Turn Up the Heat!

Yes, it's freezing outside but if you fancy looking ahead to the Summer, might I recommend Missoni's new video.  When I heard the buzz about Pedro Almodóvar being involved in this, naturally Ia ssumed he was directing, but oh no! Instead we see the Bad Education screenwriter taking a cameo role.
"Pedro had told me for years that he was keen to make something with us" explains Missoni creative director Angela Missoni.
"So I asked him this time and he offered to model in the campaign…It is a homage to the Spanish lifestyle with women and girls who love to party and dance into the night. It has been a great experience for all of us"

The Spanish women she is refers to include top model Mariacarla Boscono, Flamenco dancer Eva Yerbabuena and actresses Rossy de Plama and Blanca Martínez Suárez, all modelling the ruffled designs from Missoni's spring/summer 2012 collection, which are perfect for dancing in and the music..interuppted by some rather heavy breathing and moans.. (be warned..turn the volume down if you're watching this at work) !
Almodóvar and company appeared in front of the lens of director Marco Maccapani for the humorous and conceptual video, which sees stills taken by fashion photographer Juergen Teller interspersed in the style of a beautiful pop-up book.
Naturally the film wouldn't be complete without the Missoni's themselves making an appearance. Look for a trio of Italian brunettes all sporting side partings and you'll discover creative director Angela Missoni (centre), and accessories designer and model Margherita (bottom).
Two of my favourite parts of the video has to be the Parma ham-playing gentleman who pops up for a couple of seconds at around 1.13 minutes in and a model who appears to pluck a long-stememd rose from her nether regions! Enjoy!x

Found it - The Perfect Espadrille

One of my all time favourite movies is To Catch A Thief, the suaveness of Cary Grant, the radiance of Grace Kelly and THE IDEA OF BEING A CAT BURGLAR.  (Hello career change plan).  Obviously I need the right contacts and maybe a palatial pad in the South of France but maybe the key thing would be the right footwear; silent, stylish, comfortable.  Above you see Gary and Grace and she is working the espadrille.  I have been on a quest to find my ideal espadrille for quite sometime..in fact, about five Summers.

Espadrilles are GUARANTEED to make your legs look like Alexa's. Fact.

All I need is for the sun to come out in London and then I'm good to slip these lovelies on my feet, if not, I'll be waiting until my jollies later this month.  I have been looking for the perfect espadrille for a while and they've either been overpriced, badly made or in garish colours/ patterns.

Tonis espadrilles..just gorgeous

Tonis Got Sole founder Loren Platt named her label after her flamenco dancer grandma, Antonia Viel, who lived in her trusty espadrilles on her days off.  

"Antonia Viel was a spectacular flamenco dancer from Madrid, Spain. Known as Toni to her friends, she danced her way across the globe, mesmerizing her audience with the enchanting movement of her hands, the sound of her castanets and the stamping of her feet.  On her days off she would kick off her stack heel Mary Janes and reach for the comfort of her trusty espadrilles. Hand made in her beloved home country from the softest cotton and raffia thread.

She was in happy feet heaven.

Years later her British born granddaughter Loren wanted to spread the comfort and joy of the authentic Spanish espadrille to her friends in East London and beyond. With the perfect vintage silhouette, hand sewn in a plethora of colours, they are sure to become a spring summer classic, as they have been in Spain for generations" From the Tonis Got Sole website.

Loren's espadrilles – made from soft cotton and raffia, come in a rainbow of colours and are seriously comfy. Find her at Broadway Market School Yard, or pick up a pair at her online store.  Now I just have to decide which colour I want...

And they look great on chaps too!

2011 Spring/Summer Wedding Dresses Trend

Find a wedding dress which is beautiful and unique for the most important day of the dream of every girl. But it can be very annoying to make a decision in front of thousands of wedding dresses. You may be able to choose a wedding dress according to fashion trends, and here is the wedding gown for 2011, trends in spring and summer.


Compare the color trends in 2010, Spring / Summer 2011 wedding dress color is much less, blush, champagne, gray, brown, etc. and even with ivory and cream, as the main colors and styles are also very varied.

Princess wedding dresses

Princess wedding dresses

Princess-style

Princess style wedding gown is one of the fashions for spring and summer of 2011. And a short skirt with fluffy dresses and wedding styles drive the choice of girlfriend's daughter next year. Princess Wedding Dress is a good option for those who might be an elegant wedding; short dresses and princess will the ideal setting for people with good legs.

Weddingdressesfactory.co.uk

Weddingdressesfactory.co.uk-princess wedding dresses

Asymmetric

The most wedding dresses come in a symmetrical design, but the wedding dress trends for 2011 will free up a lot of dresses with asymmetrical designs of fashion, hip neck, to the bottom of the dress.

Black wedding dresses

Many brides have a love-hate relationship with a wedding dress with a black color element. Although a black dress is very modern, many parents do not like the color black. Fortunately, the trend in 2011, black-element is only one part of the decoration, black tie, black belt or black golf.

lace wedding dresses

lace wedding dresses

Ruffles
Although the general trend of wedding dress gown style 2011 is easy-frills wedding is still very popular in 2011. Flyers do not regularly top designs will surely add charm and romance of the bride.

Interest Setting

Decorative flowers of spring with a growing sense in the design of wedding gown filled. With hundreds of roses in the wedding dress would be full of romantic and feminine.

Details of the new design
Wedding is a lifetime, so the wedding dress can not be careful enough to concentrate on details. So, dress with a special design on the back will definitely make a wedding dress and flashy special.

Summer Wedding Dresses 2011

Girls love flowers in sunny conditions and trends of the summer wedding dresses in 2011, which is designed to keep you warm, but looking for a feeling of freshness. The last thing any bride wants to worry about feeling hot and stuffy for her big day. Keep these three things in mind when shopping and you will be stunningly beautiful, even the hottest. 

Summer beach wedding dresses

Summer beach wedding dresses

Summer beach wedding dresses

Cut & Design

Trends this summer look very feminine wedding dresses design, which resembles stylish stars in Hollywood. Mermaid Wedding Dresses style are very suitable for the columns, but flounced bottom is really popular. Many of them are backless or sleeveless, and this is an important feature of the summer wedding dress. You should try to find a style that flatters, but also helps to cool down. Are you looking for cuts that are easy on vest and dress? If you want a lot of body and richness of wedding dress, then save it to the bottom. You’d better stay nice photos of your wedding or other party after the wedding.

Fabric choices

Fabric is another factor that determines how a bride can be cool during the summer wedding. Some of the fabrics breathe better than others. Those who do not breathe, and can you believe it is twice as hot outdoor thermometer code. Go for a light, airy, breathable fabric.

Natural materials breathe better, but not the most wonderful designs. Opt for a light and airy fabric like chiffon, finished look is often used as the rich do not just stick to the heavy fabric. On top of tulle, chiffon and organza are big this year. 

Summer beach wedding dresses

Summer beach wedding dresses

Summer beach wedding dresses

Summer beach wedding dresses

Place

Placement is endless this season - beaches, gardens, terraces, a park, lake. It is part of the romance. Flowers and water and worry-free environment is the perfect base to live together. But not a meeting point for consideration when choosing a dress. If the plan is to walk barefoot along the sand sea on the way to true love, do not let the summer wedding dress long train, which pulls sand with you. Walking is difficult and that the sand moves.

If you stay with the wedding dresses which are cut with a light, fluffy material and selected wedding venue and its location, you can scroll through the eyes of a good day at the end, and you slipped into your beautiful wedding dress.

Holiday Wobble (or 'How to look hot on a beach')

Me on holiday...honestly

From Saturday, I have a glorious week in Marrakesh coming up.  Myself, the Boy and a whole bunch of dear friends are in a stunning villa for a week and will be soaking up sunshine, culture and the odd g and t. We are also lucky enough to have a chef on-site and will be making the most of it, although we have booked dinner out on a couple of nights to give the poor man a rest! Expect a full write up of all this on my return but suffice to say I have not purchased everything on holiday wish list.  This wish list changes upon location.  Marrakesh is currently 39 degrees...swoon....

1. Floaty kaftans for pool loungwear - Done! Acquired over the years in bright colours and prints!
2. Maxi dress for wandering around the souks - Nope, everyone I've tried made me look like a 70s reject or dwarf.
3. Decent body oil - Huile Prodigieuse Or by Nuxe purchased in Biarritz last year and (appropriately) Ren's Morrocan Rose Body Oil
4. A sunhat ideally with a wide brim or possibly a panama - No joy whatsoever..but also a bit of an arse to pack. MUST get one for Biarritz later in the year.
5. Selection of easy cotton/ linen/ silk dresses for day or evening - done! Isabel Marant, Topshop, Uniqlo (fab for t-shirt dresses), Zara.
6. Pair of flip flops - bronze metallic thongs that are at least 8 years old but go with everything and are super comfy.
7.  One pair of high shoes for evening - Wooden Zara wedges
8. Topiary - eg. waxing etc to get bikini ready, am booked in for tomorrow!
9.  Comfy bikinis -halter necks and strapless are best on my figure. My favourites are from Moontide (they're reversible so great value for money!) and Vix.
10. Clever accessories - silk scarves and jewellery are the order of the day here.

I'll leave you with these stunning pictures from the iconic Vogue desert shoot in 2002 shot by photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.  Faded colours and salvaged materials were combined to create a deserted island vibe that set off the deep tan of Kate’s bare skin. This is the darkest I have seen her and it looks surprisingly natural with her sun-kissed hair – which is a perfect example of how balayage should be done this season.  I've just had it done for my holiday hair and I'm loving it!!

Also before you go calling your spray tan lady asking for the darkest shade, there’s one little thing you need to remember. Fake tans this dark may look great on film, but that doesn’t mean they work in real life. Take my advice and save it for a photo shoot or go on holiday, slap on your sunscreen and go gently golden instead.X

Bikini Bleurgh

"Bond girls follow a fairly well-developed pattern of beauty. They possess splendid figures and tend to dress in a slightly masculine, assertive fashion, with few pieces of jewelery and that in a masculine cut, wide leather belts, and square-toed leather shoes. They often sport light though noticeable sun-tans, and they generally use little or no makeup and no fingernail or toenail polish, also wearing their nails short." —O.F. Snelling, author of Double O Seven, James Bond, A Report.


Now according to that description people, I don't have too much to worry about. OK.."splendid figure" might be pushing it and I loathe wearing shoes on holiday but I never bother painting my toes or fingernails as I have the co-ordination of a blind toddler and I suppose my holiday clothes are a bit masculine and square cut, though I am a fan of the sun dress and especially the kaftan by the pool. I've even got the light tan covered.

Have to say, not entirely sure Kate is working the Bond girl look here..

The one issue that presents itself summer over summer is the bikini problem. Bond girls don't appear to have issues with this (albeit that might be because they have a mammoth hair and make-up department at their disposal and probably had a personal trainer for a few months) but I'm going to go on a group holiday and I feel I should invest in a new one. Gulp. Psychologically one has to pick the right moment to bikini shop. Get it wrong and you'll feel like a whale squeezing into a tube of smarties, get it right and you're essentially Hedi Klum.  Also I resent spending a large amount of money on something that'll get seen for about three weeks of the year MAX. On top of all of this, I am petite but top heavy, this rules out buying any sets and limits me to separates.  Grrrr.

In character..very Bond

Still looking pretty fab...even in real life

Am I alone in my bikini hell or do you struggle as well? I have no problem buying my clothes online (thank you ASOS and net-a-porter) but for some reason I don't want to buy my bikinis in cyberspace. I really need to try them on.  Where should I go?  My sole comfort is that really, once one is actually on holiday does it matter so much? Any help gratefully received.

H&M SRING/SUMMER 08...