From delicate marshmallow pinks, to the softest mint greens and palest lemons, pastel shades are huge this S/S. In our minds, we imagine ourselves working them a la Madmen. A chiffon pleated skirt here and lacy scalloped top there. To create a stylish look which would make Christina Hendrick’s  ’Joan’  (mint) green with envy.

The reality is a -not quite as sophisticated- ‘candy floss on legs’.

So, in order to keep you from looking like a kids fairground treat, we have compiled some tips on how to wear  this ‘oh-so-pretty but oh-so-tricky’ trend:

1) Toughen up your look.

At home, it seemed like a great idea to channel a sixties housewife, in your pastel shades, boxy coat and kitten heels. But once you stepped out your front door, into a very 2012 street, you realised it was not such a good idea.  It all just looks a bit too ‘good girl’ in this day and age. Not to fear.Replacing your soft as sugar accessories for those with a hard edge : A black leather jacket, spiked heels or a thick belt, will add a much needed touch of ‘bad’ to your ‘butter wouldn’t melt’ .

2) Avoid wearing head to toe frills.

The models at Louis Vuitton may have looked super stylish in top to toe broderie anglaise. But, it’s worth remembering they are six foot tall and whippet thin. To avoid looking like a icing topped French Fancy, mix fabrics and styles. A scalloped top with a pair of silk trousers. Or a pastel lace dress with simple leather courts work wonderfully.

3) Colour combine with non pastels.

A pastel pink t-shirt with a black skirt or a mint green blazer with indigo skinny jeans compliment each other fabulously . Combining neon shades, such as a turquoise shoe with a pale lemon skirt or a hot pink clutch with a mint green dress, work equally well.

It’s not often we find Cheryl looking anything other than gorgeous. Whether its a new do, a new shoe or sometimes even just getting off a plane after a long flight. A natural beauty she certainly is.

Caught filming her new video Call My Name in downtown LA yesterday, Cheryl is styled in some very cool mis-matched outfits. Brights are the way forward and she has definitely embraced this trend. I mean, those SHOES! #PleaseMayWeBorrowThem?!

She stepped out with those famous tumbling locks cut in with a floppy full fringe, golden tanned skin, and a pair of tinsy tiny hotpants – in leopard print, of course!

But fear not, it’s not long before Cheryl steps into a pair of wedged trainers and MC Hammer style bottoms, well, if anyone was going to get away with it…

Cole announced earlier this year that her lead single will be called Call My Name, and it is due to premier on BBC Radio 1 on 20 April.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2123466/Cheryl-Cole-shows-tanned-toned-body-films-new-music-video.html#ixzz1qn0qmiGS

Sabina Ventriglia, Editor of ESVIE
Long gone are the days that we’d catch the beautiful Victoria Beckham slobbing out in a pair of trackies and a cap taking her kids to Saturday morning kickabout in the park. And this photoshoot is just the perfect example of how far she’s come from the Zig Ah Zig Ahhh days.

This woman is now a respected fashion designer, business woman, mother, wife (not necessarily in that order) and is loved by so many celebrities; Katie Holmes, Gwyneth Paltrow and Eva Longoria to name just a few! You’ll often spot her dresses floating down the red carpet on the likes of Beyonce and more recently, Jennifer Lawrence (from The Hunger Games).

With sheer hard work and determination to pull away from the pop world and to make herself a serious contender in the fashion world, Victoria gained the ultimate success this year when she won the Designer Brand of the Year at the British Fashion Awards. Bravo we say! We love a success story, especially when we see one of “our own crop” make it from one accomplished world domination, to the next, in two completely different industries!

Here she was posing for her latest interview for Harper’s Bizarre, explaining her process is for creating her designs and how she connects herself with the general public. Not to mention her (oh so gorgeous) hubby, designing his own pair of mens underwear, available in H&M.

The full editorial features in Harpurs Bizarre, May Issue on sale Monday 2nd April 2012.

Originating back to the Pyrenees around the 14th century, and officially “trending” nationwide last year, espadrilles have been firmly cemented in fashion history as a staple of summer attire. No longer do you need to own a boat or live on a beach in Miami to rock these babies, and absolutely EVERYONE has caught on to this.

I was at first, along with chinos and deck shoes (both of which I now unashamedly wear), sceptical of these cotton canvas flats. The most I knew of espadrilles a year or so ago was the brand, Toms, which I would still highly recommend picking up a pair from, purely because of their donations to charity.

But lo and behold, a few months later, and we had none other than Karl Lagerfeld adopting the trend for Chanel’s product offering, with new versions in this season’s collection. And it’s not just designers who caught on. Look around the high street, and espadrilles are everywhere.

H&M and Primark have cutesy, cheap varieties, and you can find some platform or animal print versions in Topshop or on Asos. Lacoste have also introduced a new range for Spring/Summer, each pair priced at a reasonable £50. From on-trend pastels to nautical navy and white, these adorable canvas-soled treats have been given a European chic-twist with one of my favourite details; bows.

Fashion-forward Brit Alexa Chung was flying the flag high last year for these shoes, will you do the same this Summer? Of course you will. The real dilemma remains; flat, open-toe wedge or platform?

Jennifer Lilley, Fashion and Beauty Writer
Sometimes there can be nothing more stressful than trying on outfit after outfit in store fitting rooms. Bad lighting, poorly positioned mirrors, intrusive people knocking on the door are just a few of the things that take the pleasure out of my shopping experience.
Have a flashback to the nineties, when hit teen comedy Clueless first graced our cinema screens. Wouldn’t we all love to have Cher’s virtual closet? That computer programme that allows her to try on her entire wardrobe to decide what to wear. Letting you mix and match to your hearts content, without all the stress of zipping, buttoning and pulling off garment after garment? Fast forward 17 years and technology has finally gotten us there!

 The Trafford Centre in Manchester have introduced the first ‘Magic Mirror’ in the UK, which allows you to superimpose different outfits from a range of stores at the Trafford Centre over your body. It brings a whole new meaning to try before you buy and really brings the shopping experience into the 21^st Century.

The Magic Mirror saves time eliminates the hassle of rummaging through all the stores and with the wave of a hand lets you change style and sizes to suit your frame.

 The virtual changing room goes on display at the Trafford Centre today!

 http://tv.traffordcentre.co.uk/video/the-magic-mirror

So it seems that the colour yellow is doing the rounds. Whether it’s to brighten up otherwise muted outfits, or to make a statement with it’s bright self, yellow shades seem to be everywhere!
Yellow is definitely a colour to be worn when you have a healthy glow to your skin. It can drain your colour even more if you’re fair. In saying that, of course there are a ton of different shades of the bright to suit you best, not forgetting the more pastel lemon shade that is always a winner in Spring/Summer months. So get yourself down the high street and stock up on some bright statement pieces for your wardrobe!

Check out the latest fashion video from Net-A-Porter, launching their Faces of Fashion campaign! Net-A-Porter’s spring ad campaign gives you an exclusive look into the wardrobes of four of fashion’s most stylish women as they reveal how they get dressed. CHECK IT OUT…

The first time I ever saw a pair of red soled Louboutins was as a teenager and they were gracing the feet of Sarah Jessica Parker as she navigated the streets of New York as sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw.  At the time I was more interested in Carrie’s sexual exploits than her shoes.  Now, though, I would give almost anything to own a shiny pair of heels with the patent red sole.

Until then I can appreciate the artistry the oft coveted shoe which has graced the feet of many a celebrity at London’s Design Museum.  The design museum is honouring Christian Louboutin with an exhibition celebrating his career and showcasing twenty years worth of designs.  The exhibition will showcase the designer’s career by drawing on his own personal archive of shoes and design drawings and taking the visitor through the stages of the design journey – everything from original sketches, prototypes to the final product.  The origins of the iconic red sole will also be revealed along with Louboutin’s creative approach and inspirations which include: Cabaret, fantasy and fairytale, film, landscape and travel.

The exhibition runs 1 May to 9 July at the Design Museum in London.

www.designmuseum.org

It’s only a few shows in, and we’ve already witnessed a huge play between textures, as well as some grand references to cultures. English designers Rag and Bone made a big impact with their Indian-inspired styles, layering fabric upon fabric in rich, autumnal shades and creating looks of carefully mixed materials combined by a motif of colour, yet if one piece were to be worn alone, would become a powerful statement item.

Both Alexander Wang and Prabal Gurung used a lot of leathery materials, all with a shine, slick and darkness that wouldn’t be misplaced on a Batman costume. Prabal’s show has caused quite a stir with his take on “Dark to Light”, starting the show with models all in black, sporting capes and coats with smart dresses and trousers, the looks completed by hats complementary of Philip Treacy. The dark, somewhat minimalist theme is then broken up by blocks of metallic blue and lace, and is then transitioned into the light, where no look was short of extravagance. I have to say, despite being a usual lover of black, I preferred the light side for once. It was over-the-top glamour at its fullest and best; sequins, organza, gold, lace, embellishment; yes, some looks may be a bit “much”, but it was fashion fantasy at its finest, and the shorter, shift style dresses are perfectly wearable.

Jason Wu did not also fall short of attention with his love-letter collection to his native China. Using his Chinese heritage as a deliberate and ultimate influence may have been a risky choice, however it was executed beautifully with designs which nodded respectfully to the culture. Be it old warriors and empresses in embellished, embroidered pride or the glamorous, Hollywood element of China with swishing, red satin gowns adorned with black lace, you could see the inspiration, yet nothing was too obvious or overt. With so many statements so far, these few shows have set the excitement and tone for the rest of Fashion Week, so expect more in-depth inspiration and texture tantalisation to come…

So Chanel unveiled their beauty look for the catwalk as designed and by Creative Director of Chanel Beauty, Peter Philips.

With such statement hair, it’s no wonder the makeup was kept simple and contemporary. Philips was given a simple brief by the big boss Lagerfeld, “Blue” and “Make sure they don’t look like stewardesses“… this instruction was because the collection itself was airline inspired. And so didn’t want to take the inspiration literally by throwing models out there looking like Britney Spears in the Toxic video!

While the models hair was pinned up in a funky “do”, the eyes were rimmed with a soft kohl look using some of Philips’ own shades of shadow, while the rest of the face was kept simply flawless.

Philips created a collection of new blue shades, named “Blue Illusion” to work with that will be available in July 2012 from selected retailers, so watch this space for more on that!

To see the full runway collection, visit: www.vogue.com