The Great Gatsby - Dapper and Flapper

Like pondering over which came first between the chicken or the egg (I'm still undecided) it is also pretty tricky to pinpoint which came first when discussing the current trend for 1920s fashion and the announcement of Baz Luhrmann’s re-make of The Great Gatsby.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1920s novel, The Great Gatsby's most recent film adaptation stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Toby Maguire and Carey Mulligan.  With several film stills recently released of Leo looking dapper and Carey looking flapper, I am craving all things fringed and flirty.  Luckily London's high streets are filled with drop-waisted flapper dresses, beaded chiffon gowns, glittery headbands and long, lustrous strings of pearls.  

(Below) Apparently I am not the only one embracing this deliciously decadent style...  Georgia May Jagger, Fearne Cotton, Kate Bosworth, Marion Cotillard, Drew Barrymore and Elizabeth Olsen have all stepped out looking flappalicious.

Tiffany & Co have created sparkling, one-of-a-kind diamond jewellery for Carey Mulligan (left) to wear in the film, and it has been revealed that fashionista Ashley Olsen has generously loaned some of her own dresses to the movie’s wardrobe department from her vintage archive.

Baz Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby' is released at cinemas this December

Columbia Road Flower Market

Every Sunday since the 1980’s, Columbia Road, in London’s East End, transforms itself into a beautiful and bustling flower market...

Jessica and I went along to experience the heavenly scents and intense colours of this magical oasis on the sunniest of Spring days last weekend.  We were instantly surrounded by an oasis of flora and fauna; plants, flowers, seedlings, herbs and fruit trees from all over the world emitting powerful perfumes (jasmine, orange, lily, pine, rose, etc) alongside endless, energetic chatter and chants from the sellers.

The street, and its surrounding maze of small alleys, are lined with cake shops, cafes, pubs, vintage clothes shops, small art galleries and an eclectic menagerie of buskers who enthrall the punters mingling amongst the flower stalls. 

One band I watched (left) had an adorable dog tied up to their guitar case… It nonchalantly basked in the sunshine, soaking up the relaxing atmosphere, whilst its owners loudly and zealously entertained us all with some actual Sunday blues.

This market is other worldly... A thoroughly recommended Sunday stroll, coffee in hand.


Columbia Road Flower Market

Every Sunday, 8am - 2pm

Gwyneth Paltrow Flying High at the Oscars

My favourite look from this year’s Oscars was undoubtedly Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford. Despite Angelina’s left leg trying its best to pull focus, Gwyneth was stunningly statuesque in a white column gown with matching cape. With natural make up and a soft, relaxed ponytail (an unusual red-carpet trend at this year’s awards) Gwyneth looked breathtakingly fresh, modern and elegant amongst the annual swarm of frills and fluff.

Gwyneth revealed, “I saw a pic of Jackie O in a white dress with a cape and it's been a while since anyone's worn a cape, frankly, except for Superman." The picture she described (left) was of Jackie O in the cream chiffon gown and sweeping cape she designed herself and wore to the inaugural ball in 1961.

Coming a close second to Gwyneth was Oscar nominated Michelle Williams (below) always a red carpet favourite of mine, wearing a pomegranate-coral coloured peplum gown by Louis Vuitton. I loved her clashing pink clutch bag, bright pink lips and the adorable diamante bow brooch attached to her waist.


A special style mention should go to Natalie Portman (far left) the picture of timeless elegance, who chose to wear a 1954 Christian Dior vintage couture polka dot gown despite having her choice of every new dress off the runway. Also, the Oscar nominated Rooney Mara (left) who wore a unique, backless Givenchy structured dress with origami folds and lace details – the white gown along with her porcelain skin, deep red lips and blunt, raven hair created a startlingly striking look on the red carpet.

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Right: Cameron Diaz, who rarely ever puts a foot (or Choo) wrong on the red carpet in my opinion, shone in both her contrasting dresses on the big night; a beautiful and shimmering, pale pink Gucci dress for the awards, followed by a dazzlingly bright orange dress by Victoria Beckham for the Vanity Fair party.

Alice Temperley's Got Talent

Move over Simon Cowell, Alice Temperley is now searching for Britain’s Next Big Thing…

Each season, the celebrated British designer of all things ethereal, will invite an emerging creative (model/musician/artist/actor) to showcase their talent alongside the latest, and more contemporary Temperely range, Alice By Temperley, collection in a short film which will be shown on their website.

Alice explains, "I am always on the lookout for new talent and love being inspired by unique skills and meeting artisans with passion for their craft… It was appropriate to dedicate space and time to promote emerging talent through the platforms and audiences we have available to us, supporting the future icons."

In conjunction with the launch of the label’s pre A/W’12 collection, the project kicks off with unsigned singer/songwriter, Isabel, whom Alice heard at an impromptu gig at the Glastonbury Cider Bus last summer. Isabel performs her song "Kiss Me Madder" in a romantic music video (below) directed by two of the designer’s siblings, Henry and Matilda, shot in East London, the Golborne Road and the Somerset countryside.

Isabel models some of the pre A/W’12 Alice by Temperley collection in the video and unsurprisingly I’ve fallen for many of the clothes - some of my favourites are below…

If you think you know/are the next (*drum role) Temperley Talent, or are an upcoming artist wishing to display your work in an area of the London or Los Angeles Temperley boutiques, submit your work for consideration by emailing talent@temperleylondon.com

Oh, the Places You'll Go at Burning Man!

Reminding us all to live adventurously and with great faith, Los Angeles based photographer Teddy Saunders at Tedshots, brought Dr. Seuss’ beautiful and joyous ode to life, ‘Oh, The Places You Will Go,’ to the screen last summer at the dusty extravaganza, Burning Man, in the deserts of Nevada.

In the below video you will see a bunch of brilliant and charming ‘Burners’ recite this classic story of life's ups and downs, with all its unrivaled exuberance, in a series of vibrant shots alongside a magical musical score.

Golden Globes 2012

I love the Golden Globes…

As Ricky Gervais observed in his opening gambit this weekend, they are to The Oscars what Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton, “a bit louder, a bit trashier, a bit drunker.”

One BIG similarity with the two award ceremonies however, is their focus on the dresses…

Here are my favourites of the night...

Below (L-R): Jessica Alba is always impeccably perfect - in Gucci, Emma Stone is my red carpet crush - in Lanvin, Charlize Theron looks completely dreeeeamy in Dior - the winner.

Below (L-R): Angelina Jolie’s flashes of red in Atelier Versace, Michelle Williams is always unique - in Jason Wu, Rachel Evan Wood dramatically ruffling feathers in Gucci Première.

Below: I am sorry Ladies, but I just was not a big fan of your choices…

(L-R) Elle MacPherson - TuTu much In Zac Posen, Lea Michele is a bit too ‘flashy,’ in Marchesa, Sarah Michelle Gellar – Spilt. Paint. Everywheeere. In Monique Lhuillier.

Below (L-R): Charlize Theron and Michelle Williams both decided to wear delicate headbands – I feel a new red carpet trend for 2012 may have just begun…

I have been left excited to see award winning film, ‘The Artist,' a romantic French film directed by Michel Hazanavicius, starring Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo.

The story takes place in Hollywood between 1927 and 1932 and focuses on a declining male film star and a rising actress, as silent cinema grows out of fashion and is replaced by the ‘talkies.’ Most of the film itself is silent; it is shown in black-and-white, and Jean Dujardin also won the Best Actor Award this weekend at the Golden Globes.

Best Of London - Humphrey Ker

Acclaimed comedian. History geek. Brilliant storyteller. Fantastically funny. Toweringly tall.

Humphrey Ker is one third of the Victoriana-themed comedy troupe ‘The Penny Dreadfuls,’ a featured talent on BBC2’s ‘Fast and Loose’ and more recently, a solo performer in ‘Dymock Watson: Nazi Smasher!’ for which he recently won ‘Best Newcomer’ at the Foster's Comedy Awards.

Based on the experiences of his grandfather, ‘Dymock Watson: Nazi Smasher!’ Humphrey comically portrays a series of heavily accented characters, including Nazi soldiers, a Texan Belle, a Romanian musical theatre actor, a foul mouthed Scottish spy chief, and of course, the hero himself – Dymock Watson - a naval officer parachuted into Romania on a secret mission in 1943.

The piece is jam packed with laughs and drama and I implore you to book your tickets now! In the meantime, London based Humphrey shares with us his London favourites...

My Pint – A pint of coke. Can't afford to get into alcohol as I have a heavily addictive personality. That + Booze = NO FUN.

My Date Night – My girlfriend Carrie and I love a trip to the theatre followed by a late night Chinese at The Four Seasons on Gerrard St.

My Sunday Brunch – Nobody does a better roast than my friend Sam Collins. Everyone reading this should make friends with him. If that proves impossible, Kerbisher & Malt on Shepherds Bush Road for a fishy alternative.

My Building – The Tower of London. Bad ass.

My London Shop – ‘The Orcs Nest’ on Cambridge Circus. I am a dork and they don't come dorkier than this shop.

My London Extravagance – Chateaubriand and Potted Haddock at Hawksmoor.

London's Best Kept Secret – It's probably me isn't it?

My London Icon (Past or Present) – Samuel Pepys. He wrote well and he ate well... What more can any man aspire to?


Humphrey Ker's 'Dymock Watson: Nazi Smasher!' is showing at the Soho Theatre on 26th Jan-4th Feb, 13th-18th Feb at 9.30pm.

Billy's Back - The Oscar's Host Revealed

Meghan Fox and Josh Duhamel were tasked with tracking down the hilarious Billy Crystal, one of the most popular Oscar hosts ever, to present this year’s 84th Academy Awards…

As much as I love films, lets face it, the Oscars are also all about the DRESSES!

Below: Some of my all time favourite looks... All award worthy!

Below: When BAD dresses happen to GOOD people... How? How? HOW?...

Below: And every year, there's aaaalways SOMEONE who leaves us speechless...

The Oscars will take place on 26th February

Ice Skating at The Natural History Museum

Before I returned back home for a sunny Kenyan Christmas (the reason for my lack of postings recently – the internet is sooo slooow!) I went to The Natural History Museum to go ice-skating. To be clear, I am a beach baby through and through and outside of a mojito, ice is not an old friend of mine, so I was a little apprehensive to say the least!

Despite being like a fish out of water, I approached the ice rink full of Dancing On Ice, glittering gusto (“if that girl off Hollyoaks can do it, so can I”) and after a wobbly start (and a few moments where I contemplated grabbing a little penguin stabilizer off a nearby child) I was up, up and awaaay, looping around the ice to the pumping sounds of... Westlife. I really recommend you go (and don’t forget your gloves, hat and… ipod!)


The Ice Rink is open until the 8th of January 2012 and tickets (from £8) can be bought here.