There’s Nowhere Like Notting Hill

With the new Leon Max store open on Westbourne Grove it’s time to take a look at the other jewels in the Royal Borough’s crown.

Westbourne Grove - it doesn’t get much better than this. Running from eclectic Queensway through to the famous Portobello Road with its market, this is one of the smartest, coolest, slickest thoroughfares in London. This is where the hipsters meet the high net worth impeccably groomed ladies that lunch. The ambiance is both casual and extravagant at the same time. Immediately opposite the new Leon Max store, which opened Friday at Nos. 227-229, is a run of the most ‘in’ restaurants and cafes in town. If you’re not looking good walking down here on a Saturday morning – then go home. The moment a ray of sunshine hits the curb, the tables outside Daylesford Organic (No. 208-212) and 202 are like gold dust. Daylesford Organic is the Notting Hill outpost of Lady Bamford’s Gloucestershire farm shop, so it’s a no brainer to discover that this is where the Glossy Possy gather for breakfast, lunch and dinner whatever the economic forecast. 202 is for polite coffees while desperately trying to overhear the fresh gossip from the next door tables packed with sunglass-wearing socials and Euros in town for a few days. More low key is Tom’s (No.226) the deli founded by Tom Conran in 1990 when the neighbourhood was still rundown and uncool. This is the place for a cooked breakfast or a healthy lunch after a hard morning’s shopping down Westbourne Grove. Either that or you can brave the air-kisses in the queue for take out at Ottolenghi, (63 Ledbury Road). Immediately around the corner from Leon Max – this is one of chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s trendster outposts, groaning with a help-yourself buffet of delicious deli material. After a few hours of strolling down Westbourne Grove, these are the addresses you’re going to need so you can refuel and get back to shopping.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen 

Runway to Win Party

Scarlett Johansson and Anna Wintour hosted the party where the darlings of the New York fashion scene could shop to make their mark.

It was the night New York tried to make a difference. Alexander Wang sweatshirt for $95 anyone? DVF tote bag for $85? No wonder there was a stampede in the Meatpacking district for this cut-price sale. But this was a sale with a difference - and certainly more of a well-heeled stampede than your average bargain bucket is used too – we’re talking the likes of Aerin Lauder, Lauren Santo Domingo and Tory Burch, you see -  who were all out to do the new ‘in’ thing; yes, because fashion has gone political. Well, presidential at least. This was the night for the great and the good, the bold and the beautiful to hitch up their peplums and head out for the ‘Runway to Win’ fundraiser event in aid of the Obama campaign. Scarlett Johansson (appropriately on the arm of her twin brother Hunter who works for Obama) was in Stella McCartney, and joined US Vogue editor Anna Wintour to host. With co-hosts like that who was going to say no? (Well, apart from Republicans, maybe.)  So it was no wonder that all the hipster designers who throng Manhattan arrived on Johansson and Wintour’s coat tails; Alexander Wang, Prabal Gurung and Joseph Altuzarra. They were in turn followed by mavens like Vera Wang and Diane von Furstenburg, and by models Karolina Kurkova, Joan Smalls, Karlie Kloss and Chanel Iman. As she was leaving Scarlett Johansson reminisced about working in the cold of the Iowa caucus four years ago, rifling through the limited edition sweatshirts and totes as she went. Because you may be serious - but you’ve still got to look good. 

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Charles Eshelman/Getty Images Entertainment

Couture Queens

Cameron Diaz, Cara Delevingne, Bianca Brandolini and Vanessa Paradis had better things to think about than European fiscal policy last week in Paris.

It was indeed a tale of two cities - the best of times, the worst of times; one half of Paris filled with eurocrats huddling over the demise of their single currency. The other interested in something all together more important – how was Christian Dior under Bill Gayten going to fare this season? This was Paris couture week and nothing else could have been more interesting. Gayten’s second collection post-Galliano got a thumbs up with its hand-painted fabrics and classic Dior silhouette. At Chanel there was almost a stampede outside the Grand Palais as socialites and fashion mavens thronged through a fake airport terminal and into the life size model aeroplane that was the wow-like set for Karl’s show where Cara Delevingne walked down a double-C’d carpet and took her crown as the latest supermodel. Meanwhile Giambattista Valli embraced the colour pink with his collection and was supported by his usual cluster of hardcore euro-socials (Bianca Brandolini et al) and Cameron Diaz caused quite the stir by attending a very un-Hollywood threesome of shows (The Big Three - Dior, Chanel and Armani). There were almost audible sighs of relief as conspiracy theories evaporated and the news got out that she was merely there to style herself for an InStyle couture shoot. While those eurocrats were pouring over their fiscal crisis fashionable Paris danced – and there were plenty of excuses to fiddle while the Elysee burnt. Miuccia Prada gave a grand dinner, cool Colette, the boutique, feted London’s Mary Katrantzou. But the peg of ‘big party of the week’ was held onto by the Sidaction Aids charity dinner; Diane Kruger wore Erdem, the Clarins sisters posed for the photographers before Vanessa Paradis arrived in Chanel and stole the limelight. Age of austerity? What age of austerity?

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Catwalking/Getty Images Entertainment

Pascal Le Segretian/Getty Images Entertainment

Film Love in a Cold Climate 

Kate Bosworth, Kirsten Dunst and Emma Roberts all froze in the name of fashion at the Sundance Film Festival’s Opening Weekend.

Park City, Utah was the place to be seen last weekend as the Hollywood glitterati rolled in for the Sundance Film Festival. Marina Abramovic, a famous performance artist, doesn’t shy away from performing for this crowd and also has a documentary to promote titled Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present. Another noteable actress attending the festival and the screening of Julia Verdin’s new film, The Middle of Nowhere, is Emayatzy Corinealdi. This year Sundance turned out to be one low-key, recession-friendly, cozy film festival with not a single sighting of Atelier Versace or anything approaching the bling of a Golden Globes red carpet. This was about enjoying loads of snow and going for fun cocktails after the film premieres, not round to Elton John’s. James Marsden and Joshua Jackson bromanced each other at the afterparty for Celeste and Jesse Forever on Friday night at the Park City Museum. Rashida Jones, who wrote it, was joined by a gang including Quincy Jones and Emma Roberts. And because fabulous venues in Park City are not two-a-penny it wasn’t many hours later that Emily Blunt arrived for a fresh cocktail party to celebrate her film Your Sister’s Sister. Meanwhile Lizzy Caplan and Kirsten Dunst got down to business at the after party for their film, Bachelorette – now, that sounds like something fun worth waiting for – but it was down to Kate Bosworth to up the glamour stakes the next night for the premiere of Black Rock, though it was out of her chic crimson sheath and into sweaters for the follow-up dinner. Because for that Utah weather even the A-list need a more practical form of defense. 

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

George Pimentel/Getty Images Entertainment

Sonia Recchia/Getty Images Entertainment

Jemal Countess/Getty Images Entertainment

Katia Elizarova Shares the Spotlight in Spring Campaign

What do you get when you introduce an aspirational model and a resplendent horse and pose them together on the white sands of Zuma beach in Malibu? A bit of magic, and the MaxStudio Spring/Summer campaign. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that Katia Elizarova is the star of this show; her co-star is a Hollywood horse and the star of The Chronicles of Narnia and Water for Elephants. “It can be tricky sometimes” to work with animals, chuckles Katia fresh from the campaign shoot, “but this beats the time I had to kiss a goose for a British cover-shoot or when I had to eat the same cookie as a pug when I fronted a Japanese campaign.” For her it’s the clothes that are key: “I can tell you there is one special dress that loves me as much as I love it. I wore it when we filmed the video for the spring collection and again in the ad campaign.” She’s talking about the pale grey dress, seen in this campaign being blown by the Californian wind. “It moves fluidly when worn, making me feel truly like an angel and a spectre all at once,” the model muses. And it doesn’t get much better than that. Will she be staying in touch with her campaign partner? “He was the star,” she sighs, “We nailed those shots with our dance moves on the beach.” And it takes two to tango.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

The Golden Globes

Le tout Hollywood hit the red carpet!

Speaking fashion: Tilda Swinton, an actress known for taking fashion risks, pulls off runway-ready powder blue with ease. Blue is in, agreed Michelle Williams in Jason Wu and Freida Pinto in prom-like Prada. Angelina Jolie worked uncluttered and contemporary Versace, while Kate Winslet kissed her boyfriend (Richard Branson’s nephew Ned RocknRoll) as she won her best actress award for Mildred Pierce. Clearly thrilled, she accepted her statue with schoolgirl excitement. It turns out that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association love Britain this year, giving gongs for Downton Abbey, My Week with Marilyn and The Iron Lady with Meryl Streep who thanked the English for letting her “trample all over their history.” Because as every iron lady knows it’s a fashion battlefield out there – and to the victor the spoils.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images Entertainment

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment

2012 is a Vintage Year for Fashion Inspiration in Film

Madonna’s new movie, W.E. premiered in London last night and if it got anything right, it was the clothes. Her portrayal of the Duchess of Windsor came along with an interesting history. “I’m not a beautiful woman,” the Duchess of Windsor once admitted, “I’m nothing to look at, so the only thing I can do is dress better than anyone else.” Clothes are central to the myth surrounding ‘That Woman,’ Wallis, a twice-married Baltimore-born social climber for whom an English king gave up his crown. From the moment she arrived in court circles she shocked; for her first party at Buckingham Palace she wore a bright, slinky, diaphanous gown. She was ice-cool and cutting edge before anyone even knew what that meant. Wallis’ clothes were couture and are now spread between the Met in New York, the Musee de la Mode in Paris and London’s V & A - so what did Madonna do? Well, had some more made of course by Dior, Galliano et al. Vionnet reproduced dresses including the sparkling, silvery dress Wallis wears for the Benzedrine-fuelled cocktail party scene. But this is not just a case of historical costume drama, Wallis lives on as her wardrobe continues to influence today; check the distinct reference to her 1937 Mainbocher wedding dress in Stella McCartney’s design for Nancy Shevell’s wedding to the Sir Paul McCartney last year.

But it’s later this year that the fashion stakes on the silver screen hit high - if Wallis Simpson is the epitomy of ’30s and ’40s haute societe fashion then Daisy Buchanan is the embodiment of Jazz Age chic - and arriving in style later in the year (when we’ve exhausted what we can get from the Windsor look) with The Great Gatsby. Carey Mulligan, who plays Daisy in the Baz Luhrmann production, is already tapped to co-host the Costume Institute ball for the ‘Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion’ exhibition. Well, there’s nothing fashion loves more than a literary style icon and it doesn’t get much better than this. The collections are already awash with opportunities to channel one of Gatsby’s Long Island dances of 1922 and the filming hasn’t even wrapped - Lanvin and Gucci are not the only places to look for Art Deco drop-waist dresses. Madonna is going to have to share the stage this year of film inspired by fashion! 

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen 

All Rise for the New Central Saint Martins Fashion Fund

Leon Max joins Lanvin, Versace and Alexander McQueen as founder donors at the avant-garde London fashion school

“Central Saint Martins is an amazing incubator of design talent that consistently punches above its weight,” pointed out Leon Max when it was announced he had agreed to be a founder donor of the erstwhile fashion school.

There was certainly a lot of hype when Central Saint Martins ditched the old, chaotic but much-loved Charing Cross building for it’s glossy, new, glass and steel build in King’s Cross last year. This had been the building where Gilbert had met George, where the Sex Pistols debuted in ‘75, where Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker met the girl with “a thirst for knowledge” in his song, ‘Common People,’ and these were the red hot caverns of far-out creativity in the ’80s.

The move caused tears across the world of British design talent and beyond; graduates include Giles Deacon, Stella McCartney, Riccardo Tisci, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton and virtually everyone showing at London Fashion Week.

As shock subsided the avant-garde embraced the change, because who wouldn’t like a new lecture theatre sponsored by LVMH? And what’s not to like about their new Fashion Fund which has raised half a million to support the fashion courses? The founder donors are a mix of the who’s who of fashion and include Alexander McQueen, Chloe, Gucci, Lanvin, Leon Max and Versace.

“This move will strengthen their ability to develop young, creative designers who will be the standard bearers in the decades to come,” added Leon Max, “at Max Studio we’re delighted to help support this great institution.”

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Parties of the Year, 2011 (part 2)

Katia Elizarova, Daisy Lowe and Amber LeBon all walked at the fashion show during Leon Max’s Winter Dance – but where were the other places to be seen dancing this season?

September, Fashion’s Night Out

Spearheaded by Vogue, whether it was Rodeo Drive or Bond Street this was the night that a shopping experience flipped into a global fashion party. In NYC there was Bieber-fever at Dolce & Gabbana and the choice of superstars were Miss Piggy at Opening Ceremony or Sarah Jessica Parker at the Fred Leighton boutique. At Coach, in London, Gwyneth Paltrow caught up with Daisy Lowe and outside the Vogue party at royal jeweller’s Asprey, Bond Street was as busy as Carnival.

October, Allison Sarofim’s Halloween Party

Sarofim and fashion friends embraced the economic meltdown and channeled the spiraling inflation of 1930s Berlin. And the clothes too. Yes, ‘Cabaret’ had hit downtown New York. Appropriate? Always.

December, Leon Max’s Winter Dance

The gilded flocked to Claridge’s for Leon Max’s Winter Dance. The coolest girls in town – Daisy Lowe, Amber LeBon, Suki Waterhouse and Katia Elizarova – shimmied down a runway in the Leon Max Spring Collection.

December, Miami Art Basel

A week of parties in Miami and all in the name of art. Dasha’s LV sponsored barbecue on the beach front and Paris-Paris and Le Baron night club pop-ups kept Naomi Campbell, Adrien Brody, Paris Hilton and Pharrell Williams cruising all week. Almost too much.

December, Roman Abramovich’s New Year’s Eve Party

The party that everyone’s talking about. And it hasn’t even happened yet. Last year it was A-list fabulousness and all about Demi and Ashton and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (the face of the Leon Max Fall Collection). Where would Christmas celeb-haven St Barts be without this Roman holiday party?

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Dave M. Benett/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

© Patrick McMullan.com 

Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Holiday Editor’s Pick: Marie Claire’s Abby Kalicka

Marie Claire’s Associate Market Editor Abby Kalicka shares her take on styling for Holiday Socials with help from the Leon Max Holiday Collection. She suggests a chic dress for the Holiday office party, casual knitwear for the family fete and a stylized cocoon coat for the New Year’s eve party.

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Parties of The Year, 2011 (part 1)

Pixie Geldof, Josephine de la Baume and Mary Charteris were all at Leon Max’s summer party. But what were the other parties of the year?

April, The Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Billions watched but only a glossy 300 got the call up for the post-wedding ball at Buckingham Palace. Harry made appropriate jokes about Pippa and Ellie Goulding sang. Picture perfect.

May, The Met Ball

The weekend that McQueen had a global moment. After the royal wedding the US fashion pack hit New York’s Costume Institute to celebrate the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition. Gisele, Blake Lively, Sarah Jessica Parker all joined the sparkly army.

July, The Love Ball

The Lady in Red was dancing. Well, Natalia Vodianova had a lot to celebrate. It was couture week and Valentino’s chateau outside Paris was full of a fashion throng that included Anne Hathaway, Daphne Guinness and the Roitfelds, all there to raise millions for her Naked Heart charity. Look fabulous and do good works – what’s not to like?

July, Leon Max’s summer party

Mary Charteris and Josephine de la Baume – the faces of the Leon Max S/S campaign - were the co-hosts when the designer threw open his country house, Easton Neston for a rocking summer party. Pixie Geldof sang, guests wandered the lawns; it was 21st century cool meets Great Gatsby chic.

July, The Wedding of Kate Moss and Jamie Hince

London’s party set hit a small Cotswold village for the rock n’roll wedding of the year. There were marquees, there were bands, it could have been mistaken for festival. Moss wore Galliano. And did not appear for the pub lunch the next day.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Carl De Souza/Getty Images

Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images

Claire R Greenway/Getty Images

Neil Mockford/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Holiday Editor’s Pick: InStyle Magazine’s Dana Avidan-Cohn

As Fashion Market Editor of InStyle Magazine, Dana Avidan-Cohn understands the importance of dressing for the Holidays. Inspired by the Leon Max Holiday Collection she reveals the most instyle outfit for the Holiday office celebration, family get-together, and New Year’s Eve bash. 

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Holiday Editor’s Pick: Elle Magazine’s Jade Frampton

Elle Magazine’s Market Editor Jade Frampton chose her favorite looks for Holiday Parties from the Leon Max Holiday Collection. She shows us how an Elle fashion girl would dress for the Holiday office festivity, a family fete, and a New Year’s soiree!

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The Face for the New Season: Katia Elizarova

Move over Daisy Lowe and Amber LeBon - meet Katia Elizarova, the new face of MaxStudio.

Who better than one of the models of the moment to face the Spring/Summer Leon Max collection? You might not have heard of Katia Elizarova yet – but you soon will. Last week she more than held her own walking with the new crop of Brit-IT models, Daisy Lowe, Amber Le Bon, Clara Paget et al, who catwalked the Spring/Summer collection when Leon Max presented it in the ballroom of Claridge’s Hotel. Katia was spotted at the age of 14 in her hometown on the Volga, Saratov, in southern Russia by the same model scout who plucked Natalia Vodianova and Irina Shayk from rural obscurity. She is joining the ranks of other British beauties, Lily Cole and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, as the face of the Leon Max and MaxStudio. “I’m so excited about shooting in LA,” she says, all long limbs and pretty pout, of her upcoming trip to California to shoot the Spring/Summer campaign. Let’s face it, she’s hardly looked back since that first trip to Paris to shoot the cover of Jalouse a year after the fateful scouting. “This is a great opportunity for me,” she admits, “the label is so beautiful and an international success. And with it arriving in the UK it’s the best time I could possibly be with them.” It’s an easy job to be an ambassador for a brand you believe in. “It’s a luxurious style which any girl would die for. My favourite dress is one that Leon made specially for me, it’s a wonderful, long, black dress, very revealing but very reserved at the same time.” The dress was debuted at the designer’s country house, Easton Neston, over a weekend house party. When not romping around Northamptonshire it turns out Katia’s a Chelsea girl at heart. Her social life revolves around The Botanist in Sloane Square and new-ish Markham.  For after hours it’s yo-yoing up and down the King’s Road from Guy Pelly’s NY loft style club for the SW3 crowd, PUBLIC, back up to another Sloane set staple, Raffles. But don’t muddle her up with any of those other catwalk-strutting model-actress-socialite-whatevers, Katia E has depth as she likes reading the Russian greats – she kept Leon entertained reading A Hero of our Time by Lermontov, out-loud in Russian, while they skimmed the coast of Sardinia over the summer.  For the English novel she loves the nineteenth century classics; Austen, Dickens and particularly Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. “I am fond of traditional England.” And it won’t be long till it’s fond of her. 

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Meet Me in Miami: Art Basel 2011

Art? What art? If anyone thought that the 10th incarnation of Art Basel Miami Beach was just about the art then think again. Name after name swum through the rooms and galleries. Some of our highlights included the Dom Perignon Luminous party where the heavenly triptych of euro-fabulousness of Dasha Zhukova, Olympia Scarry and Giovanna Battaglia was the centerpiece. Visionaire Magazine’s Art Basel Rio bash was at the Delano and hosted by Cecelia Dean and Stephan Gan. Daphne Guinness and Cecelia lounged by the pool while The Misshapes provided the music and Adrien Brody glowered. (Glowering is back in right now.) Back at the Delano it was at New York gallery The Hole’s party where things were kept cool poolside with the hotter-than-hot band Salem playing life out - but as soon as the drink ran out artist Matthew Stone led the crowd to the Paris nightclub Le Baron’s pop up at the Florida Room. Down there it was an intoxicating Miami mix-up of social, art and fashion; Tilda Swinton, Erin Wasson, China Chow, Eddie Borgo and Marina Abramovic. And as closing time was 6am the most essential accessory was a pair of sunglasses. Hollywood got a look in too, of course, with MOCA showing an indie film from the hand of Kids’ director Harmony Korine, starring James Franco at the Sunset Lounge. Franco was a no-show but there was, at least, Henry Hopper, son-of-Dennis, on-hand to dj. Korine went into a forensic analysis of what it was like to work with the Franco; “We talked about it, he showed up, and we did it.” And meanwhile what of the great UK art collector Charles Saatchi’s musings? “Do any of these people actually enjoy looking at art?” 

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit: 

Uri Schanker/Film Magic/Getty Images

Venturelli/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Andrew H. Walker/Getty Image Entertainment/Getty Images

Leon Max Presents Spring 2012 Line at Winter Dinner and Dance 

LONDON, ENGLAND

High fashion and High Society came together for the Leon Max Winter Dinner and Dance to benefit the breast cancer charity, Too Many Women.

As the Holiday season kicked off last week, the coveted invitation to receive was for the Leon Max Winter Dinner and Dance at the Claridge’s ballroom. The bright young things of UK society gathered in aid of the charity Too Many Women, an organization working in the fight against breast cancer. A vast winter woodland wall of scented roses and gardenia, a display inspired by the designer’s gardens at his country house, Easton Neston, provided the dreamy backdrop for the runway debut of the Spring 2012 Leon Max Collection.

Led by the newly appointed face of the label Katia Elizarova, the designer’s London muses including Amber LeBon, Daisy Lowe, Clara Paget and Suki Waterhouse, commanded the catwalk in a stunning series of dresses fit for every occasion. Flowing dresses fashioned from vibrantly hued silk chiffon and cream colored chiffon hand painted with vivid bouquets of water color florals, transformed the models into an ethereal troupe of garden fairies. Providing a subversive but no less glamorous contrast to the delicate chiffons were a group of black lace and silk dresses whose strategic use of transparent and opaque left just enough to the imagination.

“I wanted to show all my friends in London what I actually do,” said Leon Max. And they were all there to watch; fashion was represented with designers Nicholas Kirkwood, Louise Gray, Lara Bohinc and Marios Schwab, the social crowd with Amanda Sheppard leading in her boyfriend, rocker Bryan Ferry’s sons Otis and Tara, Dan MacMillan came with girlfriend Sasha Volkova, Rose Cholmondeley, Jerry Hall, Georgia May Jagger and Pixie Geldof.

Come finale time, the question on everyone’s lips was “When does the shop open?” referring to the arrival of the Max Studio’s first European store expected to open it’s doors late December 2011 in Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill. 

Thursday Night Lights: Leon Max Presents at Claridge’s

Last night in London – there was only one place to be: the ballroom of Claridge’s, the Mayfair hotel, where Leon Max threw a Winter Dinner and Dance in aid of the charity Too Many Women, an organization working in the fight against breast cancer. Guests had drinks inside a wall of flowers, a vast winter woodland wall of scented roses and gardenia, a display inspired by the designer’s gardens at his country house, Easton Neston. And quite right too. This was going to be a fashion party with a difference, bestowing a taste of old-school chic into proceedings. Amidst the hard-edge aegis of trend this is a sort of glamour that hasn’t been seen around for a while. “Do you like my art deco earring?” asked IT-model Edie Campbell as she arrived, “No, I haven’t lost one – I only ever wear one,” she explained. Now we know. “I want my wedding to be like this,” said Mary Charteris, “everyone is here and it looks amazing.” After a terrine of foie gras and pigeon and a filet of sea bass pudding was served – but it’s not every day you get to see a collection during pudding.  “I wanted to show all my friends in London what I actually do,” said Leon Max. And they were all there to watch; fashion was represented with designers Nicholas Kirkwood, Louise Gray, Lara Bohinc and Marios Schwab, the social crowd with Amanda Sheppard leading in her boyfriend, rocker Bryan Ferry’s sons Otis and Tara, Dan MacMillan came with girlfriend Sasha ‘The Volcano’ Volkova, Rose Cholmondeley and Jerry Hall, as well as fashion editor Sara Parker Bowles and the artist Polly Morgan. The doors of the ballroom were sealed, the lights were dimmed and the first Leon Max collection of evening looks (to supplement a well established Max Studio daytime line) to be shown on this side of the Atlantic was unleashed onto a quietly impressed Mayfair. It’s fresh spring/summer face, Katia Elizarova, led out a long line of the label’s London muses, all the hip models of the moment including Amber LeBon, Daisy Lowe, Clara Paget and Suki Waterhouse. Georgia May Jagger, on the other side of town, heard how much fun everyone else was having at Claridge’s and arrived in time for the last looks. “When does the shop open?” Pixie Geldof asked expectantly, referring to the imminent arrival of the Leon Max store on Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill, before she got onto the dj decks to really get the party started.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit: Dave M Bennet/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Make Me a Winner: British Fashion Awards 2011

The Savoy, London’s grande dame of a hotel, had a taste of 21st century cool when the British Fashion Awards and iconic Kate Moss, the Prime Minister’s wife Samantha Cameron, and models Katia Elizarova wearing Max Studio and Poppy Delevigne in Matthew Williamson – hit it. It didn’t come as a surprise to anyone that Sarah Burton, the designer at Alexander McQueen, won Designer of the Year. Remember that a half a million visited the ‘Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty’ exhibition at the Met in New York and about the same number queued to see Kate Middleton’s wedding dress on display at Buckingham Palace. Sam Gainsbury, who created the Met exhibition, won the ‘Isabella Blow award for fashion creator’. Meanwhile one of Issie’s greatest friends, Daphne Guinness, was having creation issues of her own - her contraption of a bizarre Cubist dress (it was made of patent leather hexagons like something from the mind of futurist Buckminster Fuller) was not only excruciatingly uncomfortable but also (and in front of the paparazzi) a bit - ahem – revealing. But even a Worst Dressed award for an Oscar outfit a decade ago didn’t put Kate Hudson off from handing Stella McCartney her ‘Red Carpet’ award: “It was my first and only nomination and to have Stella dress me made me feel like the hippest girl in the world. But I woke up the next morning post-awards without a statuette - and turned on the television to find out I was on every Worst Dressed list.” She phoned Stella and they laughed about it, the designer replying, “It was your hair wasn’t it?” (She had a point.) Meanwhile Victoria Beckham won ‘Designer Brand’ and was presented with her gong by Marc Jacobs: “Without David I wouldn’t have the courage to do what I’m doing,” she said sweetly of her LA Galaxy superstar footie husband who was galaxies away from The Savoy touring Indonesia. Stella Tennant won ‘Model of the Year’ and well-deserved it was! Later that night at the post-ceremony dinner a Christopher Kane-wearing Alexa Chung toyed with her award  – it was the ‘British Style’ award – smug in the knowledge that it was hers for a second year running. And the only award decided by public vote.

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Tim Whitby/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
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Make Mine a MoCA: MOCA Gala 2011

This was taking ‘interesting’ table decorations to a whole new level. Artist Marina Abramovic maybe  known for staging mildly titillating displays of nudity as performance art but once guests at the Museum of Contemporary Art fundraiser in Los Angeles sat down for dinner they realised things were going to be a little different this time. Live actors were cleverly concealed underneath the tables – with their heads serving as the centrepieces. Now to have ones table setting set up in a disturbing stare down with your guests would definitely appear to be one way of keeping their attention. Perhaps the guests, who included Gwen Stefani, Kirsten Dunst and Tilda Swinton, shouldn’t have been surprised. After all wasn’t this the woman who posed for the cover of Visionaire’s 60^th issue breastfeeding Riccardo Tisci? Well who doesn’t love a bit of Givenchy. It was also last year that Abramovic unleashed her ‘The Artist is Present’ onto an otherwise noisy New York. Yes this was a 736-hour, 30 minute, silent, unmoving piece where she sat out life in the entrance hall of MoMA while visitors would take turns in sitting with her. It even spawned its own facebook support group where groupies could share their passion for ‘Sitting with Marina.’ But staring at this centrepiece wasn’t the only treat in store for the MoCA diners; they also had the joy of jostling near to the large, round tables replete with nude young women of varying desirability piled with skeletons on top of them. Who knows how many men got into trouble with their dates for chatting up a table display, surely a first, even for those managing the complexities of Los Angelean social life. It was all amusing enough and after Debbie Harry had sung it was time for pudding. Of course, this was pudding in the shape of Debbie and Marina and brought out ceremoniously by a crew of bare-chested buff young men only to be cut up into little pieces which were then prompty devoured by the likes of California Governor Jerry Brown, LA  Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Dita Von Teese, Nicolas Berggruen, assorted Hollywood movers and shakers as well as rich patrons, art hustlers of various ranks and their hangers on. You get the picture. And who got the juiciest slice of Debbie Harry? Our bet is that it was LA’s uber-philanthropist, Eli Broad. And with the dinner raising $2.5million maybe eyeballing  a dining table’s centrepiece is set to be the ‘dernier cri.’

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
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Irina Shayk & Bar Refaeli presenting, Lady Gaga Performing at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards 

MTV Magic: Europe Music Awards 2011

30 years ago MTV rolled out across the world like some sort of hip behemoth roller coaster of cool kids. From it’s opening day when it opened with Buggles’ ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ (though there was no reception in New York – the founders had to go to a bar in New Jersey to watch it air) to the reality tv show nirvana it is now, it’s been unstoppable. And when it’s European Music Awards landed in Northern Ireland’s Belfast it was business as usual. But had Belfast factored in Bieber-fever? This is the madness of the screaming tweenoiserie that camp outside any hotel in the world where pop puppy Justin Bieber has taken up residence. And as his 19 year old girlfriend Selena Gomez was presenting the awards this sent their embryo fans into even more of a manic spin. But perhaps after years of violence this was just the tonic Belfast needed?

At the awards Jessie J rocked it in leopard print before yo-yoing into a Dali-esque bodysuit. Katy Perry looked cute as a cucumber in platform brogues, a pink leather jacket and a pastel mini dress nodding to the ‘40s. All crowned with her pink retro-waved hair – well, that is one strong look. Of course Lady Gaga wasn’t going to let them down either. She appeared better than strange in slinky silver Paco Rabanne but with a Philip Treacy circular hat that completely obscured her face. A veritable Isabella Blow Mark II Moment. “I couldn’t hear what she was saying,” said Bar Refaeli, the Israeli supermodel, after Gaga had bowed before her on the stage. But it seems not even grown-ups are immune to Le Bieber; “I felt like a 14 year old fan. He’s the cutest boy I’ve ever seen. He looks like a little baby, I said can I just give you a high-5? It was the highlight of my day.” As Buggles sang in 1981: “We can’t re-wind we’ve gone too far.”

Contributing Editor: Richard Dennen

Photo Credit:

Ian Gavan/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Kevin Mazur/Wireimage/Getty Images