Happy Heidi Halloween

Heidi Klum has become synonymous with Halloween after years of wearing THE best costumes found outside of a film set each year at her star-studded party every October.  However, the supermodel has cancelled this year’s 14th annual celebrations after the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy.  Heidi posted this photograph of herself (below) in New York, all wrapped up and wearing wellies, on Twitter saying, "Hope you and your loved ones are safe after the storm. Cancelling my Halloween party... postponing to a haunted Christmas."

With Heidi already having excitedly tweeted pictures this week from her Cleopatra costume fittings (left), impressively designed by Martin Izquierdo, I have decided to celebrate Heidi’s dedication to Halloween by posting some of her other amazing costumes… Happy Halloween Everyone! 

The New Bond Girls

Forget the guns, the gadgets, the martinis and the villains; the most exiting part of any Bond film is undoubtedly always the girls.  In ‘Skyfall’ Berenice Marlohe and Naomie Harris join the super beautiful, iconic ranks of becoming ‘Bond Girls.’  At last night’s glamourous world premiere of the latest Bond, held in London's Leicester Square, the two looked absolutely stunning.  Berenice opted for a sizzlingly glamourous red corseted Vivienne Westwood dress (above) and Naomie glittered in a Marios Schwab mesh dress complete with iridescent sequin bodysuit (below).  Mario Schwab commented this morning, "it is amazing to have Marios Schwab pieces worn to such an iconic Premiere in London."

How do you think these two beauties will match up to their predecessors?...

Frieze Art Fair 2012

Last weekend I went to Regent’s Park for the tenth Frieze London, one of the world’s leading contemporary art events.  With so much art displayed along a dizzying grid, the whole exhibition felt like one giant creative speed dating afternoon, as I whizzed around briefly flirting with each of the 175 gallery’s presentations.  Below are a few of my favourites pieces… 

Above: Is it a Door? Is it Art? No... I's Frieze. Easy Mistake. Kate Moss by Mario Testino. 

Above (L-R): Robert Indiana's Love and Art (1972-2000).

Above:  Art appreciating art...

Above (Clockwise): 'I am the One I've Been Waiting For,' Harland Miller (2012), Untitled, Loris Greuad (2012) and 'Inthistogether' Darren Almond (2010).

Above:  My favourite of the day. A portrait on old cassette tapes by Gregor Hildebrandt.

Above (L-R):  'A Balloon For Britain,' Scott King (2012) and 'Oh No' Doug Aitken (2012). 

Joseph Launches Online Store TODAY

To coincide with Joseph’s 40th anniversary this year, the brand is launching it’s highly anticipated multi-brand online store allowing their customers to order their chic ready-to-wear clothing, bags, shoes and accessories directly from the new sleek website.  Joseph is one of the most respected and influential brands within British fashion and I have always relied on their impeccably stylish essentials which always seem to magically work with the rest of my haphazard, ecletcic wardrobe. This will ostensibly be Joseph’s largest store to date; a huge, sparkly, digital flagship allowing us all to access the season’s hottest trends at the mere click of a mouse... Uh oh, now this could be seeeeeeeeriously dangerous!

Brad Pitt's Chanel No 5 Advertisement - Part 2

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It appears Chanel acknowledged my grievances yesterday about their new Chanel No 5 advert starring Brad Pitt and have acted quickly... but perhaps too quickly methinks?

I think that this new commercial seems like a rushed, emergency response to yesterday's negative feedback.  'Part 2' (more like 'Take 2'') appears to me like some footage of beautiful women has been hurriedly thrown together in an attempt to cover up some of Brad's bizarre monologue... This is all disappointingly un-Chanel. I think rather than rushing out this ineffective second attempt, I would have preferred for them to have unapologetically stood by their initial advert and accused me, in French please, of being the most 'orrrrrible of philistines for not understanding their higher level of perfume rhetoric.

Above:  Conan O'Brien also decided to re-work the original advert.  I think this is clear evidence why super Hollywood A-listers tend to record adverts in countries we do not readily have access to view them. Thank Heavens for YouTube... and Nicholas Cage.

Brad Pitt's Chanel No 5 Advertisement Revealed

We have all eagerly waited upon the latest Chanel No.5 advert having being teased for over a month with the teeniest, tiniest of tit-bit-Pitts, and yesterday it was finally released.  Am I alone in thinking… Is that it?!   Yes, Brad Pitt looks hot. Yes, Brad Pitt sounds hot. But… Where is the romance, the sweeping vistas, the fantasy… the… the… the anything?! 

Marilyn Monroe’s coy giggles, Audrey Tautou’s wistful train glances and Nicole Kidman’s can-can under the Eiffel Tower, have all been replaced by a scruffy Brad Pitt and his goatee.  As the first man to ever advertise the scent (a job he was paid £4.32 million for!) and with the amazing Joe Wright as his director, is it wrong that I had just expected MORE?!  A pensive, sultry Brad looks as if he has rolled out of a bar and given a deeply intense monologue to an invisible flock of birds... Unintentionally funny. Ooh-La-Lazy. 

Lazarides' Bedlam at the Old Vic Tunnels

Last week I attended the opening of the Lazarides Gallery’s third and final collaboration with the Old Vic Tunnels, ‘Bedlam.’   For this exhibition, Steve Lazarides commissioned artists to encapsulate the brutality and horror historically associated with London’s infamous Victorian mental asylum, Bethlam (commonly known as ‘Bedlam.’)  Lazarides explained, “everyone in the art world is crazy anyway, but different artists took different things from the idea. For some it became about chaos, for others it was more medical.”

Just as the Victorians would walk around Bedlam staring at the patients, completely fascinated and intrigued by their erratic behaviour, I too walked around the Old Vic Tunnels (the most perfect venue for this exhibition’s creepy theme!) both fascinated and intrigued by the plethora of dramatic art, sculptures and installations on display.

Below Centre:  Hamish Jenkinson, the Director of the Old Vic Tunnels, amongst the art.

Some stand out pieces for me were Tobias Klein’s ammonium sulphate crystal angel (patients at Bedlam would have these crystals placed beneath their skin as part of their treatment), the giant spinning swing (another treatment was to shake the mentally ill ‘back to their senses’) and Tessa Fraiser’s hanging mobile made up of rats, animal skeletons and insect wings… Quite the most disturbing thing I’ve seen in a long time.

The thin line between genius and madness was made very clear to me at this show leaving me feeling confused and ultimately disturbed – the artist’s intention I'm sure!  This show will certainly leave you with an impression… and perhaps some nightmares...

Below Centre:  Hamish Jenkinson interviewing gorgeous DJ/Presenter Izzy Lawrence.

'Bedlam,' presented by the Lazarides Gallery is on until October 21st. Entrance is free.

Musical Moment: Karen Elson and Ren Harvieu ('The Train Song')

Karen Elson, the flame haired supermodel, originally from Manchester, teamed up with the Salford-born singer Ren Harvieu to sing this captivating song.  Karen contacted 21 year old Ren through mutual friends as "I thought it'd be right up her street. Within a day or so she sent it back with harmonies on it – and some creepy organ as well. It was brill.” 

The song is taken from Ren's intensely emotional debut album, 'Through the Night.'  Super beautiful ladies, super beautiful song. I loooove.
"It’s so many miles and so long since I’ve met you, don’t even know what I’ll find when I get to you. But suddenly now, I know where I belong
... it’s many hundred miles, but it won’t be long."

James Mylne: Vintage Vogue

Last week I attended the opening night of artist James Mylne’s ‘Vintage Vogue’ exhibition at the Rook & Raven Gallery.  I was really intrigued and excited about this exhibition as James Mylne, 31, creates all his art using BIC Biros..!!  Each piece of James’ work takes huge levels of concentration (mistakes cannot be rectified) and can take hundreds of hours to complete.  I had to see it to believe it and the results blew me away; a room filled with beautiful and photo-realistic portraits from the Golden Age of Hollywood.  Heaven. Stylish icons have been brought to life with BIC Biro on backgrounds of bright spray paint.  The Audrey Hepburn images were naturally my favourites but I loved the elegance of the Coco Chanel (right) and the Steve McQueen drawing is just undeniably cool (below.)  I can just imagine stationary cupboard bills soaring in offices all over London after this exhibition... 

Above (L-R): Recreating 'The Audrey' pose with Vika Skyte, Celina Teague and Gayle Wyn Pugh, Izzy Lawrence with Ed Glover, Hugo Speer and Vivienne Harvey.

James Mylne: ‘Vintage Vogue’ is on at Rook & Raven until October 31st. Entrance is free.