Wallpaper*




Excuse me but when did Wallpaper* get this good? I heard rumblings that Hedi Slimane was guest-editing the latest issue and those rumblings have turned out to be true. Not only that but Jeff Koons and Dieter Rams have also guest-edited so there are three different covers to collect! (Um…does anyone actually do this?)

I decided to have a browse before parting with my five-odd quid and wow, it’s pretty damn amazing. The whole magazine looks great but I especially loved the fashion shoot in various designers’ archives. Genius! Can you imagine how much fun that shoot was playing with Valentino’s old dresses and Louis Vuitton’s vintage steamer trunks?

Turns out Wallpaper* has also ramped up its fashion week coverage and features daily reports and galleries – www.wallpaper.com/fashion. Go look!

Pic: www.wallpaper.com



5 fashiony things I learn this week




Diane Von Furstenberg’s auumn/winter collection was inspired by beetroot. “I went out for lunch and I spilt some beetroot juice. I used a napkin to clear it up and it was the most extraordinary shade. I took the napkin into the office and said ‘ This is our colour’. Designers eh, they’re all bonkers.

Arthouse director-writer-actress Miranda July had a penpal who was a convicted murderer when she was fifteen.

80s designer-to-the-stars Antony Price is opening a new couture studio in Mayfair.

Barbara Hulanicki’s autobiography From A to Biba is being re-released through V&A Publications. How the hell did I miss this first time round?

The long awaited monograph, Bob Richardson edited by Terry Richardson is due for UK publication in October. Bob Richardson (father of Terry) was big in the seventies but fell on hard times and died in 2005. The hands-in-pockets-slouch was his signature model pose.

Pic: Bob Richardson by Amazon.com



LFW Top Five



London Fashion Week is a few days away but applying for show tickets is nearly as hard work as attending the shows themselves. Put it this way, there’s a two-page schedule for the parties alone! I’m most disappointed to find out that despite all the hype, Charles Anastase isn’t showing after all but will console myself with my top five must-attends.

Gareth Pugh
The hottest ticket as far as I’m concerned – if only for the sheer challenge of getting into the show. My proudest fashion moment to date was two seasons ago when I asked Hamish Bowles to take my picture in front of the catwalk with a vast sea of giant black balloons behind me (the first picture was a dud so I made him re-shoot). As if that wasn’t thrilling enough, Anna Wintour then stepped over my bag – darlings, I nearly wept with pride!

Luella
You can keep Giles, Christopher Kane and Jonathan Saunders, I’m all about the girly, streety collections – the stuff I actually wear. Luella’s show, while nothing ground breaking, will undoubtedly have the best models, music and accessories.

Mulberry
Not a show as such but a series of presentations. I like how Mulberry’s clothing lingers under the radar and I’ll be interested to see what’s on the agenda for SS08 before Katie Grand takes the reins.

Todd Lynn
I missed his last show and I’m sorely regretting it. This guy’s thing is rock-n-roll rebellion and androgyny – my two all-time classic looks. As the desgner responsible for clothing the likes of The Stones, U2 and PJ Harvey he should have some interesting punters in the front row.

Matthew Williamson
Purely for the home-coming spectacle and celeb count, this will be a show worth queuing for. I’m also a big fan of the Williamson colour palette – let there be brights!



Pat McGrath’s make-up lesson.




To get this season’s flicked eyeliner look, follow these 4 simple steps:
1) Sit with uncrossed legs looking straight ahead into a mirror to keep your posture balanced.
2) Always use a sharp eye pencil to start and use pointed cotton buds for corrections.
3) The key is not to draw the line in one go. Do a bit on one eye, then the other and so on until you’re happy.
4) Using the pencil as a guide line, finish with liquid eyeliner on top. Pat McGrath used Cover Girl ‘s LineExact Liquid Liner at the LV show.

Pic: www.style.com