For the last four years knomo have been proud supporters of Women in the City, which promotes the Women in the City Network which promotes, recognises and rewards female talent in the professional world.  Starting off as a luncheon for women working in The City and progressing to the Women of Achievement Awards as well as other occasions, Women in the City facilitate effective strategic networking, actively create opportunities to bring together its community of like-minded women, and is fast becoming the leading opinion former for London’s professional women. 

 

On July 8^th 2010, WIC launched their inaugural Future Leaders Awards, the first event of its kind, comprising an evening which celebrated and identified women with the potential to be leaders of tomorrow. knomo were extremely privileged to attend and provide prizes for the finalists and overall winner. All five finalists – Rebecca Scott, Victoria Spencer, Felicia Trewin, Claire Warnes and Shelley White – are women who excelled in their field of work as well as supporting younger employees to grow in their careers and to reach their full potential. The finalists were also very generous with their time outside of the office; engaging in numerous charitable activities and other ventures.

 

knomo provided a red leather Quetta Briefcase for each of the finalists http://www.knomobags.com/uk/women/collections/berkeley/quetta-1.html/ and a black patent Rosa shoulder bag for the overall winner http://www.knomobags.com/uk/women/collections/berkeley/rosa-2.html/. Thankfully, when our Brand Manager, Caroline, was invited to present the prizes on stage, the ripple of excitement through the recipients was plain to see, and each was absolutely thrilled with their gift!

 

The overall winner of the Future Leaders Award was Felicia Trewin, a technologist, outsourcing specialist, management consultant and a senior manager at Deloitte. knomo would like to congratulate Felicia and the other 4 finalists once again, and we sincerely hope you all enjoy using your knomo bags!!

 http://www.citywomen.co.uk/

No, not your waistline (we don’t pretend to be experts on that!) but rather, slimming down the contents of your suitcase. As well-seasoned travellers, we love to jet off somewhere exotic (or not so exotic depending upon the meeting!) with our knomo suitcase in hand, and packing well is essential for a stress-free trip. With the summer holidays coming up, if you struggle to know what to do and end up packing everything ‘just in case’, then check out our essential tips for suitcase success:

 1) Before you think about how many outfits to pack check the airline’s website for your weight allowance and how many pieces of luggage you’re permitted to take.

2) Know your destination and choose your clothes accordingly. There’s no point in taking 8 bikinis if you’re going on a city break and similarly research the culture; find out if you need to keep your arms/hair/ankles/all of the aforementioned covered when visiting certain destinations.

3) Whether you are a flat-packer or a roller (we like to use both methods) make sure you put your heavy items in the bottom so you don’t squish any delicate pieces. Socks are good rolled, and shirts/suits/dresses are best flat-packed for minimum creasing.

4) Protect your garments. Put all of your toiletries and shoes in plastic bags to avoid any spillages or dirt from shoes soiling your clothes.

5) Always clearly label your luggage inside and out so that if it gets lost you can be contacted, especially if the outside label becomes detached in transit. To retrieve your luggage ASAP, mark your luggage tag with your name and mobile number (not forgetting the country dialling code +44 for the UK). If you’re using a knomo bag then the handy tracker tag will help find your luggage’s whereabouts.

No, not with Phil and Kirstie (we do love them though!), but London locations, knomo-style. Yesterday we were hot-footing it around London in the baking heat; knomo bags in hand, with our wonderful fashion/lifestyle photographer Caroline Leeming. Caroline took shots of our vibrant capital which provide much of the inspiration behind our beautiful bags, for our forthcoming lookbook.

Our first stop was Covent Garden at silly-o’clock in the morning to ensure that we arrived before all the hustle and bustle. We were there even before the coffee shops opened (we REALLY needed a caffeine boost too – such a catch-22!) With the shots secured, along with a much-needed caffeine hit, we headed over to the serenely beautiful Primrose Hill; an area famed for its A-list residents, at the north end of the stunning Regent’s Park. Hanging bags in trees proved an interesting challenge! Read more

Well after all that excitement, World Cup 2010 has finally come to a close with Spain achieving a well-deserved Final victory over Holland. Not only are Spain the first European team to win a World Cup outside their continent, but it was also Spain’s first time in the World Cup final. Now Spain can wear their home kit with even more pride, displaying that all important gold star above their badge, signifying their World Cup win.

Of course you may be wondering who won the knomo World Cup sweepstake….Howard our MD claimed first prize. We’re sure it wasn’t a fix…well, maybe we’re all just a teensy bit jealous…and he has been blowing his vuvuzela all week since the win; especially as it took place in his home country of SA. We were all really pleased and appreciative when he took us for a celebratory lunch on Friday using his winnings, over with our friends at The Social on Little Portland St, W1. http://www.thesocial.com/

We’ve all thoroughly enjoyed this World Cup for the amazing wins, shock defeats and office banter, and we thought South Africa did a fantastic job as the host nation. Roll on Euro 2012!

Thanks to the absolutely gorgeous weather we have had in Britain so far this summer (thank you Met Office, for once you predicted a heatwave and got it right!) why not make like the cool-kids and forego your holiday abroad for an uber-trendy staycation (that’s a holiday in your own country for those of you who aren’t down with the lingo!). Not only is it bang-on-trend, but it is also good for your bank balance, your carbon footprint and great for local tourism.

 Check out knomo’s top 5 destinations for a ‘staycation’ in the UK…  Read more