London Wonder

Papa Karl, You Did Good...

Paris Fashion Week. Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week. One week that should be in every girls' diaries.

Haute Couture isn't an item of clothing. It's a piece. Something that is bespoke, one of a kind, creative, detailed, high quality, and most incredibly, hand-sewn. Hours upon hours are spent, and excruciatingly extreme attention to detail is paid by the most experienced and patient seamstresses in the world. Magic.

Every season, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel amazes and entices the imaginations of millions of onlookers with collections that are like no other.

This season, Papa Karl did not disappoint. Set in the Grand Palais in central Paris, against a backdrop of a romantic Midsummer Nights' Dream forest along with soothing bird songs, Chanel's Haute Couture SS13 collection was jaw-dropping.

The Face.

Chanel, of course with the most wonderful lace eyelashes. Dreamy...


The Show.

Feather, lace and tulle. Embroidered sequins, beads and chiffon. Look, just look at the detail!! Lagerfeld stated '“It takes 2,000 hours to make just one of those dresses,”. Amazing. There literally are no words!


The Finish.

To top off, Lagerfeld showed his support for the legalization of gay marriage in France by sending two models down a catwalk wearing couture bridal gowns, accompanied by his uber cute pageboy nephew!


Chanel wipes the floor clean with no competition coming close when it comes to couture, and he certainly proved that with this show that came to him 'in a dream'. The mind, imagination, creative thinking, and vision makes this show one that people will be talking about for a very long time.

And The Winner Is...

Celebrating excellence in Television and Moviemaking, the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards have arrived! Tux's and ball gowns at the ready - here's my run down of the best and worst dressed at this years event.

But before I start, a special mention has to go out to our very own Adele. She wore a very humble Burberry gown, but our Girl won Best Original Song in the Film category for 'Skyfall' (music and lyrics by Adele and Paul Epworth). This was easily one of the best songs of 2012 - it's exciting, it's mysterious, it's Bond. Go on girl!

Right then... I predicted this years' Pantone 'Colour of the Year - 2013' (emerald) to dominate the red carpet, but it seemed that nude/blush was the couleur du jour!

First off, lets talk about the Best Dressed - 6 really stood out for me;


At first glance, I thought Anne Hathaway's Chanel Couture was just okay, but the more I looked at it, the better I felt about it. This isn't due to the fact that she's sporting the most overused trend of 2012 - the peplum, but I think it's because it has an air of grace, beauty, and true Hollywood glamour that only someone like Hathaway can pull off.

Next up, Kate Hudson and her McQueen head turner - it's like the woman doesn't ever get older, she just gets hotter! She's smokin' hot in this racey number. It hugs the figure in all the right places, and the oversized keyhole cutout is just the right amount of glam.

Amy Adams in the 3rd image shines in Marchesa. Everything about this gown is right; the colour, the cut, the fabric - simple, yet fabulous!

Last image on that top row is the glowing Nicole Kidman. Looking like queen of the Globes in Alexander McQueen, this dress looks like it was made for her! The little bronzed bee's detail at the neckline are a great touch!

First on the second row comes the stunning Amanda Seyfried. Looking young, fun, but still extremely sophisticated, this bespoke cut-out Givenchy Haute Couture gown is perfect.

Next up is Miss Lea Michele. Girlfriend is WORKING IT. Wow, she looks absolutely stunning wearing this to-die-for Elie Saab gown. It ticks all the boxes; classy - yes, glamourous - yes, sexy - yes, fun - yes! Yes, yes, yes!! Such a strong contender for overall best dressed.

So my next choice for best dressed might be a bit biased, as Megan Fox is my girl crush, but she looks smokin' in this Dolce & Gabbana lace strapless gown. The intricate lace, gathered bodice and fishtail skirt makes for a beautiful classic Dolce piece.

Last, but by no means least is the beautiful Heidi Klum. It's like she's floating in this gorgeous asymmetric thigh-slit gown. Absolutely stunning. Ps, I've searched EVERYWHERE to find out who this dress is by, and can't find it! Annoying me so much! Anyone know?

Since I did 6 Best Dressed, I thought it'd make sense to choose 6 Worst Dressed - it was a difficult choice... as there were so many!! Why do these people not see the line between quirky and ridiculous!? Let's chant together - the stylist isn't always right...

Battle of the Statement Bags...

DISCLAIMER: The Chanel 2.55 isn't in this post as it is in a league of it's own, obviously! It's the Big Ben of hangbags, for goodness sake!


The age old question. The battle of the classic bags. The class versus the classier.

I've always known the Hermes Birkin and the Mulberry Bayswater to be two of the most wanted bags here in the UK - with a price tag of anything between £7,000 to £80,000 (yes, eighty THOUSAND Great British Pounds!), and up until 2 years ago* a waiting list of 3 years, it's no surprise that I've only ever seen one Birkin out and about (I did doubt it's level of realness, until the lady unlocked and climbed into her Porsche). This might also be due to the fact that High Street Ken isn't my usual hangout...

With a much more humble price tag of anything between £700 to £4,500 (ok, not so humble at the higher end), the Bayswater is much more popular. With a keen eye for a faux-berry, I'm pretty confident in saying that the majority out there are still the real deal.


Recently, other bags have been fighting for the coveted spot of most sought after bag - the Michael Kors 'Jet Set', the Prada 'Saffiano' (total label lust - grey), the Celine 'Boston' (in electric blue, holy smokes!), the Balenciaga 'Motorcycle', and the Mulberry 'Taylor' (got it!) to name but a few!

The battle continues - I'm still torn between the two. I love the subtle slouch and comfort of the Bayswater, but the structured sleek handling of the Birkin, leaves the owner with an air of power and femininity. What would you choose?

*http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/archive/2010/04/26/death-of-the-birkin-waiting-list.htm - interesting article on the death of the Birkin waiting list.