Leelee Sobieski is Awesome in Jil Sander

Look, there is no doubt that actress Leelee Sobieski is a stragely beautiful woman. With emphasis on the strange. And ever since she wore Mary Katrantzou last month, I have had half an eye on her style. Which turns out to be as strangely beautiful as she is. Just take this Jil Sander outfit. In blue and brown. One of the most peculiarly lovely colour combinations. Which requires confidence in style, big time. I like it.

And do you know why I really love it? Why, thanks for asking. I really love it because Leelee is turning out to be a baby Tilda Swinton, that's why. I mean who invented peculiar beauty in Jil Sander? Boom. Watch this one, I tell ya.

Milla Jovovich in Prada for Campari Calendar

First I fell for the polka dots. And the flippy skirt. And the sheer. And the sling backs. I just loved this press conference outfit that Milla Jovovich wore. It is Prada, as she often wears. But it looks particularly fun on her.

Later she wore another staggering red Prada gown for the gala evening. Gosh, she knows how to Rock a red dress. But do you prefer the day look or the evening look? I'm going with the dots and the flippy skirt.

Dita von Teese Looks Incredible in Her Muse Collection

The magnificent Dita Von Teese launched her first clothing collection down under in Australia last week, wearing one of the dresses from the collection, in that glorious floral print. The collection is called Muse and from all appearances, we need to get our friends in Oz onto the case for us. Stunning.

She also attended Derby Day whilst she was there, also wearing her signature red dress and coat, as well as a magnificent hat as appropriate for the occasion.

Girls in Chanel. Including Kate Bosworth, Cat Deeley and Elle Fanning.

Well I think that both Kate Bosworth and Cat Deeley would be more than happy to be called 'girls' and I really did mean it to be a friendly reference, seeing as Cat is a member of my fashion fantasy book club and all that, so we are quite tight.

But then I realized that there really were girls at the Chanel event in LA at the end of last week. Actual girls, you know, under 16 years old.

I'm not a fan of using very young girls to sell fashion to older ladies who can afford them. It all just smacks a bit of unachievable looks, a bit of child labour and a dollop of Lolita cliche, which is just off putting. But little Elle Fanning looked very cute and age appropriate in her Chanel outfit at the event. It was a school night so I do hope she got an early night...

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Dries van Noten and Rupert Everett. Yum.

I love Maggie Gyllenhaal. She is quirky and cool and married to Peter Sarsgard, who is just the most intensely gorgeous man. And she is an amazing actress of course. Most recently in the new movie Hysteria which is about, um, well, women's orgasms in the Victorian era. Really. And the delectable Rupert Everett is also in it. And so to the Rome Film Festival photocall Maggie wore Dries van Noten, one of her fave designers, and Rupert wore a Moncler reindeer jumper that is properly awesome. Right?

Later Maggie wore a stunning cream gown to the premier. I think she looks splendid. And I think I may be tempted to see this flick? You guys interested in a movie about vibrators? And Maggie and Rupert of course.

Michelle Williams on Ellen DeGeneres Wearing Miu Miu

So I am a bit obsessed with Miu Miu at the moment, having a unrequited love affair with one of their bags, however, even I can see that Michelle Williams looked a hundred kinds of cute in their outfit when she went on Ellen yesterday. I mean, really. I love it.
I can find forgiveness in my heart.

Heidi Klum in Versace. And a Monkey Costume.

Ah, that Heidi Klum is a tinker. She loves a dress up occasion as much as anyone we know and she goes full balls to the wall on every Halloween Which is a bit different to the cute and graphic Verscae dress she wore a few nights ago for an awards shindig. Even though I think she is getting on a bit and should be thinking about dignity (distant sounds of the Sharon Stone Express), but still she looks amazing.

But she also released some cool pics of her TWO outfits she will be wearing for her annual Haloween party. First as a monkey...

Then as a 'Body' (you know like in that exhibition of preserved bodies?) which is not quite completed yet. Fun! Anyone here dressing up for Halloween? As what?

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, Wears Vintage. Kind of.

The lovely Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, stood in for her father-in-law, Prince Charles as host of a charity function last night. It was her first solo engagement, and by all accounts it was a roaring success. You would have sworn this girl was born to the job. Two things to note. First, Charles, who is due in SA in a few days, referred to Kate as his "darling daughter-in-law"in his apology. Ahhh. And second, Kate was reported to be wearing 'vintage' for the occasion.

Well. That is stretching things a bit. Technically in fashion terms, vintage is regarded as garments over twenty years old. This exquisite Amanda Wakely gown was in fact from her 2006 collection, and therefore, just a bit old. But kudos to Kate for picking it out and not caring about such things. It suits her perfectly and is totes appropres.
Also, there were rumors about Kate wearing hair extensions due to a mark by her left temple. It is in fact a scar and that glorious head of hair is all hers. And I wish it were mine. Or the dress, I would be happy with that. Do you like it?

Burberry's African Fashion Worn by Kate Bosworth and Solange Knowles

You know I said in my report back from African Fashion Week, that the rest of the fashion world has started pillaging Africa for our prints, now that the Western World have run out of other ways to use and abuse us and take our things for themselves? Well, let's be honest, we can't let Burberry off the hook for this crime. Christopher Bailey stole much of the traditional prints of Africa for his Resort 2012 collection and now we are starting to see it appearing on the red carpets.

First of all there is Kate Bosworth in a full-on African print dress. That anyone of the top local designers could have made and she wouldn't have looked twice at it. Humph. And Solange Knowles is known for her love of our traditional prints, and this time also added some Burberry beaded shoes. That shirt could easily be from the Mandela 46664 collection and done some good for the world. But no.

And so I kinda respect Rosie Huntington Whiteley more for going classic Burberry rather than choosing from the new collection. It hurts less. Do you know what I mean?

Zara, Spain, Day Three. Zac Efron.

We went shopping in Barcelona yesterday. Oh we worked, make no mistake. But also some shopping. It is very clear why the good folks from Zara wanted us to come to this amazing city. Inspirational indeed. And I popped into Miu Miu. It is just next to our hotel, so how can you blame me? And there I met and fell in love with a bag. It was instant. And yet. At R9000, probs not going to happen. I even tried to post an image for you, but they wouldn't even let me have that. Buggers.
And so to cheer myself up, let me post a picture of Zac Efron taken earlier in the week. In Paris. Just before he headed to Barcelona. To my very hotel. Into the lift that I was in. For reals. We chatted. It was awkward. And his mate did most of the chatting. But still. It was a thrill. Happy Zac Efron day.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. I Called It Here First.

I just want to say that while the international pack of papps are going giddy over getting images of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds hanging out together in what seems to be a new relationship, I had mused upon that very set of circumstances not even a year ago, here on the blog, when Ryan was in Cape Town and Blake flew into town at the same time. For just one night. I called it then. I did.

I am good at spotting these things. I have a sense about them. My grandmother's fault. And so, while I prefer to talk fashion, like this super awesome cool outfit Blake was seen wearing on the set of Gossip Girl yesterday, every now and again, I am going to say something about the celebs lives, and you had better take note! Just look at the two of them cozy as anything.

Joely Richardson in Marchesa

I grew up thinking that Vanessa Redgrave was the very model of a fine British woman to look up to. Fiercely intelligent. Intriguingly beautiful. Prodigiously talented. Politically active. But it isn't just her. The whole Redgrave/Richardson clan of women follow the same formula. And currently Joely Richardson, in promoting her Shakespeare movie Anonymous, is flying the flag for the family. In breathtaking black lace Marchesa. Beautiful.

Look, the woman did just as well - or even better a few nights ago in this incredible gown. I mean it is pretty tricky to choose between them. If I had to vote I would go for this one as my favorite. Do you prefer the Marchesa? Let me know.
Oh, and tell your daughters about this family. They are worth growing up with.

Tilda Swinton in Jil Sander Again

Do you remember the kerfuffle it caused when the mighty Tilda Swinton wore that utterly minimalist Jil Sander look to a big awards show? It was the white tee and the sherbet yellow skirt. It heralded a totally new age of dressing, introducing colour blocking, the maxi, the dressed up t-shirt and minimalism to the red carpet all in one look. And it was quickly replicated and copied, with the pink skirt version being one of the most identifiable looks of last year's runway.
The Swinton wore Jil Sander again yesterday, this time in a simple navy sheath of a dress and laid down the gauntlet for navy-haters. Get on board with this dark blue hue as it is going no where.

The night before, she had kept in equally simple in an appearance for Vertu. Black, volume, pockets and drape - all the hallmarks of a slightly conceptual designer. I think I saw something similar at COS yesterday. Think I may go and snap it up while I can. Yay.

15th Annual Hollywood Film Awards Gala: Best Dressed

Oh, God. You know how I love a 'best dressed' list! And this shin dig in Hollywood on Monday night gave me just such an opportunity. Look. There were some real and surprising shockers. Ahem, cough Anne Hathaway in Erdem cough, for example. And Emma Stone, sigh. But there were some long awaited triumphs too. Michelle Williams looked lovely in Nina Ricci. Didn't she?

As did Carey Mulligan in Bottega Veneta. She seems to have been in hiding recently, as we have barely seen her. Getting all engaged to the Mumford bloke from Mumford and Sons. Being super casual. And now look at her, all freshly blonde coiffed. She looks amazing.

Lesser known actress, Andrea Riseborough, looked incredible in this cream confection by Vionnet, a label of which I am most fond. And think is one of the few, together with Carven, doing genuinely interesting and fresh design right now. So well played Andrea.

And then there was the lovely Rosie Huntington Whiteley in Pucci. She could wear a sack and look amazing, couldn't she. It's stupid really. Shooting. Fish. Barrel.

I also liked little Julianne Hough's dress, but I don't know who did it. Anyone?
So who was your fave? I am going to pick Andrea's Vionnet. You?

Freida Pinto in Salvatore Ferregamo at Doha Film Festival

One of my favorites, this Freida Pinto. So there she was in Doha, Qatar, promoting her film Black Gold, and looking all kinds of cute in this black and white striped knit ensemble by Salvatore Ferregamo. So far so stylish.

And then she only went and wore the awesome pink maxi with gold rope trim, also by Ferregamo, in the evening and blew it out the water. Freida has looked a bit swamped and dull in her last couple of Calvin Klein outings. I'm not sure CK works for her. So it is a wonderful treat to see her out in colour once again, looking her elegant and beautiful best. Yay.

Oprah Hosts An Evening With Ralph Lauren

Earlier this week my ex-uber boss, Oprah Winfrey, hosted an evening at the Lincoln Centre in New York City. It was in honour of designer, Ralph Lauren. And the queen wore a very well fitted, and flattering, red Ralph Lauren creation in her usual style of off-the-shoulder and fitted in at the waist. Well, the lady knows what works and when she sticks to the formula, it always works. A life lesson, I think she would say.

Also in attendance were two Lauren daughters, and a whole host of Hollywood actresses, all dressed in Ralph Lauren. The most successful of these were Camilla Belle (look at that hem detail!) and Jessica Alba (don't you think that beading detail is quite African?)

And then there was Kerry Washington. Such a wee lass, and yet this dress knocked the socks off all the other comers. Awesome dramatic neckline, and perfect simplicity for the rest. Impeccable. I have to say, these beautiful young starlets were doing wonders for The RL brand at this function! So who do you think was best dressed? Pick one and vote. I am going with Kerry. How about you?

Zara, Spain. Day Two. Mind Blown.

Today our media trip to Zara Headquarters in A Coruna, Spain, involved going to the main offices for an over arching introduction from the Chief Communications Officer, followed by a visit to one of the factories, the logistics station and then back to see all the designers, buyers and trend forecasters in the white, wide, minimalist open plan offices. Oh and the totally accurate mock stores. And the top secret window dressing sanctuary.
All I can say at this stage is that it totally blew my mind. There is a jolly good reason why Zara's parent company Inditex was named the top international retailer of the year at the World Retail Congress in Berlin recently. And today we saw it all. The efficiencies gained in production. The incredibly detailed and personalized delivery mechanisms to the stores. The committed and professional staff - and by this I mean the factory workers who are silent, focused and critical to every stage of the process. And while they are unionized, they never strike, as they are treated well and appreciated for their role in the process.
We also came to understand the various reasons why Zara is the top retail brand on the high street. Both from a profitability angle, and from a trend and customer service one. Now we understand how they have got it so right. But how do we apply these learnings to our lives? I will probably spend the next five years figuring that out. But I did learn the following:
1. No one is having a crisis or shouting around the office. Everyone knows what they contribute and gets on with delivering it. If they can, so can we.
2. All the development to market leadership is incremental, pragmatic and logical. This is not a scattergun, anything is possible, success story. It was deliberate and focussed on improvements big and small as they went along, till it was perfected. Till it got brilliant.
3. The shop windows are big. And beautiful. And vital. This is how they advertise, so it is supremely important to get right. This is literal and metaphorical.
4. Pricing is and will always be affordable in every market, relative to that market. This was the answer to every question regarding price points. No amount of digging got us anywhere else. Because it is a fundamental building block of the company. No matter what. Affordable.
5. Investing to succeed can work. Even if you don't make a profit on the first go, invest in the right approach and it will pay off. In spades in their case. So use the good fabric. Soon you will have enough volume to justify a lower price and then you have higher quality at an affordable price. Simple, really.
And so at the end of this long and incredible day, I have written pages of notes. I go to sleep safe in the knowledge that every work related debate will be trumped by the words, "well when I was at Zara, they did it like this..." for the foreseeable future. I will be annoying, but I will be right. Brilliant.

Next Big Thing, Lana Del Rey, in Prabal Gurung

All the casual chat in the bus yesterday amongst the fash pack on the Zara trip was about new singer Lana del Rey. I was reading this week's Grazia which I picked up at the airport and there was a story in it about how she is somewhat a fabrication of some A&R guy. Which, considering it is just a repackaging of a talent that still authentically exists, seems to be an unnecessary argument. And who loves repackaging more than us fashion peeps? And then, lo and behold, she went and won the Next Big Thing category at the mighty Q Awards last night. Seems they too like some pillow-lipped beauty amoungst their rockers.

Which is not to say she doesn't have an edge. Wearing an amended version of the stunning floral Prabal Gurung dress that SJP wore a few months ago to collect the award, Lana had arrived with her leather jacket on and looked every inch the indie singer she is.
Dress them how you like, we don't care, but when style and siniging talent combine (see Adele) you really do have an unbeatable combination.
Oh and go and listen to Lana del Rey and see why she is the Next Big Thing. Go.
PS. yes those shoes are revolting and so actually I think there is still a bit more 'repackaging' to do. But that's just me...

Marion Cotillard in Dior for Contagion Premier

The divine Miss Marion Cotillard premiered her new movie, Contagion, last night in Paris. And for the event she wore classic French couture, in this delightful monochrome dress by Dior. And those shoes. Seriously. Those shoes. Can we all just take a minute to admire them? There you go. Now isn't life immediately just a little more exciting? I think so. Lovely, lovely shoes. That's how to put a spring in my step.

Rachel Zoe in Rachel Zoe Honours Iman in Rachel Zoe

So while everyone else at yesterday's Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award was honoring Iman and Missoni, as per the invitation, Iman herself was nodding to one of the guests, uber stylist and now designer, Rachel Zoe. By wearing a Rachel Zoe collection dress rather than Mossoni which all the other guests wore. Well except Rachel Zoe herself, who also attended wearing a blouse and skirt from her own collection.

Which of course I think is hilarious. How did it come to be about RZ? I die. Got to say though, that white combo is lovely and I would also want to wear it. But probs to an event with my own name on the invite rather than one of the great Italian fashion brands of our lifetime. #just saying

A Coruna, Spain: The Origins of Zara

So here I am in the north west of Spain, in a city called A Coruna. It is the place where high street fashion success story, Zara, was born. And so it is something of a pilgrimage to come here. Well it definitely felt like that yesterday when we went to the very first Zara store that ever opened. I had to buy something, just to be able to say it came from the origin, the source. It was very satisfying for this fashionista.

Amancio Ortega founded Zara in 1975, can you believe it. Right here in A Coruna. It seems so incredibly unlikely that this global fashion brand originated in this pretty, ancient place where there are no obvious indicators that would lead you to think that what comes out of here dominates high street style trends in nearly 80 countries around the world. Eighty. The eightieth is going to be South Africa, next month. How awesome is that?

One of the cool stories I heard yesterday was that the name was always intended to be short and easy to say in many languages. But the way they came to Zara, specifically, was due to the founder's obsession with great Spanish literary figure Zoro. He played around with that for a bit and came to Zara. And so we have it today.
I hope you enjoy these posts as I will update you each morning this week with stories from Spain, my shopping and learning about the Zara family. Such a cool way to spend a week in the life of a fashion editor. No?

Elizabeth Olsen Steps Out in Chanel in London

You all know the smiling Olsen sister, actress Elizabeth Olsen, is one of my current style favorites. Known for wearing the hippest, hottest labels in her own way on the red carpet, she has now had an upgrade. To bona fide couture as she stepped out in Chanel this weekend for the London Film Festival premier if her movie Martha Marcy May Marlene.
I wonder if the Kaiser is taking note...

Which is not to say that smiley Lizzie has given up on the accessible fashion. Just last week she was snapped looking as cute as a button in a quilted parka from online retailer ASOS. You too can get one!

Africa Fashion Week 2011: Trend Alerts

There were some very clear trends that emerged from the shows at Africa Fashion Week 2011. Aside from traditional African prints, that is. The prints were there, but decidedly less so than usual. Almost as if, as the rest of the world turn to our fabrics as the next wave of pillaging Africa, our designers have turned their backs on them. Leading to the incredible, international trend-bucking preponderance of black. Whole collections of black. Not gothic black, basic black. It was an affront. And yet, I get it.
Alongside this black came an emergence of dazzling gold hard wear. Most significantly at Tart. And I loved it. Ghetto fabulous and modern, the gold knuckledusters, cuffs and chains were a witty contrast, an attitudinal f-you to those who have stolen our indigenous prints. Loved it. Mozambique designer Taibo Bachar also used an exciting array of gold hard wear in his military inspireed collection. Fierce as an army, this collection pounded down the runway, and made me notice.
The other trend that seemed to overtake everything, including in some cases, good taste and sense, was sheer. Gang, here is the news flash, sheer is in. Just not in every garment. And here is a styling suggestion, combine your sheer with stunning fripperies of lingerie. There is absolutely no need to get you nips and thongs out. Really. There are only so many boobies a fashion editor wants to see in a 60 hour period, and my limit was surpassed after the first three hours. Done.

Africa Fashion Week 2011: Kluk CGDT, Bunmi Koko, Lola Faturoti, Christie Brown, Thula Sindi

There is no denying that the overall quality of the shows at this year's Africa Fashion Week was good. Really good in some instances, and slightly less than good in others. But overall it was good. Obviously I will simply share with you the shows that I thought were super good. Starting with the show that opened the week, Kluk CGDT. How divine. Really. Just like a stunning gift box that you are loathe to unwrap because it looks so lovely, but you do, and with every delicate piece of tissue you remove, another frothy convection of delight appears. Until you are sated and emotional and once more you believe in the good in the world. Sublime. Congrats boys.
I also loved the professional sheen, exquisite cut and extraordinary colour combinations of Bunmi Koko. This was a masterclass in design and the closest we have yet to see on our local runways to international award-winning standard. I am obsessed with this team.
Lola Faturoti was a surprise. Unfamiliar with her work, I was delighted by the beautiful fabrication, the pattern and the incredible attention to detail in lose, flowing pieces. It was sophisticated and classic, with a pallette of Africa.
Christie Brown blew the cobwebs out of our eyes with her sunshine collection of contemporary African fashion. I liked it a lot, although it probably isn't her best collection to date.
And Thula Sindi. Ah, Thula. This man clouds my fashion judgement by being the warmest heart in the business. He knows his market of fabulous, strong women who like to dazzle when they dress. He makes mature, statement pieces for the ladies who like to be noticed and love him as much as his work loves them. It is a staggering relationship, and when you consider his relative youth, it is an achievement that deserves to be recognized.
If you would like to see all the images from these fantastic shows, trot on over to http://afi.sdr.co.za