Tag Archives: Catherine Balavage

Downton Abbey, Scorsese's Broadwalk Empire Compete For Emmy Awards.

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Downton Abbey, Mad Men and Broadwalk Empire are all competing for Emmy Awards tonight. The Emmy Awards are the TV equivalent of the Oscars.

Mad Men have been nominated for outstanding drama series, for the fourth year in a row. Jon Hamm is also nominated for outstanding dramatic actor and co-star Elisabeth Moss has been nominated for best dramatic actress, Christina Hendricks and John Slattery are up for the best supporting actor/actress awards.

Kate Winslet and Hugh Laurie are keeping the British side up, Winslet is up for best actress in a mini-series for her role in Mildred Pierce, while the show itself is also competing for the mini-series award.

And Laurie is up against Jon Hamm in the outstanding actor category for his role as grumpy surgeon Dr Gregory House in the acclaimed drama House.

Downton Abbey – which returns to ITV tonight for a second series – is up for the best mini-series category, while Maggie Smith is nominated for her role as the Countess of Grantham. I have filmed a lot for Downtown Abbey, as a downstairs maid, so I am rooting for the cast and crew, who are all lovely.

And British actresses Eileen Atkins and Jean Marsh both received nominations for their roles in the BBC remake of Upstairs Downstairs.

Other shows with nominations are Glee – nominated in a few categories including best comedy – the medieval drama Game Of Thrones, serial killer drama Dexter and the US remake of The Office.
Martin Scorsese’s Boardwalk Empire is also tipped to win big at the awards.

The prohibition era drama is up against Mad Men in the best drama category, while Steve Buscemi is nominated in the same category as Jon Hamm, for the best actor trophy.

The awards, which will take place in Los Angeles on Sunday night, will be hosted by Glee actress Jane Lynch.

London Fashion Week 2011| Bolshie | Esprit | Paul Costello | Leutton Postle

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London Fashion Week 2011| Bolshie |Esprit |Paul Costello | Leutton Postle

I love London Fashion Week, so when my postman handed me a parcel which had lots of invites in an Outnet bag I got very excited. I headed to Somerset house wearing black (standard), flats (controversial) and my camera (which breaks!). Here is my run down so far.

Bolshie

 

Rhiannon Jones presents her first LFW show and gets Bolshie. The 19-year-old couldn’t be cooler, her show was on the top floor of a Shoreditch car park.

 

Rhiannon is self-taught and her ‘Romantic Poverty’, show featured brash prints and had MIC Righteous rapping ‘It’s going get Nasty!’. She also had good goody bags, not that journalists care about that type of thing…ahem.

Paul Costello

 

Paul officially opened Fashion Week again this year, his collection was feminine, flirty. Had lots of ruffles, puff sleeves, voluminous dresses and flowing fabrics. Great colours of coral, pink and green. The collection was inspired by the 1962 Hollywood Classic ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane’

Leutton Postle

I arrived early to the Freemasons’ Hall (Vauxhall Fashion Scout’s) and was informed that they were running an hour late. However, the show was worth it. The Vauxhall Fashion Scout merit award is an internationally recognised launch pad for the most innovative designers, and Leutton Postle received, and deserved it. They graduated from Central Saint Martins, design duo Sam Leutton and Jenny Postle then showcased their debut collection as part of the VFS merit award. They have a beautiful couture knitwear collection.

The collection is a colourful array of patterns, with patchwork, fringing, mesh skirts, and multicoloured knitwear. Garments hung loosely over shoulders. Very original.

RCA & Esprit

 

I was overjoyed when I got my bright pink Esprit invite, and even more overjoyed when I arrived, it was the best London Fashion event so far this week. I had a spinach and beetroot cocktail (surprisingly nice), a Russian Standard (very strong!), design my own T-shirt and got the designer Kevin Lyons to sign it. The bonus is, Lyon’s likes my T-shirt. I also coloured it in, have a boogie, eat amazing canapés and check out their collection. Everyone is nice and having fun. Tops stars. They are big on wool and their collection is fun, fashionable and original. Frost loves.

 

I also went to the Esthetica Fashion Champagne Brunch, BFC Chairman Harold Tillman CBE and Gregory Barker, Minister of State Department for Energy and Climate Change were there. It was a wonderful event.

Keep coming to Frost for more London Fashion Week news and reviews, and follow us on Twitter at @Frostmag or me at @Balavage

Men Are Dirtier Than Women

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BATHS HAVE GONE DOWN THE PLUGHOLE

AND THE AVERAGE BRIT DOESN’T SHOWER DAILY

 

§       Men are the dirtier sex, but only just

§       Geordies are the cleanest, showering everyday

§       Welsh are the dirtiest with 10% showering just once a week

§       The traditional bar of soap has been replaced by a shower gel

§       One in 20 take a smartphone/ ipad in the bath with them

 

THE NATION’S love affair with a long hot soak in the bath has dwindled as the average Brit (28%) bathes just six times a year.

 

Shockingly, one in five of us have a bath just once a year.

 

And while showers are by far the most popular method of cleansing, even then we’re not squeaky clean, with the majority (52%) admitting they don’t take a daily shower, according to new national study* of the UK’s washing habits.

 

The survey of 3,000 men and women by adventurous shower and bathing brand Original Source revealed that the average Brit (30%) prefers to shower every other day, while 22% confess to showering up to three times a week.

 

When we do finally jump in the shower, we’re out just as quickly as we got in, spending a maximum of five minutes washing away the day’s dirt.

 

It may or may not come as a surprise that it’s the nation’s men who are the dirtiest with a massive 84% of those polled admitting men leave a lot to be desired when it comes to personal hygiene.

 

One in four women say they wished their partners washed more regularly and 10% of those have no qualms in telling them.

 

Meanwhile, 20% of men say their partners could also do with washing more often and 10% feel their female counterparts are more relaxed than them when it comes to personal hygiene.

When it comes to bathing, it seems our lack of time (33%) and worries over water and electricity/ gas bills (24%) are the main reasons for not taking baths regularly, while one in four see the bath as a luxury to be enjoyed as a treat.

 

28% of us go all out when it comes to taking a bath, splashing out on bubble bath, candles and music. 39% of us see the bath as the perfect place to unwind with a good book.

 

Worryingly, one in 20 of us even take our smartphones or ipads in the bath with us to keep updated with work and social networking, proving that clearly we’re a nation that never fully switches off.

 

And while we may not bathe as often as we like, 69% of Brits say there’s definitely still a place for a bath in the home and wouldn’t consider buying somewhere that didn’t have one.

 

When it comes to cleaning ourselves, it would appear that the days of a traditional bar of soap are long gone with just 18% choosing this form of cleanser. The rest prefer to lather up with a shower gel or cream.

 

Original Source senior brand manager, Annie Anstey, said: “It was quite a shock to discover that most Brits don’t shower every day – even the women. And it’s a shame to hear we can no longer afford ourselves the time to take a bath. A long hot soak is one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to relax, which should help to ease away the worries of the day.

 

“We are now a nation of shower enthusiasts however, and the main reason is that taking a shower is so much quicker, more efficient and more economical in terms of how much water we use and how much it costs to heat that water. But we’d like to remind people to leave their smartphones and gadgets at the bathroom door… they definitely don’t benefit from a good soak!”

 

 

 

 

Sarah Harding Turns Red For London Fashion Week Debut.

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CELEBRITIES INCLUDING KELIS, ALESHA DIXON AND KIMBERLEY WYATT TURN OUT TO SUPPORT SARAH HARDING AS SHE TAKES TO THE CATWALK FOR THE LOOK SHOW AND CAUSES SALES FLURRY

AT WESTFIELD STRATFORD CITY!

Stunning Sarah Harding showed off her new catwalk skills with her debut modelling performance at the Look Magazine Show at Westfield Stratford City as part of London Fashion Week.

 

Sarah stole the show, showcasing a selection of outfits by Warehouse and Miss Selfridge whilst the gorgeous Dionne Bromfield gave a stunning performance of ‘Yeah Right’. Both performances were watched by a celebrity crowd including Kelis, Kimberley Wyatt, Laura Whitmore, Nicola Stapleton, Parade and Alesha Dixon.

 

The ‘Sarah Harding’ effect worked with crowds flocking as word got out about Sarah’s appearance with the doors to the centre actually having to be closed at one point for fear of overcrowding.

 

Look, the UK’s biggest-selling weekly fashion magazine, staged its groundbreaking fashion show during London Fashion Week. The show celebrates high street fashion and unites the most popular and iconic brands on Britain’s high street today.

 

The Look Magazine Show is the first and only magazine event to be part of the London Fashion Week calendar and the only fashion show open to consumers. This season’s exciting show was also streamed live on Facebook, allowing even more consumers to be a part of the excitement.

High street brands showcasing their latest collections included Miss Selfridge, Urban Outfitters, Next, Monsoon, Forever 21, New Look, River Island, Warehouse, Office, H&M, Mango, Oasis and Dorothy Perkins with hair styled by Toni & Guy.

 

Look Magazine’s presence in Westfield Stratford City will last into early next week with their pop up lounge situated on the ground floor. Bloggers are invited to visit the lounge and be part of the Q&A sessions hosted by well known bloggers and journalists taking place over the period.

 

The event also celebrated the launch of Look’s Style Search with Westfield Stratford City competition, a six-week search for the most stylish male and female visiting the new shopping and entertainment centre. Galleries of the most stylish shoppers will feature on www.look.co.uk.

 


Westfield Stratford City opened to great reviews this week with approximately **** people visiting the impressive shopping centre in the first 5 days of trading. With over *** retailers and 70 food outlets, it offers the ultimate shopping experience.

 

Ali Hall, Editor of Look, says: “The Look Show has become an established part of London Fashion Week and readers absolutely love it. This season’s event at Westfield Stratford City has been bigger and better than ever and its really great that Sarah Harding chose the show to make her debut catwalk appearance.”

 

Christina Hendricks at "I Don't Know How She Does It" Premiere, Girl Crush alert!

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In the Frost office our girl crush radar went off the charts at the site of the refreshingly voluptuous Christina Hendricks at the premiere of “I Don’t Know How She Does It” in Vivienne Westwood. We only have one word: WOW!

Christina Hendricks wears Vivienne Westwood Couture at the “I Don’t Know How She Does It” premiere in New York

13th September 2011. American actress Christina Hendricks attended the “I Don’t Know How She Does It” premiere in New York last night. Christina chose to wear a salmon silk satin Cocotte dress from the Vivienne Westwood Couture collection.

QVC Making Jewellery Event With Carolyn Schulz

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I have always been creative and remember making my own jewellery when I was in my early teens. I was clearly ahead of the game, craft is now big business. The recession has spun an entirely new generation who love making their own jewellery, cloths and anything else you can think of.

QVC are big, one of the world’s leading TV and online shopping channels, and they are big on craft, they sell jewellery making kits – amazing jewellery making kits if I do say so myself- which is why, when they invited me to a jewellery making event on Tuesday the 13th of September wild horses could not stop me. I arrived at the impressive QVC headquarters in Battersea and spend the next few hours chatting, drinking champagne, eating canapés and making jewellery, I even have my own pink pliers and wire cutters.

I have a good chat with Carolyn Schulz and she give me some good tips, talks about her new book that is due out soon, and promises to give Frost an interview.

I decided to make a ‘charm’ necklace, and I quite like it. I have a wonderful afternoon and also meet fellow writers and bloggers @FashionNBarbie and @Glittershim. I thoroughly recommend making your own jewellery, it is relaxing and fun. You will also have original jewellery, you might even have a good eye and be able to make a business from it.

Do you like craft? Do you make your own jewellery? Tell Frost your story and keep an eye out for more craft articles in Frost.

Under The Bridge Showcase Live Relaunch

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When: 12 September 2011 | 7pm
Where: Under The Bridge
Chelsea Football Stadium, Fulham Road, SW6 1HS

On the 12th of September I went to the relaunch of Roman Abramovich’s £20 million venue in West London, at Chelsea Football stadium. Showcase live has been the starting point of some of the biggest names in popular music, including, JLS and Jessie J and their partnership with Under The Bridge is sure to bring many more household names to light in the future.

Under The Bridge is a brilliant venue, it has good ambiance, a good crowd (surprisingly, not all WAGs) and a good sound system. The music was brilliant.
 
We had performances from Vida, Paradise Point, Daniela Brooker, Project Alfie & Will Heard.
 
Vida | JLS star Oritse Williams remembered exactly where he started his career when he put Showcase Live on the top of his list of priorities for his new girl group VIDA. Oritse is working with Colin Lester / Twenty First Artists on the project.
 
Paradise Point | Paradise Point are energised school-leavers who are determined to return credibility to teen pop music. Bass player Roman is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his father, Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp.
 
Daniela Brooker |17-year old Daniela already has a very promising career ahead of her. She has been writing her album with Paul Garred (The Kooks) and Rob Harris (Jamiroquai). Her band is formed of Dizzee Rascals guitarist, Julian Perrettas drummer, Claire Maguire’s keyboardist and Go West’s bassist.
 
Project Alfie | Project Alfie is creating a sound which blends classic film soundtracks and soul. He shares same the stylist as Jude Law and Dave Gandy and has written with some of the biggest names in the industry such as The Invisible Men (Jessie J) and Future Cut (Lily Allen).
 
Will Heard | A charming story teller with an undeniably beautiful voice.  The 20-year-old singer-songwriter from SW London brings a unique blend of blues, folk, soul and funk to the table.
 

Web | www.showcaselive.co.uk
Facebook | www.facebook.com/showcaselive
Twitter | www.twitter.com/showcaseliveuk
YouTube | www.youtube.com/showcaselive

Bake a Difference with ‘Cake Boy’ this October to help support some of the world’s poorest people

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Local celebrity patissier Eric Lanlard calls on cooks nationwide to help raise funds to support Concern Worldwide’s life-changing work.

Eric Lanlard, owner of luxury cake boutique, Cake Boy, is asking people across the country to Bake a Difference and raise vital funds for Concern Worldwide’s work in tackling hunger in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Concern Worldwide’s London office is based on the river in Battersea, near to Cake Boy.

Bake a Difference runs in association with National Baking Week, (17-23 October) and Concern wants people to hold bake-sales during the week, at school, home or work, and donate the proceeds towards Concern. All money raised will go towards Concern’s child nutrition programmes.

Eric said:

“I adore baking, for work and for pleasure. It’s the perfect way to relax, and make something wonderful for your friends and family. And cake sales are also a simple and fun way to raise money – no-one can resist a cupcake baked for a good cause. So this October, I’m asking fellow baking enthusiasts to set aside some time and hold a cake sale or coffee morning for Concern Worldwide’s Bake a Difference campaign. All the money you raise will go towards Concern’s work with children suffering from malnutrition, children who without Concern’s help might not survive. Come on, join me, and make a very simple gesture to help some of the world’s poorest children get the support they need.”

Lucy Brown, Fundraiser at Concern said

“We are thrilled Eric has agreed to support our campaign – especially since we are neighbours!

Concern works with the world’s poorest people to help transform their lives. Last year alone, we helped over nine million people living in extreme poverty. But we can’t do it without your help. To help inspire people, we will regularly issue new recipes on our website from scones and cookies to delicious and healthy savouries such as baked samosas. So come on, help us Bake a Difference this year.”

The event is also being supported by fellow celebrity chefs Ainsley Harriott, Paul Rankin and Nick Nairns.

For more information about taking part, and for help with fundraising ideas and recipes, visit www.concern.net/bakeadifference or call 020 7801 1874 or email bakeadifference@concern.net