That's the Way to Do It - 2011's Best Parties

It's the last day of 2011. (Thank God. Let's just say that it's not been the best or the kindest for many). And, I'm ruminating on my selected good times of the year which have mostly involved parties, events and meeting very entertaining new people. 

I cannot abide annoying aphorisms like "If life throws you lemons, make lemonade, (then add tequila)" etc. I find them a trite dismissive of people's concerns and of real life. Never a truer sentiment was uttered re fashion in the midst of recession than in Vanessa Friedman's recent Financial Times column, “There’s nothing I feel like I need to buy in order to feel current, no ankle boot will fix all my problems.”

Saying that, in the midst of mire often the only outlet is to gaze upwards. Aspire to better times and enjoy the opportunities that occur. Keep looking upwards and onwards. With this in mind, I'm spotlighting the hours of fabulousness that came my way in 2011 in the year's best parties (with thanks to the brands and hard working PRs who invited me) and looking forward to the next set, even if I may be partying in last season's clothing. 

Happy New Year when it comes people. Slainte Mhath.

The Most Glittering Uplifting Launch to Christmas - Tiffany & Co's 'Winter Wonderland' party at Somerset House. With Emeli Sande head-lining and Norman Jay MBE's hot DJ'ing skills, the party mixed new style upbeat soul with an old style London Christmas with its magical lights, stilt walkers, acrobats, ice dancers and smart waiters all bedecked in Tiffany blue scarves - not to mention the flowing champagne, mulled wine and cocktails to get the crowd in a Christmas party mood. Magical scenes captivated so much, you missed the many famous faces in attendance. The most joyous, fun filled, glamorous, kick off to Christmas I've ever experienced. Attendees Dame Judi Dench, Pippa Middleton, Jade Parfitt, Kelly Hoppen, Paul Smith and Julien Macdonald would no doubt agree. 

The Most Star Filled Party that made a Civilian think "Why am I here?" - Stella McCartney's Christmas Lights switch on celebration. When super sleek Ms McCartney decides to throw a party, boy does she go all out. Not only was it a relatively intimate (well, enough to fill her Bruton Street store) shindig but she managed to rope in Jennifer Saunders as her 'Ab Fab' persona Edina Monsoon to switch on the store's Christmas (eco energy) lights and fill a space with so many celebrities that it began to be like 'spot the un-famous' in their midst. Sir Paul & Nancy, Sir Bob, the ubiquitous Alexa Chung, Nick Grimshaw, Kate Moss (looking amazing as per..), Laura Bailey, Sharleen Spiteri, Pam Hogg, Richard E Grant, Marie Helvin, Mike Figgis, Lynn & Evelyn De Rothschild, Sir Peter Blake....the list goes on and on. See what I mean? An unforgettable night filled with Laurent Perrier fuelled giggles. 


Vogue's Fashion Night Out - Too many great store events and parties in the one night to leave this out of any list. Lucy In Disguise's new store launch sponsored by Grey Goose, the Burberry Party with live indie band, Coach's new Bond St store party with Gwynnie and Alex Shulman in attendance and, of course, Stella's legendary Vogue Night Out Bruton Street store bash. It was also the night I infamously broke my arm at the Rupert Sanderson roller disco rink. Some ideas are better left on paper, methinks.

The Most Unlikely Splendifirous Party - Skyy Vodka's Bartender of the Year event held at The Supper Club underneath the Westway in Notting Hill. Now, if you'd have told me that a party in the deepest part of West London, on a Monday, with the only celeb party scenesters in attendance being the (pre fame and Series 2) 'Made in Chelsea' crew would be making my list a year ago, I'd be laughing like a drain. As it was, the atmosphere, the cocktails, the fact that you had to purchase* (*ie. bribe) the drinks from the bartenders with fake dollahs while pumping music played and the anything goes and laid back attitude of everyone attending made this a night to remember. It was also one of the first appearances of the ever present 'sickly pink drink' of 2011.

The Craziest OTT Party from an Unknown Designer - Vanessa Gounden's debut launch party held at Banqueting House, Whitehall. The sheer scale of this catwalk show and party was a shock to most fashion centric attendees used to newbie designers being hard strapped for cash and seeking their fame and fortune by securing that order from Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Barneys or Net-a-Porter. 
However, self-made millionairess and philanthropist, Vanessa Gounden, had no such concerns and launched her new label with an almighty crash, bang and wallop on the London fashion circuit. Opulent, lavish and swathed in black and red light and fittings with overflowing Veuve and vodka, myriad celebs (Jade Jagger, Jade Parfitt, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Jasmine Guinness, Emilia Fox) and an OTT production level of the catwalk show itself which was more a presentation and a 'theme', this was one that stuck in the mind if not for the real reasons, the clothes themselves.


The Socialite's 'New Project' Party of the Year - When Willa Keswick decides to do something new, she certainly knows how to make an entrance. The beauty of this project is it ain't half a bad idea - marrying exciting new London based designers with hard to find global labels, hip art and object trouves with a varied price list.  

The Village Bicycle is great little find in (where else) Notting Hill. As the first journo inside the store, I saw first hand Willa's joy as the place took shape two days before her party. A delightful character full of enthusiasm, graciousness and good will, Willa impressed me as much as the store which is taking its place on the Ledbury Rd circuit. At the party, Dani and Annette Felder, Henry Holland, socialite and columnist Richard Dennen, Jade Parfitt, Luke Pritchard of The Kooks, Tyrone Wood, 'Great Expectations' Douglas Booth, TV presenter Zara Martin, Laura Bailey, Julia Restoin-Roitfield, Eliza Doolittle, Poppy and Cara Delavingne mingled with the creme de la creme de West London.

Fashot TV's launch at Sketch - At the time, we hadn't heard of Fashot TV and still now, some say what?, who? Yes, it maybe niche, but this launch at Sketch was the most fun filled , bizarre party that featured bad rappers, unknown awards, plentiful champagne (natch), a cross section of designers, fashion biz types and bloggers along with a smattering of 'Made in Chelsea' (Alas, they have now outgrown the fashion blogger party circuit and my headcount pics are running low on the Series 2 newbies). It also featured one of the many friend of Chutzpah mishaps when a Birkin dumped in a sink with automatic tap sensors, slowly filled with water while make-up was being applied. Cue floating debris, Blackberry, tupperware broccoli box and a bag drip, drip, dripping, all night.

Net-a-Porter's Unrivalled Ability to pull in the Big Names but to lose a few by giving zero directions - The Dolce & Gabbana launch held at the swish Net-a-Porter offices in Westfield, West London saw the bizarre spectacle of me (unable to find the damn place) teaming up with David Gandy's agent and of David Gandy (yes, the one), giving us directions and meeting us outside the doors of the place which we'd walked past around a gazillion times. That's how easy it is to find a place if you're not given specific instructions. Hmm. That aside, on entry it was a multi bizarre celeb fest with designers, models, actors, famous journos and pop stars who wandered around the Net-a-Porter offices going from bar-to bar at either end and trying to work out who was there, or rather, who wasn't.  Attendees included Queen Latifah, David Gandy (natch), Naomi Campbell (guided by a ring of PRs/assts), Pixie Geldof, Henry Holland, Kelly Osbourne, Pixie Lott, Douglas Booth, Tara and Otis Ferry, Roksanda Illincic, Mary Katrantzou, Jaime Winstone and Nat Weller. And moi, obviously.

Summer Bar Launch of the Season - From what I can vaguely remember, The Vista Bar Launch at The Trafalgar was the Summer Party that kicked it off. Despite only a smattering of celebrities, high jinks were plentiful as a fine London Summer evening, unrivalled views of the city and copious amounts of cocktails had everyone in a party spirit. The space itself is huge and can only be appreciated fully with not so many in attendance. Still, it gave me an excuse to go back and sample when it wasn't so ram-packed with business types and T.O.W.I.E inhabitants.

Most Glam Art Exhibition launch - Now I attended a fair few glam art events in 2011 mostly at the Royal Academy, Scream or Whisper but The Krug Happiness Exhibition launch was the best of the best not only for the idea itself, the celebrities involved in the art project, the inspirational choices and for the Krug Vintage Premier Cru being served all night which had everyone as happy as hoot. Co-curated by Lady Amanda Harlech (muse to Lagerfeld at Chanel), this had exactly the right mix of fashion, art, music and business in attendance in the glorious surroundings of the vast Haunch of Venison gallery. Lady Amanda Harlech attended alongside Virginia Bates, Andrew Logan, Nicky Haslam, Alex James and Jasmine Guinness  which raised funds vital for the Royal Academy Schools. (And yes, that is me larking around with Alex James).

Please let me know what you think of this year's best party choices by leaving a comment in the box below.

Ta da! The Katies - 2011

Yes, it’s that time of the year again when Katie and sensational sidekick, Team Chutzpah, squeeze into their Tom Ford (borrowed) and Nicholas Kirkwoods (sample sale) and celebrate the hot and so not of the last 12 months:

HEROES

Our Inspirational Icon of 2011: Hilary Devey from ‘Dragon’s Den’ – Hilary’s love of McQueen shoulder-pads and statement dressing somewhat detracted from her sharp-as-a-tack business brain and warm, empathic nature, yet her late entry into the Den proved to be one of 2011’s televisual highlights and we salute her.

The “Don’t call it a comeback” award for turning our opinions around – We’ve been vocal in our scepticism of Sarah Burton’s efforts since taking up the reins at Alexander McQueen, and some humdrum retreads of the McQueen archive and the safe, pedestrian gowns run up for Kate Middleton did nothing to dispel that, however a storming, nigh-on-perfect Spring/Summer 2012 collection has, frankly, shut us right up and we can’t wait for the next collection in February.

Our favourite trend of 2011 which we would actually wear – The Print. Never has there been a movement in fashion which allows a designer to express themselves whilst remaining firmly on message and, most importantly, on the right side of commercial. Holly, Mary, Jonathan, and Bruno and Christopher all stood out this year as the deluge of vivid, eye-popping prints reached saturation point, and looks likely to continue well into next year.

The Honorary Award for Internet Excellence goes to – ITALY. Dolce broadcasting their tweet-feed during their catwalk presentation, Gucci’s virtual front row, Zegna’s online 3-dimensional store staffed by a helpful Milla Jovovich, Milan has been spanking the rest of the fashion world in digital terms for quite some time, but it was legendary couturier Valentino Garavani who went straight to the top of the Internet pops with a bullet this year when he launched an online museum showcasing his entire archive.

The Duracell award for unlimited creativity – In a year where some detractors might have accused them of spreading themselves too thin, Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott remained fashion’s go-to-guys for stunning advertising imagery, and their stark portraiture for Dsquared2, and Loewe’s sultry Hispanic drama, were two of our favourite campaigns of the year.

Our favourite trend of 2011 which we can’t actually wear – The fashion film moved beyond its initial and rather dull beginnings as merely elongated adverts as the big names drafted in edgy directors, scriptwriters, and Oscar-winning actors, to bring depth, dialogue, humour, and pathos, to this year’s campaigns. As luxury houses, such as Vuitton, begin to build screening rooms in their flagship stores, it must only be a matter of time before the designers start making their own full-length feature films.

The joint award for our favourite fashion survivors sticking it to The Kids – Armani and Alaia. Giorgio Armani’s influence pervaded men’s fashion this year, from the slate grey layers at Dolce & Gabbana to Tomas Maier’s dystopian aesthetic for Bottega, whilst his Spring/Summer 2012 collections for both his signature and Emporio lines wowed commentators, and provided the definitive minimal counterpoint to the brashness seen elsewhere. 2011 has possibly been Azzedine Alaia’s most commercially and critically successful year to date, as the designer’s ready-to-wear shifted impressive units in the States, and his return to the Paris couture schedule was warmly applauded. Not content with just personal success, the normally shy Alaia took some time out to bitchslap his detractors, such as Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld, with a string of stinging one-liners. A man who plays by his own rules. We like.

Saving us all from a trip to Hell in a handcart are – The luxury houses, who have managed to ride out this year’s economic gloaming and report formidable trading figures quarter upon quarter. Let’s hope that they can stay the course during the predicted-to-be-tough 2012.

The most transformative affordable and addictive beauty item - False eyelashes. This year you weren't anyone if you weren't batting your enhanced eyelashes or having your peepers transformed at numerous press open days....and oh how we loved it!  From the nation's favourites, Eylure to Superdrug's extensive new range, from NYC's affordable fun offer to the swish, show stopping selection at Shu Uemura, we lapped them up. And now we have FibreLash from Model Co to play with which is an extreme lash extention mascara kit.

Team Chutzpah’s most exciting recording artists of 2011 – Jamie Woon’s use of space and genre-mashing soul was a welcome antithesis to the Autotuned, overproduced R ‘n’ B-lite pervading the airwaves, and launched a legion of copyists. Lana Del Rey simultaneously became fashion’s sweetheart and the music blogs’ pariah overnight with her cinematic Americana Amy Winehouse stylings. Don’t write her off as a one-trick pony, as songs such as ‘Kinda Outta Luck’ prove she can do punky upbeat too.

Tom Ford He can do no wrong in our eyes. From quite simply the best collections of the season held in the utmost secrecy, to the stellar release of his new glamtastic make-up range, 'his excellency' continues to enthrall. And, Violet Blonde was one of the perfume releases of the year.

ZEROES

2011’s most ennui-inducing fashion mag fixation – Editors ignored the Bible’s message about worshipping false idols and elevated the gawkily-postured Alexa Chung, honking destroyer of dance classics Florence Welch, charm vortex Cheryl Cole, and the, frankly, (fashion-wise) drab Middleton of the Road sisters to the level of fashion icon, devaluing the title beyond repair and leading us to despair that anyone vaguely famous with a wardrobe full of free dresses is awarded iconic status now.

The Derren Brown award for emotionally-manipulative added value goes to – Nostalgia, which along with “heritage” became the most overused concept of 2011. Sly designers channelled sentimentality through the use of recycled 20^th Century styles, retro logos, and bags of penny sweets on seats, whilst ice cream vans at events became de rigueur. Coupled with ‘The Great British Bake-Off’ and Kirstie Allsop’s patronising Women’s Institute nonsense, our childhood memories became Big Business in 2012.

The one trend from 2011 that we wish is confined to this year – As booty bags and free bars became credit-crunched, the sickly pink drink took over as event tipple du jour. Fine in moderation, but we were holding our nose after a few, these evil concoctions pervaded the London social scene for the majority of 2011.

Standing accused of FUGLY in the first degree – The ‘X Factor’ styling team, you ain’t got no alibi, those outfits were consistently awful throughout the series. Not content with turning Misha into a Matalan Nicki Minaj and Amelia Lily into a Christina Aguilera drag impersonator, their insistence on dressing Kitty and Jesy from Little Mix in the same shorts and shiny leggings every single week caused outcries in front rooms for the entire duration, and became a crash-course in how not to dress.

The Edina Monsoon award for substance abuse recovery and employee relations – Following John  Galliano’s spectacular burn-out at the start of the year, it was Dior CEO Sidney Toledano who kicked Galliano whilst he was down, showing the talented designer the door instead of compassion. This may have been damage limitation, but we still reckon a post-rehab Galliano show for Dior would’ve been a creative and PR triumph. It’s safe to say that Dior after Galliano has been a big old mess, and we have to wonder if Galliano’s rumoured replacement, Raf Simons, is the best man for the job, his austere precision contradicting the glamour and romance associated with the House of Dior.

The award for unwarranted audio ubiquity – David Guetta rammed the charts and radio waves full of his stinking French cheese, and provided a platform for struggling US R ‘n’ B acts intent on invading new territories.  Guetta’s treble-heavy Eurotrance became so endemic this year that the European Medical Association declared it the number one cause of hearing impairment and insanity. Probably.

The new Axis of Evil – Was unveiled as Bell Pottinger and its associated companies. Headed by a former advisor to Margaret Thatcher, this shady organisation supported Rebekah Brooks during the phone-hacking trial, provided PR to third world despots wanting access to our high-ranking politicians, and was even implicated in the Adam Werritty scandal which cost Liam Fox his job. As the Teflon Tories ride into 2012 faced with widespread public dissatisfaction, we’re wondering if they’re only still in Government thanks to Lord Bell and his minions’ machinations?

Our ‘Man most likely to end up in a James Bond supervillain bunker by this time next year’ is– Karl Lagerfeld. Ending 2011 on a high, thanks to his fabulous Metier d’Art-inspired Paris-Bombay collection, 2012 sees the Chanel designer launch a whole raft of brands under his own name, starting with his ‘Karl’ line for Net-a-Porter in January. We have a love/hate affair with Kaiser Karl, but even we can see that this is the wrong time to attempt world domination. At the end of the day, like most celebrity ranges (and, like it or not, Karl Lagerfeld is as much a modern celebrity construct as Lady Gaga) , this might come down to the likeability factor which, unfortunately, is a contest the designer can only lose.

And finally, our Villain of the Year IS..."The Chutzpah Kiss of Death" – We raved about Roland Mouret’s menswear, rhapsodised Richard Nicoll’s work for Cerruti, and went completely demented for D&G, only to have them ripped cruelly away from us. Oh why Fashion Gods? WHY HAVE YOU FORESAKEN US? Thankfully though, some good came from it, as Julien Macdonald has somewhat mysteriously disappeared from the schedule following Katie’s effusive review of his eveningwear in September.

The Katie were jointly compiled by Lee Clatworthy (@TeamChutzpah) and Katie Chutzpah. Please let us know your thoughts on our thoughts for 2011. Thanks for following us!

Introducing Lara D's bags - An artisanal fashion find

Lara D' has been making her ultra individual bags for the past two years stumbling on the idea of making these artisan works when she came across fabulous prime quality textiles in the markets, boot sales and charity shops of West London where she resides. At the time of starting out on her new business, Lara was looking for a change from her profession as client relationship manager and thought she’d capitalise on her creative skills.  Says Lara, ‘I’d always been a magpie, collecting beautiful objects and inspiration in the world’s unusual or backwater stores” And she should know, as Italian by birth, Lara has lived in most corners of the globe including the deep south of the USA, Argentina, Venezuela, France and, of course, Italy. Now firmly settled in London and a regular on the vibrant art scene, Lara looks for inspiration from art as well as fashion.

Lara was given a bag from The Ritz in South Beach and used this all purpose bag every day and for all occasions as it was incredibly multi-purpose. With this at the back of her mind, Lara’s first bag design was made from a re-purposed colourful floral bedspread sourced from a  local charity shop which she still uses on a daily basis. There really was no pattern so it was a true prototype which soon drew admiring glances from many of the Bohemian set that Lara meets on her frequent travels.

“Well, after the numerous comments, I just had to start making more....” says Lara laughing. Her bags in come in three sizes:- A utility tote (large) which is perfect for weekender, gym, shopping, baby nappy bag and the perfect carry-on luggage. The medium size (or the Lara D Petite as its known) is a commuter bag which is ideal as an addition to the urban woman’s working life and requirements – books, shopping and the masses of debris lugged around London.  The third size, ‘the bucket bag’ came to being as a natural evolution from listening to her customers and has a circular base with a 10 inch diameter and is the choice for everyday use. 

What makes Lara D’s bags so special is that they are each individually designed so are unique and a work of art in themselves. Lara uses luxury fabric remnants mixed with vintage finds to create each piece’s individuality. In fact, each bag has two distinct personalities as they are fully reversible. More bang for your buck.

Lara continues to source fabric from recycling centres, charity shops and boot sales and has discovered some rare materials and finds in her travels. Her biggest finds have included original Liberty & Co William Morris fabric, a 1960s William Morris Chrysanthemum fabric cut and a mint condition confederate flag that she’s still storing for future use. Lara also has a source and access to discarded film set materials and luxury kimono pieces from a feudal Japanese feature movie have found themselves in her bags. Lara is proud of her motto, “recycle, reuse, repurpose with style.”

What gives Lara a buzz about her range is the admiration they draw and seeing her customers use them as their main handbag. To date Lara D doesn’t have a major outlet which is a crying shame as this is the type of artisanal craft work that’s begging to be stocked by Liberty, Fenwick, Graham & Green or Net-A-Porter.

Says Lara “I just hope that my work continues to give my customers as much pleasure as I have in finding and assembling the unusual ingredients.” 

Prices range from £30 to £50 depending on size for the ready-made versions and commissions are priced individually on request.

Lara D can be contacted at barefoot-contessa@usa.net and her work can currently be seen at www.Laradhandcraftedbags.blogspot.com and in the windows of Craft Central at 33-35 St John Square ,EC1 until 3^rd January 2012.

Wild West Web? How the Smoking Gun backfired.

Sometimes in the blog and twittersphere certain occurrences make you reel. Take the latest spat that all began with newbie blogger but global doyenne of make-up, Kay Montano's Wild West Web blog piece that was little more than a thinly veiled attack on bloggers as 'blaggaz' (gosh, it's so down wit' da kidz), making the distinction that she and her colleagues, as beauty industry professionals, are the 'Blogeoisie' unlike the 'hairy armed' (her words) swatch brigade, the lowly Plebian bloggers. 

Now, I won't even begin to analyse the prose or the style but suffice it to say, I'm glad the lady's found a globally lucrative career being 'good with her hands' but in sentiment this piece was built around the premise of artist integrity and of artistes being credited properly and not wrongly. No argument from me with that at all. I, too, would find it both annoying and distressing to build a reputation and then have it dashed with wrong accreditation. The fact that at no point does she criticise or demand a retraction from the PR responsible for the wrong accreditation of her work speak volumes. Good bloggers, like journalists act on the information supplied by the PR in terms of credits, prices and dates and take that as verbatim - No agent on earth wants hundreds of calls verifying work when they could be making money for their client. However, rather than view the culprit of this misdemeanour being the hapless PR, Montano roundly turns on the lowly blogger who used the information and any others who have since googled, viewing them as the perpetrators for evil and not simply as individuals acting on good faith.

Ironically, my friends, the resultant brouhaha caused by this turn of events appears to have caused more damage to Ms Montano's stellar reputation than a simple miscreditation. Her vicious criticism in this article (aimed at the wrong perpetrators) seems intent on destroying an esteemed and finely honed reputation for world class creative make-up prowess whilst simultaneously alienating the very audience of readers, fans and admirers that she is so quick to deride. How to lose an audience and alienate in one fell swoop. Touché.

What riled the blogging community out there was that Ms Montano took the wrong end of the stick and ran with it...all the way to her enclave of professionals who share the same abhorrence and disdain for mere nobodies having an opinion and managing to infiltrate 'the industry' such as Chanel Press Open Days, it appears.

As a industry professional and blogger myself, I can roundly say that many have worked long and hard at increasing the reputation of bloggers and certainly many can tell from their RSS feeds just how widely they are read by international publications. So, it's with a heavy heart to see beauty 'professionals' not reading the article properly, wading in with comments of support to Ms Montano whilst simultaneously deriding bloggers as 'blaggaz'.  When one of those people happens to be the beauty director of Cosmopolitan, a brand reputedly at the forefront for young women's rights and who have endlessly promoted the Cosmo Blog Awards (garnering followers and support from bloggers throughout the UK and Ireland) and the other a major 'face' and TV brand ambassador for Olay, one can see just how much crisis management is required and how jaw droppingly naive some industry professionals are with regard to the impact of social media.

If at any point, a sense of humour, a grasp of parody (which was certainly occurring in the twittersphere) and a finely rounded sense of perspective had been grasped, this may have fizzled out and ended up as a pre Festive bout of stupid o'clock.

The fact that this debate goes on is a sad acknowledgement that bloggers are firmly held in contempt by some industry insiders who doth protest too much it appears. For me, the lesson is clear - learn how to respect your audience and use social media effectively if you don't want it to blow up in your well made-up face. A few words can be contra to your brand and reputation.


Please note the original 'Wild West' piece that appeared has since been edited since the first draft as commented by a blogger in the comments section.

Did you take part in this (Mrs Merton style) heated debate? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment in the box below. Thank you.

West London Spa, BeautyWorksWest launches new Beauty & Wellness range

I'm sorry to say but my soujourns aren't quite what they used to be to my old stomping ground, Notting Hill, so BeautyWorksWest well and truly wasn't on my beauty radar apart from the occasional nod as I passed it en route to Screenface. So, at the risk of trawling out 'best kept secrets' whimsy, I shall cut to chase and report on their new range of elegantly packaged products that wouldn't look out of place on a shelf in SpaceNK. Known for stocking lesser known coveted niche brands like Egyptian Magic, La Bella Donna and Omorovicza, spa founder, Susie Rogers and the unusually named Dr Sister (who offers treatments at the spa blending both beauty and science) have taken the courageous step to up the ante by offering a branded range of efficacious products to match their in-spa treatments and further their brand name and reputation. 

Conceived and developed by Dr Daniel Sister MD, with a focus on natural botanicals and bioactive ingredients, the new beauty and wellness range offers a luxurious anti-ageing body treatment, cleanse organic facial cloths, anti-ageing body cream, body and hair oil and sugar cane scrub as well as luxury candles as well as Youth Food Supplements (they had me until the latter) . 

So far I've tried a couple of the products and can conclude that the anti-ageing body cream (£41) is richly textured, blends well into the skin leaving a glossy not oily finish as well as  smelling bergamot fresh. As I haven't dropped a few years since using this, I'll resist the temptation to be cynical and say that no doubt, used long term, the product will hydrate the skin and retain it's youthful joie de vivre.

This year, I've become a regular user of indulgent hair & body oils such as Payot's super addictive Elixir (£31) and Nuxe's Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Usage Dry Oil (£27.50) which both nourish, repair and soften face, body and hair as well as smelling heavenly. I can now add to this growing stable, the BeautyWorksWest Body & Hair Oil (£47) that includes the highly restorative Argan oil in its ingredients as well as rich emollients and active botanicals such as Gingko, Biloba, Arnica and pomegranate extracts. There's something addictive and moreish about hair & body oils that become the full stop to your bathing routine. These babies leave you feeling glistening, fresh and moisturised and are worth the investment.

If you're in the area, it's worth dropping into the salon to check out their range of treatments as I certainly shall be doing. You may walk away with a little touch of West London in the form of one of the BeautyWorksWest new products. The range is free from Aluminum, alcohol, artificial fragrances, synthetic colours and parabens and are all dermatologically tested.  Prices start from £7.95 for Cleanse cloths and go up to £88 for the candles.

Stella McCartney to release L.I.L.Y in the New Year.

The first thing that impressed me about this fragrance is the name. L.I.L.Y meaning 'Linda I love You' is a beautiful testament to Stella's late mother (and just when Sir Paul wed for the 3rd time to Nancy Shevell, some may purse their lips at the timing).

It's release will come in February 2012 and is so filled with the beauty and hopefulness of Spring with its overdose of lily of the valley and with a sunshine dappled spotlight on the wet moss of a forest floor. It is intrinsically uplifting - the delicate warmth of early Spring sunlight through trees, bubbling brooks, damp underfoot and with an overarching femininity which is neither sickly sweet nor overbearing.

The fragrance seems to flow on application and grow, like water drops on moss and truffles within damp soil, to a deeper sexier hue.  

The bottle is achingly modern but feminine and inspired by English cut-crystal vases encased in a double silver metallic frame.  The cut faceted glass give a grey-pink luminosity and tempts to the fragrance held within.

Perfumer Jacques Cavalier who worked on this fragrance with Stella says of it, "Stella wanted a fragrance that redefined the extremely natural and fresh image of lily of the valley. To create more depth, we infused it with notes of the truffle form the Perigord region of France, adding a diffuse, caressing texture."

I'm glad that this fragrance will offer a point of difference in the masstige area of the market. As with everything she touches Ms McCartney manages to gild the lily but not overdo it letting it's natural beauty and attractiveness shine through. 

L.I.L.Y Eau de Parfum exists in three sizes as 30ml (£44), 50ml (£60) and 75ml (£76) and also as a 200ml body cream (£26) and 200ml shower gel (£26). L.I.L.Y launches exclusively at Selfridges on 26th January and is available nationwide from 5th February 2012.

Chutzpah's Weekly Barometer

A light hearted look back over the past week’s good, bad and indifferent including the “don’t even go there’s”.

LOVING
‘L.A.dy Dior’ – Fashion films come of age as ‘Hedwig’ and ‘Shortbus’ creator John Cameron Mitchell directs Oscar winner Marion Cotillard as an actress on the edge in this amusing ad for the Parisian house’s Lady Dior bag.

Agyness Deyne’s New York loft – Aggy’s kind-of-genius and somewhat kitschy approach to interior design makes us wish we had $2.5m lying around so we could snap up this des-res in the achingly hip Williamsburg quarter.

Designer cup holders – Normally we would rail against something so pointless, but beautifully timed for those of us at meltdown point thanks to Christmas shopping for the girlfriend or mother who has everything. Sassy snakeskin at Jimmy Choo at Net-a-Porter) or upcycled offcuts at Hermes - why shouldn’t your skinny latte be as well dressed as you are?


Self-cleaning fabric – Freshening up on contact with sunlight, this miraculous invention really can’t come soon enough for our liking. Here comes the science bit – the secret’s in the Titanium Dioxide.

Beauty Seen PR's Christmas Card And what a glam bunch of sensational PRs. Love this agency. Always a pleasure to deal with.

Chanel trainers – Be the envy of all the other kids in their pumped-up kicks next Spring in these hot hi-tops courtesy of Kaiser Karl.

Prada Spring/Summer 2012 campaign – Steven Meisel’s gorgeous, colour-drenched images have an almost Technicolor Powell & Pressburger allure and are a touch more grown-up than the Prada of late, thankfully. 10/10.

Lomography La Sardina Quadrat camera – Lomography’s wacky dogtooth check camera and flash is the ideal present for those younger relatives with arty leanings.


Sarah Lund in The Killing II - She 'kicks ass' as they say in the U.S of A.

The Kim Dress from Ingenue London -  A pretty sugar coated pastel treat available in January priced at £126. Just say aah!   

HATING
The Downton vs. ‘Stenders Christmas Day debacle – ITV’s historical drama heavyweight goes up against this year’s standard Albert Square misery-fest in the scheduling clash of the season. Boo hiss.


FunkyPigeon.com  Ha! That'll teach you. Now you'll have this annoying ad theme tune in your head all day with the mental image of a big scary  pigeon on a bike wearing a  crash helmet. *evil cackle*

Alexandra Burke’s watches for Argos – The ‘X Factor’ winner joins Dagenham Stacey down the shallow end of the high street flogging blingy plastic timepieces for catalogue chain Argos.

Billionaire Girls Club – Pharrell Williams’ sister label to his Ice Cream and Billionaire Boys Club collections screams sorority girl fantasies, and makes us wish the N*E*R*D pin-up and super-producer would go back to making decent records instead.

Clements Ribeiro’s cashmere Christmas stockings – As unemployment edges ever higher, and families cut back on their spending, we’re wondering what sort of Sunday supplement Fulham yummy mummy parody would give house-room to these overpriced Xmas decorations? And, Kirstie Allsopp doesn't count...she'd make them herself.

Clompy shoes – We’re banishing these ghastly Goth monstrosities until fashion ends its fascination with the deliberately ugly or Gaga...which is often the same, sadly.

Meg Mathews and dwell – What is it with '90s indie hangers-on who hit middle-age and think they can become designers? Modernist furniture retailer dwell must’ve missed those pictures of the acid trip torment of Supernova Heights’ interior.

Simon Preen – His Stringfellows-stripper-crossed-with-Camden-Market-casualty style may have found favour with theatrical wailer Jessie J but, seriously, you wouldn’t want your daughter walking the streets in it now would you?

David Cameron’s plan to police poorer families - £448m to tackle “problem” families, with another £675m to be provided by already over-stretched local councils, yet households on the poverty line without antisocial behaviour issues, substance dependencies, or mental health problems will have to make do as grassroots services continue to be cut. Another frightening insight into Cameron’s rather Victorian opinion of the “voting” classes.

DON’T CARE

The endless “Get Pippa Middleton’s look” articles and emails – Note to PRs and editors; “Girl wears clothes” isn’t a story. Try us with somebody actually famous for their achievements in some decent threads and you might get our attention. 

Mary Portas’s high street report – This thinly-veiled extension of Cameron’s 'Big Society' may be a PR triumph for both David Cameron and Mary Portas but is based on cloud cuckoo economics, managing to ignore the core Government policies which have led to a record unemployment, a resultant downturn in spending on the high street as well as cutbacks in civic amenities, such as parking and toilets, as well as local policing, all of which add up to less attractive metropolitan shopping centres. We’ll be reading the report from cover to cover, and will let you know our full verdict on Mary’s recommendations soon.


Let us know what you think of this week's Barometer compiled by Lee Clatworthy (@TeamChutzpah) and Katie Chutzpah by leaving a comment in the box below. Thank you.

Austin Reed re-launches at 100 Regent Street

In marked contrast to its website page (which needs some much loved brand attention and TLC as its not doing anything for a brand at the forefront of change), Austin Reed's vast new store at 100 Regent Street is a mecca to well-designed, well presented menswear.

Designed by architect, Mark Pinney, three floors and over 20,000 sq ft show numerous collections from the formal to casual and includes Austin Reed's collaboration with Richard James - Cut.  Warm wooden floors and plush carpets contrast with exposed brick walls, iron girders and a glass-walled stairway. Areas are open plan as the customer walks through open shop in shops which is more designer dept store in feel. Sock walls, a curved 60ft wall of shirts and tailoring on tap from ready-to-wear to bespoke suiting makes this the ultimate City gent stop off. Co-ordinating brands stocked included Church's Shoes and Hunter.

 

Launching just before Christmas when most retailers are showing signs of being on sale already due to he harsh economic climate was a bold move.  Attending the launch were retail power trio Harold Tillman C.B.E, Sir Stuart Rose and Sir Philip Green. Guests were entertained by all male singing group, The Overtones (pictured above).

Burberry's New Spring'12 Campaign

Burberry Prorsum has named Eddie Redmayne and Cara Delevingne as their new SS'12 campaign stars.

Burberry has played it safe with old Etonian, Redmayne, currently staring in a Donmar Warehouse production of Richhard II and who is due to start filming a large scale film production of 'Les Miserables' in 2012 while Delevigne is set to star in Anna Karenina, currently in production.

Says, Burberry's Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey,"We wanted to capture a moment in the lives of two exciting and inspiring British actors who have been part of the Burberry family for several years. The images reflect the mood of the collection through Eddie's and Cara's energy, playfulness and effortless elegance and I have such huge admiration for them both."

Burberry have been a forerunner in embracing social media and, true to form, the full campaign will officially launch across all Burberry platforms on 4th January 2012 in all off and online platforms including Burberry.com, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter and Instagram. 

Pics published by permission of © Copyright Burberry/Testino 

What do you think of the new campaign? Does it grab you? Please let us know in the comment box below.