Wednesday wantsies: Chanel 2.55 bag

Let's face it, any fashionista worth her salt either has one of these in her possession, or wants one of these in her possession.

Named after the date of creation (February 1955), the 2.55 is nothing short of iconic. The quilted leather gives the bag structure and volume, while the long strap keeps it hands-free for the modern woman.

Dress it up or dress it down, but keep it in good condition. This is the bag your grandchildren will be excited to inherit some day.

Oscar de la Renta seeks interns

STOP THE PRESS! The sales team at one of the most legendary names in fashion, Oscar de la Renta, is looking for interns. And not just that, but the internship is in PARIS.

So if you're a student, you're interested in fashion, and you're free from June 27th to July 2nd (and let's face it, for an opportunity like this, you'll clear your calendar), email Chris at cvaught@odlr.com.

...

Why are you still reading this?!

Alexander McQueen knot-front crepe-jersey gown

I defy you to look at this gorgeous gown and not be instantly smitten. By the legendary Alexander McQueen, this knot-front number oozes sex and glamour. The jersey fabric is perfect for flattering any frame and hugging (not clinging) to curves.

The plunging neckline, thigh-high centre split and bold colour will ensure all eyes are on you, while the length and draping keep it effortlessly elegant.

Keep the accessories subtle to let the dress do all the talking.

Buy it at your nearest Brown Thomas or online at net-a-porter.com.

Lanvin for the little ones

YAY!

If these images don't make your womb skip a beat, you need to check your gender. Any fashionista/fashionmista knows that Alber Elbaz's creations for Lanvin are a wonderful addition to a wardrobe; and soon they can also be a wonderful addition to a wee one's wardrobe.

That red dress!

The house announced in recent months that it was planning a kidswear line, but it was only at the end of its resort show yesterday that it debuted the collection, set to arrive in shops in November.

The trenchcoat is super sweet

It was difficult to imagine how the house was going to maintain its reputation of "super luxury", as was promised, but flicking through the look book images was an eye-opener: taffeta trenchcoats, satin slippers, pearl necklaces... It's all there.

Called "Lanvin Petite", the capsule collection consists of twenty-five pieces for girls aged four to ten. But you better hope they're the best behaved four to ten year old's on the playground, because these pieces won't exactly be of the wash-and-wear variety. There'll be no washing machine for these delicate beauties - it's dry-clean all the way.

This dress is GORGEOUS! One in my size, please.

With materials such as washed organza, satin ribbon and grossgrain, pleated and draped tulle, some embroidered in crystals, these pieces aren't for splashing about in a muddy puddle. Plus, at the rate that kids of that age grow, I'm guessing the outfits will be assigned to the "too small" pile before they're barely out of the bag.

However, though the price points have yet to be announced, it's probably safe to say that they'll cost a pretty penny, so I'm guessing that the type of people who can afford to dress their kids in Lanvin are the type of people who can afford to restock their wardrobes on a regular basis.

And anyway, fashion isn't about practicality, right?

If, like me, your wallet won't stretch to the kidswear line, nevermind the adult lines, fear not! There's still hope. The little rag dolls you see in some of these pictures will also be available for sale, and at a fraction of the kidswear cost, I'd wager.

The four exclusive rag dolls dressed in the collection will sell like hot-cakes, no doubt. And the best bit? Part of the proceeds will go to the charity, Designing Hope, so you can own a little bit of Lanvin, guilt-free.

So what do you think? Is it making you rush out and buy a fertility test?

Personally, I love it, and I hope a kidswear line for boys follows. Imagine all those tiny little dicky-bows!

Spiderman swoops in on Prada

Spiderman frontman (or, at least, ex-frontman) Tobey Maguire has been announced as the new face of Prada AW11 menswear. Truth be told, I've always seen him as somewhat of a geek -- and his Peter Parker character didn't help matters -- so I was eager to see what the geek chic campaign would look like.

Et voilà!

I'll need to see more pictures before I make a final judgement, but the words "boy dressed as man" spring to mind.

What do you think? Do you prefer seeing scrawny "geeks" as models, or would you prefer someone a little more buff and rugged?

Would you be well, YSL?

Proving once again that it is purely a label for the big wigs and trust fund teens, Yves Saint Laurent have come out with their Muse Two Artisanal bag. And it's not just pretty, it's pretty pricey too at $1,720.

Nothing particularly surprising about the price, given their previous pricing standards, but this bag is made of plastic. That's right, plastic. Recycled plastic bags, to be more precise, hand-crafted by artisanal women in Burkina Faso.

But while I admire their "green" efforts, I'm still suffering from sticker shock. $1,720 for quality, butter-soft leather? Perhaps. $1,720 for a plastic bag? Not unless I win the Lotto and am feeling particularly frivolous.

Despite being a VERY limited edition item -- only 13, I'm told -- they're still available on the site. Shocker, I know.

Don't they know you can pop to the corner shop and get a bag-for-life for a quid?

Would you pay $1,720 for a plastic bag?

When I grow up, I want to be Gisele

Because really, who wouldn't want to look like this?

Gisele Bundchen rocked up to the 39th AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards last night looking effortlessly amazing. The gown was Oscar de la Renta, the jewellery was Jack Vartanian, and the body was banging.

This gown is now on my wish list.

Anita Ko 18K gold diamond pavé wing ring

Available in white, yellow and rose gold (white suits my skin-tone best), this wing ring is part of Anita Ko's 'Good vs. Evil' collection and has been on my list of wantsies for a while. In fact, before the other half proposed, I half jokingly suggested he buy me this as an engagement ring.

You can visit her site here but I warn you, if you're anything like me, you'll want everything on it.

Rock this ring with a pair of dark skinny jeans, a charcoal fitted t-shirt, cage platforms and spiked stud earrings for instant glamorous grunge.

CFDA Awards brings out the fash pack

I don't even want to know how much time it takes for people to get ready to attend the CFDA Awards (nor how much money they spend in the process), but it must be LOTS because everyone worth their fashion salt is there on the night. For some, they may as well have spent the time in the middle of a field; for others... BEHOLD!

Miranda Kerr proved it was all worth it when she stepped onto the purple carpet looking like this. (Can you believe she gave birth only a short time ago?) Wearing a Michael Kors body suit and sarong, she looks absolutely amazing. You'll notice that the colour palette is extremely limited, proving that you don't have to wear a neon rainbow to get noticed. The black outfit with gold accents is simply sublime, and others should take a leaf from her "less is more" mantra. (And have you seen those Wonder Woman cuffs? LOVE!)

Honourable mention goes to Marcia Cross for being disco fabulous in a sparkly number by Pamella Roland.

Despite the over-abundance of cleavage, anyone who has the (disco) balls to wear this out, not just in public but to arguably the biggest fashion event of the year, deserves serious kudos.

What do you think? Fab or fail?

Karl Lagerfeld announces time and date for Chanel's eagerly awaited couture collection

We interrupt this blog to bring you news that Karl Lagerfeld has chosen 10pm on July 5th to showcase Chanel's couture show. No doubt the Grand Palais in Paris will be packed to the 11-story vaulted, glass rafters.

Can't wait!

MTV Movie Awards - best dressed

There were actually a few decent duds around, so let's cut to the chase and pick one of the many:

Emma Stone gets major style props for this beautiful Bottega Veneta dress from the Fall 2011 collection. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it looks even better on her than it did on the runway, which is why she gets the NYADF 'best dressed' accolade.

And, I've created a new category because... well, just look:

There was no way I could leave Cameron out looking like that, so I had to create a category just for her. And so, Ms. Diaz wins 'best legs' (and was a close contender for 'best dressed' in 3.1 Phillip Lim). Just look at them!

Another hot contender -- and an altogether unexpected one -- was Selena Gomez in Giambattista Valli. I never thought I'd hear myself say it, but she looks super chic while still keeping it young and fresh. (I'm as surprised as you are.)

Honourable mention goes to Hailee Steinfeld in a black Louis Vuitton suit.

Yes, I know it's not the most flattering suit ever, and I know the girl should be dressing more her age (can you believe she's only 14?), but after what she wore to the Oscars, this is a HUGE and refreshing change. Love the green Edie Parker clutch and the red lip.

Who was your best dressed?

Balmain in the bargain bin?

It's goodbye Christophe Decarnin and hello Olivier Rousteing, as Balmain installs a new head designer. And no sooner does it happen than Balmain announces a secondary line under the name of 'Pierre Balmain'.

This ready-to-wear collection will be designed by a different team than that of the runway line, but will still be under the watchful eye of Rousteing. And the best news of all? The collection is going to be relatively reasonably priced. (I say "relatively", because they currently charge $1,625 for a cotton t-shirt, so clearly their perception of price and worth is a little above the average mere mortal's.)

The collection will launch in New York in September, and I'll be keeping my peepers peeled. Starlets who have already donned the designer duds include Victoria Beckham and Rihanna, so the new line will definitely be one to watch.

With the fashion house being to blame responsible for single-handedly bringing back the shoulder pad, and now with this new line on the horizon, Balmain are proving to be a fashion force to be reckoned with.

Vogue Italia goes plus-size

The June issue of Vogue Italia features three models the fashion industry would deem "plus-size". (That's "average-size" to you and me.) The three beauties are Tara Lynn, Candice Huffine, and Robyn Lawley, captured in black and white by the same man who has shot every Vogue Italia cover since 1988 -- Steven Meisel.

Et voilà:

The cover is part of editor Franca Sozzani's ongoing campaign against pro-anorexia websites. (You can sign her online petition here if you're so inclined.)

While I certainly applaude Franca's efforts, especially when the industry in which she works is often associated with promoting a thinner figure, I can't help but wonder if it will have any real impact. Certainly, she's very well respected, but is putting three "normal" women on the cover of a magazine really going to stop anyone from starving themselves? Yes, the models look fantastic, but the sad fact of the matter is that people suffering from eating disorders don't strive to look like that, just as most women don't strive to be the stick-thin size zeros gracing the covers of every other magazine on the stands.

It also doesn't help that models such as these are constantly referred to as "curvy", "fuller-figured" or "plus-size". Using these extraneous words is, in my opinion, a way of marking them out. Why can't they just be "models"? We don't refer to size-zeros as "minus-size", though they're clearly a lot thinner than the average woman.

I'm reminded of a recent campaign that Debenham's ran in Ireland, in which they changed all the mannequins in their windows to "plus-size" mannequins. The move was lauded nationally as an heroic attempt to celebrate the female figure but I, perhaps being overly cynical, viewed it as merely a publicity ploy. If Debenhams were so concerned with representing real women, why not have mannequins of different sizes in their stores? We're not all "plus-size" either, you know.

The size-zero debate is one that rages on and, while I admire and respect Franca's efforts, I'm more inclined to Gok Wan's way of doing things. He's currently lobbying the English parliament to have the subject of body confidence added to the school curriculum. People need to be educated, not force-fed images of what someone else deems beautiful. Kids need to be taught -- not just in school but at home too -- to be healthy and happy in their own skin. We're too caught up in SIZE, when we need to be caught up in HEALTH.

So while it's great that the cover and the campaign are getting so much publicity, I still don't think they will change the world. But if you're down to your last few quid, you should definitely spend it on Vogue rather than a Big Mac.

L.A.M.B. dress - Spring 2011 RTW

As you know, I'm a huge Gwen Stefani fan, so I watch her runway shows with particular interest. And when her Spring 2011 line launched, I pored over the pictures of her colourful prints. This little number caught my eye from the off:

At the time of the show, it was far too wintry to be even thinking about going out with anything less than ten layers, but now that the sun has started to peep through the clouds, I'm looking for items to update my summer wardrobe. And this bad boy might just be the answer.

I can only assume that she was trying to toughen up the look with the dark footwear but, personally, I'd try to achieve that with a studded bracelet instead...

Hermès cuff, anyone?

Or even this snake cuff from the Olsen twins' Elizabeth and James line:

I'm loving the straw hat -- with a little less tilt -- for a laid-back feel. The dress itself is low-cut enough to be sexy, while the full skirt keeps it flirty. Add to that the visual interest of the brightly coloured print, and you might just have a holiday romance on your hands.