The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet

08.20.13 Style

This post was sponsored by Banana Republic. Banana Republic recently launched a new collection with Issa London. This limited-edition capsule is inspired by the safari roots of Banana’s heritage paired with Issa’s feminine silhouettes and signature prints. You may recognize the name Issa as it was made famous when the Duchess of Cambridge donned an iconic bright blue silkwrap-style dress for the royal engagement announcement in November 2010.

I was recently introduced to Banana Republic’s Issa London collection. Since I’ve just returned from a trip to London, it seemed like the perfect time to share a bit about my experience revisiting my hometown, as well as these photographs featuring selections from the Issa line.

I haven’t lived in London in twenty years and I always experience a range of feelings about the city. Everything is so familiar but so much has changed! Half the city is now car-free, which means there are these funny little bicycle cabs to get around that allows for a ton of foot traffic. There are people visiting London, checking out the sites like Buckingham Palace, the museums, and Portabello Road, which is one of my favorite places to go on a Friday morning to shop for vintage clothing.

Issa Collection Blue Ceramic Printed Wrap-Tie Dress, $130.

I now see why London is such a popular city, though I didn’t when I lived there. We have stunning parks all over the town, with duck ponds, boat rides, horse tracks, and bicycle paths. Since it’s summer time, all the flowers are in bloom. I took this trip without my six-year-old twins and found myself wishing they were with me to experience some of the fun things in the city.

Issa Collection Olive Zebra Printed Ponte Dress, $130.

I stayed in Covent Garden this time, which is in the busy West End of London (an area that I know but not well). I discovered an excellent restaurant my friend took me to called Bottega Negra. It’s a tiny underground Mexican place that you have to walk through a sex shop to access. The food was delicious and I tried to go back the next night but couldn’t get a table. I also found a cool little pocket area called Neal’s Yard that sold healthy foods, fresh juices, and smoothies and had an aromatherapy shop that smelled so good! I went every morning for some green juice to start my day.

Issa Collection Three-Quarter Sleeve Wrap-Tie Dress: $130.

The most unusual thing about my trip was the weather. It was sunny, and I mean HOT and sunny, most of the time I was there. It was highly unusual, and we all felt it as the city doesn’t have air conditioning like we do in the U.S.

Issa Collection Olive Zebra Printed Ponte Dress, $130
Envelope Clutch, $98.

I really enjoyed being in London during this trip. I got to see my family and meet the team at SKY TV, who will be launching The Conversation in November. It was a very exciting time. I’ll be back there two more times this year, so I’ll be sharing those trips when they happen.