Jennifer Lawrence in Dior carrying the Roger Vivier Boite de Nuit clutch.

Anne Hathaway in Prada carrying the Roger Vivier Pilgrim clutch.

Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein Collection.

Anne Hathaway in custom made Saint Laurent.

Zoe Saldana in Givenchy at the Vanity Fair after-party and

in Alexis Mabille and Roger Vivier smocking sandals on the red carpet.

Jessica Chastain in Giorgio Armani.

Charlize Theron in Dior and Roger Vivier Cecil sandals.

Naomi Watts in Armani Privé carrying the Roger Vivier Ceniera clutch.

All images: Getty

Marion Cotillard is the first to wear Dior Haute Couture FW12
Style.com, JustJared

Last night, for the London premiere of 'The Dark Knight Rises', Marion Cotillard wore one of the looks from Raf Simons' first collection for Christian Dior Haute Couture. This was so unexpected for me it took me a while to even recognise the look. It's amazing how well the dress translates to real life. I guess that's one of the main things we're going to be seeing from Raf. It has such contemporary slick lines but it's so exquisitely made. I actually love Marion's choice of shoes a lot – they introduce a great extra pop of colour – and how she wasn't wearing any necklace. It was utterly chic. What do you think of Marion's look?

Christian Dior Haute Couture by Raf Simons
Screencaps from Diormag.com

I don't remember feeling this much anticipation about a collection since Tom Ford left Gucci and YSL in 2004. It was evident, I thought, that Raf Simons would not disappoint even at switching from the clean and architectural Jil Sander to the grand and dramatic Dior. And so it was. It would be silly to try and compare Simons and John Galliano but we saw a very special type of couture yesterday that we would have never seen from the latter – modern, 21st century couture. This is what Raf Simons created in less than 20 minutes.
It was such an incredible feeling seeing the new looks – how apt  an expression – walk down the flower-flanked catwalk. The traces of Simons work were so evident in everything from the clean architectural shapes to the delicate powder hues and yet there they were, the 'New Look' and the 'Bar Jacket' almost like time hadn't passed since the 40's.
My favourite numbers were the sheer spandex-like tops with voluminous full skirts that made up gowns. It was almost like Raf was trying to humour me – his SS11 collection for Jil Sander will always be one of my fashion highlights. My other favourite were the trousers. It's so rare to see any at the couture shows but they feel so natural worn with embroidered peplum tops or trailed strapless blouses.
I am, once again, happy and glad that we'll be enjoying Simons at his best for a while.

Best Dressed of the Weekend: Sonam Kapoor & Diane Kruger kill it!
Getty

The Cannes Film Festival closed last night with the premiere of 'Therese Desqueyroux'. I was hoping that Diane Kruger, who has totally killed it day after day this year, would have a finale dress worth waiting for. And I wasn't disappointed – she wore a stunning Christian Dior Couture dress. I loved the fact that she wore it with the panniers, which give it a bit of 18th century drama.

My other favourite, who I didn't expect to see in Cannes this year, was Sonam Kapoor. I have been a big fan of her style for a while now. There is a certain Je-ne-sais-quoi in the way she wears clothes that I simply adore. Yesterday she rocked two dresses. First, a Pre-Fall'12 Alexander McQueen that she wore with a super flattering hairdo and beautiful make up. And later she slipped into a hot red velvet Dolce & Gabbana with matching shoes and a beaded hairband intertwined in her braid. Looking at her is like being transported to a glamorous time of elegant flamboyance.

I didn't want to do a poll this week because it would break my heart to choose between my two ladies but feel free to choose your favourite in the comments section below!

Getty

The Easter Weekend News Roundup

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!

Dior Haute Couture SS12: Should Bill Gaytten go after all?
Vogue.fr

Over the last few months we have read endless rumours concerning the future of Dior's creative direction. The truth is that I was first weary of Bill Gaytten's work at the house but the prospect of Marc Jacobs taking over wasn't exactly a solution for me. I didn't want Raf Simons to become creative director either because he would do a much better job at YSL when the time comes. And Riccardo Tisci is way too valuable at Givenchy.

After seeing the latest couture collection that Gaytten sent down the catwalk I must say I am no longer worried. Neither do I want a substitute for him. It takes a hell of a long time to actually know a brand like Dior inside out –after all, together with Chanel, they're the last couture house. Gaytten also has in his favour all the time working along John Galliano, who I will forever consider a genius. He has done with Dior something we hadn't seen since the times of Christian himself: wearability. There was a quiet grandeur and beauty in the simplicity of the clothes. The New Look and the 'Bar Jacket' were there in a contemporary way –be it by see-through chiffons or tech croc fabrics. Even the crinolines had evaporated but left mark in the flowing skirt of an asymmetric number.

What are your thoughts on the Dior saga?

We're not even halfway through season 5 of Gossip Girl but even without watching the rest I would dare say this is the best look! Serena wears one of the best pieces from Mary Katranzou's SS11 collection for Blair's shower. I can't tell you how excited I was to see this. It was something I didn't see coming (which is brilliant!) and also something that suits Blake's character so well. Not to mention how occassion-appropriate the dress was. I also have to say that I loved the accessorising –the über-long pearl necklace, the patchwork Louboutin heels (which wouldn't work in another scenario) and the super cute messy pony tail tied up in a pink bow. This is the best Serena has looked in all of this season! Hopefully we will get to see her in some of the incredible pieces Katrantzou created for FW11 and (my favourite) SS12, that would just make me so happy!

I am so ecstatic about this look I will not even mention how overdressed Serena's day outfit was. Ha!

Style.com, JustJared, CWtv.com

I think I've figured out what's wrong with Blair's styling as of late. All the necklines of everything she wears are very off. All the garments also happen to be quite loose around the waist so perhaps they're trying to give her a 'pregnant look' to go along with the plot? I wish they looked at Beyoncé or Nicole Richie for examples of how to dress pregnant. Even Victoria Beckham!

I really disliked B's day look in this episode. It was way too fussy even though the pieces individually were quite nice –I loved the Alberta Ferretti dress and the Moschino jacket but not together! And I wish they stopped doing head pieces! The evening look was a lot nicer, fun and very Blair. It gave her an odd flat chest but at least it was sexy and different!

JustJared, Style.com

This weekend was a good one in terms of style. Giulia and I have changed our minds a couple of times until coming up with the final four for the post, which doesn't happen very often. Eventually we got it down to these four ladies won...

1. Dree Hemingway in custom made Christian Dior. I absolutely love this. Dior recreated the iconic gown Marilyn Monroe wore for her last photoshoot with Bern Stern, which Dree wore to the opening of the "Picturing Marilyn" exhibition in New York.

2. Zoe Saldana in Elie Saab. Green has always been my favourite colour. I love this simple but super elegant look. It works great on Zoe's skin tone and it hugs her body without being strictly body-con.

3. Jessica Alba in Armani Privé. She wore this to the opening of the Armani Hotel in Milan. I just love the drop waist silhouette and the original length with the kimono detail at the hem. The top, the makeup and the emerald ring were simply stunning. Can you believe she recently gave birth?

4. Jaime King in Oscar de la Renta. She has the perfect look for an old school Hollywood glamour outfit. The hair and makeup are perfect, as is the slick black velvet Oscar gown.

jahsgfui

Finally an episode that doesn't make me yawn from the beginning! This week's Gossip Girl wen't back to the old tricks. Blair gets on a limo every 10 minutes and miraculously crosses Manhattan in record times and Serena wears cocktail dresses around the house. She actually opens the episode in a purple Christian Dior, which is as day-inappropriate as it is kind on the eye. As long as the fashion stays up to this standard I'm happy to let the plot go bananas.

For the party later in the episode Serena slips into a draped salmon/pink Jenny Packham. The dress is exactly the kind of thing she used to wear two seasons ago when all you could think of during her scenes was 'how can someone look that good?'

Blair also has to brilliant fashion moments in "Shattered Bass". The first is an orange number (do you know who's it by?) of which I wish we got to see more. I loved how it was accessorised with layered chunky necklaces.

The second is an Alexis Mabille Couture dress. I looked and thought carefully about this dress because Blair looks stunning in it but only when you see full shots of her. Looking only at the top it seems like a Baroque extravaganza someone might've designed while on crack. However, it is a great fit for someone who is about to become royalty.

I'm excited to see more from the "Queen of Monaco" character. She dresses extremely well with a slightly Mad Men twist. And now that Lily is confined to her house it's nice to see an adult looking chic.

I've just about had it with Serena's cousin. Not only she steals her clothes and looks absolutely rubbish in them but her moves are so dumb. If you're going to go all Waldorf-bitch on someone do plan ahead.

On the bright side, Nate and Raina get out of the house for once. She looks smashing in a bight orange gown with asymmetric silver straps and Nate also looks the part. If only his suit jacket was his size...

You might have also noticed the worst product placement in history. Eleanor actually slips in her lines about Vitamin Water and some kind of creative project in collaboration with the CFDA. Is that even real or just some extra BS so try and make the story plausible?

And also, did anyone notice this parallelism between the scene in the warehouse and 'Resevoir dogs'?

[CWtv, Style.com]

I've never been too keen on sunglasses trends, especially that big wave of huge round shapes that covered half of the face. I'm more of a classic man when it comes to shades and so I mostly stick to my Way Farers and Aviators. There are always exceptions like Tom Ford and Chanel sunglasses, which often reinvent old models in very chic ways. And that is what Dior has done for their line of sunglasses for the summer called "Les Marquises". I really like the 'Diormohotani' models, which are Dior's take on the Way Farer, but I absolutely love the 'Diormotuoni'. They are so incredibly pin-up 50's and I love how they have played with different colours of mother of pearl for the frames and a different one on the legs. I also love the fact that the different colour combinations are all very Dior and go in line with the summer collection's Hawaiian setting while still being pieces you can wear through the season. If, to that, you add how stunning Karlie Kloss looks in them, it's just too hard to resist.

[Pictures courtesy of Dior]

In the last couple of days I've put together a few posts about the new April and May magazine covers I've been bumping into online. And none of them have made it online because looking at the edited pictures I realised none of them looked new at all. Some big names like Vogue Italia have suddenly started to do very odd things on their covers, almost tacky combinations of font colour and styling while the Australian Vogue and Harper's Bazaar have done really nice covers and stories that go a bit away from the typical Vogue stuff. But the cover I've liked the most so far is Vogue China's. Frida Gustavsoon covers the May issue in a very close shot and styling that might make you think it's from the 30's or 40's. The Dior inspiration is very evident but I like the fact that the blue eye shadow gives it a modern twist. As I often do, I wish there was less writing on the cover although I have to admit I love the fact that the Chinese characters make the 'Vogue' title a little smaller and push it to the right. It looks very very nice and classic.

[Images: TFS]

Grammys 2011: Couture frenzy

I never thought I would be choosing the Grammys red carpet choices over the BAFTAs'. The British red carpet usually delivers the best subtly grand looks but this year there was little excitement in the wardrobe department. Over in LA, however, everyone donned the best of the best. We saw, at least, four or five Haute Couture pieces from the SS11 collections shown in Paris only a couple of weeks ago. My favourite by a mile was Florence (sans la machine) in Givenchy couture. I daresay she even looked cooler in it than Carine Roitfeld, who wore it in NYC for the AmfAR gala. Florence already caught my attention two weeks ago when she appeared on Gossip Girl. There is little room for improvement once you wear Givenchy couture but if she keeps this up I'll soon be a fan.

Rihanna, whose still I'm still loving, wore not one but two couture gowns last night. The first was a SS11 Jean Paul Gaultier, which on the catwalk looked a little like a wedding dress but it was perfect for Ri-Ri, who refrained from accessorising it. Good choice. The second gown belonged to Christian Dior's FW10 couture collection, one of my favourite ones of the last few seasons. I really liked the fact that they made it a little sexier by lifting the front chiffon and pansies print.

The other attendees in couture were Nicole Kidman, who also wore SS11 Jean Paul Gaultier, and Nicki Minaj also in Givenchy. Who was your favourite?
I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com, JustJared.buzznet.com]

Holiday beauty

One of the best things about getting into the Christmas spirit is not only all the present shopping but all the planning that goes into the outfits we wear to all the family dinners and the parties with friends we haven't seen for a while. One can also go a little bit beyond with make up over Christmas. Even though I am not one of those girls who goes crazy about make up —I believe in natural beauty and using make up thoughtfully to enhance what you've got— I do have a passion for nail varnish and the occasional dash of colour on the face. Which is why I was excited to hear about Come & Play at Selfridges. They are celebrating make up for the next week and a half by giving make overs, offering celebrity tips and exclusively launching new products. I have chosen the events I don't want to miss because they mix together fun & make up.

Check out the rest of the events at the Selfridges website.
Giuls xx

[Pictures: Selfridges]

Collage Sunday, PFW Edition

Today I decided to blend together Collage Sunday and Paris Fashion Week in the shape of a visual catch up. Some of the biggest names from the French capital showed in the last couple of days and we saw a bit of a change. Balenciaga took on Marni's challenge to create luxurious sportswear. Ghesquière showed us a boyish punk point of view mixed with dug out archive pieces. It was, as Balenciaga always is, rather technically intricate in the most interesting manner. Alber Elbaz's twist on the Lanvin woman was one of the biggest surprises (to me) from Paris. He always addresses his collections from a woman's point of view, which this time resulted in a vast assortment of wardrobe options in a way that redefined modern elegance.

As much as I've always adored John Galliano, I must confess I have often wondered if I was the only one who noticed his themes chez Christian Dior were too recurrent or if I was a mere ignorant. As it turns out, he is capable of making fresh clothes à la Galliano. For SS11 he traveled to Hawaii with his couture collection, which transformed into effortless silk numbers of tropical motifs and hues with a slight 50's air and masculine sailor-inspired parkas. Margiela's collection started following last season's line but soon morphed into an experiment of shape abstraction. Nicole Phelps, from Style.com, said the collection fell flat. I dare to disagree because, even though it is 100% unwearable it pushed the envelope shape-wise. After all, it was MMM who first introduced the pronounced shoulder shapes we came to love.
I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com, GaranceDore.fr]

Blake, reine de Paris

If you haven't heard, the cast of Gossip Girl is in Paris shooting scenes for the first episodes of the 4th season, which is still a long way from airing on September 14th. Day one was Blair and Serena devouring Ladurée macaroons and walking around Paris in not-too-fantastic ensembles. Later that day, Serena grabbed some grapes and wine for, I presume, a very stylish picnic by the Seine. After that, we saw Blake rubbing shoulders with Anna Wintour at the Christian Dior show (by Anna's request, I suppose) and then again at Chanel, where Blake looked beautiful as ever with kind of surfer-girl hair and an amazing pair of turquoise and coral earrings.

She graced us with some more Serena fashion moments to remember like the one with the wide-legged pink trousers (oh, those legs!) and some sheerness at the top. In the meantime, she managed to make some time for a Vogue US shoot (another cover?), so I am hoping for at least a few more looks before they wrap up their European leg and head back to the big apple to shoot some more episodes.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Zimbio.com, JustJared.buzznet.com, Style.com]

Haute Couture Day 1

I don't remember getting this excited about Couture in a while, particularly about Galliano's work for Christian Dior. The truth is his last collection for the French staple was inspired and inspiring and took the so-called 'floral inspiration' to a whole new level. The models impersonated upside-down bunches of flowers with stem wrappers acting as hats (designed by Stephen Jones) and petals facing downwards as skirts. Regardless of the outstanding technical aspects (I loved all the ruching, specially on the nude dress) the best part of the collection were the colours. Tim Blanks, in his review for Style.com, points out how Galliano must've observed different kinds of flowers in different types of light to come up with the very precise colour palette. Personally, I found that the hues on the dresses took more from the captivating degradé of pansies than from any other flower. The bows at the waist and the petal-shaped bustiers culminated looks that, while staying true to the house's foundations and Galliano's signature looked glamourously avant-garde.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Bow alert

In the last few months Carey Mulligan has gone from being this cute blonde dating Shia LaBeouf to becoming a respected star. She has, since then, moved all the way to the top of my style radar (yes, I have a list...) and really getting good attention for her fashion choices. Her Cannes premiere moment occurred a few days ago and consisted of a costume made navy Azzaro with a beaded collar and a bow at the waist. It made me think of Carey's BAFTA's dress by Vionnet that she recently donated to Oxfam and that also had a bow at the waist. She has the kind of romantic and elegant style can makes the bows look right instead of kitsch (like Hathaway at the Oscars in 2007).

Coincidentally, Dior's Cruise 2011 collection was shown yesterday in Shanghai. Bows were everywhere, as was the 60's inspiration, which is getting old. Galliano seems to only be editing his previous Cruise collections and pretending to be inspired from different parts of the world to create the new ones. In any case, I think that Carey would look quite amazing in some of these dresses. They look dated and verging on tawdry but Mulligan's figure could do wonders with them. Tiina Laakkonen, hope you're taking notes.

I'm off.

[Pictures: JustJared.buzznet.com, Gossip-Girls.net, WWD.com]

on arrive

The best part about having American celebrities come over to Europe for fashion week is not seeing them slip into gowns by Galliano or Elbaz but this, their airport looks. I am a confessed airport freak —I anticipate any situation and dress for the cold, the hot, the tired and the glamourous. I believe that settled is always the way (except for Victoria Beckham, who I love to see in umbrella hats and dominatrix leather) and that the bag and the shades that you wear define whether you're a show-off or genuinely stylish. Charlize Therone is one of the latter. Her outfit is practical and chic and the maxi Dior gaucho adds that perfect bit of sophistication. I do wonder whether she wore her patent leather pumps all the war or if there's a pair of converse or flats in her gaucho.

[Picture: JustJared]

I'm off.