Elizabeth Taylor: Another Legend Lost

On discovering the terrible news regarding Elizabeth Taylor's passing in the early hours of this morning, I couldn't help but feel deeply saddened.

A great actress, and an even greater star, her passing signals the end of an era, as one of the final links to Hollywoods Golden Age is lost.

Commanding attention from an early age, Elizabeth Taylor literally grew up in the limelight. From her movie role in One Born Every Minute at the age of just 10, she went on to become one of the most revered actresses the world has ever, and most likely will ever know. From her Oscar winning turns as Gloria Wondrous in Butterfield 8, and the cult classic Cleopatra, the only thing that could upstage Taylor's talent, was her extraordinary beauty and tumultuous private life.

With her legendary violet eyes, alabaster skin, and raven locks, she became one of the worlds most talked about women; setting a precedent for the way in which young starlets would be viewed in years to come.

However I truly hope that she won't be remembered for her ability to sell newspapers, but for her extraordinary talent, and for her humanitarian efforts, that sees her HIV/Aids foundation that has helped millions of people worldwide, as surely one of her greatest legacies.

As I sit here typing, I am not shocked that she is no longer with us, I am shocked that a women so talented, beautiful and resilient could ever have existed at all.

Elizabeth Taylor 1932 - 2011

A woman as beautiful as she was talented

Makeup Forever - The world's first unretouched campaign

Today, women everywhere should prepare to jump for joy as Makeup Forever launches the world’s first ‘unretouched makeup campaign’.

Yes you heard it right: bucking the trend for unrealistically flawless foundation and perfectly polished pouts, the American makeup brand has chosen to use au naturale images to promote its line of HD foundation, instead of the endless stream of pictures, Photoshopped beyond recognition before they are released into our consciousness.

Pictured, arm outstretched, snapping a photo of herself, the campaign is clearly assisted by the fact that the model in question is already stunning, with near perfect skin.

However there are flaws for us to hone in on; from her bumpy arm to her dark under eye circles, the campaign has a sense of realism, that allows us to actually get a sense of the products capabilities, as opposed to those of the digital designer.

It's a brave pioneering move. Lets hope that this is just the first of many brands to allow us to see the real women, behind the manufactured image.

Commuun: Paris Fashion Week

One of my favourite shows from Paris Fashion Week, has to be the Commuun show.

The Parisienne based fashion house is run by two Japanese designers, Kaito Hori and Iku Furudate, although they have only shown the past two seasons, I find their shows, and their innovative way of constructing garments very exciting indeed.

Focusing on the interplay between sheer and opaque fabric, the Japanese design duo created a collection that re-invented the wardrobe staple, simply through the mixing of un-expected textures.

This black cropped jacket was given a uniquely contemporary twist, by juxtaposing the rigid matte black fabric with the oil slick-esque high shine panels. It looks gorgeous with this monochrome ensemble, but would look equally stunning dressed down on the average women with jeans and sky-high black ankle boots. 

I adore the mix of sheer and opaque fabric in this dress. Whilst this is a very simple silhouette, the contrast makes your eyes dance around the page. Obviously not the most wearable dress - I may need to hit the gym for a few hundred hours first - it looks stunning as a show piece.

This is a master class in how to make sweatpants sexy. Mix matte white trousers, with a sheer chiffon, and black wool top and you never need be ashamed when you answer the door to the postman again. 

These exquisitely tailored yet casual trousers may actually be my favourite piece from the entire collection - I literally want to reach through my computer screen and grab them of that lucy, lucky model.

The perfect cocktail dress. I wonder if we will see anyone on the red carpet in this, this year? I will be on the look out.

The final looks strayed from the monochrome structure of the rest of the show, and introduced pops of primary colour. 

All in all, this was one my surprise favourite show of the entire season; simplistic yet innovative, I only wish I had a few thousand pounds to spend on those white trousers, and black jacket. 

My only gripe? 

Why the red eyeshadow? 

John Galliano: What Could Have Been

In an intimate salon setting, a series of just 20 looks was showcased, from the fallen visionaries e own line.
A far cry from the fantastical, and theatrical nature that normally encapsulates a John Galliano show, I was worried that the clothes would pale in comparison to his usual exquisite standards; on the contrary, amid the simplistic setting, it served only to showcase just how stunning Galliano's designs are, and what a great loss to the fashion industry the events of the past two weeks have led too.

Whilst I am in no way excusing or attempting to justify the designer's behaviour, it should be noted that I am also unable to overlook the beautiful garments from his latest collection, that would in other circumstances have been applauded. The fur collared tailored jackets, latex pencils skirts and the ubiquitous nod to 30s with over sized closh hats, was combined with an un-parelled sense of glamour in the form of romantic, billowing print dresses and feather adorned midi skirts. Groundbreaking? No. Signature Galliano? Of course, but then, actually, aren't they one and the same thing?

The one thing that was missing was Galliano's signature bow. With the designer now apparently seeking help for the drink problems that caused his outburst - the question has to be asked as to how long he will remain in fashion exile? Coco Chanel's lasted nine years didn't it?

What are your views on his latest collection?

Maison Martin Margiela

The Maison Martin Margiela show (hereby referred to in this post as MMM) is always one of my highlights of Paris Fashion Week.
The Belgian design house, always manages to deliver a conceptual collection that leaves you with a strong opinion one way or another.
Not always wearable (who can forget last seasons cardboard cut-out take on masculine vs feminine?), the clothes always make an impact along with a highly entertaining and thought provoking show.

This season however left me feeling somewhat disappointed.

Based around the concept of a single dress, the models appeared with dresses, un-zipped to the waist to reveal the garments lying underneath.
A great concept, yet all too often the clothes looked just way to bulky, and swamped the models slight frame.

It is almost impossible to see the detailing underneath the red coat in this outfit. It's almost as if the stylists were competing to see just how many garments could be forced on a single girl.

The ubiquitous deconstruction was once again showcased by MMM. Normally a masterclass in how to chop and change garments - this coat looks to me almost amateur - as if a design student had been let loose with a pair of scissors.

My favourite look in collection however has to be this camel maxi skirt complete with long black leather gloves.

I also love this pink sleeveless dress, however once again think that less would defiantly have been more when it came to the styling ( I am not a fan of the wrinkly pantyhose boots)- it really distracts from the exquisite garment.

All in all I feel that whilst this a good collection with some nice pieces, it doesn't have the usual MMM wow factor that leaves you discussing the collection for days afterwards.

What did you think of the collection?

Ann Demeulemeester: Black Parade

It’s rare that an all black collection has the ability to capture its audience. All too often the exquisite detailing  gets lost against the mass of opaque fabric.

Following in the footsteps of seminal designers such as Vera Wang and Yohi Yamamoto, Ann Demeulemeester appears to have defied all fashion logic as her single colour collection was (at least in my little mind) a showstopper.

 The formidable Belgian designer strayed from her monochrome colour palette seen last just season and sent an array of darkly beautiful models down the runway; each one adorned with birdlike, black feather head pieces, oh so tough black leather leggings, and intrinsically detailed velvet jackets in, you guessed it, black.

 The indulgent goat fur jackets, the ends of which had been tinged with crimson red, provided the only shot of colour, to the all black collection. 

Whilst the collection may not appear instantly wearable (I can’t quite imagine I would ever have the occasion to whip out a £10,000 goat fur coat), there are many pieces which would make great winter staples, once styled out of your own closet.

For example this velvet and lace encrusted crop jacket would complement any winter cocktail dress, and look perfect over a simple jeans and silk shirt ensemble.

For me however, the big trend to come from this collection has to be the innovative use of belts. Big, tough and military inspired, they have been juxtaposed with bird’s feathers to symbolise, in the designers own words, “giving peace a chance”.

Forcing the clothes to ruffle and crumple, the oversized belts literally coerce the body into an entirely new silhouette. For the price of one, well chosen accessory, you could have the ability to renew an endless amount of outfits, all whilst flattering your body shape.

Now if you will excuse me, I am off to lust after this ostrich feathered beauty a little while longer.

Denim Days

The humble jean; it surely is every woman's wardrobe staple, taking you from winter to summer, and from day to night with ease.

So then, why is it that it's so dam hard to find the perfect pair?

There is so many choices. Do you go skinny or bootcut? Indigo or stonewash? High street or high end?
And then don't even get me started on the size. I can recall many an hour spent hopping around in a claustrophobic changing room, as a desperately tried to squeeze myself into a pair of jeans which to be honest just didn't fit.

With all these choices, and the prospect of spending a few hours trapped in a dressing room, it's little wonder most women dread the thought of having to start the hunt for their perfect denim jeans.

With this in mind, I thought I would put together my top jean picks, to make the search a little easier.

 Topshop
Granted this isn't exactly a ground breaking choice BUT Topshop's MOTO denim delivers a great range of detailed denim pieces at an affordable price of around £40

The majority of jeans I own  hail from good old Topshop, and from my experience they wear extremely well, surviving wash after wash, and for a cheaper pair of jeans manage to escape the hideous knee sag affect.

My personal faves are their vintage wash skinnies.

PRPS

Literally standing for purpose, this Rolls Royce of denim, specialises in the quality and longevity of their jeans.
Priced between £150 and £300, these are definitely at the pricier end of the spectrum - but in my opinion are worth every penny.
Using the softest African cotton and spun on the looms used to create the original Levi's, these jeans will literally last a life time.

These are currently quite hard to find in the UK, however Browns, Start Boutique, and My Theresa all stock them online and have good returns policies.
Just one tip - they fit on the small side, so if, like me you generally fall in between two waist sizes, plump for the bigger one on this occasion


Levi's Curve ID
The iconic denim brand launched their revolutionary Curve ID line last year, and it aims to provide perfectly fitting jeans for all shapes and sizes.

Now I have to be honest and admit that I had failed to pay much attention to the line, until last week that is when I friend told me she was thinking about going to check them out.

Being the great friend I am, I went with, to check out just how easy it is to find your perfect fit.
On entering the store, we were quickly given a run down of all the different categories you could fall into, before my friend, Amy was ushered into the changing rooms to be measured.

The idea of in store measurements normally fill me with horror and a feeling of embarrassment, but to my surprise the whole process took no more than five minutes and consisted of getting a waist, hip and leg  measurement.

Before long Amy had been given a perfectly fitting pair of jeans ( she fell into the demi curve category), and I had a unabashed feeling of jealousy as I wished I could justify spending £80 on a pair of jeans on a whim.

Overall I would completely recommend the Curve ID experience and feel that you would struggle to not find a perfect fitting pair of jeans.

Oscars Fashion: A disappointing night

Despite the greatest of expectations that I held for the Oscar night dresses, I have to admit, as I was sat in the early hours of the morning, all bleary eyed but full of excitement in front of my TV set, I was ever so slightly disappointed in the leading ladies fashion choices.

Ok, so there wasn't too many complete disasters, but there were no WOW moments either, that gave me the the almost irrepressible desire to get up and lick my TV screen.

My least Favourites

The always fashionable Reese Witherspoon played it overly safe in monochrome Armani Prive

Gwyneth Paltrow looked shockingly space age, in a slash neck Calvin Klein gown that resembled molten silver. Beautiful, but dare I say it a little young for Ms Paltrow? The sparkling gown appears harsh against her tanned skin and ice maiden blonde hair.

Another complete disappointment for me was Penelope Cruz. The normally tres chic actress opted for a red L'wren Scott print dress which appeared rather bland and forgettable, almost a little cheap.

In contrast however, Amy Adams wore a L'Wren Scott dress which definitely makes it onto my list of;

Best Dresses of the Night


The midnight blue stunner, clings to Amy Adams' fab post baby figure, and perfectly complements her stunning red locks.
But then why oh why did she have to team it with the Cartier necklace and bracelet?
Both stunning in their own right, but teamed with the head to toe blue sparkles it simply looks too much and ruins the clean silhouette of the gown.
Otherwise this look would without a doubt be my favourite of the night.

Michelle Williams dazzled in Chanel Haute Couture. The short sleeved ivory number melted perfectly into her porcelain skin.

The ceremonies host Anne Hathaway made a total of eight costume changes during the shows three hour duration, and left me completely stunned with her choice of silver beaded Oscar de la Renta dress.

Styled by the one and only Rachel Zoe, this My one and only WOW moment of the night, and it single handedly reminded me why I look forward to the Academy Awards each and every year.