Before I start this post I feel I should clarify that I never ever win anything. Zilch. Nada. If there was a personal commandment for competitions it would probably read somewhat like this: ‘Thou shalt enter, thou shalt not win and thou shall feel jilted’.  Imagine therefore my unbridled joy at the news that I had actually won SOMETHING and that that something (far be it from my northern optimism to suspect any different of course) was not some kind of weird runner-up prize, but actually a gorgeous silk scarf by David Longshaw courtesy of the lovely people at Matches Fashion. YES!

David Longshaw x MATCHESFASHION.com

Now set the scene for yesterday, where I had been travelling up from London all day with a sinfully large suitcase and you can can probably take a stab at what kind of mood I was starting to slip into. The parents were out, which meant I was locked out, taking to a local ‘Spoons for shelter with the memory of my competition victory all but faded (first world problems). I then came home to this little beauty, just in time for Vogue’s Fashion Night Out I might add, which instantly rejuvenated me:

Note the slightly opened corner. Couldn’t resist!

Beautifully packaged in a big box, I felt like a little kid at Christmas. You’ve gotta give it to Matches, they definitely know how to pack a parcel! Unusually large, but with the added bonus of having lots of tissue paper to rummage through and being big enough to convince your mum that it was something boring like loads of fabric swatches aka. ‘not worth opening before Liv’, I then took great merriment from carefully opening its contents.

I’m past the first layer…

Customer service-wise, I was really impressed with the attention to detail. I had a little signed card telling me who had packed my parcel for me along with very clear instructions on what to do if I was unhappy with my product (I was very happy – no complaints guys, no complaints). It was so nicely packaged to the point I’m beginning to feel, should I ever be feeling particularly flash with the remainder of my student overdraft, I would happily shop with Matches regularly, if only for the joy of the unwrapping process.

Nice touch, Catarina T.

Anyway, on to the truly important stuff, which is obviously David Longshaw’s beautifully illustrated scarf. 100% Silk, exclusive to Matches and manufactured within the UK, the scarf really is luxurious. High quality, aesthetically pleasing and with that lovely cool to the touch feeling that only real silk can possess, it was a geniune pleasure to wear. The colours, baby blue, pink with a black border to finish, means it’s perfect for adding a bit of colour to an otherwise monochrome outfit. This is exactly the look I went for for #VFNO (turns out David Longshaw grew up in Manchester too!), wearing it with a plain white shirt, highwaisted black jeans and black ankle boots so as not to detract from my new favourite plaything.

Cue posed pic.

The illustrations on the scarf are of Maude, sartorial icon and editor in chief of Maudezine (imagine Anna Wintour in mouse form), described by British Vogue as ‘Longshaw’s long standing cult creation’ . She is joined in digital print form by her editorial team:

my boozy side kick and chief photographer Doris; my powder pink pet Pertinence; Mildred (the peculiar penguin who sees people as dresses) Agony Aunt for MAUDEZINE, right through to our interns – Percy’s (we call all our interns Percy as we can’t be bothered to learn their names) – Source: Maude, www.davidlongshaw.co.uk

Close-up from matchesfashion.com

Maude, fashion icon and editor in chief of Maudezine. Image property of http://www.davidlongshaw.com

I was really impressed by both the product and its presentation. Playful in its design, beautifully crafted and a joy to wear, it put a smile on my face for the whole evening! It drew lots of compliments when I was out and about (Maude is now, I might add, very safely wrapped up back in her box after frolicking at #VFNO) and I would like to say a big thank you to both Matches and David Longshaw for such a lovely surprise to come home to. I’m sure my Maude scarf will get chance to climb out her box once again soon… this time for her own #FNO perhaps?

The exclusive David Longshaw X Matches Fashion scarf is available for £200, only at www.matchesfashion.com.

Over and Out,

Liv xxx