Best Dressed at the amfAR's Cinema Against AIDS Gala 2012
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The amfAR Gala during the Cannes film festival bring out every year all the most stylish actors, models and editors. I would say it is, arguably, much better or at least edgier than the Met Ball and this year has been a great one.
My absolute favourite was, of course, Diane Kruger. She wore one of the Chanel Cruise 2013 designs that went down the catwalk just over a week ago. Diane's ben getting it right every day at Cannes and this is a great stand-out chic look. I was also happy to see Doutzen Kroes at the event. I've been crazy about her ever since I saw her at the Giles FW12 show. She looked amazing in a modern Versace gown. Karolina Kurkova, not happy with being one of the best dressed at this year's Met Ball, had another golden moment in Roberto Cavalli. Simply stunning. Milla Jovovich, who has had both hits and misses in the last couple of days at Cannes, made up for all her mistakes in one of the best pieces from the Atelier Versace SS12 collection.
Anja Rubik has found in the last years the perfect balance between looking ultra sexy and sophisticated. I am loving this Emilio Pucci moment – the pulled-back hair, the smoky eyes, the emerald and diamond jewellery were all great choices. Magdalena Frackowiak wore embellishments, leopard print and feathers all in one dress by Roberto Cavalli. And I just loved how elegant she looked in it. Bianca Balti went for grey, which is not a colour we see very often on the red carpet. But I loved the contrast of the lighter shade of the lace and the darker silk – by Dolce & Gabbana, of course. Jessie J, who I was quite shocked to see in Cannes, went for a leopard print Louis Heal dress. I thought it was quite a refined chic choice, especially for her. And I love the fact that she stayed true to her own style wearing chunky boots

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The SS'12 Campaigns are out – Here are my favourites so far
Courtesy of Prada

We are just about to break for the Christmas Holidays but fashion doesn't know about resting! The Spring/Summer 2012 campaigns are being released without a pause and I must say I am happy to see vibrant cheerful colours despite how much I love the winter.

So far I am impressed with most of the ads I have seen. Though I was particularly intrigued to see what Prada and Versace did for the new season. Prada's was in my top 5 of SS12 collections and I was dying to see it through the eyes of Steven Meisel, who has done such a brilliant job with carrying on with the 50's theme in a petrol station.

I knew the Versace, shot by Mert & Marcus and styled by Joe McKenna, was going to be one of the best ones. The house has been getting so much press over the last few months and it's finally going back to Paris for Couture to show their new Versace Atelier collection. So, of course, they had to go for Giselle Bündchen! I love the LA feel of the shoot, the colours and the sort of vintage Italiana vibe.

Click below on read more to see more!

Last night I was green with envy reading all the tweets from everyone who attended the Versace x H&M fashion show in New York. If we thought last year's event for Lanvin was big I don't know what to call this. All of fashion's most popular editors, stylists and writers were joined my a huge number of celebrities. From Helena Christensen and Uma Thurman to Blake Lively and Chase Crawford to Linda Evangelista en Chloe Moretz, everyone was there. Dressed in head-to-toe Versace. I must say this collaboration is not very me but I can see why it would appeal to so many people. It's such a great chance to get iconic pieces from the 90's most of us were either too poor or too young to get back then. Enjoy the show! And click here to see the video of everyone who attended last night.

Courtesy of Versace x H&M

Style.com

So far the SS12 season has been great! New York started out a little weak, with the exception of Alex Wang, Prabal and Rag & Bone, but London really picked up the rhythm and Milan is keeping it up.

I was very pleased with Gucci this season because finally Frida Giannini has brought it back to what it used to be –a plethora of luxurious glamour inspired by the golden eras of fashion. We have seen a lot of fringed skirts and drop waist dresses since New York kicked things off but no one has made then as well as Gucci so far. The 20's inspiration is going strong.
Versace, another Italian house who has had a little trouble getting its mojo back, has finally found its place in the current fashion panorama. Donatella is keeping Gianni's essence alive while pushing the brand forward. I love their SS12 collection and its abundance of two-piece tube skirt and top looks –a trend also very well pulled off at Pucci, despite their lose of focus this season.
Two of my favourites, Marni and Jil Sander, never disappoint. The first joined into the 20's silhouettes trend but approached it from its quirky and graphic way, which made it very interesting. Raf Simons, who is not rumoured to become the new creative director at YSL (!), went for more of a late 50's inspiration. He updated the looks by playing with geometric cuts. My favourite were the square necklines that we also saw ar Marni –so chic!

FashionGoneRogue

I mentioned a few weeks ago how much into Zoe Kravitz's style I was. She is just so cool. And it totally comes through in every single picture you see of her.

For the new issue of Wonderland Simon Burstall has shot these stunning black and white pictures of Zoe wearing some of this season's editorial hits. The pictures are very uncomplicated and yet I think Anthony Unwin has done an absolutely awesome job with the styling.

Pieces like the Versace top or the Pucci backless dress look a lot more urban on Zoe and you forget for a second how many times before you've seen them on paper.

Are you a fan?

Style.com

This morning, after a couple of hours of unconfirmed (but pretty likely) rumours, H&M confirmed that next on the line of their famous designer collaborations will be Versace.

Donatella herself explains how she has been looking into the archive to make sure that the DNA of the collaboration is 100% Versace. We can, then, expect some of the iconic Baroque gold prints mixed with colours. Ahead of the curve, of course, is Lady Gaga, who has already dug into the Versace archive for her latest video. Coincidence? I think not.

The collection will hit stores worldwide on November 17th so it will still be a while before we even see a preview. However, I think it's safe to assume that, together with prints, we'll see long gowns with crazy side-slits in bright hues and white and there will also be a lot of super short very daring dresses and skirts with prints and studs. We'll sea a lot of leather, strapless tops and huge sunglasses and handbags.

Are you excited about this collaboration?

It seems like Miu Miu set the trend to take inspiration from comic books to dress for the new season. But it's not only them that have found a modern and sexy approach to it. Looking through what online shopping has to offer for SS11 it seems only evident that leather is king, whether on shoes, skirts or dresses, and that a big part of the clothes are looking to find a sexy way around comfy clothes. With big superhero films coming up in the next few months I wanted to have a look at what fashionable heroines should be wearing for Spring.

Clockwise from top right: Dion Lee pleated chiffon dress, Giuseppe Zanotti sandals, Miu Miu skirt, Versace cutout sandals, Christian Louboutin peep toe shoes,  Acne wedge boots, Chloé leather dress, Antonio Berardi dress, Camilla Skovgaard platform sandals.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Net-a-Porter, Vogue.fr, rantchick.com, popculture4fun.com]

Collage Sunday, 27.02.11: Versace goes back to Gianni

I have very seldom posted about Versace on the blog over the last few seasons. Except for the odd red carpet hit it's not a brand that often appeals to me. But every once in a while Donatella rescues some of Gianni's old flavour and manages to create a collection that reminds me of why I loved his brand so much. For fw11 Donatella has done very simple shapes, mostly cocktail dress length and black or white, with bold graphic motifs in purple, yellow and green. These, together with the big gold logo detailing took me back to the Versace of the late 80's and early 90's. I particularly liked the white one-shoulder night number that Abbey Lee rocked on the runway and the incredible bejewelled medusa evening bags, which, I hope, will make a big hit.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Anja and her boys

Today the March issue of Vogue España hits the newstands. Now, I know I often say this or that is the best cover so far but I genuinely mean it this time. This feels quite different from what Vogue España usually does and it works so wonderfully way. For their main story "Anja y sus chicos" (Anja and her boys) my favourite model in the world (she's my laptop wallpaper) dresses up in Givenchy, Pucci and one of those fringed Versace dresses in blue to reinterpret the 70's. And to do so she surounds herself with remarkably underdressed models Andrés Velencoso, Jon Kortajarena y Oriol Elcacho, who also happen to be the most iconic Spanish male models of the moment. The story, shot by Alexi Lubomirski and styled by fashion director Belén Antolín, proves that a studio shoot doesn't have to be boring. Watch the making of the video here.

They also devote a broad story, "Lección de Anatomía" (Anatomy lesson), to six women with very different body types. This is a constant topic to be discussed in fashion and recently brought to the frontline of news by Erin O'Connor. My other favourite editorial in the issue is "El arte de la seducción" (The art of seduction) shot by Camilla Akrans (who shot those beautiful Dior pictures for the last issue of Industrie). Malgosia Bela, the up-and-coming model of the moment wears Sissy Vian styling for this story. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

I'm off.

[Pictures: Courtesy of Vogue España, TFS]

Inspired LOVE

For the last few weeks there has been such a buzz about LOVE's fifth issue, which came out this week. They slowly built up the hype by releasing one by one each of their now trademark multiple covers. The first, with Kate Moss tenderly kissing Lea T. in the mouth, set the tone for the rest. Funnily enough 'The Androgyny Issue' suits Justin Bieber's controversial cover like a glove as a title. Not quite the other three, but let's not get into the semantics. This is also LOVE's biggest issue yet. Which, in the case of the magazine, makes it comparable to a coffee table book. Once submerged in the issue you'll be amazed by the quality of the quantity. However, there are two editorials that I particularly liked. The first is 'Razz Matazz', shot by Mert & Marcus (my favourite photogs of the moment) and styled by Editor-in-Chief Katie Grand. I love the kind of retro look of part of the shoot, which works so wonderfully with M&M's plastic colours and intense tweaking. The styling and combination of colours are simply genius, as could be expected from Grand.

The second shoot, 'Gloss!', was shot by Sølve Sundsbø and styled by Victoria Young. There is a very plastic feel to these images too. I am not the first one to think of Barbie, with her shiny plastic skin, perfect tan and red lips. Alessandra Ambrosio looks absolutely astonishing in the bold SS11 hues. I especially love her in the two-piece Versace. This shoot made me think of the one she did for Vogue Nippon a while ago styled by Anna dello Russo. She just looks incredible in anything.
I have also been keenly following theLovemagazine twitter page lately and I am in awe of the great publicity campaign they've put together. It's simply inevitable to have seen their covers plastered in any corner of London and, let's face it, when you see LOVE written so big, you feel it.

I'm off.

[Pictures: TFS, TheLoveMagazine twitter]

Golden Globes 2011 Apendix

I promised I'd be back with more. This second post has a bit of really good fashion and another bit of quite horrific catastrophes. But let's start with the good. Annette Bening has been the first celebrity (to my knowledge) to wear Tom Ford to an event. I don't understand why no one is talking about this and why it was so hard to find a good picture of a beautiful and elegant woman only because she's older. She absolutely rocked the velvet-dotted sheer dress and I loved the crazy messy hair and the geek-chic glasses. I was also glad she wore Tom because that meant Julianne (in a Lanvin I'm not too keen on) wouldn't, which can only mean she is wearing Tom to the Oscar's. Hurrah! Angelina knows green is her ally. It really compliments her hair and it brings out her eyes. Her Atelier Versace was a stunning piece of understated glamour, which, sadly, wasn't matched by the hair. She was going for a natural effortless kind of look and I would have almost bought it if I hadn't seen her putting lip gloss on all through the show. And lastly, a woman who I should have put as number one because not only she is incredibly attractive but she also makes a bold choice after the other. Tilda Swinton slipped into one of Jil Sander's SS11 quasi-Couture numbers and she literally got me off my seat.

Before I start on the bad I want you to notice how I have included among them a face whose style I usually praise. I have because, sadly, it's where she belongs this time but also to prove that I am an objective person. Michelle Williams chose Valentino (yet again) but she was wrong —it's not a safe choice ever since Garavani stopped signing sketches. The fabric of her Pre-Fall 2011 dress would make beautiful pillows for your back yard's furniture but as a dress it makes Spring feel like in the middle of December. Christina Aguilera in Zuhair Murad. She's halfway in (or out) of it and the nude lining did not help. She should know a woman must cover her shoulders when she's got more than a fold between her arm and her, ahem, bust. I will use this over and over again (because I think it's witty). It was grotesque. And then we have JLo from the seas channeling some Ariel in another Zuhair Murad (go figure). Her invite said fancy dress so she called Mariah Carey for advice and opted for a glittery take on a jellyfish costume accompanied by some very original eye make up, which I can only describe as silver-incrusted sleep.

I'm off.

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

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]

Designer Dreams (and hotels)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Pictures: hotel websites and Style.com]

peaches from Monaco

This short post is the product of a bit of a long story and a few random stops on websites. This morning I was having a look at what the buyers from Net-a-Porter had chosen from the Versace SS10 collection. I was quite excited because, even though I have never been a fan of Donatella's creative decisions, I have very much liked the turn the brand has started taking in the last few seasons. SS10 went a little back to Gianni's 80's, which was refreshingly retro, if you know what I mean. This time, there was more of a pastel feel to the colours and gold was substituted with silver —trying to get away from the traditional Versace tackiness Donatella has us used to.

In the middle of doing this I made my daily stop at RDuJour to see what glamourous content they had come up with for today. As it turned out, an interview Barbara Walters had with Princess Caroline of Monaco around 1985. I was happy to see them embracing the 80's with (Caroline) an all-white ensemble and (Barbara) in pastel peach. This last outfit made me think straight away of Versace's peach colour for this summer, of which Net-a-Porter happens to be selling a few pieces. End of the story.

Click here to see the second part of the interview.

[Sources: Style.com, Net-a-Porter.com, RDuJour.com]

I'm off.

what happened in Milan

Milan Fashion Week was only the first half of all the good things to come for menswear. However, it has been a very exciting few days thanks to the live streaming of the fashion shows and all the twittering going on. I am overall very pleased with what I have seen. Designers have restrained themselves and have hence found new ways to let go of their prodigality via textures and colours. My biggest joy? —Gucci and the return of the turtle neck and blazer combo. Which collection was your favourite?

[Pictures credit: GQ.com]

I'm off.