Every month or so I send out an e-news letter with previews of new designs & Liberty prints as well as special offers and sample sales. Click here to read previous letters or email me to sign up.
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One of the most rewarding things about this job is the lovely letters and emails I get from customers with pictures of their little boys and girls wearing my clothes. You'll also find my latest press coverage and my blog postings here. You can also follow me on facebook or twitter @peakprincess.
To receive my enews letter with sample sales & preview offers just send me an email with 'newsletter' in the message box. I won't overwhelm you - I try and send one every month or so.
Just a quick one for April. Huge thanks to Conde Nast Brides magazine for featuring three of my bridesmaid dresses in their May/June issue which is out now.
Handmade Bella Luella puff sleeve bridesmaid dresses in Liberty Wiltshire berries and Betsy green and Grace Kelly pleat shirtwaister in Liberty Lou Lou Isabella - all avaiable handmade to order in print of your choice
Handmade Ophelia Rose puff sleeve bridesmaid dress in Liberty Fitzgerald Preview sample 25% off at £89.99
Handmade Laura Joan swing bridesmaid dress in Liberty Fitzgerald Preview sample over 25% off at £74.99
And you might also like to take a peek at two new bridesmaid dress designs that Millie and I have been working on. There is a preview sample of each new design in size 5-6y available at 25% or more off on the website.
First, a gorgeous, sophisticated 'Laura Joan' swing skirt sleeveless dress named in honour of Millie's niece. It's aimed at the older girl who wants a grown-up look but would work equally well for the little ones who'll adore twirling round in the acres of Liberty print this dress takes to make.
Then Ophelia Rose - named after my friend Fi's baby girl who lives in Denmark. This is a more formal pleated skirt with cuffed, puff sleeves. Both have rouleaux button fastenings - Millie is a whizz at this technique which adds an extra something special to the detailing.
Photo shoot sample 25% off at £69.99
Photo shoot sample 25% off at £74.99
And lucky for you, there are also two samples of my best-selling Bella Luella dresses made for a photo shoot (not worn) - a sleeveless Mirabelle and a puff sleeve Felicite (5-6y) - also available at 25% off.
I've been absolutely inundated with orders for Hello Kitty print blouses and dresses over the past couple of months - Millie and I are dreaming about kittens! There was just the tiniest bit of Wonderland left - enough for me to squeeze out a baby size Freya Bean smock blouse (6-12m).
If you don't already subscribe, I'd heartily recommend it. The fashion is gorgeous and it's packed with ideas to keep your little ones amused in the big smoke. Even if you don't live in London it's a great read - editors Annie and Emily are always trying out new products and services and it's packed with interesting articles. And if you can't wait for the quarterly issues, sign up to Claire's weekly email newsletter. It's the most beautifully presented, easy-to-read guide to what's on and where and what's hot and what's not.
They've been incredibly supportive since I set Peak Princess up three years ago and dared pick up the phone to Annie to see if she might have time to look at my designs and have featured me several times. So a big thank you.
When I started Peak Princess three summers ago after a hugely enjoyable but exhausting run producing BBC radio news programmes and documentaries, I had no idea whether it would take off or not. As my (darling, ex Reiss West End store manager, all-round fashionista, now at M&S) sister succinctly put it: "What do you know about retail?!"
So I'm always a bit overwhelmed to see my designs in magazines, newspapers and on top blogs like Chic Little Baby, written by Maggie Westhead, a fashion journalist who's worked for esteemed publications like Vogue and The Observer who is currently the Associate Shopping & Style editor of Time Out magazine, London.
Maggie's had a peek at my new autumn/winter prints and designs and I'm delighted to say has given them a big thumbs up. (Read more)
Thanks Maggie and also congratulations on the arrival of your second daughter, Lola Maud.
Terribly flattered to have been 'spotted' by the lovely Laura and Katy on their fab blog LittleStuff. They've picked out my Freya Bean blouse in gorgeous grey Liberty Clemmie print.
In the Know. Commissioning Editor Hannah Shuckburgh's big day was full of home made touches: "My dress was my great-grandmothers's and I bought mu jewelled headband from Hammersmith Vintage Fair. My flower girls wore pretty, Liberty frocks." Liberty print dresses from £60. Visit peakprincess.co.uk.
The first ever nationwide sizing survey is out today and it shows children are significantly taller and fatter than their parents were at the same age. Both typical waist-lines and height have increased over the last 30 years. Girls are typically 2cm taller, with waist measurements up by 8cm, and boys are 4cm taller, with waists up by 7cm. I was asked what I thought by reporter Tamsin Smith for BBC Breakfast TV. It's a sensitive issue and I'm sympathetic to parents with children who are larger than average as I was definitely a 'bonny' baby.
I was lucky enough to meet the talented Amy Fleuriot recently - she's the designer behind 'Cyclodelic'. Her aim is to bring a little style back into women's cycle wear. Her range has been such a hit that Top Shop stock her. Read her interview with me here...
Chic Little Baby's Maggie Westhead (Time Out magazine) says: I am in love with this pretty dress designed and handmade by the brilliant Lissa Cook of Peak Princess, specially for CLB competition winner, Kristy of Queensland, Australia. Thank you Lissa!
Han Picked's blog: From her sewing room in the attic of her cottage in the Peak District (with its pastoral-idyll view), Lissa Cook makes the most adorable clothes to order - for babies, children and adults - all in crisp Liberty print. It's a proper cottage industry, as it really is just her (not a single employee) and so everything is individually made by hand, by Lissa herself, in whatever print you like. Her blouses for women are lovely, but I think the baby rompers and bloomers might get my vote.
Ex Vogue bloggers from London guide A Little Bird: Who can resist Liberty print dresses, romper suits, blouses and baggy knickers for little girls and boys? Peak Princess Lissa Cook handmakes all her clothes to order, and her designs are spot on in terms of being old fashioned without being too uptight or overly nostalgic. We confess it: we’re repeat shoppers. Her prices are also reasonable given what you are getting. Still, hand made frocks never come cheap—except right now, as Cook is selling samples she’s made for magazine shoots at half their usual price.
One of CLB's favourite brands is having a sample sale - woo hoo. Peak Princess, the delicious label that brings us handmade Liberty-print clothing for little girls and boys is purging all sample stock in the run up to Christmas. Check the website's sale page to see if they have any goodies in the sizes you are after. And don't forget, there's only four more days to to enter the CLB/Peak Princess competition to win a made to order outfit for a boy or girl. Good luck!
Ideal Home's Ellie Tennant writes in her Home Shopping Spy blog: "Advent is nearly upon us. One very organised person recently announced to me that she has ‘finished’ her Christmas shopping. I haven’t started mine. So, let’s get organised...
Ideal Home Shopping Editor‚ Ellie Tennant‚ kindly picked my new handmade Liberty print cushion covers for this year's Christmas gift guide because Liberty prints are timeless
Associate Shopping & Style editor of Time Out magazine‚ Maggie Westhead writes: I am so in love with the new collection by Peak Princess, the label specialising in handmade Liberty print garments for little ones. I particularly like the way its designer/maker, Lissa Cook, makes boys' clothes with charm. No boring grey or black but unusual Liberty prints worked into shirts, jackets and dungerees in the most creative way. The range starts at around £30 for a top. Another one to bookmark for your online Christmas shopping spree...
Handmade dresses for children have never been this special. Worn out by her on-the-edge and demanding job of a radio producer, Lissa Cook has her glandular fever that she ‘worked through’ to thank for, two years since starting Peak Princess, as she looks at a successful line of good, quality handmade clothes for children.
Time to clock off: Women are being forced to work even longer hours thanks to the recession... but is it ruining our families?
The light finally dawned after she moved to the Peak District for a new job. Playing with her goddaughter in the park, Lissa began to wonder: her mother had been a couture designer and she had always enjoyed making her own dresses. Could she possibly sew for a living?
A&U Fashion news: Fashionable add-ons. Ask any fashionista and she'll tell you that accessories are key this season. Adorn your hair with Liberty print clips or bobbles designed by Emily Pickle for Peak Princess.
What's hot in the wedding world‚ right here‚ right now. Cutie Pie - We can't resist these handmade Liberty print flowergirl dresses from Peak Princess - choose from 30 prints.
Handmade Ophelia Rose puff sleeve bridesmaid dress in Liberty Fitzgerald
