Antonio Berardi SS13: The reinvention of the peplum
Style.com

I wish I could start my day ever Monday with a fashion show. It gets you in such a great excited mood. And if the show is as good as the Antonio Berardi one I attended today it can even give you energy for the rest of the day.

The designer held his SS13 show on the 3rd floor of a car park in Soho full of light, something we are not used to in London. The first part of the collection was full of strong sinuous lines. The silhouettes of dropped waists and loose tops nodded to the 20's and yet the super short asymmetric skirts in mesh layered over contrast tube mini skirts were so modern. As the looks continued to come down the runway the waistlines continued to rise proposing flowing oversized peplums instead of skirts also worn over tighter tube minis in bold hues and leopard prints. The tailoring and its architectural shapes followed with a game of intrigue. I could not quite figure out which piece was what, which I loved.

The last part of the collection was what you would call quintessentially Berardi. His sequin coat of armour covered the gowns and cocktail numbers in glimmering shades of turquoise, pink and pale yellow. The evening looks, which started out figure-hugging, soon gave way to the flowing silks and chiffons also decorated with their Berardi sequins.

Click on read more below to see more looks from the show.

Lizzy Olsen, Rosie HW & Diane kill it at the Vanity Fair party
JustJared

Every year after the Oscars I go to bed happy that my post is ready to go for a few hours later (I went to bed at 7am this morning) not realising that I will wake up in the middle of the day to an endless list of all the celebrities that attend the after parties. It would be pointless for me to try and choose all the ones that I liked because, truth to be told, everyone has really made an effort this year!

I really missed Elizabeth Olsen and Diane Kruger on the red carpet. Lizzy should have totally been nominated for her role in 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' and she would have given us one of those moments like Zoe Saldana in Givenchy that we will never forget. Instead, she looked exquisitely chic in Christian Dior at the Vanity Fair party. Diane Kruger I missed only because of her fashion sense. The woman has this ability to wear anything and look like it's been custom made by Coco Chanel herself. I was pleasantly surprised by her party look – a sexy Calvin Klein Collection number. This is a bit unlike her, which is why it works. The lace on the top makes the dress and adds a sexy edge that kind of reminds me of Julia Restoin-Roitfeld.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley continues to look incredible, this time in (J'adore!) a spring Antonio Berardi dress that does all the right things to her body. I always love Rosie in red!

Best Dressed of the Weekend: No one beats Viviana
JustJared, LeeOliveira.com 

Since the Oscars are tonight and it is only obvious that I will be devoting my Monday posts to the best gowns that walk the red carpet in LA I thought I'd move the Best Dressed of the Week to today. It wouldn't be fair not to talk about these four looks.

My absolute favourite this week is Viviana Volpicella. Every Milan Fashion Week I know that she will not disappoint. It looks like she is already thinking of spring so Viviana went for a head-to-toe MSGM floral ensemble of mismatched prints masterly combined and accessorised with black pumps and one of Sara Battaglia's signature bags.

The Spirit Awards that took place last night also delivered a few jewels that have only got me more excited about tonight. Elizabeth Olsen killed it once more in an exquisite Antonio Berardi number – a combo that makes me very happy! Shailene Woodley also went for a British designer with a Christopher Kane bejewelled top. The genius in this was letting the top be the protagonist. And I loved the golden-tip Loubs, a great touch. Zoe Saldana went for a more relaxed look in a Balmain mini-dress that she made look completely effortless and über-sexy. And I loved the neutral shoes with a killer platform.

Best Dressed at the 2012 ELLE Style Awards
Getty

Madonna wears Antonio Berardi on her new album cover
Courtesy of Antonio Berardi, Courtesy of Miu Miu, PerezHilton

I'm sure many of you are among the 111.3 million people who watched the Superbowl on Sunday night, I know I am. I had never done it before and if I stay up for the Oscars every year why not try this?

I must admit I was curious to see what Madonna would do for the halftime show as it's such a big deal and it was her 'MDNA' debut. While I found the performance a little disappointing (was she even singing live?) I have to say the staging and the visuals were incredible. As was, of course, the fashion. Madonna wore Givenchy Couture, which she accessorised with a pair of custom made Miu Miu boots. Impressive, no?

My favourite of fashion, though, is the amazing red Antonio Berardi she wears on the cover of the new album. It's super sexy, strong and a tad futuristic, which seems to work great with the artwork of the cover. I am really loving all the celebrity Berardi looks we've got so far! I wonder if anyone will wear my favourite look from the SS12 collection!

Best Dressed of the Weekend: Kate brightens up Sundance
JustJared, Celebrity-Gossip, Courtesy of Stella McCartney

It seems like I've finally managed to (kind of) catch up with most things over the weekend so I am back to my classic Monday post.

I never thought I'd see JLo back on this list after the last time but I love her laid-back look. The distressed jeans, relaxed neutral knit and headband make her look super fresh and really pretty. I really liked how she accessorised the look, especially the leather and croc ankle boots. I want to see more of this.

Eva Mendes has always been too hit-and-miss for me but lately (ever since my older lost brother Ryan Gosling started dating her) she is looking a lot chicer. This late 50's look suits her so well. I love the colour palette and and mix of textures. And those degradé shades add just the perfect touch.

My favourite this week in Kate Bosworth in SS12 Antonio Berardi. She rocked the sexy red number with very simple hair and make up, a silver clutch and matching red shoes, which I actually love here. Sundance has just started and I am hoping for many more moments like this.

Kirsten Dust and Stella McCartney are always a recipe for success. Kirsten wore this SS12 look (how amazing are the brocade cropped trousers!) to Rodarte's dinner at Chateau Marmont last week. I wouldn't say yellow is usually the easier colour for a blonde to pull of but Dunst looked radiant. That's style for you.

Best Dressed of the Weekend: Salmon & Purple
JustJared

This has been a great weekend for celebrity style because of the different galas, awards and premieres taking place in the States.
My absolute winner this week is Charlize Theron in Lanvin. I adore this LBD of very simple lines and how the slight volume of the shoulders and the cut-out detail a la side-slit make it super modernand terribly chic. It was a perfect choice for Theron's style.
Nicole Richie in Antonio Berardi is one of the best looks I have seen her in over the last few years. The powder pink palette really complements her skin tone and hair and I love the fact that she's not wearing a dress but it feels super dressed up but it still has that touch of rock and roll. And I loved the rings!
Mila Kunis in Prabal Gurung was obviously a hit. She has such great flair and her attitude and Prabal's SS12 collection seem to go well together. Plus, you know how much I loved every single piece. It's so nice to see one of he simpler ones out and about.
It seems like it's a double hit this week for London designers. Emily Blunt looked stunning in a salmon Marios Schwab dress. He is another of my favourite designers and I just love how a simple silhouette can become so modern, different and chic.

Lana del Rey wears Antonio Berardi in her 'Born to Die' video
Courtesy of The Communications Store

You must have been living under a rock not to have heard of Lana del Rey. I don't know where she came from but her first single 'Video Games' literally took the world by storm. I first found out about her when I watched her perform the song at 'Live with Jools Holland' two or three months ago. I was just as much in awe of her voice as I was of her style. There is something about her that makes clothes special, a sort of exquisite vintage feel that looks incredibly current and modern.
The video for her second single 'Born to Die' was released yesterday and I have watched it 4 or 5 times since last night. The photography is unbelivable. I love the symmetry of the Parisian palace where the video was shot and I love Lana's beautiful Antonio Berardi SS11 dress. Berardi is such a great choice for her because it's all about incredible elegant subtle designs. I really really hope we get to see her in one of the long-sleeved embroidered pale pink numbers from the SS12 collection!
You can watch the 'Born to Die' video below. Remember to turn the HD on, it's SO worth it!

Courtesy of The Communications Store

Last friday Jen Brill and Lauren Santo Domingo hosted a lunch at The Caprice in New York to honour Antonio Berardi. They brought out some of the coolest faces in town –Derek Blasberg, Giovanna Battaglia, Hayley Bloomingdale, Leigh Lezark, Nina Garcia, Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou and Imran Amed among others were all there.
What I love the most about this event is the fact that the guests were served fish and chips, which they washed down with Peroni beer. And I love that because Berardi is all about the marriage of his Italian roots with his British influences from Saville Row.
Antonio Berardi continues his long standing partnership with style brand Peroni Nastro Azzurro. They have collaborated in the past on many successful initiatives in the past such as Valigia Peroni and continue to support his catwalk shows.
I had a chance to take a closer look at his SS12 collection at the TCS press day last week and I was amazed by the shapes. They're not the kind of ostentatious dresses with feathers and embellishment that catch your attention. It's the shapes that seem so complicated in the flesh. Click here to see the pictures.

It seems like Miu Miu set the trend to take inspiration from comic books to dress for the new season. But it's not only them that have found a modern and sexy approach to it. Looking through what online shopping has to offer for SS11 it seems only evident that leather is king, whether on shoes, skirts or dresses, and that a big part of the clothes are looking to find a sexy way around comfy clothes. With big superhero films coming up in the next few months I wanted to have a look at what fashionable heroines should be wearing for Spring.

Clockwise from top right: Dion Lee pleated chiffon dress, Giuseppe Zanotti sandals, Miu Miu skirt, Versace cutout sandals, Christian Louboutin peep toe shoes,  Acne wedge boots, Chloé leather dress, Antonio Berardi dress, Camilla Skovgaard platform sandals.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Net-a-Porter, Vogue.fr, rantchick.com, popculture4fun.com]

Bring on LFW

With fashion month approaching I can't but start getting excited. Especially about the SS11 shows that will take place in London. I always enjoy LFW because everything feels so fresh and different from any other fashion week. These are the designers that surprised me the most or that I simply loved last season and whose spring lines I can't wait to see. Who are you dying to see?

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

London Highlights

London fashion week seemed like a reaction to NYFW. New York was pleasing and the renowned names delivered but American fashion tends to be rather homogeneous. London is anything but. For FW10 many designers chose to morph their signature styles into unaccustomed looks that resulted in very a refreshing variety (Note how Matthew Williamson refrained from making glitzy garments). soVIPzone's favourites (Antonio Berardi, Marios Schwab and Christopher Kane) were far from disappointing. My legs still wobble at the sinuous lines of Schwab and Giulia is still gasping for air after Berardi's peek-a-boo lace and Kane's embroidered leather. Peter Pilotto surprised me, there is something commercial yet fascinating about his clothes and the way he uses fabric. I was baffled by how much I enjoyed Holly Fulton's pop-art-deco prints. I'm not a big graphic print fan, you see. Who were your favourites?

[Pictures: Style.com]

I'm off.