Marc Jacobs is no Santa!

Marc Jacobs this week hosted his famous annual Christmas party, and it sounds like a corker! The theme was Arabian nights, and Jacobs himself wore a rather dubious camel toe ensemble that rendered him completely immobile. I hope he snuck out for drinking and dancing!

Marc Jacobs in costume (image by WWD)

The reporter from trade paper Women's Wear Daily was still swooning from the experience. The acount in today's issue breathlessly describes the "erotically charged scene" and a ballroom "replete with buffed, bronzed and oiled go-go dancers" (easy now - breathe into a paper bag). Wonder what they're not telling us?

Storm in a teacup

Oh, the drama. The fashion world is all a-tizzy because the Marc Jacobs show in New York on Monday started late. Because that has never, ever happened before. When a designer is notorious for starting his shows at least an hour late, never mind two (as was the case this season), why, oh why, would anyone show up on time, as fashion writer Lynn Yaeger did? "Only when I got to the front door at 9 [did I find out it was late]," she told Women's Wear Daily. "I am livid." Somewhat wiser fashion editors whiled away the time drinking margaritas at the Dos Caminos restaurant, while Vogue editrix Anna Wintour even had time to pack for her trip to London (saith she - do you really believe she does her own packing?). Meanwhile, a rumor started going around that Jacobs, who this year went to rehab for his ongoing battle against addictions, was sitting in the Mercer Hotel restaurant or bar while his guests were waiting. Both Jacobs and Robert Duffy, president of Marc Jacobs International, strongly dispute this story.

"That is bullshit! That is bullshit!" Jacobs told WWD. "I was at the f---ing office until the last fitting was over. I came back to the hotel — I hadn't been here in three days! I hadn't showered in three days! I slept on the couch in my office for 20 minutes three nights in a row — anyone at my office will tell you that. I got 20 minutes sleep Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night. The first shower I had was Monday at 8 before the rehearsal of our show. I did not have lunch, I did not have drinks, I did not have tea at the Mercer, I walked through the lobby; I live in this hotel."

Marc Jacobs after his shower on Monday

He then gets into this massive debate about the show schedules and Suzy Menkes's review of the show in the IHT before basically saying that if people have families to go to, they should just not attend the show. I have to say, I agree with him to a point. I once waited one hour and 45 minutes for a Galliano/Dior show. The most infernal thing was listening to the music, which was one of those New Agey soundtracks featuring Gregorian chants against a trip hop beat. I honestly thought I would lose my mind. But, people put up with it because it's fashion. So, Marc: make an effort to be on time next season. And fashion editors: relax, there's another three weeks to get through.

I should Coco

For those keen to catch an early glimpse of Keira Knightley's new advertising campaign for Chanel, log on now to the Coco Mademoiselle website!

Keira Knightley in the new advertising campaign

In addition to a guided tour of Chanel's apartment at the famous 31, rue Cambon headquarters, you will get a preview of the ad. In it, Keira appears wearing nothing but a white men's shirt and a bowler hat, which she flips off to slip into a red silk evening dress. The dress is a bit too large on her and she flashes her chipmunk smile, but on the whole she is credible as a young Chanel muse. I only wish she did not keep telling the world how infrequently she showers. It does creep back to you when you're watching the ad...

Keira does a disappearing act

Good Lord! When I saw the thumbnail of this picture of Keira Knightley at the Venice Film Festiva, I thought the image had been trafficked for one of the pro-ana (pro-anorexic) websites, which artificially make thin models look skeletal because this apparently appeals to their readers.

British actress Keira Knightley looks shockingly thin at the Venice Film festival

So imagine my surprise when I click on the picture and find out that it is an actual shot of Keira, looking very, very thin indeed. She has consistently denied an eating disorder but it's hard to believe this is a girl who stuffs herself with burgers...

Happy feet

Pierre Hardy, the über-trendy French shoe designer, is set to design a capsule collection for The Gap. This is a bit as if Roger Vivier did a collection for Nine West! In other words, definitely to be checked out and snapped up.

A stunning Pierre Hardy foot sculpture (also known as a shoe)

Hardy has a jewel-box boutique in the Palais-Royal that also sells his covetable handbags with contrasting leather trim. He also designs the shoe collections for Balenciaga, including this winter's must-have sneaker stiletto.

Hardy's futuristic shoe for Balenciaga's fall-winter collection

Facchinetti to replace Valentino

Italian designer Alessandra Facchinetti will replace Valentino when he retires early next year, the Valentino Fashion Group has announced. Facchinetti, 35, was briefly head of women's ready-to-wear at Gucci following the departure of Tom Ford.

New Valentino designer Alessandra Facchinetti

Recently, she has revamped skiwear company Moncler, bringing her edgy take on puffa jackets into trendy boutiques like Colette. Though Facchinetti has no experience of designing haute couture, she will be able to count on Valentino's long-term team, which has fitted personalities ranging from Jackie Kennedy to Gwyneth Paltrow.

Valentino retires!

Alas, the rumors were true. Valentino Garavani has just announced he will be hanging up his scissors early next year. In a statement, the Italian designer said he could think of no way to top the celebrations for his 45th anniversary in fashion that took place in Rome this summer.

"It was a moment that will be impossible to repeat. And so, at this time, I have decided that is the perfect moment to say adieu to the world of fashion. As the English say, 'I would like to leave the party when it is still full'," Valentino said in a statement sent out by his press office in Paris.

Valentino takes a bow after his couture show in Rome in July

He will show his farewell ready-to-wear collection in October and his final couture show in January, both in Paris. I have to confess a certain fondness for Valentino, despite the crazy perma-tan. Aside from the fact that we share our birthday, I have always found his shows to be the epitome of glamor and good taste. His label will continue, of course, and hopefully Valentino will continue to inspire from the sidelines. In bocca al lupo, Signore Valentino!

Wanna wanna wanna

The Chanel show is always a highlight of Paris fashion week because a) it's Chanel, b) the set designs are spectacular (think fake skating rinks and snowstorms) and c) they give out the most generous gift bags of any fashion house (though no fashionista would admit they care about such trifling things, it is interesting to note there is always a nervous scuffle to arrive on time at the Chanel show, lest the goodie bags run out). In March, we were handed a Chanel microdermabrasion kit that came in most handy as I frowned over my frown lines on the eve of my 35th birthday. I am secretly (hum hum) hoping this beautiful lip gloss palette will sneak its way into our goodie bags in early October...

Les 4 Camélias de Chanel is a limited edition palette of lip gloss shaped into camelias, Coco Chanel's favorite flower. Snap it up now at a department store near you!

Color me pink

The French ELLE that landed in my mailbox yesterday was roughly ten times the size of last week's, signalling the end to the dreaded summer magazine drought. French ELLE is a weekly that gradually shrinks as the summer months drag on and Paris offices empty out. Astro guides and bogus quizzes abound. But this week, it was all about the hot new winter trends, and one of my favorite is color. Aside from purple, which is turning out to be the hottest shade for winter, they were also touting emerald green, marigold yellow and my absolute favorite, fuchsia pink. To wit, this absolutely stunning Lanvin stiletto heel that is more objet d'art than actual footwear...

The color trend was all over the catwalks last spring, but whenever I see anything so eye-catching, I tend to dismiss it as a gimmick for the cameras. I wonder how many women will be brave enough to don this top-to-toe look?

Dior comes over all chartreuse (left); Stella McCartney pops a fuchsia pink all-in-one

Me? I'm going with colored tights for starters, and then we'll see...

Reuters writes about Boutique

It's been a great week for Boutique in the press. Today, we are featured in an article on personal shopping on Reuters Life!, the lifestyle service of Reuters news agency. Here is an extract from the story:

But many shoppers in Paris do not just lack the time to hunt after latest trends, they also have trouble finding hide-away fashion treasures, said personal shopper Joelle Diderich.

"A lot of tourists who come to Paris tend to stick to the shopping districts that feature in guide books, like the Champs Elysees and large department stores, and miss out on the beautiful little shops that sell typically French products," said Diderich, who takes clients on tailor-made shopping sprees.

"Most of the time, I take people on walking tours. Paris has fantastic flea markets full of vintage clothes, in addition to super-chic shopping districts like Saint-Germain-des-Pres."

Boutique featured in The Times

Boutique personal shopping was featured this weekend in The Times Saturday magazine. Read the article here. I gave the newspaper's fashion editor Lisa Armstrong a tour while she was in Paris to cover the couture shows in July. Highlights included a visit to Parfums Frédéric Malle, a tour of cutting-edge boutiques including Véronique Leroy and a visit to the hidden part of the Marais district. She shopped up a storm - I won't give away anything more! If you too would like to book a tour, you can find full details on my website. I hope to meet you soon!

Kate perfume due soon

Life is smelling sweet for Kate Moss now she has ditched her spotty heroin addict boyfriend Pete Doherty - so sweet that she is on the verge of launching her own perfume in September.

The ad campaign for Kate perfume by Kate Moss

Simply called Kate, the scent features floral notes of orange flower, rose and magnolia with base notes of patchouli, sandalwood, amber and vetiver. The fragrance, which has been developed with Coty the people who also produce scents for Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Lopez), will go on sale first in Asia and Europe, according to the French edition of Vogue magazine. The United States will have to wait an extra year.

PS: At first glance, the bottle looks a bit like Anna Sui perfume, don't you think?

Drew goes Gucci

Drew Barrymore stars in a new advertising campaign for Gucci fine jewelry. It's the first time the brand has tapped a celebrity. Until now, Drew has kept up a high-profile relationship with Christian Dior, appearing regularly at its catwalk shows and wearing Dior on the red carpet. Wonder if this little infidelity will count?

Drew Barrymore in the Gucci fine jewelry campaign

Cavalli is latest H&M recruit

This news just in: the next designer to collaborate with Swedish high-street giant will be Italy's Roberto Cavalli, a favourite of Victoria Beckham, Christina Aguilera and Eva Longoria.

Roberto Cavalli and Salma Hayek at the opening of his boutique in Beverly Hills

"Young people come up to me with these big eyes full of desire to wear a Cavalli dress and often they can't because of the price," Cavalli told Women's Wear Daily. "I dedicate this collection with Hennes and Mauritz to them, to give them the possibility to wear a Cavalli dress, whether it's for New Year's or another occasion and feel like they are on a red carpet." The outfits will go on sale in November. Expect chiffon gowns split to the thigh and plenty of clingy tops! I wonder how haute they manage to take this collection...

Ciao, Ferre

This week started off on a sad note with the death of Italian designer Gianfranco Ferre at the age of just 62. Ferre was referred to in the industry as "the architect" because he had a degree in architecture and a sculptural approach to fabric that reflected an obsession with volume.

Ferre takes a bow with singer Skin at his fall 2007 show

Ferre famously served as head designer at Christian Dior between 1989 and 1996, a decision that scandalised the deeply chauvinistic Paris fashion set at the time - but he came to be deeply respected during his tenure at the French house. Ferre's signature item was the white shirt, as modelled by Julia Roberts in a recent advertising campaign for the label. His premature death can only send shivers down the collective spine of Europe's older generation of designers, all of which have exceeded retirement age: Valentino, Armani and Lagerfeld. Let's wish them long and prosperous lives.

Julia Roberts appears in an advertising campaign for Ferre

Sole pleasure

The coolest sandals for summer are no doubt those created by K. Jacques, the cult St. Tropez firm that has been kitting out jetsetters in its handmade leather shoes since the 1930s.


Patent leather and rhinestone jewels give K. Jacques sandals a sophisticated sheen

Fans include Sofia Coppola, Kate Moss and Jennifer Lopez. The good news is that you no longer have to travel to the Riviera to snap up these glamorous soles - they are sold in Paris, New York and Tokyo too!

Scarlett strikes again

Scarlett Johansson is back for a second season as the poster girl for Louis Vuitton.
Scarlett looking casually glamorous in blood red shoes

Designer Marc Jacobs's fall-winter collection was an ode to her role in "Girl with a Pearl Earring" - think artist's smocks and rich painterly colours. Here is a sneak preview of the advertising campaign...
Scarlett wears a waxed fur coat, one of a series of experimental textures that appeared on the catwalk

Gloss up

A girl can never have enough lip gloss, and my favourite for this summer is this marshmallow pink Juicy Tubes gloss from Lancome, which had been designed by super-cool graphic designer Julie Verhoeven (she did the psychedelic patchwork bags for Louis Vuitton a few years ago and has done illustrations for Cacharel, among others).


The Juicy Tubes lipgloss designed by Julie Verhoeven

Lagerfeld's jet set attitude

Karl Lagerfeld proves to any remaining doubters that he is indeed a crazy diva. The German designer, who is in Los Angeles to present Chanel's cruise collection, explains to Women's Wear Daily in an interview why he doesn't "do" commercial flights.


"If people want me to travel and think I should come, I need a proof of love, and that has to be a little expensive," he said. "You want me on commercial, you don't get me, because then, I think I am so unimportant that I could stay at home. It's not because I want the luxury of it. I want to travel only if they think I am really needed."

Ach, Karl. Heard the one about silence being gold?

Met gala - who wore what

The Met's annual Costume Institute Gala in New York is to fashion what the Oscars are to cinema, so it was with great trepidation that I logged on this morning to review who wore what last night. Sadly, I wasn't blown away by anyone. The theme, legendary couturier Paul Poiret, was rather loosely rendered. However, Jennifer Lopez and Kate Bosworth stood out in 1920s style metallic flapper looks.


Kate Bosworth (left), looking much better for having gained a few pounds, has it all down - dress, hair, make-up and accessories; Jennifer Lopez (right) is simply flawless


It was lovely to see Winona Ryder making a rare appearance, flanked by a super-tan, post-rehab Marc Jacobs; Kate Moss, on the other hand, was looking a little the worse for wear


Liv Tyler's dress would have looked great in a different color, because this seafoam green just doesn't work; Mary-Kate Olsen looks like Cousin It in this shaggy creation that swamps her tiny frame


Scarlett Johansson revisited the scrappy quiff she sported at the last Louis Vuitton show in Paris - it didn't look good then, and it doesn't now; Cate Blanchett manages to look ghoulish with a similarly backcombed quiff and racoon eyes


Julianne Moore's stiff jacket provides an awkward frame for her super-pale breasts; the usually fashion-forward Chloé Sevigny also got it terribly, inexplicably wrong

Isabella Blow dies

Isabella Blow, the eccentric fashion editor credited with discovering talents such as Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy, died suddenly today. Recently appointed fashion editor-at-large for British magazine Tatler, Blow was famous for wearing outrageous outfits, usually topped by an oversized hat.

Isabella Blow in a Philip Treacy hat, photographed by Mario Testino

Hilary Alexander at the Daily Telegraph writes an insightful piece about Blow, in which she describes the artistocrat as brash and fragile at the same time.

"Beautiful, but ultimately doomed, she was possessed of a remarkable sense of style with fiercely-held opinions and a braying laugh that could be heard from one end of the catwalk to the other, two traits which cleaved to the family motto “haud muto factum” – nothing happens by being mute.

But she was also a self-confessed depressive. She had a fragile sense of identity and her insecurities had been excacerbated by the breakdown of her marriage to the art dealer, Detmar Blow. Although the couple had reconciled, she continued to suffer terrible bouts of suicidal depression."

I once saw Blow arrive at a Dior fashion show in a peach chiffon burka - just one example of her extreme sense of style. Minutes later, she reappeared minus the burka. A storm of protest from French editors had forced her to go backstage and change. I'm sure she will be much missed.

Chloé for Chloé?

The Chloé makeover continues afoot. The French house has reportedly hired its namesake actress Chloé Sevigny as the face of a new scent, due out later this year.

Chloé Sevigny in an advertising campaign for Louis Vuitton

The edgy actress is best known for giving Vincent Gallo oral gratification in his film "The Brown Bunny," but that hasn't stopped fashion firms and magazines from queuing up for a piece of her elusive charisma. Women's Wear Daily reports that Sevigny recently shot the advertising campaign for the Chloé scent with leading photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin (who also do all the Vuitton campaigns).

K-day has come

Despite my self-confessed shopping addiction, I am tempted to say that people have too much time on their hands when the launch of Kate Moss's line for Topshop in London attracts a crowd worthy of a World Cup final.

Kate Moss poses in the window of Topshop's flagship in London on Mpnday night as the crowd looks on

I know I am in no position to judge - I get to see Kate Moss and her celebrity acolytes regularly at the fashion shows, whereas for most people, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this fashion icon in the flesh. But remember, this collection will be available year-round, so there is no need to fighting, pushing, shoving or any other unladylike behaviour in the changing rooms. Poise.

Pimp my phone

The proliferation of branded mobile phones in recent months means that soon, you will be able to pick your mobile the same way you choose a pair of designer sunglasses. The latest to join the fray is Giambattista Valli, the former Ungaro designer who has rapidly garnered a Hollywood following for his own label (fans include Victoria Beckham and Katie Holmes).

The Nokia 7373 Special Edition Designed by Giambattista Valli

The frou-frou design is very retro, though the little skull charm adds a contemporary edge. Not surprisingly, the Italians are at the forefront of the designer mobile trend (gotta look good when ringing mamma to put on the pasta). The most blingtastic offering comes from Dolce & Gabbana while Prada provides a sleekly minimalist option (while you wait for Apple's iPhone to hit the market).

Motorola MOTORAZR V3i Dolce & Gabbana


The Prada phone by LG with touchscreen display

Finally, if sanity is not an issue, there is Vertu's Cobra encrusted with diamonds, emeralds and rubies - courtesy of jeweler Boucheron. This will set you back in the region of $300,000.

The Vertu Signature Cobra

Marc Jacobs turns documentary star

A documentary aired on French television last night gave an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at U.S. designer Marc Jacobs as he prepared his own collection in New York and the Louis Vuitton runway show in Paris.


Some of the best bits:
* Jacobs, wearing a full-body pigeon outfit, hobbling into a truck to go to his costume party last fall because he was too large to fit into a car
* The designer continually calling for his assistant, Joseph. At one point, Joseph breaks into tears of exhaustion. "Are you crying?" says Jacobs, before blithely going on to spell out his next task
* Jacobs grinning ecstatically as an assistant brings in a bag that is a mash-up of all of Vuitton's most successful handbags. "That is sick in the head," he pronounces
* Interviews with fans including director Sofia Coppola and painter Elizabeth Peyton

I could go on, but you really have to see this for yourself. The film-maker, Loic Prigent, is the same guy who made the "Signé Chanel" documentary about Karl Lagerfeld. His humor comes through in every frame and is a welcome counterpoint to the seriousness of people in the fashion industry. Though Marc Jacobs has the last word on that point. Asked by a journalist: "What is important in fashion right now?", he answers: "I don't think the words 'important' and 'fashion' should be in the same sentence." A visionary, and a modest one at that!

PS: The documentary does not address the substance abuse problems that recently landed Jacobs in rehab. Prigent merely comments that the designer has quit drugs and alcohol, but that his compulsive nature is still evident in the vast amounts of cigarettes he smokes...

Coolest shades

With temperatures in Paris hitting a summer-like 30 degrees, it's time to think of essentials like suncream, hats and a super cool pair of shades. I love the Chloe aviators in white with silver trim, but I'm not sure my obsession will survive into next season, so I bought a remarkably similar pair from Topshop in London.

The Chloe aviator shades


The Topshop version

Mary-Kate Olsen, eat your heart out!

What Not To Wear - Part One

So, the good news for all you curvy girls out there is that skinny jeans are no longer obligatory for summer. The bad news is, they are facing heavy competition from wide leg jeans. Being tall, I love wide-legged trousers, but the denim version just conjures up one word - flares. Yes people, these are bona fide 1970s flares masquerading as a hot new trend.
Exhibit A:

Eva Mendes is wondering where her feet went

Exhibit B:

Penelope Cruz on her way to audition for the Janis Joplin biopic

My advice? Don't do it!

Primark sends London shoppers crazy

I've just returned from a week in London, where the buzz is all about the recent opening of discount retailer Primark's big flagship on Oxford Street. The reason people go nuts about this store is that it offers copies of designer items at knock-down prices, like the Marc Jacobs inspired jacket below, which costs just £12 (at current exchange rates, that is $24 or 18 euros).

This Primark jacket was featured in Vogue, raising the company's profile among fashion-conscious consumers

But nothing can prepare you for the real experience...We arrived to find a queue stretching around the block just to get into the store. There were 10 security guards in the street corralling the crowds. The wait was only a couple of minutes, but once inside, I could hardly focus for the noise and people around me. Everything seemed to blur and all I could do was clutch price-tags and let out the occasional gasp of: "Four pounds!! Eight pounds??" The quality of the fabrics was pretty dysmal, except for the T-shirts which are really practical for summer, but the trick is in finding the hidden "IT" item among the tat.

Primark does the 60s look

Sadly, on the day I was there all I spotted was a multipack of black socks for £2, but when I saw the size of the queue at the till, I put them right back on the rack.