17.01.2011- Starry Starry Night

On a rather gloomy Monday morning, here's some red carpet glamour from last night's Golden Globe Awards (aka an excuse for me to post about my favourite dresses!)

 Natalie Portman, winner of the Best Actress award for Black Swan, wearing a gorgeous blush pink gown by Viktor and Rolf. 

 Claire Danes in Calvin Klein- I adore the colour of this dress.

 Leighton Meester, looking lovely in Burberry. This choice is slightly more casual than some of the other dresses we saw on the red carpet, but I think Leighton's look was one of the most effortless and sophisticated of the evening. 

 Mila Kunis, in a beautiful emerald green Vera Wang gown. 

 Anne Hathaway in Armani Privé, looking amazing as always. 

 Last year's Best Actress award winner, Sandra Bullock in an ethereal design by Jenny Packham. 

I love this Elie Saab dress on Scarlett Johansson, particularly the exquisite butterfly sleeves and embellishment, but a smile would have made this look even better. 

What were your favourite looks from the red carpet?

(Image credit: style.com.)

16.01.2011- You should be dancing....yeah?

The impending release of Black Swan, which opens in the UK on Friday, and centres upon a production of Swan Lake, has got me thinking about other films which feature iconic dance sequences. I can't wait to see the ballet scenes from Black Swan, especially after reading about the rigorous training which both Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis underwent in order to be able to convince as ballerinas on screen (and because I'm writing my dissertation on Swan Lake!) However, if if a reported five hours of ballet training and swimming a day aren't really your cup of tea, here's my round up of some stunning dance performances on screen, which can be happily watched from the comfort of your sofa...

West Side Story (1961)- 'America'
 

Faithfully recreating the essence of Jerome Robbins' original Broadway choreography, this sequence really captures the energy, passion and vibrancy of the film and its characters. Rita Moreno completely steals this scene for me, but the ensemble sections are just as brilliant- nobody misses a beat- and the choreography really brings Leonard Bernstein's fast-paced music to life.

Singin' in the Rain (1952)- 'Singing in the Rain'

Starring and choreographed by the legendary Gene Kelly, never has getting drenched looked more fun than in this iconic scene. I love how Kelly's tap dancing skill really takes prominence here and there is something about his performance that is so endearing that it can't help but put a smile on your face.

Swing Time (1936)- Fred and Ginger's first dance

Swing Time is widely considered to be the finest example of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers' on screen dance partnership, and, looking at this clip, it's not difficult to see why. They make the synchronised tap sequences (all choreographed by Astaire) look effortless, and remain perfectly in time with each other throughout. Beautiful.

Funny Face (1957)- Audrey's solo

In this sequence, Audrey Hepburn was able to demonstrate her skill as a dancer, having been trained in ballet from an early age. Her performance, in front of leading man Fred Astaire, is cheeky, engaging and lively, and embodies the unique charm which she is so fondly remembered for.

Given the buzz which is surrounding Black Swan (and Natalie Portman's performance in particular) I wouldn't be surprised if the film goes on to become a dance classic in its own right.

Are you looking forward to seeing Black Swan? What are your favourite dance sequences on film?

(Video credit: Youtube.)

13.01.2011- Butterfly, flutterby

As well as starring in Mulberry's latest campaign, Lindsey Wixson is also the face of Alexander McQueen's SS11 advertising:

I thought these pictures were simply too stunning not to share and I adored Sarah Burton's designs for spring/summer when they were debuted at Paris fashion week. The use of the butterfly motif here also really reminds me of McQueen's SS08 collection, which featured this fantastic hat created by Philip Treacy, bedecked with butterflies, and a stunning array of butterfly print dresses, which I'm still in awe of.

I love that whilst retaining momentum and driving the McQueen brand forward, Sarah Burton isn't afraid to look back at past collections for inspiration, as we see here. It just demonstrates how much of a visionary Lee McQueen really was.

What do you think of the Alexander McQueen ads?

(Image credit: fashiongonerogue and style.com.)