Alexa Chung made a serious style statement at last year’s Met Gala ball in NYC, championing British fashion design by wearing a shimmering Christopher Kane paillettes dress.

And now you can get the look for yourself as Alexa Chung’s incredible Christopher Kane dress will be hitting THE OUTNET today, May 15th, at 50% off.

Christopher Kane AW11 Alexa sequined tulle dress
Original Price: €4,741
Now: €2,370

If you haven’t heard about it yet, THE OUTNET is an online outlet owned by the folk behind NETAPORTER,  stocking previous season designer fashion at reduced prices.

Trend alert! The flatform is set to be a huge shoe trend for this summer. It’s a cross between a flat and a platform, essentially a flat with a slight heel.

On the plus side they are flattering on the leg, supercomfy and will make shorties appear taller. And they can be worn with everything from skinny jeans, a la Alexa Chung (pictured) to shorts suits.

We think they are a tad ugly and do nothing that a good pair of wedge sandal wouldn’t do.

Is this a trend you’ll be embracing this summer?

Flatforms pictured are from Clarks,  €50.

The century old Italian runners brand Superga has upped its style creds of late having hired three of the coolest people in styleville to endorse their luxe plimsoll.

First, the Olsen twins were appointed creative directors for Superga last year. And for spring/summer 2012 they’ve launched a collection of co-branded trainers under their label The Row.

And it’s not only the States that the luxury tennis-shoe brand is conquering with style credentials.

To celebrate their 100th anniversary this year, they’ve gone even further by asking a self-confessed Superga fan, Alexa Chung, to front their SS12 ad campaign!

Chungers loves to wear them for beachside fun but also with skinny black jeans. ‘My fave are the pale pink ones’, she’s quoted as saying.

Superga already collaborated with Alexa in March of 2011 but for this summer’s collection, they’ve given her free reign to style the tennis shoe shoot how she wishes.  The result is sure to result in some ubercool laid back style.

Update: 28th March

The SS12 Superga campaign was shot in Miami where Alexa Chung styled it wearing her own clothes. The resulting shots ooze a vintage vibe with their faded colours.

The shots feature Alexa lying in bed using her black Superga as a phone and in a vintage car, while all the time wearing her cool Superga canvas runners. In fact she wore 2750 pairs during the shoot!

We’ll be vying for a pair of these canvas runners in navy, will you?

Availability in Ireland: BT2  and online at Littlewoods.ie  (€45- €62 + pp)

Availability the UK from My-Wardrobe €48 + pp

The party season is fast approaching and now’s the time to start looking for red carpet party dress inspiration.

If the British Fashion Awards were anything to go by, this year it’s all about LBD’s with a twist, either in dramatic floor-skimming lengths or with quirky touches like mesh panelling. Bold metallic finishes are also a popular choice and an unusual alternative to all the gold and silver sequins on the high street.

Our past style crush, Tali Lennox wore this gorgeous gold column gown by Mulberry. We hunted down a very similar style in French Connection for a fraction of the price at €234 (£165). For a slightly slinkier version, we also came across this cocktail version on Asos.com by TFNC for €60.53 (£45).

French Connection gold dress

From the moment Stella sent her spot mesh dresses down the autumn/winter 11 catwalk, a waiting list commenced. Now thankfully the high street has brought us its own interpretations of this season’s most iconic dress.

The real version was donned by Kate Hudson but this Warehouse number for €80.70 (£60) and this one-sleeved version from Boohoo.com €25 (£20) are perfect for looking beautiful on a budget. To go for something a little different, this other Asos find features mesh circle sequin embellishments instead €51.11 (£38).

Boohoo mesh dress

Model of the moment Georgia May Jagger certainly looked stunning in her Julian Macdonald dress that dripped with sequins but we fell in love with this more understated version in French Connection. Even better as it’s currently on sale for €176 instead of €226 (£120 instead of £160).

French Connection

Alexa Chung wore her ‘Most Stylish’ crown well in a truly inimitable Christopher Kane cocktail dress—who himself swooped the newly introduced gong for New Establishment Designer.

A fitting finale to a festive British style fest, and plenty of ideas for your Christmas party outfit we hope.

– Gillian Brett

Dear Ask the Stylist

I loved your Masculin Feminine feature but I find workwear shopping kinda stressful with all the badly cut suits on the high street. Maybe you could show us how to achieve the masculine/feminine look on a budget once the A/W collections hit? Aine.

What a great suggestion Aine! Here are some budget options for how to get this look.

Look 1: Suit or tuxedo suit

Suits

You’ll find a well cut androgynous suit in COS at BT2 (€135 jacket, €69 trousers) - this label is ace at clean cut clothes and the tailoring on this suit is superb. Zara also has some great tailored suit work wear options for this autumn winter.

A tuxedo suit will nail this trend for you in one purchase. Although key designers all have a good tux suit offering, I haven’t spotted any budget options (you could be lucky and spot one in TK Maxx) so if you come across one, it’s an excellent investment in that it’s an evening wear alternative along with being an exceptionally smart work wear option.

So if you can’t get a tux suit, get this look with separates instead.

A Tux Blazer

Bastyan (at Brown Thomas or online at John Lewis) and All Saints are higher end high street options for same colour tux blazers. Maje have the most beautiful all white tux blazer, but it’s an investment piece at over €250.

Tuxedo jackets with different coloured labels are bountiful ever since Stella McCartney paid homage to 50s menswear style with her Contrast-Lapel Tuxedo Jacket. 

Come October you can get the ivory and black blazer at Penneys, €23 (Zara previously did a version) or a cropped version in French navy or Oxblood, a key colour for AW11, at Topshop (€75, in store now).  Joanathan Sanders Editions at Debenhams also do a take on the French navy with black lapel blazer (£75).

Style tip: A Tux blazer is not just for work; on weekends dress it down with a t-shirt and jeans.

Look2:  Tuxedo Blazer +waistcoat+ trousers + feminine blouse & shoes

Wear a black tux blazer with black ankle cropped trousers (Zara €29.95) or tapered trousers (Topshop £58), a white pussy bow blouse (Asos) and a suit waistcoat (Ted Baker) for that Olivia Palermo inspired look.

A silky or sheer shirt or blouse will also work instead of a pussy bow blouse. It’s about adding a touch of femininity to an otherwise masculine look. Finish off with feminine court shoes or pointy court shoes will add that Isabel Marant touch of class.

Look 3:  Tuxedo Blazer + stiff shirt+ pencil skirt + court shoes or high heeled brogues

Try any of the tux blazer suggestions above with a white tuxedo shirt from Zara (€29.95) and a Mango pencil skirt (£42.90).

Look 4: Menswear inspired trousers + Alexa inspired shirt

Zara definitely has the best selection of tailored trousers right now. Try their straight trousers in black or navy (€39.95) and wear them to work with a tie neck or contrast lapel blouse.

Miss Selfridge has the most fabulous selection of these blouses if you want to channel the Alexa Chung look.

Other options to get this look

Oversized brooches are plentiful at Debenhams for around the €20 mark.

Brogues

If you’d like to embrace a full on boy look, then work a brogue with the above options as they are everywhere right now.

Rockport (€100) and Bertie at Arnotts (€111) and are our favourites – both do real leather brogues while you’ll find budget faux leather versions-a-plenty on the high street.

So, whether it’s a simple tuxedo shirt or a great fitted blazer, there’s a borrowed-from-the-boys style solution to suit everyone this season.

See the images for our suggestions in the gallery below

[View with PicLens]

12►

What’s all this talk of cruise collections taking place on the French Riviera? On the eve of the uber glam Cannes Film Festival, the holiday or inter-season collections of the major fashion houses are showcased.

And you know its summer when these Resort Collections come around; – so far 2012 has been all about luxury!

Here are our favourite poolside looks

Chanel is in their own league when it comes to Resort celebrations. Mr Lagerfeld held his much anticipated “al fresco” catwalk show at the fabulous setting of the Hotel du Cap in Southern France and booked it out for the few days preceding it.

Opened by long term Chanel model Abbey Lee Kershaw, the show was very exquisite. The looks were clean and simple – classic Chanel. Colour blocking was strongly featured in cream, black, yellow and white.

The models graced the catwalk in a range of fitted dresses, tailored suits and flowy gowns, with all the usual Chanel muses in the front row – Vanessa Paradis, Rachel Bilson and Alexa Chung to name a few. It was a sophisticated affair, but we would expect no less – shorts made their summer debut (see gallery below).

Oscar de la Renta’s Resort collection was much busier. Inspired by the artist Picasso, there were lots of clashing colours, prints, patterns, embellishment and patchwork.

In possibly La Renta’s strongest Resort collection to date, models stormed the runway in midi skirts, matador-style jackets and tie hats. The display took place in La Renta’s new showroom (still under construction) and guests of honour included no other than Vogue Magazine’s Anna Wintour.

 - Jennifer Ennis

Chanel Cruise Collection Celebrity Gallery

Pictured left to right Camilla Belle, Sienna Miller, Alexa Chung

 By Ann-Marie Proudfoot

Talking about spring summer’s trends is one thing, but translating them into something you can wear is what we here at WhatSheWears.ie enjoy most.

At Penneys press room last week, there was strong Moroccan theme and real holiday feeling about their summer collection – not something that we can wear everyday here in Ireland  – but we do think that certain key pieces stood out to inspire today’s Styling Tips instalment, something we hope to bring you more often.

Style tip #1:  Team white dresses & crochet with chunky brown boots to nail off-duty cool

White is always around during the summer months but this year especially, the catwalks are full of it. This time it comes with a strong 70’s influence with fringing, tassels and crochet coming to the fore.

Neon accessories will add a punch of colour to your white look but for casual wear or festivals, brown boots add that real cowboy feel.

Brazilian actress Camilla Belle shows us how to wear this look at the Coachella music festival in the US;  layering a delicate crochet cardigan over a floral dress, and toning down the girly elements of her outfit with a chunky pair of boots.

To recreate Camilla’s look, liven up the brown boots you already own by layering Penney’s fringed crochet waistcoat (€14, in stores now) over a Jasper Conran for Debenhams tea dress (€67.50).

Penneys crochet waistcoat €14

Style  tip #2:  Moleskin is a great alternative to suede; it’s lighter & easier on your purse too

The colour palette  of nudes, khakis, sand and soft earthy tones of rust are yet again key colours for spring summer.
Penney’s have a gorgeous pair of nude hot pants (€15, in stores early May) in moleskin, sometimes referred to as suedette, which can be worn a la Sienna Miller with a grey crop tee from American Apparel (€24), a stainless steel ck dawn cuff by Calvin Klein jewellery at Arnotts (€110) and Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony buckled wedges (available at Brown Thomas, Dublin).

Penneys moleskin shorts €15

Style tip #3:  Dip your toe into this summer’s neon trend via accessories

With so many exotic colours around this spring – burnt reds, tangerine oranges, and bright turquoises – wondering how to wear them can seem daunting.  Jeanie-like harem pants in hot pink and electric blue are not for the faint hearted, hence our first styling tip comes into play!

Accessories are a safe way to wear these bold colours, and Penney’s Square Lock Box Bag (€8 shown below, in stores end May) reminds us of  Alexa Chung at Matthew Williamson A/W 11 at London Fashion Week (pictured right).

Penneys Yellow Bag €8

Alexa’s minimalist approach to spring’s bold colour trend is simply refreshing.  Chung wore a Celine Breton striped dress, Burberry trench coat and Topshop’s Pippin Suede Heel Ankle boots with a vintage yellow cross body bag and coral red lipstick.  This is a great look for conservative dressers, adding a sartorial twist to a nautical striped top which you probably already own.

After all, it’s about adding affordable pieces to revamp your existing looks without investing in an entire new season wardrobe. What do you think?

As well as contributing to WSW, Ann-Marie Proudfoot is a stylist over at Proudfoot Style.

Erdem, the British designer who makes dresses that a lot of women want to wear, is the talk of the town at present. His spring summer 2011 collection featured floral dresses, shirts and shoes which he interchanges with red or white lace. Read on to find out how to get the runway look for less.

First up, Erdem’s amazing floral prints with scooped or slashed necklines, nipped waists and flattering, nearly a- line hemlines. The Maryiln silk dress (€698, Mytheresa.com) is our favourite, and we’ve found a beautiful reincarnation of it in the form of Olga de Polga’s floral dress at Irish online store Ruby Cotton (€99.99). Wear it now with opaque tights and with bare legs come summer.

Next, Erdem showcased a little red lace dress which has rose to super stardom thanks to the label’s devotees Alexa Chung and Michelle Williams, who were both snapped in it. Our favourite high street way to get this taste of lace is from Marks and Spencers, whose red lace dress cost a mere €145 (available March-May). There’s also a beautiful red lace dress in Topshop right now, which was brought to our attention by fashion blogger Blau von T.   Wear it with nude or red shoes; after all, red on red is “oh so now”.

And if florals or red lace just don’t do it for you, then Erdem’s SS11 floral sandals just might be the touch that you need to finish off an outfit. To recreate the look, we recommend Miss Selfridge’s Pink Floral Sandal (€30) – just tie the ribbons to the ankle and you’ve nailed the look.

And finally, Erdem’s little white dresses will have brides to be looking for a short, “non bridal” dress gushing; and for that, there’s no high street substitute, just buy the real thing.

With all these options, we feel a proper garden party coming on.

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Influenced By Louis Vuitton

Irwin & Jordan has been worn by some of the world’s most stylish women; including Natalie Imbruglia, Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller, Rachel Bilson, and Jessica Biel.

The woman behind the label, Zoe Jordan, daughter of Formula One supremo Eddie, was in Dublin today to launch their pop up store at Brown Thomas.

The label mixes Savile Row tailoring, contemporary cuts and heritage fabrics – think tailored jackets and slouch waistcoats, a delicate lace t-shirt (pictured right), darling dresses and cropped silk trousers – creating an eclectic look that pushes the confines of every piece of its collections.  If simplicity is the ultimate sophistication then Irwin & Jordan is the embodiment of that simplicity.

WSW Style Tip: Our favourite piece from the spring summer collection is a lace top (€265, pictured) . It’s the perfect feminine accompaniment for the contrasting masculinity of tailored trousers – wear with black ones now and white trousers come summer time.

Availability: Irwin & Jordan SS11 will be in Brown Thomas Dublin for one month from 28 February. See the full collection on http://www.irwinandjordan.com/

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Alexa Chung’s must have manicurists WAH Nails opened in Dublin last week.

Finally, there is one thing in Harvey Nichols Dublin that we all can afford - WAH Nails, the London-based salon and resident nail bar in Topshop Oxford Circus, launched just in time for Halloween.

Since opening in the East London only a year ago, WAH are now cult nail artists to stars such as Myleene Klass,  Pixie Lott and Lady Gaga and looking at the pics here, you can see why. WAH promises to “translate fashion trends into fingertip art” and having a WAH manicure is the most delightful experience.

Behind Britain’s coolest nail salon is Sharmadean Reid who said at launch that “The Irish girls really love taking care of themselves so I hope we can add that extra touch to their beauty regime.

WAH Nails was born from my love of graphic nail art and my inability to get truly fashionable nails at my local salons – my nail artists pride themselves on creativity and a can-do attitude when it comes to your designs. We’re really excited to expand further afield and let non-Londoners have the infamous WAH experience.”

Favoured by fashionistas for its Marc Jacobs inspired patterns and leopard print designs, all art is painted free-hand without stencils or airbrushing. Adventurous ladies can choose coloured acrylic tips or MINX polymer heated coating, while budding designers come in with their own drawings and allow the WAH team to do the hard work.

The launch was run in association with Beaut.ie and on the night I chatted to Kirstie & Lynnie (Beaut.ie), Lee (Mwah.ie) and Sarah and Christine from Johnson & Johnson.

With nail art including manicure starting at €45, WAH Nails seriously funked up the fingertips of the glam attendees… Unfortunately for me though, I drove there and got stuck in rainy traffic hence arriving late to a super mega  manicure waiting list so went home empty handed. But just like Arnold Schwarzenegger said in Terminator, “Hasta la vista baby, I’ll be back”.

Update 3 December 2010: Finally had my WAH Nails manicure. I chose the red leopard print one which some say looked more like ladybirds.

Leopard print Wah manicure

Close up of my manicure

WAH Nails, Ground Floor, Harvey Nichols, Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin 16. Tel 01 291 0424 Email: DUBLIN@WAH-NAILS.COM

See the social pics from the launch.

The Menu at WAH

Image credits: WAH