Tag Archives: Life & Style

Must Have / Can’t Stand: What Singletons Look For In A Partner

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For those of us who watched Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt in ‘What Women Want’ and were left none the wiser by Hollywood’s take on understanding the sexes, a new survey released today should do the trick.

A study of 15,000 single British people (both men and women) by eHarmony.co.uk, the relationship site that introduced compatibility-based matching to the UK, has found that a sense of humour is the most important trait in a future partner.

The “Must Have” top four traits British singletons are seeking, according to eHarmony’s data, are:

1. Good sense of humour – 73%

2. Being affectionate – 60%

3. Loyalty – 52%

4. Good communication – 52%

But the study didn’t stop there. eHarmony.co.uk also asked the 15,000 singletons what traits they “Can’t Stand” in a potential partner. The top four were:

1. Lying – 71%

2. Cheating – 66%

3. Rudeness – 55%

4. Poor hygiene – 46%

So there we have it? What’s your must have/can’t stand?

This Month's Magazines; Jennifer Lopez Believes in Love, 9/11 Anniversary.

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Note: Magazines come out a month in advance. September’s magazines are Augusts.

The September issue of Vogue is out and the advertisers have made the issue heavy enough to use as a dumbbell. No complaints from me.

It is the International Collections special and there are lots of clothes to fawn over, Labels and trends to be urban cool, and accessories that make a difference in Vogue’s Big Fashion Issue.

There is a brilliant article on the history of Gucci, Paloma Picasso revisits Venice and talks about her journey to becoming a jewellery designer, Dries Van Noten gives a guide to his Antwerp, up-coming actress, producer and writer Brit Marling is interviewed (Frost loves her), Rifat Ozbek is doing Robin Birley’s new club, Ruperts; Good two page article.

Olivia Wilde talks Haiti and Childhood, there are a lot of autumn clothes that all look too hot, it’s 30c in London at the moment!, Miss V has her excellent social diary, there is a 9 page spread on the turbulent life of John Galliano, Tom Ford on his new cosmetic line and an article on the new David Bailey film. I noticed afterward that in the shops you get a free fashion DVD. However, I did not get this as a subscriber. Bad form.

Emily Mortimer is on the cover of this month’s Tatler and there is an interview inside.

There is a free gift but not for subscribers, grr.

There is a moving tribute to Tatler senior editor John Graham, Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark, A guide to nightclubs, An article on what it is like to stay on Abramovich’s yacht and the Royal Family residences, who sits where at White’s, Secret Cinema, Kate Middleton joins Competitive Princessing, Sir Michael Sorrell, What to wear: looking posh on less dosh, Legendary Lotharios, Rich Kids, a good 6 page spread on Tina Brown.

Guy Pelly, Astrid Harbord and Jake Warren have a new club, 37 year old Sam Leith goes back to school, Diana Von Furstenberg tells all about what she loves.

There is also lots of Travel and the Bystander (the social diary). Kate Middleton makes an appearance at the Derby with William, as does Elton John’s annual White Tie & Tiara Ball.

Frost has been complain that Marie Claire has not been giving its subscribers free gifts because of ‘cost’, and this month’s issue came with a free gift. It would seem someone listened but, alas, no. In the shops you get a free nail polish and a conditioner. I just got a conditioner.

Anne Hathaway is on the cover and interviewed inside. There is a good article on what to wear to fashion week (which I will be listening to!), an interview with Mulberry bag designer Emma Hill, an interview with Katie Holmes, how to get French style, what the New York fashion pack wear, China’s fashion, what men won’t tell you until the third date, Should you move abroad?, 9/11 Anniversary, A good three page article on Stella McCartney, The X Factor, Beyonce, Oh Land, a One Day Special; article on the book and interviews with cast and lots & lots of fashion and beauty.

Vanity Fair has Jennifer Lopez on the cover and her first interview since her divorce inside. She says she is “an eternal optimist about love…it’s still my biggest dream.”

L’Wren Scott gives us the low-down on her stuff, in Fairground there is a lot of lovely picture of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Hollywood attending the BAFTA party.

Also articles on Michael Buble, Private Eye’s 50th anniversary, Agnes B, how the US failed to stop 9/11, Hackers, The 2011 Best Dressed List; Tilda Swinton, The Duchess of Cambridge, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Andrea Dellal, Johnny Depp, Vanessa Paradis and Arpad Busson all feature, There is a celebrity portraits of Angelina Jolie amongst others, Michael Lewis investigates German attitudes towards money, the actors who play the Duke and Duchess of Windsor are photographed and interviewed for Madonna’s new film W.E, Designers and their muse, John Currin.

Glamour has Mila Kunis on the cover and she is interviewed inside.

How to be a Cavalli Girl, Feminism, Fall in love with your job again, How to eat well if you have £15 until pay day, 9/11 Anniversary article, Career rules rewritten, What sex feels like, Jim Sturgess interview, Are you Destroying your own love life?, Comedian Jack Whitehall, Why do women want to be WAGs?, Fashion’s Hot 100, How to have a great hair month, How to get more energy.

Phew!

Red has Laura Bailey on the cover and has a free bodywash. Laura is interviewed inside. There is a good article on no kids and no regrets, the original supermodels and what they are doing now, an article on people’s on/off duty wardrobes,

My City, My shopping guide, The looks that sum up a city. Anjum Anand show Red around her life, 8 Lessons in love and loss, four women reveal the moment they found their dream property, Dominic Cooper, Adele, Tom Ellis, Will Young, Colin Farrell, Fiona Neill, Jo Whiley’s Festival Guide, 4 ways to update your face, How to get radiance, there are a lot of good recipes, cooking with in season vegetables , paella, home made curry, global shopping guide, find your health/life balance, what is causing your breast pain and Audrey Tautou tells all about the best things in life.

[This page will get updates as more magazines come out. Thank you.]

Stella McCartney Expands Online Empire Across Europe

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Stella McCartney has announced the expansion of her ecommerce business to 28 additional European countries.

Already well established in the US and UK, the designer will now aim to attract computer-savvy customers in fashion-conscious France and Italy, along with Ireland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal. She also has Scandinavia firmly in her sights, targeting Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, while Greece, Cyprus and Malta will allow the designer to show off her outfits for warmer climes. Meanwhile, moving east, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary will also welcome her.

The website on http://www.stellamccartney.com is now previewing the new Winter 2011 Stella McCartney ad campaign shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott featuring Natalia Vodianova. Also available to download is the second issue of the Stella McCartney iPad App on iTunes.

The online shop, which recently re-launched in the US and the UK last Autumn, aims to enhance the digital retail experience with improved customer interaction and special retail functions such as “Reserve in store,” which enables the user to reserve an item online and pick up at a store location of their choice. All online orders are beautifully gift packaged for the shopper’s convenience, and free standard shipping and returns are offered to all customers. Additionally, the in-store “Private Wardrobing” service, a personalised concierge style in store service, is available to book online.

The new App features an edition of Stella’s World where customers can browse through news, photos and videos about the brand, along with a gallery of images from the recently launched “Linda McCartney, a life in Photographs” book by Taschen personally selected by Stella. The app also offers a behind the scenes documentary of British Olympiads from the latest Team GB ad campaign shot by Jacob Sutton, a first glimpse backstage at the Winter 2011 show in Paris, a sneak preview of the Spring 2012 collection presented in New York this summer, a making of video of this year’s MET Gala dresses and new playful interactive functions.

Shopping on http://www.stellamcartney.com is now available in 30 countries worldwide. The browsing experience of the website will be compatible on the iPad App and for the first time shoppable in September.

Stella McCartney launched her eponymous fashion label in 2001 in a joint venture with Gucci Group. A lifelong vegetarian, Stella McCartney does not use any leather or fur in her designs. The brand’s luxury women’s ready-to-wear, accessories, lingerie, beauty and performance range with adidas are available through 15 freestanding stores including London, NY, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, Milan and the soon to open location in Rome, as well around 600 wholesale accounts in key cities worldwide.

Brigitte Bardot Voted Most Stylish Woman Ever

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– ALMOST A THIRD OF BRITS VOTED BRIGITTE BARDOT MOST STYLISH WOMAN OF ALL TIME – BEATING VICTORIA BECKHAM & CHERYL COLE TO TOP SPOT
– 62% POLLED ADMIT FRENCH WOMEN ARE MOST STYLISH OF ALL TIME
– PARIS VOTED WORLD’S MOST STYLISH CITY, CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY MILAN

French actress Brigitte Bardot has been voted the most stylish woman of all time in a new UK-wide poll.

The 1960’s film star outscored a bevy of beauties, including a number of dazzling British female style icons, to land the crown as the world’s most stylish woman.

She polled almost three out of every 10 votes cast (29.5%) in the nationwide poll of 3,000 Brits across the UK by iconic orange soft drink Orangina.

Legendary English rose and Hollywood icon, Elizabeth Taylor, who sadly died this year, came a very close second, with just a few percentage points between her and Bardot.

Bardot, the former fashion model, actress and singer, is now aged 76 and is a world-renowned animal rights activist. But in her 1960’s heyday she was lauded across the world as the epitome of glamorous French style, with her dress sense and iconic hairstyle copied in shops, fashion houses and hair salons in across the globe.

The poll results also illustrate that the English can’t help but admire the French for their cutting-edge style.

A massive 62% of those polled said that France was quite rightly renowned as the home of the most stylish women throughout history.

Famous French women such as fashion queen Coco Chanel, actresses such as Juliette Binoche, Catherine Deneuve and Emmanuelle Béart, and former model now president’s wife Carla Bruni, have helped establish French femmes as the leading lights in the global style stakes, according to those polled in the national study.

Paris also won the vote for the world’s most stylish city too, beating Milan into second place, New York into third and London into fourth.

Orangina spokesman, Steven Simpson, said: “The British and the French may have had their differences historically, but it is clear the French sense of style hasn’t been lost on the British.

“Brigitte Bardot is the epitome of classic French styling and despite being out of the limelight for all these years, she is still held up as a style icon.

“She was the pin-up girl for a golden age and has never been forgotten in France and, it seems, in Britain. The fact that she still ranks higher in style terms than some of Britain’s won modern style queens says it all.”

The top ten most stylish women of all time are-

Brigitte Bardot
Elizabeth Taylor
Victoria Beckham
Cheryl Cole
Joan Collins
Audrey Hepburn
Grace Kelly
Sophia Loren
Marilyn Monroe
Princess Diana

Five of the Best Gloves AW10-11 {Fashion}

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You’ve got your faux fur, your cape, your hat with animal ears, it’s almost spring but not quite and there’s still a chill in the air. So chilly that writing emails on our berrys on the go becomes a chore too much. So what’s a girl to do for her frosty fingers? Well we’ve found 5 of the toastiest and we think you’ll like them too…

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Asos “Mango Balm Bow” Glove, £38

If chic and ladylike is something you’d like to call your sense of style then these might be the ones for you. Leather with a press stud fastening and bows on the wrists.

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Top Shop Rust Faux Fur Trim Cable Knit Gloves, £16

Old school nostalgia brought up to date with tactile faux fur trim. Thread them through your coat for that feeling of having never grown up.

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Asos Sheepskin Gloves, £19

Want your digits to be extra warm? These will probably do the trick. Sheepskin gloves from Asos with a thick pile cuff. Like hugging a sheep, but with less confusion and bleating.

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All Saints Ambrin Gloves, £25

These fine knit Cashmere/Wool gloves with ruching and tassle details are the sensible, stylish and yet somehow trendy option. Go smart, go casual, scrunch them up and pop them in your handbag without taking up too much room.

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Miss Selfridge Grey Long Button Gloves, £10

These woolen gloves from Miss Selfridge will keep your hands and your wrists warm. They also come in black you say?

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I Just Threw This On- Cape trend AW10-11 {Fashion}

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The word ‘Cape’ conjours up images of masked super heroes. Thankfully the underwear-over-tights look hasn’t become fashionable, the cape was spotted at fashion weeks world wide and hugging celebrities in print.

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If your arms are nice and toasty inside your cape then you may have to find a willing gentleman to carry your shopping. Wear them long and tailored instead of a traditional coat, knitted as a scarf replacement or caplets to bring your key pieces up to date…Once you get over the question of what you do with your arms there are so many options and here are just a few:

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(above left) Next Black Cape, £40. Simple, smart and a great piece if you want to try the trend subtly.

(above centre) Miss Selfridge Vintage Lace Cape, £25. Sling on over a lbd for an up to date Christmas Party option or try with something black, long and ott for the gothic lolita in you.

(above right) Next Feather Cape, £25. Get the feather trend look without going overboard and nail the cape trend all in one piece.

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(above left) Reiss ‘Candy’ Stitch detail black cape, £195. Leave people thinking “How did she do the zip up?” with this cleverly cut cape with front slits for your arms.

(above centre) Cooper & Stollbrand for Asos.com, £200. Wear it with jodhpurs and boots for an instant countryside look.

(above right) Genevieve Sibayan for Asos.com, £80. Does that name look familiar? That’s right…it’s my design (plug plug). I like their styling or wear it over a staple black coat for an instant update.

Lanvin to Design for H&M {Fashion}

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H&M have announced their next designer collaboration and the rumors were true…its next designer collaboration will be with Lanvin, one of the most influential brands of the 21st century. Designed by Lanvin’s artistic director Alber Elbaz, and menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver, the collection will go on sale on November 23 in around 200 H&M stores worldwide. The collection of both womenswear and menswear will be revealed to the world on November 2, just three weeks before the clothes hit the store.

Alber Elbaz, artistic director of Lanvin says:
“H&M approached us to collaborate, and see if we could translate the dream we created at Lanvin to a wider audience, not just a dress for less. I have said in the past that I would never do a mass-market collection, but what intrigued me was the idea of H&M going luxury rather than Lanvin going public. This has been an exceptional exercise, where two companies at opposite poles can work together because we share the same philosophy of bringing joy and beauty to men and women around the world.” .

Since joining Lanvin as artistic director in 2001, Alber Elbaz has transformed the Paris-based label, founded in 1889 by Jeanne Lanvin, into a fashion powerhouse bursting with ideas and creativity. Alber Elbaz has pioneered there some of the biggest trends of the past decade – ribbon, bows, pearls, raw edges, sumptuous colour and metallic embellishment among many others. Alber Elbaz has a mastery of cut and an instinct for cloth which leaves a very personal signature on his work, ensuring that all Lanvin clothes are instantly recognizable. Since the introduction of a new menswear line in 2006, Alber Elbaz has also transformed the male wardrobe, bringing a relaxed elegance to men’s clothing which is as special as the womenswear.

“We are thrilled about Lanvin’s collection for H&M, it is such an exciting moment. Lanvin will bring to H&M a luxurious French tradition that is also modern and playful. It is very much a Lanvin collection, using their cut and tailoring, with lots of focus on form and details for both women and men. The launch in November is going to be full of wonderful surprises.” Says Margareta van den Bosch, creative advisor at H&M.

Lanvin is the latest brand to collaborate with H&M, with previous collections designed by the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Comme des Garçons and Sonia Rykiel. In a new twist, the Lanvin for H&M collection will be revealed to the world through a special film which will be launched on November 2. The film will be available for all to see online at www.hm.com. Following the film’s debut, it will be just three weeks before customers have the chance to get their hands on a covetable piece of Lanvin for H&M.

Printed Clothing {Style}

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Film’s going three dimention happy at the moment so it’s no excuse for fashion not to follow suit. The uses of 3d printing are still being explored and designer-researchers are producing 3d printed textiles and clothing.

The emerging technology, which uses ultraviolet beams to fuse layers of powdered, recyclable thermoplastic into shape, leaves behind virtually no waste. Its localized production and one-size-fits-all approach also racks up fewer travel miles, requires less labor, and compresses fabrication time to a matter of hours, rather than weeks or months.

Designer Jiri Evenhuis, in collaboration with Janne Kyttanen of Freedom of Creation, were among the first to toy with the idea of using 3D printers to create textiles. “Instead of producing textiles by the meter, then cutting and sewing them into final products, this concept has the ability to make needle and thread obsolete,” Evenhuis has said.

3D printing has the “ability to make needle and thread obsolete,” says designer Jiri Evenhuis. 

A decade later, designer-researchers like Freedom of Creation in Amsterdam and Philip Delamore at the London College of Fashion are cranking out seamless, flexible textile structures using software that converts three-dimensional body data into skin-conforming fabric structures. The potential for bespoke clothing, tailored to the specific individual, are as abundant as the patterns that can be created, from interlocking Mobius motifs to tightly woven meshes.

Freedom of Creation’s 3D textiles are currently display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

3D Printing Process: ‘The FOC Punch Bag’ from Freedom Of Creation on Vimeo.

[via ecouterre]