Victoria Beckham wears Giles to the London Olympics closing ceremony
Getty, Style.com

I actually never thought I would be devoting a full post to Olympic-related fashion news, let alone writing about them past midnight. But I am.

The London 2012 closing ceremony took place tonight – it was technically yesterday? – and pretty much the whole world was watching. And tweeting. I, for one, was alone at home but I did not feel bored for a single moment. Except, perhaps, when George Michael performed that godawful song no one knew.

The fact of the matter is that the Spice Girls reunited for an incredible, if slightly brief, performance at the Olympic stadium. I do believe that a big percentage of viewers had tuned in only for them. I wasn't one of them. I tuned in for Victoria Beckham. Not only she has turned out to be the most successful of the 5 but also the sexiest and chicest. For her performance she rocked a customised Giles gown from the FW12 collection. I was pretty excited because it was one of my top 5 collections from the last London Fashion Week. I love the fact that it took the 'black mini dress' concept that Victoria (Adams) was famous for and transformed it into a fashion-forward ravishing choice.


Check out the Giles FW12 collection here and click below on read more to see more pictures of Victoria's fierceness from the closing ceremony.

Get the look: Kristen Stewart's airport chic
Net-a-Porter, Courtesy of Burberry

London's weather has got a bit gloomier (yet again) and I feel like it's the perfect time to get some inspiration from Kristen Stewart. I am a much bigger fun of her looks off the red carpet.

Kristen wore this ensemble to the right when she arrived into JFK airport yesterday. She paired a skinny pair of grey jeans (similar to the Victoria Beckham ones I chose) with a loose grey tee (like this one from J. Crew). She added two of her favourite statement, if subtle, accessories – the Balenciaga motorcycle jacket she has in several colours and she's been wearing everywhere and the super chic Burberry leather bowling bag from the FW12 collection.

I love Kristen in looks like this one because she looks so comfortable and at ease – unlike on the red carpet – and, hence, über cool. Plus, I love a woman who doesn't need a pair of high heels and a cocktails dress to look sexy.

What do you think?

Best Dressed of the Weekend: Christina Ricci's on a roll!
JustJared, Getty

Half of this edition of Best Dressed of the Weekend comes from LFW-related events and the other half from the never-ending parties going on in LA.
Jamie King is one of the most beautiful women in TV at the moment. She looks absolutely stunning week after week on 'Hart of Dixie'. Her latest hit comes from the Marni x H&M event in LA. Her two piece look that looks like a drop-waist jumpsuit is perfect for her. The headband and the flats add just the right touch.
Christina Ricci is currently promoting her 'Bel Ami' film around the world and looking consistently chic. This time she wore Jenny Packham to the Berlin premiere. The sequinned gown is quite simple but she adds a Je-ne-sais-quoi to it and really makes it pop.
Victoria Beckham is enjoying a rain of well-deserved fashion critics at the moment. This look is from the Harvey Nichols launch of her namesake diffusion like on Friday night. I loved the subtle details of the two-part black dress and the white details on the collar and the cuffs. Super chic!
And Rihanna is getting it spot on lately. After her incredible moment at the Grammys she turned up in another super sexy Giorgio Armani satin number at the designer's presentation and party on Saturday night in London. J'adore.

Style.com

Since I was delayed enough to make the post about the Royal Wedding I thought a 'Best dressed of the week' was more appropriate. I am yet to watch the whole thing (I missed it to catch a plane) but I can easily say this was the most stylish wedding since Grace Kelly married Rainier of Monaco in '56. Kate Middleton still takes my breath away with her two McQueen dresses. Her beautiful face and incredible figure made her look utterly regal in the white lace by Sarah Burton. Also very elegant were her sister Pippa, also in McQueen, and her mum Carole in Catherine Walker. We can expect lots of stylish royal gatherings from them.

Next on the list are, of course, the Beckhams. David looked as sharp as an Englishman should in Ralph Lauren and Victoria, in her own dress and a Philip Treacy hat, proved she'd have blue blood if she had matching Louboutins. Her look was not only occasion appropriate but also very interesting fashion-wise.

My other two favourites were the Queen, in regal yellow and looking quite jolly, and Sam Cameron (surprise!) in a very simple and very nicely accessorised Burberry dress.

[JustJared, Zimbio]

Is that Posh?

Victoria was seen yesterday leaving the big apple after the success of her FW11 collection and a sweet interview with Jimmy Fallon. The Beckhams are coming back to London just in time for fashion week. I was surprised to see Victoria in a tee, leather jacket and beanie (and bag from her own line). We rarely get to see a very casual Vicks but I really like it. It might be that she's trying to channel some of that London street style inspiration Anna Wintour talked about earlier this week or maybe she's expanding the range of styles of her own line. In any case, despite the slightly too big sunglasses and questionable beanie choice, I like where this is heading.

I'm off.

[Pictures: celebrity-gossip.net]

Victoria Beckham FW11: pushing the envelope

It's incredible what Victoria has managed to do in just a few seasons. From a well-received collection of body-con classic dresses she has quickly created a respected brand celebrities and any woman wants to wear. For FW11 she created very minimalistic dresses in bright hues. I loved how she reused the colours and materials and simply changed the cuts to show how there is nothing else but good taste and skills that you need to create stunning pieces. For next season she also introduced coats of pure lines very much in line with the first part of the collection. Alongside these, we saw other more relaxed looks in greys, beiges and khakis as Victoria's interpretations of the safari trend, one we rarely see in the winter. All of it accompanied by slick chic black turbans and knee-length suede boots. It's a matter of time before we see Vicky herself wearing these. Just wait for it.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

The (Victoria) Beckham Empire

It's quite funny how as I started preparing this post last Sunday as the news of Victoria's pregnancy flooded twitter. I personally don't know where she finds the time to be a mother but it looks like she's doing an excellent job so far.  I do wonder if she keeps trying for the girl she still doesn't have or if she wants to make a fashionable version of  'The Brady Bunch' in a few year's time.
In any case, it's admirable how she has managed (not without a lot of effort and plenty of time) to get away from the WAG status and be her own person. I have always liked her (she was my favourite Spice Girl) and I always found her fashion and hairstyle choices absolutely fascinating. But what I am most keen on is her fashion line. It's an undeniable fact that she has had an incredible success in the industry since the launch of her first line. And it must have felt excellent to prove wrong all the people who didn't believe she had the brains to do it.

This month, almost like a good omen for the year, she covers the front of the first British Vogue of 2011 (Feb issue) looking quite 90's but also very contemporary and fresh. This cover is one of my favourite ones from the British bible and it's also the best VB cover yet. Also, she didn't do her signature pose. The mag has also cut down on cover text a little, which makes me very happy. I can't wait to have this issue to see her editorial inside and, even more so, to read the interview.

All of this Victoria Beckham news got me looking at her past collections and at what she's doing at the moment. I did not know this until now but she also has a range of accessories, which includes totes, clutches and travelling bags. Looking at the collection I realised I had seen most of them before worn by her. I had previously been in awe of the big suitcase-y ones in black and ivory she travels with. There is a beautiful air of the 50's in the range, which I obviously love. But they also feel (like her Vogue cover) very clean and current. And it was extremely clever of her to be seen using the different models so that we know they're also useful classic items one can use in various situations. The price range and stockists have not been published yet, as the line is part of SS11 and still won't hit stores for a couple of weeks. But one thing is certain, they're going to be another hit.

I'm off.

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

Round Monday

As promised, we are back to business at soVIPzone. Giulia and I have been busy over the last week and we were both lucky enough to catch simultaneous colds, which reached their peak over the weekend, so neither of us could update the blog. Fortunately, we're feeling a little better with the beginning of the week and even though we're still quite busy again we couldn't go another day without a new post.

I can't tell you how happy I was to find so many incredible celebrity pictures this evening when I got home after a long day. Doing my daily website tour I couldn't believe how many of my favourite people had been wearing some of my favourite designers. They have made my Monday night so much better! Jessica Alba wore Valentino (and a kind of First Lady hair-do) at an event in Hollywood and she looked beautiful and elegant. Anne Hathaway melted my heart with a smile (yet again) in a beautiful sequinned Oscar de la Renta dress from SS11 during one of her appearances on the 'Love and other Drugs' press tour. Carey Mulligan slipped into a red Prabal Gurung and looked stunning at the British Independent Film Awards. Vicky Becks delighted us with yet another of her famous airport looks —this time in a Giambattista Valli cape-coat. And my favourite on-screen couple at the moment, Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, looked as cool as it gets —her in one of my favourite collections, SS11 Erdem, and him in a biker jacket brilliantly accessorised with a paisley-print scarf. What a day!

I'm off.

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

Gossip Girl Fashion: "Easy J"

I have decided to make of the Gossip Girl Fashion a more constant feature on soVIPzone seeing as I enjoy so much creating them and some of you guys seem to like them. I try not to go much into detail when it comes to the plot of the episode but I can't guarantee a 100% spoiler-free post either, so read on at your discretion.
"Easy J" (Season 4 Episode 6) has probably been one of the more fun episodes of this season. We kind of went back to the old GG plots where a million things happen at once even if there's no way you could fit all of that action in 24 hours. They change a lot as well. Let's start with Serena. She starts out the episode with a great outfit with some amazing pattern mixing going on. But the highlight of the episode has to be the Maxime Simoens two piece she wears to the party. It looks sort of Matrix-y on the model but Blake pulls it off incredibly well, making it look like something Victoria Beckham would make for her line.

Speaking of Victoria Beckham, that's exactly what Blair wears to the same party. And it's none but my favourite dress from the FW10 collection! I am surprised they don't put Blair in more form-hugging dresses. If you look at the dress from the back you can see how unbelievably well it fits her. It's classic, tasteful, refined and sexy. I want to see more of this Blair.

This episode was also full of fashion personalities. My favourite, of course, the legendary Tim Gunn playing himself. It is absolutely hilarious how he tries to act here and there. It doesn't really work but we love him anyway. I did love how he says to Jenny "that was bold" with the same singer-y tone he asks Project Runway designers to "make it work". A Tim Gunn tag line would have been extraordinary...! Something of a tagline was my favourite line from the episode. Jenny: "Yes, is it 100% vintage crazy-ass Blair". Who doesn't like a bad-ass fashion reference?

Isaac Mizrahi did the best work at acting. Although it's fair to say he was only on screen for a fourth of the time Tim Gunn is and he says about two words. In any case, look at that genuinely ecstatic face when he sees Lily, who, by the way, is wearing one of his designs. (Having industry on the show is starting to become a trend at this point).

The other popular face on the show was Ivanka Trump (and whoever she's married to) who looks fabulous in an Upper-East-Side take on the flapper. Also, she doesn't have to act because she is a Trump and we should be thankful just for having her on the show. NOTE: I loved that, for once, the party was at space with light instead of inside a dark hotel lounge.

These three totally crack me up. It absolutely escapes me how it makes sense to still have these childish scenarios when they're all in uni but I am so entertained by them. I especially love the fact that Penelope wears the same as the other two but in a different way, as to mark the difference in hierarchy. Them and Blair also had the best conversation of the episode:

Penelope- "The Boom Boom is a private club and we're having trouble with the guy at the door, can you help?"

Blair- "Penelope, this isn't Congress. Accomplish something!"

Eric's character is a bit of a mystery to me. He isn't always there and we don't really know what he does with his life apart from helping Jenny and being considerably shorter than all his cast members. It seems as if now that he's got a much needed haircut he is determined to become a mini-Dan. His body language speaks for himself.

And lastly, Blair in pyjamas. I can't remember well if we've seen a moment like this before but if we have I'm sure she was wearing a night gown. I find this masculine choice extremely refreshing and insanely sexy!

I'm off.

[Pictures: Screen caps, cwtv.com, ssense.com, maximesimoens.com, style.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]

Eva tries to pull a Vic

If the film-related events at Cannes weren't enough to provide plenty of celebrity style, some decide to go for shopping sprees in the city as well. Eva Longoria paid a visit to the Hermès store (because, you know, there is no Hermès in LA) in a horrid body-con Hervé Léger, blue Birkin, YSL Tribtoo's and degrade sunnies. If the references to Posh spice weren't enough, she Longoria added the miserable expression, which makes the whole moment absolutely hilarious.

What do you think of Eva's style for Cannes?

I'm off.

[Pictures: JustJared.buzznet.com, CelebrityGossip.net, Portero.com, Net-a-Porter.com, Barneys.com]

2 become 1

This is the kind of cover that makes you want to buy a magazine. A little retro yet current and, above all, fresh. I specially like that Victoria! overlapping Vogue at the top and the virgin-sea blue on the background. The the colours from Victoria Beckham's latest shoot are a little reminiscent of the editorial shot by Steven Klein her and David did on August 2007 for W magazine. Unlike the W shoot, this one for Vogue Deutsch is less kinky but it still has that air of Mojave Desert decadent glamour.

The Beckhams are quite unique because, unlike most celebrity couples, they are (now) equally famous. They pose together for ad campaigns and editorials, have their own separate projects and careers going on, and manage to look spotless in the spotlight. This week, David attended Good Morning America in an excellently executed double-denim number and a very on-trend soft-on-hard layering. My favourite part about Beckham's style, though, is he has the ability to look as if absolutely no thought is ever spent on his highly-calculated ensembles. Now, thought or not, I am definitely going to give this one a go.

I'm off.

[Pictures: RedCarpet-FashionAwards.com, community.livejournal.com, DailyMail.co.uk, JustJared.buzznet.com, Celebrity-Gossip.net]

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.

team khaki

Only three days ago we saw how Kate Bosworth has gone for the all-pastel look for SS10. We then asked you if you were team pastel or team khaki. Well, another of our favourite fashion icons, Victoria Beckham, has made her choice too. Vick got back to London in a chic black, grey and khaki ensemble perfect for the upcoming season.

[Pictures: JustJared, VisitBlackburn.co.uk]

I'm off.

Charlace Theron & the curious case of Jennifer Hudson

Every season I tend to develop attachments for a specific item or two in the womenswear section. Last season it was this beige and black Proenza Schouler jacket and a very particular Lanvin necklace. SS10 is yet to hit the stores but so far I keep going back to Stella McCartney's lace pieces (just like an ex). So I was ecstatic when I woke up this morning and I saw a very chic Charlize walking out of Mr. Chow (how I love that restaurant) in Beverly Hills.

[Picture credits: Celebrity-Gossip.net, Stella McCartney jacket @ Net-a-Porter]

The Curious Case of Jennifer Hudson should really be a story covered by all the main papers. How can somebody that looked like a stuffed sausage in anything can look so sexy and alluring just by losing a few pounds? I beseech your help, I want to know the story. And she really rocked that now signature Victoria Beckham (how weird does that sound?) at the Grammy's.

[Picture credits: Style.com, Victoria Beckham dress @ Net-a-Porter]

I'm off.

soVIP decade

A certain Welsh source whose name I can't reveal recently brought to my attention that this December wasn't only the end of 2009 but the end of the first decade of this new century. With this in mind, I started looking back both at soVIPzone's archive at at my immense iPhoto collection. I selected my celebrity fashion highlights of "noughties".

She has been flawlessly elegant for ten whole years thanks to an endless number of Armani gowns and her recent, more fashion-forward choices.

She got high. Then she got clean. Then she dumped Pete. Then she had a sandwich. Now she's just stunning.

Ash and MK became an iconic fashion duo and launched their diverse brands. But they also became individuals. Ashley recruited the slick dressers of the world while Mary-Kate took a more bohemian, yet chic, tangent.

Rachel Zoe went from creating style-clones of herself (see below) to being the first stylist celebrity and creating a clothing line, publishing a book and getting her own reality TV show.

In The O.C. you couldn't help but love Marissa and all the Chanel she wore to high school. And Mischa never disappointed red carpet-wise either, until Ms. Zoe was fired, that is. We enjoyed it while it lasted.

Fortunately, Nicole managed to collect or her Zoe wisdom and reinterpret it into a new style. One that successfully worked. She also parted ways with Paris and had a couple of offsprings that made her put on the few pounds she needed to make the most of her beauty.

Skinny, chubby, orange, white, knickers, drugs, biker jacket, leggings. They all work in many combinations when talking about Lindsay. She too, had her moment of fashion stardom courtesy of Rachel Zoe. But that moment was even shorter than Mischa's.

Both Summer and Rachel took longer than Marissa and Mischa to get interesting fashionably speaking but it was worth the wait. Rachel Bilson slowly turned into a ridiculously cute chic woman that didn't go off the rails.

Tom left the Gucci group. And the past ten years are history.

Anna and Carine went from signatures on the first page of Vogue to iconic fashion celebrities, filling the party section of Style.com and Scott Schuman's shots.

Victoria kept everyone talking about her diverse range of highly calculated everyday outfits. Whether we liked them or not, it was good entertainment.

She also kept us amused with her extravagant travelling ensembles. Let's make special mention of the hats and the black leather in its multiple shapes that are Beckham staples by now.

Katie had a cut and a beautiful mini-me. Contrary to popular annoyance soVIPzone was awestruck.

Kanye was cool for about 10 minutes. Then he opened his mouth.

Brad and Angelina made it official and turned the Jolie-Pitt family household into a United Nations orphanage. Plus, Brad wore a lot of Tom Ford.

Yves passed away and we lost one of the fashion geniuses of the century. Oh, and Stefano looked sharp at his funeral.

We got hooked to the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite. An addiction that is destined to outlive the decade.

Chuck Bass. Girls want him, guys want to be him.

Lauren Conrad took the hoodie off and ditched Laguna for LA. It was all amusing cute blonde locks and manis but the bad scripts and annoyance of the Heidi/Spencer combo made it too much.

We saw a new era of supermodels being born. Claudia and Linda were substituted by Daria and Anja. (And I didn't complain).

It all started with that dress on the left. It was all dashing smiles and spot-on fashion choices from then on.

Rihanna changed her umbrella for some YSL and ended up as a musical cross between a dominatrix and housewive with a quiff.

[Picture credtis: JustJared, Celebrity Gossip, Style.com]

I'm off.