Mr and Mrs O

What a fantastic week it has been and it is not even over yet. The last few days has made me feel inspired, hopeful and most of all proud.�Barack and Michelle Obama have become the first couple of The White House and exemplified that America have come a very long way since the end of slavery in 1865. With Barack we have �found a powerful orator who possess wonderful leadership skills and with Michelle we have someone who combines intelligence with charm and style. Since Obama's victory last October there has been a lot of talk about what Michelle would wear for the inauguration. People even went as far as to design mock ups of various outfits. She went for a gorgeous yellow gold sheath dress suit set off by cute Jimmy Choo brown heels. For the evening ball she chose a sumptuous white one shoulder gown designed by up and coming designer, Jason Wu. She looked like a graceful swan as she glided around the dance floor with hubby Barack. As awesome as the evening gown was it was the outfit that she wore during the day that stood out for me. Standing by your husband as he is sworn in as President of the most powerful country in the world is a momentous occasion of massive proportions and aside from your wedding day and birth of your children, there is no day bigger than that. So the outfit had to be sombre enough for the occasion but funky enough to reflect the Obama spark. By god she nailed it. That suit was perfect in every way - the cut, length and the colour made her look so vibrant and made her sparkle.�

The outfit was designed by Isabel Toledo, I don't know much about her (I am sure that will change) aside from the fact that she used to be Creative Director of Anne Klein. She is also married to artist, Ruben Toledo who created the wonderful illustrations in The Little Black Book of Style by Project Runway's, Nina Garcia - read my blog entry about it here. The Cuban born couple often collaborate on projects together and in 2005 they won the prestigious Cooper-Hewitt Design Award for their work in fashion. So this week has been special in many ways - the election of America's first Black President and the unveiling of two brilliant couples.�

Nina's Top Six

Candace Bushnell's face has been plastered all over the place, in magazines and newspapers publicizing her new book, One 5th Avenue and the fact that she has been commissioned to write The Carrie Diaries. Another lady who has been having an excellent week is Nina Garcia, she of Project Runway and fashion director of Marie Claire. It seems that like others, Ms Garcia has caught the reality TV bug and will be starring in a show of her own - Running in Heels. The show will document the glossy and glam life at US Marie Claire by focusing on 15 members of staff (on different levels) with two being highlighted each week. Airing on The Style Network next March, Nina is expected to be one of the lucky 15. Not surprisingly, Running in Heels has drawn much comparison to Stylista which is set at US Elle magazine and stars fashion news director, Anne Slowey. Yes I can hear chants off rip off Devil Wears Prada everywhere but I am liking the sound of these shows especially Running with Heels. Bring it on! If this show makes it big then there is no doubt that it will break Nina as a huge star across the world. With success of her two books what is the likelihood that Nina Garcia will be turned into a brand. In celebration of her second book release and annoucement of her new show, I have compiled a list of Nina's top six.

Elle magazine
This is where Nina got her break, her job is to oversee editors and work closely with designers and stylists. During her 13 years at Elle Nina created the front-of-book Trends, Shops and Accessories page and was responsible for covering all the major shows. However, she and Elle parted ways earlier this year allegedly on bad terms.

Project Runway
This award winning show is in its sixth year and features up and coming designers competing for a sponsorship and a spot at New York Fashion Week. Over the years Nina has gained a reputation of having something of an acid tongue which has caused her to be feared by fashionistas.

The Little Black Book of Style
A bible for all fashion lovers, this book gives you lots of tips on you how to create your own style. Dressing to suit your shape, not following trends, investing in key pieces and having fun with fashion are just a few. This book was published last year and was a huge hit.

Marie Claire
After her omission from Elle, Nina was appointed fashion director of this popular magazine. Elle's loss was Marie Claire's gain as Nina's new stable took over as partner of Project Runway. Whether this was planned or pure coincidence, no one knows but it seems to be a perfect fit.

The One Hundred
This book is an exhaustive list of all the 'must have' things that every self respecting fashionista should own. Clothes, shoes, jewellery, make up, accessories.. it is all here for you to devour. Like Nina's first book The One Hundred contains gorgeous illustrations.

Running in Heels
The show that follows the life and careers of staff on Marie Claire showing the dramas, pressures and responsibilities that they face. It will show what it is like to be a working woman in a cut throat industry like women's magazines.

The Little Black Book of Style

Here we go, another style book that has been getting a lot of hype. The Little Black Book of Style (LBBS) by Nina Garcia, you know the one from Project Runway and Fashion Director of Elle magazine. Well her book makes it debut in November. I am assuming that the release date is to avoid clashing with the hysteria of the style book by a certain Ms Zoe. Now what can I say about the LBBS? Well to be honest, not a lot. It is an ok book and the cover is the most striking feature. Black of course but pocket sized and hardback so it possess an aura of quality. LBBS is best described as "a guide to help you explore your own fashion voice - the piece of you that joyously revels in the glamorous experience of creating your best self." Hmmm very profound or maybe just pure mumbo jumbo. The book is formed of six chapters which are: Be your own muse, The Basics, Inspirations, What to wear when, Insider tips and tricks and Fashion cliff's notes. Interestingly, Nina refers to her Colombian background when describing how she came to create her own style. She also uses iconic imagery from films, music, travel and art when identifying style. The inspirations chapter is probably one of the best bits of the book, I find the section on 'What to wear when' just a tad patronising. It does not take a genius to work out how to dress for a funeral. 'The basics' reads just like a page from Trinny and Susannah's many books and offers no real surprises. However what redeems LBBS is the wonderful artwork which is produced by Ruben Toledo. Brilliant to see that he is credited at the back of the book. He brings the LBBS to life with his fantastic illustrations and his superb typography. From an artistic point of view this book is a work of art but from an editorial one it is a bit of a flop.

The Little Black Book is out in November.

Picture from amazon.co.uk

The Naughty Girl's Guide to Life

Just like celebrity designs there seems to be a lifestyle guide around every corner. Let me see, there is A Girl for all Seasons by fashionista journo, Camilla Morton, The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia who is the Fashion Director of Elle magazine and a judge on Project Runaway and then there is the much anticipated release from uber stylist made good, Rachel Zoe called Style A to Zoe. So quite a lot to look forward to. Which brings me to Tara Palmer-Tomkinson; in case you don't know she is best described as an IT girl ie a wealthy socialite who did very little apart from shop, party, shop and party some more and lived off a trust fund that Mummy and Daddy set up for her. A very charmed life I might say. Tara aka TPT became a household name a few years ago when she became runner up in the reality show, I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. Her trait of wearing her heart on her sleeve made her endearing to the public who have since had a bit of a soft spot for her. This along with her well documented former drug habit played a great part in her winning Celebrity Fame Academy earlier this year. Nowadays TPT's life is full with writing for newspapers and magazines, presenting TV shows and spreading awareness about drug abuse as well as working on several charities. She has taken time out from her hectic schedule to write a book called The Naughty Girls Guide to Life. The book is co-written with journo, Sharon Marshall and tells women how to have a life full of mischief, sauciness and scandal. There are eight sections; love, style, work, home, money, travelling abroad, dating a celebrity and dieting. A third of the book is devoted to love and dealing with issues being akin to dumped, finding a man, coping with a loved up pal and being part of a smug couple. All amusing stuff but nothing thought provoking although the tips on getting revenge on a guy who has dumped you makes delightful reading. I also like the section on work where they dish out tips on how to handle a job you do not like. The bits on home, style, celebrity dating and being abroad I can do without. The Naughty Girl's Guide to Style is not a fantastic book in terms of it's writing but the design and format is pretty amazing. For a start the cover is bright red and full of funky illustrations of TPT and Sharon Marshall and I also dig the page design with it's fantastic use of colour. This book is eye candy and perfect fodder for the coffee table.

The Naughty Girl's Guide to Style is out now!


Picture from amazon.co.uk