D for Dot

This is not the first time that Adele has graced the cover of a magazine, and it probably will not be the last. Even for the winner of 6 awards at the last Grammy, being on the cover of American Vogue should be something to shout about. It is nice to see someone who doesn’t have a perfectly svelte body fronting one of the most read magazines in the world. Not that I have anything against perfectly svelte bodies (who does?), but sometimes, its good to keep it real.

If this isn’t solid evidence that big can be beautiful, I don’t know what is.

Head over to Facebook for more pictures of the fashion spread that Adele did for Vogue.

[Pictures: Vogue]

Let’s take a little break from the Fall/Winter 2012 fashion week mayhem. Scottish illustrator KT Smail is based in New York, where she “draw magical girls with broken hearts, darling creatures, faraway lovers and pretty dresses”. In a series of drawings that she did on the Spring/Summer 2012 collections, she dressed her delicate, melancholic characters in some of the key looks from various designer labels, including Miu Miu (above), Proenza Schouler (below) and Christopher Kane. For a touch of whimsy, she added small critters, like cats, rabbits and squirrels, into the drawings.

These are a refreshing change from all the runway photographs that I have been flipping through for the past two weeks.

The entire fashion industry has been caught up in a live-streaming frenzy for quite some time now, but Burberry Prorsum‘s is the only one that I tune in to religiously. If you didn’t managed to catch the British heritage brand’s runway show late last night, it is now on demand on their website. As usual, the event is done up in classic Christopher Bailey style – in other words, saturated with his unique vision of the Londoner’s cool.

Perhaps Tim Blanks says it best: the collection is about Bailey’s ongoing fascination with casually gilded youth.There is always a deep sense of luxury when it comes to Burberry, but in the hands of Bailey, the young ones take center-stage. It is curious and exciting how successfully he has managed to harness the opposing forces that he has been presented with – the charming old world brand and the desires of the demanding 21st century youth. The results are often an interpretation of a new luxe that strives to be relevant in a world that is increasingly dressed down; clothes that caters to those of us who faithfully chase that elusive ‘effortless chic’. I guess that’s why we love him.

Bailey has always been brilliant at creating shapes that make people sit up and take notice. For Fall/Winter 2012, he neaten up the top with cropped puffy jackets and blew the bottom out of proportions with rounded hips and peplums. In terms of styling, the girlie bow belt is seen on every outfit while woodland animal motifs make regular appearances. My personal favourites include the broad coloured stripes, the studded gloves and the cute owl t-shirts tucked into prim over-the-knees pencil skirts. The outerwear, as always, is immaculate but not at all boring.

After a few seasons where Bailey closed the show with rain and models strutting out with brollies, one will think that such dramatics should be getting old. But it really isn’t.

[More looks from Burberry Prorsum Fall/Winter 2012 are on my Facebook.]

The Marni at H&M collection may only be launching on 8 March 2012 but in the meantime, you can start planning what you will be spending your money on. The lookbook for the collaboration was released a little while ago and needless to say, I have my eye on quite a number of things. The price list is also up, so that makes (a feeble attempt at) budgeting much easier.

Other than this pretty mix-print blouse (above; SGD159), I also adore the graphic polka-dotted pieces, especially the half-sleeved, open-front day coat (below, SGD249).

If you are not a fan of the loud, busy prints, there are always the accessories to look forward to. The sweet sequin collars (SGD39.90) can be thrown over almost anything while the scarves (SGD39.90) allows you to wear Marni’s signature prints in bit-sizes. I am not so sure about the shoes (with the brand’s iconic wooden heels; SGD199) or bags (totes; from SGD79.90) but I may buy a hat (SGD14.90) just for fun.

The full list of items (with prices) are now up on Facebook. Strategise and plan your shopping – take note of the items you should be zooming in on!

I am not going to pretend that I am one of those too-cool-for-words girls who can just wear black and look impossibly stylish and un-boring. I am not even going to pretend that I love black (at least, not more than the average person who understands its slimming superpower). I like colours, prints, textures – done in pretty but interesting ways. And that seems to be exactly what Jonathan Saunders has done for Fall/Winter 2012. He took the prim and smart silhouettes of the country hunt and made them fresh with clashing prints, rich colours and a curious embossed effect. There are still an abundance of his signature geometrics, with a sweet oriental-inspired floral tossed in for good measure. This is a collection that I feel good about almost instinctively.

So, I was at the launch event of avant-garde skincare brand philosophy last week. It was a tasteful affair that introduced us to this fourth biggest selling brand in the USA by letting us have a first hand experience of the products. It may not sound like it, but slathering stuff on your hand (and watching it get all smooth in the process) can be kind of fun.

The names of the products are whimsical and fun, including the brand’s signature moisturizer hope in a jar and award-winning cleanser purity made simple. Pretty packaging is one of my many weaknesses and I like the clean, simple text on the bottles very much. Maybe it is just me, but having everything I need to know about what the product does written on the front of its bottle really appeals to me.

Two products that stood out for me was the microdelivery peel, a two-step, in-home peel that resurfaces and rejuvenates, and the turbo booster c powder, a potent topical vitamin c powder that brightens. If you have relatively okay skin but just need a little something extra to erase the dullness and bring out that coveted glow, I think these will do the the trick.

The whole range of philosophy products, including skincare, fragrance and bath & body, will be available exclusively at Sephora from 27th April, 2012. It will be a mid-priced range so you will not have to worry about breaking the bank, but rest assured that the quality will be there. After all, Oprah Winfrey has endorsed it, multiple times!

[A little Twitter fun: simply retweet this tweet and you stand a chance to win a bottle of purity made simple!]

Probably, you have already checked out the full Marni at H&M collection that will be launched next month. After all, it is all over the Internet. If that didn’t get you all excited (seriously, what’s wrong with you?), maybe seeing the looks on various celebrities will do it. The collection was celebrated a few nights ago in Los Angeles and the likes of Drew Barrymore, Winona Ryder and Milla Jovovich turned up for the party. Personally, I am particularly thrilled to spot my girl-crushes, Lykke Li and Sofia Coppola (who directed the collection campaign) – if the clothes are good enough for them, it is good enough for me.

However, the highlight of the video will have to be the part of Mel Gibson saying, “I don’t know Marni at all. I don’t even know what you are talking about. What is it? What is Marni? Fashion? Look at me: do I look like I know fashion design?”.

There are a few reasons why I have not put up an outfit post for ages: 1. I haven’t gotten anything new that excites me for quite some time, 2. I am lazy as hell and 3. nobody is free enough or care enough to take pictures of me. It is mostly no. 3 but I have to say that no. 2 comes a close second.

I spent some time contemplating if this furry black sweater is worth blogging about. I love it but it really isn’t something that will get your heart racing. But it is quite perfect for a dinner + movie kind of night, not to mention that it is possibly the softest and most comfortable sweater I owe. And did I already tell you how I love that it is furry? [I had to stalk a fellow shopper at the massive H&M in Copenhagen just to get my hands on it - effort went into its procurement.]

Oh, and there are the Alexander Wang mules. I’ve had them for some time but this is probably the first time they are making an appearance here. They have that wonderful ability to make legs look longer and slimmer, which comes in really handy for me.

So, does this outfit-on-floor thing work for you? Anyway, until I get someone to play photographer for me (which may be never), this is the best I can do.

The problem with trying to pick out just three looks from any Marchesa collection is that it is quite impossible. But nobody said that fashion will be easy. Although the shorter cocktail dresses are already beautiful enough to knock the air out of you, Marchesa’s magnificence lies in its surreally exquisite gowns that are created almost solely with the red carpet in mind. The snowy white feathers that padded the skirt of that first dress (above) is a particularly brilliant way to use plumage – it is striking but not flamboyant, elegant but certainly not boring.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Seriously, how talented does Tavi Gevinson have to be? Here she is, singing my favourite Neil Young song, Heart Of Gold. It may not be my favourite cover, but definitely a commendable effort.

Oh, and if you are a teenage girl, you may want to check out her digital magazine, Rookie. [If you are not, it will probably be a little too Sweet Valley High for you. Just saying.]