Founder and creative director at Brora since 1993, Victoria Stapleton is the original cashmere queen. Through an immense love of scenic country colours, and a passion for rich Scottish textiles, Victoria created a luxury British brand dedicated to U.K manufacturing, unrivaled quality cashmere and classic clothing for the entire family.

I didn’t realise I would feel quite so emotional about our 20th anniversary; even now, as four weeks have passed, I’m truly moved by all that the business has accomplished. Looking back to that Friday 1st March, as I arrived at the Symons street flagship store to be welcomed by lovely 20th birthday windows, balloons, flowers, prosecco and delightful party cakes; it felt like the day we first opened again!

There were lots of lovely customers flicking through the rails of our bright new collection, chatting, happy, all ages. Mothers with toddlers, husbands with wives, customers with tales of their first ever Brora purchase, old and young eager to find a gem to buy with the contribution of their £20 for 20 years vouchers. I met a customer from Melbourne, a lady from Brussels and another from Argentina!

I’d like to say a very special thank you to all of the birthday bloggers who took part in celebrating this momentous occasion. The time they’ve put in, as well as the wonderful thought behind each and every post is amazing, and the relationships made are truly valued!

It has been such a great 20 years and I in turn would like to further thank all our wonderful suppliers and my brilliant Brora gang who make it all happen! I’ve received emails and calls from work colleagues congratulating me on this moment, from manufacturers I’ve worked with for as many years and other people in similar businesses, all wishing Brora well. And most importantly, thank you to you the customers! I appreciate you joining us in celebrating twenty wonderful years of Brora…here’s to another twenty!

- Victoria

Giving a new meaning to the phrase’getting your nails done’, Metta is the innovative force behind high-end nail design brand NAILS BY METS. One of the biggest trends in recent pop culture, Metta offers her clients bold cutting edge designs, and can even transform any print into an inspiring bit of nail art; providing something for the young, and young at heart!

I’ve always had an obsession with nails, and in school I used to constantly moisturise my hands and buff my nails until they were excessively shiny (we weren’t allowed to wear nail varnish!). At the weekends I’d paint them with whichever polish I could get my hands on at my local shop, and then get in trouble with my mum for wearing shades that were “too grown up for me” – pah!

In 2010, alongside my full-time job as a technology consultant, I launched my own mobile nail business, NAILS BY METS. I wanted to offer ladies in the London and surrounding areas not just luxe manicures and pedicures, but the latest offerings like Minx, Gelish and of course, bespoke hand drawn nail art. I wanted to appeal to working professional mothers, and generally those who didn’t want to (or couldn’t) waste their time sitting in a salon.

I also wanted to offer more exciting services than the standard high street nail salon. Nowadays I service regular clients in their homes, but I also do session work. I’ve done nails at London Fashion Week, filmed nail art tutorial videos for Videojug and painted nails at events for a number of big brands, including Rimmel, Sally Hansen and Jonathan Aston/Mark Fast.

The great thing about nails is that they are so versatile and can really add the final touch to any outfit, nail art is no longer confinrd to nights out or special occasions. It can be as wild or as subtle as you like – I’ve created nude, understated designs and glow-in-the-dark nu rave nails! Catwalks and lookbooks provide the perfect nailspiration, and I always look to fashion in general to give me ideas on textures, colours and styles.

Last year, one of my regular clients Ellie, was heading to a wedding and she requested nails to match her Brora Harebell design dress. I created a watercolour style nail design and tried to make each nail reflect a different part of the dress – she loved them!

Having been asked to participate in Brora’s 20th Anniversary (what an honour, thank you Brora!) I chose two designs to focus on, the first design is marine flowers. Some people may think that black nail polish is too harsh for spring/summer but with the added floral detail this is definitely a look that can be pulled off. A good black polish was essential, as was a steady hand to paint the blue & turquoise flowers. I completed the nail design with a glossy top coat to create a nice silky effect, perfect for pairing with Brora’s cascading floral print dress.

Nail art is not just copying a design, it is about putting your own twist on a design too. The second Brora design I focused on was cobalt buds. I really loved the pattern and detail, but wanted to emphasise the yellows and greens and make the overall design shout “look at me!” In my design I went for a cobalt blue base colour and then completed the design with more vibrant yellows and greens. This transformed cobalt buds into a loud, bright nail design – perfect for when you’re feeling more daring!

Brora have some great prints in their S/S 2013 collection that have given me a lot of ‘nailspiration’. Can you spot which Brora designs have influenced the NAILS BY METS nail art below?

When I’m not busy working as a technology consultant or tending to the talons of London you will be sure to find me travelling all over the world, spending time with my new husband, eating and trying to stay healthy!

If you’d like to get in contact you can find in the Twitter world @NAILSBYMETS or on Facebook www.facebook.com/NAILSBYMETS

For more information on NAILS BY METS please visit www.nailsbymets.com
For those who appreciate photos more, please visit my blog http://blog.nailsbymets.com

Metta xoxo

When she’s not busy with the design team, creative product manager here at Brora, our much-loved Martsie Gomez has many talents, but with the recent launch of her website, Martsie’s has been taking centre stage in all Brora shops across the U.K.

We all have passions in our lives.  They are essential to our happiness and give us reasons to live our lives to the full. One of my biggest passions, amongst several others, is colour! It is an essential element of my day to day. Not only do I visualize, observe and appreciate it everywhere I go, I also have the privilege of being able to be creative with it through my work at Brora and in my art studio at home.

Colour is pervasive; it enriches our emotions, our relationships and our lives. Colour has inspired me since I was a little girl, I still remember my Dad’s outcry of surprise when I painted my bedroom walls bright yellow. My hunger and interest in colour have never stopped evolving since.

Brora has increased my passion and knowledge of colour over the past 10 years. Having the privilege of working very closely with Victoria, Brora’s creative director, has opened an infinite array of subtle and rich colours; enhancing my knowledge and inspiring me to discover new tints & shades, building up a vast vocabulary of colour names. The inspiration for a new colour can originate from a unique source, being it the colour of a Moroccan pottery bowl, an old vintage ribbon from a flea market, the colour of a pair of nineteen forties shoes picked up at a vintage shop or a chip of wood from an old derelict door, these inspiring objects often end up on our table prior to a colour meeting.

Each cashmere colour consists out of up to 7 blends of various shades, each unique tone carefully selected and christened with a descriptive name. Our objective is to offer you a mouth-watering colour palette at your fingertips. My favourite colour this season is pistachio featured above in  the cashmere pointelle cropped cardigan, and don’t we adore those buttons?

I was very pleased when a few months ago Victoria commissioned me to create 23 art pieces to form part of Brora’s window display. My colour palette for this exhibition consisted out of our St. Ives story palette.  Cobalt, pistachio, turquoise, mimosa, meadow, summer black, zinc and white…and the nautical theme of St. Ives; all working together to inspire me to create this series called The Brink of Blue.

Below, one of the pieces called Harbour Lights. The highlight colours used here, of mimosa and white are fighting against each other, and create the illusion of light forming the focal point. Pistachio and meadow mix together to create a hazy sky. The turquoise background creates a frame around the scene and with the use of the summer black, an illusion of dimension and depth is formed.

Take the colour plunge and surround yourself with colour this summer, be it a new painting or a mouth-watering colour in a Brora knit, you deserve a visual treat…

Love Martsie x

Kelle is a Brora fashion buyer and mother to adorable kiddies Harriet and Fraser; the two loves which drive her blog Maggie Stone. Polka dots, floral & animal prints, red lipstick and vintage goodies drive her addictions, and since the birth of her children she has a new found love for knitted toys, nursery interiors and cool kids fashion. Maggie Stone is Kelle’s wonderfully creative outlet, where she combines and shares her life loves!

My Brora journey started five years ago when I joined their buying team. I had never shopped with them before, but needless to say it didn’t take long for me to add an impressive collection of Scottish cashmere and Liberty prints to my wardrobe. Having come from a high street retail background I was amazed at the quality and craftsmanship that went into each and every Brora piece. However, it wasn’t until 2010 when we welcomed our first child Harriet, that a love for their childrenswear blossomed. Hattie is now a big sister to Fraser and both my ‘Littles’ can often be found sporting their favourite Brora pieces…and mine!

Kid’s fashion is what inspired the Maggie Stone blog. I’m always on the hunt for up and coming brands whilst still staying true to my love of traditional and vintage childrenswear. I love to mix the two together, a classic blouse paired with some funky organic giraffe print leggings is such a fun outfit. This is why I’m a fan of Brora, they combine classic styles with playful quirky twists perfectly. You only have to look at the Hello Kitty range or the gorgeous new zoo print to see why the collection appeals to both parents and children! Their designs and beautiful fabrics are timeless, I’d like to think that my grandchildren will be wearing vintage Brora in many years to come.

As my love for childrenswear has grown so has the kids’ wardrobes. At first I was tempted to save their nicest clothes for ‘best’. But, I drink from my favourite tea cups, spray my most expensive perfume daily, wear my favourite cashmere and decided to take the same approach when it comes to dressing the kiddos. Fraser wears his Brora cardigan even though I know he’s going to get his dinner on it (baby led weaning is a messy business) and Harriet plays in the garden in her liberty print dresses. This way they get plenty of wear out of them and I get plenty of enjoyment of dressing them – it’s win, win!

I’m now longing for some spring sunshine and lusting over the new season collection at Brora so thought I would share our SS13 wishlist. I’d love to hear what your favourite items are too?

Lastly, I would like to wish Victoria and our Brora family a massive congratulations and a very, very Happy Birthday!

Model and former art student Becky Gray, is the face behind the insightful fashion and lifestyle blog BeckyDazzler. She has become one of the go-to-stylists in Ireland, and she is a recognised blogger of all thing fabulous! Becky has styled shoots for leading publications such as The Irish Times and is quickly making her mark on the London scene.

When I was asked to write for Brora, to celebrate their 20th Anniversary, the first thing that sprung to mind was the scarf. Okay, so it’s not the most exciting item I own but it’s been my most trusty companion. Not only has it accompanied me on more adventures than any other accessory but also the scarf has the virtues of both beauty and functionality.

A simple cashmere scarf is the backbone to my collection. Chic and simple in black, soft as a petal and completely practical. As a makeshift pillow on a flight, as a blanket, a shawl…The classic cashmere scarf is something I’ve always respected, probably thanks to growing up on 90s Vogue where cashmere, pashminas and minimalism were all hot, hot, hot!

Now the classics are having a ‘renaissance’. In a world of plastic clutches, towering wedges and dresses encrusted with telephone cords and other fantastical bric-a-brac, surprisingly the humble cashmere scarf has more of a place than ever. Quality, investment and heritage are words that seem to pop up in every magazine. They are the antidote to the throw away culture that has become less appropriate and less financially viable. My Brora scarf has all these assets; a brand with a sense of heritage making luxurious, but traditional items that last. And that is why it has such pride of place in my wardrobe.

Mind you, my journey to scarf nirvana has not been an easy one. Despite my A+ childhood education of Vogue my first scarves were more eye candy than useful. Patterns and colours won me over but the cheap fabrications always left me cold, sniffly and unsatisfied. As for versatility? No way! My cheap and cheerful forays were always irritatingly scant meaning that a chilly evening cover-up was asking far too much. Nowadays such purchases tend to be relegated to handbag straps. Much safer!

Since my formative teenage years I have progressed onto much more exciting specimens of the scarf. Sensational prints have really taken the market by storm and I’m the proud owner of some truly wonderful designer pieces. But the one consistent feature I’m drawn to is fabric. Once the initial seduction has happened and I’ve got up close with my new love I check the label. 100% polyester? Back on the shelf pronto. 100% wool/silk/cashmere? A possible match made in heaven! A decent fabric is going to perform wonders in all sorts of weather and not only be something pretty to look at.

Now the lessons have been learnt and in summer I swap my cashmere for silk. Light and appropriate for the warmer season but still keeps out the afternoon chill when outside. In winter it’s back to the Brora shawl or sometimes a printed wool. Not only do I now manage to avoid the throw-away high street versions but the pieces I do purchase cover the important three; quality, heritage and investment…happy wardrobe and oh-so stylish me!