Carine Roitfeld curates Ultimate Gold Fashion Show at Cannes

Carine Roitfeld can do no wrong. Spinning fashion projects and new magazine creative direction hither & thither.

Roitfeld's latest project is curating a fashion snow, held during Cannes Film Festival (natch) that's part of the 20th Cinema Against AIDS to benefit amfAR.

The 'Ultimate Gold Collection Fashion Show' will livestream on LoveGold.com on Thursday, 23rd May (9pm CET) featuring specially designed looks from fashion houses such as Chanel, Burberry, Roberto Cavalli, Armani, Shiatzy Chen and Tarun Tahiliani.

LoveGold is an initiative of the World Gold Council and online community dedicated to highlighting gold jewelry as precious and inspiring. As a proud presenting sponsor, LoveGold has worked with a number of prestigious jewellery designers, including House of Waris, Pamela Love, Hoorsenbuhs, Kimberly McDonald to name a few, to create one-off pieces for the show. These will be available to purchase via LoveGold.com following the runway event.

Preview illustrations of the outfits to be shown on the runway by Lulu Herself.

M&S Takes a Step in the Right Direction but Missing Something Obvious

Last week, valiant M&S made a sizeable effort to reclaim their top-dog place in the UK's fashion industry with the showing of their 'Best Of British' mens' & womens' collections, launched to re-focus their fashion offer and to celebrate their three year partnership with the British Fashion Council.

M&S is to be applauded in its attempt to re-group and re-focus, taking as it's key initiatives, the celebration of home-grown British fashion and sustainability.

The ideas and basis are all there: M&S firmly associated in our psyches with Britain and fair-play British values (check), supporting new talent and home-based industries (check) to produce collections that relay the epitome of modern British tailoring including Scottish cashmere and Yorkshire cloths (check) and with the support and endorsement of the British Fashion Council (check).

Launched to considerable acclaim in the press, the collections have undoubtedly moved the brand forward while remaining true to the M&S heritage roots - less fashion, more conservative with a small 'c' and quality middle-England. And, for that, they have to be acknowledged. 

It's a great start. To focus on what M&S really stands for and to meet its customers demands in an age where fast-fashion and trend is seen as king. But, despite the fact I commend our much-loved brand (where would we be if M&S went under?) and understand its need to simplify its message and to restrict the number of sub-brands, I still feel M&S is missing one of its biggest customer demands - the need for cross-seasonal, must-have quality basics.

M&S is all about dependability and the loyalty this generates. Where, for example, is a simplified 'Best of British Basics' collection? And I don't mean designed down to the lowest common-denominator (as most M&S products have been in the past. I laboured over this one readers. I worked there for years in a key marketing role). M&S has the influence, the design talent, the heritage and the kudos to develop a range of 'must-have' items that have fashion editors flocking (as they do now to Maje, Isabel Marant and Cos). 

Where is the right weight and texture pristine grey (non-embellished) sweatshirt, the three choices of fantastic black trousers that fits just-so, the designed-for-women man's white shirt, the loose & luscious slub-silk separates (like Lucza's offer) that every woman would scream to wear? These are all items that have wide appeal and would embrace M&S's customer. Anonymous and serviceable but above all, with great quality and design at their axis.

M&S should never be about grappling and competing for trends with the rest of high street.  The 'Best of British' is a step in the right direction for M&S's new Style Director, Belinda Earl. 

But, the brand has enough confidence and power to steer its own course. A range of cross-seasonal items that are great design wardrobe staples (think Joseph, Maje and Marant) would be a welcome addition and a way to welcome back A-list shoppers who may still only visit M&S for food and lingerie.

We're all rooting for you.

Tom Ford's Sahara Noir - Full of Eastern Promise

Tom Ford's Sahara Noir glistens with possibilities. 

From it's gilt ribbed box to it's coruscating, all gold, finely fluted bottle that fits neatly in the palm of your hand with its Tom Ford gold plaque of excellence, this speaks of superiority and slickness. It's a fragrance dressed up to impress - full of Eastern promise. 

Part of Ford's renowned Signature Collection, it whispers, "if you like these (Violet Blonde, Black Orchid, White Patchouli, Grey Vetiver) then you're going to adore me. I'm even deeper and more esoteric than the rest." Like the Tarot's charismatic Magician or the female Moon figure who flashes both light and dark, always unsure of her depths, Sahara Noir's an enigma. 

She's at once both full on and consistent - the gift that keeps on giving, with a one tone swamp of heaviness. But, the latter is composed and complex, built of sticky cistus essence ORPUR® and bitter orange alongside Jordanian calamus (an unusual oasis sweet grass) and Levantine cypress, famed for growing in the gardens of 1001 Arabian Knights. Mr Ford has certainly aimed to concoct age Old Testament authenticity and mystery. Sahara Noir caresses with smokey layers of different varieties of Frankincense while anointing with amber.

As rich and heavy as it's gilt casing proclaims, this Middle Eastern muse's frankincense heart opens wide with accents of cinnamon from Laos, papyrus extract, Egyptian jasmine and Moroccan rose absolute. The jasmine and rose is caught up in smoke filled tendrils breathing of dusk-set scenes and Burmese beeswax extraction that cools everything down with its rich honeyed, animalic tones.

Sahara Noir's Eastern largesse remains undiluted but the dry down does have an element of amber powderiness by way of the labdanum resin, ambreinol paired with Benzoin from Laos., cedar, our old friend Frankincense resin, agarwood and Peruvian balsam. All aim to  keep its presence persistent.

Sahara Noir's personality is fearless and confident rather than big and showy-offy. With all that depth and luxury, why would she be anything else? Sahara Noir has enough glory and charisma to persuade Western converts in designer heels as cash-rich, Middle Eastern sophisticates. As its name suggests, this is a fragrance for hot nights and climes. What are you waiting for? Follow the incense trail.

Available at Tom Ford Beauty counters nationwide throughout the UK from May 2013, Tom Ford Sahara Noir EDP (50ml) is priced £100.

Chantal Thomass Pops Up at Fenwick. And we're in for a treat.

If, like me, your a lover of good lingerie then you are bound to be familiar with French frou-frou with attitude label, Chantal Thomass.

The Chantal Thomass Palais Royal store is a veritable womanly treat - sumptuous, sexy and plied with tease, the store is a pink haven of seduction filled with lingerie that women like to wear - and not just to please their men.

The good news is that Fenwick of Bond Street (already mooted for its incredible selection of designer underwear at all price points) is launching a Chantall Thomass pop-up store in their huge ground floor lingerie area. The label is already exclusive to Fenwick so this will allow customers with a Thomass fetish to further experience the brand.

Running from 18th May-1st June the store will also have a visit from the doyenne herself. Ms Thomass will be making an in-store personal appearance on Thursday, 23rd May from 6-8pm where a draw will be held to win two sets of her beautiful underwear.

Asked why Fenwick were getting behind Chantal Thomass, the reply was simple - "It's one of our best-selling, most beautiful and favourite collections."

Go Orange. Three of the best Intense Colour Lipsticks.

Yes it is May. Yes the weather is still horrendous and yes, we are well and truly bored, depressed and thoroughly hacked off with this state of affairs. Welcome to living in the UK, peeps.

Just as we should be grabbing our flip-flops and stressing about pedicures and leg waxes, we're still trying to shoehorn in a little bit of light relief to make-believe that May is almost Summer after all. What good is a late Spring spray-tan if you have to cover it up with layers of clothing to fight arctic winds?

To inject some brightness, I suggest you look no further than a slick of vivid orange lipstick. With pale eyes and some lightly highlighted cheeks, the flash of orange is an instant mood enhancer. If you're bold and want to go all out, you can match with some dayglo pink accessories. Or, grab a pair of hot neon coloured stilettos, roll back the cuffs on your jeans and you already have a key Summer look. Sound simple enough? Here's three of the best bright orange shades. All give a rich matte texture finish and look as great in the urban sprawl of city as on a beach. Double the incentive to try them out.

I've totally fallen in love the Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturising lipsticks (£16). What's not to love about their chunky shape, their glide soft slickness and their intense colour that has all the benefits of a moisturising lip balm with a rich list of butters, oils and antioxidant ingredients? The 'Heftiest Hibiscus' is a delicious pow of orange and stays true on the lips. Both powerfully colour intense and smooth as silk, it packs a delicious punch.

The sophisticated choice for a flash of colour with the all-knowing wink of superiority comes via Mr Ford's range of Tom Ford Lipsticks. The ultimate accessory, the slick boxy black & gold packaging speaks bundles about the wearer and her expensive taste for fine accoutrements of quality and distinction. A light yet intense, creamy matte orange, Tom Ford's 'True Coral' (£36) smacks of '70s disco sophistication merged with 21st Century attitude. The texture is creamy matte yet not sticky (moisturised as it is with murumuru butter) with a hint of sheeny gloss. This is an all skin tones look good, feel better lipstick, equally as good on pale and olive skin tones.

The third of our trio of the best oranges comes via an all time favourite who always manages to offer the deepest colour - YSL. Simply called Le Orange, this Rouge Pur Couture shade (£25) is every bit as sharp and to the point. This glistens with vivacious orangey vibrancy. This is the choice to shake things up a bit - the intense bright orange for those who love intense bright reds. The fact that there's also something magical about the snap and glide of the YSL gilt packaging in its square casing with scarlet YSL branding makes is just-so. I don't think an SLP logo would ever have quite the same kudos so think on, Hedi Slimane.

As a fourth option, for those unwilling to bask in a shocking all-out-orange glow, Tom Ford's Lip Colour Shine range (£36) offers the palest hint of sheer orange. Called 'Insidious', this glistening baby allows a build up of colour and won't scare the horses (or your boss). Personally, I like scaring horses. But then again, that's me. 

Versus by J.W Anderson launch signifies a Digital Shift.

By all accounts is was a lights, camera, action moment in New York for the launch of the rebranded Versace Versus with Brit, J.W Anderson at the helm. The lights, cameras and action, pointedly, of a 1600 strong avid social media crowd who move and shake with the best of them.

This launch did more than signal the movement of Versus back into clubby hipdom and a direct targeting to a burgeoning youth market, held as it was at Manhattan's Lexington Armoury and with music by Grimes, Dead Sara and Angel Haze signifying just how hipster it was. This was a deliberate global marketing signal that its moved with the times. A shift to social media to create hype and buzz as twitter feeds fueled with hashtags and twitter handles relayed that the audience was there to do more than have a good time and drink champagne. They were there to quite literally see behind the scenes, pass judgement and create a social media maelstrom to fuel resultant column inches on blogs, online mags and the dated print issues appearing next day.

As circulation figures continue to plummet (Grazia's dropped 9.2% year on year) and online editions of popular mags attempt to ape a short, sharp, newsy blog style, bite size pieces of information are viewed as the way forward. Ditto the clever brands (like Versus, Dolce & Gabbana, Stella McCartney, Christian Louboutin and Burberry) who embrace key social media opinion formers and relay a complex PR strategy often starting with social media to launch their campaigns. Their success stories cannot be disputed. Who wouldn't want twitter feeds and blogs filled with up-to-date information and opinions regaling a new collection, increasing their weight in search engines and lessening the amount of £'s and $'s spent on direct advertising? Canny.

Add to the fact that blogs are still top of the ratings by readers when it comes to true and trusted opinions (not influenced by advertising revenues) that encourage direct purchases and brand affiliation.

What Donatella Versace has initiated with her new vision for Versus is more than a re-brand of the label. It is a storming of the barricades re new lines in communication, connecting with a shifting audience and effectively using her key target group of opinion followers as catalysts to publicise her brand. Now that's clever. The fact that J.W Anderson's London themed, punk tinged, sexed-up Versus collection sparked with energy was the bite back that Donatella had dreamed of.

Donatella Versace & J.W Anderson portrait shot from WWD Facebook.com. Versus catwalk image by courtesy of www.vogue.co.uk

Anthropologie releases Peter Som collection for Summer '13

Clever eclectic mix store, Anthropologie has teamed up with New York designer, Peter Som, for Summer '13.

With more than a trite vintage elan, Som's pretty prints are perfectly in keeping with the Anthropologie brand ethos - feminine and quirky yet classic.

A deliberate clash of whimsy and uptown demure, the eclectic allure of Som's style icons like Peggy Guggenheim and Diana Vreeland's is relayed. Peter's playful signature prints include bold florals and zebra heads that pair up with couture-touches of hand embroidery and delicate lace. 

“I’m thrilled to partner with Anthropologie on this collection,” said Peter Som. “As brands we share a similar love of colour, pattern and embellishment. I’ve been able to play with many of my signature prints and silhouettes in a new and fun way.  It’s been a pleasure working with the Anthropologie team and I can’t wait for their customers to come into the store and see the collection.”

Peter Som for Anthropologie will be featured in store and online at www.anthropologie.co.uk from May. The 6 piece collection is priced from £98 to £298.