“Diamonds are Forever” wrote Ian Fleming and the song which was sung by Shirley Bassey cannot resonate more in any city than it does in Antwerp. This is partly interesting because around the 16^th century Antwerp was a hub for merchant and the prevailing economic theory of the day was mercantilism, which dictates (in short) that it is important to stockpile gold. Nevertheless, even 400 years ago Antwerp was probably the diamond capital of the world and it has continued to be so.

This is manifested in the quite wonderful Diamond Museum, found on Konigin Astridplein in Antwerp. It’s the largest museum devoted to diamonds in the world and whether you’re planning on buying some gemstones and want to find out how to tell what’s what, or simply want to see some cool jewels, it’s a brilliant museum to visit.

The museum contains several treasure chambers which is full of exciting exhibits such as a replica of the British Crown Jewels, some of the world’s biggest diamonds including the Koh-I-Noor and a whole host of jewellery dating from the 1500s until the present day. There really will be a twinkle in your eye.

But what really makes this museum is that its full of images and videos of the process of making diamonds saleable from when they are first mined. The best part of this is that in one of the museum’s workshops it is possible to watch a diamond cutter at work and see gems being prepared for sale. You may leave this museum a little jealous you can’t own any diamonds yourself – but this is testament to the brilliant array of exhibits on show.

Photo: ‘Dreaming of diamonds‘ by swamibu

Surfing Sex and the City’s wave, the first Louise High Heels Running Competition will be taking place on Brussels’ stylish avenue Louise this July. The idea is straightforward; slip into your highest Manolo’s, run a 100m and totter home with a €10,000 cheque!

Avenue Louise is named after King Leopold II’s eldest daughter, Princess Louise-Marie and is lined with designer clothes shops and boutiques as well as upmarket high street stores, making it the perfect backdrop for watching fashionistas take to the streets to compete for the grand prize.

If you’re not keen on taking part or want to come down to cheer on a friend there’s plenty to do before and after the race including make-up and hairstyling stands, fashion shows, and, according to the organisers, a crèche for men over 18…probably worth a peak if only for the latter.

The specific date of the race is yet to be announced but the event will be happening sometime in July between 12 – 6pm and will be completely free!

Photo Stiletto Race by M.Johansson

Usually our posts recommend places to go in Paris, Brussels or Lille but if you find yourself in London between now and September we strongly recommend paying a visit to the Sustainable Futures Exhibition in the Design Museum. The exhibition is showcasing a range of eco-friendly products including a refrigerator that doubles up as an aquarium and carbon neutral cities! However, our personal favourites have got to be the Eurostar Train Manager Bags upcycled by Worn Again from disused Eurostar uniforms and seat covers.

As well as bags Worn Again make cases for MP3 players, laptops and credit cards too.

If you haven’t heard of upcycling before, it’s a form of recycling where new products are made using other products that have become disused or retired for whatever reason. We think it’s great to see a company using such innovative designs whilst supporting an environmentally friendly message. So next time you’re travelling by Eurostar see if you can spot our train managers and their bags made from upcycled seats and old Eurostar uniforms. Alternatively, you can take a look at the Worn Again shop to purchase some upcycled goods for yourself.

If you live in London, or if you’re intending to visit before September, the Design Museum is very near Tower Bridge and has great transport links with Transport For London. It’s just £8.50 for adults and there’s a discount for students, concessions, children and menbers.

After launching in 2004 The Ethical Fashion Show has gone from strength to strength in it’s strive to publicise ethical fashion and it’s economic, human and environmental aspects. The annual shows bring together talented designers with passions for the environment and numbers of exhibiting designers have increased from 20 in it’s first year to 90 last year. Ranges vary widely too, stretching from traditional street wear to luxurious and chic styles.

At the heart of The Ethical Fashion Show is their 3 point manifesto and benchmarks which each designer must respect when putting together their collections. The 3 points are as follows:

- Fashion designed and produced in conditions that respect mankind

- Fashion which decreases the environmental impact of the textile industry, from the design of fabric, through confection to the end of clothes’ lives

- Fashion which preserves local skills

This years show is being held between 25th and 28th September in the ultra modern ‘Paris Docks en Seine‘ which is in fact a piece of art in itself and is best appreciated when approached from the water. Find out more about this eco-ethical fashion show on their Facebook group, Twitter profile and website.

Photo: ‘Cité de la mode et du design‘ by ollografik

Usually when you go clothes shopping you’ll see something you like, maybe try it on, check it’s price and go and buy it. Well a store in Lille, called Kiloshop, takes a completely different approach to how their customers buy clothes… You buy clothes by their weight!

Kiloshop attracts shoppers of all ages and sells top brands such as Levi’s & Diesel, as well as ranges of vintage clothing and even costumes and wigs! When you’ve chosen what you’d like you simple pop your basket on the weighing scales and hand over the cash.

The shop is located at 139 Street Léon Gambetta Lille. While Kiloshop has been covered by a variety of fashion magazines, it’s still definitely somewhere you should go and see for yourself.

Photographs are from the KiloShop website.

Fashionistas take note, because Petit Palais (see picture above) in Paris is hosting an exhibition dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent. The extensive exhibition shows off more than 300 designs dating from the designers debut collections in 1958 right up to his last in 2002.

The exhibition is divided into four main themes:

• “The Stroke of a Pencil” which uses the designer’s idea from his original sketches
• “The Yves Saint Laurent Revolution” which uses feminized versions of men’s attire rubbing shoulders with seductive apparel
• “The Palette” where traditional rules of colour harmony were reversed in new contrasts inspired by cross-fertilization
• “Lyrical Sources” which explores the historical, literary (Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde, Louis Aragon, Jean Cocteau…) and artistic influences that were interpreted and translated by this genius of couture

This highly anticipated exhibition started life in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in 2008 and spent from November to March this year in the Fine Art Museum of San Fransisco. It has been reported widely across across the media and the Guardian highlights the enthusiasm of fans despite allegations of Yves Saint Laurent’s alleged bad temper and drug use allegations. To the great excitement of fashionistas across Europe the exhibition has finally arrived in Paris and will stay until 29th August 2010.

Entrance to Petit Palais starts from 9 €uro and return travel from London to Paris on Eurostar is from £69 return.

Photo Petit Palais by Cayetano

The start of December brings with it another feeling: Christmas is little more than three weeks away and the need to buy presents for family and friends becomes ever more pressing by the day.

Of course, the difficulty with present buying is relative: it is easy to find something common which your friend will thank you for but not remember in a few weeks time. But if you want something rare, unique, and authentic, then a visit to Paris is necessary.

But not just to any area of Paris. The historic Ile Saint Louis is the perfect place to visit for shopping for Christmas presents – Ile Saint Louis is one of two natural islands in the middle of the river Seine running through Paris and has a deliberately artisan and romantic feel.

With its charming and relaxing vibe, the Ile Saint Louis is almost tailor-made for Christmas shopping: its boutique shops sell everything from vintage clothes to antique watches and gadgets – they truly have something for even the most hard to please.

If you buy a present for a friend, sibling, parent or partner, it makes sense to buy it from the Ile Saint Louis: they will treasure it and remember it for years to come. For just this reason, a trip to Paris would definitely add greatly to your Christmas shopping.

Photo The Shopping Festival is Coming by Prakhar

The French do classy better than any people on earth. With winter being the perfect time to look demure and elegant, this could scare you away from a trip to Paris at this time of year. Don’t let it! If you did it would mean you would miss out on the Paris Christmas Markets.

While there is a certain ubiquity to Christmas markets – there is one in almost every major world city – this should not detract from the brilliance of the Paris Christmas market.

Situated between Boulevard Saint-Germain and Place Saint-Sulpice and lasting from the 5^th until the 31^st of December, this really is a terrific event: the market features products ranging from traditional French favourites – clothes, food, wine – to the more obscure such as artisan nutcrackers.

What’s more, one can stroll around the market while enjoying a class of Vin Chaud (how much more classy does that sound than ‘mulled wine’) and if one is looking for stocking fillers for children, help is at hand: children can visit Père Noël and reveal their wish-list – this is useful for present-buying – and it gets rid of them for a while if you wish to buy an extra-secret present.

With the quality of produce on show, this outcome is very likely. But that shouldn’t put you off visiting the Paris Christmas Markets – they truly are a sight to behold.

Photo St Germain Paris Christmas Market by Visitingeu

Les Sapins de Noël des Créateurs : a long name in a foreign language. Surely this is an event which you have no wish to be in any way associated with ? Wrong. Plain wrong.

Because LSNC (I’ve shortened the name for obvious reasons) is about both art and fashion.

Picture the scene: the most prominent designers from the Paris fashion scene – people like Jean Paul Gaultier, Hermes, Gucci, as well as our very own Paul Smith, create their own ‘Christmas tress’ which are then displayed  – this year at the Cité de l’Architecture from the 8^th until the 14^th of December – and after this, auctioned off for Christmas.

LSNC is worth going to because it isn’t just a series of trees. Rather, the Sapin de Noël (Christmas tree) tends to turn out to be anything but a Christmas tree.

Past entries have ranged from haute couture dresses inspired by the shape of firs – and surprisingly beautiful these were as well – to high heels decked out in baubles and tinsel. In other words, these are metaphorical Christmas trees.

It is for this reason that LSNC is so worth a visit: the element of surprise with what will be on show is immense and what’s more, some truly brilliant designs have emerged in the past.

With the only cost that of voluntary donations to Sol en Si, an AIDS charity, LSNC can be part of an enjoyable break to Paris.

Photo Christmas Tree by Tamburix

Last month we ran a competition to find 40 singletons to whisk away to Paris for the day in the hope of finding love.

Last Saturday at 6.30 in the morning I stood under the clock in St Pancras and greeted the guys as they arrived. After a few suspicious looks I quickly had to explain that the girls had an alternative meeting point and they would be meeting them in Paris. The women were met by Camille and Sandrine at the other end of St Pancras and were actually slightly less concerned about the lack of men on arrival.

Traveling in separate carriages the excitement began to grow as everyone had breakfast and discussed what the day might have in store, as well as what the other half of the group would be like. Although there were quite a few guys throughout the journey wandering through the girls carriage and visa versa trying to get a look at the other group!

On arrival in Paris we jumped on our coach and went to a little Cuban bar in Bastille where we had some lunch before the afternoons activities. As the group was quite large and this was a singles trip the afternoon was spent taking part in a spot of speed dating so everyone had a chance to get to know each other.

After bonding over cocktails we then made our way to the Eiffel Tower where we had a cruise down the river Seine with champagne while the most gorgeous sunset set in the background.

As night fell Paris became alive and we regretfully began to head back to Gard du Nord while passing some of Paris’s well known sites such as the Arc du Triomphe and the Moulin Rouge which are even more impressive by night.

So was there any romance? Well that would be telling! But watch this space for future announcements to make sure you will have enough time to buy your hat!

A big thank you to an absolutely lovely group of people that joined us on the day and helped make the day as much fun as it was. Photos from the trip can been seen on the Little Break Flickr account.