i-Dare you to suck my blood

Man, isn't everyone going stir-crazy for Vampires at the moment?! With True Blood and Twilight taking over our TV screens, magazines, and dreams (pale and interesting? Swoon...), now i-D is following suit with a bloodily topical "Flesh and Blood" issue for December. Here are some amazing pics of Lara Stone and Jamie Dornan that are just ripe for the eating, I mean, picking, I mean... Oh, darn it. Slobber your Homo sapien fangs all over them as much as you want, we're all going to hell anyway.

[Publication: i-D, Issue: Winter 2009 (The Flesh and Blood Issue), Title: They Lived Happily Ever After, Photographer: Alasdair McLellan, Models: Lara Stone and Jamie Dornan, Fashion Director: Edward Enninful]

Marmite

I know this might be a little controversial, but I’m loving the new trend for ‘underwear as outerwear’ at the moment. In theory, it should be so wrong. More Vicky Pollard on a night out - heavy bosoms heaving over strained corsets and indiscrete nipples poking out from behind padded bras - than Linda Evangelista looking supine and elegant in a stunning floorlength gown. But if worn right, then phew, ain’t nobody got a hope in hell’s chance of outshinin’ ya!

For me, the coveting of this trend in my subconscious started when Christina Ricci wore that stunning Givenchy dress for the 2008 MET Costume Gala. Romantic and feminine, with the rose-coloured chiffon barely hiding the scarlet, heart-shaped body behind, it was timeless and elegant, drawing breath-taking gasps from an appreciative crowd. And then there was Gwyneth Paltrow wearing a stunning Antonio Berardi body-hugging, monochrome frock. Often mind-numbingly dull with her fashion taste (wearing a shift dress to an Oscars ceremony? Come on!), this gave a whole new direction to "Goopy" Gwyneth’s style that was much revered.


More recently, the A/W ’09 catwalks were peppered with underwear-inspired eveningwear, each with their own starkly different sensibilities. Stand out designers for me were Bottega Veneta (satin corsets worn with faux fur and velvet, showcasing irresistible glamour for vintage belles) and Richard Nicoll (shiny metallics, heavy alabaster boning and futuristic shapes that belong today, today, today!). The secret to their success is the simple word: class. Each outfit was far, far removed from the heinous perma-tan, chav-tastic corseted WAG-look of old – thank GOODNESS – and was timeless in its creation.

So, you have been told. Underwear as outerwear = divine. So long as you don’t look like you’ve just run out of the bedroom after a steamy liaison with a 3rd division footballer... then you’ve got problems.




[Style.com, Google images]

BUBBLES

These images are taken from an old issue of Vogue Nippon... Every time I see Tim Walker's images they do not fail to fascinate me! Such wonderous fantasy! Lily Cole looks as ethereal as ever. Click on them to make them BIGGGG!

[Publication: Vogue Nippon, Issue: July 2007, Title: INDIA, Photographer: Tim Walker, Model: Lily Cole, Editors: Kate Phelan, Jacob K. and Alex White]

Rouge

Every lady needs a bit of red in her life... It's all in the accessorising.

[Garance Dore, Olsens Anonymous]

Cutting edge art

Would you believe me if I said these intricate works of art were created out of humble paper...?

Papercutting artist Rob Ryan’s work is something to behold. Famed for his skill and imagination, he carves unique masterpieces out of paper to breathtaking results. His work has graced the pages of Vogue, Elle and Time Magazine to name but a few, exploring themes of love, fantasy and more.

See his latest exhibition to get a 'slice' of the action (!!) at the visitors centre of Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield until February 2010. www.ysp.co.uk

[Photography: Jonty Wilde]

Black Widow

Wowsers.

[Source: Platform, Title: Black Spider, Photography: Saga Sig, Styling/Make-up: Elisabet Alma, Model: Tinna Bergs]

Granmazonian

You know those glamorous old ladies that you see from time to time. The ones draped in their finery, cascades of pearls and precious jewels hung lavishly upon soft silks and vintage furs, their lips stained a heavy rouge, white face powder contrasting with blushed pink cheeks and eyes etched with kohl – all slightly over-done and dischevelled as if trying to reverse the unkindness that age has done to their once show-stopping beauty. These are the aged souls that the more you look, the sadder you feel – watching them helplessly clinging on to the golden heyday of their youth that has slipped graciously away.

Well, how about an old lady that seems to transcend time and stay ever-cheerful, despite her 86 years of age? A twinkling of youth dancing behind her big-rimmed spectacled eyes and dusted upon her rainbow-coloured wardrobe. A lady, that even with her deeply-furrowed brow, shock of white hair and stooped frame, is effortlessly en vogue.

Iris Apfel is such a lady. I stumbled across her by chance when I was reading Vagabondia (www.vagabondiana.blogspot.com), a wonderful blog by fashion writer, Ellen Burney. I’m so surprised I’ve never heard of her before. She’s fabulous! Like a twilight version of teenage blogging sensation Tavi – and with a similar hairstyle too.

But if you thought dressing fabulously was her be-all-and-end-all, then think again. "I'm not like that, I have so many other things to do, I’m not a fashionista, and that is not my life. I love beautiful clothes, and I appreciate them, but…I’ve been in business all my life, I built a business, I’m involved in a lot of charities and all kinds of stuff…and….you know, just being a clotheshorse is not my idea of heaven."

What a lady!

Charm offensive

Four minutes to 6.00pm... Friday afternoon... Still got an EVEREST-sized mountain of work to complete on my desk... And there's free-flowing wine being swigged and giggled over in the office kitchen that I am am unhappily not anywhere near to enjoy. At this present moment in time, this is the only thing keeping me sane.

[InStyle]

Farm Girl

Going back to my roots...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qW9-s3ITbU&feature=fvw

[Publication: Lula, Issue: 9, Title: Wander Bird: Follow your heart wherever it leads, Photography: Damon Heath, Styling: Benjamin Sturgill]

Boot love

It is definitely boot weather. Especially those of the Oliver Twist/Victorian school girl variety. Having been desperately coveting some more additions to my wardrobe for months, I have decided to stop listening to the sensible voice in my head that rages: "Put that damn purse back into your bag woman and walk AWAY!" every time I step near a shoe shop or hover* my finger tentatively over the Paypal key on eBay, and will embark on a spot of vintage shopping this weekend to keep my obsession at bay. Along with the lovely villagey Christmas fair I am going to with my boyfriend - where I shall hopefully be drinking loooots of mulled wine - it seems like it's time to say a very (early) happy Christmas!

(*flirt. Naughty finger.)

Here are a few of the prettiest booties I couldn't take my eyes of this week...

[Altmira, Knight Cat, Lola, Topshop]

There are not enough words to say how much I love this...

So I won't.

[The Fashion Spot]

Bike chic

As anyone who knows me – most notably my boyfriend – I ADORE vintage bikes. Preferably the bigger, slender-wheeled the better, with a basket on the front and a little trilling bell to warn walkers as I plough uncontrollably round a corner... It all goes with my Parisian dream and to save the planet in style. Maybe one day!

[All images from Platform]

Onesie!

Just how pretty does Sienna Miller look in this mottled dusky pink and brushed bronze floral jumpsuit? The cropped leather jacket and sandals give it some edge so it's not too girly girly, and I love her bohemian waves and long, precious stone turquoise necklace. Va va vooom!

[Image from www.instyle.co.uk]

Luella, time to say good bye?

So, another casualty of the credit crunch falls… And this time, it’s one of my favourite designers, Luella. *BIG sob!* Famed for her playful, idiosyncratic prom dresses, clashing palettes and quirky re-workings of excentric English styles in swathes of tweed, florals, lace and frills, Luella Bartley has been wooing the fashion world since 2000, with everyone from Chloe Sevigny, Alexa Chung and Zooey Deschanel adorning their bodies in her kooky designs. But now, as the main investor has pulled the plug, trading will continue no more. Just how unhappy must you be if you’re eagerly awaiting a piece from the next season! The S/S ’10 collection, with heart-cut mini dresses, preppy blazers, wide-striped trousers, riding hats, fascinators, cascades of pearls and all kinds of bouncy tiers among the fan-pleated dresses, was one of the best yet. Here’s hoping another investor steps up to the fore soon...

[All images of S/S/'10 collection from www.style.com and www.coutorture.com]

Dark intrigue

“A palette of black and blood-red takes haute-chic looks over to the dark side. Mix gothic lace, velvet and hard-edged embellishment, and conjour this season’s poisonously sexy, feminine glamour.”

This girl has a serious air of Grace Jones about her. The juggernaut expression, full lips and arms and legs that seem to go on for miles all give pulse-quickening impact. The juxtapostion of her striking, angular physique against the rural English country garden backdrop – adorned in tactile textiles of sumptuous velvet, bewelled lace, heavy chainmail and delicate feathers - has a breathtaking effect, and shows off the statement pieces to their full, show-stopping potential.

[Publication: Harper’s Bazaar, Issue: December 2009, Title: Kiss of the spider woman, Photography: Jonas Bresnan, Styling: Vanessa Coyle]