Merry Christmas from Elle Belle!

This is my first Christmas on Elle Belle Fashion blog, and I want to thank you for reading and enjoying my posts since its creation in March. Make sure you'll be back in 2012, where I will be keeping you up to date with all of my fashion news, shoots, shopping tips and insider tips.



My beautiful and inspirational friend styled this image for Living Etc (Dec 2011 issue)

At home, Mr Elle Belle and I have planned the Christmas Day lunch, all of the gifts are wrapped and under the tree, ready for the big day...all that's left to do, is crack open a bottle of bubbly and choose what I want to wear on Sunday. As Net-A-Porter have already kicked off their wonderful sale, it has to be a choice of these two gorgeous day-dresses to see me through the day. Which one do you prefer?? Classic monochrome or festive red?

Silk and wool blend dress, now £879 Jason Wu at http://www.net-a-porter.com/

 

Pleated wool crepe dress, now £836.50 Alexander McQueen at http://www.net-a-porter.com/

Merry, merry Christmas and wishing you a very Happy New Year!

Gorgeous Victoria Beckham print

I have been a fan of Ms Beckham for many years - NOT as a singer, but as a role-model and icon. I have taken a lot of flack for it, but still stand by it - I think she is inspirational and has been misunderstood. No-one can really argue that she can't design her fashion line as this year she took home the Best Designer Brand at the British Fashion Awards...

I recently treated myself to this adorable print from her diffusion line collection at The London Printworks Trust . Just one of 14 amazing designer prints, this one shows her new cat print and is limited to a print run of 4000 (I got number 6!) but it is one of the priciest at £50...

Dear Santa...All I want for Christmas is Matilda

One of my most treasured books growing up, and a much-loved movie in the 90's with the delightful Mara Wilson and hilarious Danny DeVito was Matilda.

Australian comic Tim Minchin, has transformed the story into a musical production, showing at the Cambridge Theatre in London. All the characters remain - Miss Trunchbull, Miss Honey and the Wormwoods all come to life on stage in a beautifully designed stage.

Tickets start at £20 or you can treat yourself to a VIP experience from £170.

Dreaming of Winter Sun

During the week of Christmas, when most people are preparing for the festive time ahead, I find myself googling holiday location ideas and a new summer wardrobe.... Not having to wait until new collections hit the stores in January, Beach Tomato Shack is a fab website with women's holiday clothing, accessories, some for the guys as well as a fantasy-driven magazine for holidays, fashion, beauty and all things in between...

From my favourite new designer, Mungo Gurney, this one-piece shows off her amazing prints for Spring Summer 2012, is available for £215 and exclusive to Tomato Beach Shack...

Asymmetric swimsuit £215, Mungo Gurney

Jigsaw is ahead of the 1920's pack

Jigsaw have an amazing 1920's flapper-style dress available now, which is reminiscent of the Gucci S/S 2012 catwalk...perfect timing for Christmas parties and New Year! Keep jewellery and accessories to a minimum as the detailing on the dress should be the focus...


Silk sequin dress, £325 Jigsaw



Gucci Spring / Summer 2012 show

In-My-Bag Kew Sale skirt

I LOVED this skirt, even when it was full-price, and now kew.159 have put it in the sale....at just £44!I'd wear mine with flat black leather boots, cream silk blouse and a military style coat. Gorgeous!

Wool-mix skirt, £44, kew.159

I-Spy Something Beginning with Q (v.2!)

I remembered something I love starting with Q! Sold in Selfridges in UK, Qeelin is a jewellery brand which beautifully blends the mixture of influences between China and the West. Stunning jewellery and diamonds aside, they also have celeb fans including Maggie Cheung.


Ling Long chime collection, inspired by bells to
purify and cleanse as well as warding off evil spirits



I-Spy Something Beginning with Q

Q.......Q......I challenge you to come up with a stylish designer starting with Q....as a substitute I want to show off my favourite piece of Quilting...of course - it's Chanel.


A beautiful old ad, Milla Jovovich wearing Chanel

Chanel have made the classic quilted bag in leather, fabric, silk, among other materials since February 1955 - hence the nickname, the 2.55 bag. The new Cruise 2011-12 collection shows the quilting in tote bags, fold-over bags as well as a new shape of quilting - long lines rather than squares.


Calfskin classic bag



Calfskin bag with mini Mademoiselle clasp

 I recently did a still-life shoot with the amazing Jose Lasheras and we shot a Chanel 2.55...what do you think?

From far left, pinstriped wool shoe, by Salvatorre Ferragamo; leather quilted bag, by Chanel; Little Black Book notebook, by Smythson; patent leather Ipad cover, by Jimmy Choo



Brrrr...baby it's cold outside!

Feeling Jack Frost yet? With Arctic winds prevailing and the threat of a cold and white Christmas, I do whatever any cold-blooded woman does - piles on the layers! However, I may not need to much longer, thanks to much more stylish thermals on offer. Thermals, by any stretch of the imagination are not things to be shown off....until now.

Hot Squash is a revolutionary system designed to keep the heat in, without making you sweaty, and always keeping you looking sleek and stylish. In their own words, "Unique lovely soft fabrics which keep you toasty warm, while looking sleek and never bulky. They are also quick drying and breathable."  The proof is in the product, they are lovely, and not limited to bland tops and leggings!

As well as essential tops and long/short sleeve t-shirts and bottoms, the site offers pretty blouses, dresses, tailored trousers. I'm stocking up for the year ahead!

Keyhole Top, £45.99

Waterfall top, £45.99

 

Tie-back dress, £77

 

Smarty pants, £115

For those of you on the other end of the heating scale, next season they will also offer a cooling technology section, which does the opposite - cooling all day.

Wolf & Badger - the new destination for off-beat designer shopping...

Wolf & Badger is a unique fashion store - on one level it displays the most original fashion and accessories (womenswear and menswear as well as artful homewear) as you would expect for a sleek and trendy store on Ledbury Road in Notting Hill. On another note, it is a one-of-a-kind platform allowing new designers to apply to sell their products in-store who will also benefit from top-level PR and marketing advice.

Therefore, launching them into the UK market (the online e-store delivers throughout the UK, the EU and other international destinations) with a professional and complete team dedicated to their success, without the risk and daunting prediction of costs, insurance, etc.

In perfect timing for Christmas gift shopping, my favourite picks include a perfect party dress, a gift for those tricky people and a future collectors item:

Purple wool-crepe Jill dress by Ora £165

English bone-china willow tea set by Richard Brendon £115



Fine-bone china skull plate by Phoebe Richardson £35

In-My-Bag Nine West sale-wedges

The sales have arrived early, for shoe-heaven retailer Nine West, these gorgeous "perfect-for-next-season" wedges, are a steal at just £39 (limited sizes only). The wedge is shape for next season, as seen on catwalks at Burberry Prorsum, Carolina Herrera, Derek Lam, Diane von Furstenberg, Mulberry, Prada, Ralph Lauren and Versace (too name just a few!)

Leather and cork wedges, now £39, Nine West

Not your size? Find more in the non-sale section - I also love new season brightly coloured Larysa3 for just £85.


Patent leather, £85 Nine West



I-Spy Something Beginning with P

Ms Miuccia Prada holds court over the global fashion industry, designing 2 trend-dominating catwalk shows - Miu Miu and (the ultimate) Prada. To choose a favourite piece of clothing or bag, would feel like choosing your favourite child. So I am excited to show off the new Christmas collection of jewellery...

Earrings, £140 Prada

Beaded bangle, £175 Prada



Necklace, £195 Prada

 

Bangle, £350 Prada

As well as crystals-galore vintage inspired costume jewellery, Prada also has a huge selection of "perfect for pre-SS" plexiglass bold pieces. With a safari, 1960's feel, these will be worn for years, they are also available in bold turquoise and pink, so stock up soon....

This Is Davina, Get Fit With Me!

Davina McCall is a super-powerhouse of achievements; TV personality, wonder-mum and wife, sports-fanatic, and now fashion designer with high-street supremo Next...showing an impressive collection of workout sportswear, post-workout clothing you can be proud of, as well as must-have accessories and protective and supportive ballet pumps and footwear.

Launching in January 2012, Davina For Next provides the ultimate wardrobe for aerobics to running, power-lifting to pilates – all in great modern shapes, fabulous colours and outstanding fabrics, there’s something for every activity. The collection was shown off yesterday, with a fun catwalk turned dance-show, where even Davina giggled as she posed on the runway!

The ultimate woman's best friend, Davina says: “My approach was to concentrate on what I would wear, thinking very carefully about the details that matter to me, like a place for an MP3 player, or reflective strips on the bottoms – essential when you’re jogging in the early morning or at dusk. And I’ve ensured the workout tops are extremely solid and secure so your boobs won’t be bobbing around while you’re working out!"

Pink cropped top, £25 and pink capri pants, £28 Davina for Next

There is also science on display here - harnessing Next’s F.I.T. technology, Davina developed stylish everyday shoes that offer comfort, performance and muscle activation previously found in cumbersome sports footwear. Cute ballerinas in bright patent or animal print with a reduction in stress on load bearing joints with the promise of decreased heel impact. And Davina’s ultra-feminine trainers will exert 25% less pressure on the ball of the foot (from just £28).

As well as stylish scientific sportswear, she designed post-workout pieces to wear on the school-run, weekends etc. Leightweight fabrics, fun prints, and wearable bold colours galore...

Along with the perfect work-out wardrobe, you have no excuse, and you can use it with her latest fitness DVD Davina Ultimate Target (£12.99, Amazon).

Perfect Wardrobe One-Stop Shop

Mint Velvet website holds all your wardrobe needs, from work outfits, to party dresses, to lazy weekend desires...on top of that,with lovely features on how to wear trends, blog and behind-the-scenes photo shoot videos to keep you entertained - you can easily wile away the time whilst shopping! A couple of months ago, MV celebrated its 2nd birthday, and I know it'll be around for many more years to come...

My top picks from the newest arrivals are a gorgeous 1960's collarless coat and my (faux) furry gilet and scarf - can't get enough of them!


Wool swing coat, £179



Faux fur gilet, £89



Faux fur trim scarf, £35

.....and I'm not going to ruin the surprises, but I have seen the amazing Spring Summer 2012 collection and it looks fantastic. Feminine, new prints, more day dresses and still the favourite jeans and leathers. Can't wait!