Maxstudio.com UK

One Look Two Cities: Leon Max Asymmetrical Blouse Manhattan: The...

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:44:19 -0400

One Look Two Cities: Leon Max Asymmetrical Blouse

Manhattan: The asymmetrical neckline along with the textural ribbons and movement give a pair of cropped trousers a feminine touch. This creates a glamour that makes it effortless to go from day to cocktails.

Cannes: For a warm weather getaway to the glam film festival, this asymmetrical blouse pairs effortlessly with white shorts, wedges and a pair of sunglasses. This is the ideal look for afternoon yachting, a decadent lunch by the shore, or a viewing of the newest film.

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Met Gala 2012 On May 7th there was only one place on the...

Tue, 08 May 2012 17:54:50 -0400

Met Gala 2012

On May 7th there was only one place on the planet for the social and fashion set: New York’s Metropolitan Museum where Vogue hosted the Costume Institute Ball, the kick-off carnival for the summer season. Bright coral pink and shimmering metallic gold were the trends de la nuit with everyone from models like Dree Hemingway to a goddess like Jessica Alba in a gold one-shouldered Michael Kors piece embracing the mood along with Carey Mulligan in a flowing Prada of shimmering fish-scales. Karolina Kurkova triumphed channeling her inner Daisy Buchanan – appropriate as there was a Great Gatsby themed twist to proceedings - and as Beyonce worked the red carpet in sheer sequined Givenchy couture, the gown had a purple tail that sashayed perfectly behind her. The gala was the opening night of the annual Met fashion exhibition, this year the curators have put the late, great surrealist designer Elsa Schiaparelli head to head with Miuccia Prada, together the most fearless fashion rebels. Baz Luhrmann, the Great Gatsby director who was creative director for the evening created hypothetical short videos of Prada and Schiaparelli conversing. Magic in the making. Strange to think what Schiaparelli might have made of a flamed haired Florence Welch whirling her Sarah Burton confection in front of the crowd, a giant chic snowflake amongst all the fierceness.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Stephen Lovekin/Film Magic/Getty Images

Larry Busacca/Getty Images

Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images

A Model’s Life: Caroline Caroline is on set in LA wearing Spring...

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:24:13 -0400

A Model’s Life: Caroline

Caroline is on set in LA wearing Spring 2012 Maxstudio slim cropped trousers, oversized chambray shirt and sunglasses.

What is your favorite aspect of modeling?

Traveling and seeing places I never would have experienced had I not become a model

Favorite city for fashion:

London, the street style is incredible

Favorite city in general:

London once again. I love it there

How would you describe your personal style?

Very casual and laid back. California wear

What would you wear for a night on the town?

A dress and boots, I love to be comfortable when going out

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Tribeca Film Festival Parties The Tribeca Film Festival gave the...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:11:26 -0400

Tribeca Film Festival Parties

The Tribeca Film Festival gave the young, fashion, hip n’ social another excuse to get dressed and head out with a vengeance during the last few days of festival fun. After all, there were parties to go to – and a few films too, we heard.

One party in particular, the dinner hosted by Chanel for its Annual Tribeca Film Festival Artist Program, had them socials falling over themselves to score an invite. It sounds like a mouthful of a dinner but what did the likes of Poppy Delevingne, Arizona Muse, Alexa Chung, Karlie Kloss, Tennessee Thomas and Mary Charteris care? As they disappeared behind the hedge that had been flung up on New York City’s West Broadway they disappeared into a fantasy world of fun, film and fashion, a veritable Hollywood merry-go-around landing full frontal on the East Coast. They cooed around the likes of Val Kilmer and Liv Tyler and Naomi Watts and swooned at Stavros Niarchos.

It all seemed such a long time ago since last week when Vanity Fair had kicked off the festival with a dinner at the State Supreme Courthouse that attracted stylish celebs such as Dakota Fanning and Leelee Sobieski and flung together the major players in a powerful scrum of the likes of Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Robert De Niro. And it was just a day before that Bob De N had been accepting a doctorate of arts as he was feted at the New York Academy’s Annual Tribeca Ball in front of a crowd that included Naomi Watts and Jeff Koons. Yes - that’s a doctorate. Because it’s not always just about being young, hip n’ social is it?

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Craig Barritt/Getty Images

Charles Eshelman/Film Magic/Getty Images

D Dipasupil/Film Magic/Getty Images

Street Style in the Desert: Coachella 2012 Coachella has closed....

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:02:29 -0400

Street Style in the Desert: Coachella 2012

Coachella has closed. And with it ends the picture parade of floppy hats and flat Californian stomachs that gets beamed around a green eyed world, over for another year. If you didn’t make it, what did you miss? Well, the annual fashion five star party that seems to be rising aloft from the festival polo lawns of ‘just-outside-Palm-Springs’ is the poolside brunch hosted by Mulberry. This year if you’re cool, young Hollywood and you weren’t seen there then you needed a great excuse (shooting a movie perhaps) as Brit Its Emma Watson (on break from filming with Sofia Coppola) and Lily Collins cosied up and discussed the biz while Arizona Muse and Dree Hemingway listened to a set from Wild Belle. But this was the second of their parties - the night before at the fire pit party Kate Bosworth had joined a chic set that included embryonic supe Cara Delevingne and Sky Ferreira. It’s not at every barbecue that Kasabian walks on to do a set though is it?

But Coachella is about the music, right? Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg unleashed a holographic Tupac on stage which became the topical musical talking point of the week. That and Katy Perry’s new boyfriend; so keen was she to join Florence and the Machine’s entourage she hung off the arm of new boyfriend and Machine guitarist, Robert Ackroyd all weekend. “Back home, festivals always feel like an endurance test, it’s about surviving the rain and the mud,” sighed Florence Welch of the Machine in a refreshingly warm breeze later wearing a particularly fetching Swarovski-encrusted Hannah Martin catsuit on stage. For fashion, full make up, swimwear, high heels, boots, floppy hats and breezy sundresses were the form – and the mavens, including Rihanna (spiky Daisy Duke shorts) Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in denim cut-offs and billowy shirt and Kirsten Stewart (tiny shorts, grey vest, low key baseball cap) were each sure to give it their own idiosyncratic and totally cool desert twist, paving the way for a summer of music festivals and poolside parties.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Wire Image/Getty Images

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Film Magic/Getty Images

Trending: Coachella 2012 Next to Eldorado Polo Club, in the...

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:59:56 -0400

Trending: Coachella 2012

Next to Eldorado Polo Club, in the desert outside of Indio things are heating up because – yes! - Coachella has rolled around again like the perfectly formed bandana of a music festival that it is. The bands have been booked (The Black Keys, Radiohead, Snoop Dogg), the party invites have gone out (what? haven’t bagged an invite to the Mulberry or Lacoste parties? Are you seriously going to a music festival for a fashion party anyway?) and the fun begins tomorrow.

But before you prance into your SUV and rush headlong to Palm Springs and the first of week long pool parties at the Ace Hotel make sure you’re ready for any and every fashion eventuality. Because when the rest of your friends are rolling around the floor vibing out like wannabe flower children in their achingly cool outfits - do you want to be the one who’s looking a bit sheepish? Because you need to know that no one else is even thinking about the music yet – right now, it’s all about what’s going in that suitcase.

We’ve selected the fab four of A-list Coachella looks. Channel your inner Isabel Lucas (the IT girl of last year’s festival) and don the perfect pair of sandals and bright t and shorts combo. Desert colours are the shade du jour but a matching cardi works well – especially when you end up standing in the desert at 4am after a banging after party and you’re trying to phone a cab along with the three hundred other guests. (Not that we’re saying that’s ever happened to us). On day 2 you can step things up a fashion gear with a more sophisticated look, a short skirt and pleated top are just the thing to get the boys buying you drinks at the VIP bar. That, or a long maxi sun dress to keep things cool (style and comfort are both important remember). But if indie supermodel hanging on the arm of rocker boyfriend is your style then you need look no further than some white skinnies and blue shirt tied at the waist. Agyness Deyn eat your heart out.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Editor’s Pick: Dania Ortiz Dania Oritz, Market Director at...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:25:49 -0400

Editor’s Pick: Dania Ortiz

Dania Oritz, Market Director at Interview Magazine found her ideal weekend outfit in this Leon Max Spring 2012 little black dress. Dania would style this piece with a pair of flats for brunch or simply walking around the city during the weekend. To transfer from day to night add a cloque jacket and black heels for a chic cocktail look.

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From LA to London, and Back Again Hollywood had a spotlight...

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:43:00 -0400

From LA to London, and Back Again

Hollywood had a spotlight amongst the David Hockney pictures that were on show at the Royal Academy.

If brights and colour are big in fashion right now then from the art world nothing complements this more perfectly than the bold, pill-popping brightness on display in the works of David Hockney. The scene outside the Royal Academy, off London’s Piccadilly, this week is chaos. A crowd of hundreds is clamoring and crying to get into the last days of this - the great Hockney exhibition, ‘A Bigger Picture.’ The Yorkshire-born artist has sure come a long way since growing up in Bradford, West Yorkshire. After the crowds comes the first four works, four huge landscapes of the same set of trees in Thixendale, Yorkshire in the different seasons. After passing through the madness of the eager crowd, one enters the Central Hall of Burlington House and calm descends before these works. Each season is two metres by five - this is the woods on an awe-inspiring scale of beauty. On closer inspection the fields of Autumn dissolve into dots of shocking pink (a colour which Yorkshire is not famous for.)

But in the second room we dive from Yorkshire into Hollywood with the fabulous Mulholland Drive – The Road to the Studio (1980). This was based on his drives from his home in the Hollywood Hills to his studio and he loved the lush, bright colours of Southern California. Others from the period include Beverly Hills Housewife (Hockney is not cheap, this went for just under $8 million at Christie’s in 2009.) But Mulholland Drive you can see for yourself when it’s home – it will shortly be returning from London to LACMA.

“I remember flying in on an afternoon,” Hockney says in the Christopher Sykes biography, “and as we flew in over Los Angeles I looked down to see blue swimming pools all over.” This was something the Englishman realised was not a luxury in LA, but a necessity. It was fortunate for the artist that friends arranged someone to meet him at the airport – “If you don’t drive how are you going to get into the city?” asked his dealer. “I’ll just catch a bus,” Hockney replied. He may not have been allowed to catch the bus – but he still managed to cycle 17 miles by mistake the next day.

But LA is a million miles away from most of the pictures in the exhibition, many of them fresh works - his great innovation is the use of an iPad, on which he has worked since its launch in 2010: “The more I got into the iPad, the more I realised what a fantastic medium it is for landscape. There are certain things that you can do very, very quickly.”

But one of the new great works is an oil that awaits around the corner. “I wanted the floating feeling of very early spring, when the first leaves appear,” Hockney says of The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011, an enormous canvas. Hockney loved LA but this is the climax of his love affair with a very different set of colours – that of the English countryside.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo credit:

Oli Scarff/Getty Images Europe

A Model’s Life: Amy Amy is at photographer Phillip Dixon’s house...

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:47:00 -0400

A Model’s Life: Amy

Amy is at photographer Phillip Dixon’s house in Venice, California wearing a crinkled silk chiffon maxi dress with back detail from the Leon Max Spring 2012 Collection

What is your favorite aspect of modeling?

Traveling, being exposed to different cultures, food and people. Also the aspect of traveling at such a young age.

Favorite city for fashion:

London because I love the funky chic energy, layering and individual style

Favorite city in general:

London

How would you describe your personal style?

Simple and easy

What would you wear for a night on the town?

A sleek black look with colorful accessories

Fun fact about yourself:

I trained for the Junior Olympics in synchronized swimming for 9 years

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Editor’s Pick: Sophie Goodwin The chambray shirt is a staple of...

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:30:17 -0400

Editor’s Pick: Sophie Goodwin

The chambray shirt is a staple of the season. Sophie Goodwin, Shopping Editor at Tatler Magazine suggests pairing the shirt with skin tight jeans for weekend wandering down the King’s Road. Whether worn as a lightweight jacket or tied at the waist, this is the perfect versatile piece for weekend explorations.

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A Model’s Life: Bianca Bianca is enjoying a casual lunch in Los...

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 21:18:00 -0400

A Model’s Life: Bianca

Bianca is enjoying a casual lunch in Los Angeles wearing a blazer, sweater, shorts and sunglasses from the Maxstudio Spring 2012 Collection.

What is your favorite aspect of modeling?

Traveling, meeting new people & experiencing different cultures.

Favorite city for fashion:

Paris & Japan

Favorite city in general:

New York

How would you describe your personal style?

Casual, rocker girl

What would you wear for a night on the Town?

Dress & oxfords

Fun fact about yourself:

I love playing World of Warcraft. My character’s name is Loveslayer. It’s the perfect activity to entertain me while traveling to cities where I don’t know anyone.

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A Stylist’s Musings The classic inspiration of the poetry...

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:34:00 -0400

A Stylist’s Musings

The classic inspiration of the poetry between a woman and a horse: the pairing of energy and movement and like a woman, the horse is a mysterious creature whose power and grace have intrigued humans for thousands of years.

I met a dozen grey horses while preparing for this shoot and when I met this horse named Ice, I hadn’t known of his inspiring past film work (Water for Elephants and Narnia, for example) and just fell head over heels in love! I touched him and he responded in such a lovely and open way, I knew he was the one.

The pale art direction, not only of the ocean & sand, but with the one neutral dress needed his colouring. The result is a moment caught of a dream. I had found my treasure. The diaphanous chiffon dress had a lightness of spirit, danced with the wind and the colour is stunning but not shocking.

Your own energy interacts with a horse, and our model Katia E. has classical ballet training and a lovely spirit. Their partnership was extraordinary. I wanted to incorporate Katia’s authentic ability to move with the modern romanticism and movement of the Collection.

The photographer Phillip Dixon is one-of-a kind, as an artist and as a person. He makes the magic happen! Which he did as he achieved to bring both the model and the horse in the perfect pose, at the same time. He paints with light and the end result is magical.

To have a desire to put beautiful things into the world and to advertise them, I feel that there has to be a sense of authenticity to the image. The viewer today is quite sophisticated and wants to feel as if she can be inspired by or to be a part of the image, which then makes her aware of the clothes she buys. She takes a part of that romance with her every day she wears it. Incorporating my love for horses and my adoration of fashion as my daily life raised a question: Is the relationship between a woman and horse any different than fashion and it’s loyal enthusiasts?

Written by: Ame Austin

Partying in Paris Nicole Kidman, Mila Kunis, Katy Perry and...

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:25:43 -0500

Partying in Paris

Nicole Kidman, Mila Kunis, Katy Perry and Jessica Alba were just some of the A-list names in the social throng of Paris fashion week.

Glamorous Paris fashion week is a wonder to behold and when night draws, the real business is done. This is the business of looking fabulous. After the Lanvin show (it’s the 10th anniversary of Alber Elbaz helming the label) it was the models Karlie Kloss and Lily Donaldson who led the celebrations, dragging Tilda Swinton and cacophony of fellow cool cats along for the ride. They all wanted to salute this popular designer as well as a radiant looking Jessica Alba who had swung in bringing some Hollywood flair to the Parisienne proceedings. What is it about Sunday nights and fashion week? Don’t any of these people have to get up on a Monday morning? P. Diddy was spotted zipping from the Kenzo party to the Givenchy party arriving just in the nick of time to hear Alicia Keys perform for Riccardo Tisci as well as Marina Abramovic and Hedi Slimane. Across town there were three generations of Jaggers – Bianca, daughter Jade and granddaughter, Amba Jackson - at the ball Dior threw at the Hotel de Rothschild. Here it was all fin de siècle decadence and feasting on foie gras and macaroons, with society beauties like Mary Charteris, and Stella Tennant straight off the Givenchy runway, all there to see Victoire de Castellane’s new jewelry line for the French house. Well, fashion girls are impressed by someone every now and then. The Pinaults, Gareth Pugh, Marc Newson, euro IT-stylist Giovanna Battaglia and some of the more wacky creatures in town pitched up to support Dasha Zhukova and the launch of the summer issue of her magazine, Garage. But things were really revved up last night when Kanye West threw his after show party at La Halle Freyssinet which not only had the cooler than thou Azealia Banks (the fashion world is currently in a quagmire over who is cooler, this songstress or Lana Del Rey?) but also a go-kart track set up around the catwalk. This set never being the sort to remain low-key it was only a matter of minutes before some of the coolest kids in fashion were pulling helmets over their perfectly coiffed hair and racing around the track, the main instigators being funsters Alexander Wang, Karlie Kloss and Katy Perry. Nothing was going to get in the way of Anna Dello Russo and this photo op. Philip Treacy hats being dropped in favor of crash helmets? It doesn’t get much stranger than that.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Eric Ryan/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

Dominique Charriau/WireImage/Getty Images

Los Angeles: It’s Oscar Time! There were two major fashion...

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:28:03 -0500

Los Angeles: It’s Oscar Time!

There were two major fashion moments on the red carpet: Gwyneth Paltrow’s cape and Angelina Jolie’s leg. Neither won a statuette but it’s about getting the arrivals right. Paltrow stood out as an elegantly caped crusader. Also in white was Rooney Mara who is usually gothic in black, but looked completely chic in Givenchy Couture. Jolie’s leg meanwhile (which by the end of the night had it’s own Twitter account and 8,000 followers) was poking out of inky black velvet Atelier Versace. Best Actress Meryl Streep gets more than just a gold accolade – she gets the green one too for wearing Lanvin’s first eco-friendly dress having accepted Livia Firth’s Green Carpet Challenge. But she wasn’t the only green thing slinking down that carpet, The Help’s Viola Davis sported very short hair and wowed in an extravagantly green Vera Wang. Also representing the trend of bold and brights, Natalie Portman looked romantic in sweeping red Vintage Dior. Jennifer Lopez turned heads in a sparkling stripped sheer gown with a plunging neckline leading to rumors of a wardrobe malfunction. Without fail the stars once again provided an evening filled with undeniable fashion moments on the biggest night in Hollywood.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Michael Buckner/Getty Images

Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images

Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage/Getty Images

A Model’s Diary of London Fashion Week: Katia Elizarova London...

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:59:00 -0500

A Model’s Diary of London Fashion Week: Katia Elizarova

London Fashion Week is a great time to renew your wardrobe and impress friends - especially those who gather here to rock the catwalk. It’s a busy time of shows, parties, after parties and after after parties. To keep up with all those chances to show off new looks I picked up my favourites from Leon Max’s new store on Westbourne Grove.

Matthew Williamson After Party at Nobu

Elegance and femininity are key to Matthew’s look and his party is always one of the most decadent of fashion week so I thought this purple silk draped dress I found at Max Studio fit in just perfectly. Its very simple but elegant cut in the front is balanced by the most beautiful draping at the back. I paired it with sheer black tights and a small black clutch. This dress was a winner. Sorry Matthew, but it’s not one of yours….

Mark Fast After Party at Mahiki

Second evening was cold and grey like I never left Moscow. We really could have done with a little more sun for fashion week. Hence my dress choice was a flaming red silk dress with a tangerine slip. To make things hotter, I splashed even more colour: orange-pink sheer tights and silk peachy heels. And since you really need to make a mark, even if it’s just on everyones cheeks, some red lips!

Rodnik Tea Party

No one made me laugh more than this eccentric young designer. Dresses in a shape of boiled eggs and phone boxes, with busses for bags - it was all very British! Time to be an extrovert too! I chose a grey sequin embellished knee-length dress which has a great little twist to it in the way it lies, bunched beautifully at the waist. But to mix it up a little how about some knitted gloves and grey wool tights with some open toed summer shoes?

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New York Nights It was all in a week’s fashion week work for...

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:18:00 -0500

New York Nights

It was all in a week’s fashion week work for Kate Winslet, Georgina Chapman, Mary Charteris and Alexa Chung as the week in New York kicked off.

The first few days of New York fashion week were rock n roll. The kick-off was atop the Standard Hotel when The Kills - Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince aka Mr Kate Moss - played to an adoring fashion-plate crowd. Alexa Chung hugged Poppy Delevingne while jewelry designer Eddie Borgo pushed to the front in his fedora and model Erin Wasson looked laid-back and calm amidst this crowd of crazy. But that was just a glittery taste of what was to come. As night rolled round after a day of shows it was to the CFDA as it celebrated 50 years; here the girls embraced looks that didnt veer far from sleek and black. That was pretty much the stock-in-trade uniform for these raven fashion mavens who included Georgina Chapman, Kate Winslet and Vera Wang. Perhaps it was so the bold and brights of the vintage looks on display could be seen to the best effect? Or maybe it was just because its the tried and tested fashion week formula. Either way at the Jason Wu after party at Double Seven model Coco Rocha sat back and looked pale and interesting while Austrian-born London-based social stalwart and fabulous stylist-about-town Caroline Sieber sensibly rocked a lavish fur coat which she made cute, not old, in the freezing cold. Another night out and it was art meets fashion at new hot spot Super Linda when nightlife impresario and street artist Andre Saraiva, hosted - along with Purple’s Olivier Zahm and Johan Lindeberg - a bash for BLK DNM that drew in some of the citys finest socials, as well as some non-Manhattanites. Amongst the out-of-towners were the two top European party people (and co-hostesses of Leon Max’s party last summer at Easton Neston) flown in from the Old World. First up the model and muse Lady Mary Charteris in from London, swiftly followed by a sultry and red be-lipped Josephine de la Baume fresh from Paris. After their dinner it was back to the Top of the Standard for an apres-soiree Euro-style because - as every good fashion girl knows - what goes around, comes around. Even if it’s in the first 48 hours of fashion week.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Rob Loud/WireImage/Getty Images

Bennett Raglin/WireImage/Getty Images

There’s Nowhere Like Notting Hill With the new Leon Max store...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 20:13:00 -0500

There’s Nowhere Like Notting Hill

With the new Leon Max store open on Westbourne Grove it’s time to take a look at the other jewels in the Royal Borough’s crown.

Westbourne Grove - it doesn’t get much better than this. Running from eclectic Queensway through to the famous Portobello Road with its market, this is one of the smartest, coolest, slickest thoroughfares in London. This is where the hipsters meet the high net worth impeccably groomed ladies that lunch. The ambiance is both casual and extravagant at the same time. Immediately opposite the new Leon Max store, which opened Friday at Nos. 227-229, is a run of the most ‘in’ restaurants and cafes in town. If you’re not looking good walking down here on a Saturday morning – then go home. The moment a ray of sunshine hits the curb, the tables outside Daylesford Organic (No. 208-212) and 202 are like gold dust. Daylesford Organic is the Notting Hill outpost of Lady Bamford’s Gloucestershire farm shop, so it’s a no brainer to discover that this is where the Glossy Possy gather for breakfast, lunch and dinner whatever the economic forecast. 202 is for polite coffees while desperately trying to overhear the fresh gossip from the next door tables packed with sunglass-wearing socials and Euros in town for a few days. More low key is Tom’s (No.226) the deli founded by Tom Conran in 1990 when the neighbourhood was still rundown and uncool. This is the place for a cooked breakfast or a healthy lunch after a hard morning’s shopping down Westbourne Grove. Either that or you can brave the air-kisses in the queue for take out at Ottolenghi, (63 Ledbury Road). Immediately around the corner from Leon Max – this is one of chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s trendster outposts, groaning with a help-yourself buffet of delicious deli material. After a few hours of strolling down Westbourne Grove, these are the addresses you’re going to need so you can refuel and get back to shopping.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Runway to Win Party Scarlett Johansson and Anna Wintour hosted...

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:08:00 -0500

Runway to Win Party

Scarlett Johansson and Anna Wintour hosted the party where the darlings of the New York fashion scene could shop to make their mark.

It was the night New York tried to make a difference. Alexander Wang sweatshirt for $95 anyone? DVF tote bag for $85? No wonder there was a stampede in the Meatpacking district for this cut-price sale. But this was a sale with a difference - and certainly more of a well-heeled stampede than your average bargain bucket is used too – we’re talking the likes of Aerin Lauder, Lauren Santo Domingo and Tory Burch, you see - who were all out to do the new ‘in’ thing; yes, because fashion has gone political. Well, presidential at least. This was the night for the great and the good, the bold and the beautiful to hitch up their peplums and head out for the ‘Runway to Win’ fundraiser event in aid of the Obama campaign. Scarlett Johansson (appropriately on the arm of her twin brother Hunter who works for Obama) was in Stella McCartney, and joined US Vogue editor Anna Wintour to host. With co-hosts like that who was going to say no? (Well, apart from Republicans, maybe.) So it was no wonder that all the hipster designers who throng Manhattan arrived on Johansson and Wintour’s coat tails; Alexander Wang, Prabal Gurung and Joseph Altuzarra. They were in turn followed by mavens like Vera Wang and Diane von Furstenburg, and by models Karolina Kurkova, Joan Smalls, Karlie Kloss and Chanel Iman. As she was leaving Scarlett Johansson reminisced about working in the cold of the Iowa caucus four years ago, rifling through the limited edition sweatshirts and totes as she went. Because you may be serious - but you’ve still got to look good.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit: Charles Eshelman/Getty Images Entertainment

Couture Queens Cameron Diaz, Cara Delevingne, Bianca Brandolini...

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:26:00 -0500

Couture Queens

Cameron Diaz, Cara Delevingne, Bianca Brandolini and Vanessa Paradis had better things to think about than European fiscal policy last week in Paris.

It was indeed a tale of two cities - the best of times, the worst of times; one half of Paris filled with eurocrats huddling over the demise of their single currency. The other interested in something all together more important – how was Christian Dior under Bill Gayten going to fare this season? This was Paris couture week and nothing else could have been more interesting. Gayten’s second collection post-Galliano got a thumbs up with its hand-painted fabrics and classic Dior silhouette. At Chanel there was almost a stampede outside the Grand Palais as socialites and fashion mavens thronged through a fake airport terminal and into the life size model aeroplane that was the wow-like set for Karl’s show where Cara Delevingne walked down a double-C’d carpet and took her crown as the latest supermodel. Meanwhile Giambattista Valli embraced the colour pink with his collection and was supported by his usual cluster of hardcore euro-socials (Bianca Brandolini et al) and Cameron Diaz caused quite the stir by attending a very un-Hollywood threesome of shows (The Big Three - Dior, Chanel and Armani). There were almost audible sighs of relief as conspiracy theories evaporated and the news got out that she was merely there to style herself for an InStyle couture shoot. While those eurocrats were pouring over their fiscal crisis fashionable Paris danced – and there were plenty of excuses to fiddle while the Elysee burnt. Miuccia Prada gave a grand dinner, cool Colette, the boutique, feted London’s Mary Katrantzou. But the peg of ‘big party of the week’ was held onto by the Sidaction Aids charity dinner; Diane Kruger wore Erdem, the Clarins sisters posed for the photographers before Vanessa Paradis arrived in Chanel and stole the limelight. Age of austerity? What age of austerity?

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Catwalking/Getty Images Entertainment

Pascal Le Segretian/Getty Images Entertainment

Film Love in a Cold Climate Kate Bosworth, Kirsten Dunst and...

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:26:50 -0500

Film Love in a Cold Climate

Kate Bosworth, Kirsten Dunst and Emma Roberts all froze in the name of fashion at the Sundance Film Festival’s Opening Weekend.

Park City, Utah was the place to be seen last weekend as the Hollywood glitterati rolled in for the Sundance Film Festival. Marina Abramovic, a famous performance artist, doesn’t shy away from performing for this crowd and also has a documentary to promote titled Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present. Another noteable actress attending the festival and the screening of Julia Verdin’s new film, The Middle of Nowhere, is Emayatzy Corinealdi. This year Sundance turned out to be one low-key, recession-friendly, cozy film festival with not a single sighting of Atelier Versace or anything approaching the bling of a Golden Globes red carpet. This was about enjoying loads of snow and going for fun cocktails after the film premieres, not round to Elton John’s. James Marsden and Joshua Jackson bromanced each other at the afterparty for Celeste and Jesse Forever on Friday night at the Park City Museum. Rashida Jones, who wrote it, was joined by a gang including Quincy Jones and Emma Roberts. And because fabulous venues in Park City are not two-a-penny it wasn’t many hours later that Emily Blunt arrived for a fresh cocktail party to celebrate her film Your Sister’s Sister. Meanwhile Lizzy Caplan and Kirsten Dunst got down to business at the after party for their film, Bachelorette – now, that sounds like something fun worth waiting for – but it was down to Kate Bosworth to up the glamour stakes the next night for the premiere of Black Rock, though it was out of her chic crimson sheath and into sweaters for the follow-up dinner. Because for that Utah weather even the A-list need a more practical form of defense.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

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