The British Fashion Awards 2010!

Known to many as 'the fashion Oscars'; the fashion elite gathered at top London hotel, The Savoy last night to celebrate the best Britain has to offer (see all the nominees here). The Prime Minister's wife even dressed up for the occasion in a gorgeous black Osman gown but, never one to be accused of lavish spending in the face of drastic government cuts, her shoes were Next.

British Fashion Council Chairman Harold Tillman with Samantha Cameron in Osman

Presented by Samantha Cameron was a touching film tribute to the late Lee Alexander McQueen who was posthumously awarded for his Outstanding Achievement in Fashion Design, a fitting tribute to an extraordinary designer who received the coveted Designer of the Year Award an astounding four times during his career. The film which featured McQueen's most iconic pieces was directed by Nick Knight and styled by Edward Enninful. His successor and long-time assistant, Sarah Burton collected the award on his behalf.

click here to see the short film: To Lee, With Love, Nick

Guests included supermodels, designers and industry insiders alike; Claudia Schiffer, Yasmin Le Bon, Christopher Kane, Thandie Newton and Daphne Guiness were among those who attended the event.

Model Daisy Lowe in Elie Saab

Supermodel and actress Lily Cole showing off her newly brunette locks in Nicholas Kirkwood shoes

British Fashion Awards nominee Charlotte Dellal of Charlotte Olympia, with designer Henry Holland of House of Holland

Designer Giles with super-stylist and editor-in-chief of Love magazine Katie Grand

Two new categories were introduced at this year's awards, namely Digital Innovation and Special Recognition. Special Recognition was given to supermodel Naomi Campbell for her contributions to the fashion industry over the last 25 years who fittingly wore a beautiful couture dress by her late friend, McQueen. Digital Innovation unsurprisingly went to Burberry who have been pushing boundaries for seasons - they were one of the first brands to live stream their shows worldwide, prompting hundreds of designers to follow suit.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell in couture McQueen

Burberry designer Christopher Bailey

It wasn't a big night for Burberry who only picked up only one of a possible four awards. Patrick Grant picked up the award for Best Menswear Designer for his label E. Tautz, Mulberry scooped Best Designer Brand and the award of the night went to Phoebe Philo for Celine who took the coveted Designer of the Year award.

Designer of the Year Phoebe Philo of Celine

My favourite award of the night, the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator, deservedly went to reknowned over-achiever Nicola Formichetti who, at 33, has worked for top fashion titles such as V Magazine, Dazed and Confused, AnOther and Vogue Hommes Japan. He is currently creative director of Thierry Mugler and also finds the time to play stylist to a little someone called Lady Gaga.

Fashion Creator of the Year Nicola Formichetti backstage with his award, with Daphne Guiness

Fashion darling and previous Emerging Talent winner, Nicholas Kirkwood finally picked up the big prize of Best Accessories Designer. Other winners included; Meadham Kirchhoff for Ready-to-Wear Emerging Talent and Husam el Odeh for Accessories Emerging Talent and the British public voted for Alexa Chung to take home the British Style Award.

Alexa Chung backstage with her award in Chanel

Accessories Designer of the Year Nicholas Kirkwood with actress Thandie Newton in Kirkwood shoes

Upset of the night for me: newlywed and current face of Calvin Klein, Lara Stone beat out David Gandy to pick up the Model of the Year award. Poor Gandy!

Model of the Year Lara Stone

British Fashion Awards nominee David Gandy

More soon.

Follow the twitter for by-the-minute updates.

All photos from britishfashionawards.com

British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund shortlist!

The shortlist for the second annual British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund has been announced! Several of last year's nominees made the list including Christopher Kane, Richard Nicoll, E. Tautz and Nicholas Kirkwood, as well as newcomers Peter Pilotto, Jonathan Saunders, OSMAN and Charlotte Olympia.

The British Fashion Council

The fund was set up last year by British Fashion Council Chairman, Harold Tillman, as a way of helping talented British designers grow their young label into a global brand by not only awarding them £200,000 but also supplying them with an unparalleled mentoring scheme. The seven runners-up will also receive a mentor. Harold Tillman said of the competition, "The British Fashion Council's Vogue Designer Fashion Fund offers incredibly talented British designers an unparalleled opportunity. We're very proud to be able to offer our promising designers this support."

Erdem Spring/Summer 2011

Last year saw fashion favourite Erdem beat out stiff competition to take the prize. (click here to see)

This year's eight shortlisted designers will present a proposal to the judging panel chaired by Alexandra Shulman, Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue, about what they plan to do with the Fund should they be selected. Shulman stated, "It is very exciting to be in our second year of the Fund and to be providing such tangible help to this extremely impressive shortlist of British designers."

Christopher Kane Spring/Summer 2011

My pick - it's so hard as there are so many worthy winners in that list! I think it will go to Christopher Kane as he lost out last year and since then has come out with a collection that received astounding international acclaim. His collaboration with Topshop last year also saw a whole new market become familiar with his work which can only mean good things for him becoming a covetable global brand.

You will be able to follow the judging process on the pages of British Vogue, who will be announcing the winner in their March 2011 issue.

More soon.

Catwalk photos from style.com and mydaily.co.uk

We're still mad for Mad Men!

It seems as though Mad Men madness isn't going to end any time soon! Versace have confirmed that January Jones a.k.a the inimitably perfect Betty Draper Francis will be the face of their Spring/Summer 2011 campaign. The choice comes as little surprise to fashion industry insiders as it seems Jones is fast becoming BFFs with Donatella Versace herself; she was spotted front row at the Versace show in Milan as well as at Donatella's recent fundraising dinner for Central Saint Martin's in London. Having loved the Atelier Versace dress that she wore to the Emmy's in August, I for one can't wait to see her on the ad pages of Vogue come Spring.

Atelier Versace

Versace have confirmed that the campaign will be shot by Mario Testino but other than that they're not giving away any other details, which only makes us all the more eager to see what they come up with! Guess we'll just have to wait 'til Spring..

More soon.

Follow the twitter for by-the-minute updates.

I dream Dior.

If you love fashion illustration as much as I do then you're going to love the new exhibition opening at Somerset House tomorrow! 'Dior Illustrated: Rene Gruau's Line of Beauty' is an exhibition of the work of one of the great illustrators of his time, a time of great glamour and sophistication. Gruau worked for many brands including Balmain and Givenchy but he is most famous for his longstanding work with Dior which ran from 1947 all the way to the 1990s.

Gruau's sketches allow an insight into one of the great fashion houses. John Galliano mused that Gruau "captured Dior's style and spirit better than any other because he understood his long-term friend.. for me a Gruau sketch captures the energy, the sophistication and daring of Dior, and equally is testimony to an enduring friendship."

To catch this phenomenal exhibition then make sure you get yourself over to the Embankment Galleries at Somerset House, November 10th - January 9th.

More soon.

Follow the twitter for by-the-minute updates.

It's here!

The day we've all been waiting for.. As promised; a full preview of the Lanvin for H&M collection in this haunting fashion film starring the one and only, Natasha Poly.

It's all so sleek, so Lanvin. I want so much of it! The feminine, asymmetric party dresses, the tongue-in-cheek, luxe teeshirts, the patent heels complete with cutesy bow; Alber Elbaz did not disappoint. Apparently all of the production was done by Lanvin to ensure the quality of the garments. Pinch me. I still can't quite believe it's Lanvin but at H&M prices!?

The film reminded me of this Lanvin teeshirt that I still dream about..

I'll definitely be queuing at my local H&M come 23rd November!

More soon.

Follow the twitter for by-the-minute updates.

The Row Spring/Summer 2011. I am in love.

"Always with the mentality of refined, minimal luxury that was wearable."

Watch the video to preview the latest collection from The Row and hear Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen talk through the thought process behind it. I really love the round sunglasses and the natural hair and makeup!

For me, The Row is perfection. I am a huge fan of minimalism in fashion and The Row has been doing it best for seasons now (sorry, Phoebe Philo). It manages to be simple and elegant without ever being bland. The Row offers classic staples with a modern twist, perfect cuts, and a wearability factor that no woman could say no to - all in neutral colours. What's not to love? These are pieces that will stand the test of time, they are season-less, they are an investment. I am in love.

For proof of just how season-less The Row really is, check out this fashion film they released back in 2007 which is still just as relevant in fashion today as it was 3 years ago.

More soon.

Follow the twitter for by-the-minute updates.

Spark!

If you follow my twitter you might have heard me mention the wonderful Spark once or twice.

Spark is a young'un. Taking her name from her actual middle name, 'Sparkle', this girl is headed for big things. Having only graduated from the Brit school in May, the very next day she was off supporting fashion favourite, Marina and the Diamonds, on a full tour of the UK. Now signed to Marina's label (Warner/679), Spark is making magic of her own. This week alone saw a full page feature in the NME and her new single, Revolving has been garnering lots of Radio 1 play from the likes of Nick Grimshaw. Spark is definitely one to watch.

Check out her debut video for single, Revolving:



For more music or upcoming tour dates (Spark will be supporting Diana Vickers as well as Pete Wentz's side project, Black Cards on dates across the UK) check out her myspace. You can also follow her on twitter.

More soon.

Lanvin for H&M sneak peek!

A little over a month ago you might remember me mentioning a little something that was in the works.. Lanvin's Alber Elbaz and Lucas Ossendrijver are designing an affordable line for high-street mega-brand, H&M! Of all of H&M's designer collaborations (Jimmy Choo, Sonia Rykiel, Karl Lagerfeld) this is by far the one that has caused the biggest stir within the fashion industry, as Elbaz himself put it, "I think I loved the idea that H&M was going luxury, rather than Lanvin is going public." And so with the promise of the full collection's unveiling on November 2nd, fashionistas the world over started crossing off the days on their calendars. But those lovely people over at H&M know us all too well and know that we can't wait that long! So the first images of the collaboration, shot by David Sims, have been released early!

It's hard to believe that this is an advert for H&M, the beautiful, understated elegance screams Lanvin! With the gorgeous ruffles, cinched waists, and asymmetric necklines - all in fashion's favourite colour - this collaboration is guaranteed to have girls worldwide trampling over eachother to get their hands on an affordable piece of Lanvin come November 23rd. Better start queuing now then..

More soon.
Follow the twitter for by-the-minute updates.

Spring/Summer 2011 trends: marabou accessories!

It's no secret that I'm not a big fan of 70's style, so a lot of the Spring collections have been a little disappointing for me. However I am really getting into one apparent Spring/Summer 2011 trend; marabou accessories! In the spirit of Marc Jacobs' most recent Louis Vuitton show; I'm embracing camp tastes, and loving it.

House of Holland

Yves Saint Laurent

Giles

feathers at Chanel

From earrings and belts at House of Holland to neck pieces at Giles and Yves Saint Laurent; marabou (the material often used to make feather boas) was rife on catwalks across the globe and is an undeniable trend set to sweep the high street come Spring. In the kitsch-est possible interpretation of this, I want to channel a bored 60's housewife and am lusting after some fluffy shoes, very Mad Men - or Carrie in Sex and the City (season 6, episode 2).

shoes from a burlesque website

Apparently Christopher Kane is way ahead of me and has already shown these marabou masterpieces in his 2011 Resort collection. WANT!

Christopher Kane

More soon.

Follow the twitter for by-the-minute updates.

All runway photos are from Style.com

"I think that accessorising makes or breaks an outfit."

I don't know about you, but it always seems as though I can never find decent unusual jewellery anywhere! So I was thrilled to learn of newly-launched online jewellery boutique, Studded & Stoned, that brings cool, edgy brands that are hard to find to UK customers.

Founder, Charli Brown, first came up with the idea when she noticed that "there is a serious shortage of the particular style of designer jewellery in the UK that I'm trying to bring over," such as Leviticus, Pamela Love or Erin Wasson's LowLuv that were featured on the American fashion blogs she loves. It's easy to tell how passionate Charli is about her new venture through her extremely conscientious buying, valuing designers for "their quirkiness", as well as their individuality and affordability; "so many designer pieces are all about the safe, over-the-top glam factor, so you're only really left with highstreet brands if you want something a little quirky. I mean Dior and McQueen are awesomely quirky, but who the fuck can afford them at our age? I've tried to find affordable quirky pieces that have been made in small quantities, with love and effort - minus the epic price tags over at YSL/McQueen/Dior. I think I'm trying to cater to jewellery lovers who love individual pieces, are prepared to pay a little more for a uniquely designed piece, but not shell out 2 months' wages on a high-fashion piece."

Studded & Stoned founder, Charli Brown

"I think that accessorising makes or breaks an outfit."

I've been obsessing over the rings..

Bijules Bone Knuckle Ring, 14ct Gold, £120

Leviticus Talon Ring, sterling silver, £70

Bijules Mini Curved Bar Ring, solid silver, £140

Low Luv by Erin Wasson Hinged Armour Ring, silver-plated, £53

I've completely fallen in love with the entire concept of Studded & Stoned, right down to the 'community' where they encourage a completely interactive experience with their customer base - you can also follow them on twitter. With it's intelligent, eclectic mix of hard-to-find edgy designers and unusual UK-based designers such as Mawi and Lara Bohinc; I think Studded & Stoned is definitely fast becoming one of my new favourite boutiques!

More soon.

Follow The Sculpted Heel twitter for by-the-minute updates.

Lanvin hearts H&M.

Fashionistas worldwide rejoice; it has been confirmed that Lanvin's Alber Elbaz and Lucas Ossendrijver are collaborating with H&M to create affordable collections for both men and women! Did you ever think you would hear the words 'affordable' and 'Lanvin' in the same sentence?! Lanvin are following in the footsteps of other luxury designers such as Jimmy Choo, Sonia Rykiel and Karl Lagerfeld in attempting to bring high end to the high street with H&M.

When asked about the collaboration Elbaz said; "When H&M approached us to do this collaboration, they asked if I could actually translate the dream we created at Lanvin to a bigger audience. It wasn't a project about dress for less. I think I loved the idea that H&M was going luxury, rather than Lanvin is going public. I thought it was a smart concept so I say 'I do'."

The designs will be revealed on November 2nd and will go on sale at over 200 stores worldwide on November 23rd. Shall we start camping out now?

More soon.

Erdem makes toys fashionable!

Erdem has designed a limited edition stuffed toy pug exclusively for top London boutique, Start! Pugs are very close to both Start owners, Brix Smith-Start and Philip Start's hearts. The couple currently have two cuties, Pixie and Gladys, who are regulars at their boutique in Shoreditch. You may also be familiar with the pups from their many appearances alongside Brix on Gok's Fashion Fix.

The pugs are made using Erdem's famous printed silks, as seen in his latest collection. If you can't afford one of Erdem's captivating dresses, then this is a darling way to grab a piece of fashion history for a fraction of the price - the pugs are only £120, available from Start London now! There will only be 30 made, so hurry if you don't want to miss out.

As part of their regular 'film fridays', the lovely folks at Start even made a cuter-than-cute stop motion film to showcase the pugs..

More soon.

It's the Fashion Oscars!

The British Fashion Council last week announced their shortlists for this year's annual British Fashion Awards which "will recognise the most influential people in fashion today and celebrate the reputation and development of British fashion".

And the nominees are..

Designer of the Year:

Phoebe Philo for Celine

Christopher Bailey for Burberry

Erdem

My pick - this is a tough one but it absolutely has to be Phoebe Philo. Her debut collection for Celine caused a frenzy throughout the fashion community, editors and civilians alike are now clamouring to embody Philo's chic, minimalist, Celine woman. For me it was the defining collection of the season. Christopher comes a close second, but he can console himself with last year's award..

Model of the Year:

David Gandy

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Lara Stone

My pick - the Gandy. The man's a phenomenon. And he's the only male ever to be shortlisted for this prestigious award. All three would definitely be worthy winners though. Rosie was also nominated last year but was beat out by newcomer, then 17-year-old, Georgia May Jagger.

Best Designer Brand:

Burberry

Pringle of Scotland

Victoria Beckham

Mulberry

My pick - Burberry. Yes, they won last year. Yes, they deserve it again this year. Both the men's and women's collections were phenomenal - who doesn't want that shearling aviator jacket now?! I can't say enough good things about Burberry, it was just perfection. (Who did Victoria Beckham have to lend David to to get nominated?! I mean really. I like her stuff but 'best designer brand'?)

Best Accessories Designer:

Camilla Skovgaard

Nicholas Kirkwood

Emma Hill for Mulberry

My pick - I'm torn between my love for shoes and my love for bags! As this season seems to be the return of the 'It-bag', I'm going to have to go for Emma Hill. Hill was nominated last year and lost to cutesy jewellery designer Katie Hillier. Of course, Nicholas Kirkwood is a genius and I'd be more than happy to see him win too.

Best Menswear Designer:

Christopher Bailey for Burberry

Margaret Howell

E. Tautz

Paul Smith

My pick - Burberry hands down. Although I was surprised by how much I liked Paul Smith last season.

Ready-to-wear Emerging Talent:

Mary Katrantzou

Michael van der Ham

Meadham Kirchhoff

My pick - longtime favourite, Meadham Kirchhoff.

Accessories Emerging Talent:

Charlotte Olympia

Jessica McCormack

Husam el Odeh

My pick - Charlotte Olympia is one of my absolute favourite shoe designers. Plus the woman has undeniable style.

Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator:

Nick Knight

Rankin

Nicola Formichetti

My pick - Isabella Blow is one of my style icons so for me this award is probably the most important category of all, for me it is about inspiring others and pushing the boundaries. Nick Knight's interactive residency at Somerset House, SHOWstudio, caused a big stir in the fashion community and allowed the public the chance to see the magical world of high fashion photography as art, and for that I think he deserves this award.

The winners will be announced at the British Fashion Awards ceremony on December 7th.

More soon.

Follow the twitter for by-the-minute updates.

Anna and Grace get all dolled up!

To celebrate this year's Fashion's Night Out, Barney's New York commissioned Brooklyn-based artist, Andrew Yang to create rag dolls in the likeness of everyone's favourite fashion editors, Anna and Grace. These hand-sewn, hand-painted dolls are absolutely one-of-a-kind. Yang even said that he had to special order Anna's wig and cut it himself to get the bob just right, he also gave Grace a perm! Why oh why can't they mass-produce these dolls?! They're absolutely incredible. Just imagine the accessories you could play with!

Bidding is open until September 31st. You can register here to bid.

100% of the proceeds will be going to the New York City AIDS Fund.

These dolls remind me of my obsession over the equally fashionable Diet Coke commercial dolls.. all I can say is, Barbie who?

More soon.

Vivienne Westwood Shoes, An Exhibition 1973-2010

Until September 22nd, Selfridges will be hosting an exhibition of nearly 200 pairs of iconic Vivienne Westwood shoes in the store's new 'Ultralounge'. Celebrating the past five decades in fashion; the retrospective will feature a selection from Westwood's archive as well as her contemporary collections, including those Super Elevated Gillie Shoes that Naomi Campbell famously fell from in 1993, as well as the ever-popular 1981 pirate boot.

There's only 3 weeks left to see this amazing piece of fashion history in person so hurry up before you miss out! I, for one, can't wait.

More soon.

Follow the twitter for by-the-minute updates.

Mad for Mad Men.

Mad Men fever is everywhere. It was all over the Autumn/Winter catwalks, including the likes of Prada and Louis Vuitton. Last month's GQ cover featured the inimitable Joan, and now it seems Rolling Stone has caught the bug. Having won two Emmys this week for best drama series and best writing for a drama series, it's official; Mad Men is the best show on the air. The latest Rolling Stone cover features the delectable Jon Hamm, surrounded by his female co-stars; Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks and January Jones.

The issue also features some behind-the-scenes pictures of the stars hard at work! Enjoy.

More soon.