Blake Lively, Queen of Cannes

OMG! These pics of Blake Lively make me miss Gossip Girl more than ever! Blake's been busy stealing the limelight from every other starlet to descend on the French Riviera for the 67th Canes Film Festival - and she hasn't even got a film to promote.

 

 

 

First came that stunning oxblood red Gucci number and since then we've seen her in shimmering Chanel couture, a Giambattista Valli mini dress and a Gucci monochrome gown worthy of a Hollywood great - and she does look a little bit like Grace Kelly with her hair in that chic chignon, don't you think?

Supermarket Chic from Chanel

I'll confess that I love watching old reruns of Supermarket Sweep - but mainly just to laugh at some of the contestants' outfits (please don't judge me until you've watched it), so who'd a thought Karl Lagerfeld would have been inspired to present his A/W '14 Chanel collection in what looks more than a little bit like a glorified version of the kitsch game show set?

Social Media went crazy as Fashion Eds and bloggers entered the world of the Chanel Shopping Centre at Paris Fashion Week. The wonder of Chanel eggs probably gained more of a reaction than Cara Delevingne's sashay through the aisles sporting next season's styles. Let's face it, Chanel could put there name to anything and people would buy into it. One Tweet I saw went as far as to say they'd be willing to do more housework if only they had Chanel cleaning products to hand. I'm not sure even Chanel bleach could encourage me to take pleasure in cleaning the toilet. I'd say it's actually more of a false economy in that you would want to preserve the precious contents and just keep the bottle on display without ever actually using it. Each to their own, as they say - but as for a trolley dash in Chanel store, now that's the stuff of dreams. Next time you hear the checkout beep, think of the fun you could be having at Paris Fashion Week.

Maybe it's time for Supermarket Sweep to be revived from TV history with Karl Lagerfeld as host - just imagine how amazing that would be...

Chanel Sunnies

Hooray! The sun has finally come out - so slap on the suncream and light up the barbie. Aside from these two things, one more essential summer item is urgently called for... new designer shades.

I've completely fallen under the spell of these chic Chanel sunnies. Look closer and you'll just about see a row of 25 freshwater pearls poking up behind these peepers.

Looks like I'd better start saving the pennies - or there's always superglue for a quick DIY job?

Wedding Belle

Congratulations to Keira Knightley and James Righton who have got married in the south of France this weekend. Breaking the trend of flashy (and often trashy) showbiz weddings, the couple were keen to have a low-key ceremony and made their vows witnessed by just a hand full of close friends and family. And as for the all important dress...

The bride was spotted skipping out of Mazon town hall wearing a short tulle prom dress and Chanel jacket, accessorised with Ray Ban Wayfarers and a string of daisies in her hair. It's a very sweet look - but have we seen that dress before, Keira?

Keira's choice of wedding dress looks strikingly similar to a Rodarte number the Pride & Prejudice star wore to a pre-BAFTAS party back in 2008. Well so what if it is a recycled wedding dress. She looks beautiful - and hopefully this will send out a positive message to other brides-to-be.

See, you don't necessarily have to spend £1000s on a dress you'll only wear once. Far too often we hear about couples amounting massive debts so they can get married in a castle, have a horse and carriage, release turtle doves and who knows what else. I say well done Keira!

Chanel No 5 - What Every Girl Wants for Christmas

You know Christmas is coming when all your favourite adverts start to reappear. Say Christmas ad and straight away most people think of the Coca Cola trucks festooned with fairy lights, but I think perfume. Chanel No 5 in particular. I'm not talking about Nicole 'I love to dance' Kidman, but the enigmatically beautiful Audrey Tautou and her chance encounter with a very handsome stranger on board a train to Istanbul - all set to Billie Holiday's I'm a Fool to Want You.



The 2 1/2 minute mini-film reunited Tautou with Amelie director Jean Pierre Jeunet who wanted to create a story based around the mesmerizing effect of the scent:

'I've always loved night trains and their magic: it's the perfect opportunity to create an encounter in suspended time. I really liked the idea of a woman meeting a man. They both think about each other, but continue with their own lives, left with the regret that they didn't make contact with the other person. I love to play with destiny and coincidences.'

Luckily for this couple fate is kind and they do finally meet after a number of missed opportunities.

OK, it's not very 'Christmassy' but it's enough to persuade most girls to add a bottle of Chanel's finest to their xmas wish list.

OMG! LBD Makes OED

Fashion writers love to coin new words (or just shorten existing ones) to describe the ever changing style landscape. Emergent hybrids are given compound names - although, maybe we could live without skort (skirt/shorts) and batchel (bag/satchel). Then there are a whole host of initialisms ... VPL, OTK - OMG, doesn't anyone communicate in full anymore?! But it is LBD that has truly established itself in our collective vocabulary, as well as our wardrobes. Now the gate-keepers of the English language at the Oxford English Dictionary have decided to include LBD in recognition of its widespread usage and agreed meaning (I mean, I for one am still confused whether LOL stands for laugh out loud or lots of love). No woman's wardrobe is complete without a trusty little black dress. It's the fallback and the statement, sexy yet classy, stylish without appearing try hard. What's more, it's never been out of fashion since Coco Chanel shocked Paris by wearing what had, until then, been classed as widows' weeds. Now its well and truly here to stay. Simple, accessible and wearable - as Vogue correctly predicted, the LBD has become 'a sort of uniform for all women of taste'. The LBD is your BFF!

Winter Warmers

When the days are dark and cold you just want to wrap-up warm in a luxurious Winter coat, but choosing the right one can be difficult. The last thing anyone wants to do is spend an amount which could have purchased a small car on what you have convinced yourself is an investment piece (it'll work out as 10p per wear if I wear it every Winter for the next 20 years) only to be sick of the sight of it come November still faced with months of gloom ahead.

The 3/4 length camel overcoat from Chloe's A/W 10 collection is the perfect example of a coat that will last you a lifetime. Its classic cut and colour immediately set the wearer apart with an air of sophistication - being that you are statueque enough to wear it.

If you want someting very 2010, Chanel have a Winter range full of fur-trimmed items to choose from. The models striding down the glacier-inspired catwalk had little chance of catching cold. But it is Burberry who have set my pulse racing with what I think will become the must have item for A/W 10 - the sheepskin aviator jacket.