Ad Hoc Fashion Show with DV8 Fulham at Miss Qs

Ad Hoc is a bit of an institution around these parts. It's a fun, bold and brassy store in the midst of the King Road's usual fare of polished, designer and pared down boutiques. It sells everything from kooky fashion, to bright nail polishes, costume jewellery and a whole range of quirky gifts and accessories and it's been a real hive of activity ever since I can remember. So, although a lot of the clothes aren't exactly wardrobe staples of mine, the style has a distinctive attitude, and bags of it. I knew that the event with DV8 Fulham (a great new local magazine focusing on young Fulham) would be LOTS of fun.

I hadn't been to Miss Qs previously, and the venue is definitely a good one. Although the dance floor is TEENY TINY, there is a chilled out vibe, as the club boasts loads of seating areas based around all sorts of nooks and crannys and some pool tables which definitely change the feeling of the place. DV8 had arranged some great goody bags for us including nail polish and vouchers for Hari's Salon, and for drinks we sipped upon the specially-created Tanquer-8 cocktail: a delicious mix of Gin and Lychee.

The fashion show was a great success. The models looked like they were having loads of fun, and really pulled off the bold outfits. The girls sported huge fake eyelashes, and high ponytails with the ends dip-dyed in neon colours - a look I can only dream of emulating without looking like a total tit but looked brilliant. The male models wore a small repertoire of clothes - tighter than tight jeans in neon yellow or pink with a navy wife-beater with a Britannia theme, but somehow they managed to strut the catwalk and pull the look off with cheeky swagger. The girls showed off a mix of sequins, hot pants, neon tutus and lots of sheer layering. There were some leather fringed shorts in particular that I will be buying next time I hit the Kings Road, and some great sheer shirts that will probably find themselves worked into some (slightly more conservative) ensembles in my own wardrobe.

Janets Bar - Janet can keep it

So, I get what this place is and isn’t trying to be. It’s definitely unpretentious, and the free popcorn and live music was a nice touch. However, it’s really not to my taste. It’s a long, thin place absolutely full to brimming with people, with a real international vibe. In fact, it really reminded me of my Erasmus year abroad. The walls were covered in print-out posters and photographs, the clientele very dressed down, and the bar very well stocked. It looks kinda cheap, but kinda fun. Remembering that there are loads of foreign students based around South Ken I eagerly attacked the bar thinking I’d get myself a cocktail in central London at a decent price. And this was what totally ruined it for me. I don’t mind if something is unpretentious and low key. In fact I commend such a place for existing just round the corner from somewhere like Boujis which prides itself on extorting money from the banker crowd.

What I do object to, is NINE BLOODY POUNDS FIFTY for a really standard drink, in a pretty tiny glass. I could get myself a beautifully presented, well mixed and brilliantly thought out cocktail for that amount in a many other neighbouring bars. I was really looking forward to my Appletini – and it did taste fairly good – but I was disappointed that it was served in a tiny little tumbler, and that the tumbler was barely half full.

The rest of my party did kind of enjoy themselves – the place is laid back, open late, and probably perfect if you’ve already had a few too many, as most of us had – but the common consensus was that the drinks really weren’t worth the prices paid. It’s almost all we could talk about in the brief time we were there.

I will not be going back. Especially as just the briefest bit of Googling shows the Janet bar-staff up for a pretty nasty bunch. I would urge any of you considering going to ponder the response of the bar to these reviews posted to independent website ViewLondon http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/pubsandbars/janets-bar-userreview-14416.html

If you can’t take criticism – sort your act out or ignore it. But don’t start laying into your paying customers. Especially when your customers are paying through the nose.

All in all, not too bad, but not as polished as I would personally have liked. Horrendously over-priced. I won’t be going back.

Janets Bar

Nearest tube: South Kensington

30 Old Brompton Road

Pictures from Thursday Club and RBKC council website