National Kissing Day - Smoooooch!

TODAY IS NATIONAL KISSING DAY

x PUCKER UP x

"Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time."
Casablanca (1942) - Ilsa Lund, Ingrid Bergman

“No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.”


Gone With the Wind (1939) – Rhett Butler (Clark Gable)

“Since the invention of the kiss there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. The End.”

The Princess Bride (1987) – Grandpa (Peter Falk)

Musical Moment - Snow Patrol ('Called Out In The Dark') with Tara Summers

London born actress Tara Summers, who has previously held roles in shows including Dirt, Boston Legal, Damages and Private Practice has now taken to dancing in handcuffs... Calm yourselves now… Tara plays the despairing director in the new Snow Patrol music video for ‘Called Out In The Dark’ – with fellow Brit Jack Davenport also featuring - the results are hilarious.

(A heads up - These backing dancers can be held wholly responsible for the new beyond awesome moves I plan to unleash at my friend’s wedding this weekend...)


Rocking her new Jessica Rabbit flame red hair, striking beauty Tara Summers is currently filming CBS's new show Ringer (left) alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ioan Gruffudd, which will be shown on Living in the UK later this year.

Best Of London - Chris O'Dowd

31 year old Irish actor Chris O’Dowd is used to playing affable nerds and the sweetest of slackers, becoming well known for his role as the hapless Roy in The IT Crowd and for playing Simon in 2009’s ‘The Boat That Rocked.’ This summer however, Chris was catapulted into the ‘Leading-Man-Eye-Candy’ category when he played Officer Rhodes in the whopper blockbuster hit ‘Bridesmaids’ - eclipsing seasoned screen hottie Jon Hamm by a mile.


Taking some time out from being swamped with marriage proposals (to say the least) via Twitter from swooning women all around the world, Chris shares with us some of his London favourites;

My Pint – A pint and a whiskey in the Toucan in Soho with my best mate, Jamie.

My Date Night – With my beautiful lady friend, Dawn, at a French place called La Brasseriein South Kensington.

My Sunday Brunch – We host a roast at our place in Bermondsey for a big bunch of our mates 2/3 times a month.

My Building – I love the Art Deco Tesco headquarters on the M40 on the way to Pinewood.

My London Shop – I love the stuff A.Sauvage makes. Sweet, classic suits with an African twist.

My London Extravagance – High tea at The Dorchester. Nothing quite like it.

London's Best Kept Secret – I really like L'Entrecote just off Marylebone High Street.

My London Icon (Past or Present) – Richard Harris. I loved that he spent his final years livin' it large in The Savoy...

Below: A recent picture on set of 'The Sapphires' in Australia. Set in 1968, four young, talented Australian Aboriginal girls learn about love, friendship and war when their all girl group entertain the US troops in Vietnam.

Below: With Meghan Fox and Jason Segal on the set of the Judd Apatow's new film, 'This is Forty' which follows Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd‘s 'Knocked Up' characters. Chris says, “it’s an in-depth look at relationships, marriage and parenting in this kind of post-boomer generation."

Follow Chris (or tweet marriage proposals) @bigboyler

The Fashion Mile

Yesterday saw some of Britain’s top designers (including Christopher Kane, Sarah Burton, Katie Hillier, Erdem Moralioglu and Peter Pilotto) donning trainers (albeit it fabulous leopard print ones Charlotte Olympia!) to join in on the ‘Born To Walk Tall’ campaign where they walked alongside Sam Cam, the Save the Children and British Fashion Council Ambassador, on the first ever ‘Fashion Mile.’ Walking from Downing Street to Somerset House this fashionable herd showed their support for the vital, life-saving work of doctors, nurses and midwives worldwide in helping make sure that children live to take their first steps.

"It's heartbreaking that 8 million children under five die every year, simply because there is no doctor or nurse nearby to give them treatment. The mile we're walking today is dedicated to the inspirational health professionals who tirelessly make that journey - often covering substantial distances - to save the lives of children." Samantha Cameron.

Sign up here to support the campaign and here to donate.

Debit Buy - Velvet on a Shoestring

I have always thought that the most decadent of purchases are those which are the most impractical with the shortest of life lines - yet desperately desired in spite of this... cashmere socks for instance. My pair lasted one glorious, indulgent day and after one wash they shrunk so small they would fit only a pixie (hand wash socks… seriously?) But now, as seen on the Paris catwalks earlier this year and now filtering down on to our hightstreet, there is a trend for an even more frivolous foot companion; velvet.

Luxurious, sumptuous, jewel toned velvet – stereotypically donning the slippered feet of bluebloods, this material is hardly the most sensible for us to strut our stuff in. They are ill-equipped for bad weather or the most minor of daily scuffs - therefore, wholly desirable...

Now all I need is my very own Sir Walter Raleigh (Jack) to chivalrously lay down his cloak (jacket) over any puddles in my track to prevent me from muddying these velveteen lovelies (this could take some convincing.)

Topshop, as always, have us totally covered with flats, boots and heels;

Topshop Valerian Velvet Ballet Pumps, £18.00 (in Oxblood, Teal, Green and Navy Blue)

Topshop Artwork Velvet Lace Up Shoes £75.00 (in Marl Red, Dark Green and Navy Blue)

Topshop Sacred Velvet Bow Court Shoes, £58.00 (in Black, Blue and Burgundy)

Livin La Vida Lanvin

The new A/W'11 ad campaign for Lanvin by Steven Meisel teaches us 3 things:

1. The elegant collection is goooorgeous (those capes... those wide-brimmed hats!)
2. Move over chaps: Alber Ebaz is a serious scene stealer of note.
3. Models can walk... but not dance...

Zumba Wii Moves: Karen Elson, Raquel Zimmermann

Vivienne Westwood in Kenya

From Kenya With Love...

Having been raised in Kenya this project is particularly exciting for me...

Vivienne Westwood’s ethical range of handbags, made from environmentally sustainable materials in her second collaboration with Nairobi-based social enterprise Ethical Fashion Africa were unveiled earlier this year and the pictures taken on her last visit to Kenya are featured in her new A/W’11 ad campaign. Taken by photographer Juergen Teller some of the photos feature Kenyan supermodel, Ajuma and also local discoveries, Elsie and Sonnietta.

The project is designed to support and empower disadvantaged female artisans living in two of Nairobi’s slum areas Kibera and Korogocho by utilizing their creative skills – London based Vivienne Westwood’s confirms, “this is not charity, this is work… What I do, making bags, can make a difference. This project gives people control over their lives—charity doesn’t give control, it does the opposite, it makes them dependant.”

Available to buy here on Vivienne Westwood's Website

A video explaining the project;

In Vogue: Kate Moss' Wedding

I do. I Vogue.

My sister just arrived from New York dragging her handbag behind her… In it, the whopper, super-sized September issue of American Vogue she bought for me containing the much anticipated beeeeyooootiful wedding pictures of Kate Moss’ wedding last month.

After various relationships, some good, some bad, some plain ugly, Kate agreed to marry Jamie Hince, guitarist of rock band the Kills whilst cuddled up on the sofa watching television. Were they watching some big ol’romantic classic when they decided to tie the knot? No… They were watching an episode of ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding!’ Kate explained, “I was just watching Jamie, so cute, and I was like, these girls, they just spend their whole life waiting for that day—let’s do it!”

The pictures were taken by Mario Testino and were well worth the wait to ogle at... Wow! Beautiful, softly lit, bohemian and extremely romantic.

Determined to have a decadent, dreamy 1920’s wedding, Kate even gave her forthcoming Big Day the secret code of ‘GG’ - after F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

Inspired by old Jazz Age pictures of Zelda Fitzgerald, John Galliano designed Kate’s delicately exquisite dress (which he subsequently called his ‘creative rehab’) and in custom made Manolo Blahnik shoes, Kate entered the church to the sound of applause, wolf whistles, and The Rolling Stone’s anthem ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want.’

The swagger of Jagger: A very Mick and Bianca shot of the couple.

A stolen moment.

Kate had a fairy-like cluster of 13 young bridesmaids all wearing dresses by BonPoint (designed by Christine Innamorato) and Pretty Ballerina ‘Hannah’ flats.

Vogue has also released a Kate Moss Wedding Video, featuring interviews with some of the biggest names in fashion and a look at Kate’s career...

Thank you Vogue - and Congratulations Mrs Hince!