First Look: Topshop Autumn Winter 2010

It feels like the summer has only just started (the London sunshine is delicious, right?) but as I start to get into the current season the A/W collections are ready to make their grand entrance. As you know, a shearling jacket is the top of my Fall wishlist, and I'm definitely keen to channel the brilliantly Brisitsh look displayed on the Burberry runway.
As always, Topshop has all the key trends wrapped up and ready to go. I've just had a peek at their A/W 2010 lookbook and there are some fabulous pieces. My favourite of their three collections is "The Outsiders" which is all about heritage pieces and traditional British fabrics. I already have my eye on the shearling lined jacket and the brilliant Camel cape.

It sounds a little corny to say that "The Outsiders" collection is very Alexa Chung, but it is bursting with those classic pieces she's constantly snapped wearing. Any Alexa fans out there will love this collection. And those knee-high socks [below right] look so lovely and warm. Perfect for chilly days.

The other two collections are equally as impressive, although I think "The Outsiders" will be the standout in terms of capturing the mood of the season. "Out of the Wild" is the most romantic of the three, offering babydoll shapes, pale shades and lots of sheer fabric. The black maxi [below left] with the sheer skirt adds a bit of red carpet glamour too, as it's the style every actress is wearing to events at the moment.

The third collection, "Dark Nouveau", takes inspiration from 'sinister fairytales', and it a little grunge-y. There's a lot of lace paneling, tight leather skirts, Rodarte-esque knits and black, black and more black. And there is definitely something in the styling of this collection that reminds me of Christopher Kane.

What do you think of Topshop's A/W offering? Which collection is your favourite, and what pieces will you be buying?

images topshop

Hit and Miss of the Week: The New Look

The Hit and Miss of the Week posts have been going for a long time now, and it needed a facelift. Adding even more excitement to the post (seriously, can you handle it?) I’ve also just learnt how to add a jump break – it’s pretty pathetic it took me this long, but better late than never I say!
So onto the week, and the big story was the LA premiere of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. I’m still not a Twilight fan, but anything that causes a big red carpet event is cool with me, and the turnout at the LA premiere was amazing. Continue reading (ha! how cool is this?) to see the good and bad looks from the premiere…

Kristen Stewart: So-So / Robert Pattinson: Hit

Horray! Kristen Stewart is finally starting to look comfortable on the red carpet. I think the white sequins on this Elie Saab Couture dress look beautiful on her, but I hate the one-sleeve element. Either have two or none at all – one makes it look like you didn’t have time to shave both armpits!


Robert Pattinson on the other hand looked perfect, which is a shocking statement to come from me, as I’m no R-Patz fan. The maroon Gucci suit was a great choice (Taylor Lautner wore Gucci too) for Robert, as he really stood out. Why don’t more male celebs wear colour on the red carpet?

Dakota Fanning: Hit

Dakota looked absolutely stunning in an Elie Saab couture dress. The feather detailing around the hemline adds a perfectly playful touch, and the one-shoulder element keeps it young. As an avid follower of Dakota’s red carpet look I would have liked to see her in something a little less feminine (she has worn a similar Saab dress before, after all) but maybe next time?
At the moment Dakota is a key player in the young Hollywood set, and was my best dressed of the night. I can’t wait to see what she wears next.

Ashley Greene: So-So

I think Ashley Greene is absolutely stunning, and more often than not looks great on the red carpet, but this dress is not working for me. It’s a lovely colour and I do like a bit of draping, but it completely swamps her fame and looks like she simply wrapped some pretty fabric around her body. I have no doubt she’ll be looking amazing come her next red carpet appearance though.

Anna Kendrick: Hit

I’ve always thought Anna Kendrick seemed so sweet, and although I like her a lot her style has yet to make a real impact on me. I do think she pulled it out of the bag for this premiere though, the Marchesa dress being a great choice.
I feel like she could have pushed the choice of footwear a little further though. Her choice of metallic strappy heels are a little too safe for my liking. But all in all it’s a nice enough look.

Heather Morris: Miss

I’d never heard of Heather Morris before, and I give her major points for being brave enough to try something different on the red carpet. If this look was for a TV appearance or a press conference (and she toned down the acsessories) it would definitely get a hit, but there is no place for stripy t-shirts on the red carpet. Nice shoes though…

As always let me know what you think of the looks from the week in the comments section.
Who was the best dressed this week? And who do you think got it totally wrong?

all images from picapp.com

My Top Six Summer Reads

I don't normally do posts in this kind of style, but I really believe the best way to find a great book is through a friendly recommendation. Last year I shared some of my favourite reads with you (and it's still one of the most searched posts on the blog) so I thought I'd do the same again this summer. If you're off on holiday and need some poolside reading, or if you're stuck in London and need something to make those sticky tube journeys go quicker, check these six books out.


House of Versace: The Untold Story of Genius, Murder, and Survival by Deborah Ball: As you have all probably worked out, I'm a big Versace fan. But at the time of Gianni's murder I was a child obsessing over the Spice Girls, so I don't remember anything from that time. This book takes you through from the very beginning of Versace history, and although it took me a while to get into it I was obsessed by the end.
Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism by Natasha Walter: While the Spice Girls taught me little about fashion they did drill into me the message of 'girl power', so I picked up Natasha Walter's Living Dolls as soon as it came out. It's a really interesting read if like me you are amazed at the amount of women who seem to want nothing more than a Nuts cover.
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden: Shockingly I only just read Memoirs of a Geisha (I actually finished it last night) despite the fact it's constantly recommended. At about five chapters in I had completely fallen in love with the book, and now that I'm finished I may watch the film. Or will that just ruin it for me?


Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Ayelet Waldman: I picked this book up because Natalie Portman has just shot the movie, and I'm a huge Natalie fan. Set in New York it uses Central Park as a way of holding the story together, which I loved. As soon as I finished the book I was checking IMDB as I cannot wait to see the film. I think Natalie will be great in this role.
Naked by David Sedaris: There isn't much I can say about David Sedaris, apart from read his books! He's one of the funniest writers ever, and although Naked isn't my favourite (Me Talk Pretty One Day is funnier, in my opinion) it was completely addictive.
If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You by Kelly Cutrone: Ever since Kelly Cutrone gave Lauren Conrad the evil eye for not remembering Hamish Bowles' name in The Hills I have loved her. While this isn't exactly an autobiography there are loads of stories about how she came to the massive success she has today, which are very inspirational. A word of warning though: don't read this after Living Dolls like I did, as your brain will go crazy from all the 'independent women' messages.

Which books do you recommend for the summer?

images from amazon

I'm a Burberry Kind of Brit

Apologies in advance if you've already read about the Burberry A/W 2010 ad campaign today - I am a little late posting. But I've been busy all day and have only just had a look at all the Burberry footage. As a massive Burberry fan the online campaign (photographed by the wonderful Mario Testino) is really exciting, letting viewers rotate the images and control the movements of the models. It's hard to explain, so it's best you play around with it yourself. Click HERE to view the interactive campaign and see all of Testino's images.


The selection of models is yet again spot on. Emma Watson may be gone, but my current girl crush Rosie Huntington Whiteley looks stunning in every single shot; as does the fabulous Nina Porter. And there is also an amazing video where Christopher Bailey explains the thought process behind the campaign.



I didn't think the Burberry A/W collection could get any better (I was utterly devastated to miss the show back in February) but this campaign has just added a whole new element. It's always interesting when fashion pushes further into the online community and this is sure to be a success for Burberry.

What do you think of the interactive campaign?

Image © copyright Burberry/Testino, video © Copyright Burberry

Nicole Richie and the Alexander Wang Plait

I know I keep going on and on about the plaits in the Alexander Wang S/S 2010 collection, but I really love this hairstyle. Last September, when the collection was first shown, I had just gone for the Ashley Olsen bob and I've been trying to grow my hair into a plait-friendly-length ever since.
I'm still a few inches short, and have resigned myself to the fact that when my hair is eventually long enough this style will be so over. So I'll just have to admire Nicole Richie, who wore the S/S plait at a Hollywood event last night.

Nicole gave the plait and LA twist, wearing an oversized white shirt, a scarf tied as a belt and a long gold necklace. It's like the "Zoebot" days never ended, isn't it?
Even though I love the way Nicole has worn the Alexander Wang style braid I still think the sporty runway styling is unbeatable. Anyone working the sport luxe look on this sunny day should definitely think about plaiting their hair. It should hopefully keep you cool too.


What do you think of Nicole's braid? And is anyone rocking a side plait of their own today?

images from picapp.com and style.com

Twenty8Twelve A/W 2010

If I'm completely honest Sienna Miller's label, Twenty8Twelve, has never really wowed me. I love Sienna, and I think she has killer style, but up until now I haven't really taken to her design efforts.
But the collection, which she designs with her sister Savannah, is looking good for A/W 2010, and it looks like Twenty8Twelve has a new fan. The colour palette is a bold selection of black and grey, and the jackets look gorgeous. When I visited My-Wardrobe last week I heard that Twenty8Twelve clothes are always beautifully made, so these pieces should be real keepers.


The three-quarter-length sleeved black jacket [above right] is easily my favourite piece in the whole collection. It fits the overall mood of A/W perfectly. I also think the leather dungaree dress [below left] a fantastic design - it would look great on Chloe Sevigny types.



And although this is a celebrity designed collection it doesn't feel like a run-down of Sienna's greatest hits. There are a few looks that are totally Sienna (especially those below, on the Sienna lookalike) but the majority of the collection is very androgynous and hardly touches the boho style she championed.


It looks like Sienna and Savannah are taking Twenty8Twelve in an interesting direction. Do you like the look of the collection?

images Twenty8Twelve

This Way to Paradis




It's a beautiful sunny day in London, which is making it difficult to focus on blogging. So until I think of something worthwhile to write about why not stare adoringly at Vanessa Paradis in the July issue of UK Harper's Bazaar?
The issue should still be on newsstands for another week or so, so if you don't have a copy yet snap one up quickly and read it in the sunshine.

Editorial: "This Way to Paradis"
Publication: UK Harper's Bazaar July 2010
Model: Vanessa Paradis
Photographer: Cedric Buchet
Styling: Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou

images from thefashionspot.com