It’s hard to pick just ten fashion icons but I’ll have a go. Not all of the icons I have chosen are people – some are fashion items. Personally I think that an item of clothing or accessory can easily become as iconic as a face. Sometimes one bag can symbolise a thousand things…

1. Kate Moss

Legend, Icon, Scandal ridden woman. She is an icon not just because of what she wears but how she wears it.Spotted by Storm at 15, she has been an icon now for over half her life.  Some might say that she is the definition of infamy but fashion loves her. She wears it well.

Images above show some of her many Vougue covers and a sample from her clothing line.

2. The Birkin

Rockin’ in at £5,000, this baby is one few of us will be lucky enough to own. The beautiful leather bag is made by Hermès.  It is named after British-born actress and singer Jane Birkin.

Miss Victoria Beckham  is surely the planet’s biggest owner of these babies- apparently owning over 100. If you want to rival her collection, I suggest you apply now – the waiting list can be up to two years.

http://www.stylelist.com/2009/05/19/victoria-beckham-birkin-bag-lady/

3. Audrey Hepburn

How could one not include her in any fashion icon list? With a face that translates the world over she has a timeless beauty. Her Breakfast at Tiffanys look is much emulated at fancy dress parties year after year, and more subtly in Chanel collections. What do I love about her? The fact that she looks classy, flawless and acts like a total crank in the film. Good on you, girl.

4. Twiggy

Twiggy is not dismmailar to Ms Hepburn in that they have a common elfin grace. The 60s lass was hailed as the world’s first true supermodel. She is still in fashion (albeit for M& S). To make it even better she is a Scot, a fellow Weegie.

5. Kurt Cobain

Let’s face it, I have never been a Nirvana girl but his style did something for every girl.  Spearheading the huge 90′s grunge fashion trend, he brought Converse and Docs to the mainstream. He’s about the ony guy I have ever seen who looks good with long bleach blond locks. He even made it ok for young men to do cardis. A poet and a style icon: it’s just a shame that Courtney was his worst accessory.

6. The 2.55

7. Michael Jackson

Much as I don’t like him, his influence on fashion can’t be disputed. Think military jackets with braiding, thos funny gloves, leather trousers. He made them all cool and his legacy goes beyond the grave.

8. Madonna

80s-fashion-madonna

9. Princess Diana

The girl who spawned a thousand girls’ fairy tale dreams with that dress. The dress, although a bit of a meringue, was designed by David Emmanuel and is classically beautiful. Diana’s style evolved into something more sleek and sloaney as time went on and she picked up on designers such as Versace. But whatever she wore, she wore with class and that’s the true mark of an icon.

10. Michelle Obama

Some might say she’s a contraversial choice for number 10, but she is the first black first lady and that’s a worthy style statement in itself. Championing new designers like Jason Wu, she is making modern yet classic fashion choices. Mark me, she will leave a legacy bigger than Jackie O.

The posh mag has named Ms Stella Mcartney as its best dressed lady this year. Hmm, I like her line but just how did she beat leggy and chanel toting Alexa Chung? IN my eyes, Stella’s wardrobe just seems a little plain, and well, black.

Surely Alexa has come further in the fashion stakes this year? Crossing the Atlantic and flying the fashion flag for us Brits?

The lovely Yasmin Le Bon, the freakish artist dresser Tracey Emin and the demure Samantha Cameron were also shortlisted by Harpers. Well done Mrs Cameron for being the groomed woman next door.

Perhaps the decision is explianed by the identity of the fashion panel. It included – designers Roland Mouret, Christopher Kane and Christian Louboutin. Of course they are going to vote one of their own in. Perhaps there is no industry more nepotistic than fashion? Oops, I forgot American politics – Bush after Bush.

Anyone who has been following Glasgow Fashion Week on Facebook will know that this year’s event is cancelled. This is supposedly due to their venue partner going into administration. Yet another example of fashion being hit by the recession

This has left many Glaswegian girls gutted. Rumours are mixed about whether the event is permanently defunct or whether it will get reincarnated next year. Let’s cross our fingers for a revival.

All that glitters

My friend Susy, who loves everything sparkly and sequinned, has got a theory that she was deprived of sparkly toys as a child and is making up for it now. Anything sparkly – bags, belts, brooches, dresses, she loves it all.

This season, the British high Street shares her love for sparkle- Topshop, Miss Selfridge French Connection, Primark – they have all joined in with the shiny glory of the sequin.Chrsitine Bleakley’s French Connection peacock print sparkly number that she wore on the One Show on Oct 22nd, has gone stratospheric. Who would have thought so many fashion fans watched a middle aged show?

But remember – there’s a careful art to becoming incorporating sparkle into your daily outfits without becoming a Christmas tree.

One piece of advice – be careful just how much you wear.I remember one of my biggest fashion disasters being an outfit I bought for Hogmanny millenium. Topshop supplied me with a  matching hot pink sequinned mini skirt and matching boob tube.  Not a classy look (I was 18). Sequins have a genuine power to uplift the spirit – a little sparkle can brighten any gal’s day. Just make sure it’s in moderation.

There is some point in every little girl’s life when she feels like an ugly duckling – the time when you have to wear an eye patch to school; you get braces; you just don’t look the same as the cool girls do. But in the traditiona of all good fairytales, an ugly duckling can become a swan.

Lily Allen and the beloved Cheryl Cole are two women who have gone from chave to fashion princess. Gone are their trackies, trainers and fags and in their place are oodles of designer bags and gladrags. Both girls – one time chavs – have now been firmly accepted by the inner fashion circles. This is not an easy feat.

Lily has bagged her Chanel campaign – shot by Mr Lagerfield himself – and no doubt a few free 2.55s. Not that I am jealous. However, in contrast to the classic beauty of Chanel she has launched her own jewellery range with em… Argos. Just how do Argos and Chanel compute? Maybe the chav’s not quite dead after all.

Cheryl has yet to land a high fashion campaign but has already had prestigious Vogue and Elle covers this year. It wouldn’t surprise me if she launches her own label in the next few years – but when would she have time in between conquering the charts, T.V. and brushing all that hair?

See this for more on Lil’s Chanel campaign:

http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/archive/2009/07/28/revealed–lily-allen-s-chanel-handbag-campaign.htm

Rent a wardrobe

Rent a Wardrobe

Ok, let’s face it – as much as we dream of expensive handbags and updating our wardrobe fabulously every season, there is the small matter of finance. Tough times are hitting us all and with the credit crunch the fashionista has been replaced by the recessionista.

You’ve probably heard of being able to hire designer handbags, well this for-hire trend has spread to the rest of a credit conscious girl’s wardrobe. Sites such as Dress Vault allow you to buy, borrow and beg someone else’s items. It’s kinda liking being able to borrow off your stylish best friend… only having hundreds of friends. Love it? Link it:

http://www.dressvault.com/

Check out this site for more savvy ideas:

http://www.jcreport.com/intelligence/rent-me-handbag/120209/rent-me-wardrobe

The House of Lords: In Fashion?

When I think of the House of Lords I think:

1. I once had to write a super dull presentation on them.

2. It is mainly old men wearing wigs.

I definitely don’t think of fashion. However, If Mr Cameron has has wicked way with the General Election next year, things may change. The media savvy Tory thinks that dolling out peerages to a celeb or two may help increase public love for the House Of Lords (let’s face it – the love ain’t there right now).

Anya Hindmarch (unofficial handbag goddess) is being touted as one figure he may appoint. Just imagine what she could do to those godforsaken red gowns. Bring it on.

10 years in fashion

Fashion is more than shopping: it is a cultural barometer. What we wear as an individual reflects our state of mind and the same is true for the country as a whole. Fashion movements reflect the nation’s psyche.

See the article below for more on this idea and some fab pics of everyone from Kate Moss to the Sx and the City gals.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/audioslideshow/2009/oct/20/review-decade-fashion

Vintage

Everyone who is anyone does it – Mischa Barton, Lindsay Lohan, Winona Ryder. No – not end up in rehab; wear vintage clothing.

Once upon a time, the idea of wearing someone’s old clothes had connotations of old ladies’ cardies and flea bitten woolens. But in the last few years, vintage has come into its own as a fashion genre to be respected and coveted. Now a girl can respectfully adore a 1920s beaded clutch in the same way she can a Birkin.  These days vintage is synonymous with both street and celebrity style. The credit crunch has given vintage that extra push into the cultural zeitgeist – prices are purse friendly, and in a recession, cheap is the new cool.

A small warning to vintage virgins: check the condition of each garment or accessory carefully. As items have been worn before they may be frayed or damaged – watch out for torn linings, broken zips and dodgy jewellery clasps. If you love something and it is not your size, some shops will offer an alteration service, but check prices before buying. Vintage shops are not always laid out in a sensible or tidy manner. Vintage shopping is like panning for gold – look slowly and carefully through the rails or you might miss something. Caution aside, trust me, when you find your nugget of shopping perfection it will be worth its weight in gold.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/apr/18/portland-usa-fashionhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/apr/18/portland-usa-fashion

Lingerie Chic

This trend has been seen on catwalks in Paris Fashion Week, but it has actually been kicking around for a while. 2009 has seen Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior and Sonia Rykel exploit underwear as outerwear in the catwalk. The original poster girl for lingerie chic was Courtney Love in the early 90s and arguably she was the one to send the trend mainstream.

The question is, can a self respecting woman really put her underwear on show to the public? The sight of a bra strap has become more and more acceptable in recent years and flashing a little lingerie is hardly frowned upon. As for swallowing the look whole and going out in my negligee, well – I don’t think I have quite Love’s brazen front. I will stick to revealing the odd flash.

Glasgow Fashion Week

Ok, so it doesn’t quite compare to Chanel’s barns in Paris Fashion Week, but nonetheless, Glasgow is to hold its own fashion week. How many people even know that our own fabulous city has such an event?  Apparently Glasgow Fashion Week has been kicking off since 2005…

It begins on 11th Nov and runs through to the 14th. The annual event bills itself as an international festival and hopes to attract fresh young designers from everywhere in the UK, across Europe and even Asia and Africa. Excat details of this year’s designers are yet to be released but keeping checking the website for details.

Glasgow has always had a reputation for being a stylish city and a cultural hotpot and Glasgow Fashion Week provides a chance to develop that further.

http://www.gfashionweek.com/

http://fashionfancies.blogspot.com/2008/11/glasgow-fashion-week.html

Paris Fashion Week ’09

OMG. What I would give to go to a Chanel show, own a Chanel bag, Chanel dress, Chanel anything… This one looks particularly amazing. Showing for Chanel, the legendary Karl Lagerfield chose to turn his run way into a farm! Citing inspiration from the French heroine Marie Antoinette,  he chose to opt for a  high glamour country idyl fashion vibe. The theme of back to nature was evident in the bales of straw. As much as I love the country, I can’t help think how straw pieces would stick to a gorgeous piece of Chanel fabric. The French – always eccentric.