L'art de savoir fumer

At the dawn of a new era when you will be able to buy electronic ciggarettes, nicotin full, tobacco free, which will allow you to contravene the law and smoke without blowing smoke in any public place, the Champagnistas allow themselves to cast a nostalgic glance on the 20th century and all the glamour a ciggarette used to represent.

However controversial this may sound, there is a certain je ne sais quoi to a woman who knows how to smoke: the elegant gesture of a hand, the sensual pout of red lips dragging a puff, the phantomatic cloud of smoke being breathed out, these are so many movements that can be so poetic and stylish, and that will never be the same again.

As a smoking fashionista, I rise up against these modern generation ciggarettes that won't even have the taste of tobbacco: where is the pleasure? where is the delightful vice? We are not buying this, but to bring back the beauty there is left in smoking, we're going to go hunting for ornate silver ciggarette holders and smoke 1930's style, free, charming, provocative and beautiful.

Coco Rococo

A tad of Amélie will charm things up in Anne Fontaine's new movie on the grande dame de la mode Française.

Audrey Tautou, the sweet dark-haired star of Amelie Poulain, has been offered the part of Gabrielle Coco Chanel, the woman who freed all of us from corseted dresses and Victorian frills, and let us breathe. Audrey Tautou will embody Coco at the early years of her life, from skinny cabaret singer to provocative designer and femme libérée, enflaming the conservative Parisian society of the 1910's by wearing bombed bangs and male clothes... and getting nicknamed 'coco' from wild nights out?

A woman who knew how to wear pants! The brand she started has become such a classic institution now, we can't wait to discover the underskirts of her story.

The Size 0 Debate battles on...

Everyones putting in their 10 cents worth on the recent sensitive topic on the skinny model "ban", so here's this Champagnista Girl's view on this topic.

Fashion dictates whats hot including the must have models. Fashion wants a particular look, so Fashion demands it. Skinny is whats is in and it is here to stay, which is unfortunate for the curvier and more realistic body types that exist today.

So fellow Champagnistas take note, no matter what the PC squad demands, it is what Fashion demands that counts in today's modelling world.

Gros Bisous

Champagnista Girls

Outback girl, Bricklane, May 2008

Shabby chic, Camden Town, May 2008

The champagnistas are always on the lookout to bring you the best of London street style...

Ladies in tux

There is something incredibly sexy about a woman wearing a man's suit... I am sure men would agree to that. At least my man would, who would be happy to see me strutt around in the flat 24/7 wearing only one of his suit jackets... But that's another story.

It's the ambivalence of a feminine shapely form in a male frame that makes the trick: in the discrepancy lies the mystery, the sparkle, the sensuality. Style is all about harmoniously mixing up unlikely combinations, and fashion this summer from Topshop to YSL is all about tuxedos: It's the occasion to recreate a real Marlene Vaudeville act.

For my part, I'll go all the way with a skinny black tie and a top hat... Still not too sure about the ivory top cane.

All because for the love of 'the' hat.

Philip Treacy is well known for creating visions that have been known to cause a stir. The late Isabella Blow was known for wearing a Philip Treacy creation at every given opportunity. It seemed that nobody could wear Philip Treacy hats with elegance and panache the way Isabella did. Until Sarah Jessica Parker adorned one at the Sex and the City premiere.

One cannot blame SJP- who is the style queen for may fashionistas- for trying to rise above her station by attempting to successfully achieve something only succeeded by Isabella- the pulling of a Philip Treacy hat! All we know is that for the love of God we hope not to see that fashion car crash again. Sarah please take note, once is a mistake, twice is just pure fashion foolishness- but still loving your style SJP!!!

Gros Bisous

Champagnista Girls

Man-bag: Fashion Faux Pas OR Fashion Forward?

Since the dawn of its birth and even more so after Joey in Friends appeared in an episode proudly carrying one- the man purse, the male handbag to some, has been a well argued and documented fashion trend. It is one of those fashion must haves that has had its pros and cons dissected and discussed to the extreme. Yet it seems that this male fashion accessory is still considered by many as a de-masculinating trend for the everyday average man.

In a world were the metro sexuality movement is making millions for the beauty and fashion industry, the man purse is still a taboo style that seems to mainly attract gay men or the Fashionista males in the fashion industry, who show no shame as they proudly swing their Vuitton and Gucci’s with pride while strutting down fashionable avenues.

In Paris, the man purse trend has taken hold like an unexpected fashion wild fire. All and sundry, young and old, gay and straight have somehow managed to achieve the “impossible” by looking more masculine when carrying their man purse. It is in this European city that the man purse has been embraced and taken to higher heights with matching wallets to accompany their fabulous and expensive man purses.

Any dedicated Fashionista can try coming up with many reasons to explain this epidemic but an effortless yet acceptable reason for the surprising uptake of this trend is that in Paris the man purse is not distinguished just as a man purse, but simply as a purse.

So therefore, it is not unusual to witness this magnificent fashion accessory walking down the Avenue Montaigne near the Champs-Elysées or Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. The man purse trend in Paris has even gone as far as one being able to sometimes catch sight of a Parisian couple strutting with their matching purses and looking like the epitome of fashion.





Gros Bisous

Champagnista Girls

Champagnista Whisper: the bowler hats are making a come back!

Whenever anyone in the fashion world thinks of the bowler hats nowadays the first thing to pop into their mind is the Chanel ad with Keira Knightly using the bowler hat to cover her not so large bust.

The thing is we are about to erase that mental image, because the next time you see the bowler hat would be on some trendy fashionista who heard the whisper that the bowler hats making a comeback.

This whisper comes with a warning fellow champagnistas, try to be less Charlie Chapman and more Annie Hall.

Last words: take one more look at the chanel ad and know that the bowler hat will soon be more than just a boob coverer but a must have accessory!

Gros Bisous

Champagnista Girls

E tu fashionista?

Surely it isnt that time of year already when all the excitement and anticipation of the upcoming SS09 builds up and drives all "devil-wears-prada-like"fashionistas crazy as they start to plan their ss09 wardrobe.

The whispers in the Champagnista world are that the SS09 collections that are going to be gracing the catwalks in Sept/Oct 2008 in fashion cities across the globe are going to be worth begging the PR Girls for 'the' front row seat if you don’t already have that privilege.

But lets first pay homage and travel back in fashion to remember the fabulous AW08 collections by designers such as Philip Lim, House of Holland, Vivienne Westwood and of cause welcome back the much missed label Halston:

Gros Bisous

Champagnista Girls

Top 7 Fashion Trendsetters- Paris

The " Top 7 fashion trendsetters" is all about city trendsetters in fashion cities. Whenever we travel we will bring back a little bit of the city's fashion trends back with us, because we believe that fashion trends are secrets that are meant to be shared among appreciative fashionistas. So it is on this note that the champagnistas are proud to introduce it's Top 7 Fashion Trendsetters- Paris:

Gros Bisous

Champagnista Girls

Worry not City dwellers, fashion has finally arrived in the city

The day I started my new job in the square mile I found myself getting excited, as I pushed and shoved my way with a smile onto the ridiculously packed 8.20am city bound tube. I was so used to being located in the west end or abroad that I felt like a fashionable modern day Indiana Jones with a cuter hat about to go on a city adventure.So starting as I meant to go on I first made sure that my Starbucks hazel nut wet latte extra hot and I got on the carriage full of the most cutest suited male travelers. So it was on that rainy Monday morning among a full train of unsmiling tired travelers that a smiley Fashionista and her coffee comfortably found herself under armpit one- a tall Armani clad cutie and armpit two- a rather dashing fellow who seemed unnaturally attached to his crackberry aka blackberry.

Five stops later I arrived at Liverpool Street, and like a well-trained pug I found myself automatically following the grey and black suit brigade onwards and outwards. With my oyster card in hand and at the ready, and wearing my new DVF wrap around, Choo shoes and newly whitened teeth, I felt like I had finally joined the true 9-5 crowd, I was now one of them. Now I could without hesitation reply “I work in the city” and automatically be awarded with a respectful nod or slight raise of their merlot which is something I never seem to get from city workers whenever I chirp with pride “I work in fashion”. Their usual response is the wrinkling of the nose, followed closely by a cleared throat then after a minute of uncomfortable silence comes the words “Oh did it start as a hobby”.

Going up the escalators at the bustling Liverpool street station I was covered in goose bumps and I knew the cause. It was because I was looking forward to city bankers galore, power lunches in restaurants that boast the Donald Trumps of the world, grabbing my free CITY AM paper so I feel just as important as the next person, adopting the fast pace I am too busy and important to talk to you walk, and hopefully be the bright spark of fashion strutting among the city female workers. I want to be their Moses and lead them to the fashion promise land, because if what I saw is anything to go by I should at least tell them that “that shade of grey is so last season darling”.

Gros Bisous

Champagnista Girl

Welcome fellow champagnistas

Coucou

We are two fashion twentys-something girls with access to the fashion world.

On this site you will get to read and live our two passions - writing about upcoming fashion trends and the champagne lifestyle.

So be rest assured we will write about the whats, the wheres, the hows and the why's of the fashion world, and we hope that we will not only wet your appetite but also leave you wanting more.

Gros Bisous

Champagnista Girls