Virtual high street Atterley Road launches

Atterley Road is a new website which brings together the cream of the British high street and independent designers.

BY Phong Luu | 15 August 2012

Gilet, £198, Maison Scotch. Polo-neck, £115, and jeans, £130, both Filippa K at atterleyroad.com

Love browsing the shops but hate trudging around the high street? Ladies, we give you Atterley Road - not a bricks and mortar thoroughfare as such, but a new website which brings together the cream of high street and boutique designers: think Brit faithfuls Whistles and Hobbs with added continental dash courtesy of hip Euro brands like Iro and By Malene Birger.

"We asked thousands of women what brands they'd like to see on their ideal shopping street - and that is what we've tried to create for them," says founder Katie Starmer-Smith, who punned on the French word for "atelier" to come up with the fictional Atterley Road. "All the brands featured are ones that I love, I buy and I wear."

The idea for the website came about after ex-Jigsaw designer Starmer-Smith's frustrations with the online shopping experience. "I find it overwhelming. Unless you're prepared to trawl dozens of individual sites, I found my options limited to multi-branded sites that offer either cheap, fast fashion or expensive designer."

Atterley Road's tightly edited selection of labels aims to bridge the mid-priced gap between Asos and Net-a-Porter - and it does a pretty good job of that, offering timeless pieces that are the workhorses of every wardrobe. "I have selected styles that are versatile and, more importantly, styles that sit seamlessly alongside each other so that it's easy to piece together key outfits," says Starmer-Smith.

It does a fine job, too, of unearthing some goodies from unexpected sources - a collared horse-print dress with a whiff of Carven about it turned out to be from Hobbs, and going for a reasonable £129, and some slick Equipment-ish shirts turned out to be from the little-known, but no less inferior (although a lot cheaper - prices start at £80) 0039 Italy. Oxford Street, schmoxford Street: we say Atterley Road is the way forward.

atterleyroad.com

Christian Siriano Opens on Elizabeth Street

On a sunny block in Nolita, "Project Runway" graduate Christian Siriano has quietly opened the doors to his first-ever boutique.

Photo Credit: Christian Siriano

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Rihanna: the biggest fan of London street style

Popstar Rihanna has revealed how she loves to take in what the capital's residents are wearing.

BY Olivia Bergin | 13 August 2012

Rihanna at JFK airport. Photo: REX

Rihanna's new fashion-themed TV show kicks off tomorrow, and knowing all too well that flattery can get you everywhere, the popstar has been praising the style of her would-be audience.

"I find that the kids in London have so much style, so much street style and so much talent" said the 24-year-old, who no doubt uses her occasional trips on the Tube to see what Londoners are wearing.

IN PICTURES: London Fashion Week street style

The Bajan beauty, famous for her often risqué sense of style told The Sun : "I always go out on the street walking around to see what the kids are doing. They always set the trends for the designers."

A promenade around the streets of cosmopolitan neighbourhood Dalston at dawn must be what provided RiRi with the inspiration behind Styled to Rock , the new, 10-part show she produced to find raw new talent in the capital. Hosted by Girls Aloud singer Nicola Roberts and designer Henry Holland, 12 young designers battle it out to create the perfect stage outfit for the singer.

WATCH: Rihanna's new TV show teaser

"This show was a way for me to give these kids the opportunity to see how far they can go" she explained. "What I'm really looking to find is the next innovative young designer, someone like Vivienne Westwood or Alexander McQueen."

So while we wait with bated breath for Rihanna's own design debut for River Island , due out next spring, tune into Styled to Rock to see what sets Rihanna's sartorial pulse racing.

Styled to Rock starts August 14 on Sky Living HD at 9pm.