London? It's Not All Louis Vuitton and Little Mix.

Hello =)

I am writing to you asking that we all try a little harder to be kind to one another and just be good people. Last week in London, two people jumped under trains, I witnessed two people get arrested - one a homeless woman - I saw a man selling a popular magazine that helps the homeless, steal a mobile phone from a girl WHILST asking her to buy a copy and other acts of general disregard such as not stopping to help someone, not standing up on the tube for someone who needs to sit and even the most unnecessary crimes such as littering. I am someone who takes things like this to heart and it literally devastated me that two people jumped under trains last week because they obviously felt they had no other choice. To feel that low, alone, unhappy is the worst thing I can imagine. So tomorrow, I want you all to tell someone you love them, look people in the eye on your way to work and give them a smile, offer your seat up to someones grandma, someones pregnant wife, someones little sister and just try to make their day better. It doesn't cost anything to be nice, but most of the time it gives a HUGE reward.

For those of you who wondered what I did over the weekend - I had a wonderful time with friends exploring London, walking from place to place, taking in the sites. London is the most beautiful place when the sun shines; everything comes alive. It has got to be one of the only places that you can see a sex shop, a duck hanging in a window and a high class car dealership all within a five minute walk of one another. The best part about London though....and I know you wont be surprised when I say this....is the fashion. I have never felt so free to wear what I want without being judged and yet at the same time I have never felt like I have been judged so much for what I wear. In London if someone looks you up and down on the tube, they are usually saying "I have taken time out of my busy LDN day to look at your outfit". In other words, you either make them jealous because you look tres chic or you make them think you got dressed in the dark after doing three rounds of Speed. In London I feel more liberated to wear literally ANYTHING than I have ever felt anywhere else. I can wear a maxi skirt and feel sexy not frumpy, wear a sheer shirt with just a bra and feel sophisticated, not slutty and I can hold my head up high when I am dressed all in black, for I am a PR GIRL!! Yet at the same time, I know people look at my clothes and try to decipher me from them. Is she wearing a maxi skirt because she doesn't like her legs? Doesn't she know sheer shirts have been replaced with just sheer sleeves? All black, who does she think she is, a PR girl? Uhummm. There is a fine line between creativity and catastrophe, between tres chic and tres shi....well you get where I am going with that. I have ashamedly become one of those people who looks and judges though. I saw a woman in her 70s dressed like Coco Chanel the other day and I stared at her my whole tube home; to be that beautiful when I am her age is a dream. Milky skin contrasted with a black tweed suit with cream piping. Pristine court shoes that matched a cream bag. Gold studs in each ear which delicately balance with the perfect chignon in her hair. All in all a woman who most likely shed a tear when Primark came on the scene and doesn't understand what it means to not match your lipstick with your nails. Beauty personified. Then there is the girl opposite her - going for ballet chic but instead looks like a cracked out fairy...too much pink, too many sequins, too much tulle....

Today I wore a slate grey billowing maxi skirt with a blue/grey lace top and silver shoes. A masterpiece to some? The most boring to others. I changed but one item to go to the shops after work - from maxi to jeans - and it became a lacklustre outfit. Something one would forget in an instant. I had many nice comments about the outfit today though - showing an outfit has to be perfect in all aspects to work. Try a skirt instead of jeans tomorrow, or a blouse instead of a t-shirt and watch the comments fly in....if they are mean, don't say I didn't warn you.

PS - Saw Shrek the Musical on Saturday night - was fantastic. Go see it!!

Y

Fashion Trend: Yellow - Everything from the brightest of the bright through to the palest lemon. Yellow is the way forward. It is a colour that blonde's often find hard to wear, but with the range of yellows out there at the moment, try a few and one will fit. If you are nervous and don't want clothes in such a bright hue, grab a bag, some cute wedges or even some jewellery and make like the sun and shine!

Bra £16 Knickers £7.50 from www.marksandspencer.com
Limited Collection Chiffon Spot Set 

Marc Jacobs £610 (skirt)
Available from http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/192343

£22 Saddlebag from Accessorize
http://www.accessorize.com/en/restofworld/simple-saddle-shoulder-bag/invt/18935731/

Swarovski Yellow Ring £99
http://www.swarovski.com/

Fashion Item: You're The One Jacket - Nanette Lepore. It's just so Jackie O meets Princess Diana. I love the colour, I love the peplum (both so on trend) and I love fitted jacekets. Pair with jeans for a smart day look, team with a pencil skirt for work or throw over a gorge LBD for dinner with the one you love....it's always a good day when you are wearing Nanette!!

You're The One Jacket $448
http://www.nanettelepore.com/new-arrivals/you-re-the-one-jacket.html

Store/Label: Y-3 www.y-3store.com - You will love this stuff if you were into the sport luxe trend. It is all heeled sneakers, fancy rain coats and tennis style dresses. No-one would refuse you service at a restaurant if you turned up in any of these pieces though. In love with this Poplin Blouse which has the cut out detail which is so on trend and these luxury sport heeled sneakers.

Poplin Blouse £245
http://www.y-3store.com/item/store/Y-3/tskay/6C0705DF/rr/1/cod10/34246355DB/gender/woman/agerange/
Adult/areaid//sts/

Sukita £310

Celebrity or Designer: Yves Saint Laurent - They have designed a REVERSIBLE tote!! It is the most fabulous thing ever....it is tan on one side for those cheeky shopping trips in the day...but what's that, you don't have time to go home and change your bag before dinner??!! Never mind, this reverses and the other side is bronze!!! STOP. BEING. SO. FABULOUS. I must have one....oh wait, it's £1,320 on Net-A-Porter. I must continue to want one. This my friend, is why designers are my fav thing .... two bags for really the same price as one of their bags. Got to love 'em. Yves Saint Laurent Neo Reversible Bag £1,320 - http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/174900


Good Night everyone, remember to spread happiness tomorrow!
Becky xx

I Got Them Moves like a silver clad Georgia May Jagger!!

Hello!!

I have spent the day with many little people - not dwarves, actual children. I am not going overboard with this whole Snow White obsession I am going through...don't worry. Those of you who have children of your own, or nieces, nephews, friends with kids etc will have at one point or another realised how lucrative the kids fashion industry is. My niece has more than a handful of pairs of shoes and she is just over a month old. Although I would like to say she is a medical miracle and can walk at such a young age, this is not the case. Instead she is dressed in the cutest 'Sunday Dresses' (the only thing I can think to describe them as) with matching leather cut out ballet flats. Now she looks just gorgeous in them, but they were at least £30 and she will neither walk in them nor in 18 years time call out to her Mum and ask where they are when she is packing her stuff up to go to uni. So what is the point of all this finery? It is because our kids/nieces/nephews etc are an extension of us. People will judge us on what they are wearing. The problem is however, that I see this as a legitimate excuse to spend horrific amounts of money on clothing for my niece and will also do so for any children I have. I bought my niece a pair of Nike Baby Air Force Ones and Converse Baby Hightops - which by the way really aren't that much cheaper than adult ones.... She will be fly, I will be poor. Alas, I currently have no kids of my own, so until then I will have to spoil my niece and continue bringing you advice. And so, on to...

M

Marc Jacobs A/W12

Fashion Trend: Metallics and monochrome - these are the new non colours to be wearing. If you go bright in the day, make sure you go silver, gold or monochrome in the evening. Everyone had an abundance of these looks on the runway - I have told you about Gucci's gold extravaganza before. Georgia May Jagger is in head to toe silver on the front of March's Haper's Bazaar....so you know shit just got real. We have all moved on from a full on cleavage showing sequin dress a la Beyonce at Glasto, so if you are going for silver or gold...or even gunmetal as I have told you before...look for unique pieces - jackets, skirts, tops etc. If you are nervous just get a bag, shoes or layer on the gunmetal necklaces. Monochrome works for everyone and we all have black and white pieces in our wardrobes, so get working on that. With it being such an easy trend, try and make yourself stand out by wearing a crisp white shirt under a black evening dress like Marc Jacobs did for his A/W collection. Marc has got it in the bag - do what he does and make the LBD into the LmonochromeD or the LmetallicD - it's just fabulous dahhhhling. [Photo from http://www.littleblackdress.co.uk/trend-style/show-report-marc-jacobs-aw12/]

Sleeveless Maxi Dress
Henry Holland £120

Fashion Item: Maxi Dress - Henry Holland. I will NEVER allow maxi dresses to go out of style if I can help it. I am in love with them. I feel like a princess when wearing one and even though all of my body is covered I usually never feel sexier than when I am in a maxi. They are indispensable during festival season as they cover up an unwashed body - they are also a wedding staple. I on the other hand like to throw a denim jacket over them and go out shopping. However you wear yours, please make sure you have an arsenal of them in your wardrobe this summer because bare legs are so passe....well for me they are anyway and who else are you going to take fashion advice from heh? I am a Henry Holland fan because he doesn't take fashion too seriously, which is the point isn't it? So naturally I am gunning for this sleeveless bone emblem maxi. Not a bad price either... Also...it is sheer, YAAAAAAAAAAAY!! http://shop.houseofholland.co.uk/collections/ready-to-wear/products/pre-ss12-sleeveless-maxi-dress#!gallery

Necklace Marni at H&M
£34.99 

Trousers Marni at H&M
£59.99

Store or Label: Marni for H&M - It is that time of year again...when the designers reach down and pat us little people on the head by creating a capsule collection for a highstreet store. H&M is the daddy of these collaborations with Stella Mccartney, Karl Lagerfeld and Versace being among those to have created designs for them in the past. I am sure Marni will be just as great - especially because Sophia Coppola photographed and created a small film about the collection. Tantalizing trousers, daring dresses and adorable accessories are what is on the menu. Metallic separates, leather tops, detachable jewelled collars and plastic necklaces are all on my wishlist - what is on yours? (http://www.hm.com/gb/marni?cm_mmc=Newsletter-_-20120223-_-GB-_-marni#collection/ladies/1 - all images and collection from here). It is available online and from select stores from 8th March - get your fashion sneakers on girls and get ready to run to your nearest stocking store...

Leather jumper Marni at H&M
£79.99

Mary Kantrantzou A/W12

Celebrity or Designer: Mary Kantrantzou - you all knew I was going to do it!! Especially because I did not write mix prints as my fashion trend - but I REALLY wanted to. I thought instead I would roll it all into one. Mary K is the QUEEN of mixed prints. Not only does she do it by wearing different printed separates, she also mixes prints within one item of clothing - it blows my mind. The entire fashion world is literally raving since her LFW showing at the beginning of the week. She not only has the mixed print trend completely under wraps, she also is a gold medallist when it comes to shapes, different materials and general uniqueness. She has done a collection for Topshop which has naturally sold out online - but you can still purchase pieces in NYC and Vegas from March - TAXIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! If you still haven't checked her out, do so now....or be left behind in a one colour, shapeless dress. http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/designers_catwalk.aspx?designerid=939&seasonid=27

Right, it is Friday, do you not have a LmetallicD to be wearing?
PS - Congratulations to one of my closest friends Alex Barnard on her great internship offer today!! This lady is going to be the next Rachel Zoe so watch out for her! Get it girl!
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.