PYJAMAS GET OUT AND ABOUT… AND HOW!

Over the last few days we’ve been busy getting ready for the greatest pyjama party of all time. Naturally, the event was accompanied by all the ‘must-haves’: music, dancing, fun and laughter, colour, balloons, adventures and loads and loads of pyjamas.

We watched Madrid and Barcelona fill with outfits designed for dreaming in, featuring a wide range of prints and all the colours of the rainbow.

Everything was carefully thought out to make sure the pyjama revolution ran to perfection:

• The guests – nothing but the best.
• The outfits, simply perfect.
• The music, made for dancing.
• Excitement, simply brimming over.
• And our party mood: it couldn’t be better

And when the party came to an end, we were filled with feelings of excitement, happiness and looking forward to some truly sweet dreams: at last our pyjamas had got out and about and become celebrities for an evening!

Everything was possible thanks to The room (Barcelona) and Fussion (Madrid) dance schools, with enthusiastic, energy and rhythm dancers.

Here at w’s we always aim to offer you the very best and our pyjamas are an essential part of our collections. That’s why we’re here to keep you warm and snug during those chilly winter nights, your evenings at home and your sweet dreams.

The pyjama revolution has only just begun!

WE JOIN THE ECO-TREND: THE QUEST FOR DIFFERENTIATION WRAPPED UP IN AUTHENTICITY

Change the world? Me? And why not?

At last the world is starting to realise that there’s an alternative form of consumerism.

It’s taken us all quite a while to grasp what sustainability really is, and whilst each of us has our vision, at least we all seem to share the same goal: a better world.

As fashion designer Vivienne Westwood said, “Conformity is one of the symptoms of a civilisation in decline! If we’re all thinking the same, then we’re not thinking”.

Life is all about starting over! Coming up with new ideas; changing little things that can make a big difference “redoing our way of doing things” as a famous brand of sportswear once urged us.

Lots of people are taking on board this new concept and reinventing their lifestyle.

And in keeping with this new era of non-conformity – a different, authentic era – w’s is staying one step ahead of the rest and doing its bit to bring about a small change in the vast world of fashion.

With each online order we’re giving away an eco-friendly reusable bag that you can use and reuse as often as you wish, in a small step forward in our quest to change the world.

SEE HOW WE CELEBRATED THE FASHION’S NIGHT OUT!

The Vogue Fashion’s Night Out turned Madrid into a real catwalk, with stores open until midnight with all sort of surprises. The city became more fashionable than ever!

women’secret was one of the stars last night. Our store in Serrano was full of fun, music and mojitos.

The best collections were displayed with special discounts, Bacardi mojitos were carefully prepared with the most intense flavour, we had a photocall were everyone could pose and feel like a real model for one night… all these where the keys to the night’s success. But, the most important, your presence made all this possible!

Thank you for making this night a true luxury Fashion’s Night Out!

VOGUE FASHION’S NIGHT OUT: 7 SEPTEMBER IN MADRID AND 8 SEPTEMBER IN LISBON. WE’LL SEE YOU THERE!

Vogue Fashion’s Night Out is one of the world’s biggest fashion events which takes place simultaneously on the streets of all the major international capitals. And this year we’d like you to see you there!

It’s an evening when city centre stores will remain open from 8 p.m. till midnight. The streets will be packed with exclusive events, surprises, gifts and above all oodles of fun with celebrities and fashion professionals.

Be our guest! We’re delighted to invite you to the exclusive event that will take place at our store on Calle Serrano 29 in Madrid on the evening or 7 September, or at our Chiado store in Lisbon on 8 September. What’s more, we’re offering 25% off all our collections, plus loads of other surprises that you’ll be able to discover for yourself.

Save the date now! We’d love to share this truly special evening with you.

See the full address of our stores here.

RUSSIAN RED UNPLUGGED AT A W’S STORE

On 30 June, the w’s store on Orense Street in Madrid became a temporary concert venue for an unplugged session by Russian Red, who played several of the tracks from her recently launched second album, Fuerteventura. It was a fun, unique and special evening and everyone had a great time. Since only a few fortunate fans were able to attend, we’d like to share it with you.

In the last few years, singer and composer Russian Red (Lourdes Hernández) has become one of the biggest names on the Spanish music scene. With just her guitar and inspired by a wide range of musical styles, she decided to upload her songs onto the Internet, just as a hobby. She never dreamed that it would give her the opportunity to make a career out of her love of composing. Her first album, “I Love Your Glasses”, was a real success and got her known. And in May this year she presented her second album, Fuerteventura, recorded in Gasglow with Toni Doogan (David Byrme or Mogwai executive productor) and along with some of the Belle &Sebastian music players, that will be launched in 18 countries around the word in 2011.

Here at women’secret we love music and are convinced that Russian Red sums up the concept of our brand pretty neatly: feminine, discrete, unstoppable, delicate…we like the values she transmits…as well as her style, her modern outlook, her songs, the way she is. She transmits a really positive attitude that we just adore. To give customers all over the world the chance to discover her music we’ve decided to take her ‘on tour’ around some of our stores, with unplugged concerts where customers can enjoy her music against the fabulous backdrop of our stores.

Although we’re not too keen on labels, her music is close to a folk-pop style. This second album is more electronic than the first one. You can hear and buy both at Spotify. Don’t miss it! You can download its new album, Fuerteventura, at only €4.99 at iTunes until July 18th. Hurry up!

On the evening of the Madrid concert we had the chance to listen to some great sounds, enjoy some refreshing summer cocktails to combat Madrid’s soaring temperatures and also hold a prize draw for three w’s looks selected by Russian Red herself. Watch this space for news of forthcoming concerts – one of them could be in a store where you live! Believe us – it was a really great evening.

We’ve posted a few photos from the event and a video featuring an interview with the singer. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

THE FIFTH AND LAST WINNER FROM OUR VALENTINE’S DAY DREAMS COMPETITION

Yes, we are in front of the fifth and last love story that we have selected for you to celebrate this 2011 Valentine’s Day. “Obstacles”, by Alicia Aguilera de Miguel. Because we all know what a true love means, and that along with it, there usually little obstacles that need to be overcome…

Obstacles

Sometimes life surprises you with little obstacles that need to be overcome. At other times it creates walls that are difficult to surmount. In short, life is constantly challenging us. But it knows that alone we will never be able to achieve it, which is why it leaves little bits of help along the way. Today, sat at a bench while the wind struck away at my silence, I realised that I had before me the biggest wall I had ever faced, a wall called routine, but… Thinking of the heart, I came to realise that my solution is him, it is with him that this enormous wall can be smashed to smithereens, it is with him that life no longer raises obstacles and instead smiles at me and presents me with unique moments every time I look you in the eyes. And it is this silence when we are a few centimetres away from each other that fills me with happiness, and drives me crazy when I kiss your face or stroke your skin. When I am beside you I know that walking along the horizon during the loveliest sunset is not beautiful enough to compare to each skip of my heartbeat every time I see you coming toward me and know that you are there again in front of me, the thing that makes me happiest in this world… him.

Alicia Aguilera Miguel

THE FOURTH WINNER FROM OUR VALENTINE’S DAY DREAMS COMPETITION

The fourth winner from our Valentine’s Day Dreams competition
We’re leaving stories behind so today we’ll check the fourth of the winning love stories. Mónica Correa show us the importance of every moment in our lives in its “Coincidences do exist”: should you take the bus… or should you have a walk? Think about it!

Coincidences do exist

Life sometimes shows you why there are coincidences. I’m reminded of it every morning when I get up and see my son, the sweetest and most loving person in my life, sleeping peacefully in his bed. A coincidence changed my life: from being a single girl with a love of adventure and travel, I became a stay-at-home mum. It all started one morning in the summer of 1999. I used to take the bus to work every morning, but that day I overslept and missed my normal bus. To make up for it and get to work on time, I caught a bus I’d never taken before. The bus was packed – it was during rush hour – but it gradually emptied as people got off at their stops. I happened to glance up towards the back of the bus and saw a guy with short blond hair, wearing a pair of large dark sunglasses, who happened to be looking my way. And he kept on staring. And so did I; everything about him was fascinating. But what intrigued me most of all was what his eyes must be like, hidden behind those dark classes. Eventually, his steady gaze made me take off my sunglasses, and he did the same.

I can truly say that it was love at first sight: those eyes, that look, that smile, the way he kept looking at me. In fact, he was so insistent that when we got nearer the bus door, he asked me to get off at his stop and, even though it wasn’t mine, I said yes! We introduced ourselves and started talking, asking questions and chatting endlessly, until he simply couldn’t help giving me a kiss. And that kiss is what made the difference. That’s why I decided I wanted to get to know him better, even though, unfortunately I was planning to move to another country to live in just two weeks. Those two weeks were the most amazing of my life; the things we shared made it really difficult for me to leave. But that’s exactly what I did. I returned after a year abroad and to my amazement, he was still waiting for me. We are head over heels in love; so much so, that we’ve brought into the world the most amazing thing that the love between two people can create: a child. A sweet and affectionate little boy that’s as bright as a button, probably because of everything we transmitted to him while he was still in my tummy: love and more love.

Mónica Correa Orozco

THE THIRD WINNER FROM OUR VALENTINE’S DAY DREAMS COMPETITION

This is the third story we have selected. Eva Domínguez recommends us to dream day and night with its “To be continued…”. And we’re so sure that her new love will continue forever! Both, destiny and fairies will help us in this arduous finding of true love.

To be continued

I have always believed that if you really desire something (whatever that may be), if you dream it, yearn for it, imagine it and look forward to it… it ends up coming true. I was dreaming of him for a long time. I couldn’t imagine his face, but I imagined that he was close, looking for me, and with certain characteristics in his way of being that made him special. I dreamed so much… that one day, not long ago, I saw him coming out of the Tirso de Molina metro entrance. Before this I had spoken with him a little, enough to be won over by his words, his intelligence, his sensibility, his poetry… It all happened in a manner that was completely natural, yet at the same time marvellous and magical: as if I had known him all my life. And there we still are… discovering each other every day, sharing marvellous moments and dreams to be lived. I am very lucky because fate or destiny… made possible a meeting that, even though he may not know it, was predestined To be continued…. for many years… that’s how I feel and that’s how it will be…. Because dreams, if you wish them with all your might… end up coming true.

Eva Domínguez

THE SECOND WINNER FROM OUR VALENTINE’S DAY DREAMS COMPETITION

The second of the winning love story out of our competition is “One loaf of bread for a kiss”, by Nuria Lucas Calvo. Both, romance and food have always been difficult issues during war time, but, as she narrates to us “love takes no account of age, class or ideology”.

A loaf of bread for a kiss

My grandparents met in 1938, during the Civil War. My grandmother was 15 and the eldest of 5. She went to the bakery every day to buy the bread and it was there that she met my grandfather: the baker. The first few visits were cordial and they barely spoke. But over time they lost their inhibitions: “I don’t suppose you have a spare loaf of bread, there’s lots of us at home,” my grandma said to him. “OK,” he replied, “I’ll give you another loaf if you give me a kiss, Teresa.” But even though my grandmother refused, my grandfather always kept a spare loaf. Until finally my grandmother gave him the first kiss. And that was the start of a secret love affair, which their families would never approve of, because they were divided by their ideology. My grandmother’s family were nationalists, while my grandfather’s were republicans. After the nationalists killed my grandfather’s father, the tensions between both families worsened. However, my grandparents’ love became stronger day by day. The years passed and the war ended. When the situation calmed down, my grandfather proposed to the woman who is still with him after so many years. After marrying they moved to the city and raised their own family; they had 4 children, who in turn gave them 6 grandchildren. I dedicate this story to José, my grandfather, who had been one-legged since the age of 14, but was still able to carry 3 of his children on one bike, pedalling with a single leg. And to Teresa, my grandma. She no longer remembers this story, but this is what her third granddaughter is here for, to remind her and to ensure she never forgets what she experienced. Because love takes no account of age, class or ideology.

Nuria Lucas Calvo

THE FIRST WINNER FROM OUR VALENTINE’S DAY DREAMS COMPETITION

As promised, we are publishing the best five love stories from our Valentine’s Day competition all along this week. The first one is “The photograph of Esteban Prazská”, by Alejandra Vanessa Jurado. A picture speaks thousand words and it takes us back in time, rekindling our passions…

The photograph of Esteban Prazská

I discovered that photograph when I was a girl; I was looking through a dark red brass box, which was later used to store my picture cards of women of the world. The box was in our grandparents’ country house, in the storeroom, behind an old chest inherited from my grandmother, where my mother kept her wedding and Christian dress, and where I would also store my communion dress that year. It was a black and white photo. I examined it excitedly, even a little anxiously, on both sides. On the back, at the top left-hand corner, was a date written in purple: 16 April 1959, and a name in round letters: Esteban Prazská. I assumed this was the name of the child who appeared in the photo. I observed him for a while: a child, but how old? Nine perhaps. No idea, but a good many years have gone by since then. He was leaning on a fairly small bicycle, which had recently been decorated with coloured ribbons and stickers and newspaper cuttings and a flower — a white flower that did not appear to have been cut by him. But what most struck me was a trophy at his feet, which glistened in the sun, sending out fine, very fine, rays. I said to myself: “I bet he’s won a round-the-world bike race or he’s a pirate about to board ship.” And on saying this it looked like he was staring right into someone’s eyes, and I thought I saw a figure reflected in them. Just then my mother arrived and I tried to ask her about that very special photograph: “Who’s this child, mummy?” But she did not speak, took the photo from my hands and looked at it in silence. She tenderly moved it toward her old cardigan of white daisies. She gazed at it once again and with a shy look in her eyes stored it in her left pocket forever. That’s how I also hope to remember my first love.
THE END.

Alejandra Vanesa Jurado Bueno