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

HOW NEWGEN TOPSHOP T-SHIRTS HELPED SAVE LONDON FASHION WEEK

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

When I first started out in this career in 1996 Topshop wasn't the fashion hero it is today. Designers moaned about how high street stores like Topshop copied their ideas without paying for them. And they were right to moan. High street stores did copy, often brazenly. For designers, the high street was the Big Bad Wolf come to gobble them up.

Back in 1998 two visionary women working at Topshop decided to see if they could reverse the dynamic. Jane Shepherdson, then Brand Director of the store (now CEO of Whistles) and Sarah Mower MBE, esteemed American Vogue fashion critic and nowAmbassador for Emerging Talent for the BFC was then Fashion Director of Arcadia Group. They had the bright idea to invite designers to collaborate with the store, giving them the opportunity to reach new consumers and make money to help grow their businesses. Topshop also part sponsored their catwalk shows.

"Young designers had zero tolerance of the high street and it was my mission to make sure that [if they collaborated with Topshop] they wouldn't be raped [by the experience]. Over  my dead body," Sarah Mower, told me this morning. "Among the first designers we worked with were Hussein Chalayan and Clements Ribeiro.  We had a dream that London would become the world number one centre for emerging talent. Today when I look at the number of people that have come though NewGen, like Christopher Kane, Erdem and Jonathan Saunders, I feel we have achieved that."

Spookily enough, while researching further into this story I came across a piece I wrote in 1998 in the Independent about the advent of Topshop's work with young designers. (I worked at the Indy as fashion writer from 1996-1999.)

In 2002, seeing further mileage (and now doubt enjoying its rehabilitated image as the saviour of young designers, rather than the usurper) Topshop began its headline sponsorship of the NEWGEN program. Today it not only sponsors NewGen, but also Fashion East and it has created the Topshop Show Space at London Fashion Week, which offers a free venue and production for the hottest young British designers. This brings us neatly to the photos you see here, the store's way of celebrating their 10 years of supporting NewGen.

On February 17th on the first day of London Fashion Week, Topshop owner Philip Green is scheduled to do a presentation that will outline his plans for his next ten years of fashion industry support.  Also on the 17th these T-shirts launch in-store and online at topshop.com. In the meantime enjoy 10 of the 20 £30 T-shirts shot by Scott Trindle on a selection of new models (all profits go to homeless charity Centrepoint) and decide which one/s you want to get your hands on. I love the Erdem, Chris Kane and Mary Katrantzou tees... What about you? You can catch the other 10 T's in this weekend's edition of The Times.

                                                                        Francesca wearing JW Anderson

Ashleigh wearing Erdem

Mia wears Marios Schwab

Grace wears Christopher Kane

Georgina wears Jonathan Saunders

Sara wears Peter Jensen 

Olga wears Meadham Kirchhoff

Agnes wears Holly Fulton

Natasha wears Mary Katrantzou

Jaz wears Roksanda Ilincic

FASHION STAPLES: THE BROWNS EDIT SS12

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

There are fashion staples and there are Fashion Week Staples. This post is about the latter. In 10 days time the New York fashion shows start, neatly followed by London Fashion Week and onto Milan and Paris. I've never been one of those women to dress up deliberately for the cameras at the fashion weeks; I do get snapped occasionally if I'm having a particularly photogenic day at the shows, but I dress for myself really, experimenting as I go. Of course, there are people out there who organise their outfits in advance, borrow clothes from designers and make a big and fabulous show of themselves to fan the flames of their online careers and web fashion fame. Hello Anna Dello Russo, Susie Bubble, Kristin Knox, Fran Burns and co, not to mention the hordes of fashion-obsessed students trying to get noticed. I wish I was more inclined to play the fashion game their way, but I'm not. No matter. Fashion-paparazzo not withstanding these are the clothes I want for fashion week.

I've been logging into all the major fashion websites everyday over the last ten days to see what is on their respective New In pages, and to see what makes my heart beat faster. For the high fashionista that I am right down to my marrow, Brownsfashion.com is hands down the best place to shop right now. Their edit of Kane, Balenciaga, J.W Anderson, Erdem, Carven and Alaia is inspired and I love the way they find labels that even I haven't heard of yet. I respect that their buying team, including Ruth Runberg and Francoise Tessier have the nous to order the printed Erdem trousers, say, not just his signature dresses which all the safe department stores buy. Browns have even bought into Dr Martens exceptionally cleverly, and the white-soled tassle loafers are truly edgy fashion shoes (even if, to you, they look like something a nurse at Broadmoor might wear).  Designers trust Browns and looking at their edit of Spring/Summer 2012, I can see why.  Now, I have to choose which one of these is the most worthwhile to have in my wardrobe. What would you choose?

J.W Anderson shirt

Christopher Kane skirt

Laurence Dacade boots  

Carven dress 

Erdem floral trousers 

Dr Martens loafers 

DUCHESS KATE, WE HAVE AN LFW GUIDE FOR YOU...

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Over the Summer, we heard that Anna Wintour had given London based designers a brief: your muse must be the Duchess of Cambridge. It has already been shown that, like it or not, our new royal sells clothes in unprecedented numbers. If she wears it, a certain kind of everyday-stylish blow-dry obsessed girl/woman will want it.

The Duchess of Cambridge is under considerable pressure to wear British designers so it makes sense for them to play to her clearly demonstrated taste levels. But they can't explicitly write 'This is for you, Duchess Kate' on their show notes now can they?

The Duchess has already dipped her toe in the water of experimenting the current London line-up by choosing Erdem to wear for stepping off the plane as she embarked on her Canadian tour. This initial promise though failed to materialise as she stuck mostly to old faithfuls Issa, Temperley and McQueen for the remainder of her time away (apart from another Erdem dress for morning prayer on Day 3)

Kate, in Erdem, and William arrive in Canada (image from Daily Mail)

So, how did the London crew approach Wintour's call to arms? It is likely that the idea of using Catherine as their woman might grate, she's hardly on the cutting edge of glamour and modernity in those nude heels and fascinators is she? Well, we noticed a number of references to a kind of deranged housewife figure. The next chapter in a book begun by January Jones' Betty Draper. And actually, at the moment, that is how many people see the Duchess because she is overwhelmingly defined in the public eye by her role as wife. We don't know what she thinks or what she's passionate about. So, in my first attempt at replicating the previous Fashion Junior's Big Head feature, I have scoured images from the past few days to see what we might be seeing HRH in next Summer, and she'll have a lot to dress for what with the Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations....

Burberry- Kate and Wills were engaged in Kenya so she might be quite taken with this Kanga print

Clements Ribeiro. Lace is a sure hit with the Duchess

She already likes Erdem, florals and shifts so this is a must-buy

Giles does classic Princess-y shapes

Kate is Issa'a number 1 fan but this would be a change from the slinky wraps she usually chooses from the label

Sara Buys, Harper's Fashion Director and a relation by marriage of Kate's, chose Osman for her outfit to the Royal Wedding so surely on the radar

The most Kate worthy dress from Peter Pilotto's offering

Add heels and a fascinator and ta da, a classic K-Mid wedding outfit from Richard Nicoll

Daytime prettiness from Jonathan Saunders

Perfectly demure for a black tie event, again from Jonathan Saunders.

I don't even need to add a head to this, it has vintage Duchess Kate written ALL over it...

Issa

 And what she won't be wearing....

Meadham Kirchhoff weren't bowing to Wintour's memo, and good for them!

Images from catwalking.com

DUCHESS KATE AND THE ART OF DRESSING FOR THE OCCASION

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

You'd think that the craziness surrounding Kate Middleton might have calmed down after she became the Duchess of Cambridge, but it seems the K-Mid fashion frenzy is continuing full speed ahead. That's a lot of pressure on the stylish shoulders of the newest Royal, so it is admirable that she has so far failed to put a foot wrong in the fashion stakes.

So how is she managing to pull it off? According to Clarence House, Catherine does not have a stylist (although she has enlisted the help of a 'personal shopper' for her upcoming tour of America). She still pops to the shops by herself, and is not afraid to recycle successful outfits. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it is a tactic that works for Michelle Obama, and gives a public-pleasing appearance of austerity for someone whose engagement ring costs more than Joe Blogg's yearly salary.

However, we think that we have uncovered the secret to K-Mid's success in the style stakes, and it has nothing to do with crafty shopping or expert advice. Instead, the new Duchess has turned protocol and tradition into a template for her outfit inspiration. It's dressing for the occasion, except the occasion takes on a more thematic role. Catherine thinks about what the occasion she is attending is all about, and picks out an outfit that reflects the activity. We present to you the photographic evidence:

Atttttteeeeeennnntion!

When Prince William has to don full military regalia, the Duchess of Cambridge follows suit. This navy double- breasted coat with gold accents complemented her husband's uniform to perfection, while also creating the illusion that she herself was in uniform, making her seem more involved in the event (the couple presented the Operational medals to the Irish Guards at Victoria Barracks in Windsor.)

Kate's Temperley 'Moriah' dress: perfect for Murray watching

Whilst cheering on Mr Murray at Wimbledon, Kate rocks up in a white pleated 'Moriah' dress by Temperley. Not only had the (now half price) dress sold out within 30 MINUTES of her taking her place in the Royal Box, it also looked like she had come prepared for her own game on Centre Court. The Fash Ed and I are divided on this look; on the one hand, she looks elegant, tanned and chic, but on the other, I do believe she might have taken dressing for the the occasion too far on this, er, occasion.

It's pretty likely that Catherine is going to continue with this plan of action, so in the spirit of helpfulness, we thought we'd offer up some suggestions for some of K-Mid's future fashion dilemmas from the resort collections.

A Royal Garden Party

Obviously, if we are sticking with the theme, Catherine is going to need something featuring a bloom or two for this traditional summer occasion. This watercolour floral Valentino frock would be perfect for the job.

 Valentino Resort 2012

Theatre Trip

No doubt their Royal Highnesses will be popping up at an opening night over the course of coming months, so Duchess Catherine will need a suitably dramatic gown for such an evening. This Erdem number is slightly different from Kate's usual pastel-toned style, but teamed with a subtle smokey eye and discreet jewels, it should look spectacular for a night at the theatre.

Erdem Resort 2012

Hollywood Charity Gala

While they are over in the USA, William and Kate may be required to attend a swanky Hollywood black tie event; it's a hard life. In order to maintain her style icon status, it's only right that Kate would look for inspiration from the Hollywood greats, and it doesn't get more Monroe than this showstopper of a Zac Posen gown.

Zac Posen Resort 2012

Opening of London Fashion Week

It's only fair that SamCam, in her role as ambassador for British fashion, would rope in our current greatest export to help launch LFW in Spetember. The Duchess will therefore need something seriously 'fashion' yet still befitting an HRH, so step up to the plate, Peter Pilotto.

Peter Pilotto Resort 2012

So there you have it: outfits for every occasion, fit for a future Queen. If the job of Royal Stylist does come up, one will know who to call, won't one?

Images: PA, Style.com