2016; the year of the unthinkable, the year of the unimaginable. From Brexit to Trump, we have seen some eccentric events unfold, attesting to the worlds ever-changing, unpredictable nature. In turn we have experienced an interesting year, leaving us plenty to ponder and debate. Not all is doomed, however, as we have a New Year fast approaching and this of course means planning our festivities to welcome it in with open arms, starting afresh. New Year’s Eve can often be an underwhelming event, we feel an underlying pressure fuelled by superstition that if it were not a hit, your forthcoming year would inevitably follow in its disappointing footsteps. We think the perfect ingredient for a New Year’s Eve well spent should start with prime, ‘top drawer’ company, and from there all else will fall neatly into place no matter what you chose to be doing as the clock strikes midnight. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up a few quirky, unique events taking place in London town this 31st December for you and your mates to soak up the very last of the year just passed.

As the festive season comes into full swing, we’re greeted with endless Christmas activities to help sooth our festive souls. We cosily sip on mulled wine, we brave the gloomy weather to wander Christmas markets and most of all we embrace London’s kindred spirit as we unite under the host of Christmas lights and spectacles. And whilst we bask in the glory of it all, we tend to fall victim to the stresses of the annual present hunt, this of course, stands in spite of the fact we do enjoy the gift of giving to our friends & family, perhaps just not searching for them. So to wrap up our eventful year of 2016 in high spirits, we at Look Mate have done the nitty-gritty searching on your behalf. We’ve soared high and low to track down our picks for the most innovative, practical and stylish gift ideas, meaning you can shop stress-free this festive season, and most importantly allow more time to soak up the Christmas cheer!

Well, winter has well and truly hailed its icy entrance into our lives and as this dreary, cold weather looms upon us, mourning another summer gone, Londoners are left desperate for the summer atmosphere to return. Such is why we here at the Look Mate team felt compelled to regenerate the feel good vibe that floats so lovely in the summer air, so that we can experience it all year round, sounds pretty swell, doesn’t it? So, in our efforts to master this, we set out to engineer a sock which synced throughout all seasons. It was here where the ideas for our next collab began.

“The less you need, the freer you are”. In our busy lives, through the hustle and bustle, often the simple pleasures are forgotten but Rob ‘Supermundane’ Lowe doesn’t reflect this nor does his work, he lives to appreciate life through the small things. It was this lucid philosophy that first drew the keen attention of our team. We instinctively knew we had to approach Rob for our next sock collaboration.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Laura and two years ago, I couldn't remember the last time I exercised. I mainly dwelt on the sofa, doing stationary activities like drinking tea and reading books. What changed all this was the founder of Project Awesome, a free fitness class in London, encouraging me to attend a session. Had I been exercising alone, I wouldn't have returned but it was the sense of community, of finding people I liked and who encouraged me, that brought me back. The power of engaging people through shared experience and community cannot be under-estimated. It is the only thing that got me to Project Awesome week after week. Slowly, my levels of fitness rose so that next month, I am starting out on a 1249 mile run from Rome to London, which you can follow here, if you are interested.