Desperate Housewives star wears Sado

Maiara Walsh, the super stunning, wayward teen from Desperate Housewives, certainly wasn’t playing the rebellious adolescent card at the Ernest Borgnine pre-Oscar party last week. Opting for a sleek, simple and oh-so-pretty Sado number in antique cream hues, it was the perfect choice for the gorgeous young star. Oozing easy glamour and relaxed sexiness in a slouchy, off the shoulder cut and statement necklace, Walsh clearly has an eye for chilled out, sun-kissed style. Pure perfection.

Fiona Anderson

Suzy Amis Cameron Wears Prophetik at the Global Green pre-Oscar party

Prophetik, who rocked the Freemasons’ Hall during Fashion Week with their live band, have again found themselves in the spotlight. At this year’s Global Green 7th annual pre-Oscar party, held on the 3rd March, the ethically minded Suzy Amis Cameron (wife of Avatar director James Cameron) chose to wear a stunning creation by the eco-label, Prophetik. Accompanied by her husband, Suzy was there to promote her campaign and competition, Red Carpet Green Dress, a charitable organisation which promotes sustainable design.

The black, silk, backless dress with bronze lining was straight off the AW 10 catwalk and the perfect choice for such a high glamour event, showing that environmentally friendly fashion is stylish, edgy and fabulous!

Fiona Anderson

Kelly Osbourne wears Chelsea Rebelle to Elton John's Charity Party At Soho House, Hollywood 2010

We’re loving Kelly Osbourne's new fashion forward look! Pictured here wearing the gorgeous ‘Glitter’ dress from Chelsea Rebelle’s SS10 collection to Elton John's party on March 4th, the frock looks like a million stars scattered across the heavens. Very fitting for what was a star-studded bash - click here to see who else was there.

Hannah Kane

Postcard from Paris: Iris Van Herpen

Use three words to describe your collection: Movement, metallic, elegance.

Glasses of alcohol consumed over Paris Fashion Week: Yesterday evening quite a lot.

Amount of pastries eaten in Paris: Lots, they don’t have them like that in Holland!

Best bit about exhibiting with Fashion Scout in Paris: Show my work to more people in much closer detail.

Favourite thing to do in Paris: Just walking around randomly to discover things.

Emma Drinnan

Postcard from Paris: Lidija & Dejan

Use three words to describe your collection: Sensual, empowering and luxurious

Glasses of alcohol consumed over Paris Fashion Week: I don't really count but we a few glasses of wine every night.

Amount of pastries eaten in Paris: Not many

Best bit about exhibiting with Fashion Scout in Paris: Meeting buyers, press and designers.

Favourite thing to do in Paris: To walk really, everything is close in Paris and there are so many little shops to discover.

This season's highlight: Getting an order, it's our first season trying to sell and we got orders!

Emma Drinnan

Postcard from Paris: Bryce Aime

Use three words to describe your collection: Futuristic ancient Egypt.

Glasses of alcohol consumed over Paris Fashion Week: Not much really I’m quite good.

Amount of pastries eaten in Paris: The normal amount a French man should have which is a croissant in the morning.

Best bit about exhibiting with Fashion Scout in Paris: Being part of Paris during Fashion Week. We had buyers which is great.

Favourite thing to do in Paris: I'm from here, so seeing my friends and family, but I have been living in London for the past 12 years.

This season's highlight: Probably the fact we have produced a collection when we had so many problems at the start. The whole experience of fashion weeks were amazing. At the end of last year we opened a shop which was my favourite achievement really. 

Postcard from Paris: Yan To

Use three words to describe your collection: Pragmatic sexual submersion.

Units of alcohol consumed over Paris Fashion Week: None but a lot of cans of Pepsi Max.

Amount of pastries eaten in Paris: Not had one, don’t really eat during these shows it makes me too tired.

Best bit about exhibiting with Fashion Scout in Paris: Meeting contacts and the other designers. It’s my first time here and its been a great starting point experience.

Favourite thing to do in Paris: Anything as long as you are with your partner. It’s so many different things to so many different people.

This season's highlight: Delivering my first piece from my AW collection to a customer.

Emma Drinnan

Postcard from Paris: Omer Asim

Use three words to describe your collection: Anti-modern, post-modern and pre-modern.

Glasses of alcohol consumed over Paris Fashion Week: Only three.

Amount of pastries eaten in Paris: Five. I would have had more if I could have got my hands on more.

Best bit about exhibiting with Fashion Scout in Paris: Being in Paris for the first time, everyone here is lovely and we have had good people through the doors, especially for the first season.

This season's highlight: On Thursday morning at 9am I finished and had a moment to think. 

Emma Drinnan

Postcard from Paris: Viking Wong

Use three words to describe your collection: Subtle, fluid, androgynous

Glasses of alcohol consumed over Paris Fashion Week: None, I don’t drink.

Amount of pastries eaten in Paris: 1 or 2 maybe.

Best bit about exhibiting with Fashion Scout in Paris: Meeting other designers, its my first collection and its great to see how it all works.

This season's highlight: The London exhibition. It was my first time ever showing people my work after graduation. The comments I received were my highlight.

Emma Drinnan

Postcard from Paris: Jacob Kimmie

Use three words to describe your collection: Monastic, new, leather.

Units of alcohol consumed over Paris Fashion Week: Off the record I am not supposed to be drinking - my team of two are alcoholics though.

Amount of pastries eaten in Paris: None but I have still put on weight.

Best bit about exhibiting with Fashion Scout in Paris: Meeting Harriet’s Muse. Meeting all the designers actually. Its nice to finally meet the Fashion Scout community.

Favourite thing to do in Paris: To just suck up the energy of the city, it's my 17^th spiritual home.

This season's highlight: Has to be when the baby threw up on the dress in the fitting at our London show. There were so many highlights I couldn’t name them all. 

Emma Drinnan

Spotted! Felicity Brown in Italian Vogue

 Viva Italia! Our very own Felicity Brown has been featured on the blog for Italian Vogue. Heralded by writer Barbara Grispini, expert in spotting emerging design stars, as ‘a fantastic creative talent’, the beautiful, hand dyed collection of pleats and ruffles is described as ‘raw yet refined’. Always at the front line of glamour and style, the Italians have definitely cottoned on to a winner with Brown, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for this exceptionally innovative designer.

Fiona Anderson

Postcard from Paris: Gemma Slack (womenswear) and Katie Rowland (jewellery designer)

"We met at Digitaria which is now Machine A- we are both stocked in there and we were both in one day and started talking. Gemma comes up the concept of the collection and then the jewellery needs to work in with that," says Rowland. It’s the first time she has collaborated with a designer.

Use three words to describe your collection: Black, tight and slutty!

Glasses of alcohol consumed over Paris Fashion Week: Oh my goodness, maybe we should work in how many bottles and cocktails. I’m not even sure how much we drank last night.

Amount of pastries eaten in Paris: We just shared some Brioche.

Best bit about exhibiting with Fashion Scout in Paris: Being in Paris. Does that sound lame?! It's been so good to meet a range of people and chatting with the other designers and how they are doing everyone is really supportive.

This season's highlight: Katie Rowland - the presentation in London was such a good turn out, it was busy throughout the three hours it was on and the press we got afterwards was so good.

This seasons highlight: Gemma Slack - The combination showing a catwalk show in London and showing an exhibition in Paris.

Emma Drinnan 

Postcard from Paris: Alice Palmer

Use three words to describe your collection: Edgy, innovative and wearable.

Glasses of alcohol consumed over Paris Fashion Week: Probably a whole brewery's worth.

Amount of pastries eaten in Paris: About half a dozen a day, I don’t know how the French stay so slim.

Best bit about exhibiting with Fashion Scout in Paris: Meeting with buyers.

Favourite thing to do in Paris: Eat and just walk around the streets and go into boutiques.

This season's highlight: The catwalk show and seeing everything come together and the incredible feedback.

Emma Drinnan

Postcard from Paris: Craig Spellar, Harriet's Muse

Use three words to describe your collection: Sinister, sculptural and sexy.

Units of alcohol consumed over Paris Fashion Week: Not enough.

Amount of pastries eaten in Paris: Far too many.

Best bit about exhibiting with Fashion Scout in Paris: In terms of people it has been absolutely great.

This season's highlight: Its gone full circle we are working with Sophie Anderton and she has done our lookbook.

Emma Drinnan

Postcard from Paris: MATTIJS

Use three words to describe your collection: Colour, feminine and pleating.

Amount of glasses of alcohol consumed over Paris Fashion Week: Approx 15.

Amount of pastries eaten in Paris: About the same, not at the same time though.

Best bit about exhibiting with Fashion Scout in Paris: Meeting the designers, everyone in the showroom has been great. I have really enjoyed myself, this space is beautiful.

Favourite thing to do in Paris: Eating out last night was so good.

This season's highlight: My fashion week show.

Emma Drinnan

Paris Showroom Day 2

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Arriving at the showroom this morning to excited designers full of anticipation about the day ahead. A quick look round the stands and a few coffees and croissants later and the doors flew open and a trickle of press and buyers made their way around the space. To avoid the steadily increasing crowds a certain assistant buyer and I slope off.

We pound the streets of Paris to get to as many showrooms as possible, not to stray too far from what we know, first up was The London Showroom. Seeing the collections up close and speaking to each designer in between mouthfuls of Laudree macaroons (image 1) was a pleasure. David Koma had his collection of zip embellished dresses in a room upstairs (image 2). Swarmed by buyers I snatched a few pictures and a quick chat before we were distracted by a selection of incredible Louboutins. 

The great thing about walking from showroom to showroom is getting lost, you turn into a street filled with beautiful architecture (image 3), find a shop full of vintage fashion magazines (image 4) or even better you find yourself amongst a giant rabbit outside the Kenzo House (image 5).

The aptly named ‘Brits in Paris’ listed many exhibitions including Zipzone and Tranoi where I got the chance to handle Eudon Choi shoes (image 6). The beautiful khaki and navy peep-toe boots are needed in my wardrobe. Unfortunately the shoes are all sample size three, never going to fit on the end of my stems, just had to appreciate looking at them.

Tomorrow I’m going to stay closer to home and with the Fashion Scout designers and yes eat a few more croissants!

Emma Drinnan

Paris Showroom Day 1

Piecing together our fragmented French and a few 'Allo 'Allo quotes we finally got through the trauma of the Eurostar and the Metro and arrived at our compact apartment. Just enough time to drop our bags, and hang our clothes (I should have rolled not folded) as we rush out to see the space for the Fashion Scout Showroom.

The beautiful art gallery space on Rue de Archives in Le Marais region which was Anne Valerie Hash’s old showroom is stunning. Sunlight bursts through the French doors and the library of art is fascinating. One sculpture I’m not so keen on was the creepy life sized batman, took me a while to get close enough to take a picture.

Fashion Scout Director Martyn Roberts drove a full van over and a staggering seven hours later seemed tired but perky when he arrived. It was all hands on deck- stacks of plinths; unassembled rails and boxes of pre-hung garments were delivered. The space was as you would imagine bare and after many trips up and down the stairs and much deliberating the space started to take shape.

By 4pm most of the designers started to arrive, lots of air kisses, steaming, lighting adjustments and re-merchandising the key pieces and finally the celebratory wine is out. The day has passed with excessive speed, I feel absolutely exhausted but the space looks incredible. No dinner for me - just sleep, have to pour out the bag to find the paracetamol. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings and who comes to visit the space.

Emma Drinnan

LFW: Una Burke Exhibit

Una Burke is the exceptionally talented designer who exhibited in the foyer of Vauxhall Fashion Scout throughout London Fashion Week. On display was a beautifully sculptural, vegetable-tanned leather headpiece, featuring slices of flesh-coloured leather curving around the contours of the head and bolted together with bronze nails. The stunning, and highly complex piece, is part of a conceptual collection entitled, Re.Treat, which is based around a series of eight human gestures associated with the healing stages of human trauma. Many of the pieces within the collection are reminiscent of prosthetics and medical braces, with a carcass-like form which is broken down into sections. Arm pieces, leg, neck, head and shoulder pieces sit as wearable items of armour-like art, and can be interpreted as art or as a fashion accessory.

Exquisite in both form, texture and colour palette, Burke’s pieces showcase her immense talent and technical ability. If you missed the exhibit, see more of Burke’s designs here.

Posted by Fiona Anderson

LFW Trend Alert: Alabaster Skin

Backstage at Horace, image by Marsy Hild Thorsdottir

Backstage at Jasper Garvida, image by Lilijana Pajovic

On the catwalk at David Koma

On the catwalk at Iris Van Herpen, image by David Coleman

It almost felt like ghosts from decades past were emerging from the historic walls of the Freemasons’ Hall over fashion week. But the glowing creatures were just models sporting a haunting new beauty trend, pale, ethereal skin.

In the wake of the recession fashion retreated. Understated glamour using simple, sophisticated design trumped conspicuous and exaggerated style. These new ideals combined with the current Twilight and True Blood induced vampire craze produced a beauty equation for plain almost deathly complexions.

“Pale skin seems really popular this season. I think the days of orange, tanned skin are gone,” Rachel Wood, Benefit makeup artist, told The Fashion Scout backstage. “The look is innocent and ethereal, with a bit of iciness. Great for anyone living in England! Think Kate Beckinsale in Pride and Prejudice.”

Blush and bronzer were absent from the majority of shows this season and replaced with matte foundations and ghostly highlights. Death warmed over at Studio 805, David Koma and Horace where model’s skin was one-dimensional. Models at Iris Van Herpen’s show where glowing white using an icy accents. Jasper Garvida channeled alabaster skin tones of the 1920s in his Art Deco inspired show.

To achieve this look, apply a good moisturizer before smoothing a matte foundation over skin. To keep coverage from getting to thick or heavy, polish with a stippling or buffer brush. For an ethereal luster try a brightening powder like Powderflage from Benefit. Wood recommends using it under the eyes and around the contours of the face for a natural gleam. If your skin is not in the right condition to be centre of attention, Benefit’s Hello Flawless powder can help hide spots, soak oils and even out tone.

Not only is the pale, ethereal look easy to achieve, it is the perfect base to compliment current beauty trends. “Natural, pale skin paired with that bushy brow is just so ‘classic country living’,” says Wood. “Plus pale colouring is a great skin tone to match the strong red and coral lips that are all the rage this spring.”

The ghostly look of natural, matte skin is classic and chic. Grab the sunblock this summer and grease up to prevent your skin from expiring out of fashion.

Words: Maggie Dolan

Talulah Riley chooses Tempest for the Baftas

Tempest strikes again, and this time it was the turn of St Trinian’s star, Talulah Riley, who was spotted wearing one of Tempest’s adorable pewter and silver cocktail dresses from his AW10 show at this year’s Baftas. With a seriously plunging neckline and flattering, geometric panels, the star clearly has her finger firmly on the pulse of fashion, shunning the sub zero temperatures and torrential rain, all in the name of looking fabulous. Talulah, we salute you!

Posted by Fiona Anderson