J'taime Paris.

My venture to Paris didn't start off brilliantly, after encountering our first Parisian (sniffing Cocaine off the windowsill of the Eurostar station) we arrived at our hotel. Hotel Pointe Rivoli looked stunning on the website so when we arrived and toddled through the door labelled 'HOTEL' we were shocked to find a pokey little place, no lift, a seventy stair climb and a room that can only be described as the love child of Fawlty Towers and a dirty porno movie, PVC cushions and all. Solution; champagne and numerous bottles of red wine. 

Regardless of the dwellings the city was everything I expected; stylish, beautiful and full of character. Other than the usual tourist attractions, I visited the famous macaroon shop Laduree, the high fashion hang-out Colette and Les Arts Decoratifs to see Hussein Chalayan's exhibtion and my god it was amazing....

Hussein Chalayan, who this week was given an honour by the London College of Fashion is perhaps the pioneer of merging new technologies and classic lines all in the name of fashion. His exhibition was off-setting in that it had a disturbing aura which unnerved the audience, leaving them expecting the unexpected. Showcasing key pieces from his past season collections, the exposition displayed Chalayan's ready-to-wear clean lines and classic pieces as well his avant-garde couture pieces. The displays were breathtaking but for me the dark rooms where Chalayan's latest catwalk shows including  the transcending 'Transformer's' 2007 show and his short movies were shown was the highlight. Chalayan's work speaks for itself and exemplifies perfectly how structure, art, design and fashion can collaborate flawlessly. 

My oh my tie-dye.

I might be late on the upkeep, (full time job and jetting off to Paris has exhausted me) but last week The Telegraph reported that tie dye had been voted the worst fashion faux pas of the last century. As a pro tie-dye campaigner (not literally) I was a little shocked, does no one remember the skirt over trousers (which my fashion sources tell me is coming back, watch out for Marc Jacobs next season) or the neon string vest trend?
Maybe it was voted so, as it can be tricky to get it 'right'. Tie die looks best when it is not a D.I.Y creation that is formed of an array of colours on your old decorating T-shirt. If you want to 'do' tie-dye be prepared to spend a few extra pennies in order to get something that isn't going to look like one of Blue Peter's finest.  It is best worn 'Boho' and I tend to think that colour tie dyed with white is the classiest and most sophisticated way to wear the pattern.

So to sum up... heres how NOT to tie-dye...

And here is how to do it perfectly...

The Charlie Brooker of Southampton.

Take a look at my pal Tom's blog. His regular commentary and spectacular finds are beyond entertaining, all served with a side of wit.

http://goodtom.wordpress.com/

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