Heels are something everyone has to love.  They kill your feet, your soles burn, you look taller and slimmer, and even though your calves may suddenly cramp for no reason later on… So I know it’s generally considered to be unhealthy to place that much pressure on your feet, but overall heels are really worth it.

Spring/Summer heels are my favourites.  They’re floaty, flirty and drop dead gorgeous.  And this year they are better than ever.

Fendi really came to light this year.  Their Cinderella (above) and Attraction heels are the very epitome of Summer; they are downright pretty and very feminine.  The colours are fantastic and if you’ve got the cash to splash, Fendi have some gorgeous offerings that are wearable as well as looking a million dollars.

I’ve never been much a fan of Gucci for some reason.  Love their bags – but their shoes just don’t match the adventurous beauty of Fendi and Louboutin for me.  They have some gorgeously workable pumps, but this Spring it’s the Gucci sandals I love.  Their blue patent with bamboo detail on the heel is really understated but classy, and they have a great t strap brown sandal that really screams boho chic with the right outfit.  There’s also no denying the strength of craft in Gucci shoes; they are so amazingly constructed.

Generally, when the time comes to check the Spring/Summer Collections, I go straight to Jimmy Choo because I love Choos.  Boy was I disappointed this year.  The reliance on black and chunky strapping is just too severe for my ideal summer of beach parties and a more relaxed style.  If I were to choose one of the 13 Spring/Summer pairs (ten are heels), I would pick the brown strap wooden platforms – because they seem the most relaxed.

The real delight this Spring came from Christian Louboutin.  I want every single pair, and that is no lie.  Their ultra high pairs are the best; the ice blue and red suede platform sandal is just brilliant, but it’s hard to pick after that, which is the sign of a good line!  In their slightly less high range, my favourite – and this is my favourite of all Summer shoes this year, is the white patent peep toe with that amazing black exotic flower.  Seriously stunning shoes.

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The fashion world has lost it’s true visionary. News of Alexander McQueen’s sudden death on Thursday (11th Feb 2010) at his London home has sent shock-waves through the industry, as New York Fashion week began, instead of celebrating the new creative talents, we were mourning the loss of fashion’s Dark Prince. No doubt it will be a long time before someone of his innovative and creative ability steps into the limelight again.

Lee McQueen as he was known began his career in fashion at the early age of 16. He learned his craft as an apprentice in Savile Row and it was this early on that we got a glimpse of his twisted and naughty nature, when he revealed in an interview that he sewed ‘I am a cunt’ into the lining of a coat made for Prince Charles.

He then went on to graduate with a masters in fashion design from the prestigious Central Saint Martins College and revealed at his debut show his unique, raw vision that we know and love today. His designs caught the eye of Isabella Blow, an aristocratic British eccentric and former editor of British Tatler who became his mentor and bought his entire first collection.

His work evolved into that of a true artist, taking his inspiration from nature and death, using predatory birds and lethal snakes to influence his designs. His work, however extreme in design, was always skillfully crafted using his early tailoring experiences and managed to have a romantic softness even in their bizarreness. His families Scottish heritage also had an impact on his imaginative designs and he showed tartan, kilts and feathers in a whole new light in his work!

Lee was made the head designer for Givenchy in 1996 but, was then was poached by the Gucci group, which supported and developed his own label, Alexander McQueen. His label has gone from strength to strength and had even opened up his own stores in London, New York, Los Angeles, Milan, and Las Vegas. He unsurprisingly won British Designer of Year four times throughout his career, and his fashion shows are the one spectacle that will be sorely missed on the fashion circuit as he was known for his extravagant displays of showmanship.

His most recent show for Spring/Summer 2010 was his most brilliant to date… a collaboration with friend Lady Gaga previewing her bad romance video while the models tottered down the catwalk in the now infamous mythological hoof-style shoes (see ‘extreme fashionistas’ article). The unique graphic-print designs from this collection were a combination of bug and beast influences, the bright colours remind me of when you would make those butterfly prints as a child where you would splodge paint on paper and then fold it to create a beautiful print. It is mesmerizing to watch what he puts down the catwalk every season, and it is deeply saddening to know there will be no more! No doubt his last ever collection will at some stage brace the catwalk in a final tribute to the influential designer.

Alexander McQueen was a designer like no other, he pushed the creative and artistic boundaries and truly made his mark in fashion history. RIP.

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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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