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

HAWT: Blake Lively at Cannes 2014

Hawt = A late 1940's and early 1950's acronym for "Having A Wonderful Time."
Now the word is used on the internet as slang for something reeeeally hot.

Look, I’m not sure what Blake Lively was doing at Cannes either, but what I am sure of, is that I’m mighty glad she was - in all her blonde bombshell glory.  Blake does good Cannes.  From the minute Mrs. Reynolds stepped her long legs and ‘nudist heels’ (these are now ‘a thing’ apparently) off her boat wearing a Giambattista Valli SS’14 Couture white textured mini dress with pink embroidery and crystal detailing (right) I knew we were in for some serious fashaaan moments from the actress over the two day festival.  I was quadruple right...
 Right:  Blake next transformed into my childhood dream Barbie, wearing a stunning, 3D, iridescent Chanel SS’14 Couture dress with Sophia Webster (one of TLC's faves) heels at the ‘Mr. Turner’ premiere.  The dress made her already teeny tiny waist look teenier and tinier and I adore the pocket detailing. 

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Below:  Blake's two-toned bordeau Gucci Premiere gown, with it’s bold slit worn and halter-neck, worn with the actress' favoruite style of bed-head fish plaits to the ‘Grace of Monaco’ premiere, won red-carpet high fives all round.  Well played Blake, well played. 

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Below:  Blake’s final look was a fifties-inspired, dramatic, white and black stapless Gucci Premiere gown, which she wore accompanying her utterly infatuated and beaming husband (who could blame him?!) to the premiere of his latest film, ‘Captives.’ 

SS'13 Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week

Ooh la laaaa… For five days a year, a few selected designers present some of the most beautiful and otherworldly creations during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.  Haute Couture means ‘High Fashion’ in French and the ultra-luxe, super detailed pieces are made on an individual basis (for those that can afford it!)  Last week Christian Dior, Giambattista Valli, Jean Paul Gaultier and Maison Martin Margiela all showed their latest haute couture creations but it was the glitteringly elegant Elie Saab dresses and the floaty, intricate Chanel collection which really caught both my eye and imagination...

Described as an 'Ode to Delicacy,' the Elie Saab SS’13 Haute Couture show in Paris (above and below) was utterly breathtaking.  Totally timeless and totally dreamy.

And speaking of dreamy… Beaded and sequined Chanel Couture gowns glided down a forest-styled runway filled with Coco Chanel’s favorite flower, the camellia.  The traditional wedding finale was also anything but ‘traditional’ with two brides walking, hand in hand, down the runway together – perhaps Karl Lagerfeld's stand against the thousands of Parisians who recently marched in protest against the legislation of same-sex marriage? 

I loved the striking red bejeweled pouts at the Christian Dior show (below left) and the extreme false lashes at Chanel (below right)  which resembled dark, feathered tears.

Diane Kruger at Cannes 2012

If there was one celebrity who rocked the red carpet at Cannes 2012, it was Diane Kruger. I am a big style fan of this actress and it is hardly surprising that not one on the French Rivera came close to outshining her or her incredible wardrobe of gorgeous gowns.

Above: (L-R) Diane in edgy Balmain, looking utterly breathtaking in Giambattista Valli Couture and in a short Versus dress with sky-high Jimmy Choo stilettos.

What really struck me about Diane Kruger's faultess Cannes style however, was the continuous use of her favourite and prettiest accessory - her boyfriend Joshua Jackson.  Joshua manages to match every one of Diane's outfits picture perfectly.
No sparkly designer clutch could possibly compete.

Above: Quirky and cute in Chanel

Above: Summery in Calvin Klein

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Above: Divine in Nina Ricci

Above: Prabal Gurung (Look at those shoes!)

Above: Dazzling in Vivienne Westwood

Above: Extremely elegant in Jason Wu.
Black and navy happens to be my favourite colour combination.

Above: (L) Her last and most show stopping dress by Christian Dior.  
(R) 
Diane later changed into this more dinner friendly Jenny Packham ensemble.


Below: Other outfits I really liked were those of Audrey Tautou and Kristen Dunst...

Whilst promoting her latest film 'Thérèse Desqueyroux,' Audrey Tautou personified French chic in this frilly white shirt teamed with casual navy trousers, and later looked particularly Audrey Hepburn-esq in this gorgeous gold Prada dress. J'adore. 



Kristen Dunst looked hot (pink) in this gorgeous fuchsia Christian Dior Pre-Fall 2012 gown with Louis Vuitton jewellery whilst promoting her new film 'On The Road,' having looked very demure and angelic earlier that day in a white, retro Dolce & Gabbana dress accessorised sweetly with a floral headband.