Armani loves Megan Fox

Megan Fox has had a quick rise in the world of fashion. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that she has that wild beauty kind of thing that also made Angelina a world icon (and even very similar back tattoos). But Fox's biggest fan seems to be Giorgio Armani. He first chose her as the face of Armani underwear, a role that she's now retaking for the new season alongside Rafa Nadal, but she has also become the face of Armani Jeans and now of Armani Code Sport, the latest fragrance from the Italian emperor. The lovely people from Armani have sent me some exclusive shots of the new campaign, launching this month, and I daresay I like Fox in these more than I liked Anja Rubik. She looks so polished but that look and the tattoos kind of give her an edge that I really love. The pictures also feel very contemporary and I somehow see an Asian twang in them, which is, of course, molto Armani.

What do you think of the campaign? Do you see Megan fox as a style icon?
I'm off.

[Pictures: Courtesy or Armani]

Designer Dreams (and hotels)

We are pretty much in holiday season and that means a lot of planning to do: who's coming, which company to fly, what to wear and, most importantly, where to stay. Now, I know this is not e very realistic post but I had a look at some of the hotels and resorts around the world entirely designed by famous fashion houses and their creative directors. This current brand-driven world we live in has given cause for many of the well known fashion houses to translate their vision into luxurious urban hotels and exclusive resorts in exotic destinations. We have chosen our favourite five, all completely (Italian, duh) different from each other but each perfect for a different type of fashionista in need of a stylish holiday.

The Bulgari Resort in Bali is exactly my kind of place. I love that sense of feeling stranded and being far away from any remotely westernised city. This complex of Italian/Balinese style hangs 150m over the see on a cliff, which gives its main pool and 59 villas absolutely breath-taking views. Every villa has its own private courtyard garden and a dining lounge but food is also served in the two pool-side restaurants. A lift connects the complex on the cliff with the private beach club downstairs and guests can enjoy the beauty salon and fitness centre at the spa. One single 1300sq-meter 3-bedroom villa with its own built-in bar, dining and living area, swimming pool and full service quarters. And I don't know why but it looks like the kind of place where one should wear loads of Bottega Veneta, no?

If I'm not mistaken, Palazzo Versace is the oldest all five hotels in this post. It's located just outside Brisbane, in the Golden Coast of Australia. Even without the bright medusa and green motif mosaic at the front door it is undeniable that everything about this place is 100% Versace. Now, all the gold and turquoise and blinding-white may seem a little overwhelming were it not for the immense windows that surround the main building and its beautiful view over the pools and the sea. The furniture is obviously all by the fashion house, which has added its own boutique to the hotel so guests can literally blend into the deco. The three restaurants, spa and fitness studio give the final touch to what looks like the most old-school glamourous experience one could get these days.

Moschino's hotel in Milan has a much more relaxed atmosphere than the ones before. Different bold designs can be found in every corner; from the massive tea cup as a coffee table to the hanging-dress headboards or a wolf put to bed ready to eat you every single thing adds up to the modern but elegant dreamy feel of the hotel, which they describe as "where the ordinary world is described with a stroke of surrealism". The building is also pretty much around the corner from Corso Como and Corso Garibaldi and it includes, of course, a spa and a restaurant, 'Clandestino.Milano'.

I would've never expected to find a Missoni hotel in Edinburgh, but it was a pleasant surprise. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe coming up in August is the best occasion to treat yourself to an amazing dose of the ever-famous colourful stripes and triangles (towels and bathrobes, hello?) in a very urban interpretation of Italian style. The hotel, situated on the popular Royal Mile, provides all its guests with in-room Nespresso machines and contains two restaurants and a trendy cocktail bar. With my best friend directing a play at the festival I have the perfect excuse to see first-hand what Rosita Missoni has been up to in Scotland.

And, of course, there had to be one in Dubai. Armani has chosen the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, to hold his first hotel. It includes 166 guest-rooms and 144 Armani residences as well as 5 restaurants, an ARMANI/Privé nightclub, a private member's club (ARMANI/Club) and an Armani/Spa. All stylishly furnished by ARMANI/Casa's minimalistic ways. The complex also offers, of course, Armani/Dolci, Armani/Fiori and Armani/Galleria so guests can decorate their rooms or take a little bit of Dubaian Armani with them.

Which one would you die to go to?
I'm off.

[Pictures: hotel websites and Style.com]

week's HIGHLIGHTS

It's been a nice week y'all. I have finally had an uneventful, still and quiet week. Thank God.

I have this compulsive disorder which consists on me saving all the images I like when I surf the net. I only keep the more recent ones —that's to say, the ones from the last 6-10 months— but even if I make a deleting session every once in a while, the current collection is made up by some 10.300 pictures of catwalk shots, celebrity candids and other various sorts of crap. I couldn't live without it, though, as there's nothing more amusing than wasting away hours and hours of my life watching and re-watching all these images. And that's exactly how I got to the conclusion that I wanted to make a week's highlights this lovely sunday morning.

The week kicked off quite spectacularly with Cannes festival and a radiant Cate Blanchett fresh out of the Olympus in a wonderfully layered Armani Privé that went perfect with her skin-tone. Later in the festival (yesterday) Penélope Cruz arrived in the exclusive festival to promote her Woody Allen film in a quite simple dress of a a beautiful shade of blue with the most fantastic delicate details in wine velvet. Matching shoes.

Cannes also means Brad Pitt tosses out his dreadful ordinary clothing (I guess he thinks scruffy is synonym for masculine) and gets into his custom made Tom Ford suit and an amazing piece of the most brand-new eyewear. Of course, Mr. Pitt goes nowhere without Mrs. Pitt. Angelina has now mastered the art of being pregnant and dressing as a deliciously chic (yet wildly sexy) mom-to-be.

The last entertainment of the week has been the launch of some Cruise 2009 collections. I have to say, I find Cruise such a bore, but I can't ignore it. De la Renta used some nice über-bright colours and his usual silhouettes and cuts. It was all very summery, elegant and feminine; but blah.

Fendi didn't do the runway and simply took photos of the models in one of their stores. While the clothes are not very Fendi-like, I liked the simplicity of them. I did find them very resort, a bit Alexander Wang S/S'08, but booooring.

Christian Dior presented a collection with too much going on, which doesn't strike as surprising coming from Galliano. It was very old Hollywood glamour if the hills were in Mexico. Folk, loads of bold colours and flowers.

Chanel had the longest (or maybe it was me) Resort collection ever and, while I cannot speak ill of Herr Lagerfeld, it was not amazing. Plenty of pretty, well-crafted dresses. I am into that kind of hippy-star-goes-to-rehab look (specially on Sasha) but it was otherwise just amusing. I did love Diane Kruger in a lovely dark blue mini dress and a straw hat.

[Picture credits: JustJared & Style.com]

I'm off.

be my HERO

Like everything you bite your nails waiting for, this year's Costume Institute gala at the MET left me quite disappointed. Just like when you walk out of a well-named restaurant feeling full yet unsatisfied. I can't say whether my disappointment is caused by the lack of originality or risk choosing gowns or by the very few attendants who actually took into consideration the gala's theme —Superheroes.

Only my darling Anna Wintour and fashion-sprout Christina Ricci were able to bring together the theme yet pull of an extremely glamorous look at once. The boss of bosses in a Chanel Haute Couture words cannot manage to describe; the latter, in a wonderful Givenchy loaded with gauze, showing a heart through. Just magnificent.

However, it can not be said there was nothing that caught the eye. I believe the best way of giving the Superhero theme a go was by including loads of crazy colours in your outfit, no matter how you did it. Kate Bosworth did it with sequins made in Chanel HC, models Coco Rocha and Anja Rubik did colour trusting one of its masters —Pucci, and Zac Posen and Co. ruled the night in the brightest shades of blue and yellow.

Additionally, I am particular fond of these three picks. I was literally astonished when I first came to see Katie Holme's Armani utterly packed with red sequins and coped with blinding-blue Louboutins. A crazy choice, perhaps, but one that I adore. To her right is GG's latest addition, Michelle Trachtemberg, in a very rich version of a greek goddess by YSL. Not so much Superhero-ish, but beautiful all the same. Last in the picture is designer Max Azria, a gentleman I now admire for this obvious but unconventional way of proving how easy it was to stick to the theme of the event.

I was particularly happy to find several very elegant-looking gentlemen who put their trust on those who master the art of suits and tuxedos to dress them that night. They are Marcus Wainwright and David Neville (from Rag & Bone) in "themselves", Jason Lewis in Dolce & Gabbana, Chace Crawford in Calvin Klein Collection, and Steve Colb in a grey suit whose designer I long to know.

Last, the biggest disappointments of the night. First, the Olsens. Ashley and Mary-Kate managed to look good in their Diane von Furstemberg's but due to the high standards they've set for themselves, we can't but be completely bored. And, seriously, why is it that Ash looks like a sexy grown-up woman while MK looks like a haggard goblin!?! On second place, another disappointment was Ms. Rachel Bilson who not only got it terribly wrong with the gown but also with the hair. What a mess! That Calvin Klein looks like a hybrid between a mermaid costume and a Michael Phelps swimsuit.

- Your thoughts?

[Picture credits: JustJared, Style.com and GossipGirls]

I'm off.

PS. Comments will be answered shortly. I am loaded with work!! AH!!

style HERO

Yeah, his face does look familiar. Whether you're the romantic comedy lover or the sci-fi action freak, you do know his face. Milo Ventimiglia has gone from scruffy-looking trouble maker into literature to supernatural hero fighting to save the world (and the cheerleader) but the truth is he now is a 30-year-old man in whose eyes you can read charmer in italics. Apparently GQ's icon-finders have been able to read this too and so Milo is the centre of the magazine's latest fashion editorial: "Killer Khakis" shot by Nathaniel Goldberg. Have a look.

Picture above: Armani Collezioni

suit and the Blinde sunglasses

Ralph Lauren Black Label combo (suit, shirt and tie)

Suit and shirt by Calvin Klein Collection

Suit and shirt by Prada

I don't have the least idea of how he likes a suit cut, but this samples are pretty sweet. Now, ladies, how do you like us dressed, in a gentleman-y suit or in jeans? What about you, gents, how do you like yourselves better?

[Picture credit: GQ, Men.Style.com]

I'm off.

trendy GARDENS

I have finally chosen. It has taken me a while to make a decision on which of this season's trends was my favourite, but I have decided. As much spots, stripes and stars as can now be found in most of the top brands, it's the flower prints which I find most beautiful and innovative. It might come as a surprise to call florals new, but they are. Ever since the Victorian time, when they were, in my opinion, at their best, flowers have appeared in many shapes, colours and interpretations printed in gowns, shirts and all sorts of garments. As unimaginative as florals could be thought for the Spring, the new season brings them back with a range of fabrics and colours to choose from. There will only be an outcome, thought; looking freshly chic.

Stella McCartney is, for me, the designer to accomplish the best flower prints. Classic flowers in red, blue, green, yellow are stamped on delicious pieces of flowy chiffon, some with ruffles on the top, some pleated. They even show in the form of jumpsuits, a clear constant in Spring/Summer 2008. McCartney achieves very fresh and relaxed looks via simplicity, her always present motto.

If I had ever tried to imagine how a flowery collection would be with Roberto Cavalli in charge, this would not have been the result in my mind at all. Cavalli remembers everyone of his designing skills with one of the hippiest colletions of all. Flowers appear motly on chiffon and silk as the Italian designer plays with different sizes and colour combinations. Everything flows remembering those looking of the beauty and freshness of women.

Armani proposes a more controlled use of this prints, including them in small dosis on his famous black evening gowns and elegant simplistic tops. Chiffon is again a winner together with silk. Armani gives the feeling of a fully printed dress by using the flowers stems, enlongating the woman's body.

Much has been said about Ralph Lauren collection. The master surprised the audience with a compilation of memorabilia, creating clothing inspired on his favourite things of all times. Flowers are obviously present, since Lauren himself is a big admiror of Victorian times. Gowns in taffeta and chiffon are beautifully layered with lines of subtle ruffles printed with the smallest flowers.

Balenciaga's genious journey through experimenting gave life to a series of highly interesting flowery  armour-like dresses and two-pieces which cannot go unnoticed under the radar. Nicolas Ghesquière has not created a collection for the streets but not a sould could argue that he's done a magnificent work full of groundbraking proposals.

I'm happy to have come across Wunderkind in my process through S/S collections. The brand masterly combines patterns, prints and materials making it look a piece of cake. Flowers have an obvious appereance in a few gowns in pale colours, however, they're omnipresent on the decorated edges of jackets and coats. Wolfgang Joop, the designer, describes his work as seventies bohemianism.

Last, but not least, a more modern and graphic perspective on florals. Frida Giannini keeps walking the same line she followed for last winter and cruise's collections to perform a change on florals. This time they're bigger and black, white and yellow, as most of the rest of the collection. Personally, it's not my taste but I can't deny it's interesting in the least.

[Credit photos: Style.com]

I'm off.

OH Jessica!

First of, I'd like to apologize for the lack of updates lately. I have been going crazy moving back to Barcelona, I never imagined unpacking could be such a nightmare. I'm settled back down here for at least six months, so your coolness source is once again back to regular business.

This just made me incredibly happy! Jessica Alba playing it stylish as ever on this month's ELLE issue. Can you imagine an ELLE without Keira? I'm glad she's vanished for at least one cover. Jessica is the best substitute they could possibly find. The pictures obviously have a few months (no noticeable belly) but who cares about that? I find the shoot a little poor, but ELLE rarely has outstanding photography. The styling shines more than anything except Alba, specially two of the looks. First, a t-shirt by Dolce & Gabbana combined with a beautiful linen and silk skirt by Brian Reyes. The chain belt by Lanvin and the studded belt by Streets Ahead give the final and perfect touch to the look. Wondering what to wear to look perfect all-day-long? There you go. Now, for the second look I really enjoyed the fact that their choice was a rock-n-roll outfit just they way I love it on women. In my book, there aren't a lot of sexier manières of dressing a woman. Gucci signs the tags for the gorgeous python jacket, the silk and cotton pants and the patent leather boots I included in one of my Christmas specials. Perfection comes to an end with the sequin hooded sleeveless tank top by master Emporio Armani and the rings by Cartier. That's the picture perfect of my ideal woman. So I'll keep dreaming.

[Credit photos & info: JustJared and Elle.com]

I'm off.

DECK yourself with glamy goodies

December has already joined the party and that means that the Holidays —my favourite ones, I must say— are getting closer. Endless events and get-togethers will take place then, and why not using them to show off your beloved accessories of the season? In addition to a time of joy and lack of work activities, this must be the moment to get on those trendy pumps you've barely used so far or to dress your neck with the ridiculously expensive necklace you couldn't help buying.

I have put together a list of my preferred items for this time of the year. Christmas is a different moment and, therefore, it deserves special accessorizing.

For me, there is no elegant event without some Armani around. Girogio Armani has the richest shoes, clutches and jewlery.

Your feet deserve a treat, and what other could that be besides Christian Louboutin?

Gucci masters black and has a bit of an Italian-casual breeze of air that always matches your dresses.

If you prefer to be the most fashion-daring of the party, go McQueen. It screams rich, daring and confident.

Try out some Salvatore Ferragamo with those jeans you reserve for comfortable special occasions.

There is a reason you always have some Ralph Lauren in your wardrobe, now is the time to show them around.

Balenciaga shouldn't miss a party, it's the protagonist of the season!

There's never a party without a glimpse of Chanel, they're broad accessory selection makes it just right for tonight's gathering.

You have Marc Jacobs in your heart, why not on yourself too?

Go beyond and wear Burberry Prorsum's item of the season.

For a bit quieter selection of items take a look at these:

Stella McCartney

Oscar de la Renta

Bottega Veneta

Giuseppe Zanotti

Tod's

Roberto Cavalli

[Credit Photos: style.com, eluxury.com and designer's webpages]

I'm off.