Paolo Roversi’s son Francesco was in attendance at Roversi senior’s NY exhibition of Guinevere Van Seenus images. While the photos of Guinevere are certainly beautiful, it’s the ‘Paoloroid’ tee that’s piqued my interest. Clever and sweet.
Pic: Models.com
My dear friend S has returned from her fortnight hols extremely worked up about the opening of Sex & The City. (Bless her, she texted me from St Lucia airport to ask me to book tickets for tomorrow.) Having been out of town, she’s missed the two weeks of Carrie & co mania in Grazia, the NY Travel guide S&TC-style in The London Paper and the ‘anyone and everyone was there’ hoo-hah of the London premiere (where my other friend A was perturbed to find himself wedged in a Nicky Clarke and Kelly Hoppen sandwich). So she’s still mad keen to see it and has insisted we dress up in our finest and find somewhere to sip champagne beforehand. Do cinemas even sell champagne? Who knows, the best I could do was suggest the 8 o’clock screening at the Odeon West End with a drink or two in Soho before the main event. I huffed and puffed but secretly I’m quite excited.
“London designers are crazy, there’s too much crazy crazy. When I wanted inspiration I’d often come to London, but the problem with London is you don’t know how to make clothes.”
Roberto Cavalli doesn’t mince his words at a talk at the London College of Fashion
After years of being a low-maintenance miss and laughing at the likes of Victoria Beckham for being coordinated to the hilt, I feel like changing tack. I’m starting to wonder if trying too hard could be a good thing. It’s partly to do with my musings of mutton dressed as lamb, the older I get, the more I ponder this age-old conundrum. Like, just because you’re old, why can’t you have fun with fashion and play dress-up? Why should it automatically mean dressing in Bottega and playing safe? SJP did it on Sex & The City and Madonna has always pushed the boundaries of fashion and taste whatever her age and now Patricia Field (not a quiet dresser herself) has even hooked up with good old M&S to bring her bonkers mutton-madness style to the masses.
So I’m spearheading a new campaign to make Trying Too Hard a trend. Bring on the head-to-toe designer labels! Say ‘yay!’ to Victoria Beckham’s earnest efforts at elegance via the over-coordinated shoe-bag-sunglasses look! Let’s applaude Nancy Del Olio’s daring ways with animal print and red! I think while the economy’s in freefall, we should try to keep fashion fun. I’m planning to make a concerted effort to match at least two colours in my outfits. Red bag with red lipstick? How very Paloma Picasso. Yellow belt with yellow watch? Subtle but fun. Pink T-shirt and pink socks? Why ever not? Go crazy people! When I was in Hermes last week helping a friend buy a tie for the Ivor Novello lunch, the very helpful salesperson was already ahead of the game. ‘Match your pocket square to your jacket lining!” He implored. “It will look so chic!’
