Chic of the Week: LKB X LB

So whilst I'm sitting here in my Breton top (obvs) dreaming of the Riviera (see my guest post on French Style over on The Women's Room blog),  model, British Fashion Ambassador and Vogue writer Laura Bailey has been dreaming of Capri and the Amalfi coast for her new collaboration with London footwear label LK Bennett.

LK Bennett London by Laura Bailey Photo: www.lkbennett.com

For her capsule collection and the chance to create the perfect Summer shoe, Bailey has taken inspiration from the colours of the Amalfi coast, 1960's geometric print swimsuits and the iconic Italian actresses Sophia Loren, Anna Magnani and Monica Vitti.

Laura Bailey Photo: www.condenast.co.uk

Sophia Loren

Monica Vitti

She told Vogue UK "I'm attracted to the clash of print and solids, brights and neutrals, matt and shine, and I wanted the designs to be as chic and brave as the iconic actresses and landscapes I was inspired by, and to reflect the Mediterranean palette and spirit that cheers me on my darkest days."

LK Bennett London by Laura Bailey Photo: www.lkbennett.com

So there are sharp geometric patterns, jazzy zigzags, bold stripes in Mediterranean colours and the shoes are spot on for S/S 2015 with their pointy toes and ankle straps. There are both heels and flats and a selection of bags - perfect for your Summer holiday 'passegiata' - the ritual evening stroll the Italians take at sundown, a chance to see and be seen and show off your new shoes.

LK Bennett by Laura Bailey Photo: www.lkbennett.com

I have long admired Bailey's ability to mix and match her looks - she describes her style as "English eclectic/tomboy princess" which I love and it sums her up perfectly. For her, style "ideally defies labels and simply reflects the personality/moment".

LK Bennett by Laura Bailey Photo: www.lkbennett.com

 Her shoe collection is offbeat enough to do just that and with shoes that are "made to dance on London pavements or Capri sands" she has added another string to her already impressive bow. The collection is in store now and available here.

The Women's Room and Me

I am delighted that after a while away, my first post for this Spring is a guest post for the wonderful The Womens Room blog - a daily slice of style and inspiration and they have asked me to write about 'Deconstructing French Style' which I was thrilled to do!

Ines de la Fressange Photo: Lisa Roze for Madame Figaro

Amanda and Jane at TWR have been the best way for me to keep in touch with London life whilst living in my field in France and I always look forward to their thoughts, their new finds and above all their humour. I feel privileged to be up on their blog.

Jane Birkin Photo: Pinterest

Please go on over and have a look, Amanda has included some lovely Breton tops, in case you feel inspired, as we all know, they never go out of style.

Coco Chanel Photo; www.bloginvoga.com

A Sky full of Stars, and a Whistle

Two Hollywood greats gone in two days - one a comic genius, the other a legend. I felt truly sad to hear that the 'black dog' of depression had claimed Robin Williams yesterday at the age of 63. He had been fighting his demons for years, and finally, tragically, they won.

Photo: Mark Mann from Series 'Esquire Life of Man'

 As a stand-up comedian he was unparalleled - his speed of delivery was as quick as lightning, his impressions spot-on, his jokes - often against himself - side-splittingly funny. In interviews he was frenetic, whacky and unpredictable but he could make you laugh until you cried. And as if that wasn't talent enough, his acting skills, both in comedy and straight roles were bountiful.  I was an avid "Mork and Mindy" fan back in the late 70's - the sheer zaniness and joy of the show made it must-watch TV, and as I re-watched "Awakenings" last night I was reminded just what a great straight actor he was. I now feel compelled to re-visit "Good Will Hunting" and "Dead Poets' Society" just to enjoy the sheer power of those stand-out performances.  Luckily I can always enjoy "Aladdin" and "Mrs Doubtfire" with my boys and we still have "Night at the Museum 3" to look forward to - they love his Teddy Roosevelt in the first two films, as do I.

Photo: Peggy Sirota for Parade

Wiliams' daughter Zelda quoted from Antoine de Saint Exupery's "Le Petit Prince" when she paid tribute to him yesterday: “You — you alone will have the stars as no one else has them…In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night…You — only you — will have stars that can laugh.” She said she would try to keep looking up... To that I can only add "O Captain, my Captain" - your genius will live on.

Photo: Dan Steinberg

And then today, Lauren Bacall. A true star and fashion icon who is as much referenced now for her elegant style and trademark curls as she was back in her heyday, Bacall was always her own woman - sassy, forthright and independent. As a couple with husband Humphrey Bogart - they met on the set of "To Have and Have Not" when she was 19 and he was 44 - she was Hollywood royalty, and their films together crackle with the chemistry of their romance.

Bacall in the 1940's

Photo: Rex

On the set of "To Have and Have Not" 1944 - Photo: Corbis Archive

Bacall dressed in a pared down, simple way and she described her style as 'studied carelessness". I particularly love her Summer off-duty wardrobe which remains timeless and modern:

Photo: Rex

Photo: Rex

Photo: Rex

Photo: Rex

Though she easily held her own against Marilyn on the red carpet:

Bacall and Monroe at the 1953 premiere of "How to Marry a Millionaire"

One of the other things I admired so much about her was her attitude to ageing: she did so gracefully and never lost her love for sequins:

Bacall in 1972

 Bacall at the Oscars in 1975 with Costume Designer Theoni V. Aldredge - Photo: AP

Bacall at the White House 1980 - Photo: Ron Galella/WireImage

Bacall with David Lynch - Photo: Andre Rau

Bacall in 2010 - Photo AFP/Getty Images Rich Schmitt

Starring together in the classic "To Have and Have Not" in 1944, Bacall utters the famous lines: "You know how to whistle don't you Steve?  You just put your lips together... and blow." When Bogart died in 1957, Bacall put a whistle in his coffin. I hope her family put one in hers...

This is 48

"Age before beauty" the saying goes - but why should one exclude the other?  Surely the two can co-exist? I recently came across Kristin Perer's beautiful and inspirational photographic blog called this is 50 which Perers started as a roadmap for turning 50 with style and grace, and here you will find both age and beauty in glorious abundance. These are women who are truly "bien dans leur peau" (comfortable in their own skin), following their own particular paths, career or otherwise, and their interviews make for uplifting reading. The photo montages sing with a wonderful zest for life and if Perers' aim is to make other women feel better about themselves through meeting these ladies, then she has certainly succeeded.

Photography: Kristin Perers

Photography: Kristin Perers

Photography: Kristin Perers

One of Perers' subjects is quoted saying "I am not just one picture" which I really like, and another has written an A-Z of what makes her life tick at 50 so I thought that as I celebrated my birthday yesterday I would share my version with you - thank you to Sian Tucker for the inspiration: this is 48

 A:  Adventure, Ageing, Amour, art
B:  Boys, Birth, Beach, blogging, BELONG, bed, Balance, blessed
C:  Cocktails, colour, cat, caring, candles
D:  DAN, discovery, dancing, daring, daughter
E:  Evolving, exploring, energy
F:  FAMILY, friends, fun, flowers, freedom, food, flexibility
G: Glitter, growing, garden, GRATEFUL
H: HAPPY, hugs, home, health
I:  Inspiration, ideas, idling, Instagram
J:  Joy, jeans, Romeo and "me"
K: Kisses, kisses, kisses
L:  LOVE, laughter, LUCKY, light
M: MOTHERHOOD, Mary Berry, macarons, mountains
N:  novels, nature, nurture, nourish
O:  Ottolenghi, optimism, older, outdoors
P:  photos, prayer, play, patience, pebbles, pockets
Q:  quiet...sshh...
R:  romance, renewal, reflection
S:  SISTER, sunshine, stars, smiles, soul, snoozing, singing - SONS
T:  Time, tomatoes, thanks
U:  upside down, ups and downs
V:  Vitality, (la dolce) vita
W: Wonder, WRINKLES, walks, waves, wisdom
X:  eXcitement, eXample
Y: Yoga (to keep me) young at heart, yes
Z:  zzzzz - sleep...

this is 48

Rockboy declared that 48 is "not that old",  so it's good not know I'm not over the hill just yet - phew! And as I always say, you're never too old for a sparkler:

Inspiration on International Women's Day

I read a great article in The Guardian today about Stella McCartney (one of my favourite women) and she had this to say about her late mother Linda, which I thought was worth re-quoting on International Women's Day:

Photo: Alain DeJean

“My mum had a massive influence on me, not just in what she wore and how she looked, but in her spirit. She was married to one of the most famous men in the world and she didn’t wear any makeup, ever. I mean, have you ever seen the wife of a man like that rock up with no makeup on? Because I haven’t, since. That courage, that inner confidence, is something I’ve never experienced in anyone else. I certainly haven’t got the balls to do it. I find everything about her pioneering, and amazing. She had a beautiful ease with herself.”

Photo: Allison Michael Orenstein for The Fashion/Guardian

Pioneering, amazing, ballsy and a beautiful ease - aspirations for any woman, especially on a day like today.

And the Award goes to....

As awards season wraps up for another year, here's the 'After My Own Fashion' round up of the Oscars, with the Award for " Most Hollywood A-listers you can fit in a Selfie" to kick us off:

Photo: Bradley Cooper

The Award for "Most Beautiful and Natural" goes to Lupita Nyong'o in pastel blue pleated Prada - Pantone's Colour of the Year 2014 may be Radiant Orchid but from now on, it's all going to be about 'Nairobi Blue' this Summer - heaven.

Photo: Getty

The Award for "Most Comfortable in Couture" goes to the resplendent Meryl Streep in Lanvin:

The Award for "Most Age Appropriate" goes to Emma Watson in edgy Vera Wang, teamed with a bright red lip - the coolest kid on the block:

The Award for "Most Stylish in your Sixties" goes to the 'Divine Miss M' in Reem Acra:

Photo: Getty

and the Award for "Most Magnificent in a Tux" is a tie between Pharrell and Ellen, in Lanvin and Saint Laurent respectively:

Photo: EPA

Pharrell has even remembered to moisturize his shins, which gets points in my book,

whilst only the sartorially brave can carry off delivering pizza in white.

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Hats off (geddit?) to both and here's to Hollywood not taking itself too seriously for once.

Pharrell Williams & Lupita Nyong'o getting 'Happy' Photo: AP

Pizza anyone?  Photo: AP

In Praise of the Older Model

If your face is your fortune, then how do you cope as you get older?  Do you try and put time on hold, doing whatever it takes to hang on to the appearance of youth (and thus ironically often losing your looks) or do you embrace your advancing years and accept the changes that ageing inevitably brings? We are surrounded by the cult of youth, bombarded daily with images of bright young things and often made to feel that growing older is something for women to be ashamed of. Since when did 'ageing' become such a dirty word?

85 year old Daphne Selfe Photo: El Pais

I wrote a post last year in celebration of the stylish over 50's and I'm happy to say that these women - Tilda Swinton, Kristin Scott Thomas and Charlotte Rampling among them, are embracing the ageing process gracefully and stylishly and still looking like, well, themselves.

Kristin Scott Thomas Photo: Joel Ryan/Invision/AP

So I was delighted to read that 68 year old Rampling has been chosen to be the face of the new Nars campaign, launching in September to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the brand. La Legende (as she is known in France) will appear in a “black and white portrait style image” shot by founder and creative director François Nars.  “She is a natural beauty that feels strong, yet relatable,” he told WWD. Nars went on to say Rampling’s “strength of character” and artistic talents make her a perfect fit for the brand. “I remember Dirk Bogarde referencing Charlotte’s ‘fabled look’ because of the combination of her beauty and withering gaze,” he said. “This is what makes her an endlessly watchable mystery.”

Charlotte Rampling Photo: James Macauley for The Guardian

Rampling herself has said "I know the power of my look, of who I am." She remains for me the epitome of the stylish and supremely sexy older woman, so bravo François Nars.

Jessica Lange @MarcJacobsIntl

And then hot on the heels of this news comes the announcement that 64 year old Jessica Lange is to be the new face of Marc Jacobs Beauty with a campaign shot by David Sims - good on her.  Catherine Deneuve (somewhat heavily airbrushed I wager), can currently be seen fronting Marc Jacob's last campaign for Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood is featuring 80's model and musician Leslie Winer (no Photoshopping for Dame Viv and Juergen) in her current 2013/14 ads, and Linda Rodin is modelling for J. Crew and Karen Walker Eyewear among others. As Anne Karpf asked in The Guardian last weekend - are the times really a changing and is the older model here to stay?

Catherine Deneuve Photo: Steven Meisel

Leslie Winer for Vivienne Westwood Photo: Juergen Teller

It would be nice to think the answer is yes and we will be seeing more of these beautiful older women in all their guises gracing the pages of magazines and advertising high end fashion and luxury brands that at the moment are the domain of the young, or George Clooney. This current wave of mature models is a very welcome one but in truth people are still scared of seeing age in all its glory, and so the advertisers pander to this fear, with only the individualists and innovators prepared to buck the trend.

Linda Rodin for J. Crew

Linda Rodin for Karen Walker Eyewear Photo: Ari Seth

Whilst English Gent is happily sliding into Silver Fox-dom and doesn't give ageing a second thought, I'm sure I spend way too much time wondering whether Co-Q10 supplements and the like are going to improve my wrinkles, but I am learning to love them, as they are a part of me.  I read a great quote from Penelope Cruz talking about her grandmothers and she said how much she loved their faces as "they had so much life, history and experience. Their faces were like beautiful poems." Seeing, showcasing and embracing that poetry is surely what beauty, at any age, is all about.