Kylie's opening night at the O2, 26 July 2008

After a wild night at the Burlington Club (ending with sending an awfully misspelled text to my boss after way too many drinks at 6 in the morning... seeing as I am a copywriter, do I wish my phone had an alcohol sensitive keypad now!), I didn’t feel absolutely exhilarated at the idea of meeting my friend Andy Morris from GQ in East London for a surprise night out... Man, can women be unfairly grumpy sometimes: I am sure you all experienced one of these foul moods. I should have known better, I always spent amazing evenings with him...

Getting out of the tube at North Greenwich, he’s wearing a beautiful shirt and I begin to suspect there is something serious going on out there. We get in the O2, and he ushers me in the very smart Gaucho Grill that just opened in the heart of the dome: the light is pleasantly dim (especially enjoyable when you have a pounding headache), and crystal chandeliers play with the reflects of sleek glass walls around the rooms, creating an elegant and slightly mystical atmosphere... The food is really divine in this cathedral of Argentinean steak: the first mouthful of fillet is Eucharistic, so tender it melts on the tongue. The wine too is beautiful, with accents of citrus and flowers unravelling in the balloon, and a gorgeous ruby colour in the light. The conversation is of course delightful, the waiters helpful, charming and knowledgeable and the whole dinner makes for one of the most refined meat adventures of my life. And I will tell you, I am French, I know what a good filet de boeuf is... No faux-pas here, I am in paradise. If I had one reserve I would say do not try the dulce de leche desert because it is so strong you cannot taste your wine after a spoon. But their exquisite Malbec and port desert wine makes you forget everything else: I am walking on clouds, and the wonderful thing is that I am still feeling light when the manager escorts us to their private booth, right above the stage of the Arena, where Kylie Minogue is about to give her first concert!

As the first notes of music ring out and a cascade of smoke falls off the stage, I take in the amazing space of the concert hall: it is grand, Kylie seems really small on stage in comparison, even on her 10" high platforms, but the first lady of pop can stand her ground, and the whole evening goes by in a heartbeat. I am a bit ashamed to say I knew the songs and of course I was familiar with Kylie, but I had never made the link between most of them and the singer... I won’t say I found Kylie inspirational in fashion terms: the calf high boots, the world war II cap, the pompom girl outfit, the whole staging was a bit tacky... But it does take some class to enter the stage on top of a giant silver skull... Obviously, from the last Anna Sui pirate belts to Damien Hirst’s diamond skull and Alexander Mc Queen prints, skulls are not getting out of style.

Dark Knight Premiere, London, 22 July 2008

Maggie Gyllenhaal was every bit the batman girl in her Stella McCartney backless satin pantsuit last night at the Leicester Square premiere of the Dark Knight: dark, sensual and sexy. It was a very glamorous intake on the pantsuit, which seems to be making a comeback on strong successful, beautiful, intelligent women after Gwyneth Palthrow wore one at a premiere last month. The halterneck shape of the garment graciously underlined the delicateness of Maggie's neck and back: remember, girls, you should never underestimate the seductive power of a back line!

Delicateness in tone too, as all Maggie's fellow actors wore similar colours in rememberance of their co-star Heath Ledger, who is delivering his last performance in the movie.

Another one I never had the time to kiss...

Burlington Style

High bun and wide belt make for a laid back 50's style. Outside the Burlington club, New Burlington Street. Zena, model.

Lovebox

What I love about music festivals is that it's an amazing source of inspiration in terms of style: people who attend the festival are the most careless in the world... They are here to see and be seen, but without a care of what people will think when they see them. It creates some explosive looks, truly inspirational, often retro and hippie, and sometimes... well sometimes a tiny bit surprising, but colourful at least.

I wish I had had my cowboy hat, because the cowboy outfit was de rigueur, with vintage leather boots ornate with cabalystic signs and worn felt hats scattered all over Victoria park, twirling and shaking at the sounds of Bizzle Bizzle and Ladyhawke...

Everybody joined in when Manu Chao went on stage, and it looked like a little piece of South America had just come alive on the green, a Brazilian heartbeat in the heart of London.

It left me with sparkles inside...

Too Cool For School at Dazed & Confused

On Friday night I found myself, with fellow Fashionista Camille Roman in tow, at the Dazed & Confused party.

Serving cold Japanese beer out of dustbins full of ice, with a DJ who looked like he was a throwback from the 80’s my colleague and I looked like strangers lost in a Punk era that automatically disliked and rejected my GAP cardigan and Zara Dress.

Those in attendance where the usual kooky crowd with the "Too Cool for School" aura around them. With a fashion dress sense that would not look out of place among the Brit Punk era of the late 70's early 80' OR the alternative Japanese fashion existing today, I was both wowed and excited to talk to individuals who embraced fashion without fear of ridicule. It was whilst talking to my new found friends that I realised that people did not just turn up to show off their rags but that they had also come to celebrate Philip Smiley’s work.

Philip Smiley is an illustrator whose clients have included Comme Des Garcons, Burberry and Stella McCartney. It is through the creation of his work that Philip is able to elaborate images and detail.

Born in Hawaii in 1976, Philip is a MA Fine Arts graduate from the School of Visual Arts in New and currently lives in London.

THE GOSSIP- LFW has spoken....

The word on the fashionable streets of London Fashion Week, 'they' have spoken and the winners of September 2008's Fashion Forward design sponsorship, the initiative set up by the BFC to support designers across the vital transition from emerging talent to established designer.

The winners were:

Christopher Kane, previous New Gen winner and to be honest no surprise there

Erdem, the London ready-to-wear line established in 2005- a nice feather in his fashion cap

Marios Schwab, his most recent show SS08 was chosen as one of the top ten shows of the season by Style.com- which could be the reason why he one!!!

Roksanda Ilincic, all haute couture contemporary and feminine style was awarded Fashion Forward sponsorship for the second time this season- i guess when it rains it pours!

Well done winners! I lok forward to seeing you grace the catwalks for seasons to come! For more info on Fashion Forward visit: http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/admin/e_go.asp?TransmissionID=310&URIEnc=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5sb25kb25mYXNoaW9ud2Vlay5jby51ay9jb250ZW50LmFzcD9DYXRlZ29yeUlkPTEwOTY&User=X9G4%2BE1w

Rimmel goes pop

Pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor has been appointed the new face of Rimmel along with Lily Cole. Rimmel are not replacing Kate Moss who will remain their ambassador, but their spokesperson said they wanted to reach a larger, younger market. Is that to say that Kate Moss doesn't appeal to 20 years old anymore; are advertisers starting to think she has aged?

After Burberry using 10,000 things punk singer Sam Riley in their Autumn Winter 08 ad campaign and LiLo squeezing herself in Agent Provocateur Lingerie, Sophie Ellis-Bextor is yet another music star to take over the fashion world. It seems fashion is looking into a change in rhythm: music stars attract more youngsters than plastic models, which means that supermodels are being replaced little by little by celebrities who look more like real people (well, if you look at Lily Allen modelling her own collection for Monsoon for example... then there is this other type of Paris Hilton-long-toned-legs-white-smile celebrities too). It might be a way to come back to a more regular image of the woman in fashion and escape the size zero debate everybody is getting tired of.

However, the Murder on the Dance Floor singer, with her smoky eyes and thick eyelashes, is hardly average looking, and she is bound to blow away the new Rimmel audience.

Photographer Bruce Weber's Summer Camp....and what a world!

I am a big fan of the NY magazine "W", and the photographs by Bruce Weber in this month's issue have intrigued me, and heres why. I was once upon a long time ago a camp counsellor at a camp in MA, and camp for moi was nothing like Bruce's vision. I mean looking at the magificently photographed (and styled might i add) shoot, I was drawn in and most definitely NOT reminded of my summer camp days but instead of a different kind of summer camp where the people are just beautiful, the worn fashion is seasons ahead and where sipping mojitos by the pool whist a kabana boy sprits you with Evian is the norm. Ok I have floated away with the fairies en route to Bruce Weber's Camp, so why not take a peek and see what i am babbling on about and do not forget to spot some fashion famous faces [or by the way if you blush easily do not look any further- you have been warned]....enjoy!!!

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF W MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRUCE WEBBER

STYLING BY ALEX WHITE

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT W MAGAZINE

Dior Homme Spring Summer 09

It's Kris Van Assche's third season for Dior Homme, and he is as young and enthusiastic as ever... One thing you can say for him is that he doesn't lack imagination: his new collection is full of ideas and colours, and just like a fireworks final, you're not sure exactly what to focus on, which might be the reason why half his models were wearing these fluorescent glasses like the ones you would put on if you suddenly turned colour-blind. Volume, slim slim trousers, sleek and shiny, baggy and sporty, bright like the sun, male, girly, automnal, flowery, what? where? can it really be all that at the same time?

Kris knows how to tailor, and he has talent, that's for sure, but catalysing his creativity might not be a bad idea...