they come with floss, a needle and a pattern. Feel free to create your own designs to really show off your creative flair! Nifty, crafty and very cool.

We’ll leave you with our clothing pick of the week, the gorgeous Amanda Jones dress by Arielle Mermin, perfect for the eventual Autumnal day!

Thanks for reading xx

ps We have 35% off MOR Cosmetics in store! So come on in and stock up on some lovely goodies to pamper you, your friends and a Mother in your life; remember that Mother's Day is coming up in May! xx