My Marie Claire Trend Shoot: Cropped Tops

Each month Marie Claire magazine chooses a trend for one girl to model in six different ways.

I was approached by suuuper glamorous Tanya Semikoz, Marie Claire’s Executive Fashion Editor, a couple of months ago to model an upcoming seasonal trend… She didn’t mention however, that the upcoming seasonal trend was to be cropped tops... EEK! Every girl's worst nightmare, surely?! 

Stomach crunching my way to the The Shop Studio, an awesome North London photographic studio owned by photographer Sam Robinson, I was more than a little nervous about what outfits (or lack of them!) awaited me.  All my fears were put aside after Holly Welch, Marie Claire’s Junior Fashion Editor, waved her brilliant styling wand at me and I was suitably dolled up by the makeup artist extraodinaire,  Pamela Cochrane.

Above and Below:  Behind the scenes of the shoot with make up artist Pamela Cochrane and photographers Sam Robinson and Olly Burn.

These photographs show how cropped tops can be incorporated into your wardrobe easily and more demurely than I initially assumed.  I'm now rather inspired to wear a high waisted skirt with a cropped top this summer, showing only a small amount of my upper midriff.  All the shoes I wore were great and I ran straight off to buy the neon nude heels from Aldo (available here in the sale RRP. £75.00 £34.99) and the green/blue heels from Zara (available here in pink/red RRP. £29.00) which I also bought in black. Oops.

Thank you to Sam Robinson, Olly Burn, Holly Welch, Pamela Cochrane and everyone at The Shop Studio for making this a really fun day!

And a big Thank You to Tanya Semikoz.

Left: The July'12 edition of Marie Claire is available at now.

Mulberry's A/W'12 Campaign

Where the Wild Things REALLY are...

Despite not really having had a summer yet, I am already loving the sneak preview of Mulberry’s A/W’12 ad campaign.  The fairytale themed shoot shows model Lindsey Wixson in a forest amongst a whole host of furry giant Wild Things and an enviable wardrobe of gorgeous Mulberry.   Photographed by Tim Walker, the adverts show the brand’s new Del Rey, Maisie and Alexa bags. Fantastical!

www.mulberry.com

HAWT - Caroline Sieber in Chanel

Hawt = A late 1940's and early 1950's acronym for "Having A Wonderful Time."
Now the word is used on the internet as slang for something reeeeally hot.

Above: Abiding by all this year’s strict dress code instructions, super stylist Caroline Sieber (whose personal style I adore - see here) looked impossibly chic on the first day of Royal Ascot.  Wearing a textured Chanel dress (she is one of their Ambassadors) with Louis Vuitton shoes and a feathered headpiece, Caroline Sieber looked the perfect spectator at the 300 year old racing event.  My favourite Ascot outfit by a furlong…

Below: At the entrance to Royal Ascot this year there are ‘Dress Code Assistants’ carefully surveying hemline lengths, dress straps and headwear whilst armed with emergency pashminas/poshminas to cover up the most obvious of fashion offences.  As a real fascinator-hater (fascinhater!) I am thrilled that ladies are now only permitted entrance if wearing a hat or wide-brimmed headpiece: The Hat Is Back. I would recommend Jane Taylor Millinery or Victoria Grant for some truly exceptional and unique headcandy.

Kate Moss 'Checking Out' of The Ritz in Paris (Vogue US)

I can’t believe I have only just seen this stunning US Vogue editorial, ‘Checking Out,’ published last April.  Photographed by Tim Walker and styled by the magazine's creative director Grace Coddington, Kate Moss wears a dramatic selection of Haute Couture SS’12 designs (Valentino, Dior, McQueen, Givenchy to name but a few!)  The supreme decadence of Marie Antoinette is channelled in the opulent surroundings of The Ritz Paris.  

I have a desperate urge to hop on the Eurostar right now.
Or have a pink bubble bath at the very least.

Diane Kruger at Cannes 2012

If there was one celebrity who rocked the red carpet at Cannes 2012, it was Diane Kruger. I am a big style fan of this actress and it is hardly surprising that not one on the French Rivera came close to outshining her or her incredible wardrobe of gorgeous gowns.

Above: (L-R) Diane in edgy Balmain, looking utterly breathtaking in Giambattista Valli Couture and in a short Versus dress with sky-high Jimmy Choo stilettos.

What really struck me about Diane Kruger's faultess Cannes style however, was the continuous use of her favourite and prettiest accessory - her boyfriend Joshua Jackson.  Joshua manages to match every one of Diane's outfits picture perfectly.
No sparkly designer clutch could possibly compete.

Above: Quirky and cute in Chanel

Above: Summery in Calvin Klein

Above: Divine in Nina Ricci

Above: Prabal Gurung (Look at those shoes!)

Above: Dazzling in Vivienne Westwood

Above: Extremely elegant in Jason Wu.
Black and navy happens to be my favourite colour combination.

Above: (L) Her last and most show stopping dress by Christian Dior.  
(R) Diane later changed into this more dinner friendly Jenny Packham ensemble.

Below: Other outfits I really liked were those of Audrey Tautou and Kristen Dunst...

Whilst promoting her latest film 'Thérèse Desqueyroux,' Audrey Tautou personified French chic in this frilly white shirt teamed with casual navy trousers, and later looked particularly Audrey Hepburn-esq in this gorgeous gold Prada dress. J'adore. 

Kristen Dunst looked hot (pink) in this gorgeous fuchsia Christian Dior Pre-Fall 2012 gown with Louis Vuitton jewellery whilst promoting her new film 'On The Road,' having looked very demure and angelic earlier that day in a white, retro Dolce & Gabbana dress accessorised sweetly with a floral headband. 

Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

Now that our neighbours have been met, our bunting has come down and my tiara has been taken off (admittedly, under duress...) we have time to reflect on how utterly AMAZING the Diamond Jubilee celebrations were.  As thousands of people, up and down the country, celebrated the Queen's 60 years on the throne, I felt so privileged and excited to have been in London to witness this truly remarkable anniversary and to enjoy the excited patriotic revellery I was met with all over town.

Britain really does know how to throw one helluva party!

Below are some of my favourite Diamond Jubilee moments... 

Above: Sunday's Diamond Jubilee River Pageant, which saw the Queen travelling on the Royal barge, the Spirit of Chartwell, in a 1000 boat flotilla on the River Thames.

Above: God Save McQueen! 
(L) Kate's Sunday McQueen worn with a James Lock & Co hat by Sylvia Fletcher
(R) Kate's Monday McQueen worn with Jane Taylor Millinery's Beaded Cocktail Hat
Both accessorised with her faithful L.K.Bennett Sledge heels available here. 

Above:  War Horse's Joey saluting the Queen from the National Theatre's Olivier flytower.
I loved how excited she was to see this. To buy tickets to see War Horse click here.

Above: Pocket Rocket Kylie Minogue in her Pearly Queen outfit on Monday at the Jubilee Concert held at Buckingham Palace.  The musical extravaganza was organised by Take That's Gary Barlow and we saw, amongst others, Sir Paul McCartney, Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Elton John and Sir Tom Jones all perform for the Queen.

Above: Prince Charles having just thanked the Queen (whom he brilliantly called "Mummy" to great applause) for her services to Great Britain and "for inspiring us with your selfless duty and service and for making us proud to be British."

Above: Monday night's incredible Jubilee Concert fireworks which were followed by the Queen lighting the National Beacon to honour her 60 year reign.

Above and Below: Tuesday's pomp and pageantry.
After a National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral and a lunch reception at Mansion House, the Royal Family travelled towards Buckingham Palace.

Below:  Whilst the Royal Family waved to the enormous crowds all dressed in red, white and blue, from the balcony of Buckingham Palace we saw an RAF flypast of nine Red Arrows and rifle salutes marking the end of the celebrations.

Below:  Addressing the country the Queen said, "the events that I have attended to mark my Diamond Jubilee have been a humbling experience... I hope that memories of all this year’s happy events will brighten our lives for many years to come."

Below:  Lastly... HOW completely wonderful is this?!

David Beckham for Elle UK

Never has there been a more hotly anticipated edition of Elle Magazine in the history of… well, Elle Magazine.  To celebrate the start of the Olympic Games at the end of July, David Beckham graces the cover of Elle UK - the magazine’s first ever solo male coverstar.

Elle editor-in-chief Lorraine Candy said, "This is a first for us on the newsstand and I believe he is loved by men and women alike… It will be a collector's issue."  Enjoy. Sigh.

The July 2012 edition of Elle UK is available from today and the behind scenes footage from the shoot can be seen here.

My London Style - Presenter Izzy Lawrence

Presenter, DJ and one of Britain’s most prestigious bloggers, Izzy Lawrence is set to sky rocket this year. If you haven’t already heard of this Bath born, Oxford educated, London based STUNNER yet, you soon will. Believe me. 

When Izzy Lawrence's personal blog came to the attention of the Grammy’s social media team in 2011, she was asked to be the official Fashion & Lifestyle Blogger for their awards. 30 million page views and several red carpet frocks later, Izzy was soon regularly blogging for LA radio station KCRW, presenting for Spotify and working as the official BRIT Awards blogger.  Her engaging presenting style and husky voice led Jonathan Ross to approach her to co-host his French Film Channel, Cinemoi, at the Cannes and BFI Film Festivals, whilst her video blogs were picked up by Hello, Grazia Daily and Nylon Magazine, leading to her becoming an Official Youtube partner.   And no, we’re so not done yet...

Izzy also runs her own monthly charity music night at Camden’s Hawley Arms  Apocalystick Acoustic (which Laura Marling, Squeeze, Jack Savoretti and the late, great Amy Winehouse have all played at).  She combines this with regular DJ residencies at several London hotspots whilst playing sets at London Fashion Week, in Val d’Isere during the winters and in Ibiza and popular festivals throughout the summers.  All of this in heels.

Amazingly, Izzy found the time to share with The London Chatter some of her stylish tips and advice... This girl doesn’t sleep.

My Style In 3 Little Words – Rock'n'Roll.

This Season Every Gal Needs – Apple green nail varnish - or maybe that is just me?! I saw a video with Santi White from Santigold wearing it and have been rocking it ever since.

My British Fashion Icon – Isabella Blow. Certain people have the charisma to pull off those sorts of accessories and she had bags of it. Also, Isabella had the ability to spot and nurture talented young designers including Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy.

My Favourite Highstreet Store – All Saints - I love their maxi dresses and leather jackets.

My Favourite Boutique – Cochinechine, or Wolf and Badger on Dover Street which showcases young designers. The concept of young designers renting space and customers buying from new talent is a clever entrepreneurial model. There is a pop up Wolf and Badger in Selfridges now as well.

My Favourite British Designer – Alice Temperley is definitely up there. I wore Temperley London for the Cannes red carpet last year and I'm pretty sure that Brad Pitt winked at me (or maybe that was in my mind...)

At Gunpoint; Bags OR Shoes – Shoes please!

My First Fashionista Memory – Trying on my grandmother's dresses and dancing around in her shoes - excellent training for the future!

My Saturday Night Outfit – If I am DJing then definitely a dress (my favourites are from Paul & Joe and Liz Black) worn with a leather jacket to dress it down.

My Sunday Brunch Outfit – My bright yellow Converse trainers with jeans and a T-shirt. I need to be comfy for brunch.

OMG I Can’t Believe I Wore – Dungarees.  They should be banned.  Banned.

Forget My Last Meal, My Last Outfit Would Be – An amazing Alexander McQueen dress. Or, the gorgeous Tom Ford dress and necklace that I tried on during a recent trip to LA.  It is rare that I dance in a changing room out of excitement.

My Style Tip – I love the quote from Coco Chanel, "In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different."  I take from this that you should follow your instincts - they are unique and the trends don't matter.

The next Apocalypstick will on June 8th at The Hawley Arms pub in Camden with music from Nimmo & The Gauntlettes, Tallulah Rendal and from Sissi.

www.izzyfied.com
www.izzylawrence.com

HAWT: Cheryl Cole in Victoria Beckham

Hawt = A late 1940's and early 1950's acronym for "Having A Wonderful Time."
Now the word is used on the internet as slang for something reeeeally hot.

Last night Cheryl Cole attended the film premiere of ‘What To Expect When You’re Expecting,’ at the London BFI IMAX cinema, wearing a floor length Victoria Beckham SS’12 dress. 

With rose gold jewellery by Garrard and an elegant satin Sergio Rossi clutch, Cheryl effortlessly channelled two of this season’s "major" (to quote VB!) trends – sports-luxe and pretty, feminine pleats. 

The singer looked stunning in the two-tone, drop waisted dress – the perfect red carpet outfit to celebrate her first movie cameo and this year’s first day of sunshine in the capital.

Below: Cheryl Cole with the film's star, Cameron Diaz.

The trailer for 'What To Expect When You're Expecting' can be seen Here. 

Trend: Studs

"Tell me about it, Stud..."  (Sandy, Grease.)

The Highstreet is currently filled with studs… albeit of the appliqué variety.  Inspired by the Versace SS’12 runway collection (above) where every model was adorned with more than just a sprinkling of golden studs lining their slinky silhouettes, the trend for an edgier, more rebellious, look is now easily available without the hefty Donatella price tag. 

I would recommend heading straight to Zara to release your inner fierce… With subtle studded embellishment on many (if not most) of their latest items, this is easily made an accessible and current look for everyone to ROCK.  Here are my Zara favourties:

Left: Shirt with Studded Collar
RRP. £39.99

I would wear this shirt with all the buttons done up, with jeans and a navy jumper - Slightly preppy but with an edge. 

Left: Studded Silk Shirt
£59.99

This pretty, floral silk shirt has studded shoulders - I love this contrast and it would look great tucked into denim shorts this Summer. On the wish list.

Left: Studded Denim Pop Fabric Studio Shorts
RRP. £39.99

Perfect for the Summer and can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. 

Left: Studded Ankle Strap Sandles
RRP. £29.99

For those a little more cautious of this trend - literally, dip your toe in and ease your way up!

​
Left: Blouse with Gold Stud Buttons
RRP. £22.99

Also available in pink, green and orange - I think this is perfect to throw over your bikini on holiday - Buy oversized and tuck the front into shorts.