Best Dressed at the Cannes Film Festival

Literally no one cares about the films at Cannes (trans: I don’t care about the films at Cannes). It’s all about the fashion.

I don’t know what its official motto is - ‘chaussures plates sont interdits’ perhaps? (hashtag satire) - but it should be go big or go home. Google Translate informs me that translates as aller grand ou rentrer à la maison but I feel like something’s got lost there...

Anyway, with the two week long festivities all over for another year here’s the looks that caught my eye. TL;DR: Ralph and Russo Couture won.

Fan Bingbing in Ralph and Russo Couture

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Princess on fleek. (I don’t know what that word means - because old - I hope I’ve used it right.) This dress is just stunning - the colour, the embroidery, the train - but it’s the cape sleeves that have got me all excited, my stance on capes being well known at this point. The styling is perfect too, with the tassled clutch perfectly complimenting the eastern feel of the look. So, so elegant.

Aishwarya Rai in Ralph and Russo Couture

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A second home run for Ralph and Russo. I love the architectural structure of this dress, and that it plays it up without swamping Aishwarya’s figure. The minimal but beautiful detailing let’s the structure shine as does her barely there styling - I love that Old Hollywood hair. A different type of elegance to Fan Bingbing’s, but elegance nonetheless.

Cate Blanchett in Giles

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Here’s a phrase I never thought I’d use: she looks like a cool Death Star and I love it so much! This dress is so modern, so British and so, for want of a less overused word, so edgy that it shouldn't work in classic Cannes but it really does. Mostly, I suspect, because Queen Cate is wearing it and gives zero fucks. Completely stripped back styling let the dress sing, or more likely mosh, and that Cinderella style climbing the stairs pose is one of my favourite photos of the year. J’adore.

Sophie Marceau in Alexandre Vauthier Couture

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Something else that shouldn't work on the red carpet anywhere, let alone Cannes, is a shirt dress but here we are. There’s something so French cool about this, so ‘yeah, I genuinely woke up like this’ that I just cannot get enough of. The snake necklace is a great rock and roll finishing touch, as is the bed hair and perfect ‘undone’ makeup. Summer dressing goals. 

Charlize Theron in Christian Dior Couture

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One word: statuesque. Actually two words: statuesque perfection. Yellow is so hard to wear, but you wouldn't know it from this. I think it’s the styling that seals the deal - the perfect hair and understated but somehow still massive jewels - and the poise that she wears it with. 

Best Dressed at the Met Gala

As far as I can see, there is a very specific formula that needs to be followed if you want to dress successfully for the Met Gala - New York's Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute's yearly fashion shindig and it's this:

1. Don't be boring 
2. Stick to the theme (in this case China: Through the Looking Glass) 
3. Don't go nuts (or in this case go stereotyped and/or offensive)

I'm sort of disappointed at how few people stuck to those rules tbh. 1. and 2. were the most oft broken, with loads of gorgeous-but-how-is-this-relevant? gowns gliding up the famous stairs (Claire Danes, Hailee Steinfeld, Jessica Chastain, Rosie HW, the list goes on) and a predictable trinity of ohmigodisthisstillathing all over sheer 'gowns' following them on Kim K, Beyonce and J Lo (who at least had a crack at the theme, to be fair).  Lade Gaga and Rihanna were the only ones who came close to breaking rule 3. but made their fantastical looks work through sheer force of personality if nothing else. At least their looks are memorable though.

So who did nail it? For my money, here's the top five:

Emily Blunt in Prada

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Chapter 90005 in my book of red carpet capes that I love. The theme is subtly nailed through the choice of fabric, the beautiful embroidery and the cut of this stunner. I love the contrast between the different shades of blue and silver used throughout. I love her styling - those earrings omg - and her hair and makeup even more.

Rita Ora in Tom Ford

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Going much more literal with the theme but equally stunning is this bad boy. Red is Rita's colour and the combo of this fierce gown with her fierce red pout/platinum crop combo is a perfect illustration of that. The construction of the dress is perfect too.

Emma Roberts in Ralph Lauren

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My favourite of the night. Very subtle nods to the theme (the belt, the colour, the jade accessories) combine to make this perfect. I am 100% obsessed with that green.

Anne Hathaway in Ralph Lauren

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Ralph Lauren got the memo on theme clearly. I adore this eastern inspired look, mostly because it's so sleek and cool but also because it makes a huge statement without really trying. I love the ear cuff too, a great fashion forward accessory for an otherwise minimalist look.

Olivia Munn in J Mendel

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There's so much going on here and it's all amazing. I love the colours, I love the cut out sleeves, I love the more is more jewellery and I love that it's on theme without being on the nose. Perfect paired down makeup too.

SJP Special Bonus Round
Because you can't have a Met Gala round up without bowing down at the alter of SJP. Here she is owning the theme, as she does every year without fail.

Sarah Jessica Parker in H&M

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First of all, OMG SJP doing the Met Gala in high street?! But let's be honest that's not the thing that makes this outfit a classic from her play book, the credit for that belongs firmly to her amazing Philip Treacy headpiece. Love it or hate it, you can't deny that it's 100% Met Gala. Long live the undisputed Queen of this event!

Fashionable London: Savage Beauty

I’ve often been underwhelmed by the big, high profile exhibitions at the V&A.

They’re often way too crowded, use the space poorly, are boringly presented (thick glass cases, no photos, officious staff) and are just not great value for money - especially when compared with the offerings at other museums of a similar profile and size and especially especially the vast, spectacular, innovative Met in New York where Savage Beauty was originally shown.

Honestly? I wish I’d seen Savage Beauty at the Met because as much as I enjoyed the exhibition - and I did, don’t get me wrong, I really did - my normal issues with the V&A did detract from it.

Let’s start with the positives though. This exhibition is a McQueen lovers’ dream. Covering everything from his 1992 MA show and early career as a Savile Row tailor right up until his breathtaking unfinished final 2010 collection, the pieces in this exhibition are an expertly curated greatest hits - and then some.

For me, the highlights were the Romantic Nationalism room, showcasing McQueen’s Scottish influence perfectly and including pieces from his Highland Rape and Widows of Culloden collections, and the Romantic Exoticism room, which showcased the designer’s foreign influences and included a stunning recreation of the ‘models in a box’ catwalk show. The room showcasing his final collection, Plato’s Atlantis, was also really cleverly laid out - though beware the video if you’re as snake-phobic as I am - and I adored the hauntingly beautiful hologram video of Kate Moss (and the tiny dark room it’s played in) that featured in the Widows of Culloden show.

All of my favourite rooms - and indeed most of the exhibition to be fair - were shown without glass cases (hurrah!) and you were allowed to get up close and personal with the details on these incredible creations. The exhibition space is used really well too with each of the rooms, arranged in roughly chronological and tightly thematic order, themed to match the broad topic of the collections they’re showcasing. This makes for some great, unexpected, spaces and juxtapositions (at one point you go from a dark and naturalistic cave to a traditional Scottish country club) which really emphasises the breadth as well as the depth of McQueen’s talent.

And that, ultimately, is what makes this exhibition great. Frankly, you could show Alexander McQueen’s work, especially the edit on display here, in a heap in a car park and it would still be worth paying to see. The man was a genius, and this exhibition is a fantastic advert for that fact and the idea that fashion absolutely can be art.

My issues with the exhibition, then, are almost exclusively actually issues with the V&A. Even though I had a ticket for the first slot of the day, the room was already crowded when I got in. I wish the V&A would just sell fewer tickets for these major exhibitions - I’d happily pay more if it meant I got a better view of everything. There was some dodgy curation too, especially the Cabinet of Curiosity room which had items displayed from warehouse level ceiling to floor which was spectacular but meant that there was a lot of stuff that I physically couldn’t see. And my biggest moan was that there was so little information about the exhibitions and what there was was in a tiny font scattered around the exhibits. I could barely read much of it and I have insanely good eyesight (humblebrag). Some more context would’ve been nice too. Much of this is filled in if you buy the catalogue - which is great, as is much of the merchandise (I love my tote bag and am already using it to death) - but that’s not really the point.

Overall, Savage Beauty is my third favourite fashion exhibition ever (Jean Paul Gaultier at The Barbican and Charles James at the Met, thanks for asking) and is 100% worth your time is you love fashion or even just beautiful, occasionally slightly crazy, creative objects in general.

Savage Beauty is on at the V&A until August 2nd and there are still plenty of tickets available. My advice? Go, go early and go on a weekday.

Best Dressed at the Oscars

So Oscars 2015 has been and gone. Sadface.

And whilst the very male and very pale voting panel renders the awards themselves increasingly irrelevant - yes, I am still angry on behalf of The Lego Movie - the red carpet is still where it's at when it comes to event dressing.

In a rather low key award season fashion-wise, the Oscars red carpet at last provided something for everyone to get excited about. Monochrome had its moment, neutrals were everywhere if you like that sort of thing and every colour from chartreuse to regal navy blue was on show, even on some of the boys. My one complaint? No major missteps, save perhaps for Lady Gaga's hideous gloves. Where's the fun in that?

Anyway, my top ten (plus bonus man)...

Rosamund Pike in Givenchy Couture

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Finally! After the least impressive awards season from any actress ever, the beautiful Rosamund hit a home run. And it was a huge one. This stunning embellished number is by far my favourite of the night. The vibrant colour is gorgeous - and perfect for her skin tone - the petal-like detailing is exquisite and the fit, with its exposed corsetry and thigh slit, is exactly the right amount of sexy. Minimal styling and a natural beauty look round out one of my favourite looks of the entire awards season.

Jessica Chastain in Givenchy Couture

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My clear second favourite of the night and another triumph for Ricardo Tisci. Navy blue on a redhead is always a winner for me, as is sophisticated sparkle, so this beautiful gown was always going to catch my eye. The draping on the bodice is simple yet devastatingly effective and I love how it accentuates her waist. A gorgeous smoky eye and single strand of diamonds provide sophisticated finishing touches.

Anna Kendrick in Thakoon

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I love this colour so much and against Anna's flawless skin it's just divine. The look is light and airy, fun but sophisticated and she is working it. The detail on the neckline is just the right amount of bling and the cut out is sexy but not try hard. Top marks for someone whose red carpet looks I often find hard to love.

Jennifer Hudson in Romona Keveza

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I loved Jennifer's simple, sexy Grammys look and this one, playing by the same rulebook, is even better. There's something so fresh about this gorgeous spring colour teamed with the simple cut of the gown, which once again is perfect for her stunning figure. I love the styling too with emerald accented jewellery offsetting the colour of the dress beautifully.

Meryl Streep in Lanvin

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Meryl + Lanvin = perfection, every time. Never afraid to do something different on the red carpet, I love this simple but striking skirt, blouse and tuxedo combination all pulled together with art deco accessories and jewellery. Age appropriate, sophisticated, sexy. Long live Queen Meryl.

Keira Knightley in Valentino Couture

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Just dreamy. I haven't been on board with all of Keira's awards season looks but this one I completely love. There's not a lot to say about this other than that it's a stunning gown which fits her boho-luxe style 100%. I only wish she'd pulled the beautiful headband she's wearing a bit further forward so it was easier to appreciate.

Emma Stone in Elie Saab Couture

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It's not the Oscars without someone completely nailing an Elie Saab princessy confection and this year it was Emma. Although this isn't as daring as her other awards season looks, the colour is so unusual and works so unexpectedly well with her gorgeous red hair that it still makes a big impact. I am by no means a fan of chartreuse generally speaking, but this is a winner. Love the coral lips too.

Reese Witherspoon in Tom Ford

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Simple, classic, perfect fit, expert styling, stunning. What more can you say? Reese has aced this awards season and this is a fitting send off. Love the earrings too.  

Zoe Saldana in Atelier Versace

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This is the body of someone who had twins a few months ago? Ok then. Seriously, the fit of this gown is everything. Fairly tame by Versace standards, it's the masterful draping around the waist that makes it and shows off Zoe's stunning new mum curves to killer effect. I love her sweet, tousled up do and simple, smoky makeup too.

Patricia Arquette in Rosetta Getty

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I have a thing for simple, striking monochrome at the moment, can you tell? This is such a good look for Patricia, who's been on fantastic form all season. She looks beautiful, effortless and regal with the one shoulder cape setting this look off to a T. Gorgeous.

Bonus best dressed man: David Oyelowo in Dolce and Gabbana

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Sweet Jesus I love this tux. I think this is my favourite red carpet look from a man ever, it's certainly in the top five. The contrasting burgundies of the suit and the waistcoat/bow-tie are stunning and I love his man brooch (I hope this becomes a thing). More of this please, menfolk.

Best Dressed at the Grammys

It's some years since I've found five looks on the Grammys red carpet that I like enough to blog about. This year, there were at least ten I could've included.

The Grammys is the one carpet where anything goes. Most years this seems to me an endless parade of flesh and tackiness. This year, there was an almost Cannes Festival vibe, dripping in fresh off the runway couture. It was go big or go home, not go nude or go home. Hurrah!

Here's my top five...

Rihanna in Giambattista Valli Couture

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File under: moment. I love this look because it's pure couture and pure theatre. But I love it more because Rihanna OWNS it. Yes, the capitals are completely necessary. It's such an unexpected look for her too, but now I've seen her wear it I can't think of it on anyone else.

Gwen Stefani in Aterlier Versace

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Another hot off the couture runway look and another complete home run. This could've been designed for Gwen with its cool and edgy take on the artistry of couture fashion. The pants are cut to perfection which allows the incredible bodice to totally do its thing. The second jumpsuit - after Emma Stone nailing it in Lanvin at the Globes - that I've been obsessed with this season which is frankly a minor miracle in itself.

Ciara in Alexandre Vaulthier Couture

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Yet another piece of fashion as art. This is as difficult a dress to wear as Rihanna's sugary confection but pulled off equally well. This is totally fierce, with slick styling to set it off to perfection. Sexy, glamorous and powerful.

Katy Perry in Zuhair Murad Couture

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Four for four on the couture looks. This is such a great classy Grammys look - see through but sufficiently dripping in crystals to obscure the fact! Beyond that though, this is just such a beautiful dress and an expertly composed overall look. I mean it even compliments her lilac hair!

Jennifer Hudson in Tom Ford

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The odd one out here: not couture and very understated. This is more proof, as if it were needed, that Tom Ford just knows how to cut a dress to flatter his woman, even if that dress is just a simple white strapless number. I don't think Jennifer has even looked better. Love the styling too, especially the simple double strand choker and the pops of berry via her lips and nails.

Best Dressed at the BAFTAs

UAwards season rolls on and it's the turn of we Brits to roll out our, exceptionally cold, red carpet at the BAFTAs.

Last year's BAFTAs fashion parade was so awesome - Angelina in that suit! Lupita in that green! - that this year's was always going to feel a bit of a let down. There were still some great looks though and the overall aesthetic is very much my scene - clean lines, minimal styling, proper grown up glamour.

Here's my top five...

Lea Seydoux in Prada

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Remember when Michelle Williams wore that yellow dress, red lipstick combo to the Oscars and everything was suddenly right with the world? Lea Seydoux clearly remembers and her take on it is perfect. Love the subtle flash of flesh, the colour is perfect against her skin and the red lips and nails match/clash with it so well. Top, top stuff. (Fellow Spectre Bond girl Monica Bellucci in Azzedine Alaia looks hot too.)

Reese Witherspoon in Stella McCartney

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This colour is everything. Reese is on a complete roll this awards season: she's nailed metallic, she's nailed white and now she's nailed colour. The neckline is risqué without being trashy and the simple, sleek cut hugs her in exactly the right way. Bonus points for sensible, weather appropriate sleeves too.

Laura Bailey in Emilia Wickstead

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I'm trying really hard to think of an Emilia Wickstead look I haven't liked and I'm really struggling. After Diane Kruger at the Golden Globes, this is another home run for the Brit designer. On the ever glam Laura this simple white gown just looks achingly, effortlessly cool. Teamed with a playful Charlotte Olympia clutch, it's a great - and very British - look.

Julianne Moore in Tom Ford

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Turning to her other go to designer, having done magnificent things with Givenchy so far this awards season, the perma-gorgeous Best Actress winner looks stunning in this Tom Ford number. Love the contrasting fabrics (especially the velvet top), love the sleeves, even love the choker, but most of all I love her hair against that vibrant red.

Diana Agron in Lanvin

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My other favourite lady in red tonight. The draping on this classic Lanvin gown is so beautiful. In fact the overall look is so simple, elegant and old school glamorous. I love her shoes and the gorgeous hair and make up too. 

Best Dressed at the SAG Awards

I'm not going to lie, I was kind of underwhelmed by the SAG red carpet.

There was a lot of 'oh that's nice but', with the buts ranging from distractingly creased fabric (Gwendoline Christie) to too much detail (Claire Danes) to just being a bit boring (Emilia Clarke, Felicity Jones). The continued fall from grace of Rosamund Pike - a disaster in Dior - is distressing to me as well.

But thankfully some ladies (and Eddie Redmayne - when does he not look perfect?) brought their A Game though. Here are my favourites, in no particular order...

Emma Stone in Christian Dior Couture

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This girl can do no wrong for me at the moment. After her unexpected jumpsuit at the Golden Globes, she pulled out this perfect take on the tux. The dress is fun, interesting and youthful and she 100% sells it. The ear cuff, effortless styling and those green eyes are the icing on an impeccable cake. Long may she keep marching to the beat of her own drum.

Camilla Alves in Donna Karan Atelier

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Running Emma close for my favourite of the night, I'm all about the colour of this stunning gown - especially set against Camilla's beautiful olive skin. The cut is immaculate, the demi-cape detail is perfect and her minimal styling is bang on. With a dress like that who needs jewels?

Reese Witherspoon in Giorgio Armani

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I love Reese's chic, minimal version of glamour and this stunner is no exception. With a dress almost completely devoid of detail - though I love the matte sequins at the neckline - and completely devoid of colour, the cut really has to be on point and this really is. A smattering of diamond and a simple hair and make-up look complement the minimal aesthetic perfectly.

Lupita Nyong'o in Elie Saab

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This dress is so unusual and I just love it. Abstract flowers and stripes are two of my favourite prints at the moment so combine them and add in sleeves and I'm totally on board. Another home run for the red carpet's most consistently well dressed woman. Love the braided hair too.

Natalie Dormer in Naeem Khan

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I'm pretty sure it's been scientifically proven that Natalie is the mos beautiful woman in the world and I almost always love her style. Another win for abstract flowers, I love the delicate print on this gown from one of my favourite red carpet designers. I just wish she'd teamed it with a punchy pink lip. Still a beautiful look, though.


Onwards to the BAFTAs...

Best Dressed at the Golden Globes

Award season is here again - hurrah!

And also how the hell has that happened? The passage of time is a bitch.

It was a good looking red carpet this year wasn't it? A few minor missteps (Amal, you're brilliant and I love you but white gloves? Really?), a couple of pleasingly major missteps (Keira, Lana - just no) and a whole lot of loveliness. Some kickass major trends too - I'm very much in favour of red and silver making waves.

Here, in no particular order, are my favourite looks...

Diane Kruger in Emilia Wickstead

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One of two and a half silver looks that make my top five, I love the simplicity of this beautiful gown. Fit is always king for me and this is impeccable. I love the classic Old Hollywood styling too - the waves, the sort-of-subtle bling and that gorgeous mother of pearl clutch. The divine Diane rarely puts a foot wrong and this look is certainly no exception.

Emma Stone in Lanvin

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This Lanvin jumpsuit - an item of clothing to which I can generally best be described as ambivalent to - is just divine. Tapping into the silver trend with the stunning bodice, it's actually the mannish tailoring combined with the sweeping bow belt that does it for me. As-minimal-as-possible styling is the cherry on top of this fun, youthful, achingly cool look.

Julianne Moore in Givenchy Haute Couture 

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Sometimes, more is more. This is one of those occasions. All over sequins, ombre feathers, diamond earrings, that red hair; whatever Julianne is selling I'm buying it. Major moment.

Lupita Nyong'o in Giambattista Valli

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Just because she's not nominated this year, don't for one minute think lovely Lupita is bringing anything less than her A game to the red carpet. I adore this floral creation so much, especially the beautiful textured bodice. Simple accessories and that winning smile complete the look perfectly.

Amy Poehler in Stella McCartney

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Things I love about this dress: the colour, the simple cut, the sleeves and, possibly most of all, the pockets. Overall the effect is somewhat revolutionary in that not only does it look gorgeous, it looks COMFY. I would 100% wear this look and the fact that it's on such a beautiful tropical fish* as Amy P just makes it.

*If you don't get the reference, get off my blog.

2014 in Review: Best Dressed of the Year

Somehow it's nearly 2015. I have literally no idea how that happened. Terrifying.

Anyhoo, the end of another year means it's time for the annual 'best of' blog posts to be dusted off and I'm starting mine with a run down of my top 10 best dressed of the year. I've set myself a golden rule for this one: each person can only appear once. This is harder than you might think.

Here, in a rough order of preference, are my picks:

Angelina Jolie in Saint Laurent

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The best tailoring of the year, and I'm still majorly crushing on that bow tie, but mostly I'm in love with her 'yeah I'm a girl wearing a suit on the red carpet, what of it?' attitude. Few people, of any gender, have warn a suit so well this year. Major moment.

Blake Lively in Gucci Premiere

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Picking just one Blake Lively look from this year was very hard, but in the end this one pipped her Cannes double for me because she just looks that bit more perfect. Plus the cape is super awesome.

Elizabeth Banks in Elie Saab Couture

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A proper princess moment. I love the dreamy print - florals don't have to be boring - and it's so refreshing to see an Elie Saab gown without a sequin or a bit of lace in sight. And another awesome cape. Love a cape.

Rihanna in Zac Posen

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I am unrepentant in my love for Rihanna's edgy, punky style but this old school glam look just blew me away. The colour is divine on her, the draping is beautiful and don't even get me started on that necklace. Perfection.

Lupita Nyongo in Ralph Lauren

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Lupita + colour, any colour =winner. I have just loved her style this year and this caped (have I mentioned I love capes?) beauty from Ralph Lauren is the pick of the crop. I'm a sucker for a red dress. 

Lily Collins in Elie Saab Couture

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Another non-sequin Elie Saab creation, I'm obsessed with the stunning, dramatic ombre effect on this beauty. And her styling? Top notch - I love the faux bob.

Kate Hudson in Atlelier Versace 

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Capes. Have I mentioned capes yet? Seriously, I love this. It's old school Hollywood via the 1980s, which is to say it's perfection.

Amy Adams in Antonio Berardi

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Two things: cut (outs) and colour. Red hair plus blue dress is always a lush combo and this is no exception. And another top faux bob. 

Keira Knightley in Valentino Couture

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Almost everything that Keira Knightley's worn this year is worthy of a best dressed mention but this is my favourite. The dress is self evidently exquisite and the styling is perfect. I especially love the unexpected raspberry pumps.

Emma Watson in Ralph Lauren Collection

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Again, someone who could've made up the entirety of this list. I love this look in particular because it's so simple and so sophisticated. And I do love a crisp white shirt. Beautiful updo/berry lip combo too.

Ooh I enjoyed that. Aren't they all fabulous? Here's to an equally fabulous 2015.