Karl has raised the bar once more- Chanel Haute Couture Autumn Winter 2010/2011

Let us ignore the clothes (and the lack of black models) for a moment and just focus on the lion.
I saw this absolutely fabulous beast as a twitpic on Bryan Boy’s twitter and couldn’t believe the scale of the thing.
But after being confirmed on various fashion related website I realised thatKarl did indeed install a massive golden lion in the Grand Palais which pawed a gigantic pearl from which the models emerged from. Amazing. Forget the clothes, the set alone was incredible, it even topped the barn and ice themes from SS and AW 2010 collections.
Karl said that the inspiration for the lion motif- which also appeared on the Chanel invites, not that I was lucky enough to receive one-was because Coco Chanel’s star sign was a Leo but to be honest it was probably just an excuse to install an enormous 40 ft gold lion, not that he needed one.

Now onto the clothes. It was much more regal and back to Chanel’s roots than the Neo Romantic theme of Spring Summer 2010 with none of the Barbie/Flintstones hair and makeup and instead a simple look with red stained lips the only statement. The hemlines just above or below the knee, fur trims, golden embellishments and an abundance of darker colours which will be perfect hues come autumn/winter with shades of plum, charcoal and deep royal blue appearing. All of which came to a sartorial climax near the end when Karl sprinkled a little bit more sparkle onto the runway with my favourite looks here:

Then came the spectacular finale where a model emerged from the giant pearl, hand in hand with a man in a tux wearing a fierce lion mask. Then in a breathtaking Beauty and the Beast moment the mask was whipped off to reveal Karl’s muse; Baptiste Giabiconi.
What did you think of Karl's latest creation?

Beth Ruby xoxo

DESIGNER ENVY- My soft spot for gimmicky heels

It has been awhile since I have had a full on designer shoe envy (probably due to being locked up revising in my room and spending less time on Style.com and Sea of Shoes if anything else)

But once I laid eyes on these DSqaured shoes which have a SPINE FOR THE HEEL (!!!) I fell a little bit in love.

"It's just such a genius idea!" I cried.
And then after getting a major deja vu I got thinking about the sheer amount of times I have said that after seeing a rather cool pair of heels.
After trawling the extensive albums of photos of shoes which are knacking up my computer hard drive I realised just how many gimmicky heels there are out there.
Shoe designers love a good novelty idea to get people talking and buying. (If this was a power point I would add the cheesy *KERCHING* sound effect here)
It makes sense really, I mean I know a girl can own a lot of shoes but there are only so many plain black sling-backs someone can have before they crave the crazy.

And I know I would rather have a pair of fierce, eye catching, compliment attracting, fabulous shoes than a pair of plain. fabulous shoes (remember my rant at the beige schmeige and boring ol' Celine's "Wardrobe Staples" ?)

So here are some more gimmicky heels I found.
I'll shut up now and let them do the talking:

Dolce and Gabbana 'Face' shoes- photo from Sea of Shoes

The Nicholas Kirkwood for Rodarte 'Melted Wax' heels (which I thought looked like the Wicked Witch of the West melting...) Source unknown

The legendary Chanel 'light bulb' shoes (source unknown)

And the lovely new 'Chandelier' heels from the Prada collection.

Can you think of any more shoe gimmicks?

I could go on but I really must go back to revising Vietnam and Womens rights for my exam tomorrow. Exciting I know.

Ciao!

Beth Ruby xoxo

ps) Happy fathers day!

To clog or not to clog? That is the question...

So clogs have apparently "made a come back." Not that I ever thought they were "in" in the first place, but still.
Ever since they were seen at the Spring Summer 2010 Chanel collection and then on the front cover of British Vogue in the Alexa Chung photo shoot (see above and last photo) they have been gradually seeping down from the high end to the high street and infiltrating normal peoples wardrobes. And I really don't know how to feel about this.
Pictured below are my mum's old pair of clogs-which fit me so I could theoretically wear them- but I really don't think I will be making a public appearance in them any time soon.
To start with what do you wear with them? (I am not going to kid myself that I can pull off the double-denim look like Alexa below)
Anyone got any ideas?
Has anyone seen clogs EVER pulled off well?
And more importantly has anyone seen them be pulled off on a mere mortal, not just on a supermodel?
What a tricky trend. Lets just send them back to the Chanel runway where they came from, hmm?

Beth Ruby xoxo

ps) Thanks to everyone who wished my blog a happy one year birthday! They really made my day.

"I don't believe in avant-garde clothes for a future that will never happen. Fashion is always now"- Karl Lagerfeld on the new Chanel Couture

Of course it goes without saying that the clothes were absolutely amazing but at the Chanel Paris Haute Couture Show 2010 entitled the "Neon Baroque Collection" but what really stood out for me was the beauty side and in particular the wonderful heart shaped hair.
I am in love with the over the top, sickly sweet styling which is part Barbie princess and part cartoonish Flintstones wigs.
Photo Sources Here:

Finally I wanted to share the details I read here on how much work is put into these Haute Couture Collections:
-500 people worked on the project.
-Certain dresses are adorned with 80 buttons and there were 13,000 satin flowers used in the collection.
-One cape took 800 hours of work and bearing in mind that 65 looks were sent down the runway it is a massive understatement to say that there is alot of time put into these clothes.

By golly I love Couture week.

Beth Ruby xoxo

Chanel short film- Details of the Spring Summer 2010 collection

This beautiful video from Chanel shows the details of the Spring Summer 2010 collection. It is so well directed and set in the same barnyard setting as the collection was on the runway.
All of the models have this calm unnerving gaze which just stares right through you and the short film really gives you a chance to see up close the details of the clothes and how breathtaking this collection really was.

Watch it and play a game of ‘Spot The Famous Model.’
Haha its like ‘Who’s Who’ there are so many amazing models starring in it...

Beth Ruby xoxo

The Radar- Random links and things that have caught my eye this week...

1. Chanel are selling the temporary tattoos they used for their SS10 collection.

I was blown away the first time I saw the Chanel Spring Summer 2010 collection but the main thing that caught my eye was the pretty illustrations of birds, pearls, chains and Chanel logos on the models going down the runway. And now Chanel are taking inspiration from the fake ink and releasing them as temporary tattoos so we can have a slice of the Chanel pretty ink action.
Best of all they are self adhesive so once you get sick of them (as if you ever would get bored of a Chanel tattoo!) you can simply wash it off.
So if you are interested don't forget you can buy them at Chanel boutiques from the 1st of March. Photo source-Style.com
Tip Off- NY Mag

2. Lady Gaga is the new creative director of Polaroid.

Yes really. She said that she wants to “blend the iconic history of Polaroid with the digital era” and is launching her own products which will be released later this year.
Fingers crossed she brings back the now discontinued instant Polaroid cameras!
Photo and Tip Off- The Guardian

3. Christina Hendricks who plays the amazing Joan Holloway in Mad Men got married.
Does anyone else watch it? I am addicted, roll on the series 3 boxset...
Normally I am not at all fussed about celebrity weddings (I despise OK and Hello! Magazine) but these photos are beautiful.
The costume designer for Mad Men picked out the vintage 50s dresses for the bridesmaids, only their close friends and family attended, they ate rustic Italian food and of course the bride looked stunning.
Watch out Christina I am stealing your dress and pretty veil for own my wedding day.
(Even though you already know about my Oscar De La Renta obsession)

Photo- Oncewed.com
Tip Off- India Knight's Twitter

4. The Lanvin SS10 campaign

It is just amazing. Shot by Stephen Meisel and modelled by Jamie Bochert the photographs are so dynamic and have so much energy you cannot help but stop and stare at them.
If this was Americas Next Top Model there is no way that Tyra Banks and co. would say that the model was “was holding back” or “not giving her all.” Even the chandelier is swinging with her for goodness sake. Nice one Jamie!

5. Glee!

I think that this is going to be my new television obsession (goodbye for now Mad Men, Skins, Gossip Girl, 90210, Project Runway, ANTM and The Inbetweeners...)
I love it already after watching the amazing first episode here on E4 and this clip of Kurt doing the ‘Single Ladies’ dance when his dad walks in.
Genius.

Beth Ruby xoxo

List Mondays- Top 10 Watches

Was your New Years Resolution something along the lines of “this year I will be more organised” or “to be more punctual”?

Well if it was (or you are looking for a reason to splurge or y'know you just need a new watch) then here are some watch ideas for all budgets to help you keep fashionably track of time.
Just click on the links for more information on the watches:

(Clockwise from top left)

1. Toy Watch- This Skelton Watch has to be my favourite, you can see all the mechanisms for the watch through the clear casing. Pretty amazing hmm?

2. Ice Watch- This awesome chunky purple watch is from the new Winter collection.

3. Michael Kors- This watch is called "Sparkle and Glitz" for a reason, check out the pretty crystals.

4. Topman- Yes this is technically a mans watch but this cool red watch is only £49 and would look amazing on my wrist if I do say so myself.

5.Chanel- I couldnt resist adding one of these luze designer watches to the list, even though obviously they are out of my budget.

6. Swatch- This fabulous white watch is called "Sign in the Sky" and I can guarantee it will add some bling to your wrist haha.

(Clockwise from top left)

7. Ice Watch- Definitely a very pretty and pink watch (one of my best friends has it actually which shows what a good choice it is as she has amazing style)

8. River Island- The cheapest one on the list at £19.99 this one is definitely value for money as it looks pretty similar to the other designer ones.

9. French Connection- A sleek black bracelet style watch from FCUK.

10. Rotary- Its a pocket watch. Yes I know. A pocket watch. Forgive me I couldnt resist.

Beth Ruby xoxo

List Mondays- Top 10 Personal Makeup Buys

I love those “In my bag” posts that people do (it appeals to my nosey side I think haha) so I thought for this Monday’s Top 10 I would twist it a little bit and lay out my best cosmetic buys from my makeup bag.

1.Chanel Noir Eye Liner- Its nice and dense and best of all stays on all day.
2.Maybelline Colossal Lashes- Perfect thick party lashes.
3.No. 7 Foundation- I got this in my stocking from Santa this year and it is amazing. It has “Intelligent Colour” so it will adjust to each person’s skin tone.
4.Mac Shadestick- Gorgeous by itself or with another eye shadow on top.
5.Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat- The ultimate product for getting rid of bags under your eyes and other blemishes.
6.MAC Eye Shadow Palette- Lovely jewel colours.
7.Yves Saint Laurent Lipstick- A pretty glittery pink colour.
8.Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation- Has nice even coverage and lasts for 12 hours.
9.Natural Collection Clear Mascara- I apply this over my Colossal one for added length and it locks in the dark colour.
10.Stila Lipgloss- A subtle sheen and I love the twisty end you turn to get the lipgloss out!

Photos taken on my brand new Canon 1000D SLR Camera!
(post coming soon...;D)

What are your best makeup buys?

Beth xx

Early New Years Resolution- STOP BITING MY NAILS

I need to stop biting my nails.
Basically I didn’t use to when I was younger but then at about 12 I started to and ever since then (I am 15 now) it has been either my “New Years Resolution” or “give it up for lent” or whatever to STOP BITING MY NAILS.
But no matter how many bottle of that vile tasting ‘Stop n’ Grow’ or however much I try I cannot stop.

Until I went ice skating the other weekend and my friends commented on my “disgusting” and “appalling” nails.
One friend even took a photo of my gross, hacked off thumb nail and said that if I didn’t grow it she would put me on Facebook and tag me on it (she was only partly joking as well)
You might think that is a tad too harsh but it is definitely the wakeup call I need.
So now I MUST stop biting my nails, to show my friends, myself and my mother (who frequently tells me off for doing it- even though she does it herself the hypocrite) that I can do it.

The Lust Have Chanel Nail Varnish which I will buy when I finally grow my nails...

Any words of advice? Does anyone here bite their nails? Or used to and then quit/ is now trying now to quit?
And when I finally stop I promise I will upload a picture of my lovely manicured nails to prove to you that I have done it alongside the 'before' photo I took last week, which really is both "appalling" and "disgusting."

Any help or words of encouragement would be AMAZING.

Beth xx

Spring Summer 2010 Roundup- My favs

Just a quick post before I dash off to a sleepover...

Here is my quick round up of my favourite looks and collection from Spring Summer 2010:

Top 3 designers:

1. Over the top ice queen awesomeness at Alexander McQueen.

2. Floral loveliness at Erdem

3. Candy stripes at Marc by Marc Jacobs

Top 3 hair:

It’s all about the big hair; afros at LV, crimped craziness at mulberry and major bed head hair at House of Holland.

Top 3 bags:

I am falling for the chain strap ladylike bags seen at Luella, Matthew Williamson and Chanel.

Top 3 shoes:

My top 3 pairs of fierce black heels are from Rodarte, Valentino and Lanvin

Which are your favourite designers from the Spring/Summer 2010 collections?

Beth xx

Karl Lagerfeld can do no wrong.

Chanel Spring Summer 2010 was very cute affair with flirty gingham dresses, clogs and floral touches. To go with the country theme there was even a backdrop of hay and trees on the runway.
Just one glimpse of the collection and you know straight away it is Chanel and that's what I love about it. But at the same time as having the signature pieces (for example the classic jacket and of course the bag) the designs still manage to look fresh and up to date.
Also love the fact that Lily Allen-the current face of the Chanel Cocoon bags- wowed the audience by appearing to sing her country style song "It's not fair"on stage during the show.
Ah I wish I could have been there...

My favourite look; that little white lace dress is the perfect spring summer look.


A slightly smarter look, doing what Chanel does best; little jackets and handbags

Karl keeps it it looking new with these playful outfits, love that bag with the bright flowers!

Lily looking stunning on the hoedown platform!

(Images from style.com and graziadaily.co.uk)

Beth xx

The Wish List

I love these tote bags designed by Oonagh O'Hagen for Browns focus.
On each simple white bag is a print of a luxury designer bag, such as Louis Vuitton and the words "I am not a Vuitton bag."
It's a parody of the very popular "I'm not a plastic bag" Anya Hindmarch designed a couple of years back which you could get for just a fiver at Sainsbury's.

My favourite out of the range has to be the Chanel 2.55 one though (see bottom photo)

I am definitely adding these to my wish list!
A nice twist on the famous 'to-die-for' designer bags and at a fraction of the price:

Just leaving to go on holiday by the way so it will be a week before I get the chance to get back to you all!
Beth xx

Girl Crush- Lily Allen

My recent girl crush has to be Lily Allen.
Her prom dress, big gold earrings and scruffy trainers combo is no more and she is now seen out and about in all the hottest designers, especially Chanel (she literally has a 2.55 bag in every colour of the rainbow)
She is even the new face of the a/w accessories collection, specially chosen by Karl Lagerfeld. When asked why he chose her he simply said “Shes fun.”

Lily before the Chanel vamp, back when she wore trainers instead of Louboutins:

The Chanel ad campaign photos, just released today:

I also love her because every time I hear her song “Not Fair”about a guy who is rubbish in bed I cannot help but giggle:

Your thoughts on Lily Allen as the new face of Chanel?