A chic LBD in less than no time

Forget your daily accessories, regardless of how feminine they may be and comfortable. The key here is to find something eye-catching yet classy to set the tone of the outfit. Exit reasonable pumps and slim belts. Try to imagine what inspires you elegance, and find the absolute accessory epitome. I often think of Audrey Hepburn, and think, yes, I need a hat, and heels. Mix textures or lengths or colours. With nothing besides a black felt hat with a large brim and small bow around the base, and a pair of killer heels in lush black velvet with small petals of the same fabric on the sides. We have an amazing collection this season just waiting to go online at my-little-black-dress.com, so you’ll find plenty of ideas for how to dress up any plain LBD.

A high tech LBD

One year after graduating from the prestigious Central Saint Martins in Lonodn, Chalayan created his own brand and his first collection, Buried Dresses, a series of dresses dug out from the ground whre time and elements took their toll on the fabric, would give the tone to his resolutely visual perception of fashion. The reflexion behind each collection, every pice of clothing, is complex, personal, and quite simply incomprehensibe without an explanation. With collections entitled Airborne (presented in four parts, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, this collection draws a parrallel between the weather cycles and that of life and death), Ambimorphous (Chalayan decribes the aim of this particular work as being “to explore the shady territory between realism and surrealism, power and powerlessness”), Geotropics (this collection reflects upon the role of natural topographical features as well as human actions in defining a nation, creating a micro-geography though the body) or even Genometrics (an exploration of how the DNA of an individual in London could adapt according to its soundscape), as many different intriguing names that evoke an attraction to nature, science, research, humanity and evolution. Substituting some of his shows by video performances, Chalayan brings a whole new dimension to the meaning and form of a catwalk. He creates scenes and situations. A table that becomes a skirt and chair covers that turn into dresses in  Afterwords, a dress made of fiberglass and resin cast into a form that reminds us of the body of an aircraft in the film Aeroplane Dress, and the sublime Floating Dress that finishes the Kaikoku Collection spectacularly, an automated radio-controlled polyester resin and fibre-glass matting gownpainted in highly metallic gold paint able to release fifty crystal “pollens” that decorate it, leaving them to float in the air like ideas waiting to seed and grow…are all to be seen with your own eyes.

It was be too fastidious even if possible to go through the thoughts behind every work of art, so I can only recommend this amazing exhibition to you before it ends on November 13th 2011.

LBD in London

The black dress is synonymous of elegance, we’ve heard it over and over again. Ah, but in London we give it quite a different edge. Much more avant-gard are the brits, and it’s not hard to believe that girls in London have a lot more fun with their wardrobe than we do. Punks, hipsters, goths…. they all have their version of dressing up -or down- the LBD.

So how to dress our LBD like a british chick? A thousand different ways, the key being to remain fun and bold. Some decorative tights, a large gold buckle belt, a brightly coloured blazer, some flashy pumps… Really, the accent is to be placed on eye-catching and original accessories. If it’s bold and makes a statement on its own, you need not add too much to your look, it will speak for itself.

If you’re on the grunge side, inspire yourself from the London punk scene. Get your hands on studded accessories, used leather jackets, the timeless DrMartens from your highschool past… And mix&match fabrics and textures. Who said a black lace dress couldn’t play the part? On the contrary, the contrasting textiles will make it that much more interesting and effective.  So come on, dare to dress differently!

Find all these accessories and more on www.my-little-black-dress.com !

The black dress…with a 70s style!

Remember that your little black dress is quite simply timeless and essential. This season the long gown is not only for evening and red-carpet events. Minimalist, this modern looking dress is suitable for both evening and day wear ((robe longue Thierry Mugler). Wear it with a short biker jacket to create a structured silhouette. However, with a short dress we recommend you go for the ¾ length minimalist coat, in orange of course as it is the key colour of the 70s, a trend that will see you through the whole season, no escaping it. You can’t say we didn’t warn you about this one being bright !

In fact, mustard yellow is also up front, having made quite an entrance this season already. Of course, it’s not cut for everyone, so a little knit, turtle-neck top, cardigan and accessories will be largely sufficient.

Now it’s time to play, layering clothes in order to mix proportions this season: in this we mean wearing a cardigan over a slightly longer one, a short biker over a long jumper, you get where we’re going with this. If you have a classic chic style, associate different hues of grey, and on the other hand, the more audacious girls will opt for solid colours. We understand also how the polo-neck has come to be popular this season: worn under our sleeveless dresses it’s the alternative to the basic white shirt. And it will keep us much warmer too! And to finish? The cape has come back, this time reaching all the way down to your feet should you want it that long (although, practically, we can hardly imagine ourselves sweeping down the Parisian metros lest we want to clean the floors…we’ll stick to a shorter version). Will all that we hardly fear catching cold this winter!

The right length for a dress this season ? Take for example the much sought pencil skirt . Prefer one with a perfect cut that embellishes the silhouette for a sexy look. And dots always add their feminine touch year after year. Why not try this 2in1 dress by Moschino Cheap&Chic, creating the illusion of a knit pencil skirt and light dotty muslim shirt ?

Every black dress has a bar to claim

If you’re a sporty kind and in for some surfing, you can end your athletic accomplishments at Moonshadows in Malibu (perfect place right?), right off the Pacific Coast Highway, with a seafood feast at the bar’s restaurant on the sundeck along to some great beats for a night on the dancefloor.

If you’re headed for the Turks and Caicos Islands, spend an evening at Da Conch Shack in
Provo. We can’t deny just how delicious their menus are, serving the freshest local seafood on the island, the speciality, as the name indicates, is conch. If you’re not into sea creepies, don’t worry, they have great grilled meats. But of course, you’ll be there to try out the rum bar…

Many brits fly off to Ibiza for some sleepless nights, and if you’re one of them you’ll want to locate Sa Trinxa. This Spanish hot spot reunites the hard-core party peeps for hot theme parties at Salinas Beach during the day, and the chillest beats under the moon. Can you handle both in a day ?

Can’t get away from the city ? New York’s Shelter Island might be your answer with Hampton residents’ and yachters’ favourite locale, Sunset Beach (try out their fragrant rosée that goes by the same name). Completely different setting, NY’s historic Coney Island is a landmark to discover after grabbing a beer at Ruby’s Old Tyme Bar and Grill.

Finally, if you’re lucky enough to have gone as far as Sydney, Australia, then head straight for Icebergs Dining Room and Bar down on Bondi Beach where you can indulge on three floors, alternating cocktails at the bar, succulent dishes at the restaurant and rid yourself of any consequent guilt at the health club and its Olympic-sized swimming pool with immaculate views of Crescent Beach. How about that for a beach haven ?

Daffodil Day, the 25^th anniversary

Like every year, Australia, USA, New Zealand (and more) celebrate Daffodil Day so as to spread the hope for a cancer-free future and promote cancer-awareness. This special day is the largest national fundraising event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, raising essential funds for cancer research, prevention and support services. Why the daffodil ? Because it is the symbol of hope for all affected by cancer worldwide and a sign of solidairty.

This year Daffodil Day aims to raise over $9.5 million to fund the cancer control initiatives, patient support and research services of Cancer Council‘s eight state and territory member organisations. With more that 10.000 volunteers expected to staff more than 1.200 Daffodil Day sites across Australia, this might be the biggest Daffodil Day Australia has yet known.

Visit their website www.daffodilday.com.au for more information, or that of the American Cancer Society http://www.cancer.org/Involved/Participate/DaffodilDays/index or even http://www.daffodilday.org.nz.

thanks to Bruno Monginoux (www.photo-paysage.com) for this beautiful photo

A city, a vibe, a dress : Paris

Down the corridors of Le Ritz you will find the hotel’s bar, where Papa Hemmingway spent many a drinking hour decades ago, which explains the name of the place in his honour. The Hemingway Bar is a piano bar supreme, with well-to-do tourists dressed in their best come to order dark goods and fine wines to the sound of classics of old, is a cosy and intimate niche for a perfect head-to-head.  The service is delightful, and all that go find the expense worth the while. Truly a great world bar, for meeting interesting people from all over the globe, and where Colin is one of those special bartenders only to be found in great cosmopolitan cities such as Paris. The barmen are all fantastic – they know you want a memorable experience and they deliver it. (Le Bar Hemingway, 15 Place Vendôme In the Hôtel Ritz, Paris. Tel: +33 1 43 16 3030).

We know about the highly regarded Experimental Cocktail Club, and its owners now offer The Curio Parlor, which, true to its name, is an amalgamy of visually stimulating space. Not only in the interior very cool, the drinks remain the main attraction and reason for its success – and that’s what we were looking for. As skilled and creative as their sister venue, the cocktails are experimental in execution and filled with unusual ingredients. Be part of the hip young crowd indulging in a lemongrass and basil cocktails on velvet banquettes, surronded by curious stuffed animals and unnerving artifacts. With such early succes, we bet you it’s now or never to get a great evening before the words spreads too far and this Left Bank bar becomes seriously difficult to get into, as is the case at ECC (Curio Parlor, 16, rue des Bernardins, Paris. Tel: +33 01 44 07 12 47 ).

A high colour festival

Every year the streets of West London come alive, with the sounds and smells of Europe’s biggest street festival.  surround over 40,000 volunteers and over 1 million Notting Hill carnival revellers.

Beginning as a local festival set up by the West Indian community of the Notting Hill area, it has now become a full-blooded Caribbean carnival, attracting visitors from all over the globe. Twenty miles of vibrant colourful costumes, astonishing floats, sounds of the traditional steel drum bands, over 40 massive static sound systems, hundreds of stalls of Carribean foods…. The Carnival is arguably London’s most exciting annual event.

The Notting Hill Carnival usually gets under way on the Saturday with the steel band competition. Sunday is Kids’ Day, when the costume prizes are awarded. On Bank Holiday Monday, the main parade takes place. It generally begins on Great Western Road, then winds its way along Chepstow Road, on to Westbourne Grove, and then Ladbroke Grove. In the evening, the floats leave the streets in procession, and people carry continue partying at the many Notting Hill Carnival after parties.

The Notting Hill Carnival 2011 dates are August 28th and 29th. So what will you be wearing  ?

A city, a vibe, a dress : Melbourne

No need to feel as though you need to grasp some Germanic tongue, the name means The Room and anyways, this time the main boast is about the show. Don’t be mistaken, the result is just as tantalizing, and anyone there will tell you that the barmen simply blow the whole industry away with creativity, passion and care. Everything is smaller, cosier and infinitely trendier than your average Bavarian Beerhall, with innovative and top-notch cocktails, complete with fresh fruits rather than the usual cordials and typical syrups. For this is not your typical bar. So much that if you pop down on a Thursday when the bar-tenders get experimental, you could be one of the willing guinea pigs required to sample their creations (you’ve been warned, but relax, we can assure you you’ll be in for a treat). If you’re here for a Latin vibe, wait until the DJ kicks in on a Saturday night. (Der Raum, 438 Church Street Richmond, Melbourne. Tel: 00 613 9428 0055 ).

Another pick is the 1806, apparently the year that the term “cocktail” was first defined in print. Explains how its history and ever-evolving present are source of inspiration for the barmen’s creative minds, whose talent and expertise provide you with a choice of contemporary drinks so fabulous and extensive, made with premium ingredients, that you’d be wrong to limit yourself to the great wines. The only draw back ? Deciding which cocktail to have (all the more reason to continue visiting ). That said, the ridiculously knowledgeable staff, are wonderful at guiding – not only in terms of what you would like, but also what you feel like at any particular time. (1806, 169 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. Tel: +61 03 9663 7722 )

And that’s the end to our Best Bar Treats for an LBD posts. Which flirts with your fancy ?

A black suit to join my black dress

Originally destined to study plumbing ( not quite as creative ), then architecture (slowly he was finding his way ), Nutter finally abandoned both aged 19 to study tailoring at the Tailor and Cutter Academy. In the early 1960s he worked for traditional tailors Donaldson, Williamson & Ward, until seven years later when he opened in 1969 on Savile Row. From then on the world of bespoke tailoring entered a new era, as Tommy Nutter and master cutter Edward Sexton combined unprecedented up-to-minute styling and innovative design with the techniques of old, creating a brand that would set the Row swinging. The shop, Nutters of Savile Row, was financed with help from little other than Cilla Black and her husband Bobby Willis, lawyer James Vallance White and Beatles‘ Managing Director Peter Brown ( not bad right ? ) and launched the beginning of catering for rock stars, artists and aristos who wanted to custom fit with the new shapes and details, only found at Nutters. His success can be evaluated simply by the mere amount of suits sold and designed (he designed for the Hardy Amies range and later the man himself – the fashion designer who makes clothes for the Royal family) and the array of clients, including his investors, but also Sir Roy Strong, Mick Jagger, Bianca Jagger and Elton John. Nutter’s proudest achievement he claimed to be for the album cover of The Beatles‘ album Abbey Road in 1969, for which he dressed three out of the four^.

“Tommy completely glamorised Savile Row and made it accessible” – Sir Elton John