Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2002 campaign ft Gisele

Audrey Hepburn: Timeless Style

Audrey Hepburn is an icon. What I mean by icon is that people from all ages see a photograph of her and recognise who she is. Fashion and movie fans alike are able to relate to her elegant beauty and talented acting skills. Her work in Africa in her later years is met with respect and acknowledgment of a lady who defined the striking 1950's and 60's of Hollywood glamour and has set trends which are copied and reworked again and again. She is iconic.

Her role as Holly Golightly is one of the most famous in cinematic history. That little black dress with the necklace around her neck, hair scraped up into an elegant bun with a cigarette resting lightly in her hand is an image that many of us have seen in timeless fashion shoots and editorials. Since her breakout role in the 1952 classic, 'Roman Holiday' with Cary Grant, she went on to win an Oscar, star in movies opposite Fred Astaire, Humphrey Bogart and Sean Connery and reinvent fashion with great success. Hubert de Givenchy claimed her as his own, dressing her for all official engagements with his elegant and classy dresses which had the whole world talking in awe about the Hollywood starlet. She was the hot toast of the movies!

Born in Europe, Hepburn never craved the glamour of America or in fact Hollywood. She wanted to become a ballet dancer, but this dream abruptly ended after picking up an injury. Her athletic and tall body was at first considered not the right fit for movies, with curvaceous  actresses Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren leading the way in the sexy 50's look. But Hepburn represented a different type of woman, the girl next door type who was incredibly skinny but used her body in such a fashionable way that a new breed of icon was born. Her classic roll neck jumpers, Capri pants, cat eye sunglasses and classic eye liner flick had women all over the world copying her look, with Hepburn featuring on the US cover of Vogue twice.

I love Audrey Hepburn because she was different in a world full of artificial beauty. She had her hard times (she miscarried her first child and fought her battle with cancer in the 90’s) but was always seen as the epitome of elegance and class. From 'Sabrina,' 'Funny Face' and 'My Fair Lady,' to 'Nuns Story' and 'Charade' - her movies will go down in history and are defiantly worth watching if you haven’t already seen them! The famous quote by Coco Chanel sums up Audrey perfectly: 'Fashion fades, only style remains the same...'

Remembering our World War 1 Girls

As you probably know, this week marks 100 years since the start of the First World War. From the beautiful poppies surrounding the Tower of London to the meaningful ceremonies at various historic landmarks, it is very hard not to understand the depth and sincerity this country owes to those who died during the war.

For most of us, we will hopefully never know what it feels like to live through a war. We will never understand fully what it's like to live on rations, to see our loved ones leave home and never return or feel the terrible consequences of fighting. That is why it's so important to wear a poppy in honour of those who fought for their country and died defending our nation. War is a truly terrible thing.

We always think of the brave men who fought during the Great War, but rarely do we cast our minds back to the women left behind. The women whose job it was to basically run the farms, factories and businesses normally occupied by men. Even though this was a time of upheaval and public outcry from the suffragettes and 'votes for women' campaigns, girls up and down the country stopped their call for political rights and instead dived straight into hard work during the war. Even they were not prepared to see their country suffer and did whatever they could to keep it afloat. That kind of loyalty and pride is very rarely seen these days, mainly because (thank goodness) we are not living through a war. So this week I want to pay a special homage to these women whose lives were also turned upside down by the start of World War One in 1914. It was brutally tough, but they along with England survived it and that makes me very proud, as well as eternally grateful.

I've found these beautiful and heart warming images of women and girls during this difficult time. The photography is honest and true while the facial expressions speak completely for themselves. Let us all remember those who will never be forgotten.

 

I also wanted to share this sorrowful and strong poem by Wilfred Gibson, one of the great war poets.

 

'Back'

 

They ask me where I've been,
And what I've done and seen.
But what can I reply
Who know it wasn't I,
But someone just like me,
Who went across the sea
And with my head and hands
Killed men in foreign lands...
Though I must bear the blame,
Because he bore my name.

 

Galliano Greatness: Dior Couture Fall 2005

It's no secret that I am a huge John Galliano fan. I think he is an amazing fashion designer with an imaginative creativity like no other. Despite his obvious 'fall from grace' he is still one of the best out there. One of my favourite collections Galliano created for Dior was the Fall 2006/7 Haute Couture show which pushed the fashion theatrical boundaries to the max. Opened by British model Erin O'Connor and featuring some of the most beautiful models ever, this show is just stunning and sums up the greatness of Galliano at Dior. Let me put it into perspective for you...

The setting is dark and eery with a thick layer of smoke covering the wide catwalk. Statues and shrubs are dotted along the runway like an overgrown garden belonging to an English stately home. A carriage rolls up (complete with real horses and a footman) and a little boy jumps out, followed by O'Connor herself wearing an Edwardian inspired outfit. Her huge hat, silk dress and dramatic make up create such an impact it's as though you're actually walking through a night garden with her. Following that powerful and haunting entrance, models parade elegantly down the runway wearing exquisite dresses decorated in jewels, applique and lace details while all playing the character of the rich, aristocratic woman of old. Linda Evagalista and Eva Herzogova take a turn wearing beautiful dresses as ballet dancers prance along wearing electorate tutus and a mask of make up.

Not only is the atmosphere incredible, the clothes have meaning and heritage running through them. The famous dresses from this collection are instantly recognizable as they look as though they are still incomplete on a mannequin with pieces of thread hanging from waists and pins still stuck between the fabrics. White chalk lines draw out the female figure on the material, similar to how Christian Dior himself would have designed his couture dresses. The words 'Dior couture' are printed along the tummy, a clever use of showing off the iconic fashion logo embedded in the fashion house while tulle and netting are carelessly draped around the bust and hip areas. In this way, Galliano portrays beautifully the Haute Couture process which has the whole audience clapping widely on their feet at the end of the show. And why wouldn't you?

These clothes however are not practical... you wouldn't go to Tesco wearing something like this! But it's a fantasy, an unrealistic one at that. These pieces look as though they should be displayed in the Victoria and Albert Museum, not shown as sell able clothes on a 21st century catwalk. Galliano always did couture very well. It was his thing, his trademark - basically a way for him to show off his design talents. That's why I wanted to highlight this particular show and share with you the beauty of high end, jaw dropping amazing fashion...