T-Shirt and Tails

Adidas by Stella McCartney Accessories, A/W 2013

2012-11-13T20:17:00.000Z

Adidas by Stella McCartney are on a roll! After taking the Olympics by storm, the collaboration has focused its latest A/W collection on winter sports, including ski, snowboard and après ski looks as well as outdoor fitness pieces designed for cold weather workouts. The collection uses CLIMAWARM and CLIMAPROOF STORM for insulation and comfort. I’ll never be able to use the cold and rain as an excuse not to go for a run again…

The collection works because it has both style and substance, which I’ve definitely found to be an anomaly with women’s exercise clothing. This is something that the collaborative duo has become renown for. Past collections have definitely been more fashion over function focused but we are seeing a real change of direction in recent seasons.

I’ve also had an exclusive look at the S/S 13 look book and we have a lot to get excited about. Think pastel brights and striking patterns – I can’t wait!

The Adidas by Stella McCartney collection is out now online and in 750 stockists.

Georgia May for Harpers Bazaar

2012-11-11T12:17:00.000Z

Just a quick post today to feature the fantastic cover of Harper’s Bazaar Australia December issue, featuring Georgia May Jagger. I love the simplicity of the cover; Georgia May looks fantastic, all Jerry Hall sunkissed hair and Mick Jagger voluptuous lips.

Lego Chanel Clutch

2012-11-10T10:14:00.000Z

Does a more unlikely brand collaboration exist? Chanel has teamed with childhood favourite Lego, to create an inspired Chanel Lego clutch shown at the Chanel S/S 13 catwalk show. The playful design and primary school colour palette are the perfect antidote to the sophisticated and monochrome design usually seen from Karl Lagerfeld.

Markus Lupfer and Whistles Collaboration

2012-11-07T19:32:00.000Z

Great news for all of you who love statement knitwear! London Fashion Week designer Markus Lupfer has collaborated with Whistles to design a festive knitwear range to a store near you.

To celebrate, the fashionable pairing has created a video full of festive cheer and celebrity guest appearances from the likes of TV Presenter Lauren Laverne and model Suki Waterhouse (and a couple of others who I didn’t recognise). The cameo guests showcase the fun collection while Lupfer reads ‘The Night Before Christmas’ in his Christmas grotto. The collection is in store from this week.

Hampstead Affordable Art Fair Review

2012-11-06T21:51:00.000Z

Last Thursday, I went to visit the Hampstead Affordable Art Fair for their launch night. I always enjoy the Hampstead AAF as it is much more manageable than its Battersea sister, closer to my house, and allows me to discover up-and-coming artists.

The fair is a great way to make purchasing art accessible and affordable to all, and doesn’t require you to be an art expert or a Russian oligarch to take part. All art is priced between £40 and £4000, and this year there has been a focus on including more compositions under £500. In my opinion, it is a fantastic opportunity for people to start collecting.

The collection was rather hit-and-miss this year. My recommendation would be to include more up-and-coming talent from recent art school graduates. This would serve two purposes: firstly, to add an element of excitement to the AAF, and secondly to ensure that the artists were stylistically worth investing in. The AAF has great potential but just isn’t there yet.

Whistles Opening Flagship Store

2012-11-01T21:33:00.000Z

The fashion packs beloved Whistles has announced that it is to open a new flagship store in January 2013. This is such exciting news, and just in time for sales shopping too – hurray!

The flagship concept store will be located on Dover Street and will showcase the Limited Edition and the full footwear and accessories range across two floors. I can’t wait to see the new space, and most importantly be able to browse their entire collection rather than splitting my time between online and their Upper Street store.

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Blog

2012-10-31T22:08:00.000Z

Firstly, I would like to say a big fat welcome to the blogosphere to make-up artist, Charlotte Tilbury. Her make-up blog is a fantastic combination of beauty tips and make-up tutorials and I can't wait to see more from her!

Charlotte created Kate Moss' striking look for this month's French Vogue cover. I love the strong, accentuated red lip, doe eyes and contouring that she has created. If like me you would love to create this look yourself but can't get any further than applying M.A.C.'s Ruby Woo red lipstick then her easy-to-follow tutorial will act as a God-send.

Chloé A/W 2012

2012-10-29T20:59:00.000Z

I just love the Chloé A/W 2012 collection that beautifully combines the casual vibe of English sportswear with the sophisticated French silhouette. This is Claire Keller’s first A/W collection for Chloé and as her inspiration she looked to her own experience as a British girl in Paris which you can see in the mix of casual yet refined sensibilities. The oversized luxurious aesthetic combined with the contrasting textures works fantastically well and has me lusting over the entire collection, particularly the peach overcoat (below).

Young Fashionistas

2012-10-26T20:40:00.000+01:00

Haven’t we all wondered if Anna Wintour had her trademark Ice Queen demeanor as a child, or if Karl Lagerfeld has always had a snow-white ponytail?

Now we can find out for ourselves thanks to The Coveteur who has filmed all of the fashion world’s biggest players from Grace Coddington to Bryan Boy, Leigh Lezark to Susie Bubble, as played by eight-year-olds. Ingenious.

The Coveteur celebrated a relaunch of their website by throwing a party for all their super fashionable eight-year-old friends. The film features all of the most sought-after accessories in fashion from Anna Dello Russo’s outlandish headpiece to Rachel Zoe’s oversized leopard print coat. However, my faouvrite special guest appearance has to go to Chaupette (Lagerfeld’s cat) who steals the show. Bravo.

Rituals, Perfection Volume Mascara

2012-10-25T20:45:00.000+01:00

The one make-up product that I just can’t do without is mascara. Some days it’s all I wear and so it has become a bit of an obsession. I'm a beauty junkie; I love trialling new shades, products and looks.

I have tried and tested many different mascaras over the years, of varying price points and brands, however have never been able to stray away from my trusty Maybelline Volum’ for long. That is until I experimented with Rituals.

I’ve recently been trialling the Rituals Perfection Volume Mascara after being impressed with their other products (FYI – the eye shadows have incredible pigment!). The mascara is perfect for building long, Penelope Cruz-esque lashes. The brush is a chunky affair that collects plenty of mascara to create both definition and thick, lush lashes.

Rituals Perfection Volume Mascara is also a great price point at only £13. Sorry Maybelline, after decade-long romance, I’ve moved on.

MissesDressy

2012-10-24T20:12:00.000+01:00

Tis the season to get dressed up! I call it the TOWIE and Made in Chelsea effect that we all feel underdressed without a floor length dress with split to the thigh with matching five-inch stilettos and red lipstick, á la Angelina. Gone are the days of wearing skinny jeans and Converse to our local pubs.

One site to help all budding Lauren Pope and Millie Macintosh’s achieve the desired look is MissesDressy. The site launched in States in 2008 and offers a huge range of cocktail, evening, and prom dresses to make all of your friends’ well jel. They also offer a huge number of designers from Sherri Hill to Jovani.

The best thing about MissesDressy? The site offers free international shipping. YAR!

Bedlam, Old Vic Tunnels

2012-10-21T07:42:00.000+01:00

Lazarides Gallery and The Old Vic Tunnels have joined artistic forces to create the immersive Bedlam exhibition, based on London’s infamous mental institution Bethlam founded in 1247. Yesterday, I went to visit the haunting exhibition to see what the hype was about.

The exhibition looks broadly at mental health and is coined Bedlam after UK’s oldest mental hospital that was renowned for its brutality and cruelty. The aim of the exhibition was to artistically explore the legendary institution, where members of the public could pay to view the unstable patients rattled in their cages during the 18^th century, and all its horrors.

Bedlam invites you to stumble blindly through 29,000 square feet of underground tunnels, coming across psychedelic kaleidoscopic light displays on the ceiling to a giant haunting projection of a child’s dress.

The exhibition had elements of greatness within the unhinged art, yet also juxtaposed with weaker conceptual art. However, the venue is incredibly thematic, and it is free to enter so you should definitely visit should you have the chance.

Hollywood Costume Exhibition Launches at V&A

2012-10-20T16:08:00.001+01:00

Dorothy's Ruby Red Slippers, Wizard of Oz.

The V&A’s ‘Hollywood Costume’ has launched and I was fortunate enough to be present at the exhibition preview on Wednesday. The V&A have pulled together some of cinema’s best-known, and loved, costumes which explore the art of costume design and illustrates how it assists in building both character and storytelling. The exhibition brings together all of my favourite characters in film and their memorable costumes, from Holly Golightly to Indiana Jones, Captain Jack Sparrow to Taylor Durden. Each costume gives a fantastic insight into thsee pivotal cinematic moments.

Alice Ayres (Natalie Portman), Closer.

Also on display are film clips of specially commissioned interviews with directors, costume designers and the actors themselves including Tippi Hedren and Robert de Niro. The exhibition team at the V&A has done a fantastic job of curating ‘Hollywood Costume’, the projection tables and notes featuring costume briefs, images and inspiration help to give a greater understanding of the character and its costume. Each costume stands in a spotlight with a photograph of the actor who wore them suspended above; this really helps to bring the costumes come to life.

Elizabeth I (Judy Dench), Shakespeare in Love.

It’s almost impossible to select a favourite costume from the exhibition, however Tippi Hedren’s pale green suit (below) that she wore throughout ‘The Birds’ was incredibly striking. Hitchcock deliberately chose the shade for its cinematic qualities, and it still seems incredibly timeless and perfectly depicts the character. As Martin Scorsese says in his video interview, ‘Costume is character’.

Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), The Birds.

Tippi Hedren.

Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), Brokeback Mountain.

Ocean's Eleven.

Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), Frank Catton (Bernie Mac) and Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), Ocean's Eleven.

The Narrator (Edward Norton), Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), Fight Club.

Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett), Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

Viola De Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes), Shakespeare in Love.

The 'Little Black Jacket' Exhibition by Chanel

2012-10-16T18:43:00.000+01:00

Chanel has unveiled a book entitled ‘The Little Black Jacket’ with a coordinating photography exhibition launched by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld. The exhibition is being hosted by the Saatchi Gallery and showcases one hundred and nine celebrity photographs including Jane Birkin, Sarah Jessica-Parker, Georgia-May Jagger, Anna Wintour and many more. Lagerfeld and Roitfeld have styled each photograph in extremely different ways to highlight the versatility and cross-generational appeal of the Chanel jacket.

Milla Jovovich

This was Chanel’s opportunity to celebrate its rich heritage and cement its iconic fashion status by bringing it in to the present by collaborating with well-known stylish personalities who are highly-revered in their field. It’s incredibly difficult to select a favourite image but the Anna Wintour portrait is particularly striking. The shot is taken from behind and Wintour is instantly recognisable due to her iconic bob. Her hair has now cemented itself in the fashion hall of fame!

Carine Roitfeld

Anna Wintour

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Waris Ahluwalia

Lou Doillon in front of an image of her mother, Jane Birkin.

Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel

2012-10-14T18:33:00.000+01:00

Few editors have a reputation that instills the fear of God in designers, models and photographers alike. However, Anna Wintour was most certainly not the first fashion editor to rule this domain. Diana Vreeland is the original grandiose fashion editor, or in her words ‘the only fashion editor’.

Born in to an aristocratic family, Diana Vreeland pursued a love of fashion and became a columnist at Harpers Bazaar in 1937 and rise to editor-in-chief. The fashion world has always been intrigued at the eccentric, glamorous and rule-breaking life that she led. Vreeland’s daughter-in-law, Lisa Immordino Vreeland, has captured her 86 years in the film, Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel.

Sadly, I missed the only showings in London this week at the ICA and Hackney Picturehouse but I can’t wait to see what the film has in store for us when it’s released on DVD from 29 October. If the trailer is anything to go by then we’re in for quite a dramatic treat full of charm, iconic celebrities, impeccable taste and ruthless decision-making.

Joana Avillez's Fashion Editors

2012-10-12T20:23:00.000+01:00

We are currently experiencing the rise of the fashion editor. Never before have fashion editors had such a celebrity status, from ‘fashion maniac’ Anna Dello Russo’s recent range for H&M to Julia Sarr-Jamois gracing the pages of every street style blog worth their Chanel 2.55s.

In homage of this, Joana Avillez has created illustrations of fashion’s top editors for the style website Refinery 29. The beauty of these images is that she immortalises each editor and their signature style, for instance Anna Dello Russo and her eye-catching cherry fascinator and Katie Grand with a takeaway coffee in hand and a shout out to her pet rabbit, Clara (move over Choupette).

The illustrations offer a light and playful look at the fashion world and those commentate on it. Expect more illustrations to come from Avillez; she’s got Hamish Bowles, Karl Lagerfeld and Lynn Yaeger on her hit list!

Tim Walker Story Teller Exhibition Preview

2012-10-07T18:33:00.001+01:00

Calling all Tim Walker fans! Somerset House will host the ‘Tim Walker Story Teller’ exhibition on October 18 2012, showcasing 175 of his most inspirational photographs including Alber Elbaz and Helena Bonham Carter. My favourite photograph is the surreal image (above) of Rollo Hesketh Harvey sat in a makeshift plane made entirely from bread.

We Are Handsome, A/W 12

2012-10-02T21:39:00.002+01:00

As the days get shorter and the temperature drops, I've begun to daydream about the heat and spending my days lounging on a beach (preferably a Brazilian one). It was perfect timing that the We Are Handsome A/W 12 look book appeared in my inbox. Forget the cut-out swim suits of last season; bold prints, animal imagery and photograph motifs are the perfect companion to a douse of winter sun.

Stella McCartney for Adidas A/W

2012-09-29T22:52:00.001+01:00

Stella McCartney has just launched her A/W range for Adidas as part of their established sports collaboration. I have been lucky enough to sample some of the range recently courtesy of the PR and have been road testing the above items at my local gym (clockwise: Studio Image Parka, Run Graphic Tee, Run Seven-Eights Tights and Laptop Bag).

The idea of the collection is to design a collection which reflects the style of each of the major fashion capitals which are captured above (L-R: New York, London, Milan and Paris). My favourite is the Milan capsule collection, it encapsulates

Milanese style by being sleek, chic and most importantly, black. Just as we have become to rely on with Stella, the items look great but most importantly are a great fit and incredibly comfortable which is key when pounding that treadmill.

Versace Design for Lavazza

2012-09-18T20:19:00.002+01:00

Versace join a group a high-end Italian fashion houses who have designed eye-catching yet sustainable packaging for iconic Italian coffee brand, Lavazza. Versace, Marni, Roberto Cavalli, Missoni, Moschino and Etro designed special limited editions that were available exclusively for Vogue's Fashion Night Out in Milan, Rome and Florence.

NARS Autumnal Shades

2012-09-17T18:58:00.001+01:00

On Thursday night I attended the NARS A/W collection launch courtesy of Beauty Seen PR. The new collection is a showcase of rich autumnal shades with beautiful strong pigments that will become an essential in any A/W make-up bag.

I've photographed my key products from the collection above: Vent Glace Duo Eyeshadow, Autumn Leaves Lipstick and Nuku Hiva Eyeliner Stylo. The stylo has been a revelation and it hasn't left my side over the past few days, nor will I be reverting back to an eye liner any time soon. Such precision and ease of application. Perfection!

Charlotte Olympia, Lunatic Clutch

2012-09-12T21:51:00.001+01:00

Maybe I'm biased but in my eyes Charlotte Olympia can do no wrong (despite the prices that I would need a trust fund to afford but that's another story...). Charlotte Olympia has launched another must-have item this season which I'm sure every fashion editor worth her 2.55 will be clambering for: the lunatic clutch.

Shopcade - Social Shopping

2012-09-10T20:04:00.000+01:00

I’ve found a way to combine two of my favourite passions in life: shopping and social media. A modern day Cher Horowitz indeed. I think that Cher would be proud of my use of Shopcade as it allows me to be inspired by stylish ladies and gents (and be rewarded for it).

Not only can you shop from the comfort of your sofa, be inspired by the online community but you also get cash back from both the purchases and recommendations you make. For all of you who have long day-dreamed at your desk of being paid to shop, well now it can happen.

More often than not shopping sites are US-specific or only supply a poor range of brands and products. However, Shopcade offers a broad range of well-established and fashionable brands as well as 60 million products.

For all of you who wished that Pinterest would launch a shop function so you can purchase those inspired choices, this is the answer that you’ve been waiting for.

Take a look for yourself on the Shopcade site!

Heladeria La Fiorentina, Seville

2012-09-07T21:38:00.003+01:00

I’ve just spent a week on a gastronomic tour of Andalucía (or at least that’s what it felt like) and the award for the ultimate foodie highlight has to be handed to Heladeria La Fiorentina in Seville. This ice-cream parlor bases its most inventive flavours on the city’s most prominent scents, from crema de flor de azahar (cream of orange blossom) to dulce de cherimoya (custard apple). Buen provecho!

French & Grace, Brixton Village

2012-08-28T22:23:00.000+01:00

On Saturday I continued with my rather gluttonous mission, to eat my way around Brixton Village, by visiting the much talked-about French & Grace. We climbed over boxes of wine to seat ourselves on one of the indoor tables and sampled the near-famous über wrap, consisting of a flatbread stuffed with lamb merguez, halloumi and hummus. I’m in agreement with Jay Raynor; a big thumbs up!