Yesterday I went for my longest bike ride to date with my friend James. He has been absolutely brilliant in teaching me about the gears, what to do on steep hills and bends and how to get comfortable riding behind someone’s wheel. And all this whilst having to put up with me cycling in my huge Zara sunglasses! Granted, they may get some looks from fellow cyclists, but the Oakley types don’t suit me one bit. And whilst I know it shouldn’t be a big deal, I haven’t quite managed to get myself a pair of proper ‘sport sunnies’ yet…

I was excited about the ride, especially as I hadn’t been on my bike for ten days. I had done about 12 rides in total before and had loved all of them. But not this one. As soon as we got to the first slight incline, I realised my legs were totally powerless. My heart rate jumped up to 180 and everything felt really hard.

I’m definitely not a wimp and don’t give up easily, but after about just 10km, I was ready to turn around and go home. Of course I didn’t. I carried on behind James, but I wasn’t enjoying myself. For the first time ever, my bum hurt on the saddle, my shoulders ached and I really just wasn’t feeling it.

I know that sometimes you just have a bad session, and it shouldn’t be such a big deal. But I was so angry with myself. I tried to push harder and keep up, but there was nothing left in my legs. I was mostly annoyed that I was holding James back. In fact, I told him quite a few times to just go and leave me get on with my pathetic ride. He didn’t.

Looking back, it wasn’t such a bad ride. We did 87km with an average speed on 25kmph, which isn’t terrible. And like James said, it was the longest distance ever and I did better riding on his wheel. I of course know all this, but my competitive mind is still angry…

It’s simple though: I did too much a few days before the ride so my legs were totally wiped out. It was my own fault. Luckily, I think you actually learn from those sessions that don’t go according to plan, at least mentally…

I’d love to know what you all do when you have a bad session. Do you let it go, or do you analyse it? Does it make you more nervous about the next time you train, or is it the opposite and makes you more determined to ‘smash’ it?

It’s official! My business is one!

I’m so grateful for everyone who has supported me in the last year. And for those of you who ever doubted me, well, silly you…

I obviously had to throw a little party to mark the anniversary. Thanks for all the cards and flowers I received on the day. It really means a lot! It was a lovely evening and we had some delicious treats from the Olney Cake company and a new London based venture, Cookie & Biscuit. The cake pops were delicious, as were the mini cookies. But it was the parcel they arrived in that put a smile
on my face:

Main picture by Shaneen Rosewarne Cox

Muireann Carey-Campbell, or Bangs, as everyone seems to call her, is the fabulous and fit lady behind one of my favourite blogs, Spikes & Heels. Described as “a fitness site for badass women who train hard,” it’s an inspirational read. The site has just recently turned one, and if you haven’t bookmarked it yet, you are seriously missing out! I talked to Bangs about the weirdest fitness class she’s ever tried, her favourite brands and our mutual hatred for the term ‘bikini body.’

Your blog Spikes & Heels is inspiring so many women to get fit. Was the idea for it long in the making?
Ahh thank you! Well, it kind of came about almost despite myself. The more I was getting into fitness, the more frustrated I was feeling towards the traditional media aimed at women who are into fitness. I really disliked the pink/fluffy/all about weight loss approach to fitness. It didn’t reflect what I, or any of the women I was encountering on my journey, were about. At the time, it seemed more and more people were associating me with fitness anyway, so it just looked like all roads were leading to me starting a site. And no one was really doing my kind of site with the specific ethos and message I wanted, so I decided to do it. From inception to launch it was about three months in total.

You studied fashion, but have you always been into sports?
Gosh no! I’m not a natural athlete by any means. I played netball in primary school (as we all do), but by the time I was in high school, I was a dancer and that was my focus. I didn’t do any sports at all in school. It was just dance, dance, dance from the age 11 to 22. Then there was a period of prolonged inactivity until I was about 29!

I’m glad I’ve found someone who hates the concept of ‘bikini body’ as much as I do! Do you think the magazines will ever stop using that phrase and encourage people to get fit for life instead?
Man, I detest it. It’s such an unhealthy approach to fitness. Apparently women should only work out two months of the year to prepare themselves for two weeks on the beach. I think in general, the ethos of women’s magazines when it comes to fitness is all backwards. I work out because I love my body, not because I hate it. But the message they put out is that I should always be unhappy with some part of my body and something should always be improved. Sadly, I don’t think the ‘bikini body’ thing will stop any time soon, as women who haven’t yet found a healthy relationship with being active totally lap that nonsense up.

You love running, but have only quite recently started cycling. How do you find it and have you got any tips for anyone thinking about buying their first ‘proper’ bike? (Besides wear a helmet, of course!)
It depends what you want to use it for really. I have a great fixed wheel bike that I got second hand, that I love. My road bike is obviously a bit flashier. I had a proper fitting for that. I didn’t even know that was an actual thing, but it’s been invaluable. If you want to get into cycling more seriously, I think a bike fitting is imperative to get done. It makes sure the bike is properly set up specific to all your measurements.

What clothes do you feel the most comfortable in? And when it coms to sports gear, what are your favourite brands and items?
At the moment, I pretty much live in workout kit because I’m constantly training. I do love to dress up though and look very feminine and put together. When it comes to sportswear, I probably wear Nike the most and Rapha when I’m cycling. I also really like Sweaty Betty and Lululemon for really nice kind of cross over fitness/every day wear.

Lastly, what is the most bizarre fitness session you’ve ever tried?
Definitely aerial yoga, but it was amazing!

I can’t believe a year has flown by since I opened POP The Fashion Store in May last year. It was quite a big gamble opening in a ‘tricky’ economical climate, but a year on the store is still  going strong. The support from people has been amazing, and it’s so rewarding when customers tell me they love my selection and that they have never experienced service like mine elsewhere. The online sales have been steadily growing  too.

Being nominated for Draper Magazine’s Inspiring Independents, and being included in their list of 100 best small boutiques alongside the likes of Dover Street Market, Browns, Donna Ida and Start Boutique was also amazing and totally unexpected.

The list of brands I have in store is also growing. I am mixing more ‘commercial’ labels, such as French Connection, Great Plains and Melissa with edgier ones, such as Finsk, Minna Parikka and Miista shoes, Moxham jewellery, Jane Goodchild bags as well as Ivana Helsinki, just to mention a few.

I am celebrating POP The Fashion Store’s first birthday in store on Friday 3rd May. If you can make it, come by for some bubbles and snacks, including mini cookies and muffins.

You can pop by any time between 7.30 and 10pm. Address: 4 Rose Court, Olney MK46 4BY. (If you are coming from London, the fastest way to get here is to take a 30minute Virgin train from Euston to Milton Keynes and then jump in a taxi for 15 minutes.)

I hope to see many of you then. And a huge THANK YOU for anyone who has supported me in the past year, I really appreciate it!

Since opening POP The Fashion Store pretty much exactly a year ago, I’ve been getting a lot of great feedback from customers, who are loving the mix of brands that I do. Yes, I stock ‘commercial’ brands, such as Great Plains and French Connection, but alongside with more unique UK or Scandi labels, that aren’t readily available just everywhere.

One of these is Ivana Helsinki, a very cool Finnish brand designed by Paola Suhonen. It’s new to POP for this summer and it seems I’ve picked well, as The Huffington Post has just listed it as one of their label’s to watch!

The currently collection is selling really well, which is great. Especially when I think that the Autumn/Winter collection that The Huffington Post features, is even stronger!

You can see most styles online. Here I am wearing the Lampa dress.
(Photo by Ed Lee.)

I haven’t done a Wear What post in ages. Mainly because the camera on my iPhone is pretty knackered (luckily I’m finally up for an upgrade this month!) but also because I often have no one who would take my photo.
Check out the Billy no mates…

Last week I had a brilliant local photographer, Ed Lee, take a few shots of me so I thought I might as well share a some with you, as for once, I look half presentable!

He is also going to do some sporty ones of me very soon and I can’t wait to go run around in the local park for the shoot.

Dress: Great Plains Necklace&Bracelet: Moxham Watch: Chanel Leggings: American Apparel Boots: Skin by Finsk 

I love reading, but lately I’ve been buying books that just end up looking pretty in the book case for ages before I get a chance to even open them. I very much doubt it will be the case with my latest Amazon purchase, as I’m intrigued by this woman and can’t wait to read her story.

I know I’m officially old and sad, but I’m actually looking forward to coming home tonight and climbing into bed with this and a cup of tea. I mean a glass of wine! Yes, definitely wine. Or a gin&slim…

I would love to hear anyone’s thoughts on this book or recommendations on any other sport autobiographies, running books, or anything like that. I’ve heard Christopher McDougall’s ‘Born to Run’ is meant to be really good. But what else should I be reading?

I’ve been totally in love with the gorgeous statement leather and brass MOXHAM pieces ever since I first spotted them on Twitter. I’m happy to say I’ve also stocked them at POP The Fashion Store ever since I opened last May, and I’m happy to be spreading the label love…

I chatted to the designer, 27 year old London based Madeleine Moxham, about her own style, plans to expand the brand and who she would like to see wearing her amazing pieces!

Was it always clear to you that you wanted to design accessories?
Actually, no. I initially loved art at school, then realised I loved textiles, then thought I would like to study fashion, which I did. I then knew I wanted to start my own business and doing jewellery and accessories was a more immediate, accessible start.

MOXHAM is a relatively new brand, but you have a very impressive stockist list and a huge following that consists of celebrities, bloggers, stylists and fashion journalists. Has the amazing response surprised you?
I don’t know if surprised is the right word, but I am certainly really pleased that our hard work is starting to pay off and the MOXHAM word is spreading. I really enjoy it when I meet new people and they have heard of the brand irrespective of me. I am really pleased when I see talented, driven women like Ellie Goulding and Annie Mac wearing and enjoying the pieces.

I love your branding. Who is responsible for that?
I did an MA and during this, I was keen to start thinking about the branding behind MOXHAM. There is a lot of choice out there and I wanted to make sure we stood out from the others. We worked closely with a branding agency based in Leeds and they help to come up with the logo, website and visualise the key elements of the brand. My three key words were International, Unisex (because who knows about the future) & Contemporary.

What is your signature style and what are your 3 wardrobe staples?
Clean lines, good fabrics and statement accessories. I love the Stella/Celine aesthetic (Or COS & Whistles on the high street) with oversized jewellery, accessories and good shoes! My three staples are a white vintage dress shirt, suede block heeled black shoes and a men’s bomber jacket from COS.

What have you got in your handbag?
At the moment I’ve been using a rucksack a lot, as I always seem to be carrying samples around. So the bag has everything in it: computer, charger, gold MICA clutch from last season which I use as my purse, Avene lipsalve and a notebook.

Who would you like to see wearing your pieces?
Caroline Issa, Diane Kruger, Anna Laub and Julia Sarr-Jamois.

Have you got any plans to expand the brand and do more than jewellery and bags?
Yes, we are working on bags and clothing at the moment so watch this space!

I have found my new label crush! The Swedish &Other Stories that opened its first UK store in London’s Regent Street last week is simply gorgeous. Owned by the same company as H&M, & Other Stories’ clothing is sleek and stylish with fantastic detailing and fit. The accessories range from sunglasses and jewellery to oversized leather clutch bags, belts and  cut out heels. The underwear they do is also great.

They also do their own range of cosmetics from lip gloss and eye shadow to face creams and cleansers. Everything is made out of recycled materials, and there is big emphasis on recycling and sustainability, with things like ‘Stop the water while using me’ written on the side of their hand soaps.

The way everything is displayed in store is very minimalist and cool. I could have easily spent a fortune in there the other day, but had to restrain myself. I did come out with a few little bits and a stunning black dress I wore to a party on Friday!

If you haven’t visited the store yet, GO!

Lipgloss: £6 Hairbands: £7 Dress: £39

Charli Cohen, 23, is a London based designer and personal trainer. She graduated from Kingston University with a BA in Fashion Design last year, and her graduate collection made big waves in the fashion and fitness industry. She has been a finalist for many awards, including the prestigious Lycra Future Designers Award at the WGSN Global Fashion Awards, the Gold and Womenswear Awards at Graduate Fashion Week as well as the Vauxhall Fashion Scout Merit Award. The Wiltshire-born designer is currently developing the first commercial collection for her activewear label, which is launching next January.

What sports did you do when you were little?
I was into all sorts, but nothing fully ‘clicked’ until I started weight training at 17.

What made you go into design?
I honestly don’t remember a time when that wasn’t the plan – I’ve always loved to draw and create.

What is your typical day like?
It usually goes something like this: Eat, work, train, eat, work, eat, work, sleep. Which is fine because I love all of those things!

What’s in your handbag?
iPhone, wallet, keys, water, Kindle, sketchbook, assortment of pens and pencils and a variety of protein-based snacks.

Design and fitness are clearly both extremely close to your heart. Could you ever choose between the two?
I don’t know if I could, which is why I’ve done everything in my power so I don’t have to! I feel one would suffer without the other. My work in fitness is the primary inspiration for my design and to be at my happiest (and thus most productive) I need a good balance of creative, scientific and academic within my working day.

Has the amazing response to your designs been a surprise?
The response to my graduate collection was incredible! The press I’ve received and contacts I’ve made have been absolutely instrumental in enabling me to set up my own label so soon after graduating. When you’re so ‘close’ to the design process, you lose all perception of whether your work is good or not, so it’s been a huge surprise and completely humbling. Every award nomination has had me thinking, “Me?! Really?” Being granted sponsorship from Lycra is the icing on the cake, because as a sportswear designer, validation doesn’t get better than that!

Are you training for anything specific at the moment and how often do you work out?
My first goal is to model for my own sportswear shoot in May, so it’s all about the right diet and weight training. The next goal is rather more endurance based, as a certain someone (Yes, YOU!) has roped me into this year’s Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest challenge, a 10K obstacle course in November. I strength train religiously 3-4 times per week and I’ll be gradually adding 2-3 endurance cardio sessions into the equation, so I can keep up with you at the Survival in London!

Charli’s first independent collection will be a small but all-inclusive capsule collection featuring second-skin technical baselayers to work out in, and effortless and oversized outerwear pieces for every-day wear. Prices will
start from £90.