Images from left to right (Style.com): Stella McCartney, Balmain, Elie Saab, Isabel Marant.

It’s over! What will I do after a month of viewing daily collections online every evening, watching live streams, reading every review, checking out who was sitting in the front row and who after partied? It seems ages ago since New York began and Paris ended on a very strong note on Wednesday.

And so, without further ado, here are my Top 5 collections from Paris Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2010.

Stella McCartney 

This season, McCartney went back to the bare minimal with a simple, stylish and completely wearable collection. It was a very casual affair in block colours, beautiful tailoring and soft fabrics. The dresses were effortlessly chic and polished. McCartney was designing for the modern businesswoman.

The only thing I couldn’t understand was the use of Tiger Wood’s famous phone call to begin the show – cannot find the connection?!

Balmain

Christophe Decarnin, the man responsible for so many trends last year, moved slightly away from military this season and adapted a ‘Court of Versailles’ look – with a Prince soundtrack!

Decarnin stuck with his usual silhouettes (strong shoulders, short hemlines and second-skin clothes) with gold minidresses, chiffon blouses, laced booties and floor length slit ballgowns. This will surely keep his strong Balmain women (and high street stores everywhere) happy for another season.

Elie Saab

If I had to choose a red carpet dress to any event right now, it would be from this man! His stunning gowns graced many award shows this season and this new collection will provide plenty more.

Saab used a dark palette including black and grey to produce a wonderful mix of looks. He doesn’t lean towards any fancy trends or gimmicks, and instead focuses on classic timeless dresses. I particularly liked the full length sequins gowns which just ooze sophisticated glamour.

Isabel Marant

This woman is a personal favourite of mine and her 50s style Pink Ladies theme was a breadth of fresh air! No full length trousers in sight as every pair was cropped and rolled up at the calves. Plenty of bows, patterns, sequins and eyeliner decorated the models in this super feminine collection.

 The big surprise was the omission of her infamous suede studded boots and instead footwear was pointy-toed pumps with bows on the side. I love that Isabel embraces change and proving to be a very versatile – cannot wait for the cropped trousers!

Alexander McQueen

I cannot write this article without mentioning the late wonderful Alexander McQueen. The fashion world was rocked by the news of his death four weeks ago and on Tuesday, sixteen of his designs which were 80% finished at the time of his death and since then completed by his team, were presented to a select few industry insiders.

Everyone was moved with the shear power and beauty of his medieval collection. McQueen’s right hand woman, Sarah Burton, explained that he wanted to return to the handcraft of his art. The print and shapes are visually stunning and we can sadly see the great legacy this man leaves behind.

Other Highlights of PFW

Other highlights of Paris Fashion Week include designers Viktor & Rolf’s presentation which sent their first model down the catwalk – wearing the entire collection!

Rick Owen’s provided his darkest and edgiest collection yet with a stomping soundtrack that gave a few front row attendees a blinding headache.

Chanel’s iceberg runway caused a few models to lose footwear as they walked through the water (the joys of the job!) and Balenciaga gave us a look at fashion in space with a sci-fi collection.

Elizabeth Hurley Beach opened it’s only Irish shop today in good old fashioned ribbon cutting style and Hurley herself was on hand to help customers for two hours.

Elizabeth Hurley

Elizabeth owns the company and is quite involved in the day to day running of it from designing to sourcing the fabrics; she also models the collections on the website www.elizabethhurley.com, where she looks AMAZING!

Interesting fact – I met a former employee of hers recently, who is under a disclosure agreement and couldn’t give me much detail about her but did say that she is lovely to work for and hates the way the paparazzi call her “Liz” Hurley and not Elizabeth. “It’s like calling Victoria Beckham “Posh” to her face.” I’d often have referred to her as Liz so I’m calling her Elizabeth from now on…you know, just on the off chance for when I meet her in person!

The collection

Fans of the collection include Heidi Klum and Kate Moss (you can just imagine the uber glam one pieces on the likes of Cheryl Cole too) and prices start at €77 for a bikini and €95 (down from €144) for a kaftan.
Bikini tops and bottoms are sold separately, so you can mix and match sizes and styles. The tankini tops come in the same fabric as the bikinis.

Sizes come in XS, S, M, L and XL which is not ideal unless you’re a standard cup-size. There don’t appear to be any under wired styles either which means that this collection is out for you if you’re in any way bigger on top and need some support.

Not a bikini lover?

For those of us without Elizabeth Hurley’s body, try the tankini (pictured here on her) or a kaftan, which are more appealing for most of us. I’m always on the lookout for Kaftans with embellishment so my favourite piece from the collection is this silk Raj Kaftan in red (€472). Here’s wishing I could have it!

Cutler & Gross sunglasses

Otherwise try a fab pair of sunglasses. I was very excited to learn that the boutique also stocks Cutler & Gross sunglasses – exclusive to Elizabeth Hurley Beach Boutique.

Victoria Beckham is a huge fan and the Cutler & Gross 0811 style (costing approx €460) is one of the few non DVB (her own brand) sunnies that she wears. She’s even collaborated with the brand for her own sunglasses collection so they must be good! This is the king of big sunnies and I’d recommend this style for non bling loving advanced sunglasses wearers only.

Opening Times

The Elizabeth Hurley Beach Boutique will be open throughout the summer at Kildare Village.  Kildare Village is open seven days a week and has late night shopping on Thursday until 8pm and Friday until 7pm. 

The shop also stocks Philip Treacy hats so should have a big allure for race day goers trying to stand out on Ladies Days around the country.

Images of shop launch : Kieran Harnett

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It’s safe to say that with its recent cinema release, Alice in Wonderland fever gripped the country in earnest. Everywhere people have been talking or watching Tim Burton’s new twist on “Alice” for Disney which stars Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter,  Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen and Alan Rickman as the voice of the Caterpillar.

With Alice in Wonderland also came a flutter of excitement from the fashion world, as there was so much catwalk inspiration in the film.  Take the bow headbands at Luella, the optical prints at Versace and even the pale faces and crimson hair of White Rabbit which resembled Vivienne Westwood’s signature style.

With a film that influences style, came an amazingly quick turnaround from designers and retailers to get Alice paraphernalia on the market. Here’s a rundown of some of my favourites:

Alice by Temperley is a new a new diffusion collection with an affordable price tag which comes from bigger sister Temperley London. The blue and black tiger striped scarf (€58, Harvey Nichols) has taken the celeb world by storm and is this seasons IT scarf already.

Tom Binns, known for mixing obscure elements into his jewellery, fits Alice right into his design theme. His 35 piece AIW collection for Disney Couture is available at House of Fraser, Brown Thomas and ASOS.

Binns was not alone in his thinking, as Stella McCartney and Swarovski followed suit with some Alice inspired bracelets and necklaces – the Swarovski White Rabbit one particularly caught my attention. 

Nicolas Mosse pottery designed special heart shaped plates for the occasion while artist Graham Knuttel auctioned off an exclusive Alice in Wonderland inspired painting in aid of The Irish Hospice Foundation.

Urban Decay came up with Alice Book of Shadows makeup while Opi launched nail polish in shades of red, blue and a multi-colored glitter with film appropriate names to them such as Off With Her Red and Mad as a Hatter.

If you don’t fancy any clothes, makeup or pottery, then opt for a food fit for the fashion forward – the luxurious Alice macaroons from Laudree at Brown Thomas are by far the most adorable snack.

Lewis Carroll would be proud that his enchanting Alice in Wonderland fantasy inspired so many fashionistas amongst us.

Cadburys Flake have teamed up with Benefit Cosmetics to give away 100 lipsticks a day between now and 25 April 2010*

How it to enter to be in with a chance of winning:

- Buy a Cadburys Flake
-  Enter the last four digits of the barcode at flake.ie (you’ll register during your first visit)
-  If you’re a winner you will be notified within 48 hours and you can logon to claim your lipstick . Or we’ll hold the prize until you’ve selected your ideal shade.
- You can enter once every day
- All prizes will be delivered within 28 days of being claimed on-line.

Choose your prize from four shades of full-finish lipsticks or from two lip glosses which all retail around the €13 mark. 

For more information on the prizes and secret make up tips, check out Flake.ie  

Let us know which shade of lippie or lip gloss you ended up choosing.

Good luck puckering up!

* This competition is not exclusive to WhatSheWears.ie.

For this Ask the Stylist query, we turned to Martha Lynn for her expertise. Martha has won quite a few Ladies Day competitions herself, most recently at Leopardstown Races. She also happens to be a milliner (hat maker) and works out of her studio in Dublin.

The dress and shoes are amazing. Animal prints are very popular this season.

As the dress and shoes are matching I would probably go for some neutral accessories ie nothing too busy, to bring the outfit together.

I would suggest focusing in on either the black or the beige colours in the animal print. This also means that you will be able to wear your headpiece and accessories with a variety of different outfits.

I would also recommend going for a simple headpiece to compliment the pattern on the dress and shoes, as the pattern on the dress and shoes in themselves are the showpiece.

It would of course be ideal to get your hat or headpiece made to order to compliment your individual style, but if that was not an option there are a great variety of headpieces and fascinators available from some of the high street shops, like Accessorize and Marks and Spencers. 

Avoca do a range of coloured umbrellas and occasionally have matching gloves.

I make hats and headpieces to order, to suit the character and individual taste of the costumer. I take into consideration their outfit, hair style and of course, the occasion. There are a variety of sample pieces on my website www.marthalynnmillinery.com

Each of them can be customized to suit your own style.

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You might not think of college as a style haven for young men. We’ve all seen enough mismatched A&F and tracksuit combos across campuses to put you off ever finding some stylish men on college campuses.

Thank goodness for NCAD, the National College of Art and Design on Dublin’s Thomas Street, which unsurprisingly is a haven for Ireland’s most stylish fellas. I managed to pick three guys, some rocking charity shop chic and all with their own unique look that showed how the boys can take some fashion risks and pull it off with aplomb.

Frank Wasser

First up is SU president Frank Wasser, whose smart casual style seemed a perfect fit for his role with student politics.

Showing the NCAD knack for picking the best from the charity shops, his blazer, jacket and shirt are Mrs Quinn’s Charity Shop (who have a branch across the road from the college). He picked up the jeans in Berlin and those shoes (which are quite happy to style crush on at this point) are from Topman.

We love this look for how relaxed it is but for the effortless-y sharp way Frank pulls if off. Proof indeed that you can piece together low budget items and make it look extremely snappy.

Gerard Gunning

Gerard Gunning took a more colourful and relaxed approach that really stood out from the pack when we visited NCAD.

We loved the bright colours on display in Gerard’s rigout. From the runners from Size, to a bold red pair of Adidaas tracksuit bottoms there was plenty of colour to be found. Hoodie’s and t-shirt from H&M and a black top from Topman complete the look alongside a bright orange (his favourite colour we discovered) watch from River Island. In a college where many tried to do a skinny/indie/fashionista look and failed to pull it off we loved how Gerard threw together some bold colours. Take note those dressing only in black!

Michael Power

Finally we have fashion student Michael Power whose blazer and shoes were favourites of ours.

It was those Aldo shoes that caught our eye first, an interesting rockabilly vibe that we were immediately drawn to. With Topman sourced skinny jeans and t-shirt (still the best place to spruce up a look if you ask us) with a Mrs Quinn’s charity shop blazer, we couldn’t love this look anymore if we tried.

A perfect example of how guys can do sharp, sleek tailored pieces with plenty of their own personality included.

So what have we learned from NCAD?

We’ve learned that the fellas need to give the charity shops a second look because from our style hunting it seems like there are some real gems to be found.

And if you still want to do the tracksuit bottoms/casual look then fine but why not have a bit of fun with it and add some colour?

We’re hoping that where NCAD leads, the other colleges will follow.

Finally the report you’ve been waiting for: what did the Hollywood stars wear to The Oscars 2010? I’m a tad  bleary-eyed today having stayed up until the early hours following the red carpet of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.  Catch the full cermony tonight (Monday) at 9pm on RTE2.

Overall the style was not the WOW factor that I was expecting this year, but a few ladies did stand out.

Thank God for colour, it was everywhere last night – from Maggie Gylenhaal in a tropical blue coloured Dries van Noten dress to Segourney Weaver in stunning red Lanvin.

Avatar star Zoe Saldana wowed in Givenchy Spring 2010 Couture as did Sandra Bullock in vintage Marchesa.

Nicole Richie looked oh so boho at the Oscars in her Reem Acra dress while her partner Joel Madden DJ’d during the ceremony itself.

There were plenty of nude tones too -from Demi Moore to Anna Kendrick and white gowns on Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried.

Carey Mulligan, who I’ve been loving in the style stakes this year, dissapointed in all over Prada (she looked great from the waist up), it was the bottom detail in her Prada gown and odd Prada shoes which let her down. Otherwise, her earrings and makeup were fab.

Not quite right on the night? The dresses that didn’t get our votes

Mariah Carey in a navy Valentino to the knees dress. Did someone forget to let her know that slits that high just aren’t chic?

Also Charlize Theron, who normally looks stunning, did not quite get it right in a lilac satin gown with rosettes on the bust and a train – she looked like a bridemaids dress gone wrong I thought!

Check out all the photos of the dresses from the Oscars below.

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Before you shudder at the thought of trying to pour yourself into a body perfect Catwoman contraption, relax! This season there is a one-piece creation for every shape and size.  Jumpsuit styles for S/S 2010 are many and varied ranging in colour, fabric and length from short knit playsuits to long and flowy silk pantsuits. 

Watch out for incoming styles at GossamerGirl.com.  The new take on relaxed glamour by New York label meg with crushed satin wide leg navy jumpsuit is a striking alternative to the traditional evening dress and is exclusive to GossamerGirl.com. 

This black jersey jumpsuit  (€180, pictured left) is an elegant evening wear option too - take inspiration from Damages actress Rose Byrne (pictured) who wore her vintage jumpsuit with Topshop shoes to The Cinema Society’s screening of A Single Man.

GossamerGirl.com wants to give one lucky WhatSheWears.ie reader a voucher for €200 to spend on their brand spanking new fashion portal, and three more readers vouchers to the value of €50 each to be spent on anything from clothing and jewellery to accessories and hosiery.   

To enter, send an email to giftbag@whatshewears.ie with GossamerGirl.com in the subject line by 12pm on Wednesday 10 March.  Please also include your name and address which we will only use to contact you if you win. You must be subscribed to the FREE  WhatSheWears.ie weekly newsletter to enter.

The military jacket is set for a major comeback this season. Okay, so slightly disappointing for all of us die-hard leather lovers (keep your leather jacket, it’ll always be in style) but it’s definitely time for a change.

The “Flak” jacket is undeniably about to have its ‘must-have’ moment, so how about opting for a jacket with a militaristic influence?  Think brass buttons, khaki colours, beiges, creams, navy and compliment with a belted waist for a sexily cinched silhouette.

Where to buy a military jacket

The Spring/Summer 2010 catwalks were thronging with army influences. Seen prominently in the collections of Alexander Wang, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Balmain, Burberry Prosum and Aquilano Rimondi (pictured far left) all of whom featured a variation of the flak jacket in their ready-to-wear designs.

However, great alternatives can be found on the high-street, reliable fashion haunts H&M, Topshop, Oasis, and French Connection all have some form of military influenced jacket, ranging from cool denims to classic cuts with a girly twist.

An eighteenth-centuryesque military style jacket in light denim is available from H&M (€29.99) as part of their SS2010 collection. It is fitted and of a classic cut, the denim material gives it an added twist and the gold embroidered detail on the breast of the jacket is beautiful. 

For a more casual take on the trend head to Topshop, where you might just find a stud army parka jacket in sage (a light beige colour).

Oasis are retailing their military style fitted jacket (€56.00) in a dark navy, a feminine touch is added with puffed ruffled material at shoulders.

The ‘Tempest’ military jacket from French Connection in ‘utility blue’ with a Mandarin style collar would be perfect for day-wear and is that little bit fancier so it would be perfect for a glam night out.

What to wear with a military jacket

The key to really pulling of this trend is to mix it up a bit. Although classic cuts are always ageless and fantastic, try experimenting. This is a good solution to avoid becoming fatigued with this trend. The advice… Dress it up!

Source more of an unusual style or cut. 2010 is all about experimentation,  so be daring in your choices.

If you do choose a more basic style, rock what could be a “plain-Jane” jacket with a cool tee from Topshop, leggings and compliment with laced ‘boot-camp’ boots (River Island have the best selection at the moment all of which are quite reasonably priced).

Or how about wearing the flak jacket over some flirty floral prints? You can’t walk into a shop without spotting some flower prints which are ubiquitous this season. Believe me, give it three weeks and everyone will be sporting some form of floral design, and combined with the jacket it would look amazing!

Sometimes floral prints alone can be too overwhelmingly feminine, so the military style jacket will give your look an edgier feel to it.

All that’s left to do now is too march in style this Spring with a military inspired jacket. Cropped or waist-length. Prepare for bulletproof style in seconds.

Aisling Kennedy is  a fashion freelancer for WhatSheWears.ie.  She’s also a Stylestruck fashion lover with a Mad Hatter-esque love of hats and headpieces.

Image credits (from left): Aquilano Rimondi, French Connection, Topshop.

But it wasn’t just Lanvin that keep their colour base neutral, everyone from Fendi to Chloe focused their collections on the lighter side of the colour spectrum.

Now I know what you’re thinking ladies – “I can’t wear nude” and as a rule I would normally agree that the Irish complexion does not mingle successfully with such tones.  But there’s such an amazing array of flattering nude hues that this season you’ll see that there’s a neutral hue to suit just about everyone.

If the silver grey is too close to your skin tone, go with the muted peach, but please try it – trust me, you will be pleasantly surprised!

If Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks latest turn on the red carpet taught us anything, it is that pale works with pale – but if in doubt, team it with a slick of vibrant red lipstick and an extra dusting of bronzer.

Diane Kruger also shows us how to wear a pastel dress, seen here at a BAFTAs tea party. With not a hint of fake tan in place, her paler than pale look somehow works – her Miu Miu dress from their Resort 10 collection was perfectly paired with a fuchsia pink clutch bag (pink bags are a big trend at the mo).

Here are a few different ways of wearing nude without succumbing to the stereotypical ‘negligee’ look it is so frequently associated with.

Nude “Romantic” Look

Spring’s nude shades lend themselves perfectly to a romantic look; think subdued shades of pink and beige combined perfectly with ruffles and lace. Emma Boutique on Clarendon Street has the perfect skirt to start building your romance infused look. This fairy net skirt is from gorgeous label Almost Famous (€185 and Awear also did a version of this Tutu skirt recently) and is available in beautiful beige; the subtle soft layers lend themselves effortlessly to that fairy –like lightness that this guise requires.

Wear it with pale grey tank and metallic sandals for a casual look and throw on the Caravan necklace scarf in gorgeous coral (€34 also available in Emma Boutique) for a splash of colour! .

For something slightly dressier but just as dreamy, look to the ever reliable Spotlight range from Warehouse, where they have a deliciously delicate pale pink layered dress for €97 – ideal for those inevitable summer weddings!

Nude “Simple” Look

Let Chloe Sevigny and Kate Bosworth inspire you and start building your outfit with a neutral oversized blazer.

Zara seem to always have a great blazer selection, but if you really feel like splashing out – Chloe or Stella McCartney are the labels to focus on. Stick to the longer styles that skim the bum – the looser the style the better, it’ll make you look miniscule in comparison.

Keep it looking clean with a relaxed white tee and loose khaki shorts, asos.com have a pair of beige bloomer –like shorts for €45 that look identical to the pair that Bosworth rocked recently. Polish the look off with toned tanned legs (unfortunately I don’t have a link for that!) and a pair of platform ankle boots – the same website has a wicked pair of Annabelle hiker boots (€140) in dusty pink which set off that simplistic look perfectly.

Nude “Ecletic Rocker” Look

Nude can also work in a harder way for a more eclectic look. For this one, we’re channelling the Alice Dellal’s of the world – well her smudged black eye liner but we might leave her shaved head for the moment!

Smock tops are a fantastic transitional item between winter and spring.  Topshop have a beautiful beige top with gorgeous beading details for £45. Combine this with some floral jeggings (again, Topshop have great selection) and the pink Annabelle hiker boots already mentioned.

If you’re still not convinced, stick to accessories. Nothing works better for slimming and elongating legs than a pair of simple nude high heels…well apart from the gym.  Nude heels it is! More on nude shoes here.

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