Italian fashion maven Candela Novembre's hair truly is something to write home about! Yes its a 'LOB' (long bob) and its perfectly undone wave is spot on. For me there is nothing chicer than a pulled together outfit with artfully messed hair, (I'm not one for a perfect blowout) and I think Candela is stealing Alexa Chung's crown in this department! The center part and the longer length at the front gives a fresh current take on a traditional bob but it still feels effortlessly classic and timeless! Give her a google and she will soon become your latest hair muse! XO, CM
Style Icon: Jeanne Damas
As an avid admirer of Parisian street style, I really felt like I had won the lottery when I first saw Jeanne Damas on Garance Dore's blog. Damas is the archetypal French Cool Girl, her style is an artfully mussed up laissez faire affair! Think leather jackets, espadrilles, over sized blazers, worn in vintage tees and army jackets. Regardless of the tomboy mix of pieces she always adds a feminine element to her look, be it a bare leg, a heeled sandal or her go to blood red lip. Her gorgeous face, hair and figure don't hurt either! To get a little Parisian Cool Girl look in your life check out this great army jacket from TOPSHOP, you can find Jeanne's exact Bella Freud 1970 sweater here at SHOPBOP and get your hands on my favorite French striped tee's at A.P.C. C'est tout chic! CM XO
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Hair Trend: 1960'S CHIC
British bombshell Suki Waterhouse's hair in her recent shoot in Lucky Magazine really captured my attention; I love anything 1960's style related, especially some voluminous hair! What is so appealing about the look that she is sporting is its imperfection, and I'll tell you why-because its achievable! If I can do it, so can you. I asked my friend and make-up artist Amy Weissenberg for a short cut, easy guide to get the Suki's 60's look.
WhAT YOU NEEd:
- Day old hair
- Dry shampoo
- A teasing brush
- Bobby pins
- L'oreal Elnett hairspray
Put your hair into a center part (this gives it the modern, Brigitte Bardot/Suki look) and liberally spray your roots with dry shampoo, focusing especially on the crown of your head. Then backcomb the crown of your head with your teasing brush concentrating on the roots and top of your head. Grab your pins and pin back your hair like a half up down hair-do (but in this case we have lots of volume on the crown from the dry shampoo and back combing!). If you have bangs leave them out, I like to leave two pieces around the front of my face to tuck behind my ears to give that mussed up undone look that Suki is wearing. If you want your hair to have a little bend or kick to the ends. grab your hot iron or curling iron and loosely wrap the ends for a little movement. Finish with hairspray. Voila!
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THE GROWN OUT BANG
Sienna Miller, Suki Waterhouse, Felicity Jones, Alexa Chung and the queen of mussed up sex pot locks Bridgette Bardot, have all successfully sported my current hair obsession, the grown out bang, Center parted and imperfectly perfect, the grown out bang gives its wearers the ultimate peekaboo, coquettish allure! As a lover of all things 1960's and kitsch, I declare the grown out bang is BANG on trend!
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MODEL OF THE MOMENT:ROSIE TAPNER
18 year old British schoolgirl Rosie Tapner is hot on the heels of her BFF Cara Delevigne, poised and ready to usurp her position of Britain's Top Model. An equine enthusiast, competitive lacrosse player and boarding school attendee (she is finishing up high school at the super society Downe House), Tapner embodies a sporty, healthy and ultimately preppy spirit which makes a refreshing change to the feline and party loving Cara. Already the face of TOPSHOP and the focus of a fashion film for ID magazine (see here) Tapner's profile is set to rise...and rise...and rise...!
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STYLE ICON: GIA COPPOLA
When your mother is famed stylist and socialite Jacqui Getty and your aunt is Marc Jacobs' number one muse Sofia Coppola, its no surprise that Gia Coppola has evolved into a noted style icon. Her LA roots mixed with her well traveled upbringing have had huge influence on her style; an interesting combo of SoCal's relaxed aesthetic and Europe's expensive simplicity. Think cotton button downs and paper thin tee's paired with Parisian chic simple black leather mini skirts and sharply tailored pants. Her look is classic yet fashion forward and always a surprise, I for one will be keeping a close fashion eye on Ms Coppola, I suggest you do the same.
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STYLE ICON: CAROLYN BESSETTE KENNEDY
Before the current queens of minimalism and classic American style Sofia Coppola and Gwyneth Paltrow reigned there was a member of 'American's Royal Family' Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, that held the throne. When she began to date JFK Jr her white blond mane contrasted with a scarlet red lip and lithe figure gave her such a striking presence that the fashion world sat up and took notice. A fan of simple and classic dressing, Carolyn's love of slim cut ankle grazing pants and white buttons down's paid homage to Audrey Hepburn with but with her own contemporary New York twist. A lover of Calvin Klein and Narciso Rodriguez, on the streets of Manhattan you would likely find her wearing a camel cashmere winter coat over a black roll neck, dark cropped jeans and a black leather loafer. At night she would be seen in either head to toe white or black, no prints or colors in sight. Carolyn was not a fan of accessorizing, her only adornments were her wedding ring and a classic Cartier watch but with that hair, figure and scarlet red lip who needs jewelry? I find Carolyn's pictures to be a never ending source of style inspiration and a reminder to not be a slave to trends, her style looks just as current now as it did back in the 1990's. It goes to show that it is worth investing in classic well made pieces that stand the test of time. To see more photos of CBK take a look here.
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EMERGING STYLE ICON: GEORGIA JAGGER
Its no surprise that the offspring of the original glamazon Jerry Hall and rock god Mick Jagger is strikingly beautiful; and in the modelling scene Georgia Jagger is currently giving the Cara's and Kate's a run for their money! Her Brigitte Bardot-esque features and laissez faire attitude are currently advertising brands such Rimmel and Hudson to name but a few. There is no doubt in my mind that Georgia will be around for a long time to come!
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BEAUTY TRENDS: THE BOB
For years I have been on a never ending quest for long, lightly layered, surfy style locks. I have spent countless hours on my hair experimenting with salt sprays, dry shampoos and curling irons of different shapes and sizes, to achieve a look like makes me look like I just rolled out of bed. Victoria's Secret model hair is my main aim (HA! I can but dream). If some of you are confused as to why I would yearn for VS hair I'll tell you that it's the Ying to my tomboy clothes' Yang. However I more than sat up and took notice when one of my tousled hair VS icons Karlie Kloss chopped off her miraculous honey blonde mane for a messy short bob. It looks fresh, current and youthful and makes the rest of the VS surfy hair gang look a little, dare I say it, passe! I am not quite ready to lop my long hair off just yet, but a generous trim is definitely on the cards :)
STYLE ICON: GRACE CODDINGTON
I have just completed Grace Coddington's autobiography titled 'Grace' and wow what a wonderfully satisfying read. Her life and work in fashion is so beautifully documented in the book and I couldn't recommend it more. For lovers of fashion and those who want an inside look into the world of Vogue magazine and its photographers/editors, an understanding of Anna Wintour's icy demeanor and of course an insight into Grace's personal life and creative process (which are fascinatingly tightly interwoven) you must read this book ASAP!
MODEL OF THE MOMENT: SUKI WATERHOUSE
I know everyone is talking about Cara Delevigne right now as THE model of the moment (aka MOTM for those in the know) but I think that fellow Brit Suki Waterhouse is a face to watch. She has all of the requirements needed to reach It Girl/MOTM status; a movie star boyfriend, a London cool girl sensibility (she is seen at all of the right places in the capital) and her very own aesthetic of Mod 1960's meets Godard heroine. Bangs, winged eyeliner, a mini beehive and lots of knee high socks is grabbing all of the right kinds of attention in the British fashion community, its only a matter of time before the US sits up and takes notice! Watch this space....
LOVE IT OR LOATHE IT?: NAIL ART
As a lover of all things Alexa Chung and a keen watcher of her style I couldn't help but notice that she has jumped on the nail art bandwagon. Palm trees, eyeballs and glitter have all had a starring role on her nails and I love it on her, but its not for me. There is a large element of impracticality for a matcha/neutraholic like me in regards to being stuck with bright green glitter or eyeball art work on my nails! For anyone other than a teenage girl, a pop star or a young fashion industry gal I would avoid nail art like the plague. Or save this trend for the weekend! XO
BEAUTIFUL BROWS
When I think of my beauty icons a 1980's Brooke Shields, Mariel Hemingway and Audrey Hepburn, there is one common thread; their thick brows. A thick brow (and I don't mean unibrow a la Frida Kahlo, in my book that is a never a chic look) can define and add drama to the face. The brows should appear natural but not untamed, trimming, shaping and plucking is still required, but to a lesser extent that usual. Ladies let your brows flourish and enjoy the effect. x
LOVING THE LIPSTICK
You all know I am a little bit obsessed with Jenna Lyons and all things J.Crew and my spare seconds are spent perusing their website and mailers so it was only a matter of time before I began to covet the famous J.Crew/Jenna 'orange-red lip'. Having been a rather fickle fan of lipstick over the years I took a deep breath, and thanks to the wonders of modern technology set out on my quest to find the perfect shade of orange-red pour moi. I tweeted to my make-up artist friend Amy Strozzi what her suggestions were and she came back with two; Nars Heat Wave and Lady Danger by MAC (loving the names by the way-so fun!). So I gave them both a try and Nars came out tops. Bring a little fun and color pop into your look and give this lipstick a go!
KEEP IT SIMPLE
When I saw this pic of Aussie super Miranda Kerr in NYC I couldn't help but feel compelled to write a post. I want to highlight that real style is so much more obtainable if you KEEP IT SIMPLE. In your everyday life your wardrobe can be pared down to a few essential items that you will wear for years to come, trust me if you do this you will have no problem getting dressed in the morning! I used to give myself such a headache every day when I opened my closet; I would be confronted by dozens of multicolored blouses, leopard and polka dot print dresses and a multitude of striped shirts and I didn't know what to do with it all, and I'M A STYLIST! HA! I am simply too busy and don't have the time or the yearning to wear super on trend pieces, its too much effort! Here Miranda shows how fabulous a white shirt and a pair of jeans can look, she adds a fashion forward touch to the look by adding the incredibly on trend Isabel Marant Dicker boot and a tan felt hat. Put your best foot forward and start to build a simple clean wardrobe full of well made classics and you will thank me for it!
SECRETS OF A STYLIST
Click on the link to read another article that I wrote for The Huffington Post! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/clare-mukherjee/secrets-of-a-stylist-how-_b_1026028.html
BAT FOR LASHES
Over the years mascara and I have had a rather tumultuous relationship; one day it will go on beautifully smooth and even and the next my lashes will be clumped and resemble spiders legs! I have tried varying brands from the must have classic Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara to the more recently hyped Cover Girl Lash Blast but I still haven't found the winning formula, that is until now. Ladies, I present to Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes. I dare to declare that they have nailed the art of mascara and provide the road to doe eyed beauty. The brush is thin enough for precise application but is able to build the lashes and add volume. The lightweight formula lengthens beyond belief and separates the lashes exquisitely. Forget about Latisse and extravagantly priced lash extensions and run to your nearest beauty store and grab Hypnose Doll Lashes PRONTO!
THE TOP KNOT
I hate looking like I have tried to hard when dressing up for the evening, there is nothing worse than feeling over done and too formal; it feels aging and old fashioned. I always admire Alexa Chung and Kate Bosworth's relaxed approach to beauty and swoon over their red carpet moments which tend to include lusted after designer dresses offset with natural, almost scruffy hair. One hairstyle that I am particularly loving right now and sporting regularly is the top knot. Playful, youthful and fun (see above on Aussie super Jess Hart) the top knot will give you that burst of fun to your night time look. It is so easy to achieve, all you need is a hair bobble (dear US readers, that's a hair tie!) and some dry shampoo. Spray hair with said dry shampoo, pull hair up high onto head, twist into a bun and wrap hair bobble around bun. Done. xo
STYLE ICON: LAUREN HUTTON
Noted as a muse by designers of all generations (from Mr Armani to the Olsen's), at 67 Lauren Hutton is showing no signs of slowing down. Not only is she the face of J Crew's latest collection and The Row, you can also regularly find her toting her wares on HSN (laurenhutton.com). For me Lauren is an inspiration as her main preoccupation when getting dressed is comfort; you will never see her tottering around on a pair of vertiginous heels or being rushed to the ER a la Joan Collins because 'her corset is too tight'. You are much more likely to find Ms Hutton in a beautifully cut pantsuit, a white tee and a pair of pristine plimsolls or flats. Ms Hutton, you are my kind of gal. x
VOGUE PARIS' NEW QUEEN
I have been meaning to pay homage to the new editor of Vogue Paris Emmanuelle Alt for sometime. I must admit I have always been a huge fan of her predecessor Carine Roitfeld and have featured her as a style icon on this very blog. But when I came to the realization that so many of my most favored trends (the over-sized blazer, the Isabel Marant t-shirts that I live in, my black and white tux blazer) originate with the new Editor in Chief (who also happens to style Isabel Marant's runway shows) I had to pay attention. Whilst browsing through her first issue I was transported to a fashion fantasy-land. Every page has a certain laissez faire quality, it feels high end and luxe but accessible and no doubt this is Alt's influence. She is the first to admit that whilst she may be sporting Balmain's newest leather jacket, she remains faithful to her commitment to the $90 Baxter jean from TOPSHOP. Even though my school French is shaky, due to Alt's promotion I am a proud new subscriber of Vogue Paris. Au Revoir! x