What will you remember about 2016?

It's the 31st December, the last day of 2016. This year has been eventful to say the least. From the Oscars at the beginning of the year which saw Leonardo DiCaprio win his first Academy Award, to Beyonce's iconic Lemonade album, The Met Gala - Zayn and Gigi's matching outfits, Donald Trump being elected President and who could forget Kim Kardashian's robbery fiasco in Paris? Plenty has happened in 2016.

A lot of much loved celebrities have left us, including Carrie Fisher, George Michael, Prince and David Bowie while David Cameron dramatically left No 10 after Britain decided to leave the EU. Taylor Swift continued embarking on doomed relationships, the Olympics took place in the Summer which inspired all of us to start keeping a little more fit, Leicester won the Premier League and Maria Grazia Chirui took the reigns at Dior. In terms of fashion a lot has changed as per usual. Hedi Slimane left YSL, Franca Sozzani passed away as did designer Richard Nicoll, The First Monday in May DVD was released which followed Anna Wintour in the lead up to the Met Gala and of course, Kendall scored her first Vogue cover - whoopy do. It was also British Vogue's centenary year, as the fashion magazine held an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in honour of all the amazing photos which have featured in the magazine over the past 100 years. The Cannes Film Festival was as glamorous as ever while the Harry Potter franchise continued with the help of Eddie Redmayne in 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'. And who can forget the big shocker of them all - Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie announcing their plans for divorce in September. We knew America was over then.

Trump will take the Presidency in 2017.

This year has also has its sad moments. From the terrible terrorist attacks in Paris and Berlin to the ongoing crisis in Syria, especially the city of Aleppo. The suffering around the world of innocent people continues, but hopefully 2017 will bring with it a new hope for the future.

I have really enjoyed 2016 and did things which I never thought achievable. I quit my job at the beginning of the year and embarked on a new one at a lovely, luxury department store. I went to Paris, the first time I had ever been to the city of light, holidayed in the Dominican Republic and finished my second year at university and started my third and final year this September. I interned at Harper's Bazaar, Selfridges and fulfilled the dream I had since I was 14 years old, to intern at British Vogue. Going to Vogue is probably my highlight of the year. Seeing Beyonce at Wembley Stadium as part of her formation World Tour was pretty good too. But I have made new friends, took up new responsibilities and tried new things which is the most important thing in life - to forever be curious and try things you've never done before.

I don't really believe in New Years resolutions as I tend to make them every month but I hope if you do make them you go on to achieve them in 2017. A new year is the chance to start afresh and I'm sure 2017 will be the opportunity for many of us to achieve greatness. For those of you who regularly read my blog I say thank you. Thank you for reading all my little stories this year and I hope you continue to do so in 2017. And now I guess there's nothing more for me to say than Happy New Year!

Some of the movies we've seen this year.

We sadly lost a whole list of much loved celebs including these 4 faces.

Zayn and Gigi at the Met Gala 2016.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got a divorce - a top story of 2016.

Beyonce on stage as part of her Formation World Tour.

Goodbye Debbie Reynolds: April 1st 1932 - 28th Dec 2016

For my last blog post of 2016 I was going to do a top 10 countdown of some of the best fashion moments of the year. But the dreadful news over the past couple of days has changed my mind. First George Michael died on Boxing Day, followed by Carrie Fisher and then her mother Debbie Reynolds who died of a stroke after hearing of the death of her daughter. 2016 has indeed been notorious for celebrity deaths. We have lost some of our brightest stars this year including David Bowie, Prince, Alan Rickman, Victoria Wood and Paul Daniels with the deaths of Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher the latest blow to this sad list of names. Their deaths are especially sad at Christmas time which is meant to be a time of goodwill and happiness, and I can't imagine what their poor families are going through.

My last blog post was on Franca Sozzani who died last week of an ongoing illness. This week I want to pay tribute to Debbie Reynolds who starred in one of my favourite musicals of all time - Singing in the Rain. Debbie, who died aged 84, was one of the celebrated Hollywood stars of the Golden Age of cinema. Born on April 1st 1932 in Texas, her name was Mary Frances Reynolds - not Debbie which Hollywood later made her adopt. After winning a beauty contest when she was 16, Warner Brothers gave her a movie contract and one of the first movies she did was Singing in the Rain when she was just 18 years old. Her all singing all dancing Cathy Seldon character won the hearts and minds of cinema goers and catapulted Reynolds into Hollywood's limelight, making a star.

She once said of her co star Gene Kelly that, "He made me a star. I was 18 and he taught me how to dance and how to work hard and be dedicated." Singing in the Rain is one of my favourite musicals with so many iconic songs, amazing costumes and great dancing. Reynolds is fantastic in it. She went on to star in other movies including 'Bundle of Joy' in 1956, 'Tammy and the Bachelor' and 'How the West was Won' before starring in various TV shows and a stint on Broadway. She was nominated for an Oscar for her role in 'The Unsinkable Molly Brown' but never won an Academy Award.

However, Reynolds is perhaps also well known for the famous love triangle between herself, her first husband Eddie Fisher and Elizabeth Taylor. Fisher left Reynolds for Elizabeth Taylor, who was a good friend to Reynolds, which caused a major media scrum at the time. Years later Debbie forgave Elizabeth and they even starred together in a comedy called 'These old Broads' in 2001, putting their tumultuous relationship behind them. Reynolds had two children with Fisher, Carrie (Star Wars) and Todd, and went on to marry billionaire Harry Karl and then Richard Hamlett in the 80s. She was a star by the age of 18 and spent the rest of her life in the spotlight. It's so devastating that the Reynolds family have lost not one but two treasured members of their family and my thoughts and prayers go out to them. RIP Debbie Reynolds - a Hollywood legend, mother and friend.

Reynolds pulling a face with her daughter Carrie Fisher.

Reynolds in her later years wearing a glamorous fur coat.

Singing 'Good Morning' from the musical 'Singin in the Rain'

Debbie in 'How the West was Won'

A Tribute to the incredible Franca Sozzani

I was stunned and extremely sad yesterday to hear of Franca Sozzani's passing. Sozzani, editor in chief of Vogue Italia since 1988, seemed to be healthy, happy and a formidable force at fashion weeks. but according to Ansa News Sozzani died due to long term illness. At only 66 years old it is a tragedy that she is no longer with us. In my opnion, Vogue Italia is what it is today because of Franca. Due to her leadership of the magazine, her trailblazing photo-shoots, her iconic covers and incredible foresight Vogue Italia is considered one of the best international issues of Vogue and is my favourite alongside Vogue Japan. She will be missed by many in the fashion industry and I can't think of anyone who can take the position of editor in chief of Vogue Italia other than the invincible Franca.

Franca Sozzani was born on the 20th January in Mantua, Italy and studied literature and philosophy at university in Milan- nothing whatsoever to do with fashion. She later got a job at Vogue Bambini as an assistant before becoming editor of Lei magazine. She took the reigns at Vogue Italia in 1988 making it one of the top magazines in the world. She introduced photographers and stylists like Steven Meisel and Edward Enninful to its pages and featured fashion spreads which were truly remarkable. Her 2008 'Black Issue' of the magazine only featured black models and was an international sensation with Franca bringing attention to the lack of diversity in the fashion industry. She was a regular at all the fashion shows held across New York, London, Milan and Paris and a respected figure to designers and her contemporaries alike.

Instead of Vogue Italia just reaching purely Italian audiences, Franca made the magazine so visually stunning that readers all over the world would flock to buy a copy every month - regardless of the price. Some of my favourite photo-shoots have been published in Vogue Italia, such as 'Makeover Madness' by Steven Meisel which portrays such a strong and powerful message on plastic surgery. Tributes from a whole host of celebrities such as Madonna, Kendall Jenner, Irina Shayk and Anna Wintour poured in following the news of Franca's death yesterday while others who have worked with her for years such as Peter Lindburgh and Bruce Weber paid tribute to her as an extraordinary fashion editor.

Below are some of my favourite shoots from Franca's tenure at Vogue Italia. She has already earned iconic and legendary status in the industry.

The supermodels in 1994

One of Sozzani's iconic covers

A controversial Steven Meisel shoot focusing on homeland security.

The 2008 Black Issue

Linda Evangalista in 'Makeover Madness.'

Putting plus size models on the cover in 2011.

Steve McQueen - Hollywood's first King of Cool

There's cool and then there's cool. Steve McQueen, Hollywood's first male fashion icon (apart from maybe James Dean) captivated audiences throughout the early 60's and 70's on and off the screen. Known for his diva antics and love of cars, McQueen's immaculate style earned him the title 'King of Cool' or as made famous in his movie 'The Great Escape', 'The Cooler King.' He was the original bad boy of Hollywood, an industry he came to detest as he got older but Hollywood royalty nonetheless and at one point the highest paid actor in the world.

So who was Steve McQueen - and don't get him confused with the movie director Steve McQueen. Terence Steve McQueen was born on 24th 1930 in Indiana. Young Steve had a tough childhood. His father left his mother shortly after he was born, his mum was an alcoholic who couldn't care for him, he was passed around to various family members until he went back to live with his mother and new stepfather at the age of 8. At the age of 9 he was living on the streets to get away from his abusive step father and had joined a gang. After many turbulent teenage years McQueen joined the army in 1947 before studying acting at a New York playhouse and marrying his first wife Neile Adams. He got his big break at the age of 29 in the movie 'Never so Few' after Sammy Davis Jr dropped out and went on to star in movies such as 'The Magnificent Seven' in 1960, 'The Great Escape', 'Love with the Proper Stranger' with Natalie Woods and 'Bullitt' in 1968, famous for its ambitious car chase scene. His relaxed, effortless cool earned him the nickname 'King of Cool' with McQueen rarely seen without his trademark leather jacket swung over this shoulders. Cigarette in mouth, black sunglasses, skinny jeans and that unmistakable swagger made McQueen a style icon for millions of guys and girls across the world.

His later movies included 'The Towering Inferno,' 'The Thomas Crown Affair', 'The Getaway' and 'The Cincinnati Kid'. By the late 60's McQueen was a total diva often trying to steal screen time from his co stars and walking off set if things weren't going his way - well he was an Aries. His reputation for challenging directors and being difficult on movie sets only added to his bad boy demeanor. As he got older his love of  cars took over his life. McQueen admitted that he would have rather become a race car driver than an actor, and his passion for anything with a motor meant that McQueen was regularly racing. One of the most iconic scenes in cinema history is thanks to McQueen and his beloved motorbike which he famously rode in The Great Escape as he fled across the German countryside.

After 3 failed marriages to Neile Adams, Ali MacGraw and Barbara Minty, McQueen died aged 50 of a cardiac arrest, after being diagnosed with a form of cancer associated with breathing in asbestos. Yet, his sense of fashion is still remembered today as well as his iconic movie roles in 'Bullitt' and of course, 'The Great Escape'. His love for skinny, black suits and casual jumpers with jeans helped define him in a Hollywood era where personal identity was everything. The fact that McQueen could pull of a suit with ease and sophistication and then a dirty pair of overalls covered in diesel stains the next shows his fashion versatility. Ahead of his time in many ways, he was as famous for his off screen antics as he was for the stunts he pulled on screen. There will never be another Steve McQueen and these photos prove why. There will only be one King of Cool.

McQueen with his motorbike in The Great Escape

McQueen in 'Le Mans'

Critics Choice Awards 2016

We are now fully heading into awards season, and that started with the 2016 Critics Choice Awards, held on Sunday night. The awards show, which is usually a good indicator of who will go on to win big at the Golden Globes and Oscars, saw Natalie Portman scoop the Best Actress award for 'Jackie' and Ryan Reynolds scoop the prize for Best Actor for his role in 'Deadpool.' It was no surprise that Meryl Streep won her category while Game of Thrones won best drama series and deservedly so. Thandie Newton, Evan Rachel Wood, Bob Odenkirk and Donald Glover were other big winners, while La La Land, staring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling looks set to do well this awards season.

 

And then of course there was the red carpet. Nicole Kidman looked amazing in a black Brandon Maxwell gown with Gianvito Rossi heels, Emma Stone went for a sultry look in Roland Mouret while winner Natalie Portman opted for a short Alexander McQueen dress, hiding her baby bump. Kerry Washington stunned in a black Elie Saab dress decorated with little stars as did Jessica Biel and Amy Adams looked stylish in a white Versace gown. The best dressed had to be Kate Beckinsale though. She tends to always pop up at these awards ceremonies for doing practically nothing, yet always manages to look amazing. She wore a trailing black Reem Acra gown with Louboutain shoes. Viola Davis wore a lovely turquoise Micheal Kors dress with a Tyler Ellis clutch bag and Lily Collins also stunned in a long Elie Saab creation with Chanel jewels. I also liked Naomi Harris' simple Stella McCartney dress which complemented her slicked back hair and dark make up.

 

See all the best dressed from the red carpet and the full Critics Choice Awards 2016 winners list below.  

Jessica Biel, Lily Collins, Emmy Rossum and Naomi Harris.

Leslie Mann, Eniko Parrish and Michelle Williams

Emma Stone, Natalie Portman, Kerry Washington and Hailee Stenfield on the blue carpet.

 

CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS 2016 WINNERS LIST



BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
 “Moonlight” — WINNER

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Lucas Hedges, “Manchester by the Sea” — WINNER

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jane Krakowski, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix) — WINNER

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Louie Anderson, “Baskets” (FX) — WINNER

BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
Courtney B. Vance, “The People v. O.J. Simpson” (FX) — WINNER

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
Sarah Paulson, “The People v. O.J. Simpson” (FX) — WINNER

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Thandie Newton, “Westworld” (HBO) — WINNER

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
John Lithgow, “The Crown” (Netflix) — WINNER

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Donald Glover, “Atlanta” (FX) — WINNER

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live (NBC) — WINNER

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight” — WINNER

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“Zootopia” — WINNER

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Meryl Streep, “Florence Foster Jenkins” — WINNER

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Ryan Reynolds, “Deadpool” — WINNER

BEST SONG
“City of Stars” (“La La Land”) — WINNER
 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Viola Davis, “Fences” — WINNER

BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
“The People v. O.J. Simpson” (FX) — WINNER

BEST DIRECTOR
Damien Chazelle, “La La Land” — WINNER

BEST COMEDY
“Deadpool” — WINNER

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
 Evan Rachel Wood, “Westworld” (HBO) — WINNER

BEST ACTRESS
Natalie Portman, “Jackie” — WINNER

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul” (AMC) — WINNER

BEST ACTOR
Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea” — WINNER

BEST DRAMA SERIES
“Game of Thrones” (HBO) — WINNER

Why I have learned to hate to love Celine...

I once worked for Celine. It was only for a brief time, (I quit to go and intern at British Vogue - priorities eh?) but while I worked for the luxury fashion brand I fell completely in love with just about all their pieces. I never really like Celine, except for the bags. The bags were an exception. From the over-sized luggage phantom and the streamlined 'Belt' bag to the beautiful grained calfskin box bag and the functional trio, a Celine bag is for life. When I was 16 I brought a fake Celine luggage bag from Ebay thinking I was extremely cool and nobody would notice -I gave it to a charity shop some time ago. But when it came to the Celine aesthetic and catwalk collections I just didn't get it. All that awful minimal rubbish, the weird ad campaigns, the horrendous styling - it was the complete opposite of the sexy, stylish Dolce and Gabbana I adored. I couldn't get my head around why at Paris Fashion Week everyone would be fainting over Phoebe Philo's latest collection which I always considered to be boring and just generally ugly. Instead of showing off a womans body she concealed it under layers of fabric and shapeless shirts which literally just hung on the body. I never gave Celine much thought.

Skip forward to 2016 and I wouldn't say I'm a complete Celine convert (not yet anyway) but I get it now, and I want an awful lot of it now. The first few weeks spent working at Celine I would run my hand over the various dresses, tops, trousers and coats hanging on the rails and mutter about how overpriced these pieces were. I mean £1290 for a pair of viscose trousers or £890 for black skate shoes was ludicrous to me as they weren't even appealing. Yet customers would buy, and buy and buy. Slowly I started imaging myself wearing head to toe Celine on a daily basis and rather liked the idea. From being boring, I realised the design of these clothes was actually very clever and so super stylish. I ended up contemplating whether I should actually buy this beautiful white cotton top with balloon sleeves using my discount (the price would have still been over £800 but I persistently tried to justify it. I couldn't.)

As the look book came out for the pre-season, I flicked through the pages becoming more and more depressed that I would never be able to afford any of these amazing pieces. I loved the classic crombie wool coat and the hot 'Bam Bam' shoes while the bags, which Celine update every season using different materials, could all have fit easily into my wardrobe. I had gone from the anti-Celine camp to a total fanatic for the brand. This brings me on to Phoebe Philo. The woman is a genius. Since she arrived at Celine back in 2008 the creative director has forged an 'It' bag through the creation of the 'Luggage' bag, seen on just about everyone's arm as well as creating a strong aesthetic for the label. You can spot a Celine item a mile away through the cut, fabric and colour because of Philo. Celine is one of the top shoes at PFW because of the way in which Philo understands so clearly what a woman wants to wear, not what a man wants a woman to wear. Her clothes which I once thought were incredibly ugly, actually do flatter a womans figure. Look at Fashion Features Director at British Vogue Sarah Harris who swears by Celine and always looks amazing in their khaki pants or crisp white shirts. Or Miroslava Duma, a working woman who always manages to dress her tiny frame in powerful Celine separates. Celine is for women who want to look good at work, at home, at the shops or on a night out. I wouldn't go as far to wear Celine at a party though.

I still am not a huge fan of the ad campaigns. It's not my cup of tea but it communicates such a strong message to audiences of what Celine represents. Simplicity, luxury, beauty and forward thinking, Philo is always one step ahead and will probably continue to be so. My favourite collections over the years has been the bright Spring/Summer 2014 show which featured splashes of colour on white shirts and formal coats while the pre-fall 2016 collection was simply divine. The bottle green coat was a particular fav. So there it is, a perfect example of how I have come to love a brand which I previously hated. The question is, have I converted you?

Celine over the years...

One of my favourite collections, the pre-fall 2016.

You don't get more stylish than a Celine bag - choose your style

Miroslava Duma and Sarah Harris are perfect street style Celine ambassadors 

Victoria's Secret 2016 Show Highlights

There's always a lot of expectation for the annual Victoria's Secret show. This year, Paris played host to the VS angels with Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and The Weeknd all performing alongside the usual line up of the worlds most beautiful women. Gigi and Bella Hadid became the first siblings to walk in a Victoria's Secret show, while Irina Shayk proudly showed off her baby bump underneath a beige trench coat. Adriana Lima, the clear VS star, stole the show with her powerful walk, while Alessandra, Lily and the usual gang all worked their teeny-tiny lingerie sets on the catwalk. I've always found the VS show a bit pretentious at times and really don't think that the likes of Kendall and Gigi should be walking for them, seeing as they don't really fit the Victoria's Secret mould and are only there because of their names. But, there really is nothing else as glam as a VS show. See all the best pics from the night below.

Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima and Irina Shayk

Lily Aldridge, Jasmine Tookes and Taylor Hill on the catwalk.

Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Gigi Hadid - who suffered a wardrobe malfunction.

Bella and her ex - The Weeknd caused a Twitter meltdown.

Steven Meisel: Fashion's most Controversial Photographer

Steven Meisel, one of the most most respected photographers in the fashion industry, has long inspired me with his beautiful photographs, often conveying a strong message. His work for Vogue Italia is particularly impressive. Remember the controversial 'Make over Madness' shoot, which featured Linda Evangalista undergo painful cosmetic procedures all for the sake of beauty? Or how about the 'State of Emergency' editorial from 2006? Taking inspiration from the strict border force laws and immigration across Europe, the shoot featured models being slammed against cars by police for security checks and having to remove their clothes at the airport. Moreover, it showed normal civilians as victims of violent security laws, causing quite a stir in the media. Controversial yes, but these realistic shoots are what makes Steven Mesiel so perfect as a social commentator through the medium of fashion photography.

Born on June 5th, 1954, Meisel loved photography from a young age, famously waiting outside Melvin Sokolsky's studio for hours to catch a glimpse of Twiggy, at 12 years old. After studying at the prestigious Parsons New School of Design, he went on to become an illustrator for a number of publications, with photography not even crossing his mind as a potential career move. It wasn't until he was asked to take some test photos for Elite Model Agency that he discovered his true passion and something he was rather good at - taking photos of people. Since then he is famed for taking some of the most iconic photos of the supermodels in the 1990's as well as his narrative driven shoots for US Vogue and Vogue Italia, where most of his photographs are featured. He also shot ad campaigns for numerous fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, Dolce and Gabbana, Fendi and Versace - his sexy, dark glamorous photographs a favourite among the Italian brands.

Famously a very private man, Meisel has grown to be one of the most admired and in demand photographers in the fashion industry. Controversy seems to follow his work, from the 1990s Calvin Klein ad campaign which was criticised as a form of child pornography, to his 'Water and Oil' editorial which highlighted the catastrophic oil leak which killed millions of birds and sea life. For over 20 years his photographs have captivated audiences and impacted the industry immensely. I have picked out some of my favourite photographs of his below and hope you enjoy them as much as I have.