Severus Snape - A mean professor or the head of the snake fashion brigade??

Hello!!

So, I feel the first thing I should mention is that we are officially one week from Cheltenham Ladies Day!!!!! Who is excited???!!! Naturally I am. If you haven't already checked it out, I wrote a Ladies Day fashion blog for www.jpfestival.com (find it at http://www.jpfestival.com/p/festival-fashion.html). I will also be writing a further blog for them after the races to let you know what I thought of the fashions on the day, so make sure you read that too! Jpfestival is a great website to go to for tips for the entire week.

So today, just three days in, I believe I officially became a Londoner. You want to know why I have decided this? Because I painted my nails on the tube today. I have seen a whole manner of things people have done on the tube, from putting full make-up on, including mascara (ladies, the face we make when we put mascara on is NOT attractive, so don't do it in front of the entire District Line...) to eating an whole baguette.... Lets just break that down for a second sir. If you are eating this Homer Simpson sandwich and holding the pole on the tube, what do you think is going to end up being digested? Ham and cheese deliciousness or the bajillion germs from the hands of every person who has touched the pole before you? Now I'm thinking I would rather have the face of a surprised squirrel applying mascara than get a disease the likes of which has not even been seen in the Jeremy Kyle green room. But the point is my friends, those of us that can carry out the most difficult of tasks on the tube are seen as winners, the cream of the crop, the top of the food chain etc. In a few hundred years we will have evolved a third leg which will flap out behind us and keep us steady on the tube, but for now, we just all wobble and stand on people and constantly say "oops, sorry" or on the other side "ow, hey!!" Just think, even the scariest of bosses, meanest of bullies and most perfect of girls (who we hate) have all likely spent at least 3 minutes (average time between stations) in the armpit of a woman who loves not washing, pressed up against the guy who thinks it is ok to leave his fly open or my favourite, sat next to the teenage boy who is still going through that Slipknot phase....at full volume in your ear. Why did they make iPods so loud? We are all mere mortals and therefore we all have to ride the tube....luckily my nails are all the better for it.

Fabulous things to be told:
- The nail varnish mentioned above is Chanel's Peridot. It is a green/gold colour and fabulous. Purchase it and watch everything you touch become gold.....just dont touch the pole on the tube. It is more gold than green, so be aware the green isnt the main focus - if possible it kind of makes it even more gold than usual.
- Who knew the girl singing on the David Guetta song 'Titanium' was Sia????? If you did and didnt tell me you are bad friends. I thought it was Fergie so took an instant dislike to it - showing my fickle side. Whatevs im in fashion. On the other hand I am catching up with it now!!
- The Royal English Ballet is doing a ballet version of Alice in Wonderland....BEST. THING. EVER. Tickets are sold out. SADDEST. DAY. EVER. If anyone has a spare ticket I will jump at it like Kanye West did to Taylor Swift on that fateful day.... But there will be less drunken ramblings and bad music....
- Marni at H and M launches tomorrow, so set your alarm clocks.

Moving on to that oh so sexy...

S

Fashion Trend: Snakeskin accessories! Now, I am not a huge fan of animal print because it is VERY hard to wear without looking like Kat from Eastenders "You aint my muvvaaaa" - no but she's also not a giant leopard either, so why does she dress like one? BUT, anyone who is anyone is wearing snakeskin accessories. Not clothing, just accessories. This will be fleeting no doubt so rock it while you can. Get a massive tote in this print, or a wedge or belt and then strut your stuff. Or slither if you are feeling in the mood. Here are the best accessories I found, for a range of budgets. Marc by Marc Jacobs items from http://www.net-a-porter.com/Shop/Designers/Marc_by_Marc_Jacobs/All
Lanvin items from http://www.matchesfashion.com/fcp/product/Matches-Fashion/womens_lanvin/lanvin-LAN-C-PIHERL-accessories-NATURAL/56415.
Topshop shoes from http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogNavigationSearchResultCmd?catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&langId=-1&viewAllFlag=false&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=331499&parent_categoryId=208492&beginIndex=1&pageSize=20&intcmpid=W_SUPERCAT_LEFTNAV_SHOES_UK_WK1_VIEW_ALL

Gator Snake Heeled Court Shoes - Topshop
£50

Koko Soft Leather Ballet Pump - Topshop
£40

Gaby Printed Python Bag - Lanvin
£1,360

Tate Medium Snake Print Nylon Tote - Marc by Marc Jacobs
Net-a-Porter £160

Water Snake Belt - Lanvin
£435

Lizard Print (close enough!!) iPhone cover
Marc by Marc Jacobs
Net-a-porter
£30

Fashion Item: Shirt-dress. Surprisingly a huge hit with all the fashion magazines at the moment. They are super easy to wear as well. I have a ton of these from past years in my wardrobe (mostly from H and M, so look there!) but they are so simple to wear and can be dressed up or down. I am craving this one from Daks S/S12 collection (not yet available). For a shorter, more colourful and less expensive idea, look at Sparkle and Fade from Urban Outfitters who have quite a few. Loving this dark turquoise one for £58.

http://shoponline.daks.com/SS12-Lookbook.aspx

http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk/sparkle-+amp-fade-tassel-tie-shirt-dress/invt/5130462171292/?htxt=NhJ%2FZUjfbGtCugmb0U7DveL8vX3alETqfX%2F8nJK2OsKlErEJ%2FoaL13B5sB%2BO9ry71FAiyNYKQOFC%0AF1Fb1z2ZqA%3D%3D

Store or Label: shopbop.com!! Dare I say this is my favourite of the online stores? It has more designers than I even knew existed....more perhaps than net-a-porter even. There is really nothing to say but look for yourself. There doesnt seem to be anything missing from this site - and the girl in the shopbop adverts in the fashion mags is wearing items from one of the BFC/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists - so you know they are up to date. I know this because I am in love with the belt she is wearing - it is a rope belt. Hello sailor. I have chosen, in the spirit of the aforementioned snakeskin post to share with you an Elie Tahari bag from the site - a sssssssnip at just £196.79 (I crack myself up) http://www.shopbop.com/felicity-clutch-elie-tahari/vp/v=1/845524441931569.htm?folderID=2534374302107411&fm=browse-brand-shopbysize&colorId=38146. If you need something and net-a-porter doesn't have it, come here - or just browse anyway - there are some good deals, offers for spending over $100 and inviting a friend to purchase, so you may as well have a sssssssneak peak....!!!

Felicity Clutch - Elie Tahari
Shopbop.com

Celebrity or Designer: Stefano Pilati has officially been replaced by Hedi Slimane as creative director of Yves Saint Laurent. Those of you following this fashion season will have seen Pilati's final collection walk down the runway at Paris Fashion Week just a few days ago. Personally I thought it was an elegant line with a dark edge - most likely the best way to show a bitter sweet ending. Slimane was Menswear director for Yves Saint Laurent for a few years, so already knows his way around their cutting table, but it will be interested to see what new ideas he comes up with moving directly from Jil Sander back to YSL. Pilati's final show was a mix of leather, chainmail and black cloth printed with calla lilies - showing his signature power female side (but we are all gentle flowers underneath!!) - an absolutely stunning collection and worth a look at http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-2012/ready-to-wear/yves-saint-laurent#/image/8. Pilati is a great talent and im sure will be snapped up by someone else. Good luck to you sir!!

Night Night!!
Becky xx

Man, I Feel Like A Woman!

Good Afternoon all,

I have spent the morning doing what all should do on a grey sad day - staying in, reading Vogue and eating a Nutella and banana toasted sandwich on ... WHITE BREAD!!!! Shock horror I will never be admitted into the fashion world if I eat such things. To be honest I can think of worse foods to spend a lifetime on my hips than a Nutella and banana toasted sandwich. I can think of worse people to spend time there also...

I have been listening to the new 'IT' girl of music Lana Del Rey all morning after reading about her in March's issue of English Vogue. Lana, a girl with a porcelain face situated in the middle of fox red hair has the air of a model. She is one of the "my parents' sold their souls in exchange for me to be incredibly rich, talented and beautiful" club (along with the likes of Emma Watson and January Jones - come on you cant just be born with a body like that!!) ... jealous, me? Anyway, she will go far in the fashion world because Vogue says so: "I was convinced that she would be a great Vogue cover girl, even though she is probably one of the newest stars in her field that the magazine has ever had on the cover".

Lana Del Rey intrigues me a little bit. She has called her own look "gangster Nancy Sinatra" which I think is pretty hilarious. Her music videos have a certain 'home-made' quality to them, which I am loving. Very 'Etsy' of the music entertainment world. We all like the setting on our camera that makes the background fuzzy like we are in a dream, but it makes Lana look other worldly; this is why she will be snapped up quicker than you can say "have you had lip fillers?" as the face of a top brand. Especially because beautiful girls in normal settings taken by normal cameras seems to be the advertising tool of choice at the moment. Marc Jacobs started it and now everyone from Celine to Moschino are using models in pictures that look a bit like that one you took of your best friend that time you went on a day trip to Barry Island...obviously you need to squint a bit.

How far has the fashion world come now that glossy magazines often dont have a photo taken in a studio anywhere in them? If im going to shell out £600 for a pair of Louboutin's I want to know how they will hold up when I am chasing  my lover down the gravel drive of our London mansion as he drives off with Serephina our cleaner, not how they will look under the powerful lights of a studio with a 90lb girl in an awkward pose wearing them. Luckily the fashion world seems to be sharing my view now and is coming up with the most creative campaigns (often squeamishly funny situations for men) you have ever seen. Those who think women are demeaned by fashion photography, look at last year's Gucci campaign which saw non descript men serving beautiful women wearing power suits and then turn to the Givenchy shoot which sees the women in sinfully tailored cream trousers suits, with the men in the skirts. A cheeky wink wink to the powerful women of the world me thinks.

It has never been a more exciting time to be in fashion! The model in the Lacoste advert is yawning, the men have their faces covered by masks in Lanvin (another little hat tip perhaps) and the Balenciaga image looks like they have taken a poor college student, dragged her out of bed and dressed her in something she could only dream of owning! So unique and original!! Next step: put biker chic in a ballet studio, fairy tale costumes into wearable glamour (im talking luxury red capes a la Little Red Riding Hood, not creepy outfits you would find at Anne Summers....) and panniers under skirts!! Ok the last one is a joke...although Karl Lagerfeld did fabulous things not too dissimilar a few years ago.

So many ideas, so little time. Let's hope this interview goes well for me tomorrow!
Becky xx

PS - Jonathan Saunders has won the Vogue Designer Fashion Fund competition that they run every year awarding the winner £200,000 to make it big (or in most cases bigger). Think of what Erdem (a previous winner) has done for us ladies and then realise that this award showcases major talent...watch this space.