oscar buzz..

With the awards season now in full swing, one of my favourite parts of Fashion Week is guessing which gowns may make it on to the read carpet this year. I suspect one or more of these featured dresses may be set to make an appearance in the near future.

































and my personal favourites....












All images used in this blog have been sourced from the internet, unless otherwise stated.

spring is in the air

I've been lacking that certain something of late. inspiration? motivation? Whatever you want to label it, the fact is I haven't had it.

That changed this morning when I realised Spring is most definitely on it's way. The daffodils are in full bloom and the sun is beginning to show its face once more. As we make the delicate transition into a new Season I can feel myself coming alive again and inspiration slowly trickling through my veins once more.

Watch this space...

♥ l'enfant terrible ♥

Today the world of fashion finally stood still, as news broke that legendary British fashion designer Alexander McQueen had commited suicide. A truley talented and visionary designer, McQueen's innovative and unconventional designs earned him the worthy title "l'enfant terrible" - a name which is commonly placed upon those who are strikingly unorthodox.


His designs rocked the fashion industry and won him critical acclaim amoung his peers. It goes without saying that he will be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends in this dark hour.

One of my favourite desingers, I pay homage to him and his remarkable design work below. Long live McQueen....

Burberry goes 3D at LFW

The release of Avatar last year saw the whole world go gaga for 3D, and now it looks as if the phenomenon is set to make the tranisition from film to fashion. British fashion label Burberry will make history this year by broadcasting their London Fashion Week show live in 3D.

The 150-year-old brand this morning announced plans to stream its upcoming London Fashion Week show during specially adapted events in Paris, Dubai, Tokyo and Los Angeles. The live stream will include pre-show behind the scenes coverage and backstage footage, as well as red carpet arrivals.


"We are very excited to announce that we are hosting the first ever truly global fashion show,” Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s chief creative officer, told WWD. “This unprecedented event will enable people to experience the energy and atmosphere of this event from around the world.”

“3D technology will bring our global audience into the London show space allowing them to see the colours and fabrics, to hear the music and to be a part of that moment when it all finally comes together," he added.


Thanks to their innovative business acumen Burberry has continued to defy the recession. Following the launch of the advertising campaign starring Harry Potter star Emma Watson, 19, sales soared to £380 million in the final three months of last year.

The upcoming Prorsum Autumn/Winter 2010 collection debuts at the Chelsea College of Art on 23 February. If you’re not lucky enough to catch the 3D show live, you can still watch all the action at www.burberry.com, but you’ll have to settle for traditional 2D I'm afraid. C'est la vie.

'There But for the Grace of Grace'

She was the ultimate Hollywood screen icon who became a true Princess. An Oscar winning actress, Grace Kelly was the golden girl of the 1950's and true to her name, she was the epitome of style and grace.



This April the V&A will celebrate her life and her style with the exhibition 'Grace Kelly - Style Icon', which will showcase hand-picked gowns from her legendary wardrobe. Since her death in 1982 Kelly's understated all-American style has been largely celebrated. Many labelled her indefinable, some simply said she was comfortable in her own skin; she favoured classic, clean, simple lines and her pearls and feminine white gloves were her trademark items.

When I was a young girl I would sit for hours with my mother, watching her lose herself in the magic that Kelly created on screen. A girl herself when these films were first made, she grew up idolising this incomparable beauty, and would sit through 'High Society' and 'The Country Girl' over and over again.


It is perhaps my mother's fault then, that I myself prefer old Hollywood glamour icons such as Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe over the leading ladies who grace our screens today. It is a well known joke amoungst my family that I was born in the wrong era; I have a passion for the films, the music and even the fashion of decades such as the 1940's and 1950's.

It will come as no surprise to learn that I am inexplicably and uncontrollably excited to view the V&A's new exhibition. Tracing the evolution of her style from Hollywoods most popular actress to her life as Princess Grace of Monaco, the exhibition will display over fifty of Kelly's outfits, together with her hats and jewellery. To my delight the original Hermès Kelly bag will also be on show, although I sadly no longer feel the passion I once did for this bag. For me, it's name has been sullied by the likes of Victoria Beckham dangling it so casually off her bony arm.

There is one outfit I am keen to view more than any other, and I cannot say for certain that I will be able to control myself when finally confronted by Kelly's legendary wedding gown. Hand-made from antique Valenciennes rose point lace, twenty-five yards of silk taffeta and ninety eight yards of tulle, and with a veil covered in appliquéd lace lovebirds and thousands of seed pearls, I have a feeling the sheer beauty of this one of a kind gown will leave me breathless.


I am uncertain as to exactly what it is about women such as Grace Kelly that fascinates me. Her classic beauty is something that has yet to be bettered, and the simplicity of her poise and style will never go out of fashion. She was the seemingly unattainable screen goddess who married her own real life Prince Charming. Her 'Stye Icon' exhibition looks on track to be one of the most exquisite I have ever seen. To be given the opportunity to wander amoung the personal belongings of one of my icons absolutely excites me. Now there's only the small matter of how on earth I'm expected to control my excitement until April, and what am I going to wear?

paris...j'adore vous

Every girl will fall in love at least once in her life; the first time I fell in love I was only seven years old. I'm not talking about your typical school girl crush on one of the snotty nose boys in the playground. No, this was love of a different kind.

Ask anyone who knows me well and they will tell you that the only true love in my life is Paris. The beautiful city captured my heart as a young girl, and I cannot say I'm sorry to have never gotten it back.

It's hard to pin point exactly why I love this architecturally beautiful capital so much. The feeling I experience when wandering round one of it's twenty arrondissments is unlike any other I have ever felt. The fact that some of the most famous buildings in the world stand proud in this wonderful place is certainly a major source of appeal. I could easily spend days exploring the sights and some of my personal favourites include the Museé Du Louvre and Cathédrale Notre Dame - French for 'Our Lady of Paris'.

Of course the most famous of all sights is the Tour Eiffel, or the Eiffel Tower. Illuminating the city each night with a spectacular light show, many have labelled it 'tacky' and 'gaudy', but I find it truly breath taking. The view from the top is awe inspiring and each time I find myself taking it in I am pleasantly reminded of its beauty.

Of course, one of the obvious reasons I love Paris is the fashion. Paris Fashion Week is one of the most spectacular events on the year's calendar and I have made it my mission in life to take in at least one of Dior's extravagant catwalk shows before I die.

Home to many of the biggest fashion houses in the world, to a girl like me - who dreams of making her name in the world of fashion writing, Paris is the land of opportunity. French women simply ooze style and grace, and do so seemingly without effort. Each time I visit I find myself returning home with a jealous heart and will spend days lusting after their sophisticated style.

This Spring, along with three of my wonderful friends, I will be once again gracing the cobbled streets of this magnificent and vibrant metropolis. With the girls having never been I am excited to show them my favourite haunts and I am quietly confident that before long they too will fall head over heels in love with every aspect of Paris.

With the four of us all having a passion for anything vintage, I am very aware that this trip will involve hours of scouring the quaint boutiques that line the arronndissments. This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but to us it's the stuff dreams are made of. It goes without saying that between us we can snap up one or two bargains to say the least.

There is something so simple and alluring about the romance of Paris; it is so easy to get lost in its sheer beauty. In comparison to cities such London or New York there is a somewhat slower pace of life and for me that is definately part of its attraction. Life there is so relaxed and people live their lives so freely, with a touch of elegance in all that they do. I'm not ashamed to say that this is the life I want for myself.

When I look to my future, there is no other palce I see myself. Perhaps not right now, but I am sure of the fact that one day Paris will be where I settle. I look forward to spending my days strolling down The Avenue des Champs-Élysées, sipping espresso in a back-street cafe and happily drinking French wine all afternoon in one of the local bistros. What more could a girl want out of life? Oh, Paris...j'adore vous!!