Kildare Village gives us the lowdown on stylish skiwear

New season, new trends!

Influential blogger Jane Cunningham from British Beauty Blog gives the low down on spring/summer beauty trends on the ChicBuzz.

Stylish skiing

Anyone planning to hit the slopes this year?  Kildare Village shows you how to look cool at the hottest ski destinations bit.ly/xrBAJe

Designer bears

Last year Pudsey Bear from BBC’s Children in Need got a makeover from designers such as Erdem and Giles. Now Alexa Chung is the latest member of the fashion pack to offer her take on the famous Pudsey. 

Be there or be Foursquare

Planning to visit Las Rozas Village? Remember to Check-in with Foursquare when you do and discover the Swarovski special!

All that glitters

Swarovski don’t just create gorgeous jewellery and collectibles, they also support young design talent. This year, designers including Mary Katrantzou, Giles and Erdem will receive their support.

Dreams of the Orient

To celebrate the Year of the Dragon, Bicester Village has paired up with China Holidays to offer you the chance to win a trip to China!

The bright headscarves and sunglasses featured look like they’ve been lifted straight out of the costume department of a 1950s film set – or Thelma and Louise, perhaps – with a cast of models lead by Natasha Poly, Ymre Stiekema and Katryn Kruger.

Filmed by Steven Meisel, Prada’s campaign indulges us with candy colours, bright stripes and lots of pattern. You’ll stand out even if you’re not trying this summer, it seems!

Key colours to look out for: pastels – baby blues to pale yellow; crimson red; moss green; and purples.

Key pieces: 50s sunglasses, patterned head scarves and a rock ‘n’ roll attitude.

What do you think of Prada’s new campaign?

Rihanna wearing Armani

 The fashion-obsessed singer has always had a passion for new design talent and now Rihanna’s looking for more names.

The prize? To dress one of the most famous women in the world for her performance at the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park in July 2012. This will be a fantastic showcase for the new designer, and with so many stylish people watching what Rihanna wears, there is sure to be demand for their talent afterwards.

She’ll be working with Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts, who has her own range of make-up on sale and is also known for her love of fashion.

Rihanna, who will also be acting as Executive Producer on the show, said, “I’ve always had a great love of fashion. I have been very fortunate to work with some truly amazing designers and stylists throughout my career, and they have been instrumental in making sure my creative vision reaches the stage. I am excited to follow the journey of our aspiring contestants and see how their individuality influences their efforts during the course of the show.”

Are you excited about Rihanna and Nicola joining fashion forces?

A range of orange hues are on trend this spring/summer 12

Thanks to colour trend forecasters, Pantone, spring and summer are going to take on a distinctly orange hue. Pantone Tangerine Tango has been hailed as the Colour of The Year for 2012 so expect the vibrant shade to paint your world for the next few months in various guises.

Shades of orange are already seeping off the catwalk and into make-up trends, in the form of muted milky mango shades and all the way through to electric neons. Orange’s obvious bedfellow for making a statement is pink, and the combination can look spectacular on nails. Try painting the whole nail a vivid pink and top the tips with neon orange; or go half and half lengthways if you have a steady hand for ultimate two-tone talons.

The ‘statement’ nail is still a key look, so paint all your nails bar one (the middle finger or ring finger) one strong shade and add any other shade you like to the unpainted nail. Neon and ultra-brights should be used with a light hand; so either go with a statement bold eye liner, a strong and vibrant lip or attention grabbing nails, but doing all of them at once is going to look a hot mess! Highlight your best feature with orange in any permutation and combine it with another of the season’s trends; nudes. Vivid lips with a neutral or natural looking eye is looking strong for summer.

In amongst the wow neons, we’re going to see a myriad of blue spectrum hues; from palest, baby blue to creamy violets, but their common bond is a milky, fondant-like quality, just like perfect French macaroons. Watch out for upcoming nail collections with a creamy, porcelain quality that embodies the patisserie look perfectly.

Complexions are overtaken by BB creams this spring. BBs, or Blemish Balms, were originally formulated to heal, protect and conceal post-laser skin and are commonplace in Asia. They contain a strong skincare element, sunscreen and colour all in one product to treat and conceal blemishes. Now that BB creams are making their way en masse to the UK, there will be plenty to choose from, and as many are skin-type specific, nobody needs to miss out.

“His dresses are like fairy tales – each and every one of them,” Keira Knightley said, describing Williamson’s designs, at the London premiere of Pride & Prejudice in 2005.

Matthew Williamson: 15 years in fashion

Matthew Williamson is a designer brand known and loved across the world.  Born in Manchester, the design novice moved to London and graduated from Central Saint Martins in 1994.

In February 1997, Williamson founded his design house, Matthew Williamson, with CEO, Joseph Velosa. The label has gone on to enjoy global success and is loved by Kate Moss, Blake Lively, Bjork and many more celebrities.

His designs are inspired by his travels across the world, with Indian prints, exotic silks and beautiful patters infused with his far away adventures.

Starting out:

His first collection was ‘Electric Angels’, shown during London Fashion Week in 1997, which previewed bias-cut dresses and separates in exotic shades of tangerine, fuchsia and magenta. Since that collection was launched 15 years ago, the label has grown substantially and is now stocked in shops across the world.

Home territory:

As the label grew, Matthew Williamson began showing at New York Fashion Week. But London beckoned it to show once again on the label’s tenth anniversary. On the night, WIlliamson was accompanied by Prince, creating high profile publicity for the event. The singer and his band played an impromptu set on the catwalk before the show played – much to the audience’s delight. Williamson took a brief break from NYFW when the British Fashion Council’s Harold Tillman asked him to return for London Fashion Week’s 25th anniversary.

Matthew’s muse:

Bohemian Sienna Miller started a life-long creative relationship between herself and Matthew.

“Sienna looks great because she is not afraid to mix designer pieces with cheaper things”, said Matthew Williamson, expressing his love for the Miller’s sense of style.

It seemed to be a beautiful friendship for the dynamic duo, with Matthew claiming Sienna as his muse, creating a relaxed and youthful look, with flowing tailoring and colourful garments.

Fragrant notes:

Matthew made a foray into fragrance in 2002, with the limited-edition perfume ‘Incense’. The label now has several perfumes, which are sold throughout the world. The scents are often floral and inspired by Williamson’s clothing collections.

An award-winning career:

His achievements in the fashion industry have been consistently recognised: Matthew Williamson won Elle Designer of the Year in 2004, was awarded the 2005 Moet & Chandon Fashion Tribute and has received numerous nominations. He has also been nominated three times as Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards.

You can find Matthew Williamson at Bicester Village.

One of the interpretations on Chinese traditional dress by an Esmod student

·      In unexpected news, Celine cancels its catwalk show. To take the pressure off Creative Director Phoebe Philo, who is expecting a child, the brand is now hosting an intimate presentation.

·      To celebrate Chinese New Year, La Vallée Village (one of the nine Chic Outlet Shopping® Villages by Value Retail) set students from the renowned fashion school Esmod a challenge to reinterpret traditional Chinese dress.

·      Good news – Jaeger owner Harold Tillman will extend his term at the British Fashion Council.

·      Ever wanted to visit Dublin? Visit http://bit.ly/z73HT6 to read celebrity food critic Tom Parker Bowles’ preferred culinary experiences on the Emerald Isle.

·      January sees the World Luxury Association in Beijing host the annual World’s Top 100 Most Valuable Luxury Brand awards. Known also as the ‘Oscars of the luxury world’, it brings together brands from across fashion, travel and beauty.

·      Amy Winehouse’s father was shocked by Gaultier’s fashion show according to The Sun. Jean Paul Gaultier claims the spring/summer 2012 haute couture collection was a ‘tribute’ fashion show, however her father Mitch says “This is purely about Gaultier making money, and that’s wrong.”

·      Karl Lagerfield launched his collection KARL by Karl Lagerfeld for Net-A-Porter

·      Paris was full of beautiful creations for the haute couture fashion week. See our favourite shows here.

Dior: Runway - Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture S/S 2012

Christian Dior

It’s been a year since John Galliano was discharged from Dior, and now Bill Gaytten, the acting Creative Director, has unveiled his vision for spring/summer 2012. Ever so similar to Dior’s ‘New Look’ collection that shocked the world in 1947, the garments thrilled the audience and featured organza blouses, gorgeous half-sleeved coats and voluminous skirts.

The emphasis was on elegance and reiterating the demure but beautiful attitude of the forties and fifties. Colours ranged from beiges, blacks and whites to glamorous scarlet – suitable for ladies of any age and showing that couture, if done well (and it rarely isn’t), is for everyone.

Versace

We were ever so excited about this show, which was Versace’s first couture offering since 2004, making that eight painful years of waiting. The audience waited with bated breath at the intimate presentation within the gallery at the École des Beaux-Arts.

The show seemed to be inspired by a mix of Downton Abbey and The Fifth Element, with traditional corsetry combined with futuristic shapes. The detail was in the corsetry, which transformed models into statuesque glamazons, who with one look could send you all of a quiver. Versace‘s collection was fierce and beautiful, with gold metal petals placed around the necklines and the hips, which lifted the fabric to create a 3D effect.

Creamy colours worked perfectly with layers of tulle and gorgeous ball gowns. Contrasting this were the neon-yellow jumpsuits, where the corset formed the curvature of the women.

Following on from Versace’s successful collaboration with H&M, Donatella Versace told The Telegraph that this venture, “made me realise I had to come back to Paris to show that Versace is a couture house.”

Giorgio Armani Prive

This couture show was inspired by Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, in which a man wakes to find himself transformed into a monstrous insect-like creature. Cocoon-shaped dresses led to snakeskin patterned garments, all in shades of luminous green, hypnotic metallics and beaded fabrics.

The designs were complemented with futuristic spiral headgear by Philip Treacy that carried on the sci-fi theme.

And the drama wasn’t only on the catwalk, someone else came under the spotlight: The Help actress, Jessica Chastain, discovered just before the show started that she had been nominated for an Oscar. As word spread around the venue the fashion crowd broke with tradition and into a cheer. We wonder if Jessica spotted something to wear on the red carpet next month during the show?

Valentino

Valentino designers Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri pulled out all the stops this season, as they unveiled a gorgeous collection inspired by Marie Antoinette.

Tulle, embroidery and lace came together in an extraordinary way, while florals were given a modern twist. Since Valentino retired, the industry has seen his signature design accents alluded to, and never more so than with this collection.

Despite lashings of tulle and pastel colours, some of the pieces were transitional into autumn/winter. But one thing’s for sure, these pieces will definitely have you dreaming of warmer months.

The Palais d’Iena in Paris was host to the glitterati attending, with Kate Moss DJing and Jonathan Newhouse, Diane Kruger, Anna Wintour and Emmanuelle Alt among guests were there.

Anna del Russo attends the Prada 24 Hours Museum Launch

Divided into three sections, each is influenced by a particular type of museum space – historic, contemporary, and ‘forgotten’.

The installation features 13 five-metre high neoclassic sculptures, or ‘Disco Sculptures’ as Vezzoli calls them, fusing the bodies of classical Greek goddesses with the familiar faces of iconic celebrities of our time, including Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly.

The 24h Museum’s first 150 minutes unfolded as a private dinner for a cross-section of fashion, art and Hollywood bon vivants, many already in Paris for the Haute Couture collections.

Prada also talked to its virtual visitors by encouraging them to create their own portrait through a dedicated app on Facebook.

See more pictures at  www.24hoursmuseum.com

As the haute couture fashion shows have started in Paris this week, with the glitterati gathering on the front rows to peer at these art works, we wanted to know, where exactly did haute couture begin? As we discover, its fascinating history provides a background to this beautiful spectacle of fashion.

 Simply put, haute couture means ‘high fashion’ in French and refers to the artistry in fashioning garments. These designs were so intricate, due to the needlework, dressmaking and sewing skills they required, that they were considered to be at the top level of fashion. They were also designed specifically for the wearer, fitting their body measurements down to the last digit. These handmade garments were only for the wealthiest of the designer’s clientele.

Dior Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture S/S 2012

Couture, as we know it, started in the second half of the nineteenth century, with the designer Charles Frederick Worth – an English couturier who established the first haute couture house in Paris. He created an image for himself by wearing a beret and modelling his personal dress on the artist Rembrandt. While he may have dressed jovially, he was a serious man who helped turn an art into a profitable business.

The French designer, Paul Poiret, took couture to a new level by reacting to the fashion for Orientalism (a fabricated Western view of the East) and towards a grander scale of commerce.

After the Second World War there was a greater demand for couture, as a response to the adversity the country had faced. Christian Dior reacted to this demand: realising that women were fed-up with the uniforms and unadorned clothing of WWII, and were instead looking to emulate people such as Grace Kelly.

Dior: Runway - Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture S/S 2012

Dior proclaimed: “I wanted my dresses to be constructed, moulded upon the curves of the feminine body, whose sweep they would stylise.”

This concept was the Paris designer’s aim when he launched ‘The New Look’ collection in the spring of 1947. Dior called the line “Corelle”, after the botanical term for the frail petals in the centre of a flower, and it was a sensation.

Vogue described The New Look as being “from the era of Madame Bovary…wasp-waisted Gibson Girl shirtwaists, pleated or tucked…slow-sloped, easy shoulders…wrapped and bound middles–barrel (almost hobble) skirts–longer, deeply shaped shadow-box décolleté-padded hips…”

Luxurious fabrics were used, including silks, cashmeres, leather and furs, with some fabrics only available to certain design houses.

But in France, so specialised is this work, that the term haute couture is protected by law, with design houses having to meet certain requirements if they are to use the words. In other fashion capitals however, the term is used more freely to mean high-fashion fitted clothing.

To earn the right to call itself a couture house and to use the term haute couture in its advertising and any other way, members of the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture must follow these rules:

·         Design made-to-order garments for private clients, with one or more fittings.

·         Have a workshop (atelier) in Paris that employs at least fifteen people full-time.

·         Each season (i.e., twice a year), present a collection to the Paris press, comprising at least 35 runs/exits with outfits for both daytime wear and evening wear.

So who’s a member?

Adeline André — Anne Valérie Hash — Atelier Gustavolins — Chanel — Christian Dior — Christophe Josse — Franck Sorbier — Givenchy — Jean Paul Gaultier — Maurizio Galante — Stéphane Rolland  — Giambattista Valli[5]

Correspondent members (foreign)

Azzedine Alaïa — Elie Saab — Giorgio Armani — Martin Margiela — Valentino — Versace (coming back in SS2012)[6]

Guest members

Alexis Mabille — Alexandre Vauthier — Bouchra Jarrar — Iris Van Herpen — Julien Fournié — Maxime Simoens — Yiqing Yin (new in season SS2012)[6]

Jewellery

Boucheron — Chanel Joaillerie — Chaumet — Dior Joaillerie — Van Cleef & Arpels

Accessories

Loulou de la Falaise — Massaro — On Aura Tout Vu

First Milan and now Paris – there’s plenty of style action to choose from for the gents and here we round-up our favourite shows:

Dior Homme

Dior Homme Paris Fashion Week Menswear

Dior Homme marched, military style, into the new season, with models suited in khaki, off-white or grey – all ready to report for fashion duty.  Kris Van Assche certainly produced one of the label’s strongest collections to date.

The show opened with a pageant of models dressed in officer greens, oversized coats contending with slim suits and ponchos, and sleek leather jackets to finish the look.

It was a look that could be worn for a number of occasions, from a business meeting to after work drinks – making it very versatile.

Of particular note during the show was the doves in flight motif, which was emblazoned on some of the jackets, adding a fun twist to this look. Carving out a middle ground between formal and casual, the collection found its footing with sensible pieces and a hint of drama.

Yves Saint Laurent:

YSL Paris Fashion Week Menswear

But there was also a softer side to this collection, with wool coats, super slim trousers and warm knit sweaters. One element was present throughout the collection, embellishing jacket lapels, trouser suits and sleeves – leather. This is going to be a key look for autumn/winter and really brought home the show’s theme. The YSL gent looked smart, debonair, but slightly unapproachable, with even the hair echoing the ‘too cool for school’ attitude.

Burberry Men's Show in Milan

The V&A has announced that Hollywood Costume, an exhibition due to open in October 2012, will place the most iconic film costumes together under one roof. Audrey Hepburn’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s dress anyone?

Chic Outlet Shopping^® is going global – we’ve just launched our website in Korean.

Men’s Fashion Week: it was all about the boys this week – Milan’s menswear week kicked off last weekend and now Paris has started. Watch out for our round-up soon.

Did you know you can collect Flying Blue Award Miles when shopping at the nine Chic Outlet Shopping® Villages?

Prada is launching a museum that will be open for just 24 hours. Now that will be one whirlwind stop!

There was yet more fashion frenzy as the Versace for H&M collection was unveiled, and of course sold out online instantly. Yes, our fingers hurt from pressing refresh – a lot.

Find out how luxury brands are moving into tourism. We held a conference yesterday, in which fashion and travel’s elite spoke to a very stylish audience about how fashion brands are creating hotels and new experiences for their customers.

Fashion Forward names its next new future design stars. We’re a big fan of new fashion talent, so we will definitely be keeping an eye on these new names.

The Tourism Gets Fashionable Panel

There was an elite panel of travel and fashion experts who included:

Sandra del Río is a journalist. At present she is Editor In Chief of Condé Nast Traveler Spain (as of 2006).

James Bidwell – CMO of Value Retail – responsible for the success of all marketing, brand positioning and communication strategies of Value Retail’s family of nine Chic Outlet Shopping® Villages.

Piers Schmidt: Piers is a leading strategic marketing consultant, specialising in luxury and lifestyle brands, especially those with a heavy reliance on service.

Enrique Ruiz de Lera: Currently Director of Spain’s Tourism Board in London. Enrique has more than 13 years experience marketing Spain in 12 countries comprising 3 continents (Europe, America and Asia).

Beatrice d’Orleans: Princess Béatrice d´Orléans works as a a journalist for the prestigious American magazine Women´s Wear Daily and Vogue.

Alejandro Bataller: Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Sha Wellness Clinic. 

James Wigan: CEO of Quintessentially Iberia and a true Europhile, and graduated from the École Hotelière de Lausanne, Switzerland.

Shopping can be put into an equation with other factors, which when put together total the luxury experience that retailers are turning into. Products have evolved into brands, and stores into theatres, offering the consumer a completely different experience to just shopping.

The panel pointed out that Georgio Armani has turned the shop itself into as much of an attraction as the clothes within it – which is where more retailers are heading. Shopping is coupled with a spa, concierge service, to make a visit an entire experience for the consumer, beyond the clothes. This puts the brand at the forefront of any shopper, because it transitions from being a place to be visited for one purpose only, and instead has leisure coupled with luxury. Chic Outlet Shopping® will offer a chauffer service for this reason, picking our customers up from their houses and driving them to the nearest shopping Village.

Fashion Designers and Hotels

Key brands mentioned as success stories in the evolutionary process from design houses to hotel businesses were Armani and Bulgari, with the whole panel agreeing that these two brands showed intricacies and individuality in the design of their hotels.

It became apparent that fashion hotels had a flirtation with Dubai, as more and more launched in this futuristic metropolis. This including the Fashion TV hotel, which while still in design phase will have a diamond for a tower (!).

The extremities in the design of a fashion hotel were to offer the consumer an extension of the brand, another way in which the customer can relate to its identity and personality outside of shopping. Princess Beatrice highlighted that a fashion house offers its consumers a lifestyle and a hotel was simply an extension of this. Because of this, it was evident, and agreed by the panel that a visit to a fashion hotel was more than a one-time experience.

If luxury is an endless pursuit of perfection, then perhaps designers moving into tourism was a consolidation of their brands. If a consumer already identifies with a brand, then they would be keen to extend this to staying in the hotel as part of this experience, with the hotel almost acting as a showroom for the brand.

Whether a designer put their stamp on the interior and architecture of the hotel, was entirely down to the individual.  Where as Versace were loud and proud with their branding in their hotel, The House of Ferragamo did not push their design credentials too heavily on their hotel.

Missoni

Missoni Milan Fashion Week autumn/winter 2012

 Layers upon layers were the theme of the Missoni collection, with knitwear being a staple in the Missoni man’s wardrobe. The collection did not shy away from a high-collared shirts, to slim-fitting corduroy pants, shown in primarily dark colours such as plum or burgundy, creating a sober feel to the show.

Alexander McQueen 

It’s official; if you wear Alexander McQueen you’re going to be making a statement. Sarah Burton has carried on Lee McQueen’s legacy by offering a creative take on each season and autumn/winter is especially strong.

The Saville Row style tailoring was also a nod to her predecessor’s foray into fashion as an apprentice tailor.

Spot on for the dandies of this world, the foppish scarves tried around the neck, along with the striped trousers and sateen sportswear, would make Oscar Wilde proud. Striped and jumpers gave the collection a nautical feel, and the bright red and floral baby yellow jackets gave a factor of fun to the McQueen man.

Burberry Prorsum

Burberry Milan Fashion Week autumn/winter 2012

Autumn/winter is the season of the gentlemen for Burberry.  Fitted tweed jackets and debonaire tailoring are the name of the game, with a nod to the public school boy with striped ties and scarves.

We particularly liked the fox heads printed on various garments, which were a tongue-in-cheek approach to the very British obsession with countryside garb.

It’s all about the double layering for Burberry; throwing a quilted bomber over fitted blazers is certainly a way to keep warm and stylish during the colder months. And you can’t forget the very stylish bags the Burberry boys carried around with them – perfect the gent that’s on the go.

Prada

Prada has been ever privy to fantastical lifestyles and its designs seek to create them for its customers – this show was no exception. The collection was not for the casual hearted – its mood was for the powerful man, he who lounges around the house in a silk robe and wears pinstripes for work, encased by a luxe fur–collared woollen coat.

Every model wore a shirt and tie in an array of lilacs, greens and blues, coupled with a tailored coat in blazer form, or a belted trench. This gent wouldn’t be seen without his sunglasses, which were either on, or peeping out of every jacket front pocket. He exuded confidence, and was the prime example of Prada’s elegance, of which men of every age will be envious.

Versace

Versace Milan Fashion Week autumn/winter 2012

In autumn/winter, the Versace gent is ultra glamorous – he wears bejewelled Brando caps, chains, faux military insignia and, of course, the pinstripe suit.

Sleeveless denim jackets were styled with an, ‘I’ve just rolled into town’ attitude, and highlighted the more laid-back persona of the Versace man.

Models strutted up and down the catwalks in boots of all design, from lace-ups, to calf-length boots, which contrasted with smart suits and fluoro  two pieces that shone loud and proud.

This show was all about dressing without fear of being judged – a chance to strut and be looked at in all of your  flora-patterned proudness.

Armani

Armani’s autumn/winter collection exuded wealth with traditional tweeds and double-breasted coats. Models wore quilted overcoats and velvet trousers, which, while looking expensive, were entirely wearable.  Colours were blacks, dark blues, and charcoal greys.

One of our favourite looks was the electric blue coat, which would help any man to stand out from the crowd, so needs to be paired with understated trousers and shirts.

There were several looks in this collection, ranging from racing driver, to rock star and debonair gentleman, allowing the Armani man to be any man he chooses to be each and every day.

Gucci

Gucci Menswear Milan Fashion Week autumn/winter 2012

Velvet evening jackets were paired with satin trousers for a decadent look, perfect for a crisp Italian night.  The men were ever-so-aristocratic and polished looking in plums, midnight blues, browns and warm burgundies.

Completing the look were knitted jumpers and warm, tailored coats with woollen collars. Patterned bags, perfect for travel, were in tow, with plenty of room for the travelling gent.

Dolce and Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana were theatrical and stylish this season, with their models showing off silk pyjamas as day wear, embroidered jackets and velvet to boot.

Luxury – that’s what we’ll see in the colder months, framed embroidery, so detailed that it’s fit for a royal. The princes of Dolce & Gabbana looked the part too, and not a detail was spared – even the brogues had intricate patterns on them. Trousers complemented the look in muted greys and blacks, offsetting the palette of golds and rich colours in the embroidery.

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood Milan menswear fashion week autumn/winter 2012

Rich-looking two pieces paraded down the catwalk, punctuated with floral bow ties and checkered suits – all the norm for the Vivienne Westwood man.  As if to reiterate the cold, the men sported pale blue lips and icicle-fringed hair, which Westwood has admitted were inspired by David Attenborough’s Frozen Planet.

The  beautifully cut suits, chalk-stripe trousers and glossy-toed Oxford shoes juxtaposed the shredded jumpers and Union Jack shoes which is a perfect reflection of Westwood herself – serious, and yet ironic.

You can buy Missoni at Bicester Village and Fidenza Village

Celebrate Chinese New Year in a very chic way...

Here at The ChicBuzz, we are VERY excited about Chinese New Year, we’ve even dedicated our home page to it with an incredible video. And even more so because the Collection of Chic Outlet Shopping® Villages are hosting activities focusing on traditional Chinese fashion, culture and style.

You might be in with a chance of winning a trip to China if you enter Fidenza Village’s competition with Cathay Pacific.

Fancy watching a Chinese opera? Then take a trip to Kildare Village, where two singers will perform songs from Puccini’s Turandot. The opera’s about a Peking empress from the old dynasties of China and will be part of the Dublin Chinese New Year Festival 2012 ‘Opera in the Open’ event!

There will also be lots going on across the Collection at IngolstadtVillage (Munich), Wertheim Village (Frankfurt), Maasmechelen Village (Brussels/Antwerp/Cologne), Bicester Village (London), La Roca Village (Barcelona) and Las Rozas Village (Madrid)!

And we also have a brilliant augmented reality app, where you can scan the Village you’re in with your smartphone camera and see the dragon come flying through! It’s free to download, too – so don’t say we don’t spoil you.

Chic Outlet Shopping's Augmented Reality app

You can see more of how the Villages are celebrating here.

How are you celebrating Chinese New Year?

Here are our top looks:

Angelina Jolie looked gorgeous in an oyster coloured Atelier Versace dress. We love the contrasting red.

Angelina in an Atelier Versace dress

Charlize Theron was all aflutter in Dior, the brand for which she is spokesperson, but still we love the mermaid tail, which is so on-trend at the moment.

Charlize in Dior

Kate Beckinsale was a knockout in Roberto Cavalli. Her hair, the dress – it was all-out perfection and looked like she spent a good deal of time preparing for this moment.

Kate Beckinsale in Roberto Cavalli

Jessica Alba wowed in Gucci. Jessica doesn’t often look bad in anything, but she really worked the Gucci gown, which complimented her skin perfectly.

Jessica in Gucci

Nicole Richie smouldered in Julien Macdonald. She once wore dungarees as she made her way around the USA with Paris Hilton, but look at her now in this gorgeous molten silver dress – a transformation indeed.

Nicole shimmered in Julien Macdonald

Zooey Deschanel showed off in Prada. And the best bit? The New Girl actress had it custom made for her. It’s a million miles away from her usual style and we love it!

Zooey in custom-made Prada

Emma Stone looked sultry in Lanvin. We were very excited to see Lanvin on the red carpet – one of the designers du jour that we adore, Emma really carried off this two-tone dress.

Emma Stone wears Lanvin

Lea Michele looked like artwork in Marchesa. A far cry from what her character Rachel wears in Glee, Lea wowed the crowds in this revealing number.

Lea in Marchesa

Which were your favourite looks from the red carpet?

Miu Miu Muse

Mia Wasikowska

Mia Wasikowska has been named the face of Miu Miu’s spring/summer 2012 campaign, replacing Hailee Steinfeld.

 Fashion blogger Fashion Foie Gras visits Bicester Village

One of our favourite fashion bloggers, Emily Johnson visited Bicester Village recently and loved it so much that she wrote a very lovely piece on it.

A Man’s Man

Dylan Jones has been named Chair of the British Fashion Council’s Fashion 2012 Menswear Committee, which launches for the first time this year.

Chic Skiing

The brilliant blue skies, the dazzling white snow and, of course, the stylish outfits – that’s right, we’re talking about ski season! We recently went skiing in the French Alps, see what we thought here. While were were in France, we also did a spot of shopping at the lovely La Vallée Village near Paris.

Sales, sales, sales

Many people might get the January blues, but we’re cheering ourselves right up with all the sales on right now across the Collection of Chic Outlet Shopping^© Villages. There are 900 luxury designer boutiques to choose from across the Villages, make sure you don’t miss out and plan your visit before the sales end!

Shopping=air miles!

The Chic Outlet Shopping® Villages partner with the worldwide frequent traveller programme of AIR FRANCE and KLM, which means you will be able to collect three Flying Blue Award Miles for every euro spent when shopping at any of the nine Villages.

Rio Fashion Week

Before Paris, London and Milan Fashion Weeks have started, the Brazilians are celebrating fashion with Rio Fashion Week. The biggest names in Brazilian fashion are showing at the moment and we will feature a roundup next week. In the mean time, our Brazilian blog is covering this as it happens.

Puccini’s Turandot for Chinese New Year

On 29 January, Kildare Village will welcome two singers to perform songs from Puccini’s Turandot – the great opera based on the story of a Peking empress from the old dynasties of China, commissioned especially for the Dublin Chinese New Year Festival 2012 ‘Opera in the Open’ event.

Valentino Menswear

Inspired by the world of couture. The label’s Creative Director’s told Style.com:

“Beauty is individual and luxury is understated. You need a workmanship culture to buy a couture piece as you would need it to buy a sartorial jacket with the kind of innovation that takes place when tradition meets technology.”

The models wore sunglasses and relaxed coiffered hair, while sporting suits in monochromatic splendour. Fitted leather jackets also made an appearance and tailored trousers completed the look. All in all, it’s  a great preview for the Menswear shows, which we’ll be covering when they start.

Of particular note this month is Benedict Cumberbatch, star of Sherlock and Spielberg’s new film War Horse. We are particularly fans of his and he is already gaining note as GQ named him ‘Actor of the Year 2011′.  We think he deserves some recognition in the style stakes too. Here are our favourite looks:

1st: Looking ever-so-stylish and on form in a suit at the UK Premiere of War Horse.

Benedict looking dapper in a suit at the War Horse UK Premiere

2nd: The Moet British Independent Film Awards: this is a dressed-down look,  but Benedict still manages to give it a very classical twist.

The scarf is a nice touch at the Moet British Independent Film Awards

3rd:  Benedict makes an appearance at the Lancia Cafe in a lovely blue suit, which is perfect for the Venice Film Festival.

In boastful blue at the Lancia Cafe

4) Front row at the Mulberry Salon Show no less at London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2011. We particularly love the matching waist coat and trousers.

Front row at the Mulberry Salon Show

5) Once again at the Moet British Independent Film Awards in 2010 – we think this particular look is just as Benedict was really starting to be noticed. We particularly love the hat – very dapper!

Tip top hat at the British Independent Film Awards 2010

Are you a fan of Benedict? What do you think of his style?

You can buy Mulberry at Bicester Village.

Audrey Hepburn, Twiggy and Alexa Chung by Jaymie O'Callaghan

The ChicBuzz met with Jaymie O’Callaghan who personifies the description above. She works with fashion as her inspiration and creates beautiful pieces of art and jewellery with her illustrations.

When did you start drawing?

As long as I can remember I always loved drawing and crafts. Growing up, my dad loved to draw and would do amazing portraits; I’m the youngest in my family and my older sister and brother coming home from school with portfolios and homework from art class really excited me.

I was never hugely academic at school, it just didn’t entice me and I would drift into my own little world where I could create and be inspired by colours, pattern, textures and turning something that started off as a plain piece of paper into something much more.

Who are your favourite illustrators and why? 

Alexa Chung by Jaymie

I love Oliver Jeffers, Caitlin Shearer, Gisele Scanlon, Axel Scheffler and Chris Van Allsburg to name just a few!

What inspires you?

Pretty much everything and anything can inspire me. It really depends on how I’m feeling that day. But if I’m feeling I need a source of inspiration, films, books, magazines, other artists and a good old tumblr search for amazing photographs always fuels my imagination (my search usually consists of ‘sparkle’, ‘pretty’, ‘enchanting’, ‘forests’, ‘deer’, ‘wolves’ and ‘vintage’)

How would you describe yourself? 

The girl who loves the 60s, cats, tea and sparkle.

How long have you been interested in fashion?

I definitely got more interested in fashion when went to secondary school, but Years 7–10 were not so great. Then, in Year 10 I started becoming more individual and choosing clothes to express my personality. By sixth form I was a fully fledged clothes lover.

Which are your favourite designers to illustrate? 

Louis Vuitton right now, I think mainly because I’m so in love with the S/S catwalk show – so whimsical and filled with fantasy. It reminds me a lot of the snow scene from Edward Scissorhands, mixed with a Royal Ballet show, all tied together with beautiful garments.

Jaymie blogs here and sells her beautiful jewellery here.

Do you love her illustrations as much as we do?

Fashion backs Obama -- photo taken from WikiMedia

Last night, Obama’s people announced the Runway to Win campaign on their blog:

“We’re launching something new, and a little different, over the next few weeks: a collaboration by some of the country’s top fashion designers in support of Obama 2012,” they wrote.

“In the coming weeks, we’ll be rolling out Obama-inspired designs from Tracy Reese to Jason Wu to Tory Burch at runwaytowin.com. The details are still under wraps, but sign up for your First Access pass to get updates and a first look at the new designs. Then invite your friends and family to do the same.”

Even Anna Wintour is behind Obama, having held several fabulous campaign fundraisers for him.

The Runway to Win (a follow-up to the 2008 campaign Runway to Change) an e-commerce site will launch on Thursday, with all proceeds going to the Obama Victory Fund.

Fashion and politics: a beautiful partnership, non?