Winter Coats

USC Miss Soviet juniper Puffa jacket, £35.00



John Lewis Paul Costelloe short Puffa jacket, £199.00

Burberry Shiny quilted Puffa jacket, £395.00

Maxmara Cosy black Puffa jacket, £638.00

All I want for Christmas...

Want to be a fashion designer?

Here are some things you might want to ask for, for Christmas:

• Sewing machine
• Tailor's mannequin
  
• Subscription to Vogue or Harper's Bazaar
• Books on fashion & fashion design
• Sketch pad & other art materials, such as pencils & drawing pens
• Portfolio folder
• Digital camera

Battle of the berries at this year's British Fashion Awards

Burberry Vs. Mulbury

Vs.

Burberry or Mulberry -- who's it going to be? Both brands, alongside Pringle of Scotland, have been nominated as UK designer brand of the year, announced the British Fashion Council November 27.

Burberry or Mulberry - who's it going to be? Both brands, alongside Pringle of Scotland, have been nominated as UK designer brand of the year, announced the British Fashion Council November 27.

In the model category, 'it girls' Daisy Lowe and Georgia Jagger will compete against Victoria's Secret 'Angel' Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, while promising fresh design talent including Mark Fast, Peter Pilotto and Maria Francesca Pepe are all in the running for winning one of the Swarovski-sponsored support schemes.

In men's wear, which is currently gaining even more importance with London Fashion Week dedicating a full day to the field, rock'n'roller Todd Lynn will battle it out against the more basic Kim Jones at Dunhill and Aquascutum's Graeme Fidler.

Additional winners to be announced during the awards gala in London December 9, include the main prize Designer of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Fashion, and the Isabella Blow Award. Contestants for these categories have not been made public.

Here is the list of nominees as published November 27:

Accessories Designer

Emma Hill for Mulberry
Katie Hillier
Nicholas Kirkwood

Menswear Designer

Graeme Fidler for Aquascutum
Kim Jones for dunhill
Todd Lynn

Model

Daisy Lowe
Georgia Jagger
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Designer brand

Burberry
Mulberry
Pringle of Scotland

Swarovski Emerging Talent Award for Accessories

Mark Fast
Meadham Kirchhoff
Peter Pilotto

Swarovski Emerging Talent Award for Ready to Wear

Camilla Skovgaard
Holly Fulton
Jessica McCormack
Maria Francesca Pepe

From: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/battle-of-the-berries-at-this-years-british-fashion-awards-1830249.html

Nominees announced for the 2009 British Fashion Awards

The British Fashion Council has released the shortlist of nominees for the British Fashion ‘Oscars’, which will be announced at a celebrity-packed gala event, at the Royal Courts of Justice, in The Strand, London, on December 9th, an evening which will also bring the 25th anniversary celebrations of London Fashion Week to a close.

The event recognises the most influential movers and shakers in fashion today. Of the eleven categories at the 2009 awards, the ultimate accolade is undoubtedly the title ‘Designer of the Year’, which, ironically, was won last year by Luella Bartley, who has since ceased trading. John Galliano and Alexander McQueen have both won the title several times, and other previous winners represent a roll-call of the most well-known British designers in the world, including Hussein Chalayan, Vivienne Westwood, Matthew Williamson and Stella McCartney. The winner of this year’s title will be revealed on awards night.

This year, there will be a one-off London 25 Award decided by public vote, to celebrate an individual who embodies the spirit of London and is an international ambassador for the capital’s fashion industry.

The night will also acknowledge the achievement of one designer who, throughout their career, has made an exceptional impact on global fashion, with the BFC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Fashion Design.

Three of the country’s hottest young models will battle it out for the title of ‘Model of the Year’, previously won by the likes of Jourdan Dunn, Agyness Deyn, Karen Elson, Lily Cole, Erin O’Connor and Kate Moss.

The 2009 contenders are Georgia Jagger, 17, youngest daughter of Sir Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, who is the ‘face’ of Hudson Jeans, one of the new ‘faces’ of Rimmel, and a new ‘star’ for Versace; Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, 22, one of the Victoria’s Secret’s “Angels” and a former ‘face’ of Burberry; and Daisy Lowe, who has an international modelling career, and is the daughter of Pearl Lowe, who recently launched her first clothing collection, and Gavin Rossdale, frontman of the band, Bush.

Swarovski is once again sponsoring two awards: the Emerging Talent Award for Ready-to-Wear, for which Mark Fast, Meadham Kirchhoff, and Peter Pilotto are nominated; and the Emerging Talent Award for Accessories, with the nominees being Holly Fulton, Camilla Stovgaard, Jessica McCormack, and Maria Francesca Pepe.

Burberry, Mulberry and Pringle of Scotland have been nominated for the Designer Brand award, while Graeme Fidler for Aquascutum, Kim Jones for Dunhill, and Todd Lynn are the nominees for Menswear Designer.

Christopher Kane, Erdem, and Jonathan Saunders are shortlisted for the BFC British Collection of the Year, and Emma Hill for Mulberry, Katie Hillier, and Nicholas Kirkwood, have been nominated for the Accessory Designer title.

The winner of the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator, previously won in 2007, by the set designer, Michael Howells, and in 2008, by the photographer, Tim Walker, will be announced on the night.

From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/hilaryalexander/6663538/Nominees-announced-for-the-2009-British-Fashion-Awards.html

Style Alert

The Colours for Christmas

Red

Red Plain Pocket Dress,
Wallis,
£30.00


Black

Black velvet power dress,
Dorothy Perkins,
£30.00


Silver


Silver corset prom dress,
Dorothy Perkins,
£45.00

Purple

Drop Waist Ruffle Dress,
Topshop,
£45.00

A fabulous flavour of Forties fashion

Since starting her eponymous fashion label in 2007, Keira Thorley, 30, has won critical acclaim for bringing back the golden age of Hollywood glamour.

Since starting her eponymous fashion label in 2007, Keira Thorley, 30, has won critical acclaim for bringing back the golden age of Hollywood glamour. Specialising in leather, the Edinburgh-based designer produces clothes and accessories inspired by such iconic figures as Marilyn Monroe, Greta Garbo and Coco Chanel. “Forties glamour; old movie stars: that’s what I’ve based my look on,” she says.

Recently nominated for young designer of the year in the Scottish Fashion Awards, Thorley says her next collection will add an art deco twist to her trademark look. “It is all based on deco — clean lines, and a lot of cream, black and gold. It’s very, very glamorous. I think it will push the collection in to another level.”

Among the highlights of the autumn/winter 2010 collection will be new versions of her best-known piece, the Glamored leather cape. “There’ll be several variations, with different lengths and cuts,” she says. “It should excite quite a lot of people.”

Thorley gains encouragement from others who share her studio complex in the dockland area of Leith, including lingerie makers Bebaroque, and guitar maker Rory Dowling. “It’s great to be with creative people,” she says. “You can share your problems. And if someone does well, it’s really encouraging.”

Always in good taste

Classic is definitely back in fashion and that applies to coffee as much as couture. Like Keira Thorley’s designs, Taylors of Harrogate’s Café Imperial is a taste that evokes a bygone era. It has been enjoyed in the tea rooms of Bettys, sister company to Taylors, for more than 40 years. It is a lively blend with refreshing citrus notes, equally good as a breakfast pick-me-up or an afternoon accompaniment to something sweet. Café Imperial is available from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morissons and Waitrose.

See article at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/lifestyle/taylorsofharrogate/6643678/A-fabulous-flavour-of-Forties-fashion.html

AMA Fashion

Check out some of the outfits worn to the AMAs!

SNAP!!!

Don't you just hate it when you turn up to a party or event, and somebody is wearing the same dress as you?
Well, this is what happened to Shakira and P!nk at the VMAs. They both turned up wearing the same Balmain studded leather dress.
They both seemed to see the funny side of it and posed for a picture together in the show.
Luckily, P!nk had another outfit to wear, and changed into an asymmetrical pastie ensemble for her perfomance later that night.

Who do you think wore it better?