Style.com

Saving the best for last, Style.com has just published the Prada resort 2012 look book. I've quite enjoyed the collections this time around because it's interesting to see how the best designers translate their fashion-forward vision into commercial, sellable pieces.

Miuccia has one again taken inspiration from the 50's —a lot of high-waisted A-line skirts, twin sets, conservative crew necks. But I can also see a bit of the 60's in the mix of bold colours and the use of soft knits in skirts and tops, which makes a more relaxed and fun look. I loved the classic bags trimmed with ostrich skin dyed in different colours.

Going through the collection I couldn't stop imagining January Jones (as Betty Draper) in half of the looks. The new Mad Men season is being delayed, which is really frustrating, and I can't wait to see what Betty will be wearing now that the plot has moved well into the 60's. Perhaps a bit of Prada wouldn't be out of the question?


*Remember to check our brand new INFLUENCE tumblr page for inspiration updates!

It's covers like this one that make me love magazines so much. This is probably my favourite cover of W since Stefano Tonchi took over and one of the best ones he's done so far. I wasn't the biggest fan of the last two issues. Even though I really liked the content the covers were messy and I didn't quite see how the cover stars were relevant.

I can't deny the fact that January has a lot to do with it but I love how minimalist and clean these shots by Craig McDean are and how modern and elegant Lori Goldstein's styling is. I love that they've kept the cover headlines to a minimum in at least one cover, my favourite, and that they've done a full body second cover. We don't get to see many of those these days and, quite frankly, I am getting very tired of the waist crop, not to mention Anna's and Alexandra's extreme close-ups.

From what I've read about the content of the issue I already know I will love it back to back. I am excited about the big Design Now feature as much as I am about Silvia Fendi's and I can't wait to see Alexander Wang's apartment!

[Wmagazine.com]

Golden Globes 2011: The year of minimalism

After going to bed at 4am and sleeping scarcely four hours to wake up early and edit pictures I finally give you the Golden Globes 2011 post! I keenly watched the red carpet and the entire show this year not to miss out on any outfits. We know that the Globes are just the warm-up to the Oscars in terms of fashion. Everyone tries to look as effortlessly glamourous as possible, which this year translated on minimalism as the main trend on the red carpet.
My three clear winners of the night were Anne Hathaway, Emma Stone and January Jones. I was thrilled that Rachel Zoe chose the beautifully sequined Armani Privé gown I first fell in love when Karlie Kloss wore it on the catwalk. It was simple yet tremendously sophisticated and very Anne -simply bananas. Emma Stone chose a salmon Calvin Klein Collection that needed no more than light make up, simple hair and a nice clutch. Check, check and check. And January, oh January. I literally gasped for air when I first saw her on the red carpet. Even though she already wore a cocktail version of this dress at Versace's SS11 show I loved the fact that she was channeling Mad Men this time with the hair and the modern take on Hollywood's golden era.

I really liked Claire Dane's pink Calvin Klein Collection. Especially the fold detail on the top. She looked lovely but there was a kind of spark missing. She was still one of the best dressed of the night. Now, Natalie Portman is a tough call. I was horrified when I saw her first but then I sat back and looked more carefully. If anyone could make her Viktor & Rolf dress look refined that's her. I liked that it was quite dramatic, apt for the role she was nominated for, and that it celebrated the woman she's become and the things she's achieved. I also thought the choice of wearing a necklace was a great way to draw a bit of attention away from the baby bump to the neck and balance the look up. And lastly (for now), Leighton Meester in Burberry Prorsum. She always looks so incredibly cool and feminine in anything. I love how she never lets dresses wear her and I particularly liked this one below because it was unexpected and very event-appropriate.

Who did you love most?
I will be back later today with some more good styling choices and my favourite, the worst dressed list! Stay tuned.
I'm off.

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

Versace in January

When Versace announced that January Jones would be the face of the upcoming SS11 campaign not many people were surprised. We had seen January looking stunning in the brand over the last few months. It all started with the blue show-stopper she donned for the Emmys and after which she attended fashion week in Milan and slipped into one of the fringed numbers that came out the catwalk that day. I think Donatella is so keen on her because January epitomises the late 50's/early 60's look in a very contemporary manner. It makes sense, then, how the brand's designer would pick someone whose style reminds the public of the type of glamour her brother Gianni became famous for when he founded the house in 1978. And so, she's been shot by Mario Testino for the upcoming campaign with styling, despite the (welcomed) lack of clothes, reminiscent of the pin-up movement.

This campaign has obviously been in the works for quite a while as January and Donatella had been collaboration for a while not only for red carpet events but also on an editorial level. Have a look at this video of their featured editorial on Elle US shot by Mariano Vivanco.

What do you think of the first look at the advert?
I'm off.

[Picture: myfashionlife.com]

January in November

It's pictures like this one that make me post on Saturdays... I hadn't seen January Jones at an event or out and about in Hollywood since fashion week. She has worn a fairly talked-about dose of Versace as of late. I don't know whether this is one of those unspoken (in the media) "treaties" between celebrity and designer or if I should expect January to be wearing a lot more Versace in the first pages of Vogue? In any case, she has been looking stunning in that flirty confident way Donatella seems to be aiming for on her latest lines. The high bun, the smoky eyes and the black pumps are the perfect simple touches for a round look. Have a nice Saturday!

I'm off.

[Picture: JustJared.buzznet.com]

What happens in Milano...

... definitely doesn't stay in Milano. It goes around the world. There are still two days left from Milan Fashion Week but we have already seen a lot of the biggest names turn things around on the catwalk. The SS11 trends have radically changed to opulent minimalism focused on cuts and details rather than flamboyance. It's the traditionally more pompous brands like Versace which are the biggest surprises. The colours were strong but clear and red was king even though Donatella's nudes seemed even more appealing. We also saw a lot of stripes and Versace's famous Greek motifs adding dashes of colour to otherwise monochromatic dresses. I particularly liked the extra long fringe details, the cutout shoes and the just-below-the-knee pencil-skirted dresses.

While the new collections that will dictate next summer's trends keep coming down the catwalks of the world's fashion capitals, its attendees, the fashion elite, unconsciously set another handful of trends that the rest of the industry's adepts will follow later as well. The best example of this is the cropped trousers and stilettos combo that the team of Net-a-Porter have already tweeted about. A few months ago people couldn't believe that the infamous chunky heels and wedges would be kicked out of the spotlight by their skinnier sisters but everyone from our favourite style icons to Vogue's popular editors are embracing the stiletto. Good news for Prada and Marant!

I have always been and will stay a faithful Etro fan. It is one of those houses that strongly holds on to their spirit season after season yet never fails to provide contemporary takes on their staples. However, their latest line felt incredibly restrained. We did see plenty of ethnic prints and fringes but their SS11 collection had a much more sophisticated city vibe. The prints were versatile and so were the maxi dresses. It was as if veronica Etro had envisioned her bohemian muse paying a visit to the big city. Very refreshing.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com, Net-a-Porter.com, Zimbio.com, SaksFifthAvenue.com]

Emmys 2010 revisited: Mad Men wins (in style)

I simply couldn't help myself. Not only Mad Men rocks my world with their costume design but their starts weaken my knees when they slip into designerwear for the red carpet. This picture of January Jones (in Atelier Versace), Elisabeth Moss (in Donna Karan) and Christina Hendricks (in Zac Posen) literally gives me butterflies. To me, it's the picture equivalent of being in love wearing custom-made Tom Ford, Louboutin lounge shoes and drinking a £1000 bourbon while Ella Fitzgerald sings for me in my Chelsea townhouse. Picture that if you can.

I'm off.

[Picture: Celebrity-Gossip.net]

Emmys 2010: Mad Women

I watched the Emmys for the first time last night. I had never payed much attention to them because the attendees and red carpet were never out of the ordinary like, say, the Globes or the Oscars. Until Mad Men and True Blood started getting nominated, that is. The fact that such good quality and edgy shows spread through the different categories means a lot of their starts will step on the red carpet doing their best not to go unnoticed. The Academy wasn't especially generous to either Mad Men or True Blood last night but their actors completely outshone the Emmy winners. January Jones, in Versace Atelier, was my favourite. She looked like the bionic queen of mermaids wrapped in the Italian metallic scales. I thought it was a very clever choice. The front showed a bit of legs but there was a train and the top was classic in lines but sexy and unexpected in construction.

Many of the other attending ladies looked remarkably good for this kind of event. Christina Hendricks (the other Mad Woman) rocked her custom made Zac Posen. The dress would've looked quite bland had it not been for the toddlers that fought inside it (as someone geniusly referred to the twins on twitter, email me for credit). And the great hairdo. Heidi Klum was one of the very few women who went for s short dress. The combination of her super short, super tight Marchesa and her statement necklace was spot-on sexy. Rose Byrne was unknown to me until last night when I had to know who was the lady in the amazing Gucci dress. It was both simple and intricate enough to look elegant and still make a statement. White (Kate Beckinsale would've been so proud) was also the colour of Kim Kardashian's Marchesa dress. I don't usually pick her out for her style but she did look like a modern day Cleopatra with the Egyptian-inspired neckline and the tied-back hair.

At first I loved Anna Paquin in McQueen. Don't get me wrong, I adore the dress, but it feels like the bottom of the skirt didn't really suit the wearer. It was a winner choice but only from the waist up. And last, Claire Danes in Armani Privé (surprise surprise). I thought she looked very chic, very old Hollywood glamour and was definitely one of the best dressed but then again it wasn't anything I hadn't seen on Anne Hathaway before.
Who did you love the most?
I'm off.

PS. Lea Michelle - biggest disappointment of the night in her matrony Oscar de la Renta.

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

How do you do, Mrs. Draper?

Yesterday was one of those rare summer days in Madrid when the sky gets grey and you can smell the rain coming but it's still quite warm and the only two things you fancy doing are either having a 6-hour brunch in hangover ensembles or stay home and do a TV show marathon. I went for the latter and started on Mad Men season 2. I am already on episode 7 and I can tell you the second season is a whole new world. You have met all the characters on season 1 and now you get to see more of their lives. The writers have this magnificent ability to show 48 minutes of mostly quotidian activities and make them feel absolutely fascinating. Not more fascinating than January Jone's indescribable beauté and Betty Draper's (her alter ego) wardrobe. The costume design seems even more remarkable having in mind the strong (late) 50's trends that will take over come fall. These are some of my favourite Betty Draper moments from season 2 so far.

This is Betty in action:

While I looked for the images I wanted to share with you I came across this 'Mad Men Yourself' tool where you get to choose your hair style, clothes and accessories (including Scotch and cigarettes) to create your 50's persona. This one below is mine (which I believe actually looks quite like me) next to Don Draper, so you also get a feel of the menswear in the show.

I'm off.

[Pictures: imdb.com, amctv.com, Style.com]

(3 reasons to make) Mad Men

Sometimes I don't know if I'm deranged or if maybe I just have a very different taste from everyone else. I seem to be finding more and more pictures of the lovely January Jones in my daily celebrity e-stops but I don't see many bloggers paying much attention to her and the reason for it absolutely escapes me. Leaving her astonishing beauty aside, the woman has an exquisite sense of style that is evident even in jeans and a tank top. It's as if Grace Kelly had come back to life with Audrey Hepburn's chicness and Caroline Grimaldi's flair.
And so, to bring January to everyone's attention, I have selected the three reasons why I am so in love with her:

She is her own person.   January follows no trends and wears no it bags. I specially love how attached to her Prada bag she is and how it is a beautiful season-less bag. She is also quite minimalistic but in a very elegant and slick way. Black is always boss but she uses it with great skill.

She sticks to the best weapons.   It is rare to see her wearing anything other than Tom Ford's version of the Way-Farers or having a bag hair day. She understands there are things that always have to be perfect no matter what you are wearing or where you're wearing it to.

She is not afraid of trying new things.   Contrary to the rest of Hollywood's women, January will wear anything from cocktail dresses to night gowns, flare pants, loose silk trousers and skinny jeans. The best example was her YSL look for the 2010 Met Ball. It was a bold choice of dress, make-up and accessories and, no matter what anyone says, she looked stunning. It's all 'extreme glamour' with her.

I'm off.

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

imprinted

The concept of printed clothes is anything but new. Yes, I know. But the SS10 shows provided us with new print options. The concepts were basic: be bold and wear very graphic prints or be arty and opt for blurred, distorted or pixelated prints. There have been two celebrities that, lately, have very much epitomised both looks. On the one hand, beautiful January Jones (whose style sense is rather spotless) has ben seen around LA porting the 'arty' print trend in numbers such as the two below, including one of the jewels from Dries Van Noten's flawless Summer collection. On the other hand, Rihanna. I have been paying a lot of attention to her as of late, specially ever since the two-leopard number (see here). She has a fantastic ability to combine colours and prints. She, however, tends to go for more graphic and bold prints. Bang on trend have also been Kristen Dunst and Victoria Beckham (!) in Miu Miu; possibly the most popular prints of the season.

And, of course, I had to have a look online to see what the biggest e-tailers have on sale in terms of prints. As I said before, Miu Miu and Dries Van Noten, though great, are a little obvious as choices. If you are looking for leopard for the summer, this is your season. There isn't a designer that hasn't created a shirt, skirt, dress or blouse with their own vision of leopard skin. My favourite is Chloé's de-coloured version. But the best brand to go for prints this season Sass & Bide. They have mixed ethnic inspiration with street style and very graphic elements. Giulia and I went to preview their FW10 a while ago (post coming up) and we loved every single piece.

I'm off.

[Pictures: JustJared.buzznet.com, Celebrity-Gossip.net, Zimbio.com, Net-a-Porter.com, Brownsfashion.com]

Met Gala 2010: The great, the bland and the fugly

Last night Anna Wintour, Oprah Winfrey and Patrick Robinson hosted the Costume Institute's Met Gala, "American Woman: Fashioning A National Identity". Celebrities queued to show how they could pull off designer dresses with personality, which seemed very refreshing after last year's blandness. However, I missed the Olsens and the Roitfelds this year.

The great

It just feels natural when you see Jude and Sienna together. The picture looks kind of retro because Sienna has long hair again like she did back then when her and Jude were together for the first time.

Chloe Sevigny in Proenza Schouler, January Jones in Yves Saint-Laurent and Carey Mulligan in Miu Miu prove how short dresses with the right colours and details can be edgy.

Restrained is usually elegant, Diane Kruger proves it in her white Calvin Klein. Less successful at it were Maggie Gyllenhall in Louis Vuitton (could do without the tacky bow and a dash of colour) and Kirsten Dunst in Rodarte for Gap, who could have gone for a different choice in shoes not to be so Rodarte matchy-matchy.

Anna Wintour in Chanel Haute Couture, Margherita Missoni in Missoni and Chanel Iman in Michael Kors.

These all look a lot like Rachel Zoe choices... I doubt she dressed Marion Cottilard, though. Thandie Newton in Vivienne Westwood, Marion Cotillard in Christian Dior and Anne Hathaway in Valentino all look beautifully apt for the gala but there is a bit of a yawn factor in all three. And too many sequins... I guess Rach "died".

The bland

Sarah Jessica Parker in Halston was so disappointment. Pretty, yeah, but we expect much more from a woman with such a fashion-forward education. Rachel Weisz wore a custom made Oscar the la Renta, which colour looked amazing against her skin but which a cut that was borderline tacky. And Eva Mendes just doesn't learn. She wore a Dolce & Gabbana that totally overshadowed her.

Carolyn Murphy (in ?), Eva Longoria in Marchesa (synonym for not trying) and Jessica Stam in Rachel Roy all looked boring and sloppy in every possible way.

The fugly

It is upsetting that Jessica Alba looked that bad in Sophie Theallet for Gap because she had been getting it so right so often lately. I really hate the colour of the satin dress. Malin Akerman looked as if she got ready for another dress and not the Temperly London that she wore. And the dress was a completely wrong choice for this kind of event. Rosario Dawson tried to pull a Saldana and failed tragically. Her Giambattista Valli was as disappointing as the bow on it was ugly.

Kristen Stewart needs to either deal with the fact that people want her picture or find a new career. She wore a more than decent Chanel Haute Couture that, had it been combined with the right hair and make up and a nice smile, would have looked amazing. Vera Farmiga wore a Sophie Theallet for Gap dress that looked like a bad cross between a flamenco dress and a Mexican dancer. Bless Jessica Biel, she never has the slightest idea of what's going on. She wore Ralph Lauren Collection. And Justin looked way better.

And, to top it all off, these three catastrophe's (I bet Anna pursed her lips a couple of times last night). Rachel Roy in her own design, Joy Bryant in Marchesa (if Rachel is still working with her this might be her worst job ever) and orange trannie Lisa Marie Falcone in a God-only-knows-what.

I'm off.

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

case closed

My venture started on April 2nd. I logged onto one of my daily celeb websites and saw January Jones, the beautiful Betty Draper in Mad Men, heading into LAX in a really cool parka featuring elbow studs, nautical rope detailing and bleach splashes on the khaki canvas. I spotted the parka in question again on April 13th when January walked her dog. I then tried to find out which designer or brand made it but I failed. Yesterday, April 28th, I found pictures of Whitney Port in the very same jacket and it was then that I started my quest to figure out where the genius parka came from.

After many (and I when I say many I mean lots of loads of hordes) visits to as many e-tail websites as I could think of I finally found a website that featured Drew Barrimore allegedly wearing the parka. And I say allegedly because, even though I had found my parka, Drew Barrimore was actually wearing a Rag & Bone one. Anyway, this beautiful item was designed by Charlotte Ronson, of whom we've become quite fond of since her S/S10 collection. I find the line pretty genius. Think of it as an über-wearable combination of a little Balmain, some Stella McCartney and a dash of contemporary English-ness perfect for the Cali girl.

Check out the entire S/S10 Charlotte Ronson collection here and buy it here.

I'm off.

[Pictures: JustJared.buzznet.com, Celebrity-Gossip.net, ShopBop.com]