NYFW - New Kids On The Fashion Block

Watch out Suri Cruise, there are two other mini fashionistas in New York this week. 

Below:   Harper Beckham made the most adorable addition to mum Victoria’s front row.  Wearing a little white summer dress with a matching bow in her hair, the oh-so-cute 14 month old Baby Beckham was particularly distracting for the audience invited to watch the Victoria, Victoria Beckham (VVB) SS’13 collection during New York Fashion Week. 

Below:  Another little trendy tot to hit New York Fashion Week was designer Alexander Wang’s three year old niece, Aila.  Wearing a custom-made Wang dress, accessorized with teeny tiny Nike trainers and a teeny tiny Chanel bag (probably stuffed with sweeties and crayons) Aila was the most fashionable of mascots at her uncle’s show.  

NYFW - Carmen Dell'Orefice: The Oldest Supermodel

The world’s oldest supermodel, 81 year old Carmen Dell'Orefice, elegantly strutted not once, but twice, down the catwalk today during New York Fashion Week to rapturous applause.  The beautiful, silver haired octegenarain looked totally chic as she walked for the designers Norisol Ferrari in a caramel 1940s-inspired gown and then again, barefoot in a technicolour jersey dress, by Finnish label Marimekko.  Carmen, a well established and iconic member of today's New York fashion scene, first began modelling in 1947, at the age of 15, when she was photographed for the front cover of Vogue Magazine (above).

NYFW - Zac Posen SS'13

Oooh Laaa Laaaa! I LOVED  the SS’13 show in New York Fashion Week by Zac Posen:  Super Dresses on Super Models. Naomi Campbell, Coco Rocha, Karolina Kurkova, Alex Wek and Erin O’Connor all took to the catwalk in Zac's unbelievably elegant and timeless gowns. There was a clear ‘Old Hollywood’ influence with the designer having created floor length dresses with mermaid pleats and sweetheart necklines in the most luxurious of coloured silk and delicate chiffon. Totally stunning. Coming to a red carpet near you. 

Simples

Vogue's Fashion Night Out, London 06/09/12

Fashion’s Night Out was initially created by Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America as a way of encouraging fashionistas to hit the shops as the economic downfall kicked in. For real fashion lovers this day has become like Christmas… Well, if the North Pole were Bond Street, stockings were made by Mulberry and Santa was Alexa Chung...

Now on it’s 4th year, this global phenomenon (with events also taking place in Manhattan, Milan, Atlanta, etc) saw London’s biggest luxury stores throw open their doors after hours, inviting us all in to celebrate and shop with a glass of bubbly.  The whole evening felt like a stylish carnival, with live music blaring, show stopping outfits and fashion-friendly food from a Missoni ice-cream van, a Dak’s popcorn stall and a Hotel Chocolat pop up (apparently fashionistas and models will eat junk food – if its designer.)

I began my evening in Covent Garden where I visited the newly launched Ruby Ralph Lauren shop on King Street, the first to open in Europe.  The shop has such a fun and vibrant energy to it that I immediately got into the spirit of the night, having my pictures taken (below) holding their skull and crossbones tote and listening to great music spun by the gorgeous DJ Izzy Lawrence (above) wearing head to toe Rugby Ralph Lauren.

Next stop was the jam packed, unusually pedestrianised, Bond Street to visit Joseph where a dapper, suited and booted Henry Holland (below, in House of Holland) headed up a fashion Bingo competition.  The prizes were incredible and the cocktails were a plenty.

The epicentre of this most stylish of street parties was undeniably at Mulberry, where Vogue’s Alex Shulman and Mulberry’s Emma Hill held the official Fashion’s Night Out soirée. With goody bags, prizes, live music and a healthy dose of celebrites and designers (including Matthew Williamson, Roland Mouret, Laura Bailey and Daisy Lowe) queues to get in the shop were lengthy… to put it mildly!  Below (L-R): Joseph's Alex Eagle and her ah-mah-zing Nicholas Kirkwood shoes, and with my girlfriends Jessica, Emma and Lauren.

The official Vogue's 2012 Fashion's Night Out cotton T’shirt (top, worn by Edie Campbell) designed by London-based designer Jonathan Saunders in collaboration with The Gap, sold out at the Condé Nast Worldwide store in less than an hour.  The limited edition piece is now only available for you to own if you subscribe to Vogue (£19.99 for 10 issues) here.

Anna Dello Russo's 'Fashion Shower'

Self-proclaimed 'guardian of fashion'  Anna Dello Russo, the Japanese Vogue fashion director renown for her creative style, has released a bonkers music video to promote her upcoming accessories range for H&M (that I wrote about here.)  In this music video, whilst adorned in her H&M accessories and a skin-tight PVC mini dress, Anna Dello Russo advises her more than captive audience to take a ‘Fashion Shower,’ whilst chanting her golden rules of style.  Juuuust incase you get mildly distracted by the video itself, Anna's fashion rules (which must obviously be read in an elaborate Italian accent) are as follows;

1: Fashion is a declaration of your own freedom.
2: Between style and fashion? Absolutely fashion.
3: Fashion is always uncomfortable; if you feel comfortable you never get the look.
4: Fabulous at every age.
5: Wearing night clothes in the daytime is unexpected.
6: Somebody wearing your same outfit? Wonderful, you did the right choice.
7: You must wear outfit once.
8: Wear coat as a dress.
9: It doesn't matter the size of your body, fashion flatter everything.
10: Fashion jewels personalise your style.

"Accessories are like vitamins to fashion — as such, you should use them liberally."

The Anna Dello Russo for H&M accessories collection arrives in-store on October 4 2012. 

British Style Award Nominees 2012 - Vote Now!

Who do you think most embodies the spirit of London? 

You can once again vote to decide the winner of the British Style Award brought to you by Vodafone for this year’s British Fashion Awards, on November 27th 2012.  

The nominees for this award, which was (unsurprisingly) won by Alexa Chung in both 2010 and 2011, was complied by a panel of key industry opinion formers and includes Cara Delevingne, Florence Welch, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Victoria Beckham...  And of course, Alexa Chung.  A few boys also made the list; David Beckham, David Gandy and Tinie Tempah.

Interestingly, after the Jubilympic summer we have just had, there are also several members of the Royal Family included on this year’s nominations, including The Queen herself… HOW I would LOVE for her to win/reign over all our favourite fashionistas!

Voting is open until the 31st October 2012 and you can vote here. You will be entered into a prize draw to win two tickets to attend the British Fashion Awards ceremony.

The Chanel 'Little Black Jacket' Exhibition Comes to London

Chanel’s latest photographic exhibition, ‘The Little Black Jacket,’ inspired by a coffee table book created by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld, will soon be hitting our very own shores after huge successes in Tokyo, New York, Taipei and Hong Kong.

The iconic ‘Little Black Jacket’ was first designed in the 1950s by Coco Chanel and has undergone several transformations and reinventions since.  Karl Lagerfeld believes firmly that style is not a result of the garment you wear, but how you wear the garment, and this exhibition shows the versatility and timelessness of this iconic jacket.  With 113 ‘friends of the House,’ including models, stylists, actors, designers and musicians, all photographed adapting the classic jacket in unique and modern ways their very own individuality and inimitable styles are highlighted.  

Photographs include Lily Allen wearing the covetable tweed jacket as a cape, Claudia Schiffer wearing hers with a white apron, Alexa Chung teaming hers with cut off Daisy Duke shorts and SJP creatively wearing her jacket as a crown!
Eek!  I'm SO excited!

Running simultaneously with the exhibition, window displays in Chanel's boutiques across London will present a selection of jackets from the latest collections.

The highly anticipated book, ‘The Little Black Jacket: Chanel's Classic Revisited by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld,’ will also be available worldwide in bookstores this autumn.

October 12 - October 28, 2012 
The Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York's HQ, King's Road, London, SW3 4RY.

Admission will be free.

 
www.thelittleblackjacket.chanel.com

Lana Del Rey's Campaign for H&M

I mentioned here that Lana Del Rey was to be the new face of H&M’s A/W’12 campaign and I can now reveal the results.

The 10-page lookbook, photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, show the singer modeling H&M’s latest collection looking like a melancholic, dainty doll from a 1960’s film noir, with back-combed hair, dark winged eyeliner, trademark pouty lips.  The collection is made up primarily of pastel colours but they are given a harder edge when mixed with charcoal greys and burgundy staples.  I particularly like the abstract, printed pieces Lana wears, the velvet heels, chandelier earrings and adorable little bows in her hair.

Lana has recorded a cover of ‘Blue Velvet’ for H&M that will be released on September 19.  While we wait on the release I am still loving the remix of Lana’s ‘Blue Jeans.’

Wilderness Festival 2012

Last weekend I went to the idyllic Cornbury Park in Oxfordshire to enjoy the  funshine at Wilderness.  Organised by the team behind the Secret Garden Party and Lovebox, the two-year old festival is distinctly original and unlike any other I have been to.

With an emphasis on ‘feasting, lounging and partying,’ Wilderness attracts a diverse, family-friendly crowd (there were as many beer-hungry ravers as there were milk-hungry babies) as it combines music, food, talks, debates, outdoor pursuits and late-night parties in equal measure.

With a beautiful boating (and for the more brave/buff, skinny dipping) lake, horseriding, fly-fishing, a spa sanctuary with hot tubs, yoga classes, massage tents, screenings by Secret Cinema, theatre, talks, debates, an array of craft stalls and an exceptional array of delicious food, the whole occasion is both creative and relaxing.  Tim Harvey, who organises the festival said, “Wilderness is more than just a feast for the eyes and ears… It’s a place to indulge the senses, relax, and eat well.”  And Indulge I certainly did....

Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Lianne La Havas, Spiritualized, Crystal Fighters, Temper Trap and Wilco were all playing at the festival, but the real headliners were the celebrated chefs Yotam Ottolenghi, Fergus Henderson and Valentine Warner who all staged decadent banquets across the weekend.  There was also a very popular Moro Souk Tent (below) and the Thyme Cookery School were at the festival offering some excellent classes. 

The copious, delicious food stalls spread generously around the park were certainly not offering the usual greasy festival fodder… With Fin and Flounder, Poco Loco, Churros Bros, Annie Mae’s, and my favourite chilli wraps from Arancini Brothers ('World Famous in ALL Posh Towns!') I could have been rolled home on Sunday.

​​Below: Festival Style - I loved these unfussy, simple and chic looks.  

This year Wilderness joined forces with The Vintage Festival (previously held at London’s Southbank.) So, admist the more usual festival attire (flower garlands, hotpants, colourful Hunter wellies) there was fantastic retro and sexy pin-up fashion in abundance (left and below).

Adding to the eccentricity of this festival, there was an immense vintage market (which I had to be dragged kicking and screaming to vacate), a 1950’s beauty parlour, a roller disco, and a stunning swing/jazz club offering dance classes.

Below:  Not a festival trend I EVER wish to see again... Leave the tails to the children!

​Below:  I felt like Joan of Arc in this incredible Prangsta Costumiers Head Candy.

Love. Want. Need. Please. 

Below:  The wonderful Jack Savoretti
Watch my video of Jack singing 'Take Me Home,' one of my favourites, here.

The highlight of my weekend however, was The Old Vic Tunnels Masked Ball. An enormous masked crowd were led by an African percussion troupe in a midnight procession, from the Wilderness Stage into the Wychwood forest, for a magical extravaganza which had three DJs playing throughout the wood into the wee hours.

(Above: With You Magazine's Amy Williams and Old Vic Tunnel Director, Hamish Jenkinson.)  Amidst the corsets and stunning venetian masks I found myself, in a leopard print catsuit and cat mask, dancing alongside an array of heroic Batmen, a Skeletor, various furry faced animals, several morph suited revelers, and some bloke in a mankini…

Below: The Old Vic Tunnel's Masked Ball certainly put the 'Wild' into the Wilderness.

Early Bird tickets are already available for Wilderness 2013 here.
Sign. Me. Up.