Its  a shame that I am not going to get a chance to see the Viktor and Rolf exhibition at the Barbican. I am a big fan of their flamboyant and extravagent creations and would have loved to have seen the Barbican transformed into a 6 metre, three storey high stately home style dolls house. But the highlight of the exhibition must be the 55 Viktor and Rolf clad dolls. The dolls are made by master crafts men and each one crafted to resemble the model that actually wore the outfits. The dolls hair is made of human hair and a full time hairdresser has been employed to style the dolls hair.

 As strange and surreal as it all sounds, the whole exhibition sounds like a great way to show case the spectacular work of Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren. Their clothes are extreme, eye catching and different in an interesting and irresistable way.

Here are some of the high lights of the flamboyant Viktor and Rolf collections and shows:

Black Hole  - Autumn/Winter 2001 -The whole collection was black and the models were painted completely black, giving a very dramatic effect. the clothes were classic black clothes inspired by the likes of Chanel and Dior but with that Victor and Rolf signature quirkiness.

Russian Doll  - Autumn/Winter 1999 - Maggie Rizer was the only model in the show and she wore the whole Haute Couture collection, one outfit on top of the other - now that is taking the layered look to the extreme. The poor girl must have been baking hot! 

As I can’t get to see the exhibition, I have to console myself with this video clip of Viktor and Rolf Paris/ Tokyo

and a sniff of their lovely Flowerbomb perfume.

Not content with raving on about Daisy Lowe’s amazing fashion sense for the whole of my last post, I think she is so cool I just needed to share some more of her most stylish moments (there are millions of them).

Daisy wears an amazing cocktail dress with plenty of texture nad interest with footless tights and strappy sandals for the launch of Burberry’s new fragrance, The Beat in New York in March.

Daisy sports some gothic look makeup but the outfit tells a different story. A neutral trench with a black outfit and black and white striped scarf looks both sexy and sassy as she struts down the catwalk for Vivienne Westwood at London fashion week.

Daisy shows she really is fashion royalty as she poses with Agyness Deyne and Giles Deacon at the launch of Giles New Look collection. She certainly has an eye for style be it designer or high street with this fifties style dress in a washed out check teamed with her trademark red shoes.

Dasiy goes all prim and proper with a monochrome button up mini and red bows on her shoes.

Daisy shops in style wearing a brightly coloured mini and pale pink shoes with her mum Pearl Lowe and Liv Tyler.

Pictures from glamourmagazine.co.uk

 If you want to get a bit of Daisy’s eclectic style try finding yourself a pair of ‘look at me’ red shoes like these Gabor Chapter peep toe sling back shoes.

When it comes to fashion, Daisy Lowe is the lady of  the moment at the moment. Daisy is the daughter of ex singer and fashion designer mum Pearl Lowe and father Gavin Rossdale (of Bush, now married to Gwen Stefani) with a step father Danny Goffey (of Supergrass). It is not really suprising that she is so rock and roll when it comes to fashion. Daisy is a DJ, fashion designer and model, with shoots for W and Italian Vogue under her belt and when it comes to style credentials she is fast proving that she can give Kate Moss a real run for her money. Daisy style is a mixture of uber cool designer mixed with an eclectic Camden feel. She wears what she likes and I love it.

Daisy shows she can look glam and rock chic with a cool tulip dress with an electrical pattern and bright red shoes. Daisys man of the moment Mark Ronson looks equally cool in his velvet tux. A great lesson in how to be one of the coolest couples on earth.

Daisy can certainly pull of this ecelectic and colourful look. She teams a  grey blazer with brightly coloured dress, grey knee socks and an oversized spotty pink bag for a great outfit for a night out.

Daisy looks amazing at the sex in the city premier in this simple 3 colour mini teamed with a suit jacket, black tights with white shoes and tiny delicate clutch. A great look and contribution for her portfolio if she ever wants to apply for style icon status.

Daisy truly knows how to rock the rock chic look with a gold and lace corset style dress revealing stockings and suspenders underneath teamed with what else - a leather jacket.

pictures from Glamour.magazine.co.uk

I have recently posted about my summer holiday wardrobe and the perfect clothes to compliment a gorgeous sun tan. But what for those days at the beginning of the holiday when your legs are a pasty white and look like they haven’t ever seen daylight. There is only one thing to do- fake it!

 Here are my top tips on applying fake tan:

 Do not apply fake tan immediatly after shaving or waxing your legs - wait 24 hours after waxing and  5 or 6 hours after shaving.

For a smooth and even fake tan make sure you exfoliate first.

Apply moisturiser to hands, feet and any other dry areas as this will stop the fake tan soaking into the skin too much.

Make sure that your skin is completely dry before applying fake tan.

Use a fake tan mitt to apply fake tan and prevent the palms of your hands turning orange.

Start at your feet and apply the tanner to one section of your body at a time. Massage into skin, using a circular motion and blend in well.

My Favourite products are:

Best for easy to apply and even coverage - Fake Bake airbrush instant self tanning spray

Fake Bake’s airbrush aerosol applicator works at any angle to get all those hard to reach places – no embarrassing white patches, applying a sheer dewy tan. Fake Bake Air Brush Instant Self Tanning Spray creates the perfect, even tan.

Best Skin Conditioner to use with Fake Tan - Fake Bake Gold Smoothie Oil - Pomegranate and Passion Fruit 236ml

It contains two of the most powerful anti-oxidants - pomegranate and stable green tea - as well as vitamins A and E. Together, they counter the highly reactive free radicals in the environment, which are known to weaken the protective immune system and result in thinning skin, a loss of elasticity, age spots and ultimately wrinkles. Oh and I forgot to mention, it smells absolutely gorgeous.

Best for Gradual and Subtle Tanning - Fake Bake Fair Gradual Self Tanning Lotion

This lotion is definitely best for those occasions when less is definitely more and for those with fairer skin. If you struggle to  get a streak free tan this is ideal.

I have spent the last few days browsing on the internet to sort myself out with a holiday in the sun. It is all now sorted, new passport ordered, travel insurance sorted and health insurance sorted. If the summer so far this year is anything to go by, I think I am really going to be needing a bit of sunshine.

With everything else sorted, there is now only one thing remaining, what to wear. I will do my usual holiday wardrobe plan (yes a bit obsessive I know), but I like to ensure that I am completely prepared for every eventuality. This year I am planning to travel quite light and so will be looking for a few , very versatile outfits that are great for hot weather and easy to wash plus of course bikinis, towel, flip flops, sarong, sunglasses and good book.

A sun dress is a great item of clothing for a summer holiday, it can take you from beach to bar and doesn’t take up too much suitcase space. Another essential item I will be taking is my tan leather wedge sandals. They are incredibly comfortable and easy to walk in, tan leather goes with almost any holiday outfit and as the colour almost matches the colour of tanned skin so they will elongate your legs.

This classic halterneck dress is the perfect travel companion. Taking up hardly any room in your case, it offers great versatility for all those fun holiday occasions either on its own or over swimwear. You can also dress it up with sparkling jewellery for a romantic evening.

I always think the key to a good holiday wardrobe is finding the perfect clothes that look and feel amazing with a suntan.

With the weather as changable as ever and summer not really having arrived yet. It is difficult to know what is in store for Autumn and Winter. Last Winter was unsually mild so layers could be the perfect choice. Autumn and winter clothes always take that much more thought as there are more layers to co ordinate.

 At the Autumn Winter shows layering was certainly a bit of  a theme with dresses over trousers at Akris, Thakoon and threeasfour. At Wunderkind they even layered skirts suits with trousers and Alexander McQueen and A.F Vandervorst showed layer jackets for a new take on the layering thing. 

At Akris a short jacket teamed with short skirt and trousers was a really modern take on the trouser suit.

At AF Vandervorst their wa another version of a layered trouser suit this time 2 jackets of different lengths and sleeve length were layered.

Drire Van Noten added a bit of colour, pattern and texture to the layering effect

At threeasfour at glamourous dress was layered with some wide legged trousers for a different wasy to wear an evening dress. Especially practical in the winter when it is freezing outside.

For an up to the minute look for  a night out this dress could be teamed with some wide legged trousers or dressed down with a pair of jeans.

I have always thought of fashion and trends as a kind of merry go round. The same looks come round over and over again but each time with a different slant or slightly different shape or detail. For example take the current global chic look seen on the catwalk for SS08 at Etro in particular. This is not really a new look. I love the Etro look and they have done it differently to past global trends but it has definitely been done before. Just think of the moccasin boots worn by Sienna Miller last year. Well this whole look really originated years ago in the days of Woodstock since then it has just been going round and round on the fashion merry go round.

Gucci Skirt SS08 - Picture from Style.com

Another trend that has certainly done the rounds is the flared skirt. Originally popular in the fifties it has proved its wearibility and longevity by apearing time after time including the eighties and again for SS08.

The body is back again as seen on the catwalk at Giambattista Valli SS08. This was a huge trend in the eighties, I remember it well. Not a particularly comfortable fashion but definitely good if you don’t want your top to come untucked. 

If you want to work that fifties style, then this fifties style skirt is perfect.

I am no longer required to wear a suit every day to work. On days when I have meetings, I need something smart but on office days I can look a bit more casual but still look like I mean business. Work wear has always been a difficult one for me. I love clothes but would usually rather spend my time and money shopping for frivolous party dresses than sensible work clothes. Of course work clothes don’t have to completely sensible and it is possible to show your personality whilst still maintaining an air of professionalism.

For smart days, I tend to stick to a fairly classic style suit but jazz it up a bit with some brightly coloured accessories. My favourite accessory is a scarf or some really chunky beads. I love this amazingly stylish Radley Maple and Circles Silk Scarf. It is business like but really cheerful and adds a bit of colour.

For a day in the office I like a bit more colour and I think this crinkle cotton top really reflects my friendly personality. When I wear lovely bright clothes I definitely feel more awake and ready to go in the mornings.

The ethical status of a product is has recently become a key concern of consumers. Now ethical fashion championed by designer Katherine Hamnett and ethical label People tree is gathering momnetum and quickly becoming an important force in the designer world. London fashion week has even launched ‘Estethica’ a section dedicated to eco-sustainable labels. But what is ethical fashion and what is all the fuss about?

Ethical fashion is all about ensuring the clothing that you buy has not had a detrimental effect on people or the environment. Pesticides cause an estimated 3 million cases of severe poisoning and 20,000 deaths each year, mostly in devloping countries. By buying clothing made of organic cotton you can help mimimise the effects of toxic pesticides on people and the planet .

Recycling is also very hot at the moment with the vintage look becoming a key trend with celebrities. Up to 1 million tonnes of unwanted fabric goes into landfill in the UK every year. Charity shops are often the first port of call for the label and style consious shopper. Thousands of shoppers also use ebay as a way to access second hand clothing from their favourite label at a fraction of the price. Labels such as Junky styling, from somewhere and Worn again recycles fabrics reworking them into something new and uptodate, helping to decrease landfill and reduce the carbon footprint of clothes manufacture.

Fairtrade labels such as People Tree ensure that workers making their clothes have been given a fair deal and are not part of the the three billion people in the world working to earn less than $2 a day. The number of fairtrade labels is growing and this has ensured that it is possible to have a conscious and wear the most up to date and hottest and most stylish fashions.

 If you would like to do a spot of guilt free shopping, how about this sixties inspired organic Fairtrade certified cotton jacket.

At the Autumn Winter 08 shows, it was clearly evident that D&G like a bit of tartan. The catwalk was awash with tartan in every conceivable way.

 Tartan with velvet for a cool retro vibe

Tartan with spots and flowers for a new take on the summers mixing of patterns trend 

Tartan with another classic Scottish design- Argyle which is said to have come from the tartan of Clan Campbell, of Argyll in Western Scotland.

Tartan with Checks

Tartan with tartan

Tartan with paisley

Tartan with everything.

pictures from style.com

I have also recently spotted a D&G advertisement in a glossy magazine that feature tartan with leopard print. I am stunned! There is probably not 2 more arguementative prints than tartan and leopard print. The tartan and leopard print contrast in just avout every possible way. Tartan is bright colours, a uniform pattern with straight lines. Leopard print is neutral colours with softer wavy lines and a less uniform pattern. I think this combination is really only for the very very brave.

 For me the highlight of the whole D&G Autumn winter 08 collection is the long tartan evening dresses. The look was softened by using chiffon and ruffles and frills. This is a great way to convert this summers chiffon, flowing and frilly trend to a winter alternative.

 If you want to get the D&G tartan with everything try teaming these Pamela Mann Argyle Tights with a tartan skirt.