GO GLAMPING!!!

Festival season is upon us: Sonar this weekend, Glasto next, then Exit, the Secret Garden Party, Latitude and Bestival....the list could go on and on.

In the past couple of years, 'festival chic' has become part of the fashion world's consciousness. I don't know if this began as a clever marketing campaign or whether it was spawned from the numerous pictures of stylish off duty models caught on camera but designers have seen the potential and festival dressing has become almost a season in itself, like cruise. This is to the extent that DSquared2's Spring/Summer '10 was based entirely around the concept of 'glamping', or glam camping.

To hardcore festival goers and hippies, glamping probably goes against everything true festival spirit stands for. However clever designers like Dean and Dan Caten have tapped into a new spirit: an almost competitive urge to look photo ready and uber stylish (yet 'naturally' so) from the moment you enter the campsite until the moment you leave.

What first struck me about the collection were the pops of colour, whether it was a parka in a primary shade or a glimpse of a tangerine knee sock peeking out from above a gumboot. Secondly, there was the fact that inspiration came directly from the campsite itself: the vermilion dress (pictured above) clearly mimics the structure of a tent.

Finally there was the injection of humour and irony that underpinned the entire collection and this was perfect for the paradox of a fashion show based around camping. My favourite touches were the 'I Heart Camping' hoodie, the picnic rug dress and the anti-fashion baseball caps jammed onto the models heads as they glamped down the catwalk.....

....talk about tongue in chic.

French Fancy Number 3 - White Hot

Oh to have been in Paris last night.......

Every year in June, one midsummer's evening is chosen for the renowned 'Diner en Blanc', where, at an appointed time, 1000s of people clad head to toe in white simultaneously descend upon a given location in the city centre to enjoy what can only be described as a picnic with an extremely unusual twist.

The event has to be planned with absolute military attention to detail. For starters, it is entirely illegal so it is kept a total secret until the very last minute to avoid alerting the authorities in advance. Only a handful of people are privy to the information about when and where the actual event will take place before the night itself. Otherwise you have to be invited by word of mouth and wait to receive your instructions about where to be via text or e mail on the night itself.

Like any picnic, the guests bring their own food, (white) wine or champagne and a table to be covered with a white tablecloth.

The event originated about 23 years ago among a handul of aristocratic friends and has increased in size every year. Nowadays it is less haute-society; more bourgeois boheme but the spirit of magic, mystery and bonhomie still pervades. Last night's spectacle took place between the Louvre and the Tuileries. As well as being part of what is essentially an super stylish dinner party on an enormous scale, guests also enjoy a variety of musical performances and at 11 pm when it gets dark all the attendees light sparklers to enhance the fairy-tale quality of the evening and to mimic the twinkling lights of the stars.

A chic pique-nique indeed!!

Under the Radar

Yesterday I inadvertently found myself going into Aldo on a quest for a pair of insoles and I emerged 20 minutes later with armfuls of accessories. Love when you visit a shop and you are pleasantly surprised by an unexpected discovery. I had been looking for cheap quick-fix accessories for the summer which I could take on my beach holiday next week without worrying about them being irreplaceable. There was a huge range of sunglasses and I particularly liked the interesting selection of rings on offer too. This is like the shopping equivalent of a sugar hit: you feel a slightly sick afterwards but at the same time it's pretty darn satisfying!

Today....

.....an art deco necklace by Fiona Paxton; Dress by Alexander Wang; Leggings American Apparel.

These pictures are a little bit grainy as they were taken on my old Blackberry (I dropped my phone into a saucer of milk yesterday and my camera is AWOL) but when I put them up they reminded me of some Corinne Day photos from the 90s.

Photography: Caroline King

Pack a Punch

Adorning your hands with statement rings is like adding a final piece of armour to your look in a way that can be beautiful and almost lethally fierce at the same time. Certain jewlery designers have played with this dichotomy when designing their collections and wearing a bold ring (or several) can add a sense of drama to any outfit. Wearing such a ring in contrast to a super-feminine look is a more subtle and unique way to achieve that ubiquitous chic of biker jackets or heavy boots worn to toughen up a pretty dress.

(Pictured above: recycled plastic knuckleduster by Ada Zanditon; raven skull ring by Pamela Love NYC; bear trap ring by Eddie Borgo)

Step Inside: Taschen

Going into Taschen is akin to entering a Narnia-esque fantasy of fashion, photography and art, so it is easy to lose yourself inside for hours at a time. Taschen publications are sold, of course, in bookshops across the world but what makes the atmosphere of visiting the store itself so special is that it is both shop and showroom to the limited edition opuses and collector's editions that line the shelves. Downstairs, the small gallery exhibits original prints which are available to buy alongside the books, and which provide any conoisseur a wonderful way to own a piece of art as well as a unique coffee table tome.

The newest publication is the stunning 'Rose C'est Paris' by Bettina Rheims et Serge Bramly but my personal favourite has to be the recently released 'Fraulein' by Ellen von Unwerth. When I view a photograph I like to feel as though I could be a part of the scene; as though the reality is just out of reach, and Von Unwerth creates this sense of intimacy perfectly. In addition to this the sheer variety and range of her photographs is breathtaking: sometimes her subject might be shot in black and white with a slightly out of focus lens which creates a 1930s ambience, and at other times household names are captured in vivid colour for a more modern feel. Underlying each photograph is a life force, sense of character and even intellect as her subjects are the opposite of vacant.

Taschen, London is situated on Duke of York Square, Kings Road, SW3

Photography (above): Ellen von Unwerth

Perfectly Defined

Apparently it was the ancient Egyptians who first started wearing black eyeliner in order to ward off evil spirits, as they believed that by defining their eyes the good spirits would be able to see them better. Today, most people do not take such a superstitious approach when it comes to their makeup choices; however the appeal of black eyeliner has endured throughout the ages, simply because it looks so good.

My personal favourite is the appropriately named 'Smolder' by M.A.C. A friend of mine recently told me that his teacher used to say before exams: 'Sharp pencil, sharp mind'. I have applied this classic advice in relation to my eyeliner pencil as the sharper the pencil, the more precise and perfect your application will be although I am not sure that it would be so enthusiastically endorsed by teachers across the nation. However, do start sharp for a dramatically defined effect and then you can always smudge and soften post-application depending on the look you are trying to achieve.