One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art - Oscar Wilde

Friday 31 December 2010

Auld Lang Syne

Happy New Year my lovelies! May you go to the ball tonight; may you dance the entire night away; and may you kiss your prince at midnight!!

Alexander McQueen Spring Summer 2004

Alexander McQueen, Spring Summer 2004

Alexander McQueen, Spring Summer 2004

Alexander McQueen, Spring Summer 2004

Alexander McQueen, Spring Summer 2004

See you in 2011!

Thursday 30 December 2010

Noughties Nostalgia

What are your favourite Noughties fashion memories??? Whatever they are, I think you will agree that London was a great place to be. We went from being status slaves, to underground rebels. We had a brief fling with boho, and then we new raved our neon socks off!! The high street exploded, with Topshop and Primark becoming tourist destinations in their own right.

Here is a snapshot of some of the fashion moments that defined the last decade for me.

A cheeky Northern chappy by the name of Henry Holland grabbed the attention of the fashion world with his slogan tees in 2006.




Gareth Pugh came along to become the heir apparent to John Galliano's legacy of fashion for show; not for the street.




Christopher Kane showed us all things bright and beautiful in his first show for LFW Spring Summer 2007.



And another Christopher - Bailey - made Burberry cool again.



Boombox was the place to party hard on a Sunday night (until 2008 when it shut its doors for good)!




The recession hit home on planet fashion when in 2009, Luella went into liquidation.



We suffered the loss of Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow. However they will continue to be remembered by all for their contributions to British fashion and will go down in history for their creative vision.


I have probably not even scratched the surface in this post!! These were just the memories that really stood out in my mind. I think British fashion came into its own again this last decade and I am looking forward to seeing what the next will bring!

Wednesday 29 December 2010

We're Gonna Party Like It's 1999

10 years ago: the dawn of a new millennium. Remember this?

Millennium Mania, December 1999

But that was then; and so much can change in a decade.

Emma Watson, December 2010

We had some great years in between:

Queen Kate the First, December 2001

Sienna Miller, December 2004
 Happy 90th Birthday Vogue: December 2006

A new super emerged: Lara Stone, December 2009

What will the next 10 years bring for you? Who knows......the future starts again HERE!

So long, the Noughties, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! See you on the other side...

Tuesday 28 December 2010

HAIRY NEW YEAR

Make mine a blue rinse? WAH nails in Dalston celebrated its first birthday in September by opening Bleach hair salon at the back of their cult Kingsland Road flagship. Hot. Rainbow-hue hair is set to be the cult accessory of 2011. The only problem is choosing which colour(s) you want.



2010 Style Chart

As 2010 draws to a close, it is hard to avoid looking back on the year that was before moving on to the next.  These are the women whose unique and individual style made the biggest impression on me last year!

Marina Munoz

Effortless androgyny.






Taylor Tomasi Hill

The coolest stylist in New York.




Edie Campbell

Modern day beatnik and my favourite model of the year.





Vanessa Traina

Does artfully dishevelled model-off-duty style to perfection.





Dree Hemingway

Natural Beauty.





HRH Queen Elizabeth II

Lolz. Just because.


I Spy

Celebrating 30 iconic years of covers, super publisher Taschen have collaborated with i-D magazine and produced i-D Covers: 1980 - 2010.  i-D was founded by Terry Jones, who wanted to start a publication that was more than just a magazine; i.e. one that moved away from the glossy perfection of high-end fashion magazines to capture something more spontaneous and alive. This new book comes with images of the infamous one eye open, one eye shut covers, as well as personal quotes from the people who shaped the magazine, including Edward Enninful.  This offers the reader a voyeuristic snapshot into the last 30 years of fashion, music and street culture.







Monday 27 December 2010

Conquering the Sales: Net a Porter

Shopping for things I can't afford to buy from Net a Porter (but the sales are on, so its rude not to!). My philosophy in the sales is total and utter recklessness! Be bold, and treat yourself to fun pieces that you wouldn't normally buy to cheer up the inevitable post Christmas comedown, i.e. something ridiculously impractical. If you don't find anything then go for the fail safe, fall back option: a short, tight, super-vamp cocktail dress to wear to your New Years Eve parties!! Here's a glimpse at my wishlist so far:


Sequin and wool cardigan with pocket detail, Marc Jacobs
From £2145, To £1502 (30%)

Alaia Python Platform Sandals
From £1700, To £850 (50%)

Leather ankle boots, Alexander Wang
From £630, To £315 (50%)
Embellished Cocktail Dress, Miu Miu
From £3035, To £1517.50 (50%)

Wednesday 22 December 2010

Fantastic Mr Ford

After a short lived break from designing, Tom Ford has returned to womenswear just in time for Spring Summer 2011. Here is one of the first campaign pictures:


Tom Ford loves designing clothes for women, and it shows. The collection runs on high octane glamour and is definitely covetable: think super feminine, form-fitting shapes; luxury fabrics that drape perfectly; and a simple colour palette with the odd eye catching, beautifully patterned pieces. Bring. It. On.

For now, fans of Mr Ford can content themselves with his stunning debut make-up collection. My personal favourite is the Cherry Lush lipstick (aka the perfect red), as seen here on model Daphne Groenveld on the cover of the December issue of Paris Vogue, which was also guest edited by Ford.


Also for this issue, he was interviewed by his old friend, Lisa Eisner, who he has known for over 20 years, and we are offered an intimate glimpse into a different side of the suave, be-suited man of the ad campaigns. In fact, Ford is extremely spiritual, and he is deeply inspired by and moved by nature, which surrounds him on his ranch in Western America. I love this picture of him (below), for purely that reason. What will he show us next? I can hardly wait to find out, but it is bound to be something totally unexpected.