Future trend: Colour-block & panelled Furs
Leeoliveira.com, Getty, Style.com

Sometimes we don't give Anna the credit she deserves as a trend-setter. I can't say for sure but it looks to me like as soon as she ordered her Céline FW11 fur coat about a year ago word went around and some of the top designers decided to add some of the new colour-blocking panelled fur to their FW12 collections.

Apart from London, we have seen pieces like these in all the other cities. In New York from The Row – the one I think Anna will be wearing next year. In Milan from Fendi, which looked a bit bolder but could work for Anna with an edited version. And in Paris a new version from Céline (I love the navy sleeves), a red-hot cropped jacket with a trail from Givenchy, and a bambi-inspired super chic coat from fur-master Révillon.

Which one will Anna Wintour be wearing for FW12?

Style.com

Best Dressed of the Weekend: BAFTAs & Grammys Edition
Courtesy of Giorgio Armani and Givenchy, JustJared

Better late than never, right? I have been away for the weekend and travelling back to London today and this post was at the top of my to-do list. Let's put wi-fi on all British trains soon, shall we? It has been a great weekend in terms of style. Both the BAFTAs and the Grammys took place last night. Despite it being a sad day because our dear Whitney passed away both ceremonies carried on (show must go on and all that) and delivered excellent moments on the red carpet.
Adele was the absolute winner of the night at the Grammys. Not only she won 6 of the best awards (woopey!) but she looked absolutely incredible in a Giorgio Armani gown. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this. The subtle details of the dress – dark embellished crystals in a kaleidoscopic patters, a black belt at the waist and a chiffon layer – were exactly what she needed. That, added to the stunning hair and make up really took me back to the times of old Hollywood glamour. She also looked a lot slimmer and radiant. And she slipped into a similarly amazing Burberry Prorsum gown for the rest of the night. She must feel on top of the world today!
Also in Giorgio Armani was the second best dressed at the Grammys. Rihanna, in her new sloppy-dyed blonde hairdo, looked absolutely ravishing in her black dress. The deep V neckline and slit created a really interested symmetry and I loved her gold accessories. But the best, I must say, were her eyes – that eye make up is a winner!

The BAFTAs always tend to be a bit more quiet fashion-wise. They're always quite close to the Oscars and I guess neither nominees nor designers want to make too much noise and keep the WOW-moments for later in the month. And yet we still had a few amazing moments.
First on my list is Christina Ricci in Givenchy Haute Couture. It's hard with all-gold gowns because you can go either way. Luckily, this number had been in the more than capable hands of Riccardo Tisci, who  created the half ruffled half gathered detail at the waist that made the dress a winner. I am so glad to see her back in the scene and doing so well.
Almost neck and neck with Ricci is Tilda Swinton who once again stood out from the crowd. This time in a white Céline dress. I have been missing this brand on the red carpet for months. Hopefully, Phoebe Philo will be able to get back to business once she pops her perfect offspring off. Tilda's look was, as always, very slick with a je-ne-sais-quoi going on. She also had awesome hair. If I were I woman I'd like my hair to look like that.

FashionGoneRogue

I feel really happy about so many of the covers that have come out for October and November so far. I already posted a few days ago about my October favourites and, though we haven't yet seen all of November's I can already saw it's going to be a good month. Check out Coco's Tea Party's post on what the big British titles have done.
You know I have favourites when it comes to magazines but I have no problem admitting that some of the ones I wouldn't normally buy do get it right every so often like it happened with the last Dazed & Confused and AnOther.

Arizona Muse, shot by Alasdair McLellan, covers the latest issue of Self Service and I must admit I am loving it! The styling, by Suzanne Koller as per usual, is simple but it works so well. I love the Céline (?) leopard coat with the slim leather lapels over the black turtle neck jumper. And I love the hair and make up even more. The pin on the side of the hair and the fluffy top have a very childish fun air but then the strong cat-eye make up adds an edge. I probably won't buy the magazine but, boy, isn't this double cover nice to look at!

I know bold prints —Jil Sander, Stella McCartney, Céline and the lot— are pretty much old news. But the fact is that I am currently very much inspired by them. Not only they match my jolly summer mood (despite London's temperamental weather) but they look über-cool when carefully combined with other prints.

As a man, I have to be even more careful with my print combinations but you ladies are so lucky to be able to go a lot crazier. I am loving stripes and flower prints at the moment, especially if the florals are a bit funky and look quite collage-y.

Which prints will you be wearing this summer?

I have commented on this over the last week but how boringly long has Cannes been this year? It is my favourite film festival but ten days is five days too long. However, it did end in style. After a few appearances in very disappointing outfits Kristen Dunst finally picked a winning Chanel gown. Her mustard Chloé was cute enough and the Chanel she wore to the amfAR gala was almost a hit while her Rodarte was a big fat mess. So I'm glad she went for this Haute Couture number, which I didn't love on the runway but looks so chic on her.

Rachel Zoe looks as if she was never pregnant. She's back to her signature all-black look, fedora included. I can't think of a cooler mum to have and I simply can't wait for a special magazine spread of her and Skyler Morrison both in Couture Chanel.

The last lady on the list is Jessica Simpson. I have said a lot of really horrible things about her style in the past but I can be objective. She went shopping in New York City this weekend wearing one of the very popular printed Céline from the Spring collection. She's the second really unexpected celebrity to wear it after, of course, Kanye's Coachella moment. And I loved that she paired it with flared jeans because they suit her so well!

[JustJared, Celebrity-Gossip]

Baby, you can drive my car

Céline is one of my favourite brands of the last few seasons. Ever since Phoebe Philo stepped in as creative director I find it intensely alluring. For fw11 minimalism acquires a certain 70's air. Philo says she was inspired by cars interiors (I love the wood prints) and you can see it in the precise but dynamic straight lines that she has used in her tailoring. Two of the most stand-out pieces of the collection have got to be the bright orange coat, which had a certain rawness to it, and the tri-colour fur coat —one of the best fur proposals from the season. I liked the sort of sportswear air to the more rigid pieces like the tailored trousers or the shirts and I found the colour palette very interesting, as some of the colours didn't appear more than once or twice. Is this the birth of aerodynamic chic?

And Phoebe is just so... Céline. She's so chic and minimal and, well, British. What else can I say?

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Céline Pre-Fall 2011

I often try to refrain not only from posting but also from saving or even looking at the pictures of the infamous "in-between" seasons. Sometimes, extremely talented people like Karl Lagerfeld create collections like his last Cruise one, which make me have to swallow my words. Cases like the Kaiser's are rare, though. We are currently in that time of the year when Pre-Fall collections keep coming out. I haven't really had a look at any in particular but I knew Céline deserved some of my time. Phoebe Philo has managed the imaginable —to create an exciting line for Pre-Fall. I particularly love how she has combined traditional materials like tweed and wool with other more modern ones like PVC. She's done so in a manner that makes me think of Balenciaga and the innovations that Ghesquière introduces there. and then there's also something almost Prada-esque. And it's not only because of the fox tails but because Philo, just like Miuccia, seems to understand how a designer can push the boundaries without risking wearability. I'm really hoping Viviana Volpicella and Aurora Sansone will be sporting some of these pieces in February for fashion month.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Celebrity Summer Essentials

Every new season we make predictions of what the biggest accessory hits will be based on what we like best. As the season comes nearer we start seeing some of them on our favourite fashionistas and it's then celebrities who take the lead showing what they want better. Some of them, the more stylish, opt for classics or designer staples they can reuse. Others rush to purchase the really bang-on trend ones.
Glastonbury started a few days ago and we've already seen Alexa Chung, who's dressing better than ever, using the ever-famous Céline bag from SS10 as a traveling bag. Lily Allen chose the über-cool but very overpriced Louis Vuitton leopard scarf for a touch of colour.

Emma Watson, who has also been dressing very well as of late, wore a Louis Vuitton corset from the FW10 collection that I found to be a bit of a miss. If you don't mind coping with the rigidity of it, go at least for a brighter colour with a cooler print. That autumnal green looks very sad with the dark denim and the black bag and shoes. And then we have Sienna. She has been looking her best ever since she got back together with Jude. She looked absolutely stunning in high-waisted suede shorts with a slightly sheer baggy tee and the great Chloe Sevigny for Opening ceremony Top Shop wedges in white. She also seems to finally have grown her hair (from The September Issue) and is looking mighty beautiful.

In the guy front, we have a guy whose style was firstly famous for his lack of personal hygiene. But he  now seems to be trying a little harder. For the  premiere of 'Eclipse' in LA. Robert Pattinson wore an amazing marron suit by Gucci. I think he is a very cool guy because he doesn't think so himself. Which is why he wears things with the simplicity that actually makes the clothes look so awesome on him. He has recently trimmed his locks for a film, going for a 50's look that works quite well with the scruffy hairstyle he likes for himself. We might just be witnessing a style icon in the making.

I'm off.

[Pictures: JustJared.buzznet.com, Zimbio.com, OpeningCeremony.us, BlueFly.com, LouisVuitton.com, Style.com, Vogue.com]

The last (and best) of Cruise 2011

"A resort collection used to be the equivalent of staring at pictures of Bali when you lived in Kansas and the truck was broke. The clothes were for people who actually went somewhere, who made plans that included special wardrobes". That's what Cathy Horyn said about cruise this week on the New York Times. She talk about how it has become something completely commercial and how both renowned and new designers create resort collections. She also makes a really fair point about differencing collections within the 'seasonless season': "Depending on your perspective, resort collections can have either things you’re bored seeing or gems you can’t seem to find anymore because everybody’s become such big shots that they can’t do straightforward things". A description I love because it perfectly describes the collections I like and the ones I don't.

It did not even occur to me that Phoebe Philo would create a cruise collection for Céline. But it occurred to her. And now that we have seen the last of these collections I can officially say Céline is my favourite line. Philo created all the musts: a layered LBD in leather, a maxi dress, orange, a tailored trouser, a classic blazer with a twist and black basics to mix and match. A super well-rounded collection with a focused and fresh point of view.

It still feels a little weird seeing The Row among the names of designers whose collections are published on Style.com. The Olsens have steadily won their place amongst the big names of fashion to the point of looking forward to their new collections. Their Cruise 2011 line is mostly all black and white and features reinterpretations of garment's from Ashley's greatest hits. The cleverest part of the collection is the fact that a lot of pieces that work as long tops to go with dresses can also be worn as mini dresses. In fact, the collection seems to go from the 'mini' extreme to the 'maxi' extreme, which looks almost nun-like. All in all, I am very impressed. It isn't an unbelievable collection but it looks very very promising.
I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com, Mary-KateandAshleyImages.com, Celebrity-Gossip.net]

Friday indulgence

I decided to make this post today not out of laziness but because I must have seen all these videos about ten thousand times in the last week. Sometimes I'm looking for a very precise version of a song or a live one and youtube seems to be the only way to find them (because, let's face it, spotify is a little crap). Also, I love watching old fashion videos for inspiration ad much as I love seeing the current collections in motion. Specially if Phoebe Philo's voice narrates the action.

I have a thing for Opera. I don't know the last thing about it but it completely hypnotises me. I do love "Carmen", very much, but I specially love this version because I know Teresa Berganza since I was very young. She is ever-elegant, ever-glamurous, ever-chic. And NO ONE sings Habanera like her.

Should I even explain myself? Anyone that comes around soVIPzone often enough knows about my obsession with Phoebe Philo and Céline. She is an utter genius as well as ridiculously beautiful and super chic. And Céline FW10 was the top.

If you live in London or can get down here easily, don't miss Hair. I have seen it three times, which is a little over-the-top but I love the experience. The cast is very good as they come all the way from Broadway, specially the guys playing Berger and Claude. You leave the show with this incredible energy which seems imported right from the 60's.

This video is hilarious. I cannot think of better vintage fashion moments than this one of Azzedine Alaïa and Grace Jones.

Now, this kid blew my mind. Some people have had the unkindness of calling him a new Justin Bieber but they are only similar in the hairstyle. Greyson Chance sings Lady Gaga's Paparazzi with the most incredibly powerful voice, and he makes a hell of a version too. Plus, the faces of amazement of the girls in the crowd at the back are priceless.

And this is my wardrobe in motion. Dries Van Noten's SS10 collection for men is a series of perfect piece after perfect piece that would make my wardrobe complete. The setting is stunning and the music is a pretty brilliant contrast with the clothes.

Which video you can't stop watching?

I'm off.

copycat

Every season millions of people rejoice when the high street 'draws inspiration' from the catwalk. Endless blogs reflect this phenomenon in the shape of 'get the look for less' posts for those fashion followers that can't afford the real deal. Personally, traditional inspiration is completely respectable. However, when the lines are crossed and patterns are blatantly copied this fact becomes a simple case of copyright infringement. For SS10, Zara has once again crossed that line adopting many of the popular designs of the season as theirs (copies of Phoebe Philo's line are specially hurtful). Can you put the pieces back together?

If you have a look at the Zara website, be it the lookbook or the catalogue, cases like the above are endless. How do you think this affects the industry? Are you one of the million of copy adepts?

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com, Zara.com]

classic craze

I'm not sure everyone will like my reinterpretation of the Vogue Paris 'Zoom' section. I thought placing a different image of the same bags over the original would look kind of ironic. Haha, oh well. Just like we talked about yesterday, the May issue of the French bible is coming loaded with exciting editorials and (more of the same) SS10 iconic pieces. The main reason why I liked this one below is because my favourite bags of the season, the classics, are included in it.

The Céline SS10 leather and canvas shopping bag is, as you already know, up in my list of the best bags of the season. I am simply in awe of everything Phoebe Philo. The second, Loewe's Amazona feels as part of my life as it has always been a staple in Spain. The house is celebrating the bag's 35th anniversary by launching the Amazona in several colours, sizes and even a couple mens versions. Last, another staple —the Givenchy Nightingale. It is famous for hanging from the forearms of many celebrities and now it is reinterpreted into a carry-on. And the black croc may even make it work as a chic masculine travel bag!

I'm off.

[Pictures: TheFashionSpot.com, e-shop.Loewe.com, FarFetch.com, Givenchy.com]

a high fashion workout

First of, my apologies for the utter lack of posts yesterday. I was settling back in my London flat and inspiration, like good-looking women, avoided me. But enough about myself and my wit. You can't imagine how happy I was to find this picture of Gwyneth last night. She was coming out of her workout session in Tribeca in sweat pants and trainers and two of my favourite things in the world: Céline and Goyard. I loved the fact that I had had that same Céline jacket in my hands only a couple days ago on my trip to Ekseption in Madrid. And, as you may recall by this post, I have a certain fascination for Goyard goods. It seems like a rather extravagantly expensive ensemble for a trip to the gym but I guess it works for Gwyneth.

[Pictures: Céline jacket @ Ekseption, Shefinds.com, Y-3 sweats @ Net-a-Porter]

I'm off.

Philo-logy

Philo- (also phil- before a vowel or h)
combining form
denoting a liking for a specified thing
Logy- combining form
(usu. as -ology) denoting a subject of study or interest

It looks like we won't have to coin a new word after all. Philology just about covers the still young but promising cult surrounding all things Phoebe Philo. While her FW10 line for Céline walked its Parisian runway a crowd of acolytes wore camel trousers, crisp white shirts and, most importantly, khaki jackets from her SS10 debut collection. It was this last item, the khaki parka, that had captivated Philo's followers and was seen all around in Paris as religiously reported by Tommy Ton.

Clockwise from left: Céline SS10 runway show, Tala from MyFashDiary for Net-a-Porter's Fashion Relief, Céline spotting at Les Tuileries, Céline's parka profile, Paris Fashion Week spotting by Tommy Ton, parka's front.

[Pictures: Style.com, Farfetch.com, Tommy Ton for Style.com]

This jacket has everything that is to be loved about a jacket. Its timelessness is undeniable not only in terms of cut but of colour too. Something that doesn't deprive the parka from being a garment du jour. The front is straight-lined and sober but the back is flirty and curvaceous and unexpected. This is why every woman, be it the established editor or the stylish blogger, wants one. Get yours here. I'll sit an wait for Philo's mens line? If only... [sigh].

I'm off.

vol. III

It seems as if celebrities really want to get this khaki versus pastels face-off going. Katie Holmes, who had fallen off the fashion radar for a while, seems to be getting her mojo back. She was spotted with her hair in a bun and wearing khaki, getting inspiration from Charlotte Ronson's SS10 line (?). This look stands pretty far from the 70's stepford wife-y look she had going on months ago. Personally, I am very much digging this more relaxed, even cool, Katie.

Victoria keeps getting it right —and looking a bit Jackie O, no? She can't seem to decide between khaki and pastels, which seems fair enough when you're a fashionista. This time she was seen in Russia in a beige pair of legging-esque trousers with a black cropped jacket and her favourite Louboutin booties. Following this line, I wonder if we'll see Victoria in any Céline this season. It was one of my favourite collections and I'd love to see her wearing a couple of their pieces.

[Pictures: JustJared, Style.com]

I'm off.

15 essentials for SS10

Every season, together with the must-have bags and shoes, lists are made about the key silhouettes, colours, textures and garments that a woman must add to add the required savviness to her wardrobe. We have chosen our soVIP essentials for SS10 with a selection of our all-time favourite designers, the most acclaimed of the season and a couple new additions.

1. David Delfín's hospital green, 2. Marni's head scarves, 3. Chloé's denim patchwork, 4. Céline's structure, 5. Rag & Bone's jersey harems, 6. Isabel Marant's cropped tweed, 7. Prada's palm landscapes, 8. Dries Van Noten's printed wraps, 9. Prada's bejewelled-ness, 10. Stella McCartney's denim, 11. Givenchy's stripes, 12. Altuzarra's suede and lace, 13. Preen's fuzziness, 14. Christopher Kane's gingham, 15. Alexander Wang's leather and jersey.

[Pictures: Style.com]

I'm off.

MK's Céline bag

I would love to find out whether the Olsens get the best bags from the season sent to them in advance so the rest of us can try but fail at being fashion-forward enough or do they simply spot the best pieces during fashion week and then spend a week purchasing all of them so they can wear them before everyone else does? This is Mary-Kate leaving her apartment with the black leather structures Céline bag of the season (love it with the beige canvas too).

Does anyone think this wet hair style we saw Ashley sporting a few days ago will become a trend? If so, how do you keep it? Do you carry a water spray in your bag? And, is the dripping not annoying?

[Pictures: JustJared, MatchesFashion.com]

I'm off.

Fashion for Relief

Net-a-Porter Fashion for Relief collection do their bit to help Haiti by collecting money from keen fashionistas willing to spend some money to get their wardrobe ready for spring while helping others. soVIPzone's friend, MyFashDiary, was amongst the chosen bloggers to make her pick and be featured in Net-a-Porter's Fashion for Relief photoshoot. See the video here and go to MyFashDiary to see Tala's picks. These are ours.

Clockwise from top left: Linda Farrow sunglasses, Roksanda Ilincic dress, Céline poacher jacket, Sergio Rossi shoes. All available at Net-a-Porter here.

I'm off.

Paris Highlights

Once again Paris Fashion Week outshone London, New York and Milan by proving that it is in fact possible to make creative pieces while holding back on excess and flamboyance. Paris was less colourful than other fashion weeks which made the catwalks darker but more interesting in terms of texture and cut. Haider Ackermann, Roland Mouret, Celine and YSL best embodied this. Overall, we saw simplicity in the shape of a 60's (Giles, Louis Vuitton) and 90's (Isabel Marant) revival and plenty of lamé and khaki adding up to the FW10 trends.

Balmain

Givenchy

Roland Mouret

Pedro Lourenço

Celine

Junya Watanabe

Lanvin

Stella McCartney

Isabel Marant

Yves Saint-Laurent

Wunderkind

[Pictures: Style.com]

I'm off.

chrysalis

Jak & Jill called it 80's Vs. 70's but it can be given any name. Fashion is indeed turning from the hardness of black leather to the softness of nude gauze. Things like this excite me because I feel like fashion history is being written before my eyes and I won't just have to read about the changes and what it was like being right there. But I find it exciting as well because, to me, Phoebe Philo epitomised this change in her SS10 collection for Céline. The series of clothes were simply a constant juxtaposition of this hardness and softness both in fabric and in colour without having the two elements ever merging. They coexist and complement each other perfectly always keeping their essence and remaining individual —a tough mission to accomplish.
[Pictures credit: Style.com]

Click here to see the highlights of the show on video. And, please, google Phoebe Philo —she's such a cutie!

I'm off.

PS. I want to dedicate this post to P, for always listening to my eternal fashion lectures.