CoChineChine

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: CARVEN'S MAP-PRINT DRESS

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:32:40 +0000

Carven's picture-perfect map-print dress is this season's pièce de résistance! Wear it with teetering heels, and perfect effortless vacation style with fluro flats.

MISS COCHINECHINE SAYS: Work this directional map-print shirt dress with bare legs, adding tan platforms for the ultimate in daytime cool.

Sneak Peek: 07.03.12

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:44:42 +0000

How incredible is Philippe Roucou's Privileges Leather and Python Bag? At Cochinechine HQ we cannot stop talking about how much we love it!
If you would like to know when this become available on our E-Store, then email us at shop@cochinechine.com, or sign up to our newsletter!

What we're wearing: 02.03.12

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:15:02 +0000

Cochinechine's wonderful buyer, Mel, is ready to head off to Paris Fashion Week!
Get the look with the Salinas Printed Leather Jacket by Iro, the Peter Marino Scarf in green by Prova, the Super Skinny Ankle Jeans in yellow by AG Jeans, the Distressed Leather Ankle Boots in blue by MM6, and the Leather Tote by McQ Alexander McQueen.

Three reasons to love... pastels

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:59:17 +0000

We can't get enough of pastels this season (like this beautiful Lace Applique Sweater by Carven) and here's why...

1. Pastels are this season's must-have hue.
2. Mixing them with your last season favourites is a great way to update your outfits.
3. They can be layered over other pastels to create a fresh new season look.

Shop pastels here: http://tiny.cc/9dv8d

Sneak peek: 29.02.12

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:34:08 +0000

Lizzie Fortunato's Forgotten Modern II earrings are so beautiful and have truly captured our hearts here at Cochinechine HQ that we all want them!
If you would like to know when they become available on our E-Store, then email us at shop@cochinechine.com, or sign up to our newsletter!

Song of the week: 'Champion Sound' by Crystal Fighters

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:51:24 +0000

To celebrate this sunny weather, we've been listening to songs that make us feel upbeat and excited for summer.
This week, 'Champion Sound' by Crystal Fighters has put us in that dancing mood with its cool beats and uplifting lyrics (though, we're always dancing here at Cochinechine HQ).
We also adore the music video, with costumes provided by Vivienne Westwood, which has both stunning and surreal visuals.

Cake O'Clock: 27.02.12

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:36:11 +0000

For Cake O'Clock today, Charlotte, our amazing online executive, made us this delicious Earl Grey Chocolate Fudge Cake.

Not only did it taste amazing, the gold dust made it so lovely to look at!
Since Melissa, our online manager, has a penchant for Earl Grey and chocolate, we decided to rename it 'The Melissa Cake' in her honour.
The recipe is originally by Gizzi Erskine, which we've posted below:

For the cake:
6 Earl grey tea bags
150 ml boiling water
100 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing
3 large free range eggs
150 g soft dark brown sugar
100 g light muscovado sugar
250 g self raising flour
120 g 70% plain chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp Greek yoghurt

For the Earl Grey cream:
4 Earl grey teabags
100 ml boiling water
3 tbsp light muscovado sugar
250 g cream cheese

For the chocolate icing:
150 g 70% plain chocolate
100 ml double cream
3 tbsp honey

For the Earl Grey gold dust:
2 tbsp golden caster sugar
1 Earl grey teabag

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
2. To make the cake, place the Earl Grey teabags in a cup and cover with the boiling water. Leave the tea to stew for 5 minutes, then squeeze out the teabags and discard, leaving the really strong tea to cool a little.
3. Grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin with butter and a disc of greaseproof paper. Place all the cake ingredients, including the tea, into a food processor and blend until you have a smooth batter. Pour the batter into a cake tin and level out the surface.
4. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, or until you can stick metal skewer into the centre and it comes out clean. Leave to cool in its tin, cover with a clean tea towel for 2 hours.
5. To make the Earl Grey cream, place the Earl Grey teabags in a small pan and cover with the boiling water. Leave the tea to stew for 5 minutes, then remove the teabags, squeezing out the liquid as you go. Add the sugar to the tea, bring to boil and boil for 5 minutes or until syrupy. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then whisk into the cream cheese.
6. Slice the cooled cake in half horizontally. Cover the bottom half with the Earl Grey cream, then place the top of the cake back on. Melt the chocolate for the icing in the microwave for 1½ minutes, stirring halfway through. Add the double cream and honey, then pour the chocolate icing over the cake.
7. Using a spatula, gently tease the icing around the edge until the whole cake is iced. It looks beautiful if you draw swirls through it.
8. To make the gold dust, melt the sugar in a small dry frying pan. Once starting to caramelise, empty out the teabag into the caramel and stir the loose tea leaves through. Take off the heat immediately and pour on to a sheet of greaseproof paper. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then grind up in a pestle and mortar until it becomes golden and dusty. Sprinkle over the top of the cake and serve.

WHAT WE'RE WEARING: 24.02.12

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:40:11 +0000

Our lovely online executive, Charlotte, is looking very chic and sophisticated today.
Shop the look on our E-store with Acne's Blake Chambray Jacket, SWASH's Orient Express-print silk tank (coming soon), AG Jeans' Farrah High-Rise Skinny Cropped Jeans, and MM6 by Masion Martin Margiela's Suede Crisscross Wedge Sandals.

As Chosen By... Imogen Roy

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:33:31 +0000

Photo by Jonathan Pryce

Imogen Roy is the writer behind the blog Eight London. Currently based in Paris, her blog is filled with posts about her daily life and photos of her own personal style. She is effortlessly chic and we cannot get enough of her colourful outfits! Check out her blog if you haven't already.
This month, Imogen has chosen her favourite piece from Cochinechine.com, Sonia by Sonia Rykiel's Detachable Silk Collar in orange.

'Detachable collars and cuffs have become a bit of a thing recently, and when I saw this beautiful Sonia by Sonia Rykiel piece in my favourite colour - ORANGE - my heart just soared. I find detachable collars like this one have the brilliant effect of instantly making an outfit seem more demure when perhaps it's not. Say, with a longsleeved dress with a VERY low scooped neckline. The great thing about this piece is that you can pop it over a cropped tee shirt, or until it gets a tad warmer, a sort of light trans-seasonal tummy-grazing sweater from Carven. With detachable collars, I recommend fixing them with a little bit of double-sided to keep them from misbehaving. You don't want to look like you put your outfit on back-to-front.' - Imogen

SNEAK PEEK: 22.02.12

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:15:19 +0000

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We are lusting over this pink Razor Bracelet by McQ Alexander McQueen!
If you feel the same way, then email us at shop@cochinechine.com if you would like to be informed when this item becomes available on our E-store.
Or sign up to our newsletter!