Screen Actors Guild 2011

The Screen Actors Guild awards took place last night and apart from being happy that ‘The King’s Speech’ did so  well (if you haven’t seen it you really should, it’s amazing) it was overall a pretty poor show from a fashion point of view, yet again. I can’t believe how many outfits I’ve ignored purely for their uninspiring and non commital fashion sense.

One definite highlight was Hailee Steinfeld in Prada.  I’m beginning to love her and ‘True Grit’ isn’t even out in the UK for two more weeks. Like the dress she wore for the Globes this is age appropriate, fun, fashion forward and fresh. Barely any makeup, lovely young shiny hair. She is a perfect example of style and grace – long may this continue.

Annette Bening in Tony Ward Couture. A round of applause for the 50+, damn, she looks good. No sleeves needed for this older woman, the gold colour is super flattering and the beaded details give just enough cleavage attention without being too brazen. It’s honestly one of the best I’ve seen her look. It simply says this is  a great dress which hangs beautifully off my figure and I feel great in it.

January Jones in Carolina Herrera. I do like how completely different this look is from the much debated red Versace number at the Globes. This is elegant and classy and just a tantalising touch demure.

Natalie Portman in Azzaro. She’s having ‘a white moment’ as Rachel Zoe would say and it works. I like the closer fitting fabric and the way it cups the bump. We know it’s there, why hide it? The neckline is highish but I think it works here:  too much cleavage would have been inappropriate and she hasn’t fussed by adding a necklace. She looks young, charming and ethereally pregnant!

Tina Fey in Oscar de la Renta. Somehow she manages to look great more often than not.  This isn’t boundary-pushing fashion, not sexy kitten, but just right for her. The textured red dress gives her a great hourglass figure and she looks completely comfortable, sassy and simply groomed.

Mila Kunis in Alexander McQueen and I can’t quite decide… It’s nice but it’s not amazing. It seems almost not grecian enough and too Resort collection. I like the strong red colour but it really doesn’t do anything for her body. There’s definitely too much hair going on.

Claire Danes in Louis Vuitton. I quite like the dress but I’m never sure that flower patterns at award shows quite work unless they are very abstract. The belt is far too long and a bit ‘this is a trendy way to tie a belt’ and the make up seems a bit off too –  I think it’s the eyes that don’t work for me.  But she does look pretty.

Christina Hendricks in L’Wren Scott. Wow, this for me is not good. She seems to have forgotten how to dress her mighty cleavage, here her breasts look squashed and suffocated. Why not elevate them and give them a platform, rather than buttoning them up in black? It looks as though she’s wrapped a pretty expensive dressing gown around her and hoped that would do. Her stunning figure is totally lost in there. The eye make-up is way too heavy and those house slipper shoes are a total abomination.

Winona Ryder in Alberta Ferretti. She looks so confused! How old is she now? Surely not at the prom queen stage still? This white layered tulle thing is really awful and doesn’t flatter her. It makes her look much shorter and dumpier than she really is. The look is not helped by the obvious ‘up’ do hair and the rather Edwardian bag.

Nicole Kidman in Nina Ricci. I used to love this woman, so informal and amusing, but her Moulin Rouge heyday seems a long time ago and I think she’s actually lost the plot. From the waist up she looks like a Wild West barmaid and from the waist down she looks like a librarian. Why would you put a necklace on a dress which already has a ruffle collar detail? Why has she got hair all over her face?Did she think a touch of leopardskin shoe would redeem this? Why does she now look like she’d rather be anywhere but on the red carpet?

Source: Zimbio

Givenchy Couture S/S11

In my opinion you are always going to struggle when you try a similar concept to a previous highly creative and well-received couture collection. Inspired by the robotic world of Japanese toys and formalised dance, and with Philip Treacy again providing drama in the hats, for me this was just not as impressive as the ‘bones’ theme he offered last season. Perhaps it would have been more dramatic if the colour palette was had been differentiated, or more varied within this collection, although the flashes of colour on the back were a stunning and unexpected moment of drama.  Using the still models in the last collection really worked, I thought, but this time round I felt the clothes needed to move. That said, his use of feathers and birds are a beautiful subtlety worked into each garment and there was an almost internal luminescence generated by some of the goldy-beige looks.  The ‘bow’ folded fronts have a hint of the obi and the complex structures of geishas’ robes. The styling meant that the models’ lovely clean faces and simple hair threw  total focus onto the clothes.

Elie Saab Couture S/S11

Red carpet dresses at the ready. As usual Elie Saab produces beautiful and probably the most A list friendly couture collection of the week, in a wearable palette of pale pinks with a soft pinky red and a hint of adult black. The draping is stunning as always, with hip-hugging swathes of fabric which add no extra bulk  due to his incredible skill with cutting.  Low messy buns with side partings and barely-there make-up gave the grown-up dresses a little bit of  girly flirtatiousness.

Gaultier Couture S/S11

This collection has all of Gaultier’s famous ‘punk with a parisian edge’ vibe: with strong tailoring and rampant mohawk plumage these women are not to be messed with. There is a strong air of sophistication too in the elegant palette of cream, black, beige and merlot and a wearability in this series of looks despite the hard edge.

Christian Dior Couture S/S11

John Galliano’s inspiration in this collection was the illustrator René Gruau who was so influential for Christian Dior when he worked there in the forties and fifties. Galliano is also an illustrator by training and described trying to reference this stylised form of drawing in the fabric and cut of couture as his ‘most technically challenging’ collection yet. The effect is dazzling. You can really see the representation of pencil lines, shading, smudging and outlining. I specially like the lovely change of tones through the individual items. It represents luxury beyond imagining: starlets with not a care in the world except where the next martini is coming from, women made for the arms of Cary Grant and Humphrey Bogart. The allure is sexy but oh so subtle, with very little flesh showing but just enough, all beautifully hidden beneath swathes of cloth and somehow you just know the undergarments would be just as complex.

Source: Style.com

Armani Prive Couture S/S11

The light reflecting quality of these dresses could direct traffic or possibly summon ET home. The disc hats from Philip Treacy, whose work has been very much in the forefront in Paris, add great drama to the sheathes of fabric, their deep colours inspired by the gleam of gemstones. These dresses are futuristic and sexy,there is a lovely elegance and movement to them, plus all the luxury that Armani is famous for.  I really like the dark purple lips but it’s a real shame that leggings have made it to couture week.

Source: Style.com

Chanel Couture S/S11

Couture week has kicked off in Paris and I’m trying to get the posts up as quickly as I can whilst running around prepping for a job.  Chanel’s collection was light and ethereal, based on pale pinks and cream with just a hint of black chiffon and given extra luminance with the ten million beads used to decorate the pieces. The clothes were demure and classic in shape with capped sleeves and longer length skirts worn with flats.  The models looked fresh with swept-back unfussy hair and simple make-up, with black bands around the neck giving the look a slightly gothic edge.

Source: Style.com

Monday Blues? Let me help…

…with some very lovely pictures of Rafa Nadal. These are the new photos from his Armani campaign shot by Mert & Marcus and wow, this fan is more admiring than ever. I loved Beckham’s underwear version for this campaign and really disliked the ones of Ronaldo; I find him totally unsexy with that disproportionately small head of his. Anyway, even though we think of Rafa as being quite shy and not at all an exhibitionist, these shots show he has a broody side and I love them. I hope there are lots more to come.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

I went to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition this week at the Natural History Museum.  This annual event features truly inspiring wildlife and animal photography from all over the globe and  makes you absolutely marvel at the natural world and the wonders that exist on this planet. The exhibition is on until March 11 and if you live in London you really have to go and see it.  I scanned in the images from postcards so I apologise for them not being top quality; the first of the sequence below is the overall winner of the competition. Underneath each picture I have copied the informative description that accompanies each of the entries. Enjoy.

A Marvel of Ants by Bence Mate (Hungary). Costa Rica’s leaf cutter ants are the most active at night. Huge columns fan out into the forest, each line terminating at a tree, shrub or bush where each ant then cuts a piece of leaf to carry.

Leg-Work by Bence Mate (Hungary). This was taken from a waterside hide at dawn, in Hungary’s Kiskunsagi National Park. A grey heron that had perched on the hide suddenly swooped down on a great white egret. The legs are the heron’s, the wings the egret’s.

A Carcass-Eye View by Jurgen Ross. Tall and with a deadly kick, adult giraffes have little to fear from predators. But in South Africa’s Kruger National Park, one pride of lions has a shrewd hunting strategy. They chase the giraffes towards a road, where they stumble and fall on the smooth surface.

Snowed In by Orsolya Haarberg (Norway/Hungary). On particularly cold days in Norway’s Dovre-Sunndalsfjella National Park, muskoxen conserve energy by resting. For two days the wind was so strong and it snowed so much the animals were almost obscured.

Dawn Call by Pierre Vernay (France). The roar of a red deer stag carries an unmistakable message: the most powerful the roar, the stronger the stag. At dawn in Dyrehaven forest, an ancient deer park in Denmark, a stag emerged to challenge a rival.

Predatory Steps by Eirik Gronningsaeter (Norway). This polar bear had been resting close to shore on Kvalbeinoya, an island in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. But once it spotted the camera that had been set up it headed over to investigate. The image conveys a powerful gentleness.

Peregrine Perch by Doug Brown (USA). This peregrine falcon in California had its work cut out looking after two youngsters. While out hunting for more food, it took a break on a century plant to scan for prey, framed by curves of its strange perch.

Caimans’s Little Mouthful by Bence Mate (Hungary). This three-metre-long caiman was photographed ambling across the lawn of a lodge in Brazil’s Pantanal. Dangling from its jaws were the remains of a young armadillo. It’s rare to see one with prey.

Southern Swell by Kah Kit Yoong (Australia). Hanson Bay on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, faces the Southern Ocean and the full force of its massive swells and storms, which blow in from Antarctica. The slow shutter gives an ethereal effect, as if the sea were draining away at the world’s edge.

The Mobster by Jim Neiger (USA). This great horned owl in Florida seemed used to being mobbed, as when a fish crow suddenly appeared above it and dived down, jabbing the owl with its feet, it barely flinched, shrugging off the crow and continuing its flight.

Flight of the Rays by Florian Schulz (Germany). This aerial view of a congregation of Munk’s devil rays was taken over the Sea of Cortez, Baja California, Mexico. It’s not unusual to see them somersaulting out of the water – locals call them tortillas because of the way they slap back down.

Back In, Front Out by Esa Malkonen (Finland). At this rookery on Deception Island, Antarctica, there are 100,000 or so penguins. Having paired up, males and femals devise a rota: one sits on the eggs (for up to five days) while the other walks back to the sea to feed.

Paris Life by Laurent Geslin (France).There is much wildlife in the heart of Paris: kestrels, sparrowhawks and even kingfishers. These rabbits live in a park close to the Arc de Triomphe and the cityscape backdrop is the business area of La Defense.

Cold Comfort by Michael Patrick O’Neill (USA/Brazil). Manatees can’t survive in temperatures below 18C (65F), and in Florida’s harsh winters many depend on the warm river springs or, as here, cluster around the tepid water discharge from power plants.

The Thoughtful Baboon by Adrian Bailey (South Africa). Each morning, thousands of Cape turtle doves come to drink at the Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, the only source of water for miles. Some are picked off by birds of prey. This young male baboon was inspecting a recent victim.

Eye for a Bird by Fergus Gill (UK).The ptarmigan is one of the many animals to survive winter in the Scottish Cairngorms, relying on camouflage to keep it safe. This simple image shows a subtle light caught in its eye and the hint of red wattle above.

1 Golden Globe, 2 Golden Globes, 3 Golden Globes, 4…

The Golden Globes 2011 were a tad underwhelming for me. No one person really stood out, no picture of a dress really made me excited. There was an overuse of black and some definite misjudgements so not a great year. I’m crossing my fingers for the Oscars.

Starting with the most successful,  Amy Adams in Marchesa, picture below. First off it wins for me on colour alone, teal is one of my favourite shades ever. The lovely laser cut ‘puffs’ on the shoulder and opposing hip are not too extreme but add a flourish to an otherwise classical shape.

Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace. Lovely to see her in some colour and the bead work gives such a sparkle to this. The hair is a little too un-done for me and a couple of cocktails rings would have really finished this off beautifully.  However, she has come to have such a weary, bored look at red carpet events that it’s hard to feel the wow factor.

January Jones in Versace. Wow, this is a whole lotta look, but I like it. She’s done her Mad Men hair which for me is how she looks best but added some major cleavage which makes it super sexy. It’s somewhat ‘in your face’ but because she has that ice-queen super high maintance feel I think it looks great.

Emma Stone in Calvin Klein. This so shouldn’t work yet it so does.  Totally simple and grown-up, sexily understated and kept clean with simple hair and accessories. I have no idea who she is but top marks.

Mila Kunis in Vera Wang. She’s playing it pretty safe with the one shoulder dress which was a prevalent look on the red carpet, but it’s a stunning colour and I like the texture changes all over the dress. I think some amazing gold earrings would make it slightly younger and more modern.

Leighton Meester in Burberry Prorsum. It’s different, I’ll give her that, and I commend her for always picking something slightly unexpected. I like the pattern in the beige, the long sleeves and the tassle bag. She managed to make it look not too old with fresh make-up and tousled hair.

Olivia Wilde in Marchesa. Why oh why ruin it with those shoes?? Lovely fifties shape, relaxed hair and beautiful subtle sparkle….why would anyone add brittle gold spiky platform Louboutins? They look cheap and totally out of place, though clearly she’s thrilled with them.

Tilda Swinton in Jil Sander. Well, she sticks to her style and I like it. It’s suprisingly feminine for her and a good choice from a rather limited Jil Sander collection this year. I like the brushed back hair and slick white shirt, it looks British, cool and in control.

Hailey Steinfeld in Prabal Gurung. I think dressing a new young starlet for awards is a tough job: you don’t want them looking like mutton dressed as lamb (Miley Cyrus anyone??) but also you need to find something that doesn’t make them look like their mother chose it. This is perfect. It’s not too figure-hugging and still creates a nice shape, it’s not too loud and yet the white makes her look angelic, the hair’s not too done but frames her face. Lovely.

Anne Hathaway in Giorgio Armani. It’s quite different from what she normally goes for and  perhaps a little too grown up for someone so fresh faced but I like the beading, it’s got a lot of texture and of course the scoop back gives it a nice sexiness. Good hair too.

Now for the so-so’s:

Sandra Bullock in Jenny Packham. Whoever did that to her hair should be ashamed! It looks SO bad. It’s very top heavy, as if she’s got a toupee in a darker colour just on the crown of her head which is such a shame because the dress is so pretty with its intricate beading and lovely understated colour.  Disappointing because I love her!

Heidi Klum in Marc Jacobs. Because it’s Mark Jacobs my first thought is to rebel but I’m trying to be open-minded and she does stand out from the crowd and it does make a statement…but she does need her roots done.

And the bad:

Eva Longoria in Zac Posen. A Spanish widow in mourning? No? An opera singer in mourning? No? A Jackie Collins heroine in mourning? Still no? Well then I have no idea what this look was going for. Her breasts are bizarrely pushed up and apart and she looks like the base of a lamp waiting for its shade.

Halle Berry in Nina Ricci and Halle, it’s bad! It makes her breasts look massive (not in a good way) and her legs super short. It looks as if someone draped a little bit of black chiffon around a Victoria Secrets nightie, topped off with two Wonder Woman diamond cuffs which totally don’t work. Surely dating a Frenchman should give her more style that this? Non??

Michelle Williams in Valentino. This is probably the biggest offender of the evening. For Cannes and the premieres for her film she’s been looking great, what went wrong here? It looks as though she’s just had a baby and retired to a mountain retreat to recover. Daisies are an absolute no no for any red carpet event and the hideous straps just top off a totally matronly and frankly offensive outfit. Fire the stylist.

Lea Michele in Oscar de la Renta. Do you think people will notice me if I wear a huge pink dress? Do you think people will forget I was a total b**** for snubbing poor little True Grit’s Hailey? Do you think if I smile super big people will think I look like Penelope Cruz? What was she thinking? She’s young and massively popular right now because of Glee, why step out in something like this?

Julianne Moore in Lanvin. Ouch. Did no one tell her she’d have to sit in a car and therefore scrumple the dress before the photos? Did no one tell her that fluorescent pink really doesn’t work for her? Did no one tell her that the gold half necklace thing looks as though it’s strangling her? Isn’t this what children are for? To say, mummy, you look totally ridiculous, like a used napkin from a 5 year old’s princess  party.

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad. She is way too hot for this outfit. She looks like a winter bride. Totally not her typical fashion outlook. She has come along way from Jenny from the Block so why go back to mail order fashion?

Scarlett Johansson in Elie Saab. If you’re young, newly single and world renowned for your hotness, would you pick this dress? I didn’t think so. It makes her look shorter than necessary, gives her quarterback shoulders and surely the sleeves are more typical of middle-aged women who don’t want to show their arms. Also, what colour is her hair? Is she between blonde and brown? A wasted opportunity but perhaps she doesn’t mind.

Natalie Portman in Victor&Rolf. One of my favourite designers and it’s hard to bash a pregnant woman but I’ll give it a go. Again, it’s just so middle-aged. This is a random look of pink satin all bunched up together with a too bright red rose, accessorised with a diamond necklace which really doesn’t go and makes her lose her neck and that space between neck and cleavage which adds much needed height. It just doesn’t suit a fresh-faced, young expectant mother.

Source: Zimbio