Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty IS coming to London !

Ahhh I'm sooo happy with this major piece of news I've just heard... Alexander McQueen's Savage Beauty Exhibition is coming home... to London !!!! The McQueen HeadQuarters have released a statement saying that they “have been in discussion with a number of major venues in London for some time now - Alexander McQueen appreciates the huge amount of interest the public has shown towards the Savage Beauty exhibition," They then added “Please be assured that an official announcement will be made the moment we confirm our plans for London.”

The exhibition may take place some time in 2013, alongside the 20th Anniversary of the McQueen fashion house, with possible locations already being pointed out as Somerset House, Battersea Power Station or even The Truman Brewary. With such exciting times coming ahead in 2012 as the London Olympics, this gives us even more to look forward to for 2013! *Eeeek !!! The second I hear any more news, I'll share it with you first! xx

*pulls excited face!

Style Crush : The #VMAs 2011

There were only really two celebrities that stood out for me at the MTV Video Music Awards 2011 - Selena Gomez and Beyonce (well actually, Nicki Minaj did too, but for all the wrong reasons). Even I'm surprised that Selena Gomez caught my attention, as I've never really noticed her style before, but that's because she doesn't stand out to me. This killer Black Lace Julien Macdonald Dress however, looks beautiful on her! The lace inserts across the waist and around the decollatage give it a sensous sexy feel with a victorian undertone - and she's rocking the 'underwear as outerwear' trend in one of the most clever ways as it's not blatent. It's feminine, sexy, and dramatic all at the same time! Keeping accessories and hair/make-up simple help keep it polished and classy too. If it were me, I'd rock out some seriously high Balmain stilettos or Guiseppe Zanotti heels ... !

Beyonce looked simply stunning in her floor sweeping asymmetrical Lanvin number - the Orange is gorgeous against her glowing skin and the chandelier earrings bring detail and a little more sparkle to the outfit! Beyonce's choice of side-swept hair is elegant - this style always works with asymmetrical cuts !

Maybe not so much the best dressed, but some of the other celebs...

Must say though... I'm super impressed with Justin Bieber's choice of outfit... Love the Red pants with Leopard Print pumps and YSL Blazer! And Adele's huge hair is super sexy! Kelly Rowland wears a hot choice : Falguni & Shane Peacock and I absolutely loved Lady Gaga's opening of You & I ...
Not so impressed with Kim Kardashian as it's all a little boring, or Katy Perry - she looks like a skinny marshmallow (but I do like the hair!) and what was Nicki Minaj thinking ?! She looks like she was dragged through a candyfloss machine. Not nice.

The Super Cover : Vogue Espana : Sept 2011

W.O.W

Ingredients for a striking Cover : Take a Helena Christensen, Claudia Schiffer, and Eva Herzigova. Add Dolce & Gabbana (yes yes, those Star dresses from the AW'11 Collection), then add a wind machine and select image to feature as the September Issue Cover ... the result is a super cover featuring a trio of supermodels that gets a whole lot of attention and a lot of 'wows'. Genius idea by Vogue Spain for the September 2011 Issue.

The New HD Brow Palette... Vamp*

Back in February 2011, the HD Brow Palette was one of my #FashionWeekSaviours as it helped me achieve a sleek brow in just minutes and doubled up as an eyeshadow palette that works for full on smoky or au natural. Now, the palette really is genius... but I must say I'm super duper happy that HD Brows have since released 3 smaller palettes that are alot more convenient for everyday/on the go/throw it in the handbag types, if you get my jist...

 HD Brow Palette in Vamp

I personally tried the 'Vamp' palette - which obvs works for me as it includes one of the darkest shades for my dark brows! At £19.95 it's a pretty good buy - as I've explained before, you get a versatile range of shades for your brows and eyelids, which can also be used as eye shadows and eyeliners depending on how they are applied. Other palettes include :

• Bombshell : For Blondes…a nude, a carbon shadow, and two blonde tone powders. When used as an eye shadow palette, this will create a cool natural daytime look and a soft evening look.

• Foxy : For Brunettes…a nude, a carbon shadow, and two medium brown tone powders. Use this as an eye shadow palette to create a warm natural daytime look or a smouldering night time look.

• Vamp : For Dark hair…a nude, a carbon shadow, and two dark brown tone powders. Used as an eye shadow palette, this will create a dramatic smoky look.

www.hd-brows.co.uk

STELLAR by Ignacio Torres

Stellar by photographer Ignacios Torres : visuallyamazingbeautifulinspiringartistic. shot.

Today's Stylish Pick : Boticca

Those of you that follow will know I've mentioned Boticca before - it's one of my favourite places to purchase jewellery online as it offers unique pieces from designers across the World and you won't find many people with the same piece (bonus for me then as I don't like sporting the same fashion as others) !

I was looking through the Necklaces and I've come across three pieces that I really really love! You see, what I appreciate about Boticca is that their fashion curators scour the world looking for the most inspiring designers across established fashion capitals - London, Paris, New York, and  Beirut all the way to Buenos Aires in search of fashion treasure! They go to street fairs, fashion shows, trade shows and small boutiques as well as fashion design and metalsmithing schools, all in search of new talent. And that's what makes each piece so special, rare, and unique!

Having a strong Indian background, this first piece really caught my eye. The 'Kirpan Necklace' by Eina Ahluwalia is inspired by the story of the Sikhs. Now traditionally, a Kirpan is a a small sword worn on the body as a religious symbol for the Sikhs - a warrior race that originated to protect oppressed communities from the Mughal rule in India. Eina Ahluwalia has designed this piece as a symbol of protection - a neckpiece, to portray our stand against Domestic Violence... A piece that must inspire every woman to Love, Respect & Protect herself even if someone else doesn't.

The 'Kirpan Necklace' is a stunning piece with strong values and so much culture to it, and would look fabulous over a long Grecian style gown - slung across the shoulder for a powerful luxe finish- better still, it can be worn at different lengths so would look amazing as a necklace over the decolletage. It is 100% handcrafted with intricate fretwork on Brass, finished with 22 Karat Gold Plating and is available - with only a few pieces available btw... at £291.50.

Claire & Arnaud (French design friends) founded their own brand “Origami Jewellery”, inspired by the beauty of Japanese creativity.The inspiration came during a night in the winter when their friend Masayuki Muraki taught them the typical Japanese folding handcraft. Because of the endless possibilities and the pleasure of creating new origami, the game took all night long.Creativity and the joy of trying out always new ways how to use the folding made Claire & Arnaud forget time. The idea of origami jewellery was born...

The Pink Rabbit Necklace actually caught my eye as it reminds me of Designer Julia Clancey - I worked with Julia back in 2008 on her 'Diamonds & Pearls' SS'08 show at LFW ... and boy does she love Rabbits! Infact, her logo features Pink & White Rabbits which is what reminded me of her ! This is a super cute necklace with plenty of charactor that can be worn over a plain tee... or, pretty much anything! It would make a great gift too and I love the charm of it. The Pink Rabbit Necklace is £153.00, with 9 currently available...

The Pegasus Necklace is also from the same designers and caught my eye as I love the detail put into such a small piece. As a Greek mythological creature thats looked at as somewhat of a 'Horse-God', this winged divine White Horse has always intrigued me, as has Greek mythology (it was the only topic that held my attention in History back when I was at school, and my fascination for it of late, has been further strengthened due to hearing my knowledgeable younger sister talk about it. A lot). This piece features Silver and Gun Metal, and is also available with Gold Plating, at £110.00, with only 3 available so I'd hurry if you want one !

The Vogue Disney Princesses *love*

Dante Tyler Brown has had soooo much (well-deserved) attention lately due to his *amazing* illustrations of 8 Disney Princesses that he has transformed into Glamorous Vogue Princess Covers -  witty cover lines included ! My favourites are Ariel and Jasmine. Chanel ? She's all about it...

Beyonce 1+1 ...

I had to share this with you as I think it's one of the most beautiful videos Beyonce has ever worked on ! The videography and lighting all seem rather similar to the style of Nick Knight for ShowStudio, it's quite subtle but stunning - and Beyonce's glimmering skin is gorgeous. Note : B isn't throwing her magnificent moves in this one ... probably because she revealed at yesterday's VMAs that she is expecting her first child!!! Eeek! Congratulations to Beyonce & Jay-Z ... with such talented mega-star parents one could only imagine what this little one's career path might be - not to mention what the wardrobe might be like !

#manicuretuesday bad influence glimmers

#manicuretuesday : Give the matt/khaki/urban/camel polish a metallic update for Autumn Winter '11 that it sooo needs ...you should know it's well on trend for aw'11 anyway...
NARS Bad Influence gets a coating of YSL Golden Shimmer No11 : I'm gleee-eeeming*

Chanel Ltd Edition Denim Nail Shades for Vogue's #FNO

i. will. have. them. and. i. will. have. them. all.

Raquel Zimmermann & Karen Elson throw some shapes for Lanvin AW '11

Steven Meisel seems to have captured the perfect balance between fun and fashion in the Autumn Winter 2011 Campaign. Raquel Zimmermann and Karen Elson look perfectly polished in beautiful Lanvin dresses... even if they are jumping around dancing. Ahh if only we could look that good when jumping around, throwing some moves!

FABRYAN is having a bit of a moment with the LBD...

There's something about the little black dress, that can make a woman feel so confident - in a number of different ways... there's that 'safe' feeling it gives, when you're perhaps not feeling so confident and are unsure of what to wear. There's the idea that we feel sexier and slimmer, and then there is the simple fact that it pulls any look together as pretty much all of your accessories work with it!

It does not matter what trends make their way to the glossy pages of monthly fashion magazines from the catwalks of Milan, Paris, London or New York; one thing is for sure, the Little Black Dress is, and always will be there. Just as Leopard Print and Nautical are never date trends, the LBD will always be a fail-safe option that will make an updated appearance on just about every catwalk show, every season, in every high-st retailer, and I would image just about every wardrobe!

 

2 LBDs that I'm seriously lusting after this season are from Fabryan's Autumn Winter 2011 Collection. The brand shows an appreciation for unique and alluring designs - synonymous with luxury, creating distinctive pieces with a quintessentially feminine signature for the modern woman.

The Zena Dress is a stunning black dress that can be worn under a blazer for a smart day look or amped up by night with the added glitz and glamour of cocktail accessories - sans tights! A beaded neckline adds detail and the soft rouching gives it that versatile style that takes it from day to night. Take a look at the back, and it's a different story altogether! Say hello to a sexy sheer black back that screams sexy chic! The dress clings like a second skin and is super comfortable and the visible full length leather zip keeps it current and adds a modern devious edge!

Stretch body con + Silk Chiffon sleeves + Leather cuff = The Vixen Dress ! It's not often we see a dress that combines soft pretty pouffed chiffon shoulders and a fierce leather cuff at the neck, but somehow it works! I love the pintuck rouched detail over the decolletage - it's all abit Givenchy don't you think..? There seems to be the perfect balance of soft and hard which makes it a rather versatile LBD - I imagine a sleeveless tailored waistcoat would work wonders thrown over, with pouffed shoulders peeking out! Even a leather gilet with buckled ankle boots would look fab!

So if you're looking for an updated version that works for day and night, be it naughty or nice... look to Fabryan for the modern LBD.

Iris Strubegger Covers Vogue Germany ... The September Issue

Alexi Lubomirski has captured a beautiful image of Iris Strubegger for the September 2011 Issue of Vogue Germany. The overall look exudes glamour with Iris looking like she's just stepped off the Louis Vuitton runway ss'11! With Oriental detailing, sharp sultry make-up and lashings of lace, this is a striking cover with Iris' creating a strong frame that lures the eye in.

Anne Hathaway covers a Vamped-up Interview for September 2011

Now this is a September Cover that demands attention! Anne Hathaway is one super sexy vamp and Interview have unleashed one hella hot cover that screams high-fashion editorial. Take note here ladies... lace, long pointed nails, strong brows, and deep dark berry rouge lips... ALL key trends for AW'11 !

H&M launches first ever shop-in-shop at Selfridges guest curated by Leigh Lezark!

If you're anywhere near Selfridges on Thursday 25th August then you won't want to miss H&M's first ever shop-in-shop in Selfridges Londres...! And get this... the exclusive collection is guest curated by Misshapes DJ & Model Leigh Lezark ! Yesssss!!!! The H&M collection will feature an edited selection of the very latest key fashion and accessories for women, including the exclusive selection curated for the launch by Leigh Lezark - who will also be present to introduce the collaboration at the opening and guests will be treated to an exclusive DJ set in store that evening by Leigh! 

Not only will we see exclusive and limited collections, we'll also see the Autumn Conscious Collection - inspired by the romance of Swedish-folklore, from embroidered wool coats to the prettiest lace blouse, and floral printed dresses and shoes amongst exclusive homeware pieces ranging from printed throws to pretty cushions... and all will be beautifully displayed in a bespoke, especially designed interior!

"I love shopping at H&M and I always make sure to visit Selfridges when I am in London, I've worked with H&M on many occasions and when they approached me to curate a collection especially for their new, first ever shop-in-shop, I was delighted. My philosophy on both beauty and fashion is to be yourself and find your own style, so for me the edited down H&M at Selfridges is an ideal shopping destination. Given my hectic schedule, I can always find something there that works! The curated pieces are; I feel, modern classics everyone should have in their wardrobe - and I have tried to throw in some colour too!" says Leigh Lezark.

Some of Leigh's picks include this gorgeous Suede and Leather Dress, preppy Mustard knitted Shorts and a beautiful Pink Jacket - a must-have for AW'11... it can be dressed down with layering textures or dressed up with a statement collar (huge right now!) or a statement necklace for high-impact...

 Suede & Leather Dress £79.99

Knitted Mustard Shorts £24.99

Pink Jacket £39.99

- Watch this space for pics!

Eeeek! London IS the Fashion Capital of the World!!

Super happy with this news...! London has over taken New York as the World's Fashion Capital according to the Global Language Monitor, with New York coming in a close second and Paris coming in at number 3. This news really doesn't surprise me as us Londoners know not only is London Town a vibrant mix of edgy fashion, cultures and super style... we also have Alexander McQueen to thank, as well as Kate Moss and Kate Middleton! Then there's the likes of Alexa Chung and Daisy Lowe to add to the mix!

“We are seeing what the impact of two genuine media stars, Princess Kate and Alexander McQueen can have upon a global ranking.  Our numbers show that it was their presence that tipped the victory to London over New York,” said Bekka Payack, the Manhattan-based fashion correspondent of the Global Language Monitor.  “In the various categories, London took top honors in three, while New York, Paris, and Sao Paulo each topped the field in one.”

 

Take a look at the rankings...

1 . London - ranked 3rd last year.

2. New York - ranked 1st last year.

3. Paris - ranked 4th last year.

4. Milan - ranked 6th last year.

5. Los Angeles - ranked 5th last year.

6. Hong Kong - ranked 2nd last year.

7. Barcelona - ranked 10th last year.

8. Singapore - ranked 15th last year.

9. Tokyo - ranked 14th last year.

10. Berlin - ranked 18th last year.

To read the full article on the World's Top 50 Fashionable Cities, visit here.

Lust Have Alert : All Saints Python Dress

Eeek! Just come across the Embellished Python Dress from All Saints ! The shape ticks the shift dress trend for AW'11 whilst the Snakeskin is another trend altogether...and the Petrol/Burnished tones keep it autumnal so it ticks 3 or 4 trends in all in one! A definite Lust-Must Have for us at Anita Darling...

Embellished Python Dress : £ 295 : All Saints

Molten Eyes for AW '11 : Bobbi Brown

 Jason Wu Autumn Winter 2011

Warrior accented eyes (think Samurai metallics glazed over the lids) are just one of the beauty trends this AW'11 that will be very popular - alongside Disco-tech eyes that are indulgently dark with smatterings of shimmering flecks, and metallics accents as seen at Jason Wu, DVF, Temperley and Gareth Pugh AW '11!

Whatever you decide on, I've found two products that work this trend in both subtle and fierce ways... and they're both Bobbi Brown! Now I know that most of you will be familiar with the Iconic Shimmer Brick Compact that is a beauty hero in itself! Dusted lightly over the cheekbones and where light hits the face, it gives a gorgeous glow - and is fab to use as 5 individual eyeshadows too! I personally have tried the Bronze Shimmer Brick and often wonder how I ever went about life without it! For £30.50 your getting a bronzer - and highlighter that can be used wherever you like + 5 eyeshadows... now that's getting alot of wear out of just £30.50 ...no...?

The Shimmer Brick comes in 5 shades : Rose, Pink Quartz, Nectar, Beige, and Bronze... with the latter being brilliant for olive/dark skintones. When using a brush, I found It didn't take long to build up colour - but it works wonders when applied with fingers, and is really nice when applied with charcoal/dark brown shades for a a light smoky eye...

For an event I recently attended, I continued to build up the colour on my eyes from the Bronze Shimmer Brick, and blended with Bobbi Brown's Metallic Long-wear Cream Shadow in Antique Gold...

Okay not the most fabulous light - and a slightly unruly brow, but you get the picture!

This is the first time I had tried Cream Shadow as in the past I've been put off at the thought of creasing, and the possibility of it just sliding (ergh!) ... but this Cream Shadow was having none of that and stayed in place all night with not one crease (impressive considering I didn't even put eyeshadow primer on)! It also had a gorgeous Charcoal tone to it with Gold and Silver flecks that catch the light and make eyes glimmer in a way that is chic and luxe - giving a metallic sheen worthy of a catwalk look! And it's available in 12 shades...

Antique Gold Long-wear Cream Shadow £16.50

These are two products that I'll definitely continue to use and I highly recommend - they work a treat through the Summer and are fab for Autumn Winter 11's Metallic Eyes Beauty Trends that are already being shown in publications such as Vogue, ELLE and Harper's Bazaar. And if you want to go all out, then have fun with it and layer the two products - I applied a generous amount of shadow from the shimmer brick over the cream shadow and created a molten shadow that will definitely attract attention...!

So For Kick-Ass Cool Metallics that are Molten Hot for AW'11 : Visit Bobbi Brown

Louis Vuitton Travel Collection visits Enchanted India

Louis Vuitton's latest Travel Collection Campaign is shot in the beautiful and Enchanted India... with true Indian beauty shown amongst Rajasthani palaces; colourful Bengal Tigers artfully put together using lentils and pretty Rose petals, adorned with the Orange carnation - a flower used to celebrate and decorate during festivals and weddings, and of course finished with a Louis Vuitton clutch ... a piece of art in itself! With the Sitar playing, a stunning location that exudes peace and calm, and vibrant colours amongst bustling villagers.. Louis Vuitton have produced an exceptional campaign that really does capture the beauty of India and the luxury of LV : A masterful fusion of art and beauty. Directed by Carter Smith... this is a truly enthralling campaign! Some of my favourite shots from the campaign...

Louis Vuitton