French Fancy Number 4

Good Morning, Upper East Siders, and welcome to the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite. Only, this season (for two episodes only), Manhattan's elite are in Paris, and it has me seriously yearning for some bourgeois boheme Left Bank chic.

So here is my pick from my favourite oh-so-secret and not-so-secret labels from St Germain.

Wear with insouciance.

Bises!


1. Claudie Pierlot

Channel your inner Amelie with Claudie Pierlot's designs for Autumn/Winter 10. Her star is set to rise, thanks to the recent investment by luxury conglomerate LVMH. Check out the divine new collection showcased by French top model Audrey Marnay.

2. Maje

Maje and sister label Sandro have been whipping up something of a sartorial storm since the recession opened a gap in the mid-luxury market (where one door closes, another opens, n'est ce pas?) Maje is my go-to label for sexy-but-slouchy, I just threw this on but still look super chic.

3. Sandro

Sandro is Maje's slightly edgier sister. Think Clemence Poesy or Lou Doillon's intimidating brand of Parisienne cool, made accessible to mere mortals.


4. Ba&sh

If there was a label that made the perfect clothes for first dates, when you want to look as though you have made an effort in the subtlest way, head to Ba&sh. The label specialises in understated luxury; but do not under estimate the impact it will have.


(Pictures, from top: Claudie Pierlot scarf and beret; Maje dress; Sandro jumpsuit)

September Object of Desire

I bumped into my best friend's brother the other night; I had just arrived at her house for a girlie dinner as he was heading out for the night. As he was leaving he put on his overcoat, and I nearly died. This super mannish city coat is EXACTLY what I am after this season. I never really did the whole Diane Keaton in Annie Hall 'girls will be boys' look: before now I have always favoured femininity, which in coat-terms meant princess cuts and furs. However.....I have changed my mind, or rather my aesthetic sensibilities and am loving the idea of contrasting such a coat with a slip dress or structured skirt/silk shirt. (It sort of reminds me of turning blue with the cold in marquees at black tie events in the English countryside, only for a chivalrous gentleman to slip his dinner jacket around your shoulders).

'Nice coat', I remarked.

'Yes, gorgeous', said another friend of mine also in attendance. 'My brother has one just like it'.

'I want one for myself!' I had to explain. I was positively drooling, almost more than over the delectable smells coming from the kitchen.

Luckily, this season designers have answered my sartorial prayers and there is a plethora of such coats to be found around town. I especially like this type of coat in traditional menswear fabrics, such as tweed and with a smart collar. This week's mission: find my dream coat before the chill sets in for winter.

(Pictured: Men's City Coat by Chloe)

Instant Autumn Outfit under £150

For easy autumnal daytime chic for those on a budget: a 50's silhouette from the high street. Mix your fabrics, for example heavy tweeds with the softest wool you can find. Accessorise with groomed hair and natural dewy make up.

The socks, Tabio, £9 95
The wedge boot, Aldo, £50 00
The skirt, Mango, 39 90

The Cashmere jumper, Uniqlo, 49 99

British Fashion Awards 2010

Last week, the nominees were announced for the 2010 British Fashion Awards. The categories which interested me the most were 'Emerging Talent-Ready to Wear'; and the 'Designer of the Year' Award. Emerging Talent is interesting precisely because it opens our eyes to fresh new aesthetic ideas, shapes and colours; and Designer of the Year is important as undoubtedly the winner has created stand-out designs which will be stored in our memories as having had a significant effect on fashion history.

This year the nominees for 'Emerging Talent' are Mary Katrantzou, Meadham Kirchoff and Michael van der Ham. It's likely that few but fashion insiders will be familiar with these designers but that is one of the greatest things about the British Fashion Awards: supporting home-grown talent and bringing it to people's attention. My money is on Meadham Kirchoff: their Autumn/Winter 2010 was a melange of different textures and fabrics and was inspired by 'gypsies, junkies and blue roses'. It made me feel nostalgic for the days when I used to spend hours rifling through the stalls at Spitalfields market and putting together random concoctions to wear. It is also very London (should I say British?) in its emphasis on the eclectic and the insouciantly thrown together.

The nominees for 'Designer of the Year' are Christopher Kane, Erdem and Pheobe Philo for Celine. It has to be Erdem; he has undeniably had the Midas touch this year and no one can forget his digital floral print cocktail dresses that encapsualte summer 2010.

The winners are set to be announced in December.....watch this space.

(Pictured above: Spring/Summer '10 cocktail dress by Erdem and images from Meadham Kirchofff Autumn/Winter 2010)

Men of the Year

Last night saw the GQ Men of the Year Awards and boy, did they get it on the money!! This year my top winners were:

Firstly, Aaron Johnson, who won the Smirnoff Black 'Most Stylish' award. A perfect choice: slightly under the radar but his stylishness is quintessentially British, in that raffish, slightly scruffy sort of way.

Secondly, the appeal of Gossip Girl and Mad Men clearly extends beyond us girls: Ed Westwick won the prize for 'Best Breakthrough Talent' and John Hamm for 'International Male'. Both of these men are equally suave, stylish and super-masculine in their refusal to display emotion. Both have a propensity for single malt whisky and a well cut suit. Prize-worthy indeed.

Are you a Mad Woman or a Gossip Girl?

Two shows, both set in one extremely stylish city in totally different eras are once again going to undoubtedly impact upon our fashion conscience this season. If I had to choose, I would be a Gossip Girl. But I would keep Don Draper.

Less is More

Fashion, to a degree follows 20 year cycles (although some would say that as designers produce more and more collections such as cruise and resort, this vintage is decreasing). Nonetheless, this has made it inevitable that designers have been referencing the 90s for the past couple of seasons. As well as the grunge look that characterised Britpop and that was made famous by Marc Jacobs, the other seminal look of the decade was pared down minimalism, courtesy of Helmut Lang. This season sees the return of the cigarette pant: a slim, tapered cut which ends just at the ankle: a look made famous by Uma Thurman in 1994's Pulp Fiction. To make this work, think androgyny: so clean lines, and a masculine silhouette. During the day, wear with a super sharp (almost stiff, straightjacket material) white shirt and flat brogues in a completely monochrome palette, or pair with heels and a sheer vest top for a cocktail party alternative.

(Pictured: Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction; Stella McCartney Fall RTW)