THE BEST DRESSED AT LAST NIGHTS MET BALL 2012 -

Posted by Melanie Rickey & Bethan Holt - team FEAL

There are more than enough red carpet events throughout the year to satisfy our need to award hits and misses to various celebrities' ultimate version of modern fantasy dressing. But the Met Ball is the fashion biggie. The outfits are not on the sideline here, but the the main attraction, and this is where we judge the actual FASHION not yet another interpretation of 'Hollywood Glamour' . Some choose to approach it exactly how they might the Oscars -  hello, Scarlett Johannsson dressed like an actual Oscar statuette. Others use it as an opportunity to try something a little edgier - I'm talking to you, yes you Coco Rocha in your on-trend trousers.

Last night's event launched the 'Prada and Schiaparelli: Impossible Conversations' show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this years successor to Savage Beauty/McQueen blockbuster of 2011, which will run throughout the Summer. There was plenty of Prada and a number of nods to Schiaparelli, and in some instances both - nice tcouch Anna Wintour. But also a variety of new riffs on the red carpet vibe. Diego Della Valle also chose yesterday to announce that he'll be reviving Schiaparelli although the rumours from a few months back that Galliano might be designing seem to have come to nothing. Though we are very much looking forward to what Diego does with the brand, as his revival of the house of Roger Vivier has been beautifully executed by his team and the brands Creative Director Ines de La Fressange.

Here are our picks of the looks which best represent how trends were worked into the looks of the night. This is a barometer for where red carpet fashion will be going in the coming months...it is also, in some cases, a barometer of where real fashion and trends are going. You will be appropriating some of this into your look someday soon.....

MELANIE'S HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Gwyneth Paltrow in Prada

A very grown up was to do pastels - more futuristic than sugar sweet.  And short! Also, excuse me, but how hot is her body? If that's what two hours a day with a Tracy Anderson trained PT can give you...

(image from Dailymail.co.uk)

2. Kate Bosworth in Prada

One of many to wear very dark lips- there was definitely a goth mood in the air but Kate's made it less severe with a shorter length dress, definitely looking fresh. expect to see LOTS of short in the next collections.

(image from Popsugar.com)

3. Lily Collins in Valentino

Lily and SJP (below) both look serenely beautiful in high-neckedVictoriana style, Valentino.There was barely an inch of flesh in sight and it made the women all the more alluring. This is something we're seeing a lot of now. Covered up is the new chic.

Image from dailymail.co.uk

4. Sarah Jessica Parker in Valentino

( image from www.popsugar.com)

5. Milla Jovovich in Prada Autumn/Fall Winter 2012

Image from dailymail.co.uk

6. Rooney Mara in Givenchy

Riccardo Tisci gave us two versions of his Gothic fashionista with his designs for Rooney Mara and Gisele. Pale-skinned Mara's gown combined lace and leather, and along with her dark burgundy lips she looked sensational, definitely where we will be taking our look this Autumn/Fall. With her athletic body, healthy glow and sequinned bling Gisele's play at the woman of darkness thing offered a more Hollywood interpretation. Both get the thumbs up from FEAL.

image from dailymail.co.uk

7. Gisele in Givenchy

image from dailymail.co.uk

8. Scarlett Johansson Dolce and Gabbana

Ms Johansson giving us a delicious taster of Dolce Gabbana's wonderful fairytale, baroque splendour which awaits us for Autumn. though we love this, it isn't quite as directional as it could have been, given the occasion.

image from popsugar.com

9. Jessica Alba in Michael Kors

Another sampler of Autumn/fall's forthcoming opulence-fest - it really is going to be special.

Image from www.ibtimes.com

10. Coco Rocha in Elizabeth Taylor's Givenchy trouser suit

By far the most INTERESTING and fabulous choice of the night. Rocha went completely against the tradition of having a custom dress and instead wore the outfit she'd bought at the auction of Elizabeth Taylor's wardrobe. I think both Mrs Prada and Mrs Schiaparellii would have approved. Coco's independence of spirit is admirable in the face of Vogue diktats and 'suggested' (aka subtly enforced) dress-codes.

Image from Popsugar.com

11. Miuccia Prada, the guest of honour

Here is Mrs Prada being brilliant in jacquard trousers and tunic and stomping big, gem heels.

image from vogue.com

FASHION JUNIOR'S HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Arizona Muse in Erdem

The evening's best look from a Brit designer, and Erdem is looking pretty hot too.

Arizona with Erdem (image from vogue.com)

2. Anna Wintour in Prada

I love how literal and diplomatic this is: a Prada dress with classic Schiaparelli lobster motif.

image from dailymail.co.uk

3. Lana del Rey in Altuzarra

Ok, so Lana does look a bit miserable but I don't know why because Jospeh Altuzarra's chainmail gown and long, black cape do that goth thing but with a glamorous, via-the-dancefloor sort of vibe, and capes and chainmail are so on-trend for Autumn/Fall. Game of Thrones lovers, take note!

image from stylelite.com

4. Solange Knowles in Rachel Roy

I have a huge style crush on Solange at the moment. The buttercup brightness and peplum detail look chic but not too serious plus that 'fro is the best accessory ever.

image from dailymail.co.uk

5. Marc Jacobs n Comme des Garcons

We can't leave without showing you Marc Jacobs in Comme des Garcons lace, boxers and buckled shoes from his women's mainline collection ... Yeah, baby.

image from graziadaily.co.uk

SS12's SILVER LINING

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

I’m going to confuse you horrendously now because instead of telling you about fashion weeks and what you might be wearing in six or eight months time, I’m going to talk about SS12 a.k.a what to wear and buy right now. September and February are both months which require seasonal gymnastics in the minds of fashion lovers because we're obsessed with what's coming out of the fashion weeks- see yesterday's and Monday's posts- but we're also feeling that now is the time to shop for the months ahead which means rewinding to the stuff we were getting excited about back in September. Silver is what I want to buy right now.

Silver ruffles at Sarah Burton's Alexander McQueen SS12

There’s rarely a time when metallics are distinctly unfashionable, after all they’re fun, good for evening party dresses and go with pretty much anything. But for Spring/ Summer, if you want to be in fashion then sheeny silver is the metallic to go for. In my book, silver is the nonchalant and much cooler younger sibling to revved up. full watt glam gold. 

 The sheen element which lots of designers gave silver for SS12 is very important. It taps into two of the season’s broader trends; Modern Sportswear and Under the Sea. The subtlety which comes from a sheen is much more in keeping with these moods.  Chanel's drawstring maxi silver skirt is the ultimate case in point. The fabric and cut is techy and futuristic, while the floor skimming length conjures the modern girl's version of a mermaid's tail, especially when styled with a translucent, gilled vest.

Chanel SS12

Olivier Theyskens did a similar thing at Theory. For those of us who are not good with full on dressed down, and therefore a bit worried about embracing sportiness in our wardrobes, Theory is a good place to go because the silver in this slouchy tee takes it up a notch or two in the dressed up stakes. The silver looks amazing next to denim too.

Theyskens Theory SS12

At Givenchy, the slithers of silver flounce trims bring to mind the lights bouncing off the fins of deep sea fish.

Givenchy SS12

Andy Warhol's Silver Clouds, 1966

Giles SS12

There were hints of silver at countless SS12 shows, but the most dedicated to the cause was Giles Deacon. His set resembled walking into a roll of tin foil (in a good way!). It was apparently inspired by Andy Warhol's room of Silver Clouds. Giles used numerous silver and swan inspirations in a collection which was really quite opulent. Having said that, this dress is super simple- the shape nods to sportiness. But the more-than-sheen-silver makes it properly beautiful.

At Christopher Kane, the use of silver was more sparing but it illuminated a collection which was about 'the girls you hated at school'. The metallics transported the initial inspirations of bullies and peeling council house wallpaper into a infinitely more angelic and heavenly realm. That's the power of silver.

Christopher Kane SS12

So, what to buy in silver? To my great regret, I will be limiting my personal silver purchases to accessories. This is due to a traumatic childhood experience in which a silver dress I wore to be a star in a nativity production was confiscated because it 'drained' me. Even though I now have access to blusher, I still can't face the memories. For those of you still able to wear silver, I've mixed in a couple of brilliant silver basics.

Acne's pistol boots have become pretty ubiquitous and much copied. They are the boot to buy if you need a one item route to looking on trend. So, we were pretty thrilled to see that MyTheresa has a limited edition run of 50 silver pairs since yesterday. They're not sold out just yet, but hurry.

Silver Acne pistols £400

 I bought a pair of wedges similar to these in Topshop's sale. I think they're great for taking the super sweet edge off a lot of what we'll be wearing this season.

Topshop £75

River Island £40

Alexander McQueen at Matches £560

Topshop £22

All catwalk images from catwalking.com

PREFALL AW12: GETTING TROUSERED

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

As a fashion editor I'm supposed to be analysing the just launching prefall collections to give you a steer on the where fashion is going, but instead I'm shopping for myself.  This is to be expected as the prefall collections are, certainly for me and my friends, the richest source for the designer clothes we hone in on and buy as they arrive at the shops in late summer.

I'm not a woman who buys an off-the-runway look. However fabulous it is, give me the stuff I can wear over and over again please. As a dedicated wearer of trousers (today I'm wearing my navy "Cult of Nobody"jeans AGAIN) I have been looking for inspiration for where to take my trouser style, and happily found it from my personal current favourite crop of designers. These are: Carven, Theyskens Theory, Preen, and Givenchy. Celine is currently off my list as the Autumn collection was too heavy to wear for normal London life, and way too expensive.

Sometimes I feel like the only trousers obsessed woman on the block... Its not that I don't like dresses, I can rock a dress like the best of them, but I love wearing trousers. Are there any more of you out there?

Theyskens Theory Prefall AW12 - these leather jeans are effing gorgeous

Giles Prefall AW12 - digging the flares again

Preen Prefall AW12 - a good shade of orange

Givenchy Prefall AW12 - loving this whole look to the max

Carven Prefall AW12 - i think you would call these "slacks" now theres a word I haven't heard for a while

Images are courtesy of the designers

WANT TO BE THE FIRST TO WEAR SS12?

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Nope, I'm sorry but Carine Roitfeld, Lisa Marie Fernandez and Anna Wintour (and more I'm sure) have beaten you to it. I know, I know, we thought fast fashion happened in Primark and Zara, not at Burberry and Givenchy. But think again because some of fashion's best connected are already wearing pieces which are probably warm off the models' backs. Are we jealous? Noooooo.

Lisa Marie Fernandez shows off her SS12 Pilotto in Paris (Image from graziadaily.co.uk)

One of my favourite shows of this season was Peter Pilotto and I thought I was safe in the knowledge that I had nine months to find a way to acquire a little piece of it. Swimwear designer Lisa Marie Fernandez had a head start on us all, earning her chance to premiere the prom dress by collaborating on the scuba ensembles which were standouts in the collection.

Peter Pilotto SS12

Anna Wintour arrived at the Louis Vuitton show on Wednesday morning in an African print trench coat from the Burberry SS12 show which she had taken a front row seat a mere two weeks earlier.

Wintour arriving at Vuitton (image from zimbio.com)

On the catwalk... Burberry SS12

But prize for the most astonishingly speedy turnaround goes to Carine Roitfeld who wore a variation on a number of looks from the Givenchy show the day after it took place.

Carine makes it real-life worthy with a silky blouse and shortened tails (Image from telegraph.co.uk)

On the catwalk...Givenchy SS12

SS12: UNDER THE SEA

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

JW Waterhouse's The Mermaid. This season's collections are moving the image on

As one might expect from Spring/Summer collections, we have seen a myriad of references to all things seaside related during this fashion season; Mulberry took us on a seventies day out at the British beach, Daks (amongst others) was all fifties riviera, Craig Lawrence used sand as his starting point and Jonathan Saunders was all about Miami. But in Milan and Paris, some of the key collections have left the familiarity of the waterside and plunged to the mythical depths of the ocean to draw inspiration from sea creatures, shells and mermaids. 

Givenchy SS12

At Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci served up a streetwise version of mermaid-ness. There was the irridescence of a pearl scattered seabed and a scaled effect which echoed a translucent ocean dweller but the addition of a blazer and flash of leg meant these did not descend into being unwearable back on dry land.

Givenchy SS12

At Versace, Donatella referenced her brother's signature baroque prints and presented a sexed up modern mermaid,who looks like she might be off to the Marine Bar to sit on a shell and scout out the sea horse talent.

Versace SS12

Versace SS12

Versace SS12

At Alexander McQueen, it was all about drawing comparison to the textures of coral and pearl for Sarah Burton. Padded hips and fishtails, not unfamiliar features of a McQueen collection, leant themselves to the creation of  a mermaid silhoutte. The lace caps, called fetishistic by some, emphasise the other worldly, sea bed effect.

Alexander McQueen SS12

Alexander McQueen SS12

Alexander McQueen SS12- This looks like it's slicked in sea water

Finally, at Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld drew on one of the house's most important symbols, the pearl, and paid homage to its oceanic origins not only in the clothes but also on the pure white, ocean floor set. The pièce de résistance was Florence Welch, singing from inside a giant clam shell, 2012's incarnation of the Mermaid fantasy. 

Chanel SS12

Chanel's ocean floor set at the Grand Palais

Florence serenades the audience from her shell stage as the models encircle the set, spines encrusted with pearls.

All images, aside from The Mermaid (from JWWaterhouse.com), from Catwalking.com