Olivia Palermo Style: London Fashion Week

This week we are going to largely be looking at some local stuff. Shows from Design Indaba and all that. But that requires a level of cognitive functioning from me that I don't have this Monday morning. So we are going to have a bit of an Olivia Palermo day instead. Always stylish, Olivia showed a variety of accessible looks on her tour of the London Fashion Week shows. She kicked off at the launch of the Victoria, Victoria Beckham collection at Harvey Nicks dressed in VB of course. She then attended the Mulberry show with her zebra-stripe Alexa from Mulberry in hand. Those Monolo Blahnik shoes are ones she wears frequently, and I love them. Finally she stepped out in TopShop for the Unique show. Olivia is frequently seen at elite social occasions dressed in TopShop and this is one of the many reasons why we love her style.

Olivia also attended the Pringle show and recycled those ankle boots for the Matthew Williamson show - where she wore adorable print. The Jonathan Saunders show saw her layer a silk atop a print, tucked into the 70s-style jeans.
I don't know how Olivia does it, but she is able to be a chameleon. All glossy and pout-together in New York, all eclectic in London and then fashion-forward in Paris. I think that she is the most successful of all the girls in doing this - and keeping it mostly real and accessible whilst she does it.

Florence Welch in Moschino at NME 2012 Awards

 

I, like many of you, love Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine. We love her retro style and beautiful risk taking. We adore her red hair. We also yearn for her music. And Wednesday night at the 2012 NME Awards in London, she and the band were justly recognised with two winning categories. well played Machine people. But did we j'dore her style on the night. Flo arrived in a bright, bold spring floral suit by Moschino. Can you cope? I am going to go with LOVE. But I know it is not to everyone's taste. I like the cropped flare leg - so wrong it is right. the obvious matchy-matchy. I think that there is a clear sense of humour at play here and therefore I appreciate it very much.

Later, for her performance, Flo changed into this exquisite long, black, lace dress. Much more obviously beautiful, but not that Florence. So which do you prefer? The horror-tastic bunch of daises? Or the classic beauty? Tell me now!

Jennifer Lopez Covers V Magazine Spring 2012

Well I never. I pleases me and pains me in equal measure, this whole kerfuffle. Look at this woman. Jennifer Lopez. Glowing with beauty and toned to within an inch of her life. All curves and incredible skin. Glowing, I tell you. She looks next-level-amazing, doesn't she? And yet she is my age. My bloody age. The age at which I feel it is ok to let go a little. Be a bit soft and out of breath. And then this one comes along with her glowing and puts me to shame. I am, in fact, shamed.

J-Lo covers the new issue of V Magazine. She is styled for the sports focus of the issue and is seen in everything from boxing gloves to, well, just some boxing gloves. Amazing.

The shoot was styled for V Mag by Carine Roitfeld and shot my snapper to the stars, Mario Testino, and is full to the brim with Jennifer's trademark energy and sass.

You can't really find much fault, so let's just remind ourselves, as we watch American Idol on the weekend, that no good can come of it when she calls you 'baby'. And the more often you are addressed as 'baby' the worse the news is going to be. She would call me baby. That's a fact. Now I need to go and look up gyms in the hood. Or on the block. Whatevs, baby. Wish me luck.

Trend Alert: Tuxedo Trousers

There are three trends at play here. First we have seen the stay and stay and stay of the boy-girl androgynous trend. We love this one and it is going nowhere. We have also seen the emergence of the tuxedo trend - especially in dresses. Finally, not three weeks ago I was alerting you all to the trousers for cocktail functions trend. Last week these three elements of trend came together to form a new trend. One that seems set to settle in as three A-list actresses were the fine purveyors of the trend on the same night.

Let's start with Cameron Diaz on a night out with Colin Firth. Look at those sharp evening pants. Worn with a white underwear-bearing blouse and jacket. Very deconstructed tux vibe. And Sandra Bullock - aside from taking off her heels since who hasn't been there - was wearing a very similar pair of black pants. Also combined with a black and white, underwear-exposing top half. Hmmm. Noted guys.

And then I saw Gwyneth Paltrow - having a bit of a fashion moment right now - and she was wearing a tuxedo trouser jumpsuit situation. Now you tell me that these three aint a trend? Sharpen up those trousers chicks. It's going to be quite a ride. And I love it.

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, In Discount Missoni

Let me tell you about some things I love. I love hanging with the women in my family, from my cousins too far away, to breakfast with my mum, to really, really speaking with my sister - they rock. And those extremely rare occasions when we can all come together for a while, feel just perfect. I also love shopping. My favourite place to shop in the whole wide world is Bicester Village - a outlet outdoor mall in Oxfordshire in England. I go once a year at least. Often with one of those cousins I mentioned above. I love fashion. This you all know. And I have a great fondness (although not quite love) for the dear Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge. All of these things I love, and now you will see them all come together.

For yesterday K-Middy hung out with her mum-in-law, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and her grandmum-in-law, HRH The Queen, at Fortnum and Mason. Who hasn't. for the occasion, she wore a designer coat - from Missoni - atop a dress from Zara that we have seen before. Perfect fashion combination.
Oh, and did I mention that she bought the coat at a discount from Bicester Village? You know, that place where I shop? Did I mention that, sweet readers? Well, now you know. Me and the Kate. Sisters in shopping.

2012 Design Indaba Film Festival: Bill Cunnigham New York

When you are done reading this post, please go to the search box at the top of this page and type in 'Bill Cunningham' and press it. And see how long it has been that I have loved Bill. Bill of the fame of the movie Bill Cunningham New York. I saw the documentary last week as part of the Design Indaba Film Festival and I am totally and forever grateful to them for bringing it to our screens. Because as long as I have loved Bill, I now love him so much more.

He is a wonderful shining smile in a sea of sour fashion faces. He is a giggle and a hop of joy in a field of couture cool. He is a whisper when all around him are a shout. And this was so perfectly captured in a moment in the film when a blogger was trying to get into a Paris show while Bill stood silently by, until a man swooped in a scolded the door lady, taking Bill by the arm and saying, "No! This is Bill Cunningham. He is the most important man on Earth." And so he is for a moment or two in my life.
He is beautiful as a human being. Charming and charmed by the vagaries of fashion. At 82 he is not going to be around forever, but like the Nelson Mandela of fashion, I wish he would be. LOVE.

Rachel Bilson Covers Lucky Magazine

I have been banging on recently about how I am addicted to the new show, Hart of Dixie on the televisual box. The star is ex-OC-er, Rachel Bilson, and in the show she wears a succession of the most adorable outfits you ever did see. In fact I told a fashion friend of mine to watch the show. "What's it about," she asked. "Doesn't matter," I said, "you will just love the outfits."

This month Rachel covers Lucky magazine in bright and beautiful little numbers that are perfect for the northern hemisphere spring. But are quite unlike Rachel's usual style of classic jeans and white tees with quirky accessories or that kind of thing.

I thought it was interesting that in this article she mentions that she hates to be uncomfortable in her clothes - so that's a major factor in what she chooses to wear. Me too, Rach, me too. Have you seen Hart of Dixie? What do you think of Dr Hart's outfits? Let me know.