taste the rainbow

I'll admit it, I am seasonally fickle. My inner thermometer is totally contrary. This means I love nothing more than circling winter coats in September Vogue, dreaming of a frosty November in London, while reading a book pool-side in a Mykonian villa in August. Therefore come January I will be picturing myself in a festival tent or at a beach party wearing something summery and bright to maximize my tan. Basically despite feeling resentment for winter this year, this indicates all seasons must have their place and yeah for some reason that grass will always be greener on the other damn side. For this same reason despite the fact we haven't even got through Christmas yet my eager mind is already speeding towards SS12'S rainbow palette. Sorry, can't help it..

amazing rainbow hair

cuff from Bex Rox

Skittles

Christopher Kane SS12

Christopher Kane inspired rainbow manicure

Agi and Sam rainbow suit SS12

Henry Holland SS12 pre collection campaign

SS12 pre collection Henry Holland

Christopher Kane SS12 dress with collar

2011: A Musical Anthology

A tribute to the songs that I have had on repeat or stuck in my head this year. An annual round-up and mini tribute to the songs I have fallen in love with this year.

luscious Lana

This year music has seen a new wave of Girl Power, brought about in part by hip hop main-streamers like Rihanna and Nicki Minaj. I think Lady Gaga's celeb explosion served to remind us that girls can make an impact in music, Jessie J was incessantly doing it 'like a dude' all over the radio. And in this year's X Factor representative of a less discerning audience, the wider British public, 4 chirpy teenage girls reigned supreme, the best thing about them being - you could tell they actually liked each-other! In girl band history if that's not a case of sisters doing it for themselves, then I don't know what is!

This year has unquestionably been Adele's year, next year has Lana del Rey's name all over it. Adele is the lovable humble cockney powerhouse of emotional songwriting and soaring vocals, the voice of 2011. In recent years there has been a buzz surrounding Florence, Bat for Lashes and Lissie but then came along Lana del Rey to blow all other contenders out of the game. Lana del Rey is undoubtedly this year's most prestigious newcomer and shining star with her carefully cultivated image, autobiographical lyrics and sultry siren looks. She is part brooding songstress, part cartoon pin up girl from days gone by, an altogether dangerous combination. It's as if Lana del Rey closed this year with Video Games, where Adele opened it with the ubiquitous 'Someone Like You.' Two songs equally poignant and feminine and moving and beautiful. In 'Video Games' Lana del Rey laments old school notions of love crushed by a modern world. I think in 2012 she will go stratospheric and like everyone else I await her latest offerings and delicious videos with baited breath!

Bombay Sapphire

The annual Chanel metiers d'arts is the holy grail of fashion fiestas, a spread of utter splendour and aesthetic decadence as can only be expected from Karl Lagerfeld, who has become a caricature of his uniformly stylish self and emblematic of luxurious taste; a purveyor of aesthetic perfection. Every year Karl creates a solid theme and this year East met West as an aromatic feast of Indian style food, decor and fashion came to Paris. The grand Parisian venue was filled with the heady colours, scents and visuals of bustling Bombay. Karl's latest Asian inspired creations were modeled around an intricately decorated set of a banqueting table laden with delicious delicacies and flower arrangements. Fashionistas and frowers flocked to get their bindi and bhaji on, at this sumptuous spectacle. All the models wore flat shoes and tunic and trouser combinations inspired by salwar kameez as well as sari draping. Nehru collars and heavy ornate jewellery were plentiful, and Freida Pinto was present as muse and ambassador of the event. As Karl is always a fan of a celeb or personality endorsement, mother and daughter combo of Yasmin and Amber Le Bon walked for Mr Lagerfeld at this momentous soiree.

super scrooge

I don't know what's up with me this year. I'm usually your average Christmas loving festive freak, decking the halls as soon as December hits but alas not this year. I'm feeling more humbug than Halleluja...don't get me wrong I am spending the festive period with my family in Miami for some winter sun which I cannot complain about. I am over the top excited to feel the sun on my skin, gimme dat Vitamin D - or at least I will be once I have finished working, gott my head around a summer wardrobe in December and packed etc. So I am pumped at the prospect of a holiday and sun but not so much about Christmas itself...make sense? I just want to lie on a beach, read a book and pretend that when I come home its not going to be sleety, slushy January, February, March... Lovely London seasons - who needs em? Maybe I have S.A.D - I used to think Autumn was magical, now I feel I would love to live in eternal springtime like in LA where culture is bad acting and frozen yoghurt. Winter, you are no friend of mine and I don't need you. Pale and interesting is never going to work for me and I would love to have a permanent glow of summer health!

I kind of just want 2012 to roll around with its fresh beginnings and promise of sparkly newness, and then take some kind of Shakespearean love potion that would leave me temporarily comatose until the tweeting birds of Spring come out again!

South Beach come to mama

 One thing that did make me feel a little pang of Christmassy cheer was some drinks with the girls on Tuesday. Despite our topic of conversation where we discussed all kinds of depressing fatalistic shit over cocktails, like; are we in the career of dreams/ with the long-term man of our dreams/ on the property ladder yet/ en route to marriage etc etc. The answer to most of these questions from the majority of us being a resounding NO. However the purpose of our girly pilgrimage to Claridges was to check out the Lanvin Christmas Tree as designed by eccentric genius creative director Alber Elbaz and it managed to warm the cockles of the deepest part of this currently Grinchy heart of mine! Thanks Alber :)

Lanvin Christmas card

 

a cute caricature of Alber Elbaz tops the tree like a fashion fairy

Pitusa X Stick 'em Up

Last night I went to show my support for 2 young friends of mine who have brought out diverse and equally fabulous clothing collections. Equally, musically talented buddies Filthy Fiction and Ibellini provided the tunes. 

Lana Al-Mulla has made her zany stick figure illustrations into comfy viscose t-shirts for her aptly titled label Stick 'em up, as well as canvas shoppers and mugs perfect for Christmas gifts for the design conscious who like to represent new young British designers.Follow her design-lead blog here: Stickemuponline.com
And Miami based Clara Lago of Pitusa makes Peruvian inspired maxi abayas and knit ponchos, head bands, trapper hats to beat the winter chill. Shop Pitusa here: Pitusa and see their great products below,  I predict bright things for these two!! 

Shereen Al-Mulla with Lana Al-Mulla of Stick 'em Up

Mugs and stickers

Winter Knits from Pitusa

an array of colourful creations at Pitusa

Kitty Cutie

Hello Kitty is a big time star for Sanrio and has been making little girls smile (and maybe still 24 yr old me) with her ever expanding range of merchandise for years and years. However Elle Taiwan helped Little Kitty hit the fashion big time as they made her their cover girl to commemorate the magazine's 20th year..MEOOOWWW

the life aquatic

Darryl Hannah as Madison in the 1984 film Splash

It appears that next spring there is noticeably something in the water, as fashion goes under the sea. Perennial fashion favourite Florence Welch was the latest brit girl to be noticed by Karl Lagerfeld as his muse du jour. The ethereal songbird emerged from a giant clam shell at Paris fashion week earlier this year and belted out 'What the water gave me' for a well-heeled crowd. Chanel's subaquatic fantasy collection set the tone for many other designers.

Chanel's whimsical sea shell clutch SS12

Charlotte Dellal screams Hollywood siren, with her tongue-in-cheek approach to dressing in this clam shell fascinator

Gaga as a Mermaid on a magazine cover

Underwater life prints at Mary Katrantzou

Surfer clutch by Jimmy Choo

Disney's Ariel - the original Mermaid

Florence and the Machine performing at the magical Chanel show

Hermes fishtail braid

McQueen SS12

Versace SS12

Amazonian Angels

'Let's get lost tonight, you can be my black Kate Moss tonight' Kanye West belts out aptly as Chanel Iman saunters passed him, dressed as a bionic beauty. Where else would this happen than at this year's Victoria Secret show. The VS show is a multi-coloured multinational celebration of near-nakedness at its finest. Think Disney on Ice costumes and props meets the perfectly polished Miss World of fashion. It's become an American institution; one part fashion week, meets Hollywood and the Superbowl all rolled into one glorious larger than life parade. It is a huge commercial accolade to be dubbed a Victoria's Secret angel, not to be snubbed by the high fashion crowd. The Angels are now a perfect melange of Sports Illustrated, Playboy bunny and haute couture, the cross over between the different world's of modeling has become seamless, since Gisele hit the scene in the early noughties. Let's praise the day the worlds most smoking hotties come out to play dressed like birds of paradise, sex kittens and scantily clad modern-day superheroes. This year's extravaganza include performances from the likes of Nicki Minaj, Jay Z and Kanye West. Any place where you can find both Alessandra Ambrosio and Kanye hanging out together is fine by me! See below for some of my VS 2011 highlights. Victoria's Secret = The American Dream ideal of beauty, squeaky clean with a soupcon of sass. Long Live the Angels :)

Barbie X Bleach

Barbie gets bleached at the Dalston salon that pioneered the dip dye craze of the mid noughties. Barbie acted as the perfect guinea pig for new rainbow styles in this dream collaboration.

My Week with Marilyn

I could not wait to see this film, the reasons why are never ending. Firstly the period and subject matter make this a costume stalker's dream, secondly I think Michelle Williams is a hugely underrated talent, thridly Eddie Redmayne's beautiful face. Here at Carlo Manzi we provided some of the menswear and I fitted Dominic Cooper for his roll as a pushy and obnoxious New York agent who is bitter about Marilyn's closeness with Redmayne's character. Jill Taylor the costume designer did a wonderful job on the clothes, everything for Michelle Williams had to be made as they were exact replicas of well documented outfits Monroe herself wore in 1956. So it was a real visual treat. The story is totally predictable but it doensn't matter, it is perfect Sunday afternoon viewing - well acted, beautiful people in wonderful clothes, and I love a Biopic anyway!Requires no thinking at all and looks lovely, go see it now I urge you.