On Thursday I was lucky enough to be invited along to a host of Fashion’s Night Out events in London. Usually, attending events in London is difficult for me as I live up north. I travel to and from London regularly and am practically on first name terms with the East Coast train guards, but it’s always better to have a base in the city to head back to after a hectic day in heels. So I was delighted when Premier Inn offered to swap my uncomfortable train seat and soggy panini for a bouncy bed and fluffy pillow.

The blogger bundle waiting for me on arrival

I stayed in the County Hall hotel which was spotless, well-equipped and perfectly placed for exploring London. I’ve stayed in countless budget hotels on my travels across the country and County Hall is one of the best I’ve visited – it impressed me both inside and out.

After a quick change and a bottle of bubbly, Rachel and I headed to Oxford Street to kick off Fashion’s Night Out at John Lewis.

I wore: American Apparel tee, skirt c/o Next, Michael Kors jacket via TK Maxx, boots c/o Sarenza, ASOS necklace, Cambridge Satchel Co bag
Rachel wore: H&M blazer, Topshop dress via charity shop, New Look shoes and bag

First we were treated to an OPI manicure by the lovely Mercedez, then after taking a million photos of Mischa Barton (who was in store to promote her handbag range), we headed upstairs for the AW 11 fashion show.

Mischa looked stunning in a simple black dress and those shoes

The gorgeous girl in the Chaplin-inspired outfit did a dance at the end of the catwalk!

I have total hair envy – bobbed red curls are on my wishlist

My favourite outfits were a mix of 40s and 60s influences with touches of androgyny and oversized accessories. I love the tea dress with leather accessories and the patterned tights – sure to become staples in my winter wardrobe. To see more from the evenings, take a look at the video of Fashion’s Night Out created by John Lewis, featuring some fabulous bloggers sharing their thoughts on the big trends for Autumn/Winter 2011.

After John Lewis we stopped at Yo Sushi for sartorial sustenance then powered on down Oxford Street, stopping at Selfridges and Topshop for champagne, music and some shopping.

There was lots going on inside Liberty, but the building itself is exciting enough

A cute pink mini with a Biba mannequin perched on top, parked outside House of Fraser

At Michael Kors in Selfridges, there was a 70s houseparty theme as we picked keys from a bowl… the winning keys opened the padlocks to reveal a shopping spree, an iPad2 and a trip to New York. Sadly our luck was out!

With achey feet and swimming heads we finally made it back to our hotel, with the London Eye (which I unashamedly adore) lighting our way.

Thanks for having me, London – see you again soon for Fashion Week!

I’ve been searching for a vintage school satchel for years. In every charity shop, at every car boot, my eyes are peeled for a brass buckle or leather strap. I’ve come close to buying from eBay before, but it’s hard to gauge the quality of vintage when you buy it online and I wanted this bag to be perfect.

Eventually, my need for a new bag overtook my desire for a truly vintage piece. When the strap breaks on your plastic faux-satchel and the contents of your bag spill out over platform 1 at Kings Cross, you know it’s time to invest. So I caved to a blogger cliché and bought a Cambridge Satchel.

I chose a classic 14″ satchel in yellow which cost £81, with £5.99 for postage. Every bag is handmade so delivery is estimated at around four weeks, although mine took six. The craftsmanship is simply stunning – this bag was a joy to unwrap!

Vintage dress, Primark cardigan and belt, brogues c/o Bertie, Topshop ring

I went for the sunshine yellow shade because it’s just such a happy colour – perfect for dreary autumn days. I love how vibrant it looks against my navy outfit.

The 14″ is the second largest size available (ranging from 11″ to 15″) and it’s just about big enough for everything I haul around with me. My iPad, purse and sunglasses fit snugly in the main compartment and my phone, diary, pen, mints and lip balm are slipped into the front. My MacBook fits in but there’s no room for anything else including the power cable, so if you need to carry a laptop around I’d suggest the largest size. I’m hoping the leather will give out as I use it so it’s not so much of a squeeze.

Although it was quite an expensive purchase, my general rule is to invest in bags and coats and save on the rest, and as a vintage alternative was proving impossible to find I think this satchel was well worth the price. The style is perfect for anyone who enjoys the librarian aesthetic (and let’s face it, who doesn’t), and the pop of yellow makes my heart sing. I’d love to build up a collection of Cambridge Satchels – the black version and the brown version would completely fill the satchel-shaped hole in my wardrobe. Maybe after payday…