H&M AW12 video lookbook

Bold, oversizes jewelers, embellished harnesses and leather-look peplum belts, preppy varsity jackets,  boxy silouettes, blurry digital prints and cocoon coats punctuated with shimmery metallics and a sprinkling of sequins. H&M's AW12 collection is utterly covetable and I want it all, now! Fashion aside, the concept of a video lookbook really works for me. They are so much more engaging and really print the pieces to life. 

The Ultimate Weight Loss Wardrobe - Day 5

Today is the final day of my weight loss wardrobe outfits! I hope you enjoyed seeing the pieces styled up as much as I liked putting them together. Just to recap the campaign, Weight Watchers undertook some research with it's members and found that many women had been effected by rude and unhelpful shop assistants. Pairing up with Debenhams and Louise Rowe, they created a capsule collection - The Ultimate Weight Loss Wardrobe. The wardrobe is designed to be easy to wear and fit in with your existing wardrobe, which is why I've been styling it up with my own clothes. Today I went for a smart cherry red shirt dress and contrasting black waist belt. I finished off the outfit with these stunning statement shoes from Sarenza. I absolutely adore the shoes from Dune, they're perfect for brightening up an otherwise plain outfit and giving it a quirky twist. Click through to the Play Weight Watchers site to see the rest of the post. 

The Ultimate Weight Loss Wardrobe - Day 4

There’s just something about yellow which makes me smile, it just puts me in a good mood. Even it had rained while I was taking these shots, I think I’d still be quite jolly. Right, enough gushing about the beautiful colour, this is my penultimate outfit from the Weight Loss Wardrobe. The obvious choice would be to pair the happy mac with red skinny jeans and a bold tee but I wanted to experiment with pretty, dusky shades and I think it works pretty well! For the full post, pop over to the Play Weight Watchers site.  

The Ultimate Weight Loss Wardrobe - Day 3

Happy hump day! Here's my third look for the Weight Watchers Ultimate Weight Loss Wardrobe. This is such a great desk to dinner look and it was super easy to pull together, it really is a fantastic little capsule wardrobe. The cardigan, shoes and jewellery are all from Debenhams and this look shows just how seamlessly pieces from the collection can be integrated into your own wardrobe. With almost four in ten women polled by Weight Watchets experiencing "unsupportive and unhelpful" fitting room staff, this is a fantastic idea. Pop over to the Play Weight Watchers site to check out the full post. 

Wednesday Wish List: Gestuz SS12

I'm absolutely loving Gestuz's SS12 collection. The prints are absolutely stunning and the Grecian pleating makes a simple statement. I'm a bit obsessed with the bandage top, I wish I had the abs to pull it off! 

Left to right:

Gestuz piano gown - £250

Gestuz jersey maxi dress - £120

Gestuz Wilson bandage top - £60

Gestuz leather insert blazer - £150

Gestuz drama dress - £100

Gestuz Curtis jacket - £70

Gestuz Fines dress - £120

Gestuz magic maxi dress - £255

The Ultimate Weight Loss Wardrobe - day 2

Here's my second teaser post for my Weight Loss Wardrobe challenge! The Ultimate Weight Loss Wardrobe is a collaboration between Weight Watchers, Debenhams and Louise Roe to put together a fantastic capsule wardrobe of flattering, wearable pieces for your weight loss journey. A Weight Watchers poll revealed that on average over 70% of women questioned do not feel confident about their bodies when they are clothes shopping. Of women who are a size 14 to 16, the average size of the majority of British women, that figure rose to 80% and 84% respectively. Among size 18 women it rose to 94%.


I absolutely adore this red dress, the ditsy print pattern and bold shade just make me think of summer. I paired it with nude Steve Madden heels from Sarenza. They're the perfect hardworking heel - comfy thanks to the platform and chunky heel and they go with absolutely everything. Click though to see my full guest post on the Play Weight Watchers site.

Paolita swimwear

This is the week, ladies and gentlemen. The weather is going to turn around, we're due a heatwave and it's finally time to wriggle out of those knits and into something a little cuter. And even if the weather doesn't get better here, it's practically holiday season so you can be sure of getting some sunshine. I'm being uncharacteristically optimistic, that's because my next holiday is around the corner and I can't wait! I'm off to the South of France for the long weekend and I'm thinking blue skies, turquoise water and tons of sunshine! I've been shopping accordingly and have more than enough brights and pretty prints for a week long vacation! I think swimwear is a little more difficult, there just tends to be two types around: tiny bikinis or stringy, cutaway swimsuits which want to be bikinis.

The Ultimate Weight Loss Wardrobe

I’ve got some exciting news to announce! Myself and Tor from Fab Frocks have teamed up with the lovely guys at Weight Watchers to style up their fabulous Weight Loss Wardrobe which they’ve put together with style queen Louise Roe and Debenhams. While it may not seem like the most obvious partnership, it’s something which means a lot to me and I’m really excited to talk about. Having a positive body image is incredibly important and being confident in what your wearing is often taken for granted. Weight Watchers have done a lot of research into their members’ relationship with fashion and clothes shopping for your size during your weight loss journey. Working closely with Debenhams, Louise Roe has picked out 13 fantastic pieces to help women embrace and enjoy fashion.

Each day this week, I will be styling up pieces from the wardrobe and posting a sneaky little teaser post will the full outfit and blog post appearing on the Play Weight Watchers site. While I’m guest editor of the Play Weight Watchers site, I will talk through my outfit and give tips on how to style it up and what accessories to wear with it. Tor was last week’s guest editor so you can also check out her posts while you’re reading. We will be hosting a Twitter party in a few weeks too – keep your eyes peeled for more details.

For my first outfit, I picked this gorgeous Betty Jackson Black dress and paired it with blue lace M&S tights and coral Reiss heels. Click here to check out the full post. 

Wednesday Wish List: 20% off at Oasis

Fancy a midweek pick-me-up? How about a lovely 20% off full-priced pieces at Oasis? Simply enter MAY20 at the checkout to receive your saving. They are one of my favourite shops on the high street at the moment, I adore their feminine waist-cinching dresses. Featuring the hottest trends for this season, including pastels, brights, prints, peplums and dipped hems, here are my favourite dresses from Oasis. 

From left to right:

Oasis V-neck drape dress - £60. 

Oasis scuba peplum dress - £45. 

Oasis ombre pleat dress - £55. 

Oasis scarf print dress - £85. 

Oasis lace skater dress - £55.

Oasis Jasmyne petal dress - £90. 

Oasis cowl drape dress - £60. 

Oasis Rosa print dress - £65. 

Oasis Charlie peplum dress - £60.

Oasis Bethany buttercup dress - £80.

Label love: Rabeanco

I don't know about you, but I'm so bored of logos and labels. Kudos to the crafty marketers who have cultivated such a strong, identifiable brand image, so potent that we just want need to have the label in our possession. I say we, I'm not talking about us, we're a little smarter than that. But we all know that girl, the one who craves a Louis Vuitton/Mulberry/whatever handbag, as soon as you ask which one, she goes all vague. Nevermind what it looks like, she just wants to tell everyone she has it and flaunt it while contracting a serious case of what I like to call "wag elbow" - injury to one's elbow from carrying an overstuffed Louis Vuitton/Mulberry/whatever handbag in the crook of their elbow. Brands and labels are so instantly recognisable now which makes it worse. My beloved Michael Kors used to design beautiful, subtle bags, now they all have a huge (thankfully detatchable) MK logo swinging from them. Can we please give the overuse of logos a time out? Are you with me?

Louis Vuitton AW12 press day

I don't think there was a single fashion-loving girl who didn't wish she was aboard the Louis Vuitton Express in February as the extravagant luxury brand showcased their autumn/winter 2012 collection. I've watched the show and poured over the images countless times so I was beyond excited to receive an invite to their AW12 press day. The show is a visual feast, from the elaborate staging, adorable porters to the pieces themselves and the beautiful accessories so it was wonderful to have the opportunity to see everything up close to admire the details. 

Fashion Daydreams in Company magazine

A couple of weeks ago, I cryptically mentioned that I have some very exciting projects in the pipeline. It's been difficult to keep things quiet and not share all the news as it's happening but patience is a virtue, or so I hear. Well, time has flown and I can finally begin sharing what I've been up to behind the scenes. First up is a little appearance in the super Company magazine! Company had an overhaul and relaunched with a brand new look and I've got to say, it's become one of my must-buy magazines so I was so thrilled to collaborate on a feature with them. With all the festival fun about to kick off in the UK, they gave myself and three other bloggers a different festival theme to style up. 

Friday Fashion Fix

Carine Roitfeld's documentary, Mademoiselle C. 

Carine is going to rival Karl Lagerfeld with the number of side projects on the go at once! As well as styling and launching her own magazine, CR, in September, she will also star in a documentary entitled Mademoiselle C. Directed by Fabien Constant, the fly-on-the-wall documentary will follow Carine in the lead up the the launch of CR. Incredibly excited!

Christian Louboutin to launch beauty collection.

Monsiur Louboutin is set to join the likes of Tom Ford with his very own beauty collection. Entitled Christian Louboutin Beaute, the collection will be a high-end. luxury line and available worldwide. Inspired by the bust of Nefertiti, Christian has described the collection (rather vaguely) as "very constructed, quite different and unexpected". The collection will be available next year. 

Rest in peace, Vidal. 

On Wednesday, the sad news that the founder of hairdressing Vidal Sassoon passed away in his Los Angeles home. The creator of the bob and one of the most iconic hairdressers the world has known, Vidal will remain an inspiration for generations to come. 

Brad Pitt announced as the new face of Chanel No.5. 

Chanel have announced that Brad Pitt is the new face of their iconic Chanel No. 5 fragrance. He will be the first man to be the face of their fragrance and follows the footsteps of Marilyn Monroe, Catherine Deneuve, Nicole Kidman and Audrey Tatou. 

Schiaparelli to relaunch. 

Tod's owners Diego Della Valle have announced they are bringing back the long dormant Schiaparelli brand. They plan to hire a designer by September with accessories, cosmetics and clothing in stores by next February - fast worker.

Fashion's Night Out 2012 dates confirmed. 

Calendars at the ready, Vogue have just confirmed the dates for this year's Fashion's Night Out extravaganza. This year, every single territory which has its own version of Vogue will be celebrating over a three week period, making it the largest FNO to date. Make a note of the following dates and keep posted for details:


6th September: UK, US, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Russia, Mexico, Australia, Korea. 
7th September: China, India, Germany, Russia. 
8th September: Taiwan, Japan. 
10/12th September: Brazil. 
13th September: Portugal, Italy, Turkey, The Netherlands, Mexico. 
18th September: Italy. 
20/25th September: Greece. 

Wednesday Wish List: Selfridges' Big British Bang

Welcome to Selfridges' Big British Bang extravaganza. I can't think of anything more iconic on Oxford Street than seeing Selfridges bright yellow pantone 109 bags swinging from the hands of happy shoppers. To mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and a whole summer of sport, Selfridges have teamed up with the likes of Illamasqua, Wallpaper*, Hanky Panky and Diptyque to create some exclusive products in their signature hue. 

From left to right:

Selfridges selection shortbread tin - £4.99

Wallpaper* London City Guide - £6.99

Diptyque Mimosa candle - £40

Selfridges Pantone 109 luggage label - £5.95

Illamasqua Pantone 109 nail polish duo - £21

Selfridges Pantone 109 travel card holder - £8.95

Selfridges strawberries and cream sweets - £4.99

Met Gala fashion 2012

Solange Knowles in Rachel Roy. 


One of my favourite looks of the night in the Met Gala's unofficial colour of the night - canary yellow. Spot on from head to toe. 

January Jones in Versace Atelier. 


Love, love this look! The colour, the shape, the panels. This is a great example of couture, movie stars and a red carpet match made in heaven. 

Karolina Kurkova in Rachel Zoe. 


Not many could pull off this, scratch that, it's almost humanly impossible to pull off this sparkly, completely covered gown complete with matching headpiece. But somehow, Karolina makes it work!

Anna Wintour in Prada & Bee Shaffer in Erdem. 


I love Ms Wintour's look; chic, simple, perfection. The midnight blue looks great on Bee but it's not my favourite look of the night. 

Chanel Iman in Tom Ford. 


Killer. 

Rooney Mara in Givenchy. 


And THIS is how sheer, lace and Givenchy should look, take note Beyonce. Rooney always looks great on the red carpet, one of my favourites. 

Emma Stone in Lanvin. 


Emma is also one of my ones to watch on the red carpet and this is why: she always looks flawless. The Lanvin grown looks gorgeous on her. Isn't Alber adorable? 

Emily Blunt in Calvin Klein. 


Emily Blunt is another personal favourite. I love the simple Calvin Klein gown, it just goes to show that less in more. The colour looks great with her glossy locks, though the clutch is impossibly tiny! 

Carey Mulligan in Prada. 


I know this look might not be everyone's cup of tea but as a fashion magpie, I adore Carey's shimmy, mermaid-tail look. 

Camilla Belle in Ralph Lauren. 


A simple look, but it works. I'm glad she kept the accessories simple and gave her look a bit of attitude with the dark lips. 

Coco Rocha in vintage Givenchy. 


Kudos, Coco. This was a really bold choice and boy did she pull it off. Coco bought this canary yellow power suit from the Elizabeth Taylor auction and bravely pepped it up with a spot of fluorescent pink. 

Lana Del Rey in Altuzarra. 


I'm not the biggest Del Rey fan but I have to admit, she looks great. I love the dress on her and the cape adds a quirky edge. 

Claire Danes in J.Mendel. 


Sweet without being sickly and sexy without being inappropriate, this J.Mendel dress was a fantastic choice for Claire. The clutch adds a great pop of colour. 

Jessica Stam in Dior. 


Oooh did Raf Simons have a hand in Jessica's exquisite gown?? Really loving this look, she looks so regal. 

Jessica Alba in Michael Kors. 


You can't knock a classic one shoulder gown, especially on someone as gorgeous as Jessica. 

Paula Patton, Vera Wang and Wendi Deng in Vera Wang. 


Three beauties in Vera Wang. I think it's pretty much impossible for Vera Wang to make a bad dress, I adore Wendi's red gown. 

Christina Ricci in Thakoon. 


The huge champagne coloured bow on the back of this bold Thakoon number could have gone really wrong but I think it works, just. 

Beyonce in Givenchy. 


Oh I usually love Givenchy and I've tried and tried to find redeeming features for this look but I just can't. For once, I'd like to see Beyonce in a simple, minimalist look. 

Anja Rubik in Anthony Vaccarello. 


Just to recap on the whole Angelina's right leg thing, it wasn't a good thing. I don't think Anja got the memo. Words fail me. 

Saturday Fashion Fix

Andrej Pejic interview for The Cut.

Andrej speaks on being crowned prom king AND prom queen plus the most overused phrase in fashion.

Natalia Vodianova's mini-me model daughter.

If ever a child was born to be a model, it is little Neva Vodianova Portman. As a newborn, she graced the cover of Vogue Paris, and now at a tender six years old, she is  modelling for Caramel Baby & Child. Wearing a gorgeous cashmere dress and matching collar designed by her beautiful mother Natalia, with the proceeds going to Natalia's The Naked Heart Foundation. 

Manish Arora to leave Paco Rabanne.

Gosh, after just two seasons as Paco Rabanne's artistic director, Manish Arora is set to leave. According to the label, he was bought in to relaunch the brand. Now that he has achieved that, he is out and someone else will take the helm. It seems like a strange reason for his short-term tenure, though the decision seems to be mutually amicable. There's no word yet on who is to replace Arora. 

Carine Roitfeld styles pregnant daughter Julia for i-D magazine. 

How utterly stunning does Julia Restoin-Roitfeld look? She looks nothing less than perfection in some beautiful lingerie and an Alexander McQueen cape, shot by Mario Sorrenti. What do you the cover? 

Raf Simons' cover shot for i-D. 

Fashion's man of the moment, Raf Simons has also been shot for i-D's new issue. After a tumultuous few months, being dropped by Jil Sander and then named as John Galliano's successor at Dior, this really is Raf's time. 

Iris Apfel's newest venture: Extinction. 

Such exciting news. One of my favourite fashion muses, Iris Apfel, is set to launch a handbag line! It's the latest in a long line of ventures for the more-is-more fashionista, including a glasses collection and a collaboration with MAC. The collection features exotic fabrics such as Mongolian lamb and snakeskin but is pretty reasonably priced, from $228 up to $398. Will you be buying a super-eccentric handbag, complete with dodo tag? 

Anna Dello Russo for H&M. 

The news story of the week, street style favourite and Vogue Nippon editor Anna Dello Russo is set to collaborate with H&M on an accessories collection. Mark 4th October in your calendar, kids, this is going to be a killer collab. Anna says: "I wanted to create precious accessories that are impossible to find. As a stylist, I know accessorisation is essential; it is the personal touch in any outfit. With these pieces, everyonecan have fun and turn an ordinary day into a fantastic fashion day". Gold and turquoise heature heavily in this opulent collection which features clutches, bangles and stilettos. 

Pamela Love's AW12 lookbook

I'm not 100% sure how I feel about Pamela Love's AW12 collection. I've been a fan of her distinctive jewels for a long time and still covet one of her talon rings. For the last couple of seasons, her collections have shown more Aztec, Moroccan and tribal influences rather than the hearts, crosses, swords and skulls that I'm accustomed to. There are some really great pieces and I love the jagged, geometric cuffs, burnt oranges and turquoise blues but I do miss her old, darker aesthetic. What do you think of her new collection? 

Wednesday Wish List: New in at Nelly.com

From top left:

AX Paris drop back chiffon dress - £38.95

Nelly Trend flash jumpsuit - £41.95

Back by Ann-Sofie Back shirt dress - £174.95

Nelly Trend unique jacket - £72.95

Steve Madden Alarming - £124.95

Nelly Trend twisted angle - £61.95

Nelly Shoes cloud - £39.95

Rachel Gilbert sparkles

Those of you who know me personally and professionally will know that I've been a bundle of nerves over the last week or so. The prestigious Performance Marketing Awards are in exactly two weeks and yours truly is up for an award...and I haven't got a clue what to wear! Whether it's the Oscars or the PMAs, the real winners are the ones who score a fashion homerun. I thought I had all the time in the world to pick a dress but time has just flown and I have precisely 14 days to find a killer dress. This has proved more difficult than being short listed for an award!