Best Dressed at the 2012 CFDA Awards
Getty

This year's CFDA awards had me particularly excited for two reasons. The first was the fact that Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were nominated for Best Womenswear Designer for The Row. The second was the fact that this year, for the first time, I voted for all the categories myself. So I feel like I had some part in making Ash and MK the big winners of the night.
The Olsens obviously chose to wear looks from The Row. They felt a bit more summery than they usually do, which probably has to do with the fact that they belong to their latest Cruise 2013 collection. I was also gladly surprised to see Mary-Kate has gone brunette again. I think it really suits her and it sure makes a lot of journalists' job much easier.
Joan Smalls accompanied Michael Kors in one of his designs. I loved the skirt cut and the sort of scalloped hem line. It was very much summer wear but extremely chic and Joan rocked it.
Hilary Rhoda, who has the most amazing eyes ever, went for a silk Rebecca Minkoff number. It was an unexpected choice for an event of this sort but I like the elegant yet slightly casual air of the dress. The colours and cut out details are super chic and they sure bring out her eyes.
No fashion event feels whole without Kate Bosworth so I was chuffed to find her amongst the attendees. She wore Altuzarra and was the designer's date. I was also super happy for Joseph Altuzarra, who won the Swarovski Awards for Womenswear. I, too, voted for him.

* Take a look at my blog for Harper's Bazaar Spain to see more of my favourite looks.

Best Dressed of the Weekend: Red, peplums & The Olsens
JustJared

It's always a good weekend when the Olsens are out in the open. This time they attended the Fresh Air Funds Salute to American Heroes in New York. They went for a kind of Ying and Yang look – Ashley in a ivory The Row dress with the ruffled detail at the front and Mary-Kate, also in The Row, in a black combo of silk shirt and skirt. I loved MK's (Fendi?)shoes and her choice of croc The Row bag.

Charlize Theron is currently on her press tour promoting Snow White and the Huntsman and Prometheus, which has turned out to be quite a treat. She's been choosing all the right dresses for the red carpet – especially her Dior in London – but also for travelling – here another of my favourites. Her latest hit, by Lanvin, was only last night at the MTV Movie Awards in LA. I loved the simple strapless red with the season's super trendy peplum.

I'm not sure anyone in the world hasn't heard about the Queen's Jubilee. I must admit I missed much of it but was happy to see that Kate Middleton – should I call her Duchess of Cambridge? – went not only for red, which was compulsory, but for McQueen again. The combination of the pleats in the skirt and the flat top was super chic and I liked the fact that, if very subtle, there was also some peplum action going on here.

Best Dressed of the Weekend: A double dose of Olsen-ness
JustJared

It seems like this weekend no one in Hollywood could stay indoors and so I have actually have to edit out my options of Best Dressed of the Weekend from quite a few options. I have been quite impressed with Elizabeth Banks' red carpet looks for her Hunger Games press tour. However, none of her looks were quite part of the weekend, alas...
Fortunately, both Ashley and her young sis Elizabeth were out this weekend, which more than made up for it. Ash, who we haven't seen a lot in the last few months, looked amazing in a very understated look with a black turtle neck jumper, a classic camel coat by The Row and Aquazzura heels.
Elizabeth Olsen has one of my favourite airport styles at the moment. Unlike most celebs she doesn't go for leather jackets and layers of black. I love her blue suede brogues, which she's been wearing quite a bit lately. The whole colour palette of her look is super chic and I am loving the cropped trousers that are just right.
And lastly, Diane Kruger at the reopening of the St. Regis Bal Harbour resort in Miami. Diane wore Jason Wu FW12, which was one of my favourite collections from NYFW. 

Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen cover the new ELLE UK
@LorraineELLE, JanniferELLEUK

Over the last week or so there has been so much talk on The Fashion Spot and on Twitter about the new covers of ELLE UK. Ever since we all found out that Mary-Kate and ( my wife to-be) Ashley Olsen were covering the April issue people were arguing whether they would each get a newstand cover and a subscribers one too, since they've become quite the 'thing' as they're pretty much the only fashion magazine worth buying in the UK these days.
Lorraine Candy and Jenny Dickinson too to Twitter to let everyone know that indeed both MK and Ash would get their respective newstand cover but the 'subs', as it's known, only featured Ashley. Now, don't take this as a complaint because if it was in my hands Ashley would get every magazine cover every month but wouldn't it have made more sense to have them both on the 'subs' cover?
In any case, even though I still haven't seen the Ashley newstand cover I am loving them both. I love the fact that they're wearing Prada and I can't wait to see the full editorials inside. I must also confess that this issue finally made me go ahead and subscribe to the magazine so I am looking forward to receiving my first 'subs' cover in about a month's time.

Know Wear

I already mentioned how much I enjoyed the PR Consulting press day a few weeks ago when I posted about Damir Doma and it's stunning chokers. One of the main reasons why enjoyed it so much is because they brought to London the SS12 collection of The Row. You know how big a fan of the Olsens and their work I am so I was ecstatic to be touching (amazing!) garments that might have been in close proximity to MK and Ashley.
Even though you could tell from the runway pictures that it was a very minimalistic mainly white-based collection you also guessed how exquisitely made everything was. Which is why it was so incredible to have a closer look at the collection. The cuts of the lighter pieces were both precise and delicately made and the embroidered pieces seemed like a herculean task for a human to achieve. The top, skirt and kaftan you can see on the top right picture were as heavy as they were amazing to look at. That's what wearing jewels all over your body must feel like.
I was also impressed by the accessories –the famous sold out crocodile bag and the more classic hand bags– particularly by the understated jewellery (very Ashley) and the sunglasses, after all that's what they know the most about!

TFS

I love the Olsens. In fact, I love them so much I would become a mormon so I could marry both. But you didn't need to know that, right?
I love their style almost as much –or is that part of the reason why I love them in the first place?– so I am thrilled to see them covering the latest special issue of Vogue Best Dressed.
I am loving the little Chantilly lace veils that sort of remind me of that great picture of them from a few years ago for Numéro Tokyo wearing the lacy Maison Michel bunny ears.
My only complaint about this cover is the fact that below their 'dynamic duos' section they've included Kate and Pippa Middleton. Seriously? What does dynamic duo even mean here? People move if they're alive so it's a good thing they're dynamic.

Also this week Net-a-Porter released their latest magazine featuring a special piece about The Row alongside a video where MK and Ashley explain what are the foundations of their brand and describe each other's style. They're just so cute and elegant and cool. Click here to watch the video.

Celebrity-Gossip-net, Style.com

Ever since the Olsens launched their high-fashion brand The Row I have been a huge follower. Not only because their clothes are exquisitely made but because, unlike many celebrity fashion lines, you can see their personality reflected on the clothes.

For SS12 they created this incredibly beautiful white-based collection with strong Oriental influences. It's like a sort of traveller who goes to live in Bali and combines her personal chic style with elements from the other culture.
This mini-trend, started a few months ago by Ashley herself and goes along the lines of their own new collection. It's basically a sort of beaded necklace/rosary worn across the top like the strap of a messenger bag. Ashley is such an influencer that it wasn't only on The Row catwalk that we saw this but also on Rebecca Taylor's, who showed it on several looks and in various colours.

Would you wear this trend?

JustJared, Style.com, Yoox.com

When I saw these pictures of Ashley Olsen leaving the Bowery Hotel in NYC yesterday I first thought Ash had rescued an old pair of Miu Miu FW10 pumps from her wardrobe. The black stilettos with the double bow and metallic square front looked, to me, like the edited version of what Miuccia put on the catwalk three seasons seasons ago.

After having a little look around the web I found out that Miu Miu is actually selling this new model –the bows are placed further back and their size has been reduced– as a classic pair from their new FW11 collection.

I like the idea of editing successful shoe designs and converting them into classics that are still on sale through the seasons. Something similar is happening to their popular platform brogues from SS11, which are being reinvented for the new season and will probably stay for a while.

Shop Miu Miu classics at Yoox.com

The fashion at the CFDA awards is never ad grand as that of the Met Ball but it's so interesting to see which American designers models and celebrities wear to the event. Last night we saw the usual pretty but plain Calvin Kleins and Michael Kors but also a handful of very stylish and even edgy looks made in America.

My two absolute favourites were Jessica Alba in a custom-made Diane von Furstemberg and Kristen Dunst in Patrick Ervell. I loved Jessica because the colours are very seasonal, the sort of pregnant take on the wrap dress represents the designer and the accessorising adds just the right amount of bling. And Dunst I loved because it was completely unexpected. We've seen so much Chanel with the hair down that we almost forgot what she's capable of. The matching of the nail polish colour and the velvet lapels was exquisite. I was also very keen on the (chavy?) detail of the loops. I can't say why but it works!

Second and third on my list are Miranda Kerr, who I used to hate, in Michael Kors and Karolina Kurkova in a green sequinned Diane von Furstemberg. They were both simple but the side-slit and golden cuffs on Kerr and the hood and Louboutins on Karolina really made them stand out.

The big disappointment of the night were the Olsens, mostly in The Row with a dash of Chanel, LV and Manolos. Ashley's granny look was messy and felt cheap and MK, the better of the two, got the colours and proportions wrong. The only good thing were they The Row bags, which were premiered then. A little Victoria Beckham, no?

[JustJared, Style.com]

I've been really uninspired to blog for the past couple of days. I suppose there is always something to post about but I couldn't be bothered. Still now, as I'm writing this, I couldn't think of many other things I'd like to write about.

However, I did want to share these pictures with you. I was going through Terry Richardson's diary and found these pretty recent shots of Mary-Kate and Ashley. Needless to say, I am in love with the picture at the top, which is already my laptop wallpaper. I don't know what it is about Terry's shots of people against a white background that makes everyone look so cool, no that the Olsens need any help being cool.

Also randomly surfing the web I came across this super cool armadillo handbag from Rokit. I'm not usually much into quirky fashion accessories but I love this bag. It seems perfect for the summer with some denim shorts and a basic tee. Also, it looks like the kind of thing MK would love to wear, no?

[Rokit, Terry Richardson]

When I first heard of Maison Michel a few months ago I couldn't believe the brand had been around for years and I didn't know about it. It was during the FW11 fashion weeks that I really started to notice a lot of fashion insiders like Elena Perminova wearing them. I loved the fact that the colourful fedoras were mostly just classic pieces with a twist introduced by some chiffon detailing and the M logo, which I had assumed stood for Missoni.

Their SS11 lookbook, shot by Karl Lagerfeld, has a lot of standout pieces like the headbands Bambi is wearing. My favourite, however, is the rain hood with Mickey Mouse ears and pearl detailing on the trimming. It reminds me a lot of the infamous mouse and bunny ears the Olsens (who else!) wore a while back.

The hats and headpieces are a little pricey but if you're keen you can get yours from Matches or Browns and soon from Net-a-Porter too. To have a look at the rest of their lookbook and past collections click here to go to their website.

[Style.com, Michel-Paris.com]

It is true that if you put Ashley Olsen in a pair of shabby pyjama bottoms and a tattered tank top I would probably still find her insanely attractive and stylish. Just as it's true that moments like this make me believe she's the one for me.

On her last outing in New York my favourite part of the Olsens wore a Jil Sander suit from the collection. She paired it with Chanel sandals and a breton striped t-shirt. As I've mentioned many times before Jil Sander's spring 11 line is on my top 5 of the season. So this perfect combination must mean we're destined for each other?

I love how Ashley wears the suit in such a casual way and how the fact that she's rolled up the trousers and blazer gives the impression that she's just grabbed something from her boyfriend's closet and ran out (I would be willing to share).

What do you think of Ashley's look?

[JustJared]

This post comes a day late, I know. But I couldn't ignore the opportunity to post this amazing picture of Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen at the CFDA party where this year's nominees where announced. The Olsens are nominated for the Swarovski Award for Womenswear (for The Row) alongside Joseph Altuzarra and Prabal Gurung. I would be surprised if they did even though they clearly deserve it because everything is pointing at Gurung, whose collections are a bit hit and miss if you ask me. My list of favourites for the awards is as follows: Womenswear designer -Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler, Menswear Designer -Michael Bastian, Accessory designer -Jack and Lazaro for Proenza (I love Reed Krakoff but the PS1 is a big hit!), Swarovski Award for menswear -Phillip Lim, Swarovski Award for accessory design -Eddie Borgo.

I am excited to see what MK and Ash wear to the actual awards, for which we'll have to wait until June 6th!! I love these The Row outfits (+ Ashley's Manolo's), which reminded me of Ashley's outfit for the 2008 awards. If this is how they dress for a party I can only begin to imagine what they'll done for the gala.

I'm off.

[Picture: Style.com]

The best Row

As I edited the pictures for this post I thought about Mary-Kate and Ashley's trajectory from teenage Tv superstars to style icons to fashion creative directors. They are, together with Victoria Beckham, the first celebrities to ever create collections that not only qualifies as high fashion but that reaches luxury standards. Just as Victoria's collection did two days ago, the Olsens' new line establishes them as rightful creative directors of young yet respected brands. It never ceases to amaze me how MK and Ashley manage to include their aesthetic in a way that becomes a language that whichever of their collections speaks fluently while allowing the clothes to bring something new to the season. For FW11 they have given into fur indulgence with over-the-top fox fur hats, jackets, gillets and estoles that contrast with the strong lines black tailoring and leather and with the ethereal laces and silk gauzes.

Also for FW11 The Row introduced their new collection of bags. All of them could easily fit into the twin's wardrobe easily as they clearly draw inspiration from their vintage pieces such as the Kellys, the 20's clutches and the velvet satchels. My other favourite are the black velvet and leopard printed loafers, which I hope they have included on the men's line.
I'm off.

PS. GG Fashion post coming later today.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Dress me, sisters

It's been a while since we last saw Ashley and Mary-Kate making a public appearance. This time they were out for the launch of Textile Elizabeth and James and their sister Elizabeth, whom I already warned you is a new style icon in the making, also made an appearance since she's half of her sisters' inspiration. I liked her outfit a lot. It was very simple but very much in line with the American Indie film circles, so she's at least looking the part. Also, you can see the Olsen touch in her flares. Ash and MK, well, they looked awesome. They both wore E&J trousers from the upcoming FW11 line, which they mixed up with some Balenciaga and The Row respectively. I can't get over Ashley's fox jumper and how super cool she looks in it when paired up with the khaki pants and the Balenciaga shoes...

I then had a look at what's left of Elizabeth and James over at Net-a-Porter as well as at the brand's SS11 look book. The fact is that everything looks like it could have easily been taken out either Ash or MK's wardrobe. In fact, we have seen Ashley wearing a ruched yellow skirt similar to the dress below before, or Mary-Kate in a rabbit-trimmed blazer and slingback wedges. For those of you trying to get some of the twin's iconic pieces for less this is kind of a no-brainer. Also, I really like their mens line. I can't wait to meet James Olsen. Maybe Ashley wants to just make it a surprise for our wedding...

I'm off.

[Pictures: JustJared.buzznet.com, Net-a-Porter.com, ElizabethandJames.us]

I've got the biggest Chanel bag!

Big (or huge) bags started becoming a trend many seasons ago. They spread out so quickly and efficiently they are now not only a must-have but pretty much an essential that's present in most women's accessories array. During this time there was a brand which stood out the most not only because of the amazing design but because of the astonishing size he gave the bags. Who else but Karl Lagerfeld would have first brought out a traveling-bag-size croc shopping back? And who else would've continued producing an even bigger patent leather tote and quilted oversized version of the iconic 2.55? I was surfing the web today and came across a picture of Ashlee Simpson carrying a humongous Chanel vintage bag, which reminded me of my friend Tala's (from MyFashDiary) and its older sisters carried by Ashley Olsen and Diane Kruger (for the brand's advert).

What are your thoughts on massive bags? Do you like something halfway or are you a clutch kind of girl?
I'm off.

[Pictures: MyFashDiary.com, theVogueDiaries.com, mary-kateandashleyimages.com]

Balenciaga déjà vu

I find it funny when the media often describes the Olsen's style as a "goth mass of black". They don't realise the twins care so little about everyone's opinion on their style that they simply throw on whatever they can find, add a fur coat and grab their respective shabby Kelly bags. If you look closely at those black outfits you'll recognise most of the pieces from days before when they wore virtually the same ensembles. And this below is the last proof of what I just mentioned. Last night, Ashley attended the Boutique.com party wearing the same Balenciaga FW10 look she'd donned about a month ago, sans the tights ladder.

As I mentioned when I saw this on Ashley for the first time, I love the fact that she wears different clothes from everyone else. The loose but structured fit looks excellent on her and the colour is bold but not loud. This got me thinking of which FW10 Balenciaga looks I'd like to see on Ashley this winter. I feel like the first one with the modern materials and panelling and the fur around the wait is very representative of what her style is all about, non?

I'm off.

[Pictures: Look.co.uk, Style.com]

Balenciaga & ladders

I am still not over the fact that the Olsens didn't make any official appearances during Paris Fashion Week. One of my favourite bits about the big shows of the last days of fashion month is getting to see the most stylish celebrities wearing clothes we won't see for another six months. However, Mary-Kate and Ashley were kind enough to don some impressive ensembles to shop around the French capital. This is one of those gems. Ashley slipped into some FW10 Balenciaga showing how Nicolas Ghesquière's high-tech mode is very easy to wear. She, of course, accessorised it with some the Olsen's signature black and fur pieces. She even got away with a peek-a-boo tight ladder. Not of the women I know would ever step out with one of those. They'd even prefer go out bare-legged.

Would you?

I'm off.

[Pictures: olsensanonymous.blogspot.com]

Sheer pleasure

I don't know about you but I have missed the Olsens during fashion month! They didn't use to go along with the fair but at least they showed up at some New York shows and there was always the big Chanel appearance. But we're getting none of that lately, which is odd because they had to be in Paris during fashion week to show their The Row collection. In any case, we will always have the classic paparazzi shops of them going shopping and popping into Starbucks. The latest of these has been Ashley's visit to Céline. The chicer part of the Olsens stepped out in a cropped mega fluffy fur coat which she paired up with a black sheer maxi skirt and leather leggings showing she's so fashion forward she already knew these skirts would make a hit for SS11.

Ash's take on the sheer maxi seems to be a practical way of mixing together different season's trends. SS11 offers many different options within two main categories: rock & roll and romantic. Houses like Givenchy took sheer to a new level by printing it with leopard while others like Rag & Bone and Alberta Ferreti used a soft palette or florals for a kind of urban boho look.
I also really liked the mixture of textures in Ashley's outfit and the good combination of the black, the blond fur and the gold of the jewellery. I had a look on Net-a-Porter to see which fur (fake and real) they're offering this season and cropped is definitely the way to go wether you are a fan of Fendi's luxury or Burberry's über-fluffy pieces.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Celebrity-Gossip.net, Style.com, Net-a-porter.com]

Net-a-Porter turns 10

I am not the biggest fan of promoting online retailers, products or contests just because I'm asked to but I felt this occasion was different. Net-a-Porter is celebrating its 10th birthday and we all should celebrate. It is thanks to them that a lot of people who are into fashion can get a hold of designer clothes, bags and shoes that aren't sold where they live. Their sales make that many more women happy every season and, soon, a lot of men will have the chance to start receiving those white boxes with black ribbon thanks to Mr. Porter. To celebrate their anniversary the company is asking fans around the globe to send in a photo of themselves in the most statement-making outfit in their wardrobe from the last 10 years with a sentence about why they love it for a chance to win one of ten iconic fashion pieces such as the Burberry trench, the PS1 bag and Miu Miu pumps. (See details below)

It took me a while to find an outfit that had marked the last 10 years in women's fashion. Suddenly I remembered how the black combo of leggings/skinny jeans, black top, blazer and classic pumps has been present in celebrity wardrobes all this time. It went from being the best chic and easy outfit to wear to events to becoming an every-day and airport look. The best thing about it is it can work in so many moments just by playing with the fabrics, textures and cuts. It might not make a statement per se but it is the outfit that, for me, has made the biggest impact in how women dress these days.

All photos need to be emailed to tenyears@net-a-porter.com by midnight, July 6th. The shortlist will be displayed on NET-A-PORTER’s Facebook page and the winner will be announced on July 7th. Your readers can become a fan of NET-A-PORTER on Facebook.
Have you had a statement-making outfit? Do you still wear it?
I'm off.

[Sources: Net-a-Porter.com, JustJared.buzznet.com, Mary-KateandAshleyimages.com. Picture editing: Iñaki]