Baftas, New York, roses and more!

Oh my, oh my, oh my - so much fabulous fashion fun going on right now. New York Fashion Week, award ceremonies galore, Katie Price launching her fashion line...

Where shall we begin?

Awards ceremonies


The Grammys - well I won't dwell on this, but let's just say that there was lots of bling, gowns with high slits, cut-out backs...nothing amazing or original. Dullness.

The Baftas - now we're talking! The stars pulled out all the stops (though obviously there were some tragedies...*clears throat* Emma Watson):

Julianne Moore looked simply divine in a deep blue velvet column dress by Tom Ford. 

What en elegant lady! 

Wearing my fave Lanvin dress of the season, Emma Stone just glows. Simple and effortless. Bravo!

Jessica Alba brings some Hollywood glamour to London in her cobalt blue Atelier Versace gown.

Thandie Newton has to be my absolute fave. She looks gorgeous in this fuschia printed Monique L'hullier floor-sweeping dress. 

New York Fashion Week

It's hard to say what trends we'll be seeing for Autumn/Winter 2011 already, but here's a sneak peek at what's caught my eye so far...

Luxury at Carolina Herrera

 DKNY finds its inner tomboy

Duro Olowu piles on the prints

 Diane Von Furstenberg ups the glam factor

 High intensity at Malandrino

Sculpture and structure take centre-stage at Thakoon

Victoria Beckham prepares for her pregnancy with loose knits. Love the hood.

It's looking good so far...let's hope it stays that way. 

More to come soon...

Katie Price

If you weren't sure if I was being sarcastic about Katie Price, take a look at her new 'fashion' line:

Oh wow...Katie, you have actually rendered me speechless. Called Day 22, because new products are going to be released on the 22nd of each month (I guess Katie needs to keep it simple), the collection seems to be...
...actually I don't know what it is. One thing I do know is that you'll never catch me dead in it!

And in other news...

My carboot sale on Sunday went very well - thank you to those of you who came down to rescue my unwanted goods.

 There's Mummy Magpie hard at work!

And finally...

Happy Valentine's Day! Although my beau is all the way in Hong Kong he managed to get me my fave roses delivered. What a lovely surprise to come home to after a long gym session. I'm a very lucky girl ;-)

BEAUTIFUL!

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!

Firstly, apologies for disappearing on you. A quick trip to Marrakech followed by Xmas preparations have had me busy, busy, busy!

But here I am, just in time to show you what Santa (a.k.a. my beau) treated me to this Xmas:

YES!! I am such a lucky girl - I got the Anya Hindmarch clutch I've been dreaming of for so long!

And it didn't take me long to put it to good use:

I teamed it with my gorge Lanvin for H&M dress. It was the perfect Xmas outfit - with all that silk on me, I wasn't allowed in the kitchen at all!!

Speaking of Xmas outfits, here's what I wore for our Christmas Eve shindig:

Sequins, sequins, sequins...that's what Xmas is all about!

Well, actually, Christmas is all about giving and today, rather than shower each other with expensive gifts (Anya clutch not included of course), we decided to play Secret Santa where we make each other special presents.

That's my darling grandfather, with a knitted lavender cushion I made for him - he's not been too well of late and I thought it would help him sleep and get some much needed rest. It was made with bucket loads of love and care!

And now I must got to sleep - there's more Boxing day and Bank Holiday fun to come, so I'll be back soon!

Merry Christmas!
Love,
Miss Magpie
xxx

P.S. I promised you last time that I'd share the present I found my beau...

A modern laser cut cuckoo clock with an actual mechanical cuckoo to keep us on time (though may live to regret this!). My beau saw this clock in a bar on a trip to Edinburgh, I hunted it down and now it is his. Phew!

My Christmas Wish List

What do you get the man who has everything? Well, this is the very quandary I found myself in last week whilst trying to find a Christmas present for my darling beau.

I did eventually find something and I'm really quite excited about his reaction when he opens it. Just in case he ever decides to read Style State, I'd better keep it a secret until after he's opened it. I promise to share asap after that though.

Anyway, all this got me thinking about the struggle he must be having to find a present for me! So I thought I'd be ever so helpful and draw up a little list of goodies I'd like (and anyone who feels like it is welcome to pop something under my Xmas tree!):

1. The OMG clutch

Anya Hindmarch, £250.

Well I just don't know when I wouldn't use this! It's totally up my street and I can imagine it going with absolutely everything.

2. The oh-so comfy cashmere

Figleaves Cashmere night set, £115, and wrap cardigan, £100.

Yes, I'm all about the comfort and what's more comfortable than cashmere?!

3. The good luck charm

Annina Vogel 9-karat gold agate horseshoe necklace, £550.

Everyone needs a little helping hand on the luck front and if it means I get to wear this totally cute horseshoe necklace, even better!

4. The diet aid

Magimix ice-cream maker, £219.95

I know what you are thinking - how can an ice-cream maker be a diet aid? Well, my beau's very clever sister has been making me frozen yoghurt with hers. Take any fat free yoghurt, put in here for 1/2 hour and voila, frozen yoghurt, Not only delicious, but there's no guilt involved at all. A must have.

5. The bridezilla comforter

Lanvin Suitcase Honeymoon set, £415.

Well, what an ideal present for a bride-to-be...though perhaps a bit premature. Maybe I should be urging my beau to actually think about the honeymoon destination first. In any case, I'm sure I'll be needing this set...so why wait?!

6. The 1950's housewife kitchen

Oliver Bonas Pip Studio set of 4 plates, £30, and Pip Studio small plate, £7.50

I am totally in love with these kitsch plates. I've been honing my domestic skills for a while now and I think it is about time that I was rewarded with some absolutely fab crockery. I'll definitely be a better Mrs with these!


7. The environmental treat

Brooks Devon rear panniers, £460.

What's the point of riding around London on my Pashley with Waitrose bags hanging off the handlebars? Not chic at all. When I go shopping, I'd like to be able to still look good (Pashley's are poser bikes remember!), so these rear wheel bags will do just the trick. Though perhaps at that price I could just head to Mulberry...

8. The moves

Wedding dance classes, approx. £250 for 5 hours.

This is perhaps one I should be buying for my beau, but let's face it, we both need to brush up our dance techniques for the big day. Though I've had many years of dance training (of all different types) I have never learnt the traditional numbers. My beau is erm, well in need of some loosening up! Not only will this be fun, we can wow our wedding guests next July.

9. The bedtime treat

A VERY big bed, £££££.

My secret is out: I'm a starfish sleeper. Much to my beau's dismay, he has chosen to marry someone who can not keep to her side of the bed. The solution? A very big bed! I would love a hotel sized bed, with Tempur mattress and sumptuous topper. I'm getting sleepy just at the thought of it. Zzzzzzzz...

10. The charitable choice

Christmas is for many of us, a time of gluttony and greed, but for lots of others it is lonely and miserable. I think it is important that we all do something for those less fortunate than ourselves - after all, Christmas is a time of giving.

I like to donate to Crisis at Christmas and this year I am donating money to help provide the UK's homeless with a Christmas meal. You can do the same, right here.

And...

...with that, I bid you all some very joyful Christmas shopping!

Lanvin for H&M - My verdict

Ok, so I've avoided it for long enough, but now I must break my silence on the latest designer/high street collaboration.

I've never been a fan of said unions as I feel it cheapens the designer brand and contradicts the very essence of what designer clothing is all about - aspirational, exclusive and not meant for the masses (controversial?).

Last week, the genius that is Alber Elbaz launched a Lanvin collection in conjunction with H&M There was so much hype between this partnership that I was sure it wouldn't live up to expectations. I was certainly not going to queue for hours to get a piece of it.

Alber Albaz - the unlikely creator behind the world's prettiest and most feminine brand

Well, last Tuesday I popped up to North London for a day of errands - oh, the glamour! Brent Cross Shopping Centre was my first port of call  - the Apple Geeks...err, I mean Genii, were battling with my slightly sick laptop. 

Across the centre I could see the bright lights of H&M shining seductively and I couldn't resist a little peek. 

And boy am I glad I did!

I'd have been happy with just the hanging bag!

 The carrier bag is a far cry from H&M's usual plastic.

The Lanvin for H&M collection is unlike any collaboration I have seen before. The attention to detail is quite outstanding. Each dress was presented in its very own hanging bag, so beautiful they might have considered selling them separately. I'd like all my dresses to be hanging in something as elegant as this.

Even though there was not much left in store by the time I got there (midday), I managed to bag myself a gorgeous dress:

When I saw this beaut, I knew it had to be mine! It is so very Lanvin - flirty, feminine and oh-so pretty. At £99.99 it wasn't exactly a bargain by H&M standards (remember my REAL Lanvin dress that I bagged for £50!) but I love the dress regardless of what it is, so I handed over my credit card without hesitation.

Look at how beautifully made this dress is. I can imagine that Alber Elbaz would only compromise marginally on the quality of this collection - after all, Lanvin is all about quality. This has set the standard that all future collaborations will have to meet (or beat).

I also treated myself to this fun little brooch - perfect for Christmas Id say.

So, though I tried to resist, I fell head over heels with Lanvin for H&M. I don't know why I ever doubted Alber! I'm sorry.

Paris Fashion Week round-up

Gosh! London Fashion Week seems like eons ago, but for the (un)fortunate editors still on their Fashion Week rounds, Paris is buzzing with the clackety-clack of stilettos and ooh-and-aahs of the spectators.

Miss Magpie has turned her back on all things fashion for a few days (well not all things obviously) in order to try on wedding dresses. Could there be anything more fun?! Anyway, you'll have to wait until next summer to hear all about that.... Aren't I mean.

Anyway, back to Paris... Here's a wee round up of the goings on over the Channel.

Balenciaga

Hmmm...I'm not sure about this. Nicolas Ghesquière opted for a very androgynous look. When we've seen so much femininity and pretty hitting the catwalks, this is quite hard to digest. The collection has a slight punk-rock feel about it, with the flat shoes, un-summery dark palette and masculine tailoring. I'm not a fan, but that doesn't mean others won't be.

See what I mean!

Balmain

I'm a huge Balmain fan (the styles, not the price tags) but I'm kinda getting that feeling of deja-vu. Christophe Decarnin has a particular style and has run with it for several seasons to huge acclaim, but I'm beginning to think that he might be a one-trick pony. Yes, the leather jackets are divine. Yes, he single-handedly brought about the revival of the shoulder pad. Yes, every woman lusts after a piece of Balmain. But how much longer are we (well, not we, I mean women with plenty of cash) going to fork out tens of thousands for a variety of same-but-not-the-same leather jackets?

Having said that, I am, once again, a fan of the collection...

That's $20,000 of safety pins that is!

Celine

Pheobe Philo is the queen of minimalism. Again. This time however, she's loosened up a bit - e.g. trousers were long and loose. There was also some leather and denim thrown in to the mix - these fabrics seem to be BIG all round.

I'm perhaps not a Celine girl, though I appreciate the huge influence the label has on the fashion world. I'm sure this collection will continue the trend.

Minimalist chic or just drowning?

Love the clean lines and mix-up of fabrics in this look.

Christian Dior

John Galliano must be taking a sabatical! This collection is so tame for the normally extra-extravagant brand, that I'm not sure I would have recognised it on the street. There is however I nice blending of girly dresses with boyish jackets thrown over the top (not that we haven't seen that before). Loving the slouch socks though.

Finally a handbag that'll fit in all my stuff! Hoorah.

Denim rocks the catwalk again.

 
Givenchy

Ooh - Summer's going to have us all getting in touch with our inner goths. Well, atleast that seems to be the aim of Riccardo Tisci. Goths on safari I think is the exact look. There's all the darkness and drama we've come to love of Givenchy, but with an added dose of glamour from all the leopard print.

Summer in the UK sucks anyway, so I'm sold on the black!

Gorge dress, shame about the model. Weird.

Jean Paul Gaultier

If John Galliano is taking a sabatical, then JPG is having a moment of craziness. His collection included jackets with squared-off shoulders, showgirl lingerie, jumpsuits, sailor stripes, palm-prints, leather jackets and even a metal breastplate. All slightly random and OTT, but amongst that plethora of different styles were some quite nice looks.

Speaking of random - Beth Ditto opened the show. Eh?

Not loving the hair so much, I have to say.

Here's a big of JPG we all know and live. And I do love.

Lanvin

If you want pretty, you turn to Alber Elbaz at Lanvin. He is the absolute master of figure-flattering, wow-factor dresses. Having recently added Lanvin to my wardrobe (remember my Hong Kong trip?) I can say with certainty, that nothing makes you feel better! This collection had a lot more day appropriate dresses, that really didn't do much for me. The more typical Lanvin dresses were what really caught my eye...

Floaty and fab.

In love. Totally, utterly, completely.

Zac Posen

A Zac lady does not shy away from the limelight. Feathers, lace and fur all made an appearance in a collection that was just divine - something we've come to expect of Mr Posen. I'd wear any of these dresses and I'm pretty sure that every one of us would be able to find something amazing.

Zac Posen has that rare gift of making the female body look like perfection.

In the boudoir as it is, or with a little slip for going out.

That'll do for now. That's more than enough food-for-thought for a Monday. More to come...