HAWT: Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton at the 2016 Oscars

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.

You know it’s been a good day when the only person to upstage your amazing dress is… well, yourself, merely a few hours later!  Not only did Best Supporting actress Alicia Vikander win the biggest red carpet high five of the day in her dusty yellow Louis Vuitton gown, but later that night at the Vanity Fair party, the beauty’s sequinned, black Louis Vuitton dress saw no real competition.  Congratulations Alicia!

HAWT: Alica Vikander in Louis Vuitton

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.

My new girl crush Alicia Vikander not only won Best Supporting Actress for her outstanding performance in Danish Girl last night at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, but also, in most people’s opinion, won Best Dressed of the night also.  The gorgeous Swedish actress wore a geometric, metallic sequinned Louis Vuitton gown (Alicia is the new face of the brand) which despite it’s demure long sleeves and high boat neckline, had a cheeky thigh-high slit.

ANOTHER red carpet high five to you, Ms. Vikander!  I cannot wait to see this film. 

For the full list of award winners see HERE.

TLC Vacation: The Peninsula Paris

When I was young, growing up in Africa, I dreamed of Paris.  Nothing much has changed, as my ever-increasing collection of Breton striped tee’s, daily use of red lipstick and a flat peppered with French objet d’art will attest to (I have an actual Eiffel Tower shaped lamp made from an old olive oil bottle I’m particularly proud of!)  In short, I regularly imagine that I actually am un petit French fille and subsequently have supremely high expectations of Paris and visit there with extreme caution to avoid any disappointment.  You can therefore only imagine how quickly I said OUI when I was asked to travel first class on the Eurostar and stay at the Peninsula Paris for two nights. 

Above:  Distracting myself from my overwhelmingly naked passport with a handful of magazines (does EVERY blogger apart from me have a monogrammed Louis Vuitton passport cover?!)

After a 4 year, £341 MILLION makeover, the five-star Peninsula Paris, the first Peninsula in Europe, swung its gloriously immaculate doors open at the end of last year.  The original building, which dates back to 1908, is steeped in artistic and political history, with George Gershwin penning ‘An American in Paris’ within its walls in 1928 to housing the Nazi military command whilst Paris was occupied during WW2.  Located across an entire block near to the Arc de Triomph and Champs Elysees, the hotel now boasts 200 suites (starting at £800 a night), 34 suites, a penthouse suite with its own lavish rooftop garden (a mere £20,000 a night), an underground spa and 20m swimming pool, 600 incredible staff and a fleet of BMWs, Mini Coopers and two Rolls-Royces.  Yes. I was also wondering how I managed to bluff my way past their uniformed bell boys and polished, marbled lobby (Shhhhhhsh... I won’t tell if you don't!) 

After a delicious lunch (above) at the aviation-themed L’Oiseau Bleu, one of the hotel’s six bars and restaurants, named after an early French biplane and with 360˚ views of Paris, I made my way to my room.  And by room, I mean basic apartment.  Just as immaculate and glossy as the rest of the hotel, my suite had everything I could possibly need, dream of and even more.  From a Nespresso machine, to a hidden printer, a nail-varnish dryer in my dressing room (I’m not even kidding), a television in the bath tub (I had four square-eyed baths during my short stay), Oscar de la Renta amenities, and a state-of-the-art, touchscreen tablet which controlled the lighting, heating, curtains, TV and room service (dangerous!) There were complimentary international calls, a complimentary mini-bar (helllooooo!) and after an immensely busy few weeks collapsing into my giant, sumptuous bed for an afternoon disco-nap was totally dreamy.  

That evening, after cocktails in Bar ‘s randomly brilliant outdoor cabin, I dined at their increasingly famous Cantonese restaurant, LiLi.  The rich interior was inspired by the drama of Chinese and French opera and the food, although not the place I would advise a strict vegetarian to go, is prepared by the fantastic, award-winning Hong Kong chefs in their own impressive Chinese kitchen within the hotel. 

Above:  By the striking ‘Dancing Leaves’ installation consisting of 800 hand-blown twinkling crystals leaves in the hotel’s main lobby.  It really is a truly beautiful sight, especially at night. 

After yet another bath and another (far longer) sleep, the next morning entailed breakfast in the stunning, Belle Epoque’esq Lobby Kléber, where we also later sampled a traditional and spoiling Japanese tea to coincide with Japanese Spring.  After one (ok, two) sugary ‘mini’ kouglofs by the hotel’s award winning pastry chef, I went to a chocolate workshop in the impressive kitchens.  My diet when left unsupervised… WOW.  There was a real moment I actually anticipated rolling back to London…     

So frequently on work trips you are so busy running around the city, you are almost unable to enjoy the amazing room you are staying in.  After a couple of super brief spells into town (I say 'super brief' as the weather was super chilly and super wet!) I luckily, after the most relaxing and revitalising hour long, hot–stone ESPA massage in the hotel’s enormous, 1800 sq m spa, and a short spell in the relaxation room, I was able to retire to my suite for an evening of room service, movies and sleeeeeeeep.  After an incredible lie-in, followed by EVEN MORE room-service the next morning (this couldn’t have been more heavenly!) I enjoyed one last delicious lunch with the team.  I felt truly refreshed by the time I headed back to London.  

Thank you to The Peninsula Paris Hotel and Eurostar.

TLC ON TOUR... PARIS SUITCASE:

(Click on the items below for their direct links)

'Inside Rolls Royce' - A trip to the Goodwood Factory

I cannot tell you just how excited I was (and just HOW jealous my poor father was!) to be invited to explore the Rolls-Royce factory in Goodwood, ahead of their exciting exhibition, ‘Inside Rolls-Royce,’ that opens to the public at the Saatchi Gallery tomorrow.  

An epically sprawling, yet peaceful structure designed in 2003 by Nicholas Grimshaw (who also designed the Eden Project), the factory is a brilliant, natural extension of it’s environment, invisible from the road and air, with a roof made of living plants and plenty of natural light pouring into each and every room.  

 

Upon entering the building, you are immediately met with co-founder Henry Royce’s moto displayed across the entrance; 'Take the best that exists and make it better: when it does not exist, design it,' - advice still very much adhered by the current designers and engineers at Goodwood. 

After a quick lunch and presentation from Marc Mielau (right), the Head of Marketing at Rolls-Royce, where we heard lots more about the upcoming exhibition but also about the luxury car company’s history, we set off in our beige Rolls-Royce attire (less Burberry, more biology GCSE lab coat!) to commence le grand tour.  

With 1500 employees, 20 Rolls-Royce cars are made each day in what I saw to be the most immaculate of factories.  On utterly pristine white floors (no grease or oil in sight!) each Ghost and Wraith (the more girl friendly of all the designs) go through 16 stations for 45 minutes a time, and the Phantoms (enormous!!) have 11 stations, each lasting for 2 hours a time.   It seemed an almost surgical process, as I witnessed incredible amounts of precision and care taken at each stop along the long assembly line.

Below (L-R):  What goes on (factory) tour... With Kit Lee, Ella Catliff and Charlie May.

With so much to see, and such little time, our more than wonderful guide June thankfully knew her audience, so we spent less time having the inner workings of all the car engines explained to us, and FAR more time spent in the design arena...

With cars well known for their heritage, as well as their sleek and ever-evolving design, detail is everything at Rolls-Royce.  Forever pushing boundaries, there is no challenge too small for this company to tackle for their clients and it was fascinating hearing some of the more particular bespoke requests!  

From hand painted stripes on cars (performed in the factory using squirrel haired brushes by a single artisan and his steady hand – WOW! Imagine THAT pressure?!) and customized, non traditional paint jobs (once to match a lady’s much-loved red setter dog, another her pink Chanel lipstick - above!) to hand stitched embroidery, in-built microwaves (for hand towels, duh!), champagne chillers (naturally!), detailed wood, diamond (yup!) and mother of pearl door (below left) designs and twinkly lit, fibre-optic star light head liners (below right). This factory really can, rather effortlessly, make your every fantasy car wish come true!

Above:  Large, super soft and colourful leather hides hang, ready to be stretched, then traced and eventually lazer cut in particular patterns for various car seats.  

I did not find it particularly surprising, given the absolute treasures inside, to find that as our tour finished there was a giant rainbow outside, its end landing at the exact foot of the factory...

After the tour I was allowed to take a Rolls-Royce out for a wee test drive… It's a tough job buuuut...

Below (L-R):  My (brave) passengers/Charlie's Angels for the afternoon; Camila Carril and Sarah Mikaela.

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Driving through the beautiful countryside roads of Sussex in quite possibly the PIMPEST car possible was pretty extraordinary!  I was a little nervous at first, although smaller and sportier than the Ghost and the Phantom, the Wraith is still considerably bigger (and just a taaaad more expensive) than the lil’bumper car I roll around town in!  Soon, I was completely in the swing of things and only wished the drive had lasted longer (or my family, who were terribly worried for the CAR’s safety) had seen me! 

After such an amazing afternoon, I am really looking forward to attending the ‘Inside Rolls-Royce’ exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery later this week, ahead of its world tour.  With complimentary entry, the public can expect a multi-sensory journey, spread across nine rooms, giving an amazing insight into the world-renowned engineering, design, craftsmanship and remarkable lengths required to create the world’s pinnacle super-luxury car.  I am particularly excited to visit the room where you can, for a brief time, transform into the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy (the ethereal statuette that adorns the front of every Rolls-Royce) on a video wall in a beautiful light particle animation.

‘Inside Rolls Royce’ at the Saatchi Gallery: 13 November until 16 November.

British Fashion Awards 2013

Celebrating their quarter century, a whole bevy of British beauties descended upon theLondon Colliseum on Monday night for the much-anticipated 2013 British Fashion Awards.  What I love about the British fash pack, is that they never arrive at awards show looking too over done.  This year (with the exception of Rita Ora and Rosie Hunting-Whitely who perhaps tried a bit harder) the fashionistas arrived ready to let their dishevelled bed head hair down (rose-gold ombre hair in Sienna Miller’s case!) and wearing couture and designer gowns with the perfect nonchalance. These are some cool cats. 

Above: (Clockwise) L-R:  Kate Moss (in Alexander McQueen) and Rita Ora (in Vivienne Westwood), Alexa Chung in Stella McCartney, Laura Bailey (in Roksanda Ilincic) and Rosie Huntington-Whitely (in Antonio Beradi).

Above:  My favourite look of the night was 21 year old Suki Waterhouse who wore a plunging lilac lace Burberry dress, accessorized with a Smythson clutch and a Noor Fares dangling necklace.  The model wore her ash blonde hair in a scruffy up-do.

Amusingly, having scooped the last three British Style Awards herself, Alexa Chung passed the style baton on to none other than Harry Styles!  I wasn't entirely aware that it was fashion that ol'Harry was known best for... Perhaps that's what the kids are calling it these days.  In any event, the award obviously must now be retitled the British Styles Award?!  

Above (Clockwise L-R): Lily Donaldson (in Marc Jacobs), Harry Styles (in Saint Laurent byHedi Slimane), Sienna Miller (in Burberry), Model of the Year Edie Campbell (in Louis Vuitton) and Poppy Delevingne (in Emilia Wickstead).

Above: Kate Moss, synonymous with British style, received a special recognition award celebrating her success in the fashion industry.  Discovered at 14 years old and turning 40 next month, this does beg the question,  why did this take so long?!  Congrats KM!  

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

        Womenswear Designer of the Year - Christopher Kane
        Menswear Designer of the Year - Burberry
        International Designer of the Year - Miuccia Prada for Prada
        Designer Brand of the Year - Burberry
        Accessory Designer of the Year - Nicholas Kirkwood
        Emerging Womenswear Designer - Simone Rocha
        Emerging Menswear Designer - Agi & Sam
        New Establishment Designer - JW Anderson
        Model of the Year - Edie Campbell
        Red Carpet Award - Erdem
        Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator - Lady Amanda Harlech
        British Style Award brought to you by Vodafone (voted by the public) - Harry Styles
        Special Recognition Award - Kate Moss
        Special Recognition Award - Suzy Menkes
        Outstanding Achievement in Fashion - Terry and Tricia Jones, founders of i-D

Above (R-L):  Agi Mdumulla and Sam Cotton, Suzy Menkes OBE, Lady Amanda Harlech,J.W. Anderson with model & Arizona Muse, Simone Rocha and Tim Walker.

Miranda Kerr's Summer Style

Aussie supermodel and 'yummy mummy' Miranda Kerr is loving the New York summer and I am LOVING her polished off-duty street style.

Strolling through Manhattan last week (above) with her Balmain tote, Miranda looked gorgeous wearing a long printed shirt-dress, a classic panama hat, gold flats, and the same Miu Miu Hexagonal-frame sunglasses I have been lusting after (available at net-a-porter, £190).

The following day Miranda was photographed (below, with adorable Flynn) mixing a printed Topshop skirt with an Isabel Marant vest top, a patent raspberry coloured Louis Vuitton handbag, nude Alexander Wang block-heeled sandals and MORE Miu Miu sunglasses.

Below:  Steal Miranda's Street-Style Summer Style...

Kim Sears' Ace Style at Wimbledon

Whilst her boyfriend Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic to become the first Brit to win the Wimbledon Men’s Final in seventy-seven years, Kim Sears also secured a clear win in the style stakes on Sunday afternoon.  

Filling the K-Middy void, K-Sears (above) looked groomed and glossy (that hair!) wearing a pale-mint crochet sleeved SS’13 Victoria for Victoria Beckham dress, Aldo wedges, Pandora jewellery and Raybans whilst carrying a Mulberry Willow handbag.  Put a ring on the Kim and Murry her Andy, we love her.

It was also rather hard to not notice Victoria Beckhamspicing up our lives during the Wimbledon Men’s Final(below), wearing a particularly skimpy lace-trimmed, lingerie-inspired Louis Vuitton’s AW’13 dress.  There is no doubting that this dress was not particularly weather or event appropriate but when have silly little details like that ever interfered with VB’s outfit choices?!

The Met Ball 2013

The Met Ball in New York took place last weekend, the fashion industry’s annual opportunity to show off the most beautiful gowns on the most beautiful people.  This year designers created outfits inspired by ‘punk chaos’ so safety pins, colour clashes and stud embellishments were key in creating some of the most show stopping gowns....

Above:  Cara Delevigne perfectly punked in a plunging Burberry dress armoured in tiny gold spikes.  Hands down the  best dressed of the night.

Above:  The saying goes, 'Go Hard or Go Home' and Sarah Jessica Parker went Hard as NAILS!  SJP accessorised her voluminous Giles Deacon ball-gown (and lace knickers!) with thigh-high velvet TARTAN Louis Vuitton boots and a Philip Treacy Mohican headpiece!  

Above:  Some celebrities really embraced the theme with punk hairstyles and make-up, particularly Anne Hathaway who, wearing vintage Valentino (1992) with yellow nailpolish, took the opportunity to debut her new peroxide hair. I LOVE punk Anne!

Above:  A little safe and not particularly 'punk chaos' but I will NEVER tire of Rooney Marawearing white on the red carpet.  The actress contrasted her dark lipstick with her delicate white lace Givenchy gown.  Otherworldly. 

Above:  Errrrrrrm... Yup. That would be a floral upholstered Kim Kardashian in a Riccardo Tisci designed Givenchy gown, complete with 'gleeves' (glove sleeves).  Dreadful. 

Kate Moss Walks for Louis Vuitton AW'13

Two years ago it was a cigarette, last year a carousel, and this year it was a cropped black wig.  Kate Moss once again walked the Louis Vuitton Fall 2013 runway on the final day of Paris Fashion Week last week.  Kate wore the revealing, floral embroidered gown with her signature nonchalance, supporting her good friend, designer Marc Jacobs.

The show had a real Downton Abbey vibe – according to the show notes this was translated with an ‘attitude of getting dressed up only to find the most glamorous destination is one's own hotel room.’   With that energy in mind, models emerged from behind closed doors adorned in a selection of gorgeous 1920’s-style French lace lingerie dresses and shimmering long-sleeve gowns covered in rounded, lavish overcoats in dusky pink and soft grey. 1940’s-style inspired suits, ladylike shirts and jackets in an array of velvet, tweed, printed satin (and unfortunately fur) made for an elegant, sophisticated collection (despite the lack of bras - apparently not so 2013).  I adored the luxe silk pyjamas which were not only worn by several models on the runway, but also by Marc Jacobs himself as he took his bow (below).

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Golden Globes 2013

I have made no secret that I LOVE award shows.  I am thrilled that people from all areas within the film industry are annually rewarded for their often extreme and valiant attempts to entertain us… But mainly, I just freaking love seeing all the pretty frocks on the red carpet.  The fashion at last weekend’s 70th Golden Globes may have seemed a tad disappointing to some in comparison to last year’s more glamorous turn out, but I for one actually really appreciated the more fresh-faced actresses wearing simpler, cleaner silhouettes giving the typically bejeweled and fishtailed crowd a run for their money. 

My two favourite looks of the night were those of Thandie Newton (above, in Giles Deacon teamed with I'd-sell-my-granny-for-this-pair-of bubblegum pink heels) and Marion Cotilard (below, in custom-made Christian Dior by Raf Simons accessorised with a leopard print clutch).   Both actresses wore unconventionally shorter cut dresses than we are used to seeing at these Tinseltown ceremonies , and both looked beautifully modern, unfussy and surprisingly natural in a sea of Veronica Lake hair and embellished tulle.

Several red carpet trends (which in turn, usually indicate what will be 'coming soon to a cinema high street near you’) were very clear for us to see – alongside a bizarrely large amount of black dresses (luckily made more interesting with varying degrees of pretty gold embellishment, as seen below) I noticed the following styles having their moment; 

 1)  Peekaboo Cutaways

As seen in abundance on the SS’13 catwalks, cutaway styles and peekaboo detailing is a mehejour trend for this year, one that was shown in all it’s glory a the Golden Globes.  Below (L-R):  Peepo!  Emily Blunt sparkling in Michael Kors, Nicole Kidman and Kate Hudson looking utterly regal in Alexander McQueen and Kristen Wiig in Michael Kors.

2)  Fifty Shades of Red

From scarlet to ruby, from ox-blood to tomato, all the colours of the red rainbow were well represented on the matching carpet.  Below (L-R, Clockwise):  Ben Affleck's Argo-rgeous wife Jennifer Garner in Vivienne Westwood, Clare Danes in vibrant Versace, Zooey Deschanel was fairy-tale cute in Oscar de la Renta, girl-of-the-moment Jennifer Lawrence dramatic in Dior, Naomi Watts in Zac Posen and Marion Cotillard looking aDiorable.

3)  It's Just, A Little Blush 

The Red Carpet made many an actress blush last night, with a bevy of beauties choosing nude tones.  Below (L-R):  Kerry Washington Wow Wow’s in Miu Miu, Meghan Fox in Dolce & Gabbana, Anne Hathaway elegant in Chanel, Amada Seyfried ethereal in Givenchy.

4)  Backless

Rather than strapless, this year's red carpet was all about backless... Just perfect for that 'looking over my left shoulder' pose.  Below (L-R):  Naomi Watts posing in Zac Posen, Jessica Chastain in Calvin Klein and Julianna Margulies being Pucci Perfect. 

5)  Fishtailed Fancies

There was lots of swishing and wiggling with beautiful mermaid tails a'plenty at this year's Golden Globes.  Below (L-R):  Taylor Swift looked amazing in Donna Karan Atelier, Amy Adams in Marchesa and the always perfect Jessica Alba in Oscar de la Renta.

6)  Brits Abroad

Say what you want about their outfits, and a couple of these choices have indeed had some critics on the fence, but the Brits are all about non-traditional, fashion-forward style.  Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the… Carpet.  I salute you ladies.  (Below L-R):  Dotty for Rachel Weisz in Louis Vuitton, cream of the crop(tops) Sienna Miller in Erdem, Thandie Newton in Giles Deacon and a lady(Mary)like Michelle Dockery in Alexandre Vauthier.

7)  Jolie-ing

An odd trend but a trend nonetheless!   Angelina’s awkward right leg thrust at last year’s Oscars obviously had a resounding effect in Hollywood with several actresses at the Golden Globes also putting their best foot (far too) forward for the cameras.  Below (L-R):  Eva Longoria in Pucci, Lea Michele in Elie Saab , Halle Berry in Atelier Versace, Rosie Huntington-Whitely statuesque in Saint Laurent and Heidi Klum in Alexandre Vauthier.

When Bad Dresses Happen To Good People...

Unfortunately there are always some ladies who just… get it wrong.   This year, I think the worst dress was worn by Jessica Chastain (below).  Usually on all the 'Best Dressed' lists, the Golden Globe Award winning actress wore this saggy light blue dress by Calvin Klein. 

Jessica's style travesty was closely followed by Halle Berry (in Atelier Versace - very nineties J-Lo),  Lucy Lu (this Carolina Herrera dress is too big with too complicated a print for the red carpet) and Eva Longoria (just too chesty and too leggy in Pucci – pick just one).