Discover Nica's Favourite Places: Alfresco Dining in Shoreditch

by Nica Kim

I love to share some of my favourite places that I discover with you, and last weekend when I went along to Boundary, an alfresco rooftop retreat in the heart of Shoreditch, London, I instantly knew that I had to tell you about it.

It's restaurant can seat around 50 people and you can choose from grills and lighter snacks from the deli downstairs. We felt extremely Christmassy as we we’re seated upon a comfy sofa right next to a log fire, and we were even offered blankets to help us to keep warm as the night got colder.

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We ordered a bottle of red wine, which we shared whilst overlooking the stunning views of East London. It offers such an impressive panoramic view that you’ll definitely love if you like to take photographs like I do. 

Why not share some of you favourite places with me? I'm always looking for nice new places to try out. Tweet us @Nica_Handbags, or simply, drop me a comment below. 

Love Nica Kim

x x x 

The Secret Garden - Behind the scenes of the Nica AW11 photoshoot



Transport yourself away to a vintage inspired secret garden....



Way back in chilly January the Nica team wrapped up and packed up our favourite bags from our brand new Autumn/Winter 2011 collection, and jumped in a cab from Nica HQ across town to trendy Shoreditch for our AW11 photo shoot. The shoot was held at MC Motors, an amazing warehouse that oozes character and natural charm – the perfect backdrop for our new collection! Wonderful textured walls, different types of flooring and loads of beautiful rustic and retro pieces gives the location a real ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ feeling, which was just perfect for our story.



Unpacking our favourites from AW11 - including the Sinead satchel, the Katya bowling bag, the Nele acrossbody and the Celia portfolio.



The Nele shoulder bag in Taupe sits perfectly with the vintage props of our location



Meeting us on location was our wonderful team of makeup artists, hair stylists, stylists, prop managers, stunning model Denise and of course our fabulous photographer, Mr Theo Cohen. Buzzing with excitement, we got down to business and started preparing the location ready for shooting to begin.

The theme for the shoot was 40’s classic with a strong romantic feel. We wanted to bring the outside in to create an ‘oldie worldie’ feel and, as usual, eccentricity and quirkiness was a key look for us. We challenged our prop managers to create an indoor ‘Nica Secret Garden’ where we had a backdrop of stunning greenery and beautiful, vibrant roses. Unphased, the team set to work to create our garden, and the finished product was spectacular. We had successfully turned an East London warehouse into a magical secret garden that oozed charm and character! Denise was styled in a selection of amazing vintage clothes from the 1940s that perfectly complimented the structured, vintage feel of the bags. With hair and makeup completed, and Denise looking like a true 1940s siren, the shoot began.



Our photographer, Theo and Nica's brand manager, Sinead create the perfect indoor secret garden

 

Spot the sofa!



Our beautiful model Denise perfectly captured the vintage 40s siren look



The amazing vintage inspired wardrobe - the stylists had it under lock and key unfortunately!



We've got the shot!



Imagine if we could use this to transport ourselves back to the 40s...





Unlike most Nica shoots, the day went without a single hiccup – there were no prop disasters (we managed to avoid lugging a giant canoe around this time...) and every shot came out perfectly. As you can see, it was an amazing shoot that perfectly captures the charm and essence of our latest collection. We couldn’t be happier – the pictures perfectly tell our story for this season’s collection.



Nica takes in the surroundings



So, get carried away in a world of 1940s glamour, romance and eccentricity and let us know your favourite shot!

The Elettra Large Crossbody in Red



The Nele Small Shoulder in Blush



The Celia Portfolio in Dark Taupe



The Katya Tote in Burgundy

The Sinead Satchel in Camel

The Celia Crossbody in Navy

The Nica girls show off their Nica collection!

Working at Nica HQ is the dream job for most girls! Surrounded by handbags all day, everyday is the perfect way to pass the day! There’s nothing us Nica girls love more than wearing our bags on a daily basis. Whether it’s at work or casually, we always manage to find the perfect Nica accessory to suit the occasion!

We thought it would be nice to show you, our lovely Nica followers, how we wear our Nica bags, so Holly and Georgie, our Marketing Manager and Ecommerce Editor chose their favourite Nica bags from their personal collection and headed out to Islington to some of their favourite places.

According to Holly and Georgie, the hardest part of the day was limiting the number of bags they chose to take with them. Both openly admitting to a serious handbag addiction, the girls have built up an enviable collection over the years!

Take a look through the photos below – which is your favourite bag? Do you have any of the same bags? How do you wear yours?

Nica HQ x



Shoreditch E1 - Georgie wears her Caroline satchel in denim.
"I love this take on the infamous satchel bag. The denim finish is perfect for summer and looks great at work or casually at the weekend!"

 


Brick Lane E1 - Holly wears Aretha slouch in bone.
"The gorgeous Nica flower print of Aretha is so perfect for summer. The colours are stunning and I love the vintage feel. I can't wait to take this on holiday with me to India, it will be the perfect holiday accessory - big enough for shopping in the markets and chilling on the beach!"

 



Chance Street E1 - Holly wears Getta tote in tan.
"This is a brilliant work bag  - it fits everything in it, but it still classic enough to sit perfectly in the work place. The versatile tan colour is great for summer or winter"

 

Spitalfields Market E1 - Georgie wears Emilia shoulder in white
"This cute bag is spot on for summer. The striking weave pattern is a great way to make a statement. I love the chain detail strap, especially because you can remove it and hey presto you've got an evening clutch bag!"