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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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. 

Musical Moment: Florrie ('Begging Me')

Florrie (Florence Arnold) is a 22 year old singer/songwriter/drummer originally from Bristol, who despite her increasing popularity and offers from major music labels, continues to release music under her own label, making sure she maintains complete creative control.

Florrie describes her music as “a big mixture: kind of a sixties, organic feel merged with modern pop beats and electronics.” Indeed, contemporary French disco legend Fred Falke has been an instrumental force in defining Florrie’s sound.

I love her – and her song ‘Begging Me’ is my favourite so far (available on iTunes.)

Also a firm fashion favourite, Florrie recently became the face of Nina Ricci’s L’Elixir perfume and her version of Blondie’s Sunday Girl accompanies the TV commercial…