We were feeling the excruciating embarrassment for all these fallen ladies here when one of the girls pointed out how no-body watching bothered to help them up – shame on you all!  Naomi Campbell pictured at her best above, that’s all we’ll say about that.  Working our way to the top spot, these should cheer you up as we creep closer to a long weekend

3. Oh… where to start?  How about we start with model Tiiu Kuik tripping over a pair of Oscar de la Renta trousers – in fairness it was bound to happen!  We hope these death traps went out with a health warning.

2. Moving swiftly on to Carmen Electra at the Max Factor Fashion Show and no doubt wishing she had stayed in bed!  Nice to know it’s not only models that succumb to this risk.  This cartoon banana skin style ‘slip up’ came just as she was confidently strutting her stuff and throwing out kissing to the adoring crowd – oh the shame! Check out the over eager assistant rushing to help only to end up flashing the crowd herself…

1. Our number one has to be from Vivienne Westwoods Paris Fashion Week, not once but TWICE the poor girl almost planted her face permanently on the runway.  You’ve got to love the casual flick of the hair as she emerges after both falls.  ‘Nobody will notice if I just flick my magic hair’!!  Sure.

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HOW FANTASTIC ARE THESE SHOES???  We are having palpitations of excitement at every glance!  As the release went “Shoe aficionados have been perusing them on the Vogue and Style.com websites for months and they have graced the pages of many glossy fashion magazines around the world”.

As we mentioned on twitter yesterday, the gorgeous Sarah Morrissey modeled these beauties in Brown Thomas‘ Shoe Rooms yesterday afternoon.  Fear not if you missed out, these Alice in Wonderland inspired shoes, or works of art as they have been described here, will be on display this Saturday afternoon, March 27th, between 12 – 4pm.  Not only that but the godly creator himself, Nicholas Kirkwood will be on hand to meet us shoe crazy folk of Ireland and get many a pat on the back no doubt – go easy ladies!  His Spring Summer 2010 collection will also be showcased, isn’t there always something behind great designers hanging out?  I wonder if his celebrity fans such as SJP, Kirsten Dunst, Sienna Miller, Beyonce, Kylie Minogue, Cheryl Cole and too many more to fit in have to ‘view a collection’ every time they meet with designers!

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The winner of the Nokia Young Fashion Designer Award 2010 was announced at a high profile fashion event in the old Circus Store in the Powerscourt Town Centre last night.  Emmy Slattery, from Malahide and currently in her fourth year in the National College of Art and Design, impressed the panel of International guest judges with her winning design entitled Knotted, which used spray painted pink leather, hand died rats tail sleeves (!) and a black tulle under layer (above).  Emmy was awarded with the coveted Nokia Young Fashion Designer Award 2010, as well as receiving €5,000 (nice!) and media profiling opportunities for the year.

This year the format of the event changed to an exhibition, which will be open daily free to the public from today until Sunday, 28th March, alongside fashion events taking place each evening.  Check out www.nokia.ie/nyfda for more on that.

The two joint runners up this year were Matthew Karp from Limerick Senior College and Niamh Rafferty from Griffith College, who each won €1,000.  Matthew’s design featured a caged skirt and a bodice that boasted fibre optic lights (below), while Niamh used felted wool hand studded characters to make a jacket to team with elastic bondage trousers (bottom).

The judging panel was made up of some well known figures from the fashion world including Marc O’Neill, designer of the Autograph collection in Marks & Spencer, Senior Designer at ASOS, Debbie Walker, Creative Director of Avoca, Amanda Pratt, Award winning Irish Designer, Aideen Bodkin and top fashion blogger, Yvan Rodic, aka Facehunter.

Irish designer Joanne Hynes had been the student mentor to the 20 finalists in this year’s competition and was also in attendance last night.  This is a great idea to give the students expert advice on anything from fabrics to accessories during the final stages.

Check out our previous post on fabrics at Murphy Sheehy here.

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The world of fabric is something I admit to knowing nothing about, but recently I heard this great story about a new fabric design to Ireland.  Forget about Lady Gaga and check out Grayson Perry!

Grayson Perry is an artist specializing in pottery – great, I’m sure he makes lovely pots I hear you all moan.  What’s interesting about this guy is his sense of dress!  Grayson’s alter ego is Claire – yes, he  moonlights as a transvestite.  His alter ego has this self designed fabulous flamboyant wardrobe that has seen him turn his hand to fabric design at the request of fabric specialists.

Let’s just say in fashion world terms he could be compared to the likes of Peter Jensen.  His designs are quirky, some with a vintage vibe.  If you want to be noticed or are looking for something different then his designs are for you.  His designs are made using organic fabrics (100% cotton lawn) and are suitable for dressmaking and some soft furnishings.  What a great way to update your wardrobe by picking up some of his wacky fabric and having it worked as an accessory like a scarf or kaftan or go all out and have a Summer dress or skirt made up (a la above).  You won’t get more recession friendly plus you’ll have pride in wearing your own creations.   I’ll leave the fashion design to those of you with more visionary skills and opt for making a few new cushion covers!

Grayson is married and living in London with his wife and daughter, not forgetting his aged but much loved cat.  The designer has included anything from knuckle-dusters, hand grenades and motor bikes in his designs.  We’ve included some pictures of the quirky artist and his fabric designs which are available exclusively from Murphy Sheehy fabric specialists, who informed us they’ve just launched their new website.  Let us know if you’ll be turning your hand to making your own pieces or heading for your local alterations center.

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The Sligo born jewellery designer Melissa Curry has made a welcome comeback to Dublin, after five years away, with a wonderful collection created from the traditional and popular ‘Chinese lacquer’ jewellery.  Melissa’s unusual range was inspired by her trip to China in the 1990′s, with the circle being her trademark.

This collection featuring necklaces and bangles are worked from the cinnbar – coloured wood of China.  Each individual piece is moulded in a different way before being painted red or black.  The pieces are then mounted on sterling silver chains.

In China traditional Chinese lacquer jewellery is as an important part of their culture as our Claddagh design is to us here in Ireland, though with a more modern setting maybe more so like our own renowned Newbridge Silver traditional designs.

Melissa Curry, known for her adventurous designs was chosen as the ‘Cutting Edge’ jewellery designer for the London Millennium Year during Liberty’s International campaign for that big event.  Through her unique design skills she has also worked with Toni & Guy, Swarovski and many more big names.

If you are tempted and want something completely different, Melissa Curry’s collection can be seen at Havana in Donnybrook, and will shortly be in Dublin’s Kilkenny Design Shop.  Another Irish talent we can be proud of!

Prices vary from €250 upwards for the bangles and neckpieces.

Images courtesy of melissacurrydesign.ie.

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When I said to some of my friends that I couldn’t wait to see the Olsen twins new collection, I started to get sideways glances and raised eyebrows at my taste in fashion. The Row (the name of the Olsen twins brand) consists of beautifully cut pieces that have a way of flattering every curve on your body and exude a simple chicness.

The show was held in an intimate venue in an art gallery on the west side of Manhattan. The collection consisted of mainly black clothing with two looks in white. The tailoring was superb and had a luxurious feel and echoed the style of Givenchy. Both Anna Wintour and Carine Roitfeld (French Vogue) turned up to support the twins and there were some heavy hitting fashion buyers in the front row.

Love them or hate them, the one thing about the Olsen twins is that they have style. I have been buying The Row for the past two years and their debut show confirmed that they have a great eye for fashion.  Image of the girls backstage, not sure which one is which!

Aisling is a fashion consultant and blogger for her own site, Sherbet Stars. Check out Sherbet Stars for more stories from backstage and on the runway at New York Fashion Week.

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Straight from Pier54, unassuming tourists were treated to Alexander Wang’s Autumn/Winter ’10 collection. The show was streamed onto screens in Times Square that had the models storming down the catwalk in Wang’s latest collection. The Wall St banker aesthetic juxtaposed against the mantra of the gypsies is a statement to the tough economic times we are living in but also a rebellion against the banks restraints on creativity. Certainly no restraints were visible from any of the New York Fashion Week shows.

Wang had a strong vision for this collection: “I wanted this season to have this buttoned up, strict pristine feeling in the suiting. It’s well-tailored men’s jacket but taking that idea and not make it boring, dated and conservative. It’s the silhouette of kind of making the shoulders really tight and then longer in the sleeves so that it goes past the hands and taking off all the buttons off the jacket so that it almost becomes like a layering piece like a cardigan. Then taking the jacket from the top and using it as a skirt, the lapel and using it as a bra top.”

The texture most visible was ‘velour du jour’, velvet pieces for every occasion that could be carried from day into night. Deconstructed suits, capes reminiscent of hippies and his classic chiffon mixed dresses made this collection an enviable one. For such a young and new designer, the others should be shaking in their Prada boots. Images above of Wang‘s collection – below Rodarte.

Rodarte, the spearheads of romanticism didn’t disappoint either. The Mulleavy sisters built their collection on the idea of sleepwalking which carried a dream like quality around the room. They said that their collection had been influenced by a recent drive through Mexico and the town of Ciudad Juárez disturbed them.

The models looked like a haze floating down the catwalk in crisp whites and creams mixed with colourful print work. Their take on the wool jumper added a fresh feel to the worn out designs that have come before them – wrapping the fabric from around the neck to under the arm. The Mexican ethnicity was visible in tasselled skirts and patchwork, and their lace leggings are sure to reverberate in collections to come. Nicholas Kirkwood’s heels set off the collection perfectly and the dark washed hair of the models slicked back added the Rodarte edge to a more feminine collection. The show ended with a white lace gown, resembling a distressed wedding dress – A perfect day for a Rodarte wedding.

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Designer Tony Cohen was born and raised in Amsterdam growing up in the heart of the city.  During the 50′s and up to the 70′s his grandmother sold second hand clothing at the iconic Waterloo Plein (still exists today) in Amsterdam.  This had a major influence on Cohen as he spent most of his childhood there.

Cohen comes from a family steeped in fashion with his father representing several fashion houses, it’s no surprise that he himself went down this road.  Having said that he did take a detour in his early 20′s when he became a professional baseball player – how random!  Not long after this he returned to the world of fashion.  His mother claims he had an abnormal interest in clothing from a young age.

Cohen worked as a designer for a few fashion houses before starting his own label TONYCOHEN in 2005 managing to make an immediate impact.  He is  now a regular at New York Fashion week and for the most part each year is the only Dutch designer showing in the official show tents.

TONYCOHEN is now retailing through over 300 stores worldwide being picked up by International buyers of which are available in Ireland – BT2 and Harvey Nichols.

So what can we expect from TONYCOHEN‘s Spring/Summer 2010?  Well, the show on the Bryan Park runway was a mix somewhere between the hard and the soft with delicate fabrics such as silks, Japanese polyesters and leathers combining to make strong silhouettes.  There was a lot of asymmetric detailing leaving his pieces to look different from all angles.  We saw silk fringes emphasizing shoulders all mostly set in a monochrome colouring of pale and dusty pinks, blues and ivory.  Every now and then there was a punch of electric amazon prints to shock. Elegant and edgy would be the best way to describe the collection.

Let’s not forget 2Love TONYCOHEN – the Spring/Summer 2010 feel for this label (available at BT2) showcased a delicate mix of cottons and silks with this diffusion line using draping, tying bows on shoulder lines and embellishments in the style of feathers made out of cotton and silk organza. Muted and electric colours both made an appearance and we at wow.ie absolutely LOVE this collection and it’s easy to wear feel.  All pictured from the 2Love TONYCOHEN collection and available at BT2.

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On her labels 25th anniversary, Donna Karan (above) delved into her back catalogue but made sure not to dwell too much on the past. Her use of a multitude of textured fabrics went down a treat with fur, tweed, satin and wool all sculpted and draped onto the models in mostly dark colours. An electric blue washed bubble dress lightened the Fall mood ever so slightly but she was keen to filter the main dark note through the collection.

It must be difficult for Marc Jacobs not to rework his old collection over and over after almost twenty years of designing but he insists that “There’s so much striving for newness now that newness feels less new”. Perhaps this is why his collection for Autumn/Winter ’10 was reminiscent of previous collections and styles but he kept a steady vibe flowing through the entire show. The show opened to a model in a grey sweatshirt with tweedy grey culottes and ankle socks – a key trend from Spring/Summer that has carried on into this season. Overcoats trimmed with fur, leather armlets and a flicker of embellishment here and there kept the collection exciting at every model turn as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” echoed around Bryant Park.

Peter Jensen confirmed his British aesthetic by calling his collection ‘Muriel’ after the novel and Oscar winning film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. This meant that the backdrop was the set of Miss Brodie’s classroom with the models dressed in tweed uniform that has been slashed short and made do of the make-do and mend mantra that has been reverberating in the fashion industry since the credit crunch took hold. Ankle socks were also present in Jensen’s display. One key piece that had the audience in salute was a jumpsuit printed with the changing of the Guards and the model was styled in a bobble hat – a nod to his London life no doubt. Nine Perssin from the Cardigans provided the music for the Valentine’s Day show channelling John Lennon with love songs that left everyone feeling elated.

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Under my Umbrella, ella, ella, eh eh could have been the song of the night at The Golden Globes 2010, the rain just didn’t stop… but that didn’t prevent our stars from gracing the red carpet in style!

Globe Goodies…

Christina Hendricks (of Mad Men fame) looked sensational! She was waving the flag for all curvilicious women out there! There are some old rules about dressing bigger frames, like stay away from volume and always dress in darker colours… well, Hendricks threw caution to the wind and wore a dress in a peachy champagne colour with extreme cascading ruffles… and she looked stunning in it! To top it all off, she was supporting young designer and project runway winner Christian Siriano.

The Brit star that seems to have taken over Keira Knightley’s former crown is Emily Blunt. She looked delicious in a rose pink tulle and chiffon strapless gown with ruffle detail by Dolce & Gabbana. It was delicate and effortless compared to some of the over-done American stars! The romantic trend is one of the biggest of Spring/Summer season and Emily wasn’t the only star rocking this floaty trend. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Elisabetta (George Clooney’s latest arm candy), Chloe Sevigny and Heidi Klum all followed this sweet fairytale look.

Fergie, who was a pleasant surprise on the night, looked like a Grecian goddess in an Elie Saab chiffon gown, again following one of the bigger colour trends of the season in a lilac colour, with a crystal embellished waistline and ruched skirt. She looked like a movie star with softer hair and make-up and has shunned that vivacious popstar look she is known so well for.

Some will absolutely hate Drew Barrymore’s dress… and I can see why! But being a fashion fiend, I have to love it, I do! I love sparkle, I love figure-hugging silk, I love the champagne colour, I love the embellishment and I love Atelier Versace… I just didn’t love them all on this dress! I also don’t know if I liked the clusters of sparkle embellishment block on her hip… why, oh why, would anyone want to add inches there? But she gets on the best-dressed list purely for old-school glamour effort.

The undecided…

Diane Kruger is always a fashion risk-taker, which I can commend; however, I still haven’t made my mind up to whether I love it or loathe it! The tie-dye mixed pink Christian Lacroix dress she wore was a little too couture for the red carpet, love Kate Hudson, and I love Marchesa just as much… so I felt bad about putting the two of them, on this list! Maybe it was the bad weather that made this frock look out of place? However, the white, origami structural-inspired creation by Marchesa just didn’t completely win me over! But like I said, it’s Kate Hudson who is gorgeous no matter what she wears!

Sandra Bullock, what can I say! Colour… gorgeous, shape and fabric… disgusting. Basically, she looked like a ‘Quality Street’ wrapper! Not good, Miss Congeniality, not good!

Lea Michele… the star of the new hit cult show Glee did look stunning at her first Globes show, but there is still something a bit off about her outfit. Oscar de la Renta is known for his dramatic dresses, and although it is a stunning dress, I think it drowned out her tiny frame. Perhaps this dress would have looked better on someone with fair features and a taller frame, Cameron Diaz for example!

Another star who usually always gets top marks for red carpet style is House actress Olivia Wilde. But her black and silver Gucci shimmery gown reminded me of a ‘90s’ Mariah Carey. The dress was exciting with a daring neckline and subtle draping. But the fabric cheapened the look a bit, which is why I am unconvinced.

Golden Grossness…

Light grey hues is a big colour trend for Spring/Summer… Patricia Arquette shows us how not to wear this colour! Her dress, made mostly of a dingy, grey flowy fabric, had a bizarre subtle animal print on it, and underneath was a gross metallic underlay. The criss-cross detail just made her look bigger than she is… a grey hot mess!

Penelope Cruz is not one to usually be on a worst-dressed list… however, borrowing a dress from Mortisha Adams wardobe is just never a good idea! Firstly, black on a red carpet is always a little too safe… so it would want to be an amazing dress. The mermaid style dress was over-fussy and the lace detailing was just too mumsy and totally lacked any of her natural sex appeal. She should have picked up some style tips while modelling for Spanish label Mango.

Another Mad Men star, Elisabeth Moss, looked like she was channeling Wendy from Peter Pan. The strapless, pastel-blue empire dress looked more a vintage nightie than a red-carpet dress and made her look frumpy, while the long necklace looked cheap and didn’t even suit the style of the dress. She gets points for on-trend pastel colour but that is it!

Dear, oh dear, there is not one positive thing I can say about Julianne Moore’s dress. It was shapeless like a bag of potatoes, an awfully dull and dark shade of grey (yes it is one of the IT colours of the season… but you got the wrong grey!!!) And then to top it all off, she had a fur trimming along the top that drooped down on her arms. I’m not even going to tell you who designed it, it’s that awful.

And the worst dressed of the night… gorgeous Avatar actress Zoe Saldana. I know it’s impossible to think anything could be disgusting on her, but this Louis Vuitton ruffle mess just did nothing for her. I have absolutely nothing positive to say about this look! At all!

See our post on Jimmy Choo at the Globes.

Images courtesy of Just Jared

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