29.08.2010- Golden touch...

The Victoria and Albert Museum's major exhibition for the autumn, Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballet Russes, showcases the work and imagination of artistic director Serge Diaghilev and the genesis of the radical Ballet Russes. Diaghilev's work with the company transformed the face of early 20th century culture through collaboration with artists including Coco Chanel, Igor Stravinsky, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, in the development of an aesthetic which married art, music and dance to create a spectacular brand of total theatre. Diaghilev's vision combined with Vaslav Nijinsky's bold choreography of an original ballet repertoire (including Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring) saw the Ballet Russes become one of the most influential theatre companies of the twentieth century, and their legacy still influences a panoply of contemporary culture. The exhibition, which opens at the V&A South Kensington on the 25th September and runs until the 9th January 2011, features over three hundred objects, including original costumes, set designs and props, all of which tell the story of a ballet company and visionary who together transformed the face of modern dance, fashion and art.

In celebration of the launch of the exhibition, the V&A shop have also launched a special range of tie-in merchandise, including this gorgeous scarf designed by Erdem, featuring the original costume designs of Léon Bakst for the Ballet Russes:

At £185, it is rather pricey, but it is certainly a beautiful keepsake of the exhibition. On the other hand, these gorgeous prints are a bit more within my price range, and will look great in hanging up in my room. I can't wait to get down to the V&A when the exhibition opens, it looks as though it's going to be unmissable (and invaluable for my dissertation research!)

To find out more about the exhibition, visit www.vam.ac.uk.

What do you think? Will you be paying a visit? Or perhaps splashing out on the Erdem scarf?

(Image credit: V&A Theatre and Performance Collections and V&A Shop.)

27.08.2010- Alexa for L'Officiel

Alexa Chung is the star of the August issue of Paris magazine L'Officiel, in an editorial which features a distinct 1960's flavour:

There is a really cinematic feel to this shoot, which I love, and the vintage inspired styling is really cute, especially with the Peter-Pan collars and gorgeous pea coat. I also love the way the hazy quality of light makes the images look like they belong in a old photo album and brings a really mellow quality to the composition of the shots.

What do you think of Alexa's shoot?

(Image credit: Curiouser and Curiouser.)

26.08.2010- My Safe Place

Safe  is a soon to be published coffee table book which has been created by Emma Thompson in collaboration with photographer Nick Haddow. The book showcases Haddow's beautiful portraits of strong, inspirational women from around the world, photographed in the places that they feel safest and has been developed in order to support The Helen Bamber Foundation. The foundation, established in 1995, works with survivors of human rights violations, and, in their own words, responds with 'compassion and creativity to the legacy of cruelty. We help to mend what was broken in a safe and supportive environment, where restorative relationships enable survivors to feel whole again.'

Proceeds from the sale of the book will go towards helping survivors of genocide, trafficking, torture and rape find their own safe places and rediscover both their strength and their voices. In conjunction with the publication of the book, which is also being supported by Chanel, Lady Tina Green and Working Title Films, a travelling exhibition will be launched in late 2010, although details are yet to be confirmed.

Emma Thompson is encouraging women all over the world to get involved with the Safe project by asking them to share their own safe places, via www.mysafeplace.co.uk (although sadly the website is currently down, fingers cross it will be working again soon.)

Here are some of Nick Haddow's stunning images shot for the Safe project:

Diane Kruger.

Keira Knightley.

Kate Winslet.

Natasha Richardson, such a touching portrait.

Rosamund Pike.

Vanessa Paradis.

The list of contributors to the book is enormous; Haddow has photographed everyone from Anne Hathaway to Ziyi Zhang in their chosen safe surroundings, and I'm sure that we'll be hearing a lot more about the project over the coming months, in the lead up to the release of the book in Spring 2011. It's such a fantastic initiative to raise both money and awareness for a cause which is so deserving and worthwhile. Keep your eyes peeled on mysafeplace.co.uk (which will hopefully be back to working order soon) to find out more about the project. 

My safe place would probably have to be on the beach in Spain where I spent my holiday this year. I've been going there since I was less than a year old, and it will always have a special place in my heart as it holds so many fond memories, and I'm never happier than when I'm running around like a big kid in the surf.

Where is your safe place?

(Image credit: Google Images, Nick Haddow and Sarah Farrell, please do not reproduce without permission.)

25.08.2010- In Celebration of September...

It seems that summer has well and truly been and gone in the U.K, and for the last week or so I've been wrapped up in woolly cardigans and scarves, armed with a brolly every time I've gone out. However, the beginning of September is just around the corner, and brings with it the official (well, official to my mind) start of autumn, when it is perfectly acceptable to buy jumpers, coats and hats a plenty (I really can't bring myself to buy knitwear in August!) Although I'm still clinging on to hopes of an Indian Summer, it's looking more and more unlikely by the day, so what better way to get inspired for Autumn than by looking back on this now iconic shoot from the September 2007 issue of US Vogue. I fell in love with this spread, shot by Steven Meisel, when I first saw it, and after watching The September Issue and seeing what a labour of love it was for Grace Coddington, I loved it even more:

Do you love this shoot as much as I do? And what are you most looking forward to over the next few months?

(Image credit: livejournal.)

24.08.2010- Best Dressed at V

The annual V Festival took place last weekend at two sites in the UK: Hylands Park in Chelmsford and Weston Park in Staffordshire, and acts performing this year included Kings of Leon, Florence and the Machine and Kasabian. As if more proof was needed that today's music festivals are as much about who is wearing what as who is headlining, vogue.co.uk was on site in Chelmsford, snapping the best dressed attendees, including:

Alexa Chung, in lace up wellies, denim cut-offs, Kurt Cobain tee and Aran cardigan.

Drew Barrymore, looking very bohemian with Justin Long.

Florence Welch, carrying a Mulberry bag.

Gemma Arterton.

Karen Gillan.

If you're feeling inspired by the outfits of either Alexa or Florence in particular, get yourself down to Topshop. They've got a gorgeous Knitted Aran Cardigan which is almost identical to Alexa's and a Mustard Short Sleeve Shirt which I'm pretty sure is the very same as Florence's.

£48, Topshop.

£38, Topshop.

To see the best of the rest from V Festival, visit vogue.co.uk. What are your thoughts? Also, is it me, or have Topshop really hiked up their prices for Autumn/Winter? Thank goodness for student discount! 

(Image credit: vogue.co.uk and topshop.com.)

23.08.2010- More adventures in baking

Last week, following my cupcake baking, I made some chocolate muffins from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. They turned out really well and tasted lovely!

Hummingbird Chocolate Muffins- makes 12.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
200g caster sugar
130g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
160ml whole milk
160g unsalted butter, melted
120g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

You can also include dark, milk or white chocolate chips in the mixture as you prefer, and you will also need a 12-hole muffin tray, lined with large paper muffin cases.


To make the muffins:
1) Preheat the over to 170 degrees, Gas Mark 3.
2) Put the eggs and sugar into a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment, or use an electric whisk. Beat the mixture until pale and well combined.

3) In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In another bowl (or measuring jug), combine the milk and vanilla extract. Gradually beat theses two mixtures alternately into the egg mixture little by little and beat until well incorporated.
4) Stir in the melted butter with a wooden spoon until well mixed, and add the chopped chocolate until evenly spread throughout the muffin mixture. If you're adding chocolate chips, then do this now.
5) Once all of the ingredients are fully incorporated, spoon the mixture into the muffin cases until they are two-thirds full and bake in a preheated oven for approximately half an hour, or until the sponge is springy.
6) When cooked, leave the muffins to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving.

And there you have it! I found that my muffins tasted even better after a day or two as the chocolate flavour matures beautifully.

I also made some rocky road bars last week, so will share soon!

(Image credit: Sarah Farrell, please do not reproduce without permission.)

22.08.2010- Sweater Girl

Lara Stone for the September issue of US Vogue, shot by Mert and Marcus and styled by Grace Coddington:

She carries off the vintage-inspired styling so well, don't you agree?

(Image credit: fashiongonerogue.)