Fashion and Style

Manolo Blahnik: The story behind the eponymous high-end...

With a career spanning 40 years, it’s really no surprise that the brand has gone from strength to strength. The brand that has designs that never fail to impress, Manolo Blahnik has become one of the world’s most influential footwear designers. Starting off in set design in 1970, Blahnik showed his theatre designs to Diana Vreeland, then editor-in-chief of American Vogue, who saw a natural spark for shoe design so encouraged him to concentrate on that. It’s clear Blahnik has had a hands-on approach from the beginning, he refined his skills by visiting factories where he talked to machine operators, pattern cutters and technicians. By the following year, 1971, he was in London making shoes and beginning his career.  A year later, Ossie Clark, then the most famous designer in London, used his shoes. From there on in, his career blossomed.  In 1973 he opened his first shop in London’s Chelsea. This was just the beginning for Blahnik as now he has stores all over the world.

Discover Karine Jackson: London’s most luxurious organic...

Spanning two floors of a large Victorian building, it has been decorated with an exquisite modern feel. Having held so I was ready for my holiday, my hair colour was well overdue and my fringe had totally grown out. I was really looking forward to what the stylist had in mind for my lifeless locks. I arrived on a wet, blustery, dark winter's evening - still feeling slightly manic from my day in the office, however within minutes the calming atmosphere of the salon had rubbed off and I started to relax.  The salon’s owner Karine is originally from Australia but came to London to train with Charles Worthington before setting up on her own in 2003. She is famous for only using Organic Colour Systems hair colouring that is ammonia free with fewer chemicals. I was interested to see if it covered my greys as well as normal.

Gucci teams up with Bocconi to launch a fashion research lab

The research lab, which will be based in Italy's business capital Milan, is a three-year project that will focus on how luxury organisations can most effectively evolve in the 21st century. The project will look at how factors such as a start-up mentality, employee empowerment and risk-taking can lead growth and performance for luxury companies. A team of four professors will do dedicated research by analysing the core trends in organisational design and digital transformation, and their findings will be published in a publicly-available paper. “I’m delighted that Gucci and Bocconi University are collaborating on this important initiative, which is designed to reveal important insights that large and small companies can learn from, said Marco Bizzarri, President and CEO of Gucci. "More than ever before, a company’s culture can be the differentiating factor in terms of competitive advantage,” he added.

Line the label and the 'Kate effect'

At the official announcement of her engagement to Prince Harry outside the Kensington Palace yesterday, American actress Meghan Markle wore a white belted coat from Line the Label. It's a Canadian brand and a nod to her previous hometown Toronto. Shortly after, the clothing brand’s website crashed from all the fashionistas trying to get their hands on the sought-after item. But that particular coat isn't sold online, however, and the price isn’t known although a similar one is on the market for £450. This is just the start of the 'Kate effect.' Counting fellow American actresses Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Bosworth within its client base, the Canadian clothing line was founded in 2000 by designers and best friends John Muscat and Jennifer Wells. The brand is most known for its luxury knitwear and lavish textiles. Markle wore the same brand at the Invictus Games earlier this year, the first time she made a public appearance together with Harry.

Behind the Quintessential Dior fragrance: J adore Jasmine...

Vogue Fragrance recently covered the jasmine harvesting process in a video featuring Dior's perfume creator, François Demachy. In the film, Demachy describes how Dior's iconic 'J'adore L'Or' is created using the finest flowers from Domaine de Manon. Carole Biancalana's family estate Domaine de Manon, in the Grasse area, has reserved its jasmine harvest exclusively for Christian Dior since 2006. Grasse, which is considered the world's capital of perfume, is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department on the French Riviera in the hills north of Cannes. The heritage of its long-established perfume industry is celebrated at the Musée International de la Parfumerie, in the town centre.  The jasmine flower blooms between July and late October, and each year the Biancalana estate's entire centifolia rose and Jasminum grandiflorum crop is reaped for the benefit of Dior Perfumes.

The best of British: what’s the secret behind Victoria...

Today Victoria has a fashion empire and her designs can be seen on various celebrities at high-end red carpet awards and galas. Her famous name might have played a role in the beginning, but without a doubt, her drive, ambition and skills in brand marketing have done their part in elevating her status as a successful businesswoman. Victoria’s rise in the fashion world started when she designed her own jeans - called VB Rocks for Rock and Republic in 2004. She then launched her own designer sunglasses range, dVb eyewear, which was followed by her own line of jeans. Beckham went on to create her first clothing line of dresses in 2008. By 2011 the creations could be seen regularly at New York Fashion Week, and Victoria by Victoria Beckham was launched, catering to a lower-priced segment of the market. The same year she also won designer brand of the year at the British Fashion Awards and Business Entrepreneur of the Year by business magazine Management Today.

An evening at Blade Hair club, SoHo

Ever since I was young I have hated visiting the hairdressers, due to that awkward small talk that makes my toes curl, and the anticipation of seeing the finished result. To combat this feeling Blade Hair Club has put an iPad in front of every chair, so you can distract yourself and search the web, or catch up on that latest Netflix show, to your heart's content. One of the many things that made this Hair Club (not dressers) stand out was the cocktail menu I was shown on the iPad when I sat down to discuss my chosen style. After making my choice and heading downstairs I was met by the mixologist who was in the process of creating a new cocktail which I had the opportunity to try and then joined in the debate as to which garnish I preferred. After my treatment, I then sat at the bar and finished my drink and had a chat with the team and again, avoided the small talk that we all hate so much.

The art to starting your jewellery collection

We spoke to Gråsilver - a bold and modern Scandinavian inspired collector at the annual Arts & Antique Fair at the world famous Olympia Exhibition Centre in London, to get their insight into starting off your very own jewellery collection. The main piece of advice we were given was to just follow your heart, and if you see a piece that catches your eye, no matter how unique and 'out there' it may be, then snap it up while you can, as unique pieces don't stay on the market for long. Be bold with your jewellery choices - branch out of your comfort zone and experiment with different styles or metals. After all, whether you are creating a personal collection or are becoming a dealer, unique pieces with have attention gravitating towards them from everyone as these pieces tend to have more character.

Paris Haute Couture week: what you didn’t know about...

The highly anticipated four-day-long event has brought together the most well-known designers, fashion moguls and models to debut their latest collections in a series of shows where fashion has been elevated to an art form. So far the shows at Paris Haute Couture Week have not disappointed. Powerhouses like Dior, Hermes, and Chanel kicked off the summer event to the delight of celebrity guests such as Sophia Loren, Sophia Copolla and Cara Delevigne to name a few. Miu Miu's resort collection started proceedings with a bang, guests at Dior took their front row seats next to giraffes, monkeys, tigers and elephants, as Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s first female Creative Director, coordinated her very own wilderness, and in place of last season's gigantic rocket sat a statue of the Eiffel Tower, as Karl Lagerfeld paid homage to Paris' parks. Private charter specialist, 365 Aviation, has transported numerous celebrities and high profile clients to the fashion capital this week and reports it’s not unusual for a couture gown to cost more than the charter flight. 365 goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure its clients' high-value items arrive in as pristine a state as their clients.  Cardboard wardrobes are filled with foam and mesh to protect dresses that run into hundreds of thousands of pounds and which frequently have to travel in the main cabin to ensure they are not damaged in the hold.

In Pictures: Couture at Claridge's

The sophisticated evening event hosted retailers, designers and press to view the dazzling collections. Pieces from Marco Bicego, Roberto Coin, Sarah Ho, Yoko London and Sand Diamonds were on show.

Your complete guide to building the perfect summer wardrobe

From bright colour to matching separates and denim overload, here are some warm-weather-ready ideas to inspire you this season.

IN PICTURES: Home of Homme LFWM Presentation