Golden Globes 2015

Yessssssss… Award season has begun, which to me means the red carpet’s Battle of the Dresses is ON good people of Hollywood!  The Golden Globes, a ceremony I have always viewed as the drunken, more entertaining version of the Oscars, gives us not only an early indication of the season’s winners, but also a welcome glimpse at the latest show stopping frocks (or sparkly jumpsuits, as the case was this year).   

It is worth mentioning, before we get to the fashion nitty gritty, that the glorious Tina Fey and Amy Poehler presented the awards for the very last time on Sunday (a total travesty, someone throw even more money at them, QUICK!) Their opening monologue (below) was, once again, my serious highlight of the night… These two ladies and their on-point humour shall be greatly missed. 

Right, back to the fashuuuuun and my Best Dressed of the night… With so many of the stars dressed immaculately, but oh so predictably, at these events, I will always be drawn to the women who choose not to play it so safely (or clevagey).  No one, in my opinion, looked better at this year's Golden Globes than TLC's serial red carpet winner, Emma Stone.  Wearing a bejeweled Lanvin jumpsuit, the actress oooozed confidence and cool, with just the right amount of quirk.  Diane Kruger looked every inch the blonde and icy screen siren wearing one of my favourite designers, Emilia Wickstead.  I also adored beautiful Brit Felicity Jones’ unusual, teal Christian Dior gown, which although divided opinion, had me at hello. 

Special mentions must go to Leslie Mann for her yellow Kaufman Franco sequinned dress/green clutch combo (and for just always being the sweetest, most cute-as-a-button thing I ever did see), Sienna Miller’s stand out Miu Miu dress worn with rocky, choppy hair, and Anna Kendrick in her Cinderella by name/role, Cinderella by nature/dress, in fairytale Monique Lhuillier.

It has to be said, shiny Golden Globes may have been highly sought after by many a Hollywood hand, but the real winners were these three dapperly dressed dudes, all holding super smokin' and strikingly dressed ladies in their arms;  Benedict Cumberbatch with his fiancé Sophie Hunter (in Erdem), Joshua Jackson with long-term love Diane Kruger (in Emilia Wickstead) and Jamie Dornan with wife Amelia Warner (in another of my favourite designers, Husihan Zhang).  High five gentlemen, we salute you.

Below:  When Bad Dresses Happen to Good People.  Ohhhh… There’s always one who lets the side down… ok, perhaps five.  I met Lana Del Rey in LA once, she was LOVELY, unlike her dress on Sunday.  Rosamund Pike was scarily good in 'Gone Girl,' ironically as her cutom-made Vera Wang dress was scarily bad.  Lupita Nyong’o, who topped EVERY best dressed list last season, clearly has decided to let everyone else have a go this year, wearing this Giambattista Valli 'thing.'  Michelle Monaghan wearing a 'Throwback Thursday' to the awesome nineties… except it was a Sunday, and this Jason Wu dress was not awesome.  Kate Mara in Miu Miu. Has the 'House of Cards' actress stepped in a puddle?  Do puddles even exist in LA?!  And don’t get me started on that belt... No Kate. No. 

For the full list and details of the evening's winners see HERE

Dolce and Gabbana's Christmas Tree at Claridge's

London’s Christmas party season kicked off this year at Claridge's, where for the second year running, Dolce and Gabbana designed the hotel’s magical Christmas Tree, and I was invited to celebrate it’s grand unveiling – all eight sparkling metres of it!  Covered in 300 hand-painted baubles, gold ribbons, and a multitude of flags, the tree was inspired by childhood memories and was surrounded by an enchanted forest.

Wearing my new Ingenue London Megan Long Sleeve Jumpsuit in navy blue velvet (RRP. £103.00) it dawned upon me that I clearly had NOT got the D&G memo… The festivally decorated lobby seemed filled with equally festively decorated ladies, all in little red lace dresses.  Move over the LBD, it’s Christmas!

Above:  Best pressie ever?  I found this teeny-weeny-eenie Woodland Fairy (a.k.a my buddy, Anna Kendrick) wrapped up in Dolce & Gabbana underneath the tree. 

Above (L-R):  Martha Ward, Christy Osbourne, Emily Johnston, TLC, Amy Williams

Above:  "Well colour me happy, there's a sofa in here for twoooo!"

Above:  Heels off, robes on and Room Service... Anna and my after-party won! 

Above:  Featuring in Grazia magazine alongside Anna Kendrick

The 2014 Met Ball

This week the biggest A-Listing schlebs and schlebrutants gathered on the footsteps of the Metropolitan Museum for the 2014 Met Ball, hosted by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and co-chair, the belle-of-every-ball, SJP (below, in Oscar de la Renta).  The dress code this year was ‘White Tie and Decorations’ to compliment the current Costume Institute's retrospective of the Anglo-American couturier Charles James.  As always, there were some style-winners and some style-misses… and then a whole new level of OMG! ('Oh Met God!') established by Kim Kardashian last year (HERE) and owned this year by a criminally dressed Kate Upton… #WhenBadDressesHappenToSuperHotWomen.

Below:  Fresh, relevant and so-very-freaking-fash, these three TLC style-faves NAILED modern elegance in a sea of pouff...  (L-R):  Marion Cotillard wore a classic Dior shape made from a modern, dark ink blue material accessorised with one enormous Chopard diamond earring and an orange power pout. I'm not crazy keen on her Dior Haute Couture heels but they certainly don’t distract from the over all ‘Ooh La La’ of her look.  Emma Stone looked perfectly pink in a two-tone Thakoon dress, carrying a Tod’s clutch and wearing a Disney-princess messy side-braid. Youthful and HOT.  A controversial choice, but I adored Alexa Chung’s ice blue, crunchy taffeta Nina Ricci dress.  Only Alexa, in her bejeweled shoes, with her un-done hair and rock’n’roll nonchalance, could make this dress with its multi-bow accents look so damn cool. 

Below:  Models Suki Waterhouse and Stella Tennant both looking WOW in Burberry.  

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Below:  There was definitely a trend for classic black and white gowns on the Met Ball red carpet this year and my favourite of these was actress Anna Kendrick's modernly elegant peekaboo J.Mendal dress worn with Graff diamonds and Brian Atwood heels.

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Below:  Couture Couples! Three beautifully dressed ladies with three mighty dapper accessories...  (L-R):  Beyonce looking mysterious and flawless in a beaded Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci gown with husband Jay ZDiane Kruger looking lovely in lavender in Jason Wu for Hugo Boss dress with her boyfriend Joshua Jackson, and blonde bombshell Blake Lively in a glistening champagne Gucci gown with husband Ryan Reynolds.  

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Below Clockwise (L-R):  35 year old Katie Holmes actually hurt my eyes whilst channelling ‘Belle’ from ‘Beauty and the Beast’ in this Marchesa dress. More beastly than belle.  Kate Upton in Dolce and Gabana.  OMG! O.MET.G! This is comedy-bad. WHO is responsible for dressing this majorly hot woman as a frumpy, buxom Austrian barmaid, complete with bonnet?!  Shoot them.  Lupita Nyong’o looking a little more fancy-dress than party-dress in Prada.  With a string of red carpet wins this year, I’ll let her off for this less than elegant flapper dress fail.  Reece Witherspoon looking a little too kitsch and way too ‘Legally Blonde’ in this pink Stella McCartney dress for my liking.  Maggie Gyllenhaal in a Valentinokaftan. A kaftan.  This has nothing to do with Charles James, and no place on the red carpet.  Rita Ora (can we please stop trying to make this woman ‘happen’ now?!) flashed her underwear throughout the evening in garish Donna Karen Atelier and a pair of thigh-high strappy heels. Classy as always...  Aaaand breathe TLC!

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The London Chatter for ZOS Magazine

I was thrilled to be interviewed about my style in the SS’14 online edition of the recently launched ZOS Magazine, a seasonal online fashion, beauty and lifestyle magazine aimed at 15-25 year old girls, run by two creative high school students in Sydney, Australia. 

Anna Kendrick's Non-Super Bowl Commercial

For anything remotely sport related to interest me, especially American sport, it had better be good… Damn good.  

Newcastle Brown Ale’s commercial that was never made (confused?!) starring TLC fave Anna Kendrick was THE talk of last weekend's ‘Super Bowl Sunday’ (that’s football riiiight?!)  The Tyneside tipple launched the ‘If We Made It’ campaign, showing the 28 year old actress in a brilliant behind-the-scenes discussion/rant about a commercial that she would have been made had the brand had had the money to indeed make it.  Outta the way Tina Fey, Anna Kendrick ("the hottest girl in your improv class hot") is fast taking centre funny-stage. 

2013 Flipagram

If you are enjoying a digital detox this holiday the latest, greatest app to take the (social media) world by storm may have, thus far, eluded you.  Flipagram lets you choose photos from your camera roll, select a song from your music library, and then allows you to share the constructed montage.   Along with pretty much everyone else on Instagram, I created my own 15 second flashback of 2013 filled with some of my year's highlights;  new puppies (Atlas and Albas), new kittens (Harry and Lloyd), protests (against the ivory trade and the annual dolphin slaughter in Taji, Japan) and playing the Bongos with Cara Delevingne are featured admist my amazing trips to Los Angeles, Kenya, Berlin and Mallorca (below).  Try it yourself - it's flippin' fantastic! 

All She Wants for Christmas 2013

We all know that most men fear, dread and loathe shopping so rather than ‘accidentally’ flambéing him instead of the Christmas Pudding as thanks for that last minute, delightfully flammable red underwear he left for you under the tree (“but it’s festive!”) may I suggest you help the poor fella out this year by kindly leaving this page open on his desktop…!  

Above (Clockwise) L-R: Kate: The Kate Moss Book  RRP. £50.00, Jonathan Adler’s Mr and Mrs Muse Mug at Amara  RRP. £24.30, Topshop Rasberry Bow Heels – RRP. £55.00, Anya Hindmarch Girlie Stuff Wash Bag  RRP. £95.00, Princess Tam Tam’s Folie Bra  RRP. £58.00

Above (Clockwise) L-R:  Dannijo Joanie Stud Earrings at Matches – RRP. £125.00, Topshop Collar Jacquard Dress – RRP. £75.00, Monica Vinader’s Gold Vermeil Stacking Rings - RRP. £50.00 - £100.00Anthropologie Lady Bugs Dinner Plate – RRP. £24.00, Anthropologie Multitude Hairbands – RRP. £14.00 

Above (Clockwise) L-R:  Smythson 'Shoe Queen' Leather Notebook at Matches - RRP. £38.00, Topshop Velvet Sequin Pencil Skirt – RRP. £42.00, ‘Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!’ at Amazon – RRP. £37.50 £23.25, Limited Edition Diptyque Candles at Space.NK RRP. £25.00 -£45.00. Graham and Green Ceramic Animal Boxes  RRP. £15.00 - £18.00 

Above (Clockwise) L-R: DVF Diane Von Furstenberg Lips-Print Iphone Cover - RRP. £30.00£21.00, Wilbur & Gussie’s Penny Clutch - £295.00, Soru’s Double Green Opal Ring in Gold RRP. £120.00, Beulah’s Shibani Shawl – RRP. £120.00 (10% from each Shabani shawl purchase goes to the UN’s Blue Heart Campaign against human trafficking), Biscuiteers Nativity Biscuit Set  RRP. £35.00, Just Ballerinas’ Leopard Print Slippers  RRP. £139.00

Thank you to actresses Anna KendrickSienna MillerTara Summers and Ella Smith,  presenter Louise Roe and fashionistas Savannah MillerTanya Semikoz and Natasha Rufus Isaacs, for sharing with The London Chatter their 2013 Christmas wishes. xxxx


Musical Moment: Katy Perry ('Roar')

I was lucky to attend Katy Perry's iTunes Festival performance, the last show in a star-studded month long festival. The excited crowd, myself included, were treated to 45 minutes of all the singer’s best hits as well as two newer tracks from her latest album Prism.

You sometimes forget just how many BRILLIANT and sassy pop gems Katy is responsible for, Wow... California GurlsTeenage DreamI Kissed A GirlFirework (“dedicated to anyone who has ever felt less”) and my latest favourite pop-punch anthem, ‘Roar!’ (below) which even my father mentioned to me the other day was, "a jolly good tune." Praise indeed.  The all singing, all dancing and all rope-skipping (yes, yet another talent displayed during the performance) Katy Perry really is the perfect popstar.  Just awesome. 

Above (L-R):  In Katy's dressing room (I don't know how this happened either...) with Katy PerryAnna KendrickTamra NatisinEllie Goulding and Lauren Glucksman.

"I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar...!"


Katy Perry's album 'Prism' is now available to buy from iTunes Here

LFW: Temperley London SS'14

Along with the Duchess of Cambridge, I have always been a big fan of Temperely London and am lucky enough to own a couple of their beautifully ethereal and embellished dresses. 
Inspired by a Sicillian holiday, the Temperley London SS’14 collection, shown at The Savoy, was irresistibly lovely.  Dresses with embroidered flowers, crystal detailing, cherry-blossom prints and flowing fuchsia (clearly THE colour next spring) had a tangible romance to them.  The big surprise for me were the soft floral patterns transcending into leopard print (much like a chocolate pretzel, you wrongly assume this shouldn’t work!)  An elegant collection fit for a modern-day glamourous Princess… Now, if only they knew one…!