Louis Vuitton: 'Spirit of Travel'

Shot in the beautiful African Sahara by one of the most influential fashion photographers in the world, Peter Lindbergh, the Spring Louis Vuitton campaign, titled 'Spirit of Travel' is one of the most beautiful I've seen in a long time. Featuring two British supermodels in the form of Edie Campbell and Karen Elson, the photos are absolutely exquisite with breath taking scenery and divine clothing from Marc Jacobs last ever collection for Louis Vuitton (sob.) Yet, the photography completely captures Africa from the wild lions, zebras and leopards to the untouched yellow grass and trees which stand out across the dusty plains. As for the title, 'Spirit of Travel' there are many Louis Vuitton handbags, hanging off the arms of either Elson or Campbell. In one of my favorite images, dozens of LV hand luggage is piled high with Miss Campbell posing elegantly right at the top, gazing out over Africa. One word: Stunning. Only a certain number of photos have been released so far, but expect the full campaign in late April which will no doubt feature across billboards and magazines the world over. After all this is Louis Vuitton we're talking about...

Vietnam War Art Project...

Biro study from my own photograph 

Conflict. It's happening now, it has happened before and no doubt it will be firmly established in our futures somewhere in the world. This was the question I chose to explore for my final Fine Art project, focusing on the most infamous conflict of the 20th century: The Vietnam War. Thousands of innocent civilians killed, American GI's scarred for life through horrific experiences fighting the Vietcong and a country divided by communism and the so called 'corrupt' government in Vietnam. This was not only a war, but a catastrophic event which America has never really recovered from. For me, I wanted to capture the emotion and shock of war not only for soldiers but for civilians too, exploring the impact this conflict had on everyone involved through looking at photography, artists and the historical details of the stages of the war, not to mention the anti-war movement which erupted in the US during the late 60's and 70's.

This art project is very important to me and I'm loving looking closely at the war and artists' impressions of peoples emotions which shocked the world. From the Napalm scarred little girl running through the streets, which became an iconic yet haunting image of the war to the movies like 'Platoon' and 'Apocalypse Now,' glorifying yet horrifically showing the war through the eyes of the Western world, many young soldiers were forced to their deaths in fighting for their country. Soldiers and civilians who will not be forgotten. I have no idea how this project will end or what my final piece will be. For now I'm just enjoying the journey and drawing wonderful pictures which I am proud and happy with. From staging my own photo-shoot in a Camden Army Surplus store to looking at artists like photo-journalist Forst Haas and Roland Castani, this is a whole new learning curb for me which is thrilling yet desperately sad. Please take a look at some of the pages in my sketchbook and come inside the Vietnam War with me...

Pencil drawing from a Forst Haas photo

Roland Castanie: Blue biro study

Detailed pencil study, my own photography 

G.U.Y - Lady Gaga's exciting new Video

What do you get when you put Lady Gaga in Gareth Pugh feathered headgear, Alexander McQueen dresses, throw in the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and a whole load of gorgeous male models with only their snug little speedos on? Answer: G.U.Y. Which stands for if you don't know, 'Girls under You.' The latest music video off Gaga's album 'Artpop' is the insanely hot, amazingly catchy  GUY, which lasts for approximately 11mins and is the first production from the so called, 'Haus of Gaga.' This video has everything from Aphrodite to ornate swimming pools decorated in mosaics and paintings. As Lisa Vanderpump, Kyle and Kim Richards and co from the real housewives of Beverly Hills form part of the 15 strong orchestra, beautiful women frolic around in tiny swimming costumes as Gaga herself parades in an array of crazy styles, which the world has come to know her for. I love Gaga and this video is sure to be another number one smash for the American diva as the catchy electro beat and simple melody will stay in your head all day, like it has done mine. Haven't seen it yet? Go take a look... NOW!!!!!!
http://youtu.be/PNu_-deVemE

Red Carpet Style: Jennifer Lawrence

2 Golden Globe awards, 2 BAFTA's, 1 Oscar and a whole host of international movie awards, and oh yeah, she plays Katniss in The Hunger Games if you didn't know! Over the past couple of years, Jennifer Lawrence has taken Hollywood by storm in major movies, accompanied by some spectacular red carpet appearances. As J-Law became the new face of Dior last year, she is frequently kitted out in Dior Couture among other designers who eagerly hope that the acting star will don their gown for the evening. She's tripped up a couple of times (remember at the 2013 Oscars?) her dress has fallen apart live on camera (Jen found it funny so we do too!) and she likes to photobomb as many pictures as she can, as she did with Taylor Swift at this years Golden Globes. Jen hasn't got a tiny Size 0 celebrity body. She represents real women who have curvy figures and who do not possess perfect features, which is mainly the reason why she is so many young girls role model, including mine. So it only seems right that Jennifer is this months best dressed on the red carpet as her style is simple yet elegant and ultra feminine. Keep up the good work J-Law, your style is amazing...

Wearing Dior Couture at the 2013 Oscars

At the London premiere of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

L'WREN SCOTT FOUND DEAD: Designer confirmed dead in New York

You always remember where you were when you hear about the death of an iconic member of society. Michael Jackson, Whitney Housten, Nelson Mandela and now fashion designer L'wren Scott is the latest on the list of talented, famous people to die a death far too young. Apart from making headlines as the girlfriend of Rolling Stones member Mick Jagger who she dated from 2001, L'wren was credited as a fantastic fashion designer who dressed Hollywood's finest and presented collections biannually at London Fashion Week.

It is believed that 49 year old Scott was found hanged in New York a couple of hours ago, which has deeply shocked her friends and family, and no doubt Jagger who is currently on tour in Australia. The cause of her suicide is still yet unknown. Scott did not present her fall 2014 collection at London Fashion Week last month, stating that the show would take place later in the spring. More details are soon to emerge.

Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie are just some of the A List stars who have donned a Scott dress for a red carpet appearance and have surely shone from head to toe while wearing it. Her designs were sexy, stylish, sophisticated yet with hints of modesty and lines aimed at taller women who struggled to find the perfect dress for long limbs, like Scott herself who was a staggering 6'3ft. Foxy 1940's influences, tight skirts, Hollywood glamour and clever tailoring: there was a dress for every Scott women no matter what shape or size. L'wren never craved the limelight yet was more than happy to dress the famous women firmly in the spotlight who needed a captivating dress to dazzle the world of fashion. On top of all that, L'Wren Scott was still young in the scheme of things, only 49, so it is a complete shock that this incredibly beautiful women should hang herself in her New York apartment.

Suicide is always a distressing and highly emotional topic, yet what is winding many women (and men) up the wrong way is the fact that the news channels are reporting Scott's death simply as, 'The girlfriend of Mick Jagger found dead.' Yes. L'wren is presumably only famous for being the 'girlfriend' to a Rolling Stone, when her accomplishments as a woman and prestigious fashion designer have resulted in a successful career, carving her own name without the help of her famous boyfriend. It's sad that her death is being reported in this way, especially as Scott claimed that if anything, the last label she wanted to inherit was the simple term, 'girlfriend.' She was much more than that and therefore deserves more respect for the job she so loved, designing women's clothing. She will be missed by her clients, the fashion press, her friends and family and lastly by us mere mortals who look up to inspiring designers like L'Wren Scott. R.I.P.

Nicole Kidman wearing a metallic Scott dress at the Grammys

Renee Zellweger looking hot in Scott

Dior's Egyptian Extravaganza

For the Christian Dior 2004 Spring Couture show, the then creative director John Galliano ran with an elaborate Egyptian theme, inspired by the ancient Egyptian pyramids, Valley of the Kings and of course, the hot fashions. This show is 10 years old! Yet I wanted to pay particular attention to the amazing hair and make up, created by British make up artist, Pat McGrath. Heavily made up eyes, thick eyeliner, sparkly eye-shadow, tanned golden skin and gold glittery lips that screamed power. And who could forget those thick eyebrows drawn on halfway on the forehead? I loved the headgear, the huge earrings and the beautiful jewel colours around the eyes which took literally hours to create backstage before the show. As supermodel Erin O'Connor opened the show to Beyoncé's Arabian sounding, 'Baby Boy' this was a collection full of totally crazy pieces only Galliano could dream up, and one of the most amazing Couture shows I think I've ever witnessed.

If you have a spare moment, take a look at this collection and be transported to Ancient Egypt on Dior airlines....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RoWGyvS91I

 

 

 

Paris Fashion Week: The Trends

Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Balmain, Givenchy, Sonia Rykiel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Dior...Who was your favourite at Paris Fashion Week. Did Oliver Rousteing's fierce Balmain women tempt you to don a pair of animal print boots next season, or did Raf Simmons pretty Dior girls convince you that when it comes to style, easy does it? Every show for Fall 2014/15 was special and I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed the stunning collections shown in Paris. With all this amazing fashion news to condense, where do you begin?

A Chanel model browses the supermarket

Let’s start with the mother of all fashion houses: Chanel. To be more specific, a Chanel supermarket where all products came bearing the famous logo, complete with shopping trolleys and bling baskets. The clothes were extremely cool and wearable, as trainers (high-tops, sporty and knee high) pounded the catwalk along with pastel dresses, tan coats adorned with popping bursts of colour and skirts over leggings. Now who doesn’t want a pair of pink, Chanel leggings? Miu Miu was another great collection which focused on pastel colours for winter, as sporty transparent jackets were paired with delicate, short mini-dresses and fur coats. Not to mention mini rucksacks carried casually over one shoulder. Very cool.

Dior, Balenciaga, Victor & Rolf and Louis Vuitton all offered pure, simple minimalism as clean tailoring and straight-cut lines created a much more austere yet fashionable silhouette. Louis Vuitton was an exciting show, as you would expect with Nicholas Ghesquiere presenting his first womenswear show for the brand, and we were not disappointed. Of course, it was very different from Marc Jacobs previous work at the fashion house, but it felt fresh and new almost like a style revival. Dresses came in cream, floral prints, and black while silk shirts clung beautifully to the body and ankle boots were stylish and chic. A wonderful collection.

Lanvin, another of my favourite designers, gave us a dark show filled with harsh military references such as frogging, high feathered hats and khaki coloured coats. I also loved the ruffles in this collection, as Alber Elbaz played with check patterns on black skirts and girly prom dresses. Metallics were also divine, as shiny dresses came with huge fur coats and smart heels. Ricardo Tisci at Givenchy was another designer who really wowed the fashion world this season too. This particular collection has to be his best yet, as every piece was exciting, different and desirable. It started with beautiful tailored suits, then drifted in to autumnal prints in floral designs on drop waist dresses and chiffon tea dresses. Boxy fur jackets stood out against black cigarette pants while the finale of snakeskin dresses were stunning, as they literally stalked powerfully down the runway. Joan Smalls wore my fav dress; a decorated animal print top with a sheer black skirt.

Givenchy Fall 2015

Stella McCartney, Celine, Chloe, Isabel Marant and John Galliano also gave us beautiful shows full of drama and high fashion. As Cara Delevingne and Joan Smalls skipped down the catwalk to Pharrel Williams 'Happy' at Stella McCartney, Sasha Pivovarova returned to open and close Chloe's wonderful show were cream creations were dreamy and elegant. Hermes was another show full of elegance and poise, whereas Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen brought on the drama with a show reminiscent of the Scottish highlands as models wore exquisite lace dresses and puffy, fur coats. Victoriana all the way. Saint Laurent brought the rock chick, while Elie Saab gave us red carpet beauty in violet and purple hues. This was truly an amazing fashion week with amazing shows and unforgettable moments. Until next time!

#PFW: Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton

Miu Miu Fall 2014/15

Pastel perfection at Miu Miu this afternoon, as Miuccia presented  a sporty collection full of beautiful colours, transparent materials and padded jackets. This was a collection aimed at the out-door woman who loves going for early morning hikes, complete with rucksack and mackintosh. Duffle bags and metallic jackets were a nice surprise as well as some glorious fur coats to wrap up in the cold, winter months. With Rihanna and Elle Fanning sitting front row, this was a show which screamed wearibility and hard wearing grit. All the colours, shapes and styling was perfect for the final day of Paris Fashion Week (sob) and this has to be one of Miuccia's strongest shows for Miu Miu ever. Well done!

Louis Vuitton Fall 2014/15

So with baited breath we waited. We waited with tense anticipation to witness the next generation of Louis Vuitton, as Nicholas Ghesquiere presented us with his first offering of womenswear as his new job as Creative Director. Good bye Marc Jacobs, Ghesquiere is here to say, as clothes were stylish, practical, chic and classic, a little like what Ghesquiere did at Balenciaga. He has managed to make Vuitton highly his own with fur coats, leather jackets, mini dresses and ankle boots which took the old fashion house completely into the 21st century. A new generation is here, and the world of fashion has welcomed this new direction with open arms. Bring on next season... 

#PFW: Supermarket Sweep at Chanel...

 If every supermarket was like the Chanel supermarket, I think women would just take up permanent residence in the frozen aisle or beside the bakery section...well, I know I certainly would. This morning at 9.30am, the eager throng of fashion press awaited anxiously with tense anticipation for Karl Lagerfeld's fall 2014 Chanel show to start. And boy were they in for a sweet treat. Models pounded the aisles of a pop-up Chanel supermarket alongside food branded with the iconic Coco logo, complete with special Chanel shopping baskets and trolleys (even Rihanna had a ride in one!) Lagerfeld always goes bigger, better and in this case funnier, as Chanel was taken to a whole new level of luxury, be it in a supermarket.

 

Now that we've gotten over the excitement of the amazing catwalk, lets focus on the equally exhilarating clothes. As we saw in the Chanel Haute Couture fall collection, trainers were big as they came in popping colours and different shapes and sizes. Being slightly more affordable than couture, believe me these trainers will be bestsellers, without a shadow of a doubt. Colour was bright, bubbly and pastelly, as the iconic Chanel suit came in pretty pink and lemon. Tweed jackets were boxy and sporty while the artistic colour swatches seen at the spring/summer 2014 collection re-appeared on dresses, skirts and long jackets. Talking of skirts, Lagerfeld's skirt of choice it seems is the midi/knee length, a respectable length for a sophisticated Chanel lady. Whether it be pleated or A-line, a Chanel skirt is a must for fall 2014. Skirts over trousers? Yep, even that's in.

This was a collection which paid huge homage to Coco Chanel and the pieces she invented for women. The suits, jackets, logos, gold chains, sporty silhouettes were all there as they were given a colourful make over and some serious padding. The styling was absolutely incredible, thank you Lady Amanda Harlech, as sunglasses, scarves and clutches were worked with looks to make the clothes look even more desirable. There was a certain coolness about these clothes which just oozed power, sophistication and Parisian chic. In any case, I was completely bewildered and in awe of Lagerfeld this season, and I can honestly say watching this particular show made my day. What can this man not do, that is indeed the question. He will continue surprising us for years to come and on behalf of the world of fashion, we cannot wait!

Without further ado, I think its time for me to 'checkout' - excuse the pun!

 

Academy Awards 2014: Oscar Winners and Best Dressed

Angelina Jolie in Elie Saab and Brad Pitt

Lupita Nyong'o in Prada, Charlize Theron and Jennifer Lawrence in Dior

 

2014 WINNERS...

Best Picture
12 Years A Slave

Best Director
Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity)

Best Animated Feature
Frozen

Best Live Action Short Film
Helium (Anders Walter, Kim Magnusson)

Best Visual Effects
Gravity (Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk, Neil Corbould)

Best Film Editing
Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger)

Best Sound Editing
Gravity (Glenn Freemantle)

Best Original Score
Gravity (Steven Price)

Best Original Screenplay
Her (Spike Jonze)

Best Sound Mixing
Skip Lievsay, Niv Adirj, Christopher Benstead and Chris Munro (Gravity)

Foreign Language Film
The Great Beauty, Italy

Best Costume Design
Catherine Martin, The Great Gatsby

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years A Slave)

Best Make-up and Hairstyling
Dallas Buyers Club (Adruitha Lee, Robin Mathews)

Best Animated Short Film
Mr. Hublot (Laurent Witz, Alexandre Espigares)

Best Documentary Feature
20 Feet from Stardom

Best Cinematography
Gravity (Emmanuel Lubezki)

Best Production Design
The Great Gatsby (Catherine Martin, Beverley Dunn)

Best Documentary Short Subject
The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life

Best Original Song
Let It Go (Frozen)

Best Adapted Screenplay
12 Years a Slave (John Ridley)

#PFW: Best in Show Today...

Sonia Rykiel

Miranda Kerr led out a fashion army full of wearable, adorable and highly fashionable pieces at Sonia Rykiel. There was camel coats, luxe fur stoles, checked prints on dresses and skirts and pretty pastel gowns at the end of the show. This has to be one of Rykiel's strongest ever fall collections and I LOVED it!!!

 

Isabel Marant

 I always find that Rykiel and Marant present very similar collections as they share that chic, Parisian style which women find just so beautiful. Again, this was such a wearable collection  as knitwear was mixed with Aztec patterns and fluffy, shearling jackets were teamed with classic French capri pants. And who could forget the shoes? Ankle boots lined with fur and plenty of laces, buckles and heel to satisfy even the most fussy women. This was chic winter dressing and I can't wait.

 

Victor and Rolf

Grey, white, black, pastel blue...these were Victor and Rolf's colours of choice today as they gave us a wonderful collection, focusing on prestige tailoring and elegant lines. Every garment was treated to perfection and fitted effortlessly on the models body as A-line dresses, check coats and art deco patterns stormed the catwalk. It was simple yet highly effective. Well done Victor and Rolf.

 

 

Lanvin

Even though this collection was presented yesterday, I completely forgot to upload some of my favourite looks. Alber Elbaz is one of the best Parisian designers at the moment and this this show proved why. Instead of his statement pretty, prom dresses, Elbaz went for a much darker mood as feathered gowns, high military hats and big necklaces were shown to a front row which included singer Rihanna. Ruffled skirts were paired with elegant black shirts while sumptuous fur was powerful accompanied with mini dresses. There were still amazing dresses with a military feel and looked red carpet ready for anything. The styling was actually perfect, with every item looking very desirable and 'wantable,' showing just why we all love a bit of Lanvin. J'adore...