Du bon gout des Parisiennes

Its summer time and it reminds me of my holidays in France, especially shopping in Paris but oh the ignominy of English style compared to the "romantic", "classy" and "chic" French!

Kanako
www.MyLittleParis.com

Paris can be a ruthless world where the pressure to look stylish is huge... and the true Parisienne translates this into an art form of seduction, discretion and elegance.  Her look is always well balanced and the word too much is not a part of her vocabulary.   

Kanako
www.mylittleparis.com

Kanako
www.mylittleparis.com

                                   

Does she ever let herself loose, like the way Londoners look surprisingly different and fresh?  Rarely!

In Almost French, Sarah Turnbull, an Australian writer who has lived in Paris since the mid-1990s, describes the French as highly sensitive to aesthetics and beware as the women judge quickly, she states: "As soon as a French woman meets another woman she’ll look her up and down, check out her clothes, her makeup, her shoes.  She’ll be thinking: “well, she might have nice blue eyes but she’s got a really big bum”." Ouch that hurts!!


Inès de la Fressange, Marion Cotillard and Carla Bruni are three of the most iconic French women known for their style. Check out their looks!

Inès de la Fressange
@Benoit Peverelli

Inès de la Fressange
www.public.com

Marion Cotillard
www.fabsugar.com
  

Marion Cotillard
@DR Fanny Bouton

Carla Bruni
www.lifestyletreats.blogspot.com

Carla Bruni
@Abaca

Which do you prefer?

'BE COOL'

The weather is getting hotter and hotter!! Finally a glimpse of sun.... but with it the things we try to avoid like looking sweaty.  Good news though, I have found a solutions to our problems in this great heat.

The Wet Hair Look – This season’s Cat Walk trend on the go.  

ELLEUK.COM Photo by MATT LEVER  

ELLEUK.COM Photo by MATT LEVER

ELLEUK.COM Photo by MATT LEVER

How do I achieve this look?

 #1 Spray wet your hair

#2 Crunch your hair in a styling mouse (while it's wet)

#3 Use any wet liquid shine gel

#4 Leave to air dry

Can you believe it, feels like I've just come out of the pool ... now that would be a cool thing to do on sunny Wednesday afternoon.  
Like this look? Let us know your chilled looks on a hot day or any advice for our readers?

Glamour Taste Of High Fashion

Tired? Need a sugar pick me up or a glamour snack to eat in this heat?
Doll up your break with the greatest designer cupcakes made by prop-styled Lisa Edsalv.

4 delicious cupcakes, inspired by Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Vera Wang and Louis Vuitton to feast your eyes on ... I know its making me feel hungry already!

VERA WANG
photographer Therese Aldgard




CHANEL
photographer Therese Aldgard

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN
photographer Therese Aldgard

LUIS VUITTON
photographer Therese Aldgard

So to console myself, I found this browsing around - easy fast love:


The Lazy Do-It Yourself Microwaved Carrot Cake - In A Mug 

Who would have thought?  
What else to do except choose my favourite cake - "Carrot Cake", so here goes:

Get a large coffee mug (I like to mix it in a bowl first) and put in:     
6 Tbs all-purpose
1 Egg
flour 2 Tbs sugar (brown or white depending on your taste, I used brown)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg .
mix your dry ingredients up with a fork and then add:
4 Tbs orange juice
2 Tbs oil 1
4 tsp vanilla
3 Tbs finely grated carrot
1 Tbs chopped pecans (optional)
1 Tbs raisins (optional) .
whisk together and make sure its mixed all the way to the bottom (don't want flour lumps!) put it in the microwave for 2 or 2 and a half minutes.... I then used canned butter cream frosting to put on top of the cake.

This wasn't my best attempt- can you do better?
 Send us your thoughts and pics of your microwaved cake!

Curious to know about the next 3 semi-finalists on the list?

Here the next three Fashion Fringe semi-finalists and don't forget to vote!

Nadine (Nadine Fisher)

Nadin Fisher studied Fashion in Munich and Berlin and is greatly influenced not only by German style, but also craft skills, which stand out in her collection.

www.graziadaily.co.uk

Haizhen Wang (Haizhen Wang)

He learnt the art of design at London College of Fashion and before launching his own brand, he worked for several brands in Italy. Inspired by sophisticated and modern designs as well as immaculate craftsmanship, he has great attention to detail.

www.glam.co.uk. 

Miyoko Kamijo (Miyoko Kamijo)

Miyoko Kamijo is a Japanese fashion designer specializing in  ready-to-wear women's fashion. He combines neutral colors with delicate textures to create different collections, thus exploring his passion for the human body.
 

www.glam.co.uk

So will one of these be the lucky winner of your vote?

So which Fashion Fringe semi-finalists will you vote for?

Christopher Bailey, Chief Creative Office for Burberry announced the top ten semi-finalists for the 2012 Fashion Fringe award and what a great line up!

1. Cornel Bolt (Cornel Bolt)  

2. Dobrowolski Af Rosenborg (Heta Dobrowolski & Caroline af Rosenborg)

3. Dejan (Dejan Agatonovic)

4. Fischer (Nadine Fischer)

5. Haizhen Wang (Haizhen Wang)

6. Miyoko Kamijo (Miyoko Kamijo)

7. Raffaele Ascione (Raffaele Ascione)

8. Shu Ting Wang (Shuting Wang)

9. Teija (Teija Eilola)

10. Vita Gottlieb (Vita Gottlieb)

Have your say and vote on our facebook page before 22nd on May, to see who the public prefers!

Here's a short preview of the first few designers:

Cornel Bolt (Cornel Bolt)

He studied at Central St Martins and worked for various brands. He mixes different styles and creates a unique and original look.  In his collection you can see contemporary, minimalist and futuristic designs - what do you think?

 www.blog.stylesight.com

www.fashionfringe.co.uk

Dobrowolski Af Rosenborg (Heta Dobrowolski & Caroline af Rosenborg)

Heta Dobrowolski and Caroline af Rosenborg are from German and Finland. Their latest collection of  "Twist and Fold" caught the judges eye and wow it catches ours too!

www.graziadaily.co.uk

Dejan (Dejan Agatonovic)

Dejan graduated in Fashion Design from University of Art, Belgarde. His collection is very feminine and romantic, he experiments with colours and textures and loves to invent new lines. 

www.polvvore.com

www.graziadaily.co.uk

Who will you vote for?

Final 4 to review - who will the one to deserve your vote?

Nearly there, already presented 6 out of the 10 Fringe Fashion semi-finalists in previous posts, now you get to see the final 4 ... will one of these get your vote?

Raffaele Ascione (Raffaele Ascione)

He began his fashion education in Ireland  in 2003 but it wasn't until he got to Milan that he started designing across different lines - illustration is key to his design.  He designed Lady Gaga's collection in 2009 and also collaborated with The Uniform Project in New York. 

 www.graziadaily.co.uk

Lady Gaga

www.gagafashionland.com

Shu Ting Wang (Shuting Wang)

She studied fashion at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Each piece of her production has an unique story and needs to be handled with love and care as each one represents light, hope and beauty.

www.graziadaily.co.uk

www.shutingwang.com

Teija (Teija Eilola)

She started designing for Michiko Koshino, Yen jeans and SO bgn in London. Teija specialises in designing dresses, adding supple textures and experimenting with different shapes and materials.

www.graziadaily.co.uk

.

 

www.vogue.co.uk

Vita Gottlieb (Vita Gottlieb)

Before setting up her eponymous womenswear label in 2012, she worked as a freelance textile designer specialising in printed textiles.  Cinema and different cultures are her main influences, with her collection combining colors and different textured fibres to create clothes which are both sensuous and flowing. 

www.glam.co.uk

www.somaphotos.com

So now its vote time - who will you vote to be the winner this year?

London Bridge Style Stop!

I went to Borough Market - one of South Bank's foodie paradises near London Bridge - to sample some of their fab tapas.  

While spotting for inspiration, I was taken by their unique fashion look. There's something special about street style in London - it's the freedom to express your individuality.  

The beauty of London is that it draws people from all countries and walks of life, so we're totally spoilt in terms of what we see here - here are my picks of the day.

Tina travels in style.
Lucy Adamo keeps it warm with her fur coat.

Chevan Johns looks great in her River Island waist coat.
Robynne & Hana love their colour blocks.

Funky couple dress to Impress.
All the way from Japan, exploring the trend of London

Can you rock your personality to fashion?  Any photos to share?

Where fashion meets technology... in the handbag world

Speaking of innovation, we love technology combined with fashion.

So what happens when you’re out and about and your smart phone’s battery is dead?  Shock horror, no tweeting, no facebooking, no email, no one to talk to ... we seem to be all alone in the world.... and yes we get stressed and anxious!

So Richard Nicoll comes to our rescue and we love him for it!

New re-charging tote from Richard Nicholl
http://www.superyachts.com

The British designer has collaborated with Vodafone UK to create a unique new tote bag fitted with a built-in charger for smart phones, tablets, and other electronic devices.

Eureka we will never be out of touch again AND we get a stylish bag in the process!

http://www.zimbio.com

Speaking of innovation, why not keep your fantastic charging Tote handbag safe with a CarrieMe Classic Bag Hook  and pair it with the CarrieMe Mobile Finder, so that you'll never miss a call again!

CarrieMe
Vintage Bag Hook
in Shocking Pink
www.carrieme.co.uk

CarrieMe Vintage Bag Hook in Shocking Pink
www.carrieme.co.uk

CarrieMe Classic Mobile Finder in Papal Purple
www.carrieme.co.uk

CarrieMe Classic
Mobile Finder
in Papal Purple
www.carrieme.co.uk

Yippee London is THE place!

We got good news!

A TripAdvisor's recent survey of world tourists have chosen London as the world’s best destination and the No.1 place to visit.

Others in the running were New York, Paris and Rome but it feels good to have London being chosen as the best!

No big surprise as we have so many historic buildings, fantastic views, amazing parks, fabulous shopping, great nightlife and much much more... oh and the Jubilee celebrations and Olympics of course.

Our favourite include getting your historic fix at the Parliament building,

 www.wikipedia.org

 seeing London from the air on the London Eye

www.londoneye.com

getting your retail therapy fix at the Selfridges shoe gallery

http://chantlewhite.blogspot.co.uk/

and the relax and people watch in the serenity of Hyde Park

 www.sistemaecodeco.com

Can't say we're not proud, after all we're inspired at CarrieMe just by being in London!

MAKE SOME BIG JUMPS WITH PRINTS

Charlotte Free by Elena Rendina for Wonderland November/December 2011

Prints are a great way to introduce excitement and are bang on trend for 2012. 

Whether you are pale or dark, bright prints can make a great contrast to your skin tone and you can any colour from your wardrobe to improve your self-esteem and confidence. 

Photographs by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia December 2007

I came across these photographs shot by Steven Meisel for the December 2007 of Vogue Italia and I was intrigued by the use of collaged patterns and washed out colours. I fell in love with their tattoos and how it made the models look like gothic Geishas.  I wonder if this inspired D&G?

Head To-Toe Print D&G spring/summer 2012 © GoRunway

This season's D&G is a collection of mismatch patterns, creating a unique strong style and I love these 2 looks from Marni and Miu Miu which are great together.

 Marni "Tartan Flower" Pants

miu miu net a porter printed silk de chine blouse

Have you got 2 favourite clashing looks that will get you onto the pages of Vogue's StreetStyle, post them here!?