This Month’s Metro Herald Style Column

Hello,

In case you missed it, here’s this month’s Metro Herald style column.

Metro Life is taking style advice from the people who really know their stuff, with a rotating panel of bloggers giving their top style tips. This week style connoisseur Whisty of whisty.wordpress.com returns

“ONE of the most interesting things about fashion blogging is getting to see clothing collections before they’re released into stores. Shops like Oasis, Penneys / Primark and River Island get in touch twice a year and invite bloggers, fashion editors and stylists to view their collections for the coming season.

If you’ve ever watched The Devil Wears Prada, you will know the cerulean speech – when magazine boss Miranda Priestly tells assistant Andy exactly how it was that she came to wear a blue sweater that day. The gist of it being, that although Andy thinks she has made a sartorial choice that separates her from her fashion mag colleagues, as Miranda explains, she is in fact, very much a part of the fashion chain, albeit the weakest link.

Another point about the speech is how trends filter down from designers to the high street and so on. Collections are shown at international fashion weeks about six months in advance of the season. From there you can see how trends, styles and colours have all been translated from the designer collections to the high street a month or two later.

For example, one trend that was big on the catwalks for SS2012 was the peplum; a kind of mini frill attached to a top or a skirt that sits on the hips. Designers like Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Nina Ricci and Jason Wu all did versions of the peplum.

By the time the high street collections were launched, just about  every shop had a version in their collections.

Clockwise from top left; AWear, Dorothy Perkins, ASOS, Topshop

Yours,

Whisty Xx

Contender for Model of the Year 2009. #2 Lara Stone

“Every time I go to the dentist, they always say, ‘You really need to fix that gap of yours.’ I’m like, ‘My gap is paying your dentist bills.’”  And so was the word of Lara Stone, talking to i-D Magazine, in November last year. So I have continued my model of the year blogging, and this German / Dutch / British lady is next on the list. French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld said about her. “Sometimes a girl just touches you” and following her campaigns with Chloe, DKNY, Givenchy, H&M, Jil Sander , Max Mara, Belstaff, Jean Paul Gaultier, Nicole Farhi and Louis Vuitton SS10, it seems many others would agree.

Lara Stone was named by UK Vogue as model of the year in their December 09 issue, of which she was the cover star. She a features in a story / shoot in their Jan 2010 issue which hit stands last week. She is highly coveted by magazine and fashion houses alike and has an edginess that few of her peers can offer. Indeed, there are very few women in the world that can make a Page 3 shoot, high fashion, see images from ID December 09 (below). A massive favourite of the magazine, she not only featured on their Nov 08 cover, but is also one of the 3 cover stars for the December 09 issue. In February this year Vogue Paris dedicated itself to Lara and featured her as the issue’s cover star and sole model promoting Carine Roitfeld to make the above statement. Her gap-tooth smile, razor-sharp cheek bones, smouldering pout and killer figure make her as commercial as she is high-fashion, here’s why.

For Louis Vuitton SS10

Backstage at the Louis Vuitton SS10 shoot. (image via fabsugar.co.uk)

UK Vogue, December 2009

ID Magazine November 2008

ID Magazine December 2009 (with Jamie Dornan)

Shoe Sale Alert!

The Cocobelle shoe boutique sale starts tomorrow!

The gorgeous boutique opened earlier this year on Royal Hibernian Way and is home to seriously high-end heels that will be on sale for two weeks.

This is no ordinary sale though…ALL that is ALL SS09 shoes are an whopping 50% off!

Remember these incredible black lace Givenchy sandals from the SS09 catwalk? They are now €305 reduced from €610. With other Givenchy styles as little as €180!

Cocobelle also stock Emilio Pucci shoes, these are now reduced to as low as €175 and Salvador Sapena reduced as low €155.

Cocobelle, Royal Hibernian Way, D2 Tel: 01 6761 062

Cocobelle Kick out the Reccession.

Cocobelle owner, Catherine Kelly, opened her new shoe boutique on Royal Hibernian way at the start of the month and has gathered together an amazing collection of sexy, sassy footwear; from Steve Madden to Givenchy she has cleverly built up a collection of shoes with a price tag to suit most purse strings… Unfortunately my purse strings don’t quite suit my taste. I adore these Emilio Pucci pumps, but lets face it, it’s never going to happen, though I’m happy enough to settle for a pair of Steve Madden hells any day.

Cocobelle, Royal Hibernian Way, D2 Tel: 01 6761 062

Catwalk Trend: Feather Trimmed Shoulders

This season shoulders are big news. From circles to huge pads to ruffle details to feathers, shoulders were barging their way up and down the catwalks in shows for both SS09 and Fall / AW09. From Italian designer Francesco Scognamiglio’s feather shoulder pads SS09:

To Givenchy’s Fall 09 amazing full feathered sleeve:

How to get from the catwalk to the sidewalk? I love this style and i just had to get me some of that trend… read on to see how I did

Scarlett Johansson is the new face of Moet & Chandon

Moët is the very first champagne house to introduce a Hollywood celebrity ambassador as the face of the world’s most loved champagne. Last night in London they hosted “Tribute to Cinema” Gala the theme of which in fused every detail of the evening.

But check out at Scarlett’s two different looks, she has mixed up her trademark über blonde locks and slick red lips combo; for the pool shoot she stayed blonde but incorporated a stunning ‘natural’ make-up look. While on the red carpet last night her trademark red lips were in full bloom but her locks are a dark shade of luscious chestnut. LOVE LOVE LOVE both the dresses though. The one from the photo shoot by the pool looks amazing against her perfect skin! The black lace dress from the launch is vintage Givenchy and check out those nude satin Louboutin’s, so on-trend!

Moët’s advertising campaign starring Scarlett Johansson,  was shot by renowned photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and will be launched internationally this April.

www.moet.com

www.christianlouboutin.com

www.givenchy.com