GAGA FOR YALLAH

OK, so picture the scene. It's late on a Saturday afternoon and I'm wandering through Portobello as the stalls close up for business with my friend Trish. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye I spot a flash of neon (you KNOW how much I like neon). The stall before me is filled with NEON Mexican-style skirts, bags and other such treasures. I nearly died. Not actually. But if I had at least the last thing I would have seen would have been Yallah's B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. creations. So that's her name - Yallah - I got talking to her, clutching many a skirt and oohing and aahing before sadly relinquishing all items (it was the end of my Portobello haul - no cash left). Each and every piece is handmade by her, using vintage fabric. Sigh.

I vowed that next pay day weekend I would take a trip to Yallah's magical stall and get myself one of her dreamy skirts. And so that's what I did. I like to wear my new Skirt of Joy with a vintage yellow jacket I picked up from a local charity shop and bright pink lipstick.

Yallah doesn't have a website, nor a bricks and mortar shop but you can visit her at Portobello market every Friday and Saturday - near the Ladbroke Grove entrance. If you get lost, ask around - the other stallholders will be able to direct you. Or simply look for the neon Mexican skirts. Oh, and say I sent you there (perhaps next time I'll get a discount, wink wink).

(You can contact Yallah at yallah-shop@hotmail.com)