The Beckhams never rest: David's Signature fragrance

First, i want to apologise for all these days I spent eating Christmas chocolate and mince pies instead of posting ... I truly have no excuse, but I guess that's what the holidays are for!
I really do need to figure out how to use that twitter.

I am sure everyone is still digesting the turkey and the pudding (I for one, am) so I will skip the clothing advice today - after all it's the week end, a snug jumper will do the trick.

It is Christmas week but the Beckhams have not wasted time: just after Victoria pre-launches her dVb dress collection, her husband is advertising his new Signature fragrance.



First off: I was really taken by the video. The way it is shot throws shivers down your back.

It is meant to be a more sensual and sophisticated version than the original Instinct perfume.

I only had the chance to smell a whit of it, and it is best to judge a perfume after it has been in contact with the skin for a few hours.

To be honest I prefer Victoria's clothes, but the fragrance does for a late present. It is young and has character.

And it will complete a dVb pair of jeans for the fans.

Merry Christmas!

Just a few of some of the amazing Christmas-Queen-like pieces McQueen made this year. Enjoy, and happy holidays to everyone.

French fashion Special 3 - The French high street

As promised I left my snowy mountains this morning and drove down to have a closer look at what a provincial French town has to offer clothes-wise.

To be honest I was expecting grey, grey and more grey. I was not entirely wrong, but in the midst of all these dull, dark colours I spotted the accessory I will be taking back to London.

This season the French are doing something big in fashion - literally: the oversize scarf.

They are in all colours, from clementine-orange to grapefruit-pink.

I later realised that the magazines are ablaze with the question: "the oversize scarf: do you dare, or do you fear it?"

I say: DARE.

Vogue featured it in an Amazonian shoot last year, and the effect is sublime: all wool, it really adds contrast (in colour and texture) to a black or uniform outfit.

The rest of the displays were well set out and embellished but the inside of the shops rather disappointing ...

Take your typical high street store and remove any items containing bright colours, tight fits, sequins and unusual textures (I am thinking the overly popular shinny or leather leggings). Now you have it: the French high-street.

Style, but safe style only.

French fashion Special 2 - do it Paris like Chanel

Cigarette-cut trousers, cropped bobs, a french actress once the face of Chanel and a french director: the French are so keen on their cinema - and their classic fashion - they are making yet another Coco Chanel film.

"Coco Chanel et Igor Stravinsky" staring Anna Mouglalis as Coco, should be released in April 2009.

The film is based on a novel by Chris Greenhalgh, Coco and Igor.

It is a romantic uptake on Coco Chanel and composer Igor Stravinsky's fiery fascination for each other. The producer, Jan Kounen, said it would be a film about desire, love and passion - Oulala!

Anna Mouglalis is going to rival Audrey Tautou and it could be a tie: both actresses appear to be a perfect fit for the role of fashion designer giant.

This could well suggest that Coco-style is the next French trend to follow.

The french Elle rates cigarette trousers as the trend of the winter - all very 1913 - and the magazine is full of ways in which to work it.

If you want a chic Parisian look this season try it with a tailored jacket, a bowler hat and Derby shoes. Very French, Madame.

I have yet to verify this trend rumour and see if all these items are actually lining shop displays (French stores are prohibited by law to open on Sundays), but I promise a full report on the french high street shops tomorrow.

French fashion Special 1 - France's next hot model

After a slight delay - I missed my flight yesterday - I am finally in France for a short holiday.

I decided to do a three-days-special on French Fashion.

I went through a bunch of magazines this afternoon and I came across an up-and-coming French model who seems like she could be big (not literally of course).

For starters, the 16 year old winner of the Elite Model Look 2007 contest, has a charming name and a stunning body. She moves in a very suave way, connecting with movement, every drop-points of the clothes she is wearing.
Adama Diallo could be the next Naomie Campbell - a la french.

She catwalked for Vivienne Westwood's Spring/Summer 2009 show, which is not an unnoticeable start for someone who has not even started to worry about her GCSEs.

She has got a really peculiar face, and she takes very special care of it (with mostly Chanel products). In an interview she admitted to always have a mirror on her, so that when someone looks at her quaintly she can check why.

Her features are striking, probably because her mouth is set in a continuous pulped pout. she has high eyebrows, high cheekbones and a roundish face - it could be baby fat, let's face it the girl in still in her best teenage years.

In short, she has more than a few elements of the new face: large lips, rounder face and slightly tabular features. It's all very lush.

To be honest, Adama is fascinating, especially when walking down a runway. She's beautifully odd - which, in modeling is the key to success - a little like an exotic bird with peacock feathers stuck on top of her own.

Natalia Vodianova and her fellow supermodels might well look out for this new sweet face.

Top Shop is deemed Wagalicious by Cheryl Cole

As it turns out I haven't been completely missing the fashion point by reading about the fascinating lives of Wags (yes, I have read the sequel A WAG Abroad as well and it actually is a really hilariously entertaining read).

Cheryl Cole, who does fit Alison Kervin's description of a superb Wag - tikka massala colour, impressive hair, even larger breasts and tight clothing - could be on her way to launch her own line.

After meeting with Kate Moss, she reportedly said she wanted to get into high fashion and the two girls started making plans.

The model-improvised-designer is rumoured to be in negotiations with Sir Philip Green to include her new Girls Aloud friend to work with Kate on her own Top Shop range.

I doubt there will be much designing, it will probably be an all-day-long window shopping job for the two fashion-fans.

Top Shop is betting on celebrities in an attempt to reach out to the high street customer (and not unsuccessfully it must be said if we take into account the Kate Moss collection still raises furies from fashion buyers).

It is a reasonable marketing plan, however it will probably mean another notch lost in high-fashion credibility for the store.

Hopefully the full stiletto, boob tube and lager Wagalicious-style does not perspire too much into the range; if the project ever sees the light of Oxford Street.

Travel fashion

I'm taking the plane to go to France tomorrow which raised a major fashion issue: what do you wear while traveling?

It's an easy enough question when you are flying first class, have a taxi to drive you to the airport in time, and own a stunning designer luggage to catch the eye, but what about when you are flying with Ryanair?

First the obvious, avoid tight clothing, shoes over 5inches (for obvious reasons) and laced shoes - mostly because with airport security you will have to take them on and off at least five times before boarding.

Airports are curious places, everyone dresses in a particular way while traveling. It's never about tracksuits and comfy - it's a middle-ground fashion, maybe because you want to look good for the person waiting for you at the arrival.

Something warm is also a sound idea, because no matter what they say, once you are hovering at 13 000ft above the ground its freezing cold.

I am opting for comfy military-style ankle boots (I could run a race and win in these), shinny leggings and an oversize woolen jumper.

Now all I will have to do is perfect my on-the-go-make-up skills tomorrow morning if i don't want to be late for the airport shuffle ...

Designers branch out for Christmas

It is the last week till Christmas, everyone should be rushing around Central to gather the last few gifts to put under the tree.

Except for designers who have been busy concocting Christmas trees for charity.

Zaha Hadid, Louis Vuitton, Miguel Adrover, and Jean Paul Gaultier, put their hands to the trees that went up for auction last week, after Paris's architecture museum was transformed in a holiday tree-shop.

Don't expect your regular pine tree though, the structures were more inspirational than traditional. Dazzling non the less.

Trees seem to be a popular structure to design this year, with Gareth Pugh creating a "modern seasonal celebratory symbol" for the new Westfield TopShop in London last month.

Lacking the minimum £40 000 Zaga Hadid's tree went for, I will be keeping to my mini-black, charity-shop tree this year. At least it isn't green: tradition with a twist is the new Christmas.

a WAG'S style

Ok so, this is going to be a slight digression from fashion, but I have a confession to make: I am reading a WAG book... The WAG's Diary by Alison Kervin.

Hear me out: I got the book free with Glamour a while ago and although it is far from being my usual literary choice, I though why not? It looks ligh-hearted and funny, and I was in dire need of distraction.

I have to admit that even though it is quite heavy writing (not in a Dostoevsky kind of way, but thick and sticky, like too many coats of lipstick), it has some really funny lines. I have to admit it is an amazing parody of WAGS.

It is all about (unnaturally) orange-coloured skin, see-through skirts, cropped tops, blond extentions that threaten to fall out at every moment of the day and make-up: coats of make-up.

To be honest I don't know much about the subject so I am set to research a little more about the subculture before I post what I find.

Meanwhile there are two short extract from the book - Tracie Martin, the mainWAG-character of the story is an online WAG handbook:

SUNTANS
Remember the Wag mantra: Wags can be orange, they can be caramel, but they CANNOT be white. If you feel your skin colour is heading towards white, or even cream or vanilla, it is important to get yourself spray-tanned as a matter of urgency.

DRINKING FOR WAGS
The question is, can you drink if you're a Wag? The answer is, most definately, YES: 99.4 per cent of your nutrition should come from champagne or Bacardi Breezers. (...) The key skill to learn is to be able to continue to walk in eight-inch heels while on the wrong side of a crate of vodka. No collapsing into the gutter or trying to get off with the doorman. You're a Wag now ... Hold your head up - throw your hair extentions back and walk towards the car without being sick all over the paparazzi.

Maison Martin Margiela wigs out

Margiela s/s show 2009

Last night, in Bruton Street, London, conceptual fashion fans were having a Wizard-of-Oz-like minimalist party.

Picture the scene: waiters serving you candyfloss in the street, a path of tabi-toed footprints and a rather empty room with white, helium-filled balloons, clustering the ceiling.

That, Ladies and Gentlemen, was Maison Martin Margiela inaugurating its new London main store.

To contribute to the faceless randomness of the brand, Margiela released a fashion dance film, Make Up Your Mind.

Imagine an eerie dancing picture of naked women, with stocking-covered faces, and a blond-wig coat.

Definitely worth watching - the designer (who collaborated with Nick Knight for the footage) has an amazing way of presenting Anti-fashion fashion.

Sienna's Fashion Week new hot ticket

Sienna Miller has been all over the news lately for her affair with Balthazar Getty - the on/offs of celebrity privacy poured over to the public by the raging paparazzi.

But regardless of the infamous gossip, Sienna seems decided to be back in the media's eye for something that, in my opinion, is of more public interest than her smooching a billionaire.

Twenty8Twelve, hers and her sister Savannah Miller's fashion label, is scheduled to make it's catwalk debut at the upcoming London Fashion Week in February.

On the provisional fashion week schedule released today, her label was charted to show on Sunday 22 February - just a hit for those who want to get their hands on the hot ticket.

The label started in 2007, and it has not been unsuccessful with the stockists.

They have some strong pieces and the collection could be a pleasant surprise. In my opinion it still lacks that sparkle, a little like a Cappuccino with no chocolate on top.

To be fair it has to be said, the Miller sisters' designs are a modern classy wardrobe with an edge with makes it an excellent city-wear choice.

Also, the price tag is much friendlier to the eye than say, the - however dazzling - dVb Victoria dresses.

Flap your capes

Picture it: you are about to step in inside an icicle (an average British winter) and you're wrapped up like a Christmas present - gloves, hat, double tights, thigh-high socks, tight cardigan, jacket, etc. All items on the check list have been ticked.

Now, imagine for a minute that you are a superhero, what key signature piece of clothing did you forget?

Unless you are Catwoman - and in this case all the leather and PVC does the job - you could not imagine facing the world without a cape.

I am fully aware that capes are often assimilated with men wearing underwear over neon tights - and even though AF Vandervost did the 'underwear as outerwear' look in sexy creamy tones at the last shows, this is not what I am suggesting you do: I am a fan but it is far too cold to think of playing with under-layers at the moment.

Cover ups however are needed in any shape or form, and capes could well become the new coat.

They are shorter than your average musketeer or 16th century floaty cape, and more shapely.

I know that capes are by nature thinner than a fur coat, and I am addicted to warmth just as the next person, but I like to believe winter can be more stylish than wool bulging coats and hand-knit scarves.

Capes add structure to the silhouette, and with the superstructure trends lurking about, it will not look out of place.

New Look has a military style cape and Acne does a cape dress.

They are also not as breezy as we would imagine - it is true you might need to add an extra thin jumper under your jacket, but overall a layer is a layer. And if it is a stylish layer all the better.

Fashion humour: The Harry Potter signature spectacles

I was re-watching some Luella shows yesterday and I noticed a preponderant accessory in her Spring 2008 catwalk, that I cannot believe I missed before: the geeky spectacles.

We all know about glasses, they are hard to play with. They can be sexy in a secretary-style look, or downright horrendous.

It's very tricky to find a pair that fit your complexion, bone structure, haircut and character. Everyone who ever had to wear them as a child will agree.

So why bring back some of the worst spectacles ever created?

Large black frames do not fit many people, no matter how gorgeous your features - it a shape that does not work well. It tends to sharply break down the face and drown the nose and eyes under plastic rims while taking the focus away from the mouth. Thus creating a Picasso effect.

I understand Geek Chic, how it was tweaked to add some dangerous sexiness into the trend. It can look dazzling and Luella like Paul Smith, work it really well.

It is also perfect as an everyday look, this is partly why it was so successful last autumn and spring (and it is still around in the streets).

However the Harry Potter glasses are an anarchy-statement too far. It surely does make a assertion but maybe not the right one.

I think fashion has a great sense of humour and sometimes, certain pieces must be taken as just that. Not everything on the runway is meant to be worn.

Fur silhouettes

There are a lot of fringed and fur coats all over London.

Today is not the first time I notice a particular silhouette that winter only accentuates: oversize upper-body wear.

Especially as fur is the new way of keeping warm in glamorous hippy-chic style.

Love it or hate it, it is the new texture.

No need to have real fur of course, but it is true it adds some statement to a coat. And most importantly it keeps you warm and snug.

The binge drinking anti-style

Just something I found fun. Most of you must have seen it but I have no TV.
I thought it was quite appropriate after that trash party I went to yesterday.



I did not finish in that state by the way!

Disco trash party look

Tonight I am going to a 'disco/trash' birthday party, which means I need to dress accordingly.

Who is on top of the trash look?

Well, there obviously was Courtney Love, anything punk in the 70s, Britney Spears during her downfall, Amy Winehouse. And these are only a few.

The trash look comes from the 1970s, as an anti-authority, anti-decency with a 'dress - or often, undress - to shock'.

It is all about micro shorts, torn fishnet tights, tattoos, a no-bra (or no t-shirt) policy and smudged make-up.

Courtney Love seems the most appropriate to copy for the occasion - well to an extent anyways.

I am not quite as brave with the indecency though, so I might conjoin the trickiest trend of the season - skin-tight shinny nylon leggings - with an 80s buckle-belt and call it Olivia Newton John in Grease.

It's always good to be able to try a trend in a party environment before wearing it during the day. So be it for the leggings.

Posh takes Selfridges by storm

Victoria Beckham is everywhere, on magazine covers, all over the news and in Selfridges...

Well, her dVb dress collection was anyways. That is, before a bunch of angry fashion-avid shoppers ripped the hangers bare.

By 3pm, only three of the 58 dresses purchased exclusively by Selfridges were left dangling on the rail.

The dresses are breathtaking, even with a price tag of about £1800.

Posh's influence in fashion is only beginning. She knows her fashion lesson and she is intent on showing it.

She told the Times: 'Being in the Spice Girls, fashion-wise probably didn't open any doors. If anything it shut doors and I've had to bang them down.'

Doors have been banged down (if only those of Selfridges), and in a month, Harrods' doors better beware as the range is going on sale internationally.

Victoria almost rivals Anna Wintour in terms of immaculate, perfectionist style and determination. The devil knows what these women will do with fashion next.

All I can say is that I can't wait to see.

The new hand: fingerless gloves and dazzling colours

Gloves are the new hands.

They are everywhere in all shapes and forms: they are the new accessory of the winter, and designers have declined them from classical to crazy.

They go from John Galliano red suede to Miu Miu's frilled leather pair to some puffy sleeves on eBay.

What most of them have in common: they are fingerless.

To me this means nail varnish.

After all, if the hand is covered the nails stand out even more, and it is a perfect excuse to match the nail varnish to the bold colours of the rest of the accessories.

It is also easier than trying on fluo eye shadows and it adds a personal touch to winter styles.

Burgundy and bright red are in vogue, but it is easy to break the mould and go for something dazzling.

Chanel does marine blue and gold. Bright green, yellow, clementine and myriads of other colours are easy to find cheaply at Camden market or smaller stores.

Let's beat the cold with (layers of) statement tights

I am making the bet that all the elaborate hosiery trends are really going to take off next Spring.

Not before, and especially not during the last mile before Christmas.

Knee-high socks might be spared because they are easy to accommodate with any pair of thick leggings, or even jeans.

They are a great way of adding a smudge of colour to a dark winter outfit - and colour lifts the mood.

Fancy print and lace tights however, are in danger of becoming winter-extinct.

Mostly, because they are too thin to protect against the cold.

And unless you work in an Caribbean-beach-like warm office and you have a taxi to shelter you from the frost and wind while traveling from point A to point B, they are often not worth a month with the sniffles.

The way out is to wear them over a pair (or two) of skin coloured tight. Because let's admit it, they look fantastic.

Statement tights however might be the solution

A lot of brands have opaque statement tights: they are thicker which rhymes with warmer.

Opaque also means it is easy to wear another pair underneath, without them having to be paper-thin and skin coloured.

And of course there are all the patent, PVC, shiny or leather imitation leggings.

Even ice-age temperatures cannot stop a girl to show off some leg from underneath woolen trenches.

DIY: maybe not for me...

Vivienne Westwood does it all the time to perfection, but with novice seamstress skills, turning a shower curtain into a wearable party dress might not be the best idea...

With the credit crunch, DIY fashion is the new craze.

It is true that, to some extent CIY (Craft it Yourself) does work – adding a few feathers and buttons to a plain black cotton t-shirt can sometimes give you a cool Art Student, edgy, Agyness Deyn-like style.

But most of the time DIY looks a little too much... well, DIY.

Also, the style does not particularly fit the party season: it only works for you if you already have that 'I can pull of anything, I could not care less' kind of look.

It is also time consuming: for non-expert hands, giving that dusty LBD a makeover could well take up until Christmas.

At least...

Other options

For those who, like me, prefer well-cut numbers with a DIY touch and a reassuring label. It might be worth considering the high street stores.

I am not talking about poor, sequined, runway-imitations. There are some luxurious party dresses that cost less than £70.

A Zara lace dress, very close to the Prada collection, has a smile-inducing price tag of £49. And you can get a Giambattista Valli-inspired, red ruffled cocktail dress, for only £55 from Next.

If you think about all the five pound notes used to buy textiles, ribbons and buttons, the plain cotton black dress that probably cost £20 and the lost hours fighting a stubborn sewing machine, maybe fighting a crowd in Central London might not be that bad after all.

Festive Rykiel

Paris is going stripy for the festive season with the Les Arts Decoratifs (Paris's Decorative Arts Museum) teaming up with French designer, Sonia Rykiel, to create fashionable gifts.

The display windows are set up with myriads of items, from a teddy bear to sequin bags, all in limited edition.

The Museum is celebrating its 40th birthday by showcasing the Sonia Rykiel Exhibition (running from the 20th of November to the 19th of April 2009).

The Queen of Knitwear invented the "un-fashion" by working in favour of women's individual personality.

The exhibition follows Rykiel's signature styles: lace, stripes, rhinestones, black and slouchy pantsuits to name but a few.

If you are in Paris for the festive season, it is well worth checking it out. It could make for an original Christmas present.

The Devil does not wear Prada

Yesterday, London-born, American fashion Royalty Anna Wintour, met the head of British Royalty at Buckingham Palace.

As an early Christmas present, the head of fashion bible Vogue, was named in the Queen's 2008 Birthday Honours for services to the industry.

The fashion Queen was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to the industry.

Wintour was beaming at the honour.

The perfectionist editor showed off her impeccable dress sense, as she paused to show off her award in a Chanel suit straight off the autumn/winter 2008 catwalk.

Although she rules American and International fashion she always remembers her creative roots. She once said:

"People constantly make the mistake of comparing London with New York, Milan and Paris and that's not what it's about. London has its own fashion identity. You come to London to find the next Alexander McQueen or John Galliano,"

Stephen Jones, The Outstanding Milliner

Milliner extraordinaire, Stephen Jones, received this year's Outstanding Achievement Award at the BFAs on Tuesday.

It seems only right that he should wear the crown: Stephen Jones is a master in his craft.

On the night, Suzy Menkes, Fashion Editor of the International Herald Tribune commented:

'There are only a few people from any given generation in fashion who transform the territory and Stephen is one of those. His work often defies categorisation and surpasses imagination - his hats inhabit that rarefied land where fashion meets art.'

The statement says it all: Stephen Jones and hats have enjoyed a winning 30year old working relationship.

He has contributed to British fashion in a unique and innovative way, working with Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Comme des Garcons and Marc Jacobs to name only a few.

The skilled hatter has also turned to films from Elizabeth, The Golden Age, Atonement and more currently, Coco avant Chanel.

This is one man who we hope will never stop designing.

What is sure, is that the next fashion week (to be held in February 2009) will be all about hats: the V&A is awaiting the event to present ‘Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones'.

Creme of Fashion: The British Fashion Awards 2008

Yesterday Jourdan Dunn was crowned model of the year, Luella Bartley was named Designer of the year and Louise Goldin was offered the Swarovski Emerging Talent Awards for ready-to-wear.

But the 2008 British Fashion Awards did not only make for speeches and new talent.

It is fashion, which means a party to celebrate style talent is about who wore what.

First of all, there was Jourdan Dunn's white knitted Stella McCartney dress, and Luella was in her own lilac designs.

There were some interesting choices but overall the awards lacked the eccentricity of other creme-of-fashion parties.

The best style must have been Stephen Jones who wore his black crown all evening after being crowned for Outstanding Achievement In Fashion Design by Erin O'Connor.

The full list of the winners:

• DESIGNER OF THE YEAR: Luella Bartley
  

• OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FASHION DESIGN: Stephen Jones

• ACCESSORY DESIGNER: Rupert Sanderson
  

• MENSWEAR DESIGNER: Christopher Bailey for Burberry
  

• MODEL OF THE YEAR: Jourdan Dunn

• RED CARPET DESIGNER: Matthew Williamson
  

• SPECIAL AWARD FOR BESPOKE: Richard James

• ISABELLA BLOW AWARD FOR FASHION CREATOR: Tim Walker

• DESIGNER BRAND: Jimmy Choo
  

• SWAROVSKI EMERGING TALENT AWARD ACCESSORIES: Nicholas Kirkwood

• SWAROVSKI EMERGING TALENT AWARD READY TO WEAR: Louise Goldin

Hat it up: the new hair

I spent the weekend in Brighton and it made me realise the importance of hats.

First of all, the temperature dropped to some ice-age digits, which meant that even though I do not usually wear winter hats, my ears did not leave me the choice.

Luckily I had thoughtfully packed a black woolen hat.

I am not the first one to be taken by the trend, Samantha Ronson never goes out without a hat, and in Brighton it seems to be just as popular as seagulls and gale (the gale might actually be the reason for wearing hats).

Hats and hair accessories are making a huge breakthrough in fashion, from tiaras to bowler hats or fur caps and hoods.

It's nothing like eighties or nineties hats with an excess of feathers, pearls and other decorations.

The purpose of the hats have changed: hats are not to cover the head so much as an accessorise statement.

The best of all is that they match everything, I am personally looking forward to increasing my collection.

Avoiding the chill in style: winter coats

There is no escaping it now, winter has arrived and autumn jackets no longer suffice to block out the chill.

Winter coats are everywhere in magazines at this time of the year. It is all about the 10 best buys, or the 10 cheapest warm coats.

However people stay away from statement coats. The catwalks are full of them but it is easier to pull off a Russian inspired, encrusted coat with fur trims, when you are wearing it inside for the eyes of the camera.

It looks gorgeous but is it warm enough? A winter coat must not be on the bulky or the heavy side (unpractical when living in London and the top layer goes on/off/on/off as you move from bitter cold to overheated tube station).

I hate having to hide under layers and layers of jumpers and wool until I look more like a sheep than a person.

I personally would hibernate if I had the choice.

Unfortunately - and I am not the only one - I cannot stay indoors all day feeding on steaming drinks and radiators. But I cannot walk out looking like a grizzly either.

So what is the magical solution to all of this?

I power-layer - some days it goes up to five.

It is only a matter of finding thin but warm under-layers, then adding a jumper and finishing off with a large woolen dress cinched at the waist. Over that of course comes your habitual autumn coat or warm jacket.

If that sounds a little uncomfortable (it all depends if you are used to loose clothing or not), the statement fake-fur coat is the best option: it's OK if it's bulky, it was styled to look that way.

It is also a perfect way to show off legs in quirky tights.

A day at TiGi

After 5 hours of head nudging, mild colour burns and intoxication due to inhaling too much hair spray, I am finally free to show off my new cut and let out some of the hair and beauty gossip I overheard (as a hair model for TiGi you hear a lot while your hair suffers hardship for - free - beauty).

A lot of people go for a haircut when the colder months start. It is probably the shorter days and the chill that make us crave that little extra confidence.

Also, hair is the tip of your style-iceberg: it is the only paranetre that stands out from under a huge warm but often boring, winter coat.

Like shoes, hair creates style

Hair is all about personality this season. Nick Irwin, TiGi's European creative director was saying that many clients ask for a lot of warm shades at the moment.

The reason for this come from the catwalks: multicoloured eye make-up has been taking centre stage lately, but it's harder to pull off a cyan blue mask on an every day basis (unless your life revolves around rave club nights...), so hair is the easy option.

There is also the return of the classic cut with a quirky edge: a lot of new trend revolve around structural, almost sculpted designs. Vidal Sassoon invented the sharp cut in the late 1950s/early 1960s, and like everything in fashion, it is coming back.

With haircuts, outdated is irrelevant.

I went for a short cut with an 80s vibe and dark warm colours - there is no denying that red is on top of the game at the moment. Three of the models asked for some shade of fire in their hair today.

The conclusion of my day: an excruciatingly long wait - the good thing is that I had time to read Vogue from cover to cover - a quirky look and free hair smoothing products.

What has a girl got to complain about!

Alice in Wonderland goes Gothic for Burton

So, word is out that Tim Burton is planning a new Alice in Wonderland film and there is NO ROOM to express my excitement!

Alice in Wonderland has always been my all-time favourite story, I have probably read it a hundred times and I have seen the Disney version a bazillion times at least... I even shamefully admit knowing the caterpillar sing-song by heart.

Not only is it brilliant literature, with dark connotations and fabulous tongue-twisters, it is tremendous fun.

But the most exhilarating thing about all of this is the cast: Anne Hathaway, Angela Bonham Carter and JOHNNY DEPP.

Tim Burton's designs are mind-blowing: it's almost like a catwalk show wrapped up in a Gothic tale.

The first shot of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter is tea-tastic (it is not an official picture, so it might be fan art, but it still gives a pretty good idea of what is to come).

Dark, but that is Burton's signature style. I simply cannot wait for the film to be released.

OK, it's true that 2010 is still a long way away and it might be a little early for the effervescence, but a girl can wait if the reward is Alice in Gothic Wonderland - well I can.

Shoulder it up

I watched Blade Runner yesterday.

Because I am not a technologically driven person, I directed my attention to something else that never fails to amuse me in old-school 80s Science fiction films: shoulder pads.

It probably does not help that my very first memory of them is a vivid flowery suit my mother wore to a wedding.

It might have been the fact that the pattern designed devoted him/herself to squeezing-in every single possible shade of colour on that tiny piece of material, that made such an impact on my 5-year-old self.

Or the fact that my petite mother suddenly appeared out of proportion with lilliputian legs and large angular shoulders...

In any case, I have ended up dreading shoulder pads and, as a result, I have always wondered why they took so long to fall out of fashion.

Power dressing

The desirable effect of power dressing was to attract attention and respect - think of Margaret Thatcher.

It started in 1980s and meant business: an unchaperoned woman wearing a suit became a feminist subtle way of saying: "hands off!"

Power suits are an important victory in the war against sexism. However, I can't help being thankful for the decreasing size of shoulder pads in the 1990s.

The problem with shoulder pads is that once they became out and accepted (that happened fairly rapidly), there was no way of getting rid of them.

They keep coming back

True, not as wide or sharp sharp-cornered, but undeniably present.

It is not necessarily a bad thing: after all, padded shoulders make a sloppy posture appear straighter and they give definition to small shoulders.

I am still a defender of the natural shoulder though (blame it on the 80s suit trauma). I think small shoulders are sexy: they elongate the figure, instead of creating a heavy emphasis on the upper body.

But, to be fair, it really comes down to which shape suits your body best.

I want to look like a cyborg

I watched the strangest movie tonight, about a girl with bleached eyebrows who believes herself to be a cyborg.

The Korean actress, Su-jeong Lim, is stunning and I am a cyborg but it's OK is incredible:



Not only because of the randomness of the film and the storyline, but also because of the aesthetic of it all.

Which made me think: after being taken by the pale, milky ginger complexion yesterday, I am now in awe of the Korean features.

I didn't know anything about beauty the Korean way so I did a bit of research. This is what it is all about:

1. a milky complexion
2. sculpted features
3. large eyes

Su-jeong Lim certainly has all of that.

The interesting thing is the similarities between red-heads and the Korean beauty standards. It is the freakish fascination for peroxide features on one side, and the imitation of European complexions on the other.

Karen Elson and the cyborg actress could almost swap over.

I think the issue needs more investigation... I promise an update as soon as I find out more about it.

A twice-queenly statement: tartan and carrot-tops

Today at lunch, I had a model-scout-like revelation: my ravenous attention was distracted by a carrot-top.

No, nothing to do with vegetables, I found myself staring at a tall thin ginger girl: not particularly beautiful but striking.

And since everyone seems to be going to the hairdresser at the moment, why not try copper?

Red-heads being the ugly-ducklings is ancient history, not since Elisabeth I has translucide skin, invisible eyebrows and tangerine hair been celebrated.

Orange haired models and celebrities have been everywhere over the last years, from the breathtaking Tilda Swinton to Lily Cole who's trademark is her fiery-fall of hair.

British Vogue interviewed red queen, Karen Elson, in their Glorious September 2008 issue about the red phenomenon; and model agencies are reported to be encouraging carrot-tops to come forward.

The strangely pale creatures are up for fashion domination.

I cannot pinpoint it but there is something arresting about red-heads - something about their almost erased, complexions. Maybe it is the bone structure or the fact the definition of their features gets lost in a milky skin.

When I found myself staring, I realised I was so dumstrucked by this carrot-girl because she reminds me of Queen Elisabeth (or at least the stately idea I have forged of her, as I cannot claim to have met the woman).

So it all revolves around the queen as style icon after all: I might have to go out and buy a tartan suit to match the hair - and the royal airs of the season...

H&M is trying it haute with Comme des Garcons

We have seen the advertisements everywhere, and since yesterday the Comme des Garcons collection is finally in store. The high street is trying for haute, starting with H&M, and failing.

I am not trying to suggest that the Japanese label is doing a mediocre job at trying to radicalise the lower high-street. Rei Kawakubo could not be dull if her life depended on it.

But it is simple maths: you cannot go fashion forward and anarchic if the available funds for an outfit that originally costs £500 are divided by 10.

Anyways, the truth is we don't usually go to Oxford street to buy clothes which are experimental, chaotic and downright futuristic.

Much less to H&M where a dumbed down pret-a-porter piece, costing under a tenner, is usually expected.

I am not denying there is a craze for high-end-fashion imitation, at affordable prices (the most expensive Comme des Garcons for H&M, is a £199 dress - not bad for a designer that is far from, even occasionally, affordable).

But doesn't all of this kill the whole dynamics of the fashion business? Not to talk about the aesthetics of a middle-of-the-street design.

Comme des Garcons is a revolutionary label that exaggerates shape, cut and colour to style new silhouettes.

Kawakubo's collections are undoubtedly attention-grabbing, but it is a tough job to fish out wearable pieces from her shows.

Unless you are into cobalt blue ruffled bloomers, asymmetrically layered trench-coats in clashing motifs or dresses with origami cut-out legs, as an everyday style.

That is the main difference between high and haute: wearability. (And costs of production.)

The problem with designer mass production, is that with price restrictions, original collections suffer.

What's the use of owning a Comme des Garcons piece, if it doesn't look anything like the brand signature style, the material is poor and the cut only half as good as a Top Shop piece?

Of course, if I had three wishes I would use one of them to make high fashion available to my scorched bank account. A girl can always dream!

But the dismal fashion reality is that experimentation needs money - the kind of money, we poor folks that dress in H&M don't have.

But that is not a reason to feed us mediocre, supposed high-end couture.

A cheap find can look just as stylish (and in this case much more distinguished) as a designer dumbed-down polka shorts and low-crotch trousers (by the way, I do not recommend those to anyone).

Bring Thierry Mugler back

As a true child of the eighties, when I hit nine years old, my life ambition was to get enough money to buy a Thierry Mugler shiny, lilac, puffy jacket.

20 years later, the man behind top-heavy, extreme fantastical-fashion is nowhere to be seen. But his influence is certainly still structurally and adventurously felt: think vampires, aliens in PVC and angels squeezed into metal corsets.

I have to admit I am so thankful for the possibility of an 80s variety revival, I am only hoping that it will hit the high-street soon enough…

London is so dull this winter it is time to structure it up. I find it so depressing to come home when it's dark outside, the only outstanding outfit in the tube is an oversize woollen scarf, and the only colour to be seen is the odd citrus-green beret.

Giles makes dresses with satin-ribbon ruffles, Madeira has rigid snow-queen dresses, and why not invest in a winter-garden-style balloon dress (Celine) - they are hard to wear but they will liven up your day if chosen carefully.

As long as it's sparkling and makes a statement, it’s good to go.

I don’t know if it’s me being too sentimental over the Thierry Mugler pieces I never owned, but I always get nostalgic for an 80s eccentricity.

The Christmas party-dress quest

I don't understand the craze that comes with the countdown to Christmas. I have always found party dresses hideous and Christmas depressing.

Firstly it is cold - in a such a chilling way, that even with two pairs of tights, wearing a skirt is a challenge.

Secondly it's pitch dark outside by the time you finish a late lunch, and drinking coffee when it feels like you should be in bed with a cup of tea messes with my body clock.

Last but not least, kitsch decorations are everywhere: from the streets, to cafes, to dresses.

Yet, the the quest for the party dress of the year - that will be thrown at the back of a shoe cupboard after having cost a whooping £80 (if you're lucky) - is inevitable.

This season's dress



The good news is that everything goes this season: it is all about statement pieces.

So, whether you prefer winter florals, oversize, (Giles' pom pom coat is a good place to start) or decorative (Christian Lacroix created some sumptuous pieces, perfect for a detailed glossy look), there will always be something for everyone.

The only rule is: short.

It seems that designers are not in favour of a below-the-knee party dress this season. And it probably is all for the better. With all the eye-catching hosiery to be found legs are guaranteed to look dazzling.

Coco Avant Chanel

The French love their films and everyone loves Chanel.

This is why Coco Avant Chanel (Coco before Chanel) is on it's way to become the fashion film of 2009.

There is nothing more typically french than Audrey Tautou (Amelie) dressed as Coco Chanel.

And even if German Karl Lagerfeld is supervising the re-creation of certain clothes of the fashion house, the director, Anne Fontaine, is sure to keep the production in a French spirit while they are filming in Paris and Normandy.

The filming has started late, on the 15th of September, while the project was announced last May, and there is still no official release date (although it is expected to be late 2009).

However, the first production still is finally out, and the Amelie star looks stunning in a boyish suit and pose, that deliver well the strength of character of the woman who immortalised the little black dress and 'le smoking'.

Coco Chanel

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel (1883-1971) was a pioneer of modern women's fashion. Born in Saumur, France, she was trained as a seamstress in a Catholic orphanage.

This is probably was unleashed her determination.

She introduced woman's sportswear in 1913. In a post-war atmosphere, she later brought menswear-inspired styles into the mainstream.

Coco Chanel understood from the beginning what feminism taught the world much later: women are supposed to dress for themselves, not for men.

Because it is a French film, it is reasonable to expect a lot of artistic shots, quite a heavy dose of glamour, style and of course romance.

It might also be a long wait before we finally see it on a screen...

On a lighter note...

Just some amazing truths about gay marriage and people who stand against it. Wanda Sykes is incredible:

Special Post: Proposition 8 says YES to discrimination

With a black American president newly elected we have heard a lot about breaking taboos.

However, on the same day that Obama was elected, Gay marriage was eliminated in the state of California.

Doesn't anyone feel there is something wrong about that?

A minority president is elected, and at the same time, his country suddenly regresses in terms of human rights by banning another minority from civil rights.

Proposition 8 was passed to change the Californian Constitution, that allowed same-sex marriage since 2000.

Gay rights have always been taboo, but it has been the same for black rights for centuries.

Wouldn't there be an global outrage if black people were taken away their right to vote?
Or if the right to woman being able to vote was abolished?

Gay rights are yet a rather new voice compared to other minorities, but it would make more sense to support discriminated minorities in that 'time of change' brought by the election of President Obama.

Proposition 8 is not only a disgraceful regression of the state on basic human rights, it also poses many questions about the security of change.

If gay marriage can be eliminated from one day to the next, buried under a pretence of taboo breaking (with the election of the first black American president), it shows how fragile are the small battles that have been won.

If no one hears about this, it means the basic human rights we take for granted could be taken away any second.

Look me in the eye: JCC's fashion humour

It is all about eye-catching fashion at the moment and Jean Charles de Castelbajac seems to be the new en vogue designer.

His yellow Obama dress caused uproar as well as admiration, during the presidential campaign.

Celebrities, however, love his quirky, daring designs.

Yesterday, Katy Perry took the JCC daring look to the public gaze at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Liverpool.

The designer's satin, cobalt blue pencil dress did not fail to draw attention, especially at the singer's breasts that showed off a literally eye-catching bust-line detail.

A risky move, but at least it shows fashion can have a sense of humour. Even if JCC's pieces can sometimes give out a bit too much of a flashy Disneyland feel.

Fashion Network Spy

With my classic little black dress and 5inch heel-boots I only keep for such occasions, I headed off to my first fashion networking event yesterday.

The event, hosted in Shed, Bank, by Deanna Rubiano was a perfect excuse for strawberry mojitos, limo-heels and dress-to-impress styles.

Glamorous and strange, to say the least.

There were some really interesting pieces though, from a frilled corset worn over leather leggings, to a teaming of fluo, pink and blue dress, with patent tights.

The aim of a fashion networking event is to get drunk in style (with outrageously expensive cocktails and wine) and exchange business cards.

The venue was perfect though, with white sofas and a stylish modern decor.

The people were even more interesting: ranging from actresses, to photographers, to film producers, to the occasional glamour model hoping to be scouted.

All and all a good night, I am waiting for the photos now...

Time to break the myth of 'the French Fashion Style'

People keep assuming that the French have the best fashion sense in the world.

It is true that they are renowned for their Haute-Couture houses and The 'Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne' (the Association of Haute Couture Houses), created in 1868, still rules the Couture world.

Every year a Paris based commission declares which houses are eligible to showcase collections under the term 'Haute Couture'.

All this because Paris was undeniably the epicenter of high fashion for centuries, ever since the sublime extravagences of the Court of King Louis XIV (1638-1715).

In the 18th Century, Marie Antoinette had a Fashion Minister, and her dress sense was celebrated and copied everywhere in Europe.

But since then, it has all gone downhill...

The average French person has no idea who designs for Dior.

It is not that the French lack class as a nation, but in terms of wardrobe, it is a little bit limited. The typical young french person has the choice between three main styles:

1. The laid-back classic: jeans, a black/grey/brown top, and black shoes - pumps or 2in heels max mostly.
2. The fake seventies hippie with: large cotton trousers, a large cotton formless top, formless cotton bag and trainers or flip-flops. Dreadlocks are a must.
   
3. The urban Sportswear look: the french version of the Bronx hip-hop/rapper.

A little colourless?

That is another thing that french people resent: colour.

It is considered a crime to wear anything that isn't black, grey, brown or dark blue. Dark purple and a few other dark colours are accepted. As long as nothing is bright.

This is why the streets of Paris are, unlike the common notion, extremely dull.

After all even their top fashion houses employ designers from other countries. Think about John Galliano for Dior, Alexander McQueen for Givenchy (until 2001), or Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel.

Face the new beauties

Forget Agyness Deyn for a minute: there are three new faces who are being introduced as the new Winter face.

Jourdan Dunn, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Eden Clark are all posing for the November issue of British Vogue.

"The three young models on the cover of this issue have been chosen specifically to showcase different types of good looks, possibly even beauty, in the autumn of 2008," writes editor Alexandra Shulman, for Vogue.com.

They have all kept their personal style while posing for the issue: Jourdan Dunn as the face of young cool black beauty, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley displaying a classic budding sexiness, and Eden Clark, a strong but fragile tomboy look.

The girls are striking, but I find their features a little too cool. It is always the same high cheekbones and full lips.

They have an undeniable fashion appeal, but their faces are not radically different. Jourdan Dunn has a street beauty look, that appeals to most, but I doubt she will revolutionise fashion photography.

Eden Clark however does have a particular face and piercing gaze that might well shoot her ahead of the rest.

Precisely because she does not look like anyone else. She is not beautiful in an obvious way, but she will make you turn your head more than twice if you pass her in the street.

Leg it up for Winter: Hoisiery trends

After a rainy summer and a even rainier autumn, leg is finally on show.

Mini skirts were the trend for June, July and August but they only had a feeble chance at being seen.

However, Antarctic temperature are not such a bad things for our legs anymore.

Hosiery is set to play a big part in getting the key look for autumn winter.

Leggings and tights are overtaking the high-street: from orange to tartan, with spiderweb prints, retro designs or textures that range from PVC to sequin and leather.

They come in all colours and looks and the Olsen twins are already fan. And they are far from being the only ones.

The trend started on the catwalks with designers trying to give the sock and the tight a new twist.

In terms of accessorising the black, white and grey mini-dresses of the winter, everything goes: bright-coloured knee high socks will brighten up a classic dress, and patterned black tights will add some definition to an otherwise dull outfit.

More about leggings before taking the plunge:

Halloween facy-dress: Sexy, Scary or both

Halloween parties seem to be the time of year when girls can wear the least amount of clothing possible, before being arrested by an anti-nudist brigade.

The excuse? Plastic devil horns or cats ears, that count as a disguise.

Sexy:
It's true that no one wants to look horrifying when going out. But they are some pretty wearable outfits that are not either or.

Fashion isn't particularly strict on decency. I personally think that a bubble extra-mini dress, or a see-through ruffle top, is totally acceptable if the cut allows it to look stylish.

The problem with Halloween dress-up outfits is that they look like a cheap version of fantasy sex clothes. That, makes them scary. But not in a thriller-like way.

Scary:
On the other hand, a zombie plastic mask and rags tainted with fake blood do not balance well with fashion.

First of all, it might be embarrassing (although, with the mask, no one will know it is you. However, chances are, no one will talk to you either).

Secondly, rags never flatter anyone. No matter how amazing your body is.

Both:
The best option is probably to keep to the theme but work it to your advantage. Winter allows for tights. With these, hot-pants, a stylish Romantic-style mini-dress and black make-up will probably look more sophisticated.

Especially this season, designers have showcased some revisited fancy dress pieces, making witches hats sexy and pumpkin-orange a first choice colour.

If only for one night.