Amazing Grace

One of the world's most talented Designers, Stella McCartney is renowned & adored for her ultra feminine, easy to wear tailoring that is mixed up with a very rock & roll edge. I had always wanted something... anything... from one of her incredible collections so I saved and saved and saved and waited for the perfect piece to treat myself too!

I found that special piece in her A/W10 collection when one particularly beautiful dress really stood out for me; 'Grace’ a simple, stunning dress I knew I would wear time after time for years to come; a real investment buy.

The most perfect LBD, Grace is practical, timeless & exudes effortless chic. Made in a heavy, luxurious satin and cut for a boxy fit, it features one sleeveless shoulder, an asymmetrical neckline & a short, leg flattering length.

For a statement evening look, I styled it here with amazing studded Christian Louboutin pumps & a selection of Tiffany & Co bangles.

Get The Look:
Dress: Stella McCartney 'Grace' Dress (similar)
Shoes: Christian Louboutin studded 'Pigalle' Shoes
Charm Bracelet & Bangles: Tiffany & Co.

Dearly Departed

Leafing through a recent issue of Grazia magazine, I came across a picture of a very beautiful dress. It looked vintage, very 70s, but I discovered it was actually a recent design by very cool, London based brand Antipodium. I went online to order one immediately!

The absolutely gorgeous silk chiffon 'Dearly Departed' maxi dress, comes in a flattering Dove grey colour. It has a high neckline, long semi-sheer sleeves, a subtle pleat detail on the waist, a separate short slip dress & features the slightly bonkers, completely original & utterly gorgeous 'Bunny Boiler' print.

The Bunny Boiler print was created exclusively for the Brand's debut pre-Fall 2012 'Found Love in A Graveyard' collection, by artist Karl Maier. It features various vignettes of mischievous, sometimes indecent Bunnies having all kinds of unexpected fun; in one illustration, a bespectacled Bunny lies on a Tombstone watching another Bunny perform a striptease. In another, a Bunny lying on the ground clutching a rose is a nod to Shakespeare's Ophelia and in yet another, two cheeky Bunnies are enjoying one another rather passionately against a Headstone in a Graveyard!

I didn't want anything to compete with such a cool dress so I styled it very simply with minimalist makeup, Topshop shoe boots & delicate silver jewellery.

Get The Look:
Dress: Antipodium 'Dearly Departed' Maxi Dress in Bunny Boiler Print
Shoes: Topshop 'Adina' Platform Shoe Boots (similar)
Jewellery: All silver jewellery by Tiffany & Co.

Snapshot: Elephant Skin Dress

Snapped Wearing:

Dress: Emma Louise London Elephant Skin Dress

Shoes: ASOS High Heel Brogues

Jewellery: Tiffany & Co Charm Bracelet & Bangles

Snapshot: Winter Kate

Snapped Wearing:

Dress: Winter Kate ‘Kamakura’ Maxi Dress

Photographer: Sandy Greenway Photography

Angry Bird

You all know by now how much I love Irish Designer Natalie B Coleman; her AW12 collection 'I Love Me'  is sensational and features fabulous hand drawn, water coloured, digitally printed motifs of Unicorns and Ostriches.

It was the motif on the front of this dress that first grabbed my attention; it's an Ostrich with Monkey teeth. An OSTRICH. With MONKEY TEETH. I asked Natalie how on earth she came up with such a wonderful, mad idea. "I'm a bit bonkers" she immediately responded! She's a bit genius too.

The bat-wing sleeves give this soft jersey dress a retro 80s feel and the ingenious gathering and ruched back & sleeves make it the most flattering piece to wear; it suits all body shapes & sizes.

For it's first outing I wanted to keep the look a bit edgy so I styled the dress with the most fabulous studded Christian Louboutin boots; they are the ultimate rock & roll accessory! Some simple silver bangles, my signature red lip and I was good to go. Needless to say, the amazing, bonkers Ostrich with Monkey teeth was the talk of the night!

Get The Look:

Dress: Natalie B Coleman Ostrich Head Dress

Boots: Christian Louboutin 'Ariella' Studded Ankle Boots (similar)

Jewellery: All silver jewellery from Tiffany & Co

Massie

The maxi dress has become an all year round staple in every girls wardrobe, including mine. I adore a long dress; I love to glam up in a sexy evening gown and I am equally happy rocking a more casual maxi like this one from Twenty8twelve's fantastic AW12 collection.

I first saw the 'Massie' maxi dress gracing the catwalk at T8T's Trunk Show in Mayfair. I fell in love with it at first sight & promised to treat myself to one at the earliest opportunity!

A very simple silhouette, Massie features a colourful paint splatter print on it's silk front; vibrant shades of pinks, golds & dark blues pop dramatically against the palest pastel pink. The dark, inky blue colour is carried through to the soft cotton t-shirt style back.

I styled this colourful, statement piece very simply, pairing it with neutral, nude coloured heels, simple silver jewellery and a bright red lip.

Get The Look:
Dress: Twenty8twelve 'Massie' Maxi Dress
Shoes: Geri for Next nude patent shoes
Jewellery: All silver jewellery by Tiffany & Co.

Elephant In The Room

Animal print roars it's way into the fashion spotlight season after season and it's probably fair to say that most of us have something animal print in our wardrobe; whether it's a cute pair of leopard print shoes, a delicate snake print dress, a zebra print scarf or a full on, Bet Lynch style leopard print coat!

Emma Louise London is a small, luxury womanswear brand launched & designed by super talented Emma Cunnane. Her AW12 Elephant skin dress is without question the most original and unique take on animal print that I have ever seen! Inspired by a recent trip to Kenya, Emma took the Elephant profile and texture, combined with soft earthy tones and a masterful use of digital print to create this striking, kooky masterpiece.

Featuring 3/4 length sleeves in a silk/crepe de chine material, this simple, easy to wear shift dress will effortlessly take you from day to night.

I styled it here with chunky accessories; Burberry Prorsum shoes & my treasured gold Michael Kors watch.

Get The Look:

Dress: Emma Louise London Elephant Skin Dress

Shoes: Burberry Prorsum 'Darenth' Shoes (similar)

Watch: Michael Kors Gold Chronograph Bracelet Watch