THE OSCARS 2011

During last night's Oscar ceremony, James Franco wore a dress and Anne Hathaway wore a tuxedo in a cross-dressing gag. James Franco was looking like a B-lister who'd just been rejected from the after party, and the joke went down well, but Anne Hathaway next to him, very sincerely, looked amazing. All suave and sophisticated in a Lanvin tuxedo, (dare I say) for that small joke she was the best dressed woman of whole evening. She will soon be starring as Selena Kyle (a.k.a Catwoman) in Christopher Nolan's latest addition to the Batman series, The Dark Knight Rises, alongside Tom Hardy's Bane and, of course, Christian Bale's Batman (Christian Bale being the winner of the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in The Fighter). Congratulations must also be given to Colin Forth and Natalie Portman, the worthy winners of the Best Actor and Actress awards. AND to Aaron Sorkin, the man who penned the script to The Social Network, a film so sharp, witty, clever and hysterically funny the Oscar was his from the release. This is the film that gave us "Dating you is like dating a stairmaster", this gaining entry into my prestigious vault of favourite quotes. This is also the man who gave us "You want the truth? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!", a line which has it's own throne in my vault of favourite quotes, and is possibly the most quoted line from a film ever. That is one of my favourite scenes of all time, the climax to the fantastic A Few Good Men. Every word uttered in this scene is of pure genius, and frankly, Tom Cruise should have got an Oscar for this scene alone. Notice also Jack Nicholson's fantastic rant at the end of the scene, again, Aaron Sorkin's writing leaving me astounded. I need to stop now. But please, if you haven't already, see The King's Speech, the film which picked up the coveted Best Picture, and while you're at it, see A Few Good Men. For now, here's that final scene (although it's probably a bit of a spoiler for the whole film... still, watch it).

Finding decent summer footwear can be quite a challenge for men, so here's a pair of sandals I really like. 

Zara, £39.99.

Photo - Jak & Jil

RAF SIMONS A/W 2011

I love these coats, especially the black peacoat above. To me the coats with no zips have a bit of a clinical feel, which is by no means a bad thing, just an interesting feature and an example of the minimalist cool he does so well. There's also a hint of preppy with the college jumpers. I'm not a fan of university look at all (see Hollister, gross) but this obviously is in a totally different league. Notice also the sleeves of the shirt under the jumper rolled up, a look which I like a lot. A great collection, Mr. Jil Sander.

Photo - Jak & Jil

NEW YORK'S FINEST

Stylecaster have compiled a list of the fifty most stylish New Yorkers, ranging from stylists and editors to shop assistants. No matter what the profession is, immeasurable style and cool are guaranteed. See the list here.

P.S: Olivia Palermo and Leigh Lezark. Just saying.

"My parents are coming tonight. They're trying to, you know, take an active interest in me."
"Gross. I hate it when my mom does that."

RAF SIMONS FOR FRED PERRY S/S 2011

Raf Simons (creative director of Jil Sander and designer of his namesake brand) has continued his collaboration with Fred Perry, and here is the result. Nothing too out of the ordinary, just great executions of the basics, such as polo shirts, a cardigan, a shirt (with lots of zips). Here are my favourites (the orange polo shirt reminds me a bit of the colour of jail overalls, but I still like it!). Find the collection here.

£80

£80

£110

£110

JOSEPHINE DE LA BAUME

All photos - Olivier Zahm - Purple Diary

"Don't act like a stranger. We've got tea."

KATE MOSS FOR LOVE S/S 2011

KIN HIKING BOOT

Want.

£150 at Present.

LONDON

Yesterday my dad and I travelled to London to watch Liverpool (VICTORIOUSLY, I hasten to add) play Chelsea. We arrived a few hours early, yet couldn't stray far from the football ground, so we had a little look around the Fulham Road/Kings Road area. But of course, my stomach self harmed until I paid any attention, so food was priority. My dad had heard of a restaurant called Bibendum from a friend, so we pursued this recommendation after another stab of pain from my stomach. 

The building was amazing. As you can see from the big MICHELIN sign (wise reader) and a stained glass Michelin Man window, this was the british headquarters for the company, commissioned in 1909. Bibendum is actually the proper name for the Michelin Man, the building being filled with pictures, stained glass windows and mosaic tiles of the character. We ate in the downstairs oyster bar, upstairs being the more formal restaurant (not that we ate oysters, I wasn't that daring). I strongly strongly strongly recommend it. The food was brilliant, but it was worth a visit if only for the building. I tried to take a picture of inside, but my dad said that "we'd look like tourists!". Which, of course, we were, as opposed to whatever illusion he was under. There were enormous cyan doors, mosaic tiles, black and white photographs covering the walls, all finished with art deco detail. There's also a café open on every day but Sunday, so we didn't see it, but if the restaurant is anything to go by it'll be a treat.

So we finished our meal, and the restaurant being a Conran restaurant (as in the Conran Shop), the restaurant lead on to a small bookshop. There were amazing original poster prints from The Thomas Crown Affair and The Godfather (albeit costing thousands!), and various art and design books, and of course cookery books. I then noticed the shop continued, and I went on to discover one of the biggest, hugest furniture shops (emporium would do it justice) I've ever seen. Every cool piece of furniture you've ever seen? They had three of them. And not only furniture, stationary, kitchen stuff, luggage, bags. It was, and I mean it, one of the best shops I've ever been too. The sheer size was astounding. We were a bit pushed for time, so couldn't enjoy it properly, but I urge you to visit it whenever you're in the city. I took a picture, but I forgot my camera so it was taken from my dad's phone, so the quality isn't great. Excuse the lamppost too. 

We then had a general scan of the area before proceeding to the stadium (where we won, did I mention that?), and here are a few photos I took, again apologies for the quality.

So cute

Bibendum and Conran Shop address:

Michelin House

81 Fulham Road

London

SW3 6RD

Go and find it!

+J S/S 2011 COLLECTION

Since Jil Sander's collaboration with Uniqlo begun in 2009, minimalists worldwide have collectively rejoiced. The range seeks to provide ultra-cool, simple, good quality designs for the masses, combining the Jil Sander aesthetic with Uniqlo's prices and accessibility. The range is great, with a variety of crisp shirts, tops, blazers and trousers. Here are my highlights: a beautiful white shirt (a necessity in any man's wardrobe) and a super cool beige parka. The parka may seem expensive at £149.99, but considering the quality of the jacket and how much it will be used, it is a small price to pay (it's Jil Sander remember). Find the collection here.

£39.99

£149.99

Photo - ME. So proud.