The British Fashion Awards 2012
Last weekend’s glamourous British Fashion Awards, at The Savoy Hotel, was a STELLAr evening all round… Stella McCartney (above) not only won Designer AND Brand of the Year, but a many of the most stylish guests (including Salma Hayek and Rita Ora) also wore her designs on the night. My favourite fashionista Alexa Chung once again won the British Style Award (voted for by her adoring public for the third year running!) and Cara Delevigne (left, wearing a green metallic Burberry Prorsum SS’13 minidress), won Model of the Year – thoroughly deserved following her recent marathon Fashion Month. Harold Tillman - who steps down from his role as British Fashion Council chairman in January – received the Special Recognition.
Below (L-R): Alexa Chung in Simone Rocha with Nicholas Kirkwood shoe-boots, Erdem Moralioglu and Samantha Cameron in Erdem, Jourdan Dunn in Topshop.
Designer of the Year: Stella McCartney
Designer Brand: Stella McCartney
New Establishment: Erdem
Menswear Designer: Kim Jones for Louis Vuitton
Emerging Talent Award (Ready-To-Wear): JW Anderson
Emerging Talent Award (Accessories): Sophie Hulme
Emerging Talent Award (Menswear): Jonathan Saunders
Accessory Designer: Nicholas Kirkwood
Red Carpet Award: Roksanda Ilincic
Model: Cara Delevingne
Outstanding Achievement in Fashion: Manolo Blahnik
Special Recognition: Harold Tillman
Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator: Louise Wilson
British Style brought to you by Vodafone: Alexa Chung
Above: Amber le Bon in Stella McCartney. Below: Dita Von Teese in Jenny Packham
The British Victoria's Secret 2012 Invasion
Last night Cara Delevigne (above) and Jourdan Dunn (below right) joined fellow Brit, and seasoned Angel, Lily Donaldson (below left) at the 17th Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, at the Lexington Avenue Armory, in New York. Walking alongside international beauties Miranda Kerr and Adriana Lima, the gorgeous young trio did us all proud this side of the pond, strutting their hot stuff amongst the usual abundance of feathers, sparkles, wings and hairspray. With performances by Rihanna, Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber (who seemed particularly enamoured by the stripy striking Cara!) this year’s extravaganza was divided into four sections: Circus, Dangerous Liaisons, Pink is Me and Calender Girls.
Adding force to this year’s Victoria's Secret British invasion, for the first time all of the Angels wore high heels created by the same label - British designer Nicholas Kirkwood.
Below: Brazilian Angel Alessandro Ambrosio wowed the audience whilst wearing pink orchid wings and the diamond encrusted ‘Fantasy Bra’ – a steal at a mere $2.5 million.
And just when I thought I couldn’t adore Cara Delevigne any more, she arrived at Heathrow to fly to New York for the VS show wearing… a tiger onesie. Running around the airport, Cara posed for Jourdan Dunn's iPhone underneath her polished Burberry campaign beauty shots in the Duty Free section. The models immediately instagrammed the shots. I love.
Dynamo - Magician Impossible (and INCREDIBLE!)
Never ask your boyfriend what to wear to a party. I made this mistake last year when attending Jack’s friend’s wedding in Long Island. He had lost the invitation but told me it was a black tie event and I dressed accordingly; a sweeping, long sleeved, jewel pink Issa London dress. Apart from myself, and the bride, every other woman at this wedding was wearing black. That was one helluva long night.
So I cannot believe I made the same ridiculously naïve mistake before attending the WTA Tour Pre-Wimbledon Party, hosted by Holly Branson, at The Roof Gardens in Kensington. Running late from meetings, with little time to research the event, I asked Jack, who had attended this party before, the dress code. I was told it was “very casual, Babe.”
Turning up in skinny BDG black jeans and a Broad Anglais long sleeved top (from Staring At Stars) I was instantly surrounded by shimmering and glistening cocktail dresses and towering Nicholas Kirkwood heels everywhere I looked (which was not very far considering I was in flats by Pretty Ballerinas and was eye level with most other girl’s hips.) With the WTA and the British Fashion Council partnering together, this occasion was anything but casual… Babe. My heart sunk and Jack ran for his life (not for the hills, to the bar.)
After squeezing past many of the stilettos and sequins (Maria Sharapova in Alexander McQueen, you are SO NOT helping matters) my manhunt for Jack was halted by bumping into someone equally as casual and equally as short, Bradford magician, Dynamo. Knowing there is power in numbers, he instantly, however unwittingly and momentarily, became my NBF in the room.
After witnessing him tapping Sam Branson on the back three times, and his girlfriend, the beautiful Isabella Calthorpe, with her eyes tightly shut, convinced that it was her back being tapped, Dynamo soon had the rapidly growing crowd around him, both mesmorised and dumbfounded. But this was just a teaser - his new television series, ‘Dynamo: Magician Impossible’ is ridonkulous. Already with a fan base including Chris Martin and Will Smith, the first episode has him levitating Matrix-stylie, throwing mobile phones into empty beer bottles and walking on the River Thames... ON the River Thames!!
After watching an episode of Dynamo's magic with me, my Father decided he must be from another planet… And I tend to think this could be the only reasonable explanation.