Cash, Credit, Debit… Floral Coats For Spring 2013

February 26, 2013

With warmer weather just around the corner (I hope) it’s the perfect time to start looking for a lightweight coat. Something that makes a statement, can be dressed up or down, keeps you warm in the early spring breeze and brings a bit of new-season optimism to your wardrobe. Floral coats are the most stylish solution, and I’ve tracked down three of the best. I apologise the massive in-balance in this edition of Cash, Credit, Debit – the most expensive option is actual couture, and is therefore more “marry a Russian billionaire” than “put it on your credit card.” Oops!

floral coats
Cash: Topshop bright floral boucle coat, £79 or $158 USA
Credit: Giambattista Valli Couture floral jacquard coat, £4,115
Debit: Karen Millen floral print trench coat, £295

Usually I wouldn’t feature such an expensive item on Coco’s Tea Party, but on this occasion it felt acceptable because the affordable Topshop option is such a stunner. We may not be able to stretch to the £4,000+ design, but when the high street offers up such a fabulous alternative it doesn’t seem to matter so much, right?

Will you be wearing a floral coat, this Spring/Summer? Which of the three designs above is your favourite?

Giambattista Valli Couture Spring 2013 – Red Carpet Predictions

January 22, 2013

Giambattista Valli presented his Spring 2013 Haute Couture collection in Paris, last night, and it’s my favourite couture collection so far this season. The lilac ballgown with the dramatic cut-away skirt was getting the most action on Twitter, but I actually prefer the first half of the collection, which sticks to a strict monochrome colour palette. There are so many fantastic red carpet options my head could explode. Just imagine Diane Kruger or Zoe Saldana rocking up to a premiere in the T-shirt/mullet skirt design – it would be breathtaking, right? Or what if Rihanna surprised everyone by going demure in one of the semi-sheer prom dresses? Again, totally breathtaking. This collection needs a red carpet moment asap!

Giambattista Valli couture spring summer 2013
Giambattista Valli couture spring 2013

I’d also love to see Taylor Swift in the black and white mini cape dress. If she styled her hair in a top knot, went for ’60s inspired eyeliner and slipped into some seriously fierce heels she’d look out-of-this-world amazing. In fact, if this isn’t her look for the Grammy Awards I intend to sulk for at least a week! Do it for me, Taylor…

Do you like Giambattista Valli’s latest couture collection? Which looks would you like to see on the red carpet?

Images style.com

Jessica Biel Covers ELLE US January 2013 in Christian Dior

December 6, 2012

Jessica Biel covers the January 2013 issue of ELLE US, modelling an embellished Dior dress. The 30-year-old actress spoke exclusively to the magazine about her choice to wear pink on her wedding day. Jessica revealed the custom Giambattista Valli design was “a bit of a leap of faith at the time,” however, the result was “better than I could have ever imagined. I felt elegant. And it moved like a dream.”

And, speaking of Giambattista Valli, the Italian designer posed alongside Jessica in the accompanying ELLE editorial. As did Christian Louboutin, Jean Paul Gaultier and Azzedine Alaïa. You can see the shoot on ELLE.com right now. It explains why she was papped on a fashion tour of Paris, in October…

Are you pleased to see Jessica Biel on ELLE’s latest cover? Did you like her pink wedding dress?

Photo Thomas Whiteside, images elle.com

Giambattista Valli Couture’s Best Red Carpet Options

July 3, 2012
I’m a big fan of Giambattista Valli, so was counting down the days until he showed his latest Haute Couture collection. The Autumn/Winter 2012 show took place yesterday, and sadly the majority of the Giambattista’s designs were too ruffled for my taste (Style.com’s Tim Blanks called it “stuffy“). But with me the glass is always half full, so I still found four dresses I’d like to see on the red carpet. Each design falls to the knee and has a flirty nipped-in waist…

If the above Valli dresses hit the red carpet I’d like to see them on the usual suspects: Emma Stone, Keira Knightley, Diane Kruger and Sarah Jessica Parker. They might also work well on Selena Gomez and Chloë Moretz. Which stars would you like to see wearing these designs?

Did you like Giambattista Valli’s couture collection? What shows are you most excited about?

Images stylebistro.com

Six Dresses Worthy of the Met Gala Red Carpet

May 4, 2012
The 2012 Costume Institute Gala takes place on Monday evening (make sure you catch the live stream on the Met’s website) and you can feel the anticipation across the blogosphere. Last year I was lucky enough to be in New York on the evening of the Met Gala, so watched the guests arrive. It’s one of my favourite fashion moments to date, and for that reason I’m not so sure this year’s event will be quite as exciting. But I’m crossing my fingers we’ll see the following dresses – or something similar, at least – on those famous Met Museum steps. 
This year’s exhibition is dedicated to Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli, as you all know, so we can also expect a lot of Prada and vintage Schiaparelli gowns to grace the red carpet.
Which stars and models are you looking forward to seeing on the Met Gala red carpet on Monday evening? Which designers do you hope they’ll be wearing?
Images style.com

The Best Dressed at the 84th Annual Academy Awards

February 27, 2012
Best Dressed: Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen
The Best Supporting Actress nominee may not have won the Oscar, but she was definitely the best dressed of the night. The strapless black McQueen dress with gold embellishment made a dramatic statement on the red carpet, and I love that she didn’t weigh it down with heavy hair and makeup or too many accessories. Over awards season Jessica has grown into a red carpet pro! I hope we continue to see her regularly on the red carpet…  
Runners up: Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford and Emma Stone in Giambattista Valli 
The biggest surprise of the night was Gwyneth Paltrow wearing Tom Ford. The elegant white dress with matching cape was the perfect choice for Gwyneth. The sophisticated design was pure Hollywood, but not so over-the-top that it stole anyone’s thunder. It almost beat Jessica to the top of the best dressed list! 
Then, of course, we have Emma Stone wearing Giambattista Valli. I love Emma and I love Valli, so of course this glamorous pink look landed in my top three. I just wish we’d seen more of Emma Stone throughout Awards Season 2012, as she constantly looks spectacular. 
Who was your best dressed at the 2012 Academy Awards? And who do you think got it wrong?
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