Carla Bruni - Better a Beauty ...

France’s former First Lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy 45, guest edits the December issue of Paris Vogue.   The role of a beauty better suits her than  that of wife of the President ....

VALENTINO @ Somerset House

EXHIBITION: Valentino: Master of Couture

He's dressed princesses, first ladies and the world's most looked-at women, and now he's got a 50 year retrospective at Somerset House. Valentino: Master of Couture will display over 130 of the Italian's designs, from couture to catwalk, red carpet to never-seen private commissions. In a role reversal, visitors will strut down a 60m catwalk while an "audience" dressed head-to-toe in Valentino look on. Along the catwalk, key designs from the 1950s to present day will be on open display. And, if you haven't yet seen the docu-film, go on a Valentino binge and watch it when you get home.

November 29 – March 3, £9 Embankment Galleries, Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA

Beanies with Style!

When fashion icon Anna Dello Russo (see biog below taken from Nowness) customised her beanie with a witty black net, we knew a trend had been born and an everyday object had transitioned into new-age chic.  The Beanie is worn by those with confidence and cachet (witness David Beckham and Kristen Stewart - just two of  the beanie's fans) and has become a byword for thrown-on style!  New on the block is Urbansquire with quirky hand crafted wool beanies made in Britain with leather trims.  An affordable must-have accessory this Winter to keep the cold out and the cool in!

With the ascendance of global street style blogs, images of Anna Dello Russo and her adventurous sense of chic have flooded the internet and rapidly become part of fashion’s visual vernacular. But for nearly two decades before she became a public figure, the Bari-born Dello Russo—whom Helmut Newton once described as a “fashion maniac”—worked behind the scenes, first as a fashion editor at Vogue Italia and later as editor of L’Uomo Vogue (she’s currently editor-at-large and creative consultant for Vogue Japan). Known for her dual trademarks of statement shoes and stick-straight hair, Dello Russo’s sartorial escapades during the various fashion weeks are ferociously chronicled by blogs such as Jak & Jil and Violeta Purple, and her name has appeared on best-dressed lists worldwide. She’s also made a splash on Twitter, with 50,000 followers and counting. An avid collector of clothes and jewelry, Dello Russo currently lives with her dog Cucciolina in Milan.

Amazing Grace ...

 

Still gracing the front covers of magazine, US Vogue's amazing Fashion Editor and internationally acclaimed stylist, Grace Coddington is the author of what may become fashion's best selling book this Christmas:  Grace.  Published this week in the UK, former model and unexpected star of 'docudrama' September, remains as forthright and unbridled as one would expect from her fiery hair.  Long live Grace!  Read the full and frank interview in the New York Times.

Toxic Chemicals Make us All Fashion Victims

Read the full article on Business of Fashion 20th November prepared by Greenpeace about how we are all contributing to the toxicity of fashion
....   such as China and Mexico. But this clothing carries a hidden price tag. In many of these countries, lax regulations give suppliers of international brands a free hand when it comes to using hazardous chemicals to dye and process our clothes. Many of these toxic chemicals are banned in the US and Europe, but sooner or later they end up in waterways and wardrobes across the globe.

Martin Margiela for H&M

Keep an eye on H&M tomorrow for: Maison Martin Margiela x H&M

UJ fave Maison Martin Margiela has joined forces with H&M for one of the most covetable collaborations this year. If you remember the literal box blazer, the models on trolleys, the pompom heads and the many, many masks then you'll know what to expect. The collection will include re-edited versions of iconic MMM garments and accessories for him and her – each piece even comes with a unique tag indicating the season from which it hails. Expect masculine, oversized silhouettes, a nude palette and structured tailoring.

November 15, from £29.99 Available from select H&M stores worldwide and online Story courtesy of Urban Junkies

Phwor! Argentine Polo Player: Nach!

 View the full slo-mo video on Nowness:

If ever there was a reason to follow polo, Ignacio Figueras is just that.  We at the Fashion Bloggers are now dedicated to the sport ....

The bronzed Argentine horsemen that swarm Long Island’s polo fields each summer are the stuff of Jilly Cooper novels and palmists’ promises: tall, dark, handsome and—with the globe-trotting, sun-chasing lifestyle their sport affords—indecently glamorous. The most storied of all these Latin gods is Ignacio (“Nacho”) Figueras, who with his chiseled jaw, moody brown eyes and tousled locks is not only one of the world’s top 100 polo players (with a six-goal handicap), but the face of Ralph Lauren Black Label and Polo fragrances worldwide, and, according to a 2009 issue of Vanity Fair, the second most handsome man in the world. Born in Argentina, where polo rivals soccer as the national sport, Figueras began playing at the age of eight and became a professional at 17. He began his secondary career as a model in 2000 after being introduced to legendary fashion photographer Bruce Weber at a dinner party, and found that his raised profile enabled him to be an ambassador in the democratization of polo—he was the brains behind the annual Veuve Cliquot tournament on Governor's Island that has introduced the sport to a whole new generation of New Yorkers. Today we premiere A Caballo, a new film exclusive to NOWNESS, from photographer and filmmaker Matthew Donaldson, who celebrated the raw power of man and beast by capturing Figueras on one of his favorite horses (he has over 250) in minute detail. Meanwhile, we caught up with the polo star to talk style, travel and, of course, what makes the ideal equine partner.

Courtesy of Nowness.com