Candice Swanepoel vs. Michelle Dockery: Who wore Peter Pilotto better?

Masters of print, design duo Peter Pilotto know how to make a woman look good in a dress. And the two women competing for our attention in said designer’s dress this week are Victoria’s Secret Angel and all-round gorgeous lady, Candice Swanepoel, and Downton Abbey superstar, Michelle Dockery.
First up, Ms. Swanepoel floored us with her fashion moves, as she slipped into the stunning flamenco-inspired printed panel dress at the Victoria’s Secret 2013 Swim Collection Party, last month. Looking enviably tanned and toned, the leggy lovely completed her look with a slicked back top-knot and black Louboutin pumps.
But beating the South African beauty to it was English rose Michelle Dockery, who wore the same dress back in January to the Entertainment Weekly pre-SAG awards party. Opting for a chic, wispy up-do, Michelle accessorised her look with drop earrings, a box clutch and red pumps.
Both ladies looked equally stylish in their print-tastic dresses, but there can only be one style champ! And with that said, Michelle lands our winning vote.
Although we want Candice’s impossibly perfect body, the overall look is a bit harsh, and maybe tumbling locks would’ve been a better option. Black pumps are a little boring too, almost blending the look into one, matchy-matchy outfit. Michelle’s softer hairstyle and red pumps bring the extra glam factor to her look.
Disagree with our style verdict? Tell us why, below!

Emmy Rossum champions the British High Street in dazzling Topshop dress

Demi Lovato isn’t the only famous fan of Topshop – Emmy Rossum seems to be quite keen on it too! God bless Philip Green!
We always get a warm and fuzzy feeling when we see celebs taking to the red carpet in Topshop… after all, they have so many designer options at their fingertips that they could wear absolutely anything they wanted… so the fact that they choose Topshop proves that the high street store is still doing something right!
Emmy Rossum attended the iHeartRadio 20/20 album party (yes that is Justin Timberlake’s new album… we feel it definitely deserves a party too!) wearing a green and white embroidered dress from the Little Dresses section of the store. Akin to Blake Lively, Emmy also rocks those white shoes like a pro – no hint of Essex style here! We can’t fault her look; the chic but slightly messy updo, the glittery eye make-up and even the white manicure all equal sartorial perfection!

Christina Aguilera looks smokin’ on The Voice screening red carpet

Christina Aguilera actually looks pretty smokin’ in the pic above, wouldn’t you agree?
Aggy doesn’t always get the nicest of reviews when it comes to her sartorial choices on the red carpet (apart from when she had her vintage 1930s phase a few years back and she didn’t put a foot wrong!) but we think her appearance at The Voice US screening is the best she has looked in years.
Just goes to show that a little toning down in the hair and make-up department can go a long way. Plus, it looks like she’s slowly but surely getting her svelte and sexy figure back, so kudos to her for taking it at a sensible pace.
Ps: we’re not completely colour blind; we know the false tan is the “elephant in the room” but we’re going to ignore it just because we’re so pleased with the rest of the look. We might even take to Instagram and look at it in black and white so it offends us less. Tan aside, we love this Xtina look. What say you?

Pam Hogg hits Vauxhall Fashion Scout during London Fashion Week AW 2012

A Pam Hogg show is never a sedate affair, and last night's Autumn / Winter show at Vauxhall Fashion Scout was no exception. Unibrowed models in space-aged Elizabethan collars took to the catwalk in barely-there lace all-in-ones, black sequinned fetish dresses, Judy Jetson silver dresses, and Hogg's trademark metallic catsuits.
In a gallery that's slightly NSFW, you'll see the lingerie-inspired collection in more details. Bows covered breasts, strategically placed applique held streams of netting, and sheer pieces took the seam from a pair of retro stockings and redistributed it across the bodice, shaping the body with a series of lines, with opaque sections not unlike the toe and heel of pair of fully-fashioned stockings.
A doll-like Jaime Winstone closed the show in a full-skirted dress, dancing around for the front row that included Alexandra Burke, Jo Wood, Janice Dickinson, Kate Nash, Nick Rhodes and Tolula Adeyemi. See all the pics by clicking above.

Erdem's art show for London Fashion Week AW12

Monday afternoon at London Fashion Week and it's time for the Erdem AW12 show at the White Cube Gallery. At first glance it all seemed a little industrial for a designer famous for creating beautifully colourful pieces, but the gallery space was the perfect place to display Erdem's pieces of art.
A collection inspired by Peggy Guggenheim, the show unveiled a master class of print along with tweed accents and lace over neon shades. Texture and paint splattered patterns appeared in all shapes, from oversized overcoats and floor length dresses, to ankle boots provided by Nicholas Kirkwood.


Erdem let the clothes speak for themselves, with models wearing minimal, dainty makeup and polished ponys finished with a black bow - only the perfectly painted nails provided extra colour with a custom made blue to match the shades in the collection. Signature pieces included lace and overlaid florals, in particular an acid green lace mini dress which made heads turn. The colour palette consisted of deep blues, acid green, purples, with bright tweeds being a personal favourite - the masterpiece for me was a sleeveless, purple tweed and leather dress with a corset styled insert.The collection held a very 1950's style aesthetic, mixing elegance and optimsim with a modern day front. Florals had attitude and yet, it was never OTT. Femininity shone through even the haardest of fabrics, with leather looking pretty as apposed to tough.

Erdem has described the wearers of his label as "a clever person who probably cares little about seasons", which might be the reason behind so many sleeveless designs within the collection (and let's face it, if we owned one of these dresses, we'd wear it in any weather).

Christopher Kane's purple haze at London Fashion Week AW12

The room was a buzz at Christopher Kane this morning, and whilst the show ran late, the fashion crowd barely noticed as they cooed over the purple carpeted catwalk that had been scented with lavender. Fashion Week favourites Alexa Chung and Anna Wintour took their seats on the FROW as the models began their journey down the longest catwalks we've seen this season.
Kane's keen eye for detail reflected in delicate lilac printed leathers and oversized flocked florals. Black leather piping embellishment appeared on hems everywhere, giving a grunge feel to the heavily print inspired collection - tree bark and leopard prints added to the look. The collection challenged the senses and was a veritable mix of fabrics, including crushed velvet, pinstriped fur and silk, presented in a uniform of royal hues from purples, reds, midnight blues and lots of black.

Leather collars and sleeves transformed prettier pieces into unique, rock and roll pieces which echoed in the collection and even in the hair and make-up (hair was glossy but grunge, whilst make-up consisted of glowing skin and strong eyebrows). The clothes all had their own distinctive personalities, from the incredibly luxe pillar box red printed dress to the incredibly cool knitwear and skirts combo, Kane's AW12 collection would suit any girls tastes.
The finale was simply stunning, with all of the models taking to that long, lavender catwalk for one last turn in their towering heels (black, obviously).

Blake Lively and Emma Stone make a welcome return at The Croods premiere

Blake Lively and Emma Stone have been noticeably absent on the red carpet these days (well, we can never get enough of them even when they do regularly grace us with their presence) so we’re glad to see them return for the New York premiere of The Croods – we welcome them back with open arms!
Emma Stone looked divine in a monochrome Lanvin dress with an exaggerated bow at the back, which she teamed with a long, layered necklace, nude pumps and smouldering smoky eyes.
Blake Lively, or should we say the relatively new Mrs Ryan Reynolds, also wowed the crowd as she lent her support to her hubby on his newest film. Blake flashed her perfect pins in a skin-tight burgundy and white Marios Schwab dress, which she teamed with her signature dishevelled “I just got out of bed but look how perfect I look” hairstyle. And if there’s anyone to convince us that white pumps are okay, it’s Blake… anyone else have leg envy?

Eva Longoria is red hot in floor-length John Galliano

Jessica Rabbit, eat your heart out – there’s a new sexy scarlet goddess in town and her name is Eva Longoria!
Yep, our favourite former Desperate Housewives star looked nothing short of phenomenal on the red carpet last night, as she donned a floor-length John Galliano dress for the 2013 Laureus World Sports Awards which took place in Rio de Janeiro.
Eva sported some seriously smouldering eye make up to add the sultry factor to the look, and left her enviable brunette wavy locks tumble over her shoulders. The best thing about this dress (apart from the fact that Eva was wearing it) is the sexy scoop back. Chic and demure in the front and daring and sexy in the back – is there anything this dress doesn’t have?
Another red carpet triumph for Ms Longoria!

Emmy Rossum scoops Best Dressed of the Week in Oscar de la Renta

Looking ultra-feminine, not to mention catwalk-fresh, is this week’s Best Dressed star, Emmy Rossum, in a breathtaking Oscar de la Renta Pre-Fall 2013 dress
Emmy wore an embellished baby blue dress with gorgeous pink and aqua floral print embroidery to the screening of ‘Oz: The Great and Powerful’ in New York.
Finishing off her super sweet look were two-tone aqua and emerald satin pumps from the catwalk look. We’re glad she kept off the accessories, because this beautiful dress demands all of the attention by itself!
In line with the look, Emmy opted for glossy tumbling curls, a pop of sugary pink on the lips and, of course, obligatory rosy cheeks. A stunning look that makes us pine for summer even more so!

Blake Lively and Emma Stone make a welcome return at The Croods premiere

Blake Lively and Emma Stone have been noticeably absent on the red carpet these days (well, we can never get enough of them even when they do regularly grace us with their presence) so we’re glad to see them return for the New York premiere of The Croods – we welcome them back with open arms!
Emma Stone looked divine in a monochrome Lanvin dress with an exaggerated bow at the back, which she teamed with a long, layered necklace, nude pumps and smouldering smoky eyes.
Blake Lively, or should we say the relatively new Mrs Ryan Reynolds, also wowed the crowd as she lent her support to her hubby on his newest film. Blake flashed her perfect pins in a skin-tight burgundy and white Marios Schwab dress, which she teamed with her signature dishevelled “I just got out of bed but look how perfect I look” hairstyle. And if there’s anyone to convince us that white pumps are okay, it’s Blake… anyone else have leg envy?

Eva Longoria is red hot in floor-length John Galliano

Jessica Rabbit, eat your heart out – there’s a new sexy scarlet goddess in town and her name is Eva Longoria!
Yep, our favourite former Desperate Housewives star looked nothing short of phenomenal on the red carpet last night, as she donned a floor-length John Galliano dress for the 2013 Laureus World Sports Awards which took place in Rio de Janeiro.
Eva sported some seriously smouldering eye make up to add the sultry factor to the look, and left her enviable brunette wavy locks tumble over her shoulders. The best thing about this dress (apart from the fact that Eva was wearing it) is the sexy scoop back. Chic and demure in the front and daring and sexy in the back – is there anything this dress doesn’t have?
Another red carpet triumph for Ms Longoria!

Freida Pinto vs. Emma Stone: Who wore Burberry Prorsum better?

Putting their own spin on a beautiful peplum corset top from British fashion house Burberry are two leading ladies who always hold up in the style stakes.
First up, Freida Pinto wore hers on the Burberry Prorsum autumn/winter 2013-14 front row, with sleek, emerald tailored trousers and a peep-toe wedge heel. Accessorising her look was a slick of black on the nails, a neon yellow shoulder bag and a sash tie around the waist. Flowing locks and a pop of red on the lips finished this look with finesse.
But beating her to it was the gorgeously girly Emma Stone who wore the same top to the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards back in November. Emma stuck to a similar colour palette on her bottom half, but instead opted for a statement sequin skirt. A sweetly side-swept long bob and black pumps completed Emma’s look, not to mention her signature rosy glow.
So, whose look lands your vote? For us, just as she was back when she first appeared in this look, Emma Stone is the winner hands down! The look oozes glamour, and, as much as we like Freida’s tailored style, Emma’s glitzy skirt had us positively blinded by fashion joy at first sight!

London Fashion Week: Burberry S/S 2013 - shop it now!

No doubt many of you were viewing the Burberry show via the amazing livestream the label provides each season, so we will save you a long and drawn-out show review. Needless to say, there were plenty of the trademark trench coats and outerwear, but for Spring / Summer 2013, things got brighter and shinier at Burberry than they've been for a very long time. Some have compared the rainbow of belted metallic trenches that closed the show to a tin of Quality Street chocolates - all in jewel shades of blue, pink, purple, green and claret.

Thanks to Burberry's incredible digital initiative, you can order the clothes seconds after they've hit the catwalk - so if you have £2000 to spare for a cropped purple capelet or a lacy wiggle dress, you can place your order now.

Our top tips are the leather trench in green and blue metallic, like poured peacock feathers, and the corset detail silk jackets (long and short) in beautiful degrade silks. We also loved the oversize belted coats in ombre blue and pink, and the delicate lace trench coats in shades of gold and green.

We'd advise you give the big shoulders a miss though - if these make tiny models look like linebackers, imagine what they'll look like on us mere mortals?

Louise Gray's ghetto fabulous Spring / Summer 2013 at LFW

After pairing up with Topshop to create a limited edition range recently, it came as no real surprise that Louise Gray was showing her Spring / Summer 2013 collection at the Topshop show space this afternoon at London Fashion Week, so we popped along to see what was on offer from the Scottish designer.

Renowned for her creative combinations, off the wall thinking and dare devil designs, there's no denying Louise Gray tends to push the boundaries in terms of style combinations that you quite simply wouldn't find anywhere else, and this season was no different. Her usual design signatures were ever present, think colour, texture, hand silk screened, specially developed fabrics, embroidery and hand printed techniques, but the combinations, layering and styling were like never before.

With what I took as a ghetto type edge, prints went down a graffiti type route, layered up in what felt like care free combinations for w real rebellious edge. Accessories only added to the feel, with oversized mirror earrings in exclamation (!) shapes and metal plate headwear which added humour with thought bubble, bow and hat shaped cut outs. Hair and makeup matched the look with high volume messy beehive style bouffants, clown-esque zig zag eyebrows and statement beauty spots.

Erdem Moralioglu's show

Erdem Moralioglu's show is a highlight of many people's London Fashion Week, and it's likely that few fans were disappointed with this season's offerings, which were inspired by Zenna Henderson's 'The People' - a story of aliens trying to fit in on a new planet. The key was in the juxtaposition; bright colours on pale pastel backgrounds, snakeskin and soft lace combined, dots and floral mixed together. Things that weren't quite right, but looked great all the same!

It was a stunning show for fans of the feminine and romantic. While Erdem is not the first designer to artfully mix neons and pastels (see Christopher Kane's early work) he did so in a very accomplished, modern way.

Making pastels look sophisticated is never an easy challenge, and throw in shades of bright orange and neon yellow and it's even harder. Through his use of simple shapes, clever textures and luxurious fabrics, Erdem kept this collection looking expensive, not childish, but it still had a whimsical feel about it.

Towards the end of the show, the blues came out - this seems like London Fashion Week law by this point. If you don't show a shade of blue, you might as well go home! There were also structured full skirts, a few pairs of slim, patterned trousers, and a series of long column dresses with splits up the side.

London Fashion Week SS2013: David Koma's tennis delights

The Olympics may have drawn to an close but great sportswear definitely has not as David Koma's tennis-inspired crop tops, shorts and t-shirt dresses hit the catwalk yesterday.

The collection was inspired by the female tennis stars of yesteryear that brought style and elegance to a sport once dominated by men, Suzanne Lenglen, Gussie Moran and Lea Pericoli. Influenced by these women Koma brought the tennis dress into modern day with his own mod-like spin.

With a strict colour palette of just grass green, tangerine orange, neat white and palatinate blue, Koma focused on structure, pleating and texture as well as layering with sheer to add new dimensions; we particularly liked his use of patent leathers over thick jersey.
Pattern-wise Koma kept things simple using graphics as both print and embroidery to give the symmetrical tennis-net print a three-dimensional, luxe appeal.

Keeping with theme, the new season heels provided by shoe designer Alain Quilici even featured real tennis racket handle grip. We even got to hop backstage and check out the little beauties right up close, why not have a peep at our gallery above?

One things for sure, if this is the attire then David Koma will have us all taking up tennis next year.

Click here to view the whole gallery 

London Fashion Week S/S 2013 - Giles horses around

Doutzen Kroes! Laser-cut leather! Big pouffy prom dresses! Ridiculous headwear! There was no mistaking the Giles show, which offered up plenty of the designer's trademarks with all his usual wit, albeit with a slightly more laid-back atmosphere than previous seasons.

We haven't seen a horse print used so extensively since Stella McCartney's Chloe days, but Giles bought it back, and took it to the next level, for look closer and you realise these were winged horses. Behold! Pegasus is the new owl (which was the new swallow). Hunt it down in a print immediately.

Elsewhere the laser-cut leathers got even more dramatic - previously we've seen them from Giles in metallics, this time they were on fishtail hems and black mini dresses, more detailed than ever before. The high street is going to have a hard job copying this in PVC without creating something that falls apart after seconds of wear.

The colour palette was - unsurprisingly - mostly the Spring / Summer 2013 failsafes of black, white and blue, and there was plenty of the sparkle that we've seen all over the London catwalks evident in the evening dresses towards the end of the show.

Read more at http://www.catwalkqueen.tv/2012/09/london_fashion_week_giles_ss2013.html#zyuK44yqzJXFDKk1.99