sharon tate in valley of the dolls

If you haven't already , you really must watch Valley of the Dolls, it's unintentionally hilarious and great for a dressed up night in with a group of mates. You should equip yourself with a bottle and a homemade bingo board so that you can cross off a box everytime you hear "Sparkle Neely, Sparkle!"

I read the Jacqueline Susann novel a couple of summers back during a lazy week in Devon with my best friend and recommend it; nothing life changing, but perfectly trashy all the same.

Watch the trailer below and you should get an idea of how fantastically camp the film is. Dionne Warwick's theme tune is perfectly self pitying and the interiors and costumes don't hurt, either.

sharon-tate.org

reason #597 to love diane keaton

a little bird told me V

image: nevver

Nicolas Kirkwood on shoe religion.

"I always wanted to make shoes that were the Antichrist to pretty pumps and kitten heels."

Dre is God according to Alexa Chung.

"I look up Dre on YouTube daily to practise so that I can wow people at karaoke."

Wise words from Sophia Kokosalaki .

"Never experiment with an outfit before a big occasion- I'd go with something tried and tested."

Stephen Jones on French Milinary.

"It is more chic and hard edged, as soon as you put a flower on a hat, they say how English!"

Iekeliene Stange on her style.

"I don't take things too seriously and wish people could have more fun with how they dress. I like to get into a different character every day…it's fun to play around..I love to make people smile when I walk down the street."

Don't stress, Giorgio Armani.

"I thrive on pressure, but I also know that I'm a workaholic and that get's in the way of my personal life."

Lily Donaldson on who inspires her.

"My Mum. She is one of the bravest women I know."

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld thanks Alexander Wang for her present on his Facebook wall.

"Thank you for the bag!!!! I absolutely LOVE it and going to wear it right away!!! Big kiss!"

We love Jen Brill. And Jen Brill loves sweets.
"My favourite candy is Nerd Ropes"

More..

A little bird told me I

A little bird told me II

A little bird told me III

A little bird told me IV

A weekend of Fashion Frolicks

I have a confession to make; while there was so much I wanted to post about this week, (the amazing london shows, anyone?) I somehow created a mental blogging block and just couldn't write. But finally here is a not at all brief summary of last weekend in London. Without getting all Miss World, I usually sigh when I read about the likes of Rumi and Camille off galivanting at Fashion Week, so it was rather amazing to be able to have some of my own fashion frolicks and the icing on the cake was meeting Chloe Sevigny! Eeh.

thursday: LOVE reading, yvan confusion.
arriving in london feeling a little flustered after an uncomfortable coach journey and a loss of enthusiasm over the outfit I was wearing, I headed straight to beyond retro for my traditional scout and stocking up on vintage finds. I also wanted to see if I could find some alternative outfit options for both the Topshop Unique show on Sunday but also to the Opening Ceremony Party that I would fingers crossed be popping along to on Friday. alas, the £72 sized gap on my debit card signalled a successful trip. To counteract all of that terribly draining work (!) I went across the road to Le Pain de Quotidien, where I indulged (or buried my head financially further into the sand, depending on your stance) in a homemade limeade and a scone while I people watched and flicked through my new copy of Love Magazine.



Now this is where things get bizarrely interesting.. I spot across the road this fantasticly dressed girl prancing along the pavement. She has a high blonde ponytail, is quite curvy and Swedish looking and is wearing a denim shirt in a way that actually looks refreshingly clean and simple. I then notice Yvan the Facehunter spot her and he starts to chase her and I just sit there slurping at my Limeade smiling to myself at witnessing this all unfold until for whatever reason she shakes her head at him when he approaches and he leaves pictureless. Then he starts to walk up the pavement towards me and as he is about to pass I saw to him that it's a shame that he didn't manage to get that picture because her outfit was so well put together. He shrugged in a slightly blunt way and said that she was in a rush which happens slightly and then looked at my notepad where I had been noting down the swedish girl's outfit. He asked in a tone which sounded rather rude "Do you write character studies because you aren't good at sketching, because you are too poor to afford a camera?" I looked at him a little confused, not understanding whether there was some kind of language barrier or whether he was just an eccentric type skirting the line between sarcastic and rude. I told him I couldn't understand whether he was taking the piss and he ignored this and asked what I did, to which I replied I'm a student and blogger, which didn't seem to interest him. Either way, we parted amicably and I stayed sat there for a few minutes trying to mull over in my mind what had just happened and kind of laughing to myself at his apparent high opinion of himself and his quickness to put me down for writing in a diary which was clearly not as worthy as his photography. ay, ay, ay..

I put this strange encounter behind me, resolving to get some "Yvan testimonies" from some fashion folk over the course of the weekend who might be able to enlighten me into his personality.

friday: red lippie and chloe sevigny
after two days of two and froing texts between myself and jeanie resulting in a confirmation that we would indeed be hitting up Chloe Sevigny's Opening Ceremony launch party at the Double Club and I let myself get ridiculously excited; it'd put off any mad jumping up and down action on the off chance that it wouldn't happen. As anyone will know, I worship at the Church of Chloe and after a sunny afternoon spent wandering the streets of Primrose Hill, I headed back to Oxford St to splash out on my first red lippie from Chanel. I didn't want to overthink what to wear to the party as I knew it may induce a panic attack and therefore plumped to go down the Jen Brill route of bold lips. Met Jeanie and her lovely mates Sarah and Fotis at Angel and off to the Double Club we all trudged where we spent the rest of the evening tutting at the expensive wine, feeling smug about the long line of people waiting outside and nudging each other everytime Bay Garnett walked past until finally Chloe made an appearance and we snapped and gasped. Jeanie very kindly obliged to act as photographer when I plucked up my courage to ask Chloe Sevigny for a picture. I knew that if I didn't, I would forever regret it and quite possibly one day turn into one of those ghosts who haunts and scares the bejesus out of people just to make of for their life "losses".

Thankfully she was obliging and kind but rather unthankfully we both look rather moody and not entirely flattered in the picture.

We left early to catch the last tube home and passed Henry Holland on the way out, and sticking to my blogger promise to take plenty of photos, I asked for his only to be greeted with a coiffed and "cooler than thou" exterior. What a charmer.


others spotted at the double club: pat mcgrath, bay garnett, katy england and bobby gillespie, camilla al fayed, alexis taylor, phoebe arnold, henry holland


saturday: i spy kate lanphear at topshop unique
Sticking to my "keep it simple" dressing philosophy, I scraped my hair into a high bun, pulled on a grey rollneck, body con mini, flats and swiped on a faithful flash of red lippie and channelled my inner beatnik at the Topshop Unique show. Along with Disneyrollergirl, the loveley Hayley from the Topshop online team, and Michelle (as well as her Prince Barry) from Kingdom of Style we waited restlessly in line for the show to start as the likes of Daisy Lowe, Pixie Geldof sauntered past to go inside. With an expectation of nebula graphics and a general Peter Pilotto style ode to galaxies, I was a little disappointed by this season's Unique collection which leaned a little too much in the direction of Nu Rave Clubkid with Neons and glowsticks, though some of the big knitted cardigans had the potential to look lovely in a most pared down context. For me, the collection was a little harsh on the senses, though I'm always interested to see which standpoint designers will take during this economic climate; unabashed antidotal denial ala Marc Jacobs or sombre and pared down ala Armand Basi? In this case, the design team settled for the former.







others spotted at the unique show: karlie kloss, alexandra shulman, kate lanphear, pixie geldof, daisy lowe, susie bubble

81 OSCARs and one bedsheet

Let's not beat about the bush, where the recession is concerned, celebrities are getting hit big time. the OSCARS are approaching but instead of appointment books filled with A List fittings, tumbleweeds have rolled across the showrooms of Chanel, Dior, Valentino and Armani Prive. Temperley and Marchesa have had not a dot. With no business celebrity stylists have taken to the streets, I noticed Rachel Zoe crouched over a paper cup and cardboard sign the other day. Her pennypiping wasn't quite up to scratch though. In the absence of a dress budget, Kate Winslet, Angelina Jolie, Anne Hathaway, Penelope Cruz and Freida Pinto have all been experimenting with crepe paper and sequins. Sharon Stone has been tearing her hair out remembering the days when she could afford that famous GAP ensemble.

Clealy time is not on their side with the ceremony five days away. But luckily I have some solutions to help. All these stars will need is a bedsheet. And possibly some dye if their purses will allow. "But we'll all look the same!?" I hear them shriek. Oh ladies, ladies. Where is the creativity, the imagination! Between you you've thrown yourself into roles about concentration camp guards, destructive addicts and mental patients (and that's without even getting started on Anne Hathaway..) where is your vision? A bedsheet is the most versatile garment of all and I'll show you the options..

where's the wang revolution?

There is a noticeably special buzz surrounding the fall 2009 shows this week, and I should think it'll extend right through until the end of the new collections when Paris Fashion week draws to a close at the start of March.

It's a "this year is different" mentallity and an excitement and overdue need to see some new trends. I'm craving looks that are more refined and slick; more Jil Sander than Alexander Wang, something I've spoken about in a a couple of previous posts.

Having said this, I waited for the Alexander Wang Fall 2009 with baited breath, waiting to see if ironically he was in the same mood. Would he steer away from the leathery sheen of his grunge luxe or would be press on with his typical aesthetic of droppy tee shirts and cutaway sex?

I must say, I was a little disappointed, because although glad to see him embracing a more grown up look, the collection didn't feel enough of a departure from his previous and I was hoping for more of a progression to promise that the Alexander Wang look has longivity. Though that CFDA/Vogue fashion fund along with the show's presence of big time influencers Anna Wintour and Phillip Green should be enough to promise a sustained future.

So in conclusion, the collection didn't quite do it for me, I was hoping for a more of a covered up look, with those black maxi skirts I've been speaking of; I'd love to see Wang come up with a new take on conservative. Instead with hemlines shortcoming and more slits in leggings, the front row which housed Jen Brill, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Roisin Murphy, Zoe Kravitz, Vanessa Traina [and bizarrely Sarah Jessica Parker who I would never have down as a Wang groupie] seemed a more promising breeding ground of new ideas.

pics jak and jil, style.com, fashionista, wireimage

it must be fashion week

because a high concentration of the industry's darlings have been hitting up the town.

and there are photos to prove it!

pics jeremy kost

hip hip hooray

When the Katie Holmes for Miu Miu ads were revealed and quickly met with little sighs of disappointment, the Pamela Anderson for Vivienne Westwood campaign remained the light at the end of the spring advertisement tunnel. a glimmer of hope sparkled, as surely such a pairing, along with juergen teller as photographer could be executed in an imaginative and humorous way..

When the first of the photographs (see the third here) hit the internet this morning, I thought it had all gone a bit, ahem, tits up. i wanted to see Pamela looking cutely trashy. maybe in a gushing pink dress with one of her tits out on a sofa in a trailer park (that's the setting we were promised after all) surrounded by cheeto packets. and what stared back at me was pam on, rather predictably, a beach, with the boring outfit taking a backseat to her boobs.

But hoorah, the other adverts have saved what i thought was a shattered dream (forgive the X Factor contestant style metaphors) with her prancing beside Mr and Mrs Westwood; what a twist that Vivienne herself is featured! Juergen Teller's photography, now instantly recognised (or just associated) for it's "marc jacobs haze" tones down the deliciously bright orange colour palette that is Pamela's life and makes it all the more high fashion.

Take one unfashiony type star, add some trashy imagery and the forgiving arty focus of a hazy camera and hey presto, one top notch advertisement is the result!

refinery29

brigitte bardot

images from life magazine

thirty five

happy birthday kate!

can't wait to see the party pictures.
please wear something lovely so kick the weekend off to a good start?

the miu miu moan

i feel disappointed. i was hoping miuccia and her team would completely transform katie holmes beyond recognition. although it could be argued that the airbrush tool did a good job at this anyway. remember when the lindsay lohan for miu miu adverts came out, whether you liked them or not (i love them, i must admit) they were fantastically un-lohan and fresh and interesting.

this is just dull. she is dead in the eyes, and the colours may pretty, but the backdrop is hardly a saving grace. I don't understand the holmes appeal at all. she seems to be getting an awful lot of "style icon" for owning jeans in multiple styles, and therefore being the "queen of denim"

reality check, in the "real world" people wear denim everyday.

rant over, i'd love to know what you think about the first of the ads to have been released.

image, grazia

words of wisdom from the one of the coolest couples

jarvis cocker: I try to look like a slightly edgy geography teacher. Like what a geography teacher looked like when I was in school. Cords, sensible shoes and glasses. I never liked geography much as a subject though. In fact the only geography teacher I can remember from school was a woman who had a moustache.

camille bidault-waddington: The fashion industry is very fascist... I think people should just be honest about what they wear. Like during Fashion Weeks, there is something so tragic about this uniform of black and Balenciaga and Saint Laurent, all you see is a bunch of black insects.

the style horoscopes

Happy New Year! Most people have a bit of a soft spot for horoscopes, don't they? You'll read through them and most of the time they'll be fairly accurate, but even if they're not, you may like me, be subconsciously tempting to mould your lives just so that they fit. I've compiled a list of stylish horoscopes, a bit of a best dressed list of the spiritual world! The second installment will come later in the week, so if you're star sign isn't here, keep your eyes peeled..

Other stylish capricorns: zooey deschanel, erin wasson, georgia jagger

Lucky Days: 5, 6, 13, 14, 24

Your Forecast: 2009 comes in like a lion with the triple threat of the Sun, Mars and Jupiter powering up your stars. You continue to gear up for tremendous change, with the biggest chunk of the transformation starting this month. For starters, you’ve got the mojo of the powerful full moon on 10 January. This is activating your partnership and marriage sector. Expect some interesting drama to flare up with whomever or whatever you feel married to during this time. If this includes a business partnership, you’ll have to weigh some very important decisions this month. On the financial front, it’s wise to take a more conservative approach especially around the New Moon Solar Eclipse on 16 January. Many things will shift over the next six months, so hold off on major commitments with your money until you can regain a sense of the big picture. Mercury, the communications planet, will retrograde back into your sign on 21 January, so you’ll have a chance to re-do, rethink and revise any glitches from late 2008.

Other stylish aquarius: daisy lowe, anita pallenberg Lucky Days: 7, 8, 15, 16, 25

Your forecast: Lucky Aquarians have tons to celebrate this New Year as the planet of fortune and fabulousness graces your stars throughout 2009. A huge blessing like this only comes around once every twelve years, so consider this your “make it or break it” year. Despite the conservative tone around you, you’ll be feeling more daring than ever. Good things seem to fall into your lap and new people you meet are beyond generous. Between 11 and 22 January, Mercury is out phase in your sign, potentially botching up some important communication. Keep commitments and big decisions to a minimum. Powerful changes are stirring toward the latter half of the month as a result of the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Aquarius on the 26th of January. By this point, you’re a total pro when it comes to going with the flow and not getting shocked by ceaseless surprise. You’re not the same woman you were when 2008 began, and you’ll continue to blossom throughout 2009.

Other stylish pisces: theodora richards
Lucky Days: 1, 2, 6, 18, 28

Your Forecast: Life is about to get incredibly sugary–almost sticky sweet this month. The love and beauty planet enters your constellation on 3 January, where it will remain all month. January will be anything but dull and dreary. Harmony should flow in abundance all month long, inspiring you to create a sense of gorgeousness in every area of your life. It’s time to turn the tables and start spoiling yourself for a change, the way you usually do for everyone else. Start the year off right by indulging in spa treatments; you know you want to. The full moon on 10 January totally lights up the romance and pleasure sector of your horoscope for the entire weekend, so book something magical during that time. During the remainder of the month you’ll probably be caught up in revising your resolutions for 2009. Mercury will retrograde in the area of your horoscope ruling goal-making, confusing your agenda. The key to success this month is to remember that nothing is written in stone; proceed accordingly and get as many pedicures as you desire.



Other stylish Aries: Edie Sedgwick, Keira Knightley

Lucky Days: 3, 4, 11, 12, 21

Your Forecast: In 2008 you put yourself squarely on the map. With firm footing (or at least a definitive direction) in your career of choice, you can now seek the people with whom you’ll rule the world. 2009 starts off on a fabulously social note for go-getting Rams. Jupiter moves into your eleventh sector on 5 January, encouraging you to go about collecting kindred spirits wherever you go. As an Aries you usually prefer to go solo, but this year you’d much rather be a team player. Friends and friends of friends are your touchstones this month. There is still an intense emphasis on career breakthroughs, especially with Mars in Capricorn until early February. January is probably your most ambitious month of the year, because by February you’ll be so wrapped up in romantic pursuits that you’ll forget your boss’ name. One caveat: Mercury goes retrograde on the 11th. Computer crashes, cell phone loss (or breakage), missed flights, achingly slow trains and general chaos are all par for the course until the end of the month. Your luck might come in the form of an old colleague who reappears out of the blue to take your current project to the next level. Just don’t rush anything; a slow and steady approach wins the day.

Other Stylish Taurus: Jessica Stam, Wes Anderson

Lucky Days: 1, 5, 6, 23, 24

Your Forecast: With your lovely, bubbly ruler Venus moving into Pisces on 4 January, the year starts off on deliriously romantic note. It’s as if the cosmos have extended your holiday party rounds until February. Kick up those heels and don’t retire your Little Black Dress. With an entourage of beautiful friends and perhaps some hangers-on, you’re doing the town in high style and attracting much attention. Lavish dinners (or at least gorgeous potluck dinner parties) are the order of the month. It’s true that the economy has everyone is feeling a little less glam right now, but you know how to make the best of things. As a master of DIY you can make even the simplest ensemble look super chic and the most difficult circumstances positively delicious. Adding to the lively atmosphere this month is the position of Jupiter in your career house. This influence begins on 6 January and lasts all year long. You’ve been waiting for the amazing benefits of this endlessly lucky planet for at least twelve years. In 2009 you’ll launch yourself into the professional stratosphere, and there’s no looking back.

Other stylish Geminis: Kanye West, Ashley Olsen, Gisele Bundchen

Lucky Days: 3, 16, 25, 30, 31

Your Forecast: Here we go again, Gemini. 2009 opens on a rather chaotic note, with your ruler Mercury headed into retrograde motion by 11 January. You, of course, will likely feel the shift by New Year’s Day. Get your electronic ducks in a row early: back up data on your laptop and PDA, double and triple check your appointments and travel plans, and most of all – give yourself extra time to get wherever you’re going. As this retrograde falls in your long-distance travel sector, you might long to go on holiday but find your plans thwarted. Another possibility is that a past lover (perhaps an exotic, foreign companion) will appear in your life once again. He could arrive seemingly out of the blue. You might run into him on the street or get a rather forward Facebook message. Beware, Gemini – no matter how tempting it is to hook up with him again, you must remember why it didn’t work in the first place. Retrogrades can be very deceiving. At the same time, Jupiter arrives in the area of your chart ruling new experiences and philosophy on 5 January. Even if it doesn’t happen this month, you’ll definitely have your fair share of foreign travel and exotic adventure between now and 2010. You can wait, can’t you?

Other stylish Cancers: Diane Kruger, Roisin Murphy

Lucky Days: 1, 2, 6, 9, 10

Your Forecast: Welcome to 2009, Cancer! January isn’t usually your favourite time of year – you’re a child of summer, after all. But hang in there. This month marks your annual solar opposition, when you’re at your least robust for the first three weeks of the month. At least you’re not alone: everyone is rather pale and pasty because of the cold weather. After eating way too many buttery biscuits over the holidays, you’re feeling less fit than ever. Your number one resolution should be three minimum visits to the gym per week. It’s the best way to keep your energy and confidence as sky-high as possible. You need those endorphins, so grab them however you can. You’re totally fantasising about a spa treatment but feeling guilty because most people are tightening their belts. You’ve scrimped and saved, and your rainy day is finally here: book a Thai massage and don’t look back. The weekend of 10 January is ideal, with the full moon in your sign. You need it now more than ever; your frugal friends never have to know.

Other Stylish Leos: Jourdan Dunn, Yves Saint Laurent

Lucky Days: 3, 4, 11, 12, 31

Your Forecast: The big news of 2009 is also the headline this January: relationships are at the centre of your universe. Thank Jupiter, the planet of life-changing luck and fabulous fortune. This cheerful planet moves into your partnership house on 6 January and stays there for the entire year. Leos have been caught in a whirlwind eclipse cycle for approximately the last eighteen months, so you well deserve some happiness on the relationship front. You’ve got excellent romantic karma whether you’re single, dating, or in a long-term affair. It gets even hotter for you during the last week in January. With Mercury retrograding in your relationship house between the 11th and the 22nd, be on the lookout for men from your past. The New Moon in Aquarius on 26 January is the ideal time to manifest the man you’ve wanted to meet. Get down to brass tacks: make a list of everything you’ve ever wanted, from personality to eye colour. He may not be an exact replica of your dream man, but he’ll be damn close. If you will it, there’s always a way.

horoscopes by Sherene Schostak and Stefanie Iris Weiss for Elle Magazine