Jennifer Lawrence’s Third Dior Campaign

It’s been just over a year since Jennifer Lawrence graced the pages of fashion magazines across the globe for her first Dior campaign. And now, just in time for the Oscars, the actresses captivating gaze stares out from her now third consecutive campaign for the French fashion house.

The adverts have been released a mere week before the 86^th Academy Awards, where she is hotly tipped to win her second Oscar, for best supporting actress in American Hustle, at the impressively tender age of 23. 

Looking bare-faced and wind swept, Lawrence clutches the chain strapped Miss Dior bag, wearing only a blazer with nothing underneath creating a sultry androgynous aesthetic.

Shot by the acclaimed fashion photographer, Patrick Demarchelier, the campaign is accompanied by a simple video of the actress talking about her trip to Dior’s ateliers where she chose the dress that she will wear for the Oscars on Sunday.

As she looks into the camera she explains ‘I get the haute couture thing now, it’s a big deal.’ Lawrence has been notably laissez faire in her attitude to fashion but is renowned for barely putting a foot wrong when it comes to her red carpet selections. 

Dior’s creative director Raf Simons spoke of his decision to work with Lawrence back in 2012 explaining that he was captivated by her ‘youth and her classic beauty, but also her force of character and the complexity she’s capable of embodying at such a young age.’

Rumours have been doing the rounds this month that the actress is set to sign another three year (and multi-million dollar) contract with the fashion house, meaning that she will continue to only wear Dior gowns on the red carpet. Both sides have declined to comment on the rumours but would you be surprised if Lawrence did sign another contract? You wouldn’t have to pay me much to wear beautiful Dior gowns all of the time!

We can’t wait to see what award winning star will wear to this year’s Oscars, but if it is anything like last year’s we’re getting our hopes up for something truly spectacular.

London Fashion Weekend

London Fashion Weekend, one of the biggest shopping events of the year, came to Somerset House over the last few days. From 20-23 February, it’s the London Fashion Week event that everyone can attend, regardless of whether they work in the industry.

Vodaphone customers could get a free red nail polish from the Vodaphone vending machine, in association with Maybelline, and even book themselves in for a complimentary manicure. There was a Q&A session with Park & Cube, skin care and make-up advice, and hair styling by Toni & Guy.

Serial shoppers could browse TheOutnet on built-in iPads, or shop exclusive designer discounts from some of the biggest names in fashion. Lulu Guinness, Clements Ribeiro, Farhi by Nicole Farhi and Maria Francesca Pepe were all up for grabs. There was a room full of gorgeous, wear-forever coats from Joseph, as well Viktor & Rolf handbags and Vivienne Westwood dresses that had been cinched in at the waist.

Those with more of an eye on industry trends could attend one of the talks in the Vodaphone Lounge. On Thursday alone there was Hilary Alexander OBE (renowned British fashion journalist), Lulu Guinness and a presentation by Toni & Guy, explaining how they develop their key looks for the catwalk.  

There were catwalk shows throughout the day, every day, showcasing designers such as Amanda Wakeley and Julien Macdonald, or illustrating the hottest trends for Spring/Summer 2014. Styled by TheOutnet, these trend shows focused on metallics, florals, lace and sports luxe, using labels like Alexander Wang and Peter Pilotto. We managed to grab a few pictures:

As the lights dimmed after the final show, guests picked up their Julien Macdonald tote bag and wandered out through the arches, stopping for one last photo against the Somerset House backdrop. But if you missed out this time it will be back next season, just like Fashion Week.

Vogue Festival 2014

If you weren’t lucky enough to get your hands on one of the coveted tickets to last year’s Vogue Festival then don’t be too dismayed! The time has rolled around again to rub shoulders with some of the most iconic and influential names in the fashion industry.

This year celebrates the third annual Vogue festival on the weekend of the 29^th and 30^th of March and will be partnering with the iconic British department store Harrods.

Director of consumer relationship management at Harrods, Chiara Varese, spoke of the current state of the industry; ‘the fashion world is artistic, inspirational, innovative and sophisticated but most of all it’s exciting and fun…This natural partnership between our two brands will bring together in an innovative way the world’s leading influencers, designers and fashion savvy crowd in a luxury style.’

Held at the Southbank’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, this year is set to be even bigger than its predecessors. 2013’s festival saw talks and workshops from the likes of Victoria Beckham, Donatella Versace and Mario Testino to name a few and this year’s line-up is set to be a veritable feast  of fashion.  

Expect to see everyone from models Karlie Kloss and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley discussing what it’s really like to be a model, to a talk on personal style from Alexa Chung and Vogue's own Lucinda Chambers. Our favourite talk includes the ironically cool designer Phoebe Philo, who will be speaking about her career philosophy and how she put her own spin on Céline, turning it into one of the most influential brands of our time.

Each of the talks and workshops is £40 to attend and there will be much more going on including make-overs and live performances. The Vogue Festival really is a special treat for any fashion lover; tickets went on sale this morning and are guaranteed to sell out fast so make sure you get in their quick!                                   

Get Tickets here - http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/node/36889/

Sequined Shoppers at Ashish

Ashish is the reigning champion of quirky, over-the-top cool. Known for coating everything in sequins, he can make even the grungiest checked sweatshirt into a sparkly statement piece.

But it was the accessories that really caught everyone’s attention at the label’s Spring/Summer 2014 show: plastic shopping bags, reimagined in the most iridescent way, were casually swinging from the models’ hands, as if they were carrying their shopping down the runway.

Some had classic blue or pink stripes – a riff on the essential laundry bag – but it was the tongue-in-cheek logos that really stood out. M&S has been reimaged as S&M, Tesco has become Disco and Coca-Cola has been provocatively replaced with Coke.                                                                                                       

Not since Anya Hindmarch’s infamous ‘I am not a plastic bag’ tote for Sainsbury’s, back in 2007, have we wanted a supermarket carrier bag so badly. If you love Brian Lichtenberg’s cheeky logo sweatshirts, or Untitled & Co’s viral slogans, this could be your accessory of the year.

The clothes themselves were dusted with all-over sequins too (a classic Ashish move). Even the jeans, which were torn at the knee, were covered in them. But somehow they still looked fluid, and moved like real fabric, rather than becoming stiff and unwearable: that’s the difference between Ashish and sequinned pieces on the high street.

Unfortunately his label is slightly on the expensive side for most of us, so I’ve done my best to find the affordable alternatives. If none of them will do, check out Milkteef for some amazing photos from the Ashish show, both backstage and on the runway.

This sequinned clutch from ASOS is a brilliant alternative to the Ashish shoppers, and it’s even on sale at the moment. The check pattern is pure 90s, but the all-over embellishment brings it bang up to date.

Kenzo has so many irreverent accessories, almost all of them embellished with print, that we’ve practically lost count. But this palm tree clutch is our favourite, with textured faux leather and a zip across the top. Its simple design balances out that busy print, and it’s just big enough for all your essentials.

This Ted Baker tote is a clever cheat: it’s covered in a sequin print, but not actually encrusted with them. The rainbow mix of colour looks like an underwater jewellery box, guaranteed to make people look twice. Especially when everyone else is carrying a plain cotton tote that they picked up for free somewhere.

Marc by Marc Jacobs is riding the wave of quirky accessories. First it was his plush phone cases, and now tote bags are getting the same treatment. This graphic bulldog print, on a psychedelic cityscape background, is our pick.

This cat print shopper from NW3 by Hobbs might look like it was designed for older generations to tote their shopping in, but style it the right way and it could lift your entire look. Just keep kitsch to a minimum where the rest of your accessories are concerned. 

Spring Summer 2014: Cross Body Bags

Image source: www.asos.com

When it comes to handbags I’m very particular. I’m very much a tote bag kind of girl, I guess you can call me a bag snob that loves 'it’ bag. 

I tend to go for bigger bags because it’s so easy to carry all my most prized possessions where make-up bags and i pad's fit in just nicely.

One bag style I have never paid to much attention to is a cross body bag.  I've always thought that they were to small and never really knew how to style them properly. This has all changed and cross body bags are now my new found friends which will be making there way into my outfits for seasons to come. 

Image source: www.pinterest.com

A cross body bag is a real hero piece because it can help to define a stunning fashion forward look. It’s a style of bag that you can team with most off duty looks. This bag is a easy and comfortable style to opt for as it lays across the shoulder allowing the weight to be distributed evenly across the body.

Image source: www.pinterest.com

The cross body number is a real spectacular because its versatile enough to team with many different ensembles. This piece looks great with skirts, dresses, shorts and trousers. Investing in a statement cross body will always elevate a look to the most stylish.

Image source: www.pinterest.com

Cross body bags have everything to offer when it comes to day to day styling of a look. When I’m on the hunt for a new bag I always consider how well a bag transitions in between seasons and from day to night. This piece works well for the office as well as after work drinks at the bar.

Image source: www.pinterest.com

A bag is one of the most used accessories so its worth while investing a piece that is durable and well made. With so many new season offerings I’ve picked out the top 10 designer style picks. Any of these styles will take your look into a new fashion forward dimension...

One: Stella McCartney- www.farfetch.com

Two: Mulberry-www.selfridges.com

Three: Zac Posen-www.shopbop.com

Four: Emilio Pucci- www.home.emiliopucci.com

Five: Jerome Dreyfuss-www.matchesfashion.com

Six: Gucci Vintage- www.mybag.com

Seven: DKNY- www.dkny.com

Eight: Dolce & Gabanna- www.dolcegabbana.com

Nine: Marni- www.thecorner.com

Ten: Moschino- www.luisaviaroma.com

SS14's Statement Shoes

SS14 is almost here, which means that new season pieces are already dropping in-store. And as much as we love shopping for coats and chunky knitwear, we can’t wait to switch up our wardrobe and start buying sunglasses again. Summer always arrives notoriously late in the UK, but that doesn’t stop us from indulging in a harmless bit of mental planning, so this week we’ve started with the footwear.

These Celine mules (top image) come second only to Chanel's sneakers in terms of how much hype already surrounds them. Supple leather leans on geometric frame or sphere heel, for a mule that we couldn’t have imagined six months ago. Now we don’t want to imagine life without them, but we know that Celine only exists way out of our price range. Hopefully Zara will come up with something similar, because right now we can’t find anything to fill the void.

We’ve already posted about Chanel’s haute couture sneakers, but there was no way we were going to leave them off this list. After lighting up Twitter and Instagram with instant hype, our excitement was instantly dampened by the announcement that not only do they cost €3000, but you need to buy the whole couture outfit to go with them. Luckily Philipp Plein has some incredible high tops (right image) with just as much embellishment. They’re still expensive, but compared to the Chanel ones you can sort of justify their cost-per-wear. 

Christopher Kane’s silver shoes made us fall for metallics all over again. The stiletto heel, the super-shiny gleam and holographic colour brings futuristic style into the here and now. These peter shoes from Guess might not have quite the same luxurious feel, but we still like the subtle cut-outs at the side. Hopefully we’ll see some more dramatic interpretations soon.

Minimalist flats at Margaret Howell and J.W. Anderson set the tone for cool (and wearable!) sandals that will lend your summer wardrobe a bit of an edge. Luckily this is an easier style to mimic, and the high street has already caught on. Topshop’s Hi Pool Slide Sandals are a dead ringer if you’re on a tight budget, and will look seriously cool with a pair of shorts this summer.

They might not have garnered quite as much as attention when they strode down the runway, but we would do anything to get our hands on these Naeem Khan shoes. A completely different take on the metallic trend to  the one we saw at Christopher Kane, these are like fluid gold. And in some kind of footwear-based miracle, Kurt Geiger have come up with a pair that we like just as much, if not slightly more! The skinny heel looks almost dangerous against the etched pattern on the heel, and the matte toe strap is effortlessly modern.

New York Fashion Week – Street Style Round-Up

New York Fashion week is coming to an end and the fashion world elite can finally pack away their layers and thermals after a frosty sojourn in NYC. With over 300 shows taking places there is almost too much to see over the course of the week.

But one of the things that we enjoy most about fashion weeks, whether they’re in New York, London, Milan or Paris is the street style. We rounded up some of our favourite looks from the last few days, who in was your favourite street style look of the week?

The perfect way of tackling the cold weather without compromising on style; fur and sequins! This ensemble is super fun and glamorous and the hat gives it a fresh twist paired with the statement jacket.

Similar Look - http://bit.ly/1ePZmwX

This look is all about the statement shoes, keeping everything else a little muted and casual really makes the boots pop. This look is NY layering done to perfection.

White soled shoes - http://bit.ly/1jskJrL

This is a look that could easily be overdone but manages to work really well, with clashing prints from the jeans and the checked poncho. The look manages to balance smart and casual perfectly, we especially like the turban for a really chic touch to the ensemble.

Turban - http://bit.ly/1iKgwgf

Don’t be afraid to stray from black, we love black as much as the next person but we love these muted neutral shades for winter just as much. The creamy camel coat is a real must have item.

Creamy Coat - http://bit.ly/1oewzpW

Team sugary hues together for a look that should be sweet and saccharine but paired with a chunky heel and statement clutch has a much more directional feel to it.

Blue Beanie - http://bit.ly/LRCxxA

If you can dare to bare legs then make sure the rest of you is wrapped up warm this mohair coat and jumper looks sumptuous and ultra-cosy, we love the juxtaposition of the soft mohair and sleek leather skirt.

Mohair jumper - http://bit.ly/NxIEsH