Amy decided on a mix of pretty jewel and citrus colours and clean lines. The collection feels very fresh and upbeat without being annoyingly cheery. It feels like something women will want to wear. Women who want pretty clothes but have no desire to be cutesy. Do I make sense? I also get a very modern and unfussy vibe which can only be a good thing.

Amy Hall SS12

For further information and to download the full lookbook go to Amy’s website www.amy-hall.co.uk.

Best dressed – Emma Stone in Lanvin

Emma Stone in Lanvin

Emma was my Best Dressed last night. She was not a nominee but was there as a cast member for The Help so it was appropriate for her not to wear the biggest princess gown she could possibly find. The colours compliment her skin tone and hair beautifully and her eagle belt adds just the right amount of edge. Perfection!

Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang

Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang

Yes, it’s another strapless mermaid gown but Sofia seems to know how to dress for her shape and I can’t argue with that. She looks nothing short of amazing. I also love the detailing which could have been overwhelming or tacky on the wrong girl but Sofia pulls it off.

Tilda Swinton in Haider Ackermann

Tilda Swinton in Haider Ackermann

On the other end of the spectrum, there is Tilda. She can do no wrong in my book. Tilda wears her clothes, not the other way around, and she has a style that’s so intrinsically hers, nobody else could ever copy her.

Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji

Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji

Octavia looked lovely. The dress really accentuated her shape and the colour let her face glow. This really is the blueprint of how to dress girls who don’t fit into the size 0 mould.

Viola Davis in Pucci

Viola Davis in Pucci

The hair, the make-up, the slightly unusual colour (for a red carpet gown), the silhouette – they all suited Viola to a T. I’m not entirely convinced of the accessories but somehow that doesn’t really take away from the look for me. She’s radiant.

Nicole Kidman in Versace

Nicole Kidman in Versace

Has Miss Kidman finally chilled on the Botox and the lip plumpers? It’s the best she has looked in a while. I really love how all the colours in this look harmonise, down to how her hair matches the gold studs on her dress.

Julianne Moore in Chanel Haute Couture

Julianne Moore in Chanel Haute Couture

Now this is how you make a black dress interesting on the red carpet! Would I suggest a nominee wear this dress? No. But Julianne was a presenter, not a nominee, so a beautiful black dress is the perfect choice. Flawless make-up and the most beautiful, almost natural, waves – swept to one side – completed her look.

So, that’s the love list done. Usually I try to stay away from a Worst Dressed list but this one bugged me on so many levels, I decided to go ahead with it.

Piper Perabo in Theyskens’ Theory

Piper Perabo in Theyskens' Theory

This is frankly ridiculous! Why choose one of the coolest labels around and then behave like this? I absolutely loved this dress on the runway (and surprisingly, I still do) but Piper is doing it no justice here. I wonder how panicked the people at Theyskens’ Theory were when they saw the telecast last night. To my knowledge it’s the first time they managed to get a gown on the red carpet of a major awards show and I bet they had a different idea of how that would go down. Obviously, in real life you are allowed to take clothes from any designer and do whatever the hell you want with them but red carpet styling is more of a give-and-take situation. The PR lends the actress a dress, the actress directs PR back to the label. I will leave it up to you to decide how exactly this kind of presentation reflects back on the label (see more silly poses on gofugyourself.com) and if the label could possibly be happy with the outcome. But TT’s PR woes aside, the look is still badly styled. There’s also a black version of the gown which I feel would have been the better choice. This particular shade blends in with Piper’s skin and hair too much. Also, to work with the dress’ edginess, not against it, a less matronly hair style would have been a good idea. Silver peep toes weren’t an ideal choice of shoe either.

I feel a bit bad for going against my principle of not naming and shaming the bad looks but this one just got my goat. Moving on from my rant, I’m very curious to hear who your favourites were! Which looks did you love? Altogether this was a rather boring red carpet, most people played it safe – agree or disagree? Will the Oscars (and the SAGs and all the others) be any better?

(image of Piper Perabo via gofugyourself.com, all other images via style.com)

Merry Christmas, readers and blogging friends!

Have a wonderful Christmas and thank you for supporting my little blog over the past months! I continue to be surprised that anyone other that my mum reads my posts (Hi mum!) and I in return love reading your comments.

Love, V x

Olivier Theyskens at the FIT - November 15, 2011

Back in October I attended Olivier Theyskens’ talk at the FIT. When you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of his work. Olivier’s Resort 2012 collection is basically what I want to dress like on a daily basis and look 44 of SS12 is what I want to wear to every ball from now on. (Yeah, because I go to one every other week!) Thankfully I was not disappointed. Olivier giggled his way through his talk, clearly a bit embarrassed by how pretentious talking about oneself could possibly sound. But of course he didn’t sound pretentious at all. You know how sometimes famous people are described as ‘down to earth’ but what that really means is that they are ‘down to earth – for a celebrity’? I didn’t get that vibe from Olivier at all. He seemed like such a normal, grounded person who – as cliched as it may sound – has his priorities right and I got the sense that he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

Here are my somewhat fragmented notes from that night. I hope they still give an insight into how Olivier approaches the design process:

After a video of Olivier (or a hand posing as Olivier’s?) sketching SS12 was played to entertain the masses, Valerie Steele, Director and Chief Curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, introduced the designer. ‘Hiiiiiii everyone!’ he said in the cutest French accent before setting out to explore his identity as a designer with us.

Something Old, Something New

Something Old, Something New (image via MFIT)

Olivier explained that he’s not inspired by images too much but his childhood seems to have played a crucial role in forming his aesthetic. He spent a lot of time at his grandparents’ farm in Normandy. He described the place as ‘very country’ and ‘grey’ and likened it to French couture: It’s in ruins but elegant. This may explain his fascination with old lace that he always mixes with something else to add a bit of a rock ‘n roll feel. After all, he’s equally attracted to youth. Capturing a certain mood seems to be another factor. Olivier himself says that it’s attitudes, the idea of people that drive his creativity the most.

Source Of My Heart

Source Of My Heart

Olivier’s clothes often play with androgynity and, as he says, are reminiscent of Brussels. Despite his love of more opulent, detailed pieces like old dress coats, he always finds himself coming back to androgynity.

The Body As A Muse

Rising Spirits

A question the designer gets asked a lot is who his muse is. Giggling (which he really does A LOT), he said he always goes ‘Oops!’ in those situations because he doesn’t have one in the classic sense. But he often does go back to the body itself. A dress comes to life on the body, while a suit makes the body disappear which of course adds to the androgynity of a garment. This principle is also reflected in the two parts his collections always have: fluidity that you have to see on the body in order to appreciate the cut and tailoring.

Fluidity and Tailoring

Olivier's girl (image via MFIT)

Olivia Palermo (images via instyle.com)

Ladies, in case you’ve been wondering how to make your legs look longer, you’re in luck – Olivia Palermo just happened to give us a masterclass. I will freely admit that I love Olivia’s style. That makes me sound like a 16-year-old fan of reality TV stars but I honestly think she has great style and that she has earned her stripes.

A skinny bell-bottom (I may have just made that term up, it’s somewhat contradictory, isn’t it?) paired with a fitted top that hits just below the hip and heels will do the trick. Personally, I would wear the trousers an inch shorter because I prefer to look like I have feet. Otherwise, this is how it’s done.

When I arrived at Helmut Lang’s Chelsea showroom last October, their lovely PR Nicole walked me through the collection and mentioned they also had a model on hand should I wish to see something on her. I suggested an impromptu styling session for the blog, so here it is:

Helmut Lang SS12 styled by me!

Helmut Lang styled by me, look 1: print dress & yellow clutch

Helmut Lang styled by me, look 2: yellow print tunic & laser cut leather shorts

Helmut Lang styled by me, look 3: white top, black skirt, black leather sugar jacket, white clutch with horse hair tassle

What do you think? Do you have a favourite look?

WESTON SCARVES

Weston Scarves: Blue Forest Scarf £205, Red Jasper Print Scarf £165, Agate Print Scarf £165 - all at liberty.co.uk

I first discovered Richard Weston’s work on Britain’s Next Big Thing, a BBC2 programme, where he pitched his designs to Liberty’s. I remember being convinced from the start that his will be one of the few products to actually make it into a shop. In fact, I loved Richard’s scarves so much that I got in touch with him and he happily provided me with images and background information (even about a few seriously cool non-fashion projects). Richard, a prize-winning architect and landscape designer, who by the way is LOVELY to chat to, collects minerals and has spent a fortune on them in the past years. One day he tried to scan them and thought the resulting patterns were beautiful enough to print on silk and make into scarves. Needless to say, the team at Liberty wanted his designs in their store. The new preSS12 collection focuses on two themes ‘the familiar images/details from minerals and some pictorial images that use these as ‘digital paint’ with which to render other images of nature – in this case trees,’ says Richard.

Weston Scarves are available at Liberty’s and Net A Porter!

YAELLE

Yaelle: Hamsa Purple, Russian Doll Mix White, Papillon Blue - all £145 at yaelle.co.uk

Yaelle Caplan, on the other hand, found me and I’m very happy she did! Not only do I think her work is fantastic, what stands out to me are the little charms for good luck and prosperity she attaches to her scarves. Her inspiration comes from the glamour of Cannes and Monaco and the rich diversity of Tunisia which makes Yaelle’s work very playful with the most beautiful use of colour. All of her designs are hand-drawn and then digitally printed onto the finest silk. A bespoke service is also available in case you want to give something really personal and unique.

Yaelle’s scarves are available from her new website www.yaelle.co.uk. They come in two sizes: 100x100cm (£145) and 40x160cm (£85). Hurry up and get 20% off your order until next Sunday (18 December 2011)!

FABRYAN

Fabryan: Foxglove £100, Rainbow £100, Paint Splash Orange £80 - all at fabryan.com

Fabryan is the youngest of the three scarf designers featured today. Samantha-Jane started her Kingston up Thames-based label a little over a year ago. The beauty of the Kew Gardens in South-West London inspired her to add an accessories line to her already established womenswear business. Each scarf is handrolled with hemmed edges and is made with 100% organic silk. Fabryan scarves are digitally printed with bold colour splashes and abstract flourishes. They are in fact so colourful, the range was called the Psychedelic Collection.

Scarves from the Psychedelic Collection are available online at www.fabryan.com and prices run between £70 and £100 (90x90cm).

Happy giving!

Vanity Multi Seal Cuff $1,200 and Fidelity Narrow Wax Seal Cuff $510

I just discovered Pyrrha a few days ago but instantly knew their designs had to go on my Christmas list, both as a wish and a recommendation. Designers Wade Papin and Danielle Wilmore handcraft a unique range of jewellery inspired by antique wax seals in their Vancouver studio. Reclaimed silver, bronze and 14k gold are cast into cuffs, pendants and earrings. Because of the intrinsic symbolism of the original seals, every piece takes on a meaning by itself. The result are pieces of ravishing beauty that mostly lies in the fact that nothing is too perfect. To me they almost feel like you’ve stumbled across an amazing find on a flea market and remind me of an old Roman Agrippa-coin my mum used to wear when I was little. I remember being absolutely mesmerised by it!

Hammered circles with a mini fleur de lis shield

Pyrrha jewellery is a great gift for just about anyone in my book. It can be worn by men and women alike and is always personal through the nature of its symbols alone.

14k Mini Lion Wax Seal Necklace $872

To order any of the pieces above (and many, many more) or to find out more about Wade and Danielle’s work, please go to www.pyrrha.com!

David Koma, James Long, Michael van der Ham & Holly Fulton SS12 at LFW, September 2011 (image from britishfashioncouncil.com)

Have you missed me? I’m back after a very nice and relaxing week in Denver and, oh, look what I’ve missed: The NEWGEN AW12 announcement! Sponsorship for their shows or presentations at the next London Fashion Week in February go to:

Catwalk sponsorship: David Koma, Holly Fulton, J.JS Lee, J.W. Anderson, Michael van der Ham and Simone Rocha

Presentation sponsorship: Christopher Raeburn and Thomas Tait

Installation sponsorship: Nasir Mazhar and SISTER by SIBLING

Exhibition sponsorship: Huishan Zhang, James Long, Lucas Nascimento, Palmer//Harding, and Tim Soar

For more info go to www.britishfashioncouncil.com/newgen.

BFA 2011 winners: Sarah Burton (Designer of the Year), Victoria Beckham (Designer Brand), Sam Gainsbury (Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator) - images from vogue.co.uk & britishfashionawards.com

The British Fashion Awards took place in London last night and some of the people I really wished would win did actually win. Sarah Burton receiving the Designer of the Year Award was pretty much a given and came at the right moment, too. She has done a beautiful job since Lee McQueen died and the Royal wedding has given her the right amount of exposure to people outside the industry as well.

I’m also really happy for Victoria Beckham taking home the Designer Brand award. People tend to give her a hard time and insist that she’s basically just another celebrity designer. So I’m glad that at least the industry sees her for what she is: a fashion designer who makes beautiful clothes that women want to wear.

Sam Gainsbury is the very worthy recipient of the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator! Sam is a visionary who has translated countless designers’ ideas into breathtaking catwalk shows and has most recently worked her magic on Savage Beauty. Having seen the exhibition myself (twice, it’s been so good!), I know how stunning her work is.

The full list of winners:

Designer of the Year: Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen

Designer Brand: Victoria Beckham

New Establishment Award: Christopher Kane

Menswear Designer: Kim Jones

Accessory Designer: Charlotte Olympia

Red Carpet Award: Stella McCartney

Emerging Talent Award – Ready-To-Wear: Mary Katrantzou

Emerging Talent Award – Menswear: Christopher Raeburn

Emerging Talent Award – Accessories: Tabitha Simmons

Model: Stella Tennant

BFC Outstanding Achievement: Paul Smith

Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator: Sam Gainsbury

For more info go to www.britishfashionawards.com.