PRIMARY COLOURS ON THE SAG AWARDS RED CARPET

One of my favourite trends that emerged from the red carpet at Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards was primary colours. Emily Blunt, Michelle Williams and Jessica Chastain rocked bold, bright and beautiful gowns in jewel-like shades of emerald green, ruby red and cerulean blue. All three starlets have delicate, porcelian complexions that looked great against a shot of vivid colour. t also made a refreshing change from all the safe nude and black gowns that seem to have dominated red carpet trends recently.

What do you think of the gowns? I'd love to hear your thoughts.


Image source: Zimbio

THE FASHIONABLE FRENCH LOOK

If the name of my blog isn't a dead giveaway, I'm a massive fan of French fashion.

Many of the French fashion classics are style staples in my wardrobe; nothing feels cooler than a Breton t-shirt, more elegant than a ballet flat or chicer than a quilted tote. And let's face it, the most iconic fashion brands originate from France (Chanel, Dior & Lanvin anyone?). There's also plenty of smaller, up-and-coming French brands out there that offer the insouciant national cool at a more affordable price (Maje, Sandro and A.P.C spring to mind). So here's my pick of the best buys out there from some of these beautiful labels.... 

1. A.P.C Striped top, Net-a-porter.com, £115.
2. Lanvin Alber Silouettes notebook, Matches, £40.00.
3. Maje Leopard print and silk sweater, Net-a-porter.com, £155.
4. Lanvin Swarovski Crystal clip earrings, Net-a-porter.com, £310.
5. Carven yellow cotton pleated skirt, Matches, £221.00.  
6. Lanvin leather ballet flats, Net-a-porter.com, £330.

THE STATEMENT PENCIL IS THE SKIRT OF THE SEASON

For the sharpest style of the season, look no further than the statement pencil skirt. As seen on the spring/summer 2012 Sportmax catwalk, the statement pencil skirt comes in a variety of guises from embellished through to printed or brightly coloured. In the daytime, style your pencil  with a sleek sweater like Sportmax's gorgeous iridescent number or make like a fashion ed and wear with a crisp white shirt. And for dusk draw inspiration from Sportmax again and wear with a cute little peplum top to enhance your curves and add some va-va-voom to your look!
Image source: Style.com.

There's some great interpretations of this trend on the highstreet this season too, here's my pick of the best:

1. Kaleidoscope Floral Print pencil skirt, Oasis, £45.00.  
2. Flock Spot Pencil Skirt, Topshop, £38.00.
3. Kaleidoscope Print Pencil Skirt, Topshop, £28.00.

Thank you to Style Servings for the heads up on skirt number 1, see the original post here.

CHANEL'S SPRING 2012 COUTURE SHOW TAKES OFF!

Couture has a pricepoint that is only attainable for those living a jet-set lifestyle. So maybe Karl Lagerfeld was cheekily alluding to that fact today by showing his latest Couture collection on a elaborate set designed to look like the inside of a private jet.


In front of a star-studded crowd that included the likes of Cameron Diaz, Diane Kruger and Vanessa Paradis, Lagerfeld showed a chic collection in a myriad of blue tones. Drop-waisted shapes dominated the range as did pockets- Karl even added pockets to luxurious couture dresses in an unexpected yet delightful twist.


Another trend that emerged from the show was heavy embellishment- sequins and beads adorned gowns and twinkled on tights (which girl wouldn't love a pair of Chanel embellished tights?). Another key styling detail was oversized collars, very 1950s and Jackie O in style. There's no denying the show was a sartorial success, all aboard Chanel Airlines, this collection has wings!

    Source: The Daily Mail

   Source: Style.com.

SALE ALERT- ALEXANDER MCQUEEN HITS THE OUTNET!

When an email from The Outnet pinged into my inbox today annoucing tomorrow's Alexander McQueen sale, I just had to share the news with you! If there's one brand to invest in at the moment it's Alexander McQueen, since the sad passing of the man himself the label's archive pieces have become sought after and are guaranteed future classics. Fans of the label should be poised by their computers at 10am GMT time tomorrow when the sale kicks off.

TALI LENNOX IS THE NEW FACE OF KAREN MILLEN

This week Karen Millen have revealed Annie Lennox's daughter, catwalk model Tali Lennox as the new face of the brand.

And judging from the first snaps of the fresh-faced 19 year old in the SS12 campaign, she looks like the perfect choice for the high street womenswear brand. I'm a big fan of Tali's strong features and unique beauty and I think she brings a contemporary feel to the Karen Millen signature look. Prints dominate the SS12 collection; floral, abstract and tribal prints look fresh and modern contrasted with bold yellow accessories. The luminscent lighting looks great with the sleek styling too. I actually used to work on the shop floor at Karen Millen, and these pictures have left me hankering for my uniform discount again!

Source: the Daily Mail.

JAEGER BOUTIQUE'S FABULOUS FRUIT PRINT T-SHIRTS!

Regular readers of La fashion folie will know I have a slight obsession with all-things neon. So you can imagine how excited I was when I came across these fabulous fruit-print t-shirts in the Boutique section of Jaeger today, complete with on-trend highlighter pen scribbles. The only downside? Choosing which of the cute prints to plump for! I finally decided on the melon print, on the basis that neon pink is more wearable than orange or yellow. My only hope is that I won't be on the receiving end of too many 'nice melon' puns, but when my t-shirt is this fabulous, who cares?!

1. Melon print t-shirt, £40
2. Banana print t-shirt, £40.
3. Pineapple print t-shirt, £40.

PRIMARK DOES PRADA 'CAR PRINTS'!

If you were a fan of Prada's 1950s-inspired SS12 catwalk show, then you will no doubt be pleased to see that Primark have revved up their spring/summer collection with car-print pieces that are more than just a little 'Prada-inspired'.

For the authentic Prada look, wear the print head-to-toe, accessorize with colourful jewel earrings and prepare to accelerate to the top of the fashion charts!


1. Car print shell top, Primark.
2. Drop earrings, ASOS, £10.00.  
3. Ameko tan leather bag, ASOS, £85.00.
4. Car print pleated skirt, Primark.

HOT OFF THE HIGHSTREET: ASOS PEACOCK PRINT SHOES

It takes alot to make me wax lyrical about a shoe; Manolos, Louboutins and Jimmy Choos all tend to pass me by. But these ASOS 'Hamilton' peacock print wedges are no normal shoe, and I'm head over heels in love with them! As I keep mentioning, prints will be HUGE this season and ASOS's William Morris-inspired peacock interpretation on a platform wedge unit make for the perfect statement shoe. The combination of intricate detailing and a daring design make this shoe look much more expensive than the £75 pricetag. Surely a strong contender for the high street shoe of the season?

Asos Hamilton shoe, £75.00.

PRIMARK'S AMAZING SS12 COLLECTION

I know one of my new year's resolutions was to do a fast fashion detox and invest in classics, but if there's one SS12 high street collection tempting me to break my vow it's Primark's.

The highlights of the range include bold, floral-print summer dresses that tap into SS12's obsession with print and colour. Tailored cropped trousers in mouthwatering shades of powder blue, lemon yellow and tangerine are styled with buttoned up shirts with polka dot, floral and colour contrast details. And the snakeskin accessories complement the brights and prints perfectly. Primark's buying team have their finger firmly on the pulse this season, there's hundreds of catwalk trends ticked off here! To view the full collection head to LOOK.co.uk.

WAR HORSE PREMIERE RED CARPET REVIEW

There were some great red carpet looks at last night's War Horse premiere. Here's my round up of the outfits that galloped to the front of the fashion race.....

The Duchess of Cambridge scored another style hit in this chic black lace Alice Temperley gown. The waisted shape created curves on her svelte frame, and the luxurious black lace looked very regal on the royal family's newest member.

Young star of the War Horse film, Celine Buckens, looked cute and fresh in this youthful dress from the Victoria by Victoria Beckham range. The range, inspired by cartoon character Emily the Strange, has a lower price point than VB's mainline collection and youthful feel, making it the perfect red carpet choice for teenage starlets like Buckens.

I just love the sapphire colour of this gorgeous Beulah maxi dress on Made in Chelsea's Cheska Hull. This dress is so fabulous it doesn't demand bold accessories, I like the way Cheska has kept the styling simple to let the gown do the talking.

What do you think of the red carpet looks? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

THE NAUTICAL TREND IS BACK FOR S/S12

If there's one trend you can pretty much guarantee will back in fashion each spring, it's the craze for all-things nautical. And s/s12 is no different thanks to Yves Saint Laurent's Resort collection that came complete with breton stripes, cute anchor prints and chic Riveria-inspired gold jewellery. So to get you ready for spring, here's my pick of the best designer and high street nautical inspired buys. Ships ahoy!

1. Yves Saint Laurent gold-plated starfish clip earrings, net-a-porter.com, £235.
2. Boat neck long sleeve striped t-shirt, Uniqlo, £14.90.
3. Oversize anchor necklace, ASOS, £15.00.
4. Stripe 4 pocket cardi, Warehouse, £40.00.
5. Yves Saint Laurent Riveria embroidered suede wedge sandals, net-a-porter.com, £550.

WE'LL TAKE MANHATTAN

Forget Twiggy, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell; in my opinion the most perfect fashion model to have graced the sacred pages of Vogue was Jean Shrimpton AKA 'the Shrimp'.

And the waifish, doe-eyed postergirl of the 1960s is well and truly back in Vogue, as this month sees a one-off BBC4 film about the Shrimp come to our screens. The documentary focuses on her on and off camera relationship with photographer David Bailey, with Doctor Who's Karen Gillan playing Jean. The documentary will be aired on BBC4 later this month and promises to be a 1960s fashion feast for the eyes, but nothing could compare to some of the iconic snaps of the lady herself.

FASHION RESOLUTION 3: TRY THE TRENDS!

My third and final fashion resolution for 2012 is to be brave and try the trends! Top of my list are a pair hi-tops, the fashionista's footwear of choice- and this gorgeous pair from stylistpick.com are lent a touch of luxe with a snake print finish.

Shourouk's jewelled cord necklace will add a splash of neon to neutrals, Topshop's shimmering pastel nail colours are perfect for spring/summer and this ASOS clutch in the season's sunniest hue of yellow captures the trend for oversize clutches and pastels in one. Phew!

1. Elva snake print hi tops, stylistpick.com, £39.95.
2. Shourouk Leitmotiv Yildiz crystal necklace, net-a-porter.com, £200.
3. Cosmic Karma and Hyperreal nail polishes, Topshop, £6.00 each.
4. Slot through portfolio clutch, ASOS, £20.00.

FASHION RESOLUTION 2: INVEST IN CLASSICS

Happy new year everyone! 2012 is here, and it's time to look to the fashionable year ahead. Following my recent post on my first fashion resolution of the year, here comes my second: to invest in classics. Yes, in 2012 I'm vowing to save my pennies and splash out on timeless classics that will never date. Top of my wishlist are a selection of natty-print dresses and a butter-soft leather jacket from my favourite high street shop, Whistles, a timeless Hillier Hobo bag Marc by Marc Jacobs, a pair of go-anywhere Amber and Jade courts (with a clever detachable bow) and a Michael Kors watch. The perfect capsule wardrobe for a stylish 2012 and beyond!

1. Extended shoulder jacket, Whistles, £295.00.
2. Veronica Safia Print Dress, Whistles, £165.
3. Rose gold-plated chronograph watch, Michael Kors, £240.
4. Marc by Marc Jacobs Hillier Hobo leather shoulder bag, net-a-porter.com, £350.
5. Aretha Onyx court shoes with removable bow, Amber and Jade, £79.
6. Graphic paisley print dress, Whistles, £95.00.