Naturally Stylish: Diane Kruger

I have never seen Diane Kruger get it wrong.  In my humble opinion, this is one lady who dresses for herself, not someone who dresses how they think others would like her to dress.  Garance Dorè wrote in her blog that Diane is her own stylist and does her own hair and make up - pretty different from the average Hollywood starlet wouldn't you say? 

Like most of the women whose style I admire, Diane has a very easy casual elegance, she doesn't take herself too seriously.  

Dressed down while hitting the shops.  

At the 2008/2009 Chanel Resort show.  I love how she has dressed up her look in this gorgeous strapless mini, but kept it low-key in keeping with the resort theme with strappy sandals and a Trilby. 

Plaid detail and gorgeous boots - a wintery winner.

Diane channels her inner man photographed here by Karl Largerfeld for VOGUE Deutsch. 

 One of my fav's.  I love the pimento red colour and black accented shoulder detail.

 Simple leggings, flats and comfy cardie while out shopping again.

Diane doing man-style again at an Inglorious Basterds premiere. 

I love this Chanel dress - my girls love how it sparkles and the pendant sets it off perfectly.

Ciao for now!

H

Just like Paradis

I have always admired Vanessa Paradis for her mix of French chic and bohemian style, but also for her talent in balancing her career and motherhood successfully.

Vanessa in the Chanel Coco Cocoon campaign

Vanessa modeling for Miu Miu in 2008

In her native France, Vanessa is most famous for her singing and acting but in the rest of the world, right now she is famous for being the face of Chanel Rouge Coco and Chanel Coco Cocoon, but mostly for swinging hands with Johnny Depp for over a decade.

Vanessa as the face of Coco in 1992

Vanessa became famous at 14 when she released her first single called "Joe le taxi".  The video below for L'Incendie is a favourite:

In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Vanessa commented on her relationship with Johnny.

"He is a very special guy. He has so many talents. He is a wonderful father and does so many different things so well," she says.

Among other things, he speaks very good French, although they mostly converse in English, and he also plays a mean guitar, she said.

The family, she says, tries to maintain a low-key existence.

"Our jobs make us do extraordinary things, and we travel and see lots, but the rest of the time we’re quiet," she says. "We don’t go to many parties or do a lot of red carpet."

In France, however, Paradis, who was a child star at 14, was known for her wild reputation.

She acknowledges she was "a bit provocative" as a teen, "desperate to be a woman, to look like a woman, though not really to have the life of a woman."

Vanessa on stage

Though their relationship began in 1998, they actually met four years earlier, when Depp was dating that other famous beauty, Kate Moss. She describes their first meeting as a 'coup de foudre', which basically translates as love at first sight.  

Both once known for their rebellious behaviour, she denies reining the actor in. "I didn't tame him - we tamed each other."

Yes, of course their life together sounds incredibly idyllic, but she does come across as very down-to-earth, very likable.  While some of us might think that Vanessa is the luckiest woman on earth, my guess is that it is Johnny who is the lucky one in this relationship, yes? 

H

Closet Confidential: Yasmin Le Bon

I feel like having a Supermodel flashback.  I love looking at classic photographs of Yasmin Le Bon during the 80s.  She has always been one of my absolute favourites - (I should mention the brief period of time in 1985 when she married my heart-throb Simon Le Bon - I did eventually get over it).

Yasmin started modelling at 19, and she became the first-ever cover star when ELLE UK launched in 1985.


According to UK ELLE, when you're Yasmin Le Bon, every outfit tells a story.  Supermodel, rock-star wife and now designer; Yasmin's closet is an archive of incredible fashion moments, wild parties and designer friendships.  

Yasmin has the gift of youth, she looks as youthful today as she did when she first started out.  She has amazing bone structure and her hair is always just gorgeous, whether she wears it long or short.

Yasmin's fashion obsession began not unlike my own.  She spent any money she had on fashion magazines: "I loved fashion, but I was fascinated by design and photography too." - Yasmin Le Bon.


Yasmin dominated the catwalk along with other supermodels of the 80s and 90s and was lucky enough to be given many wonderful designs from the likes of Azzedine Alaia.  Many of these designs now hang in her closet.  


Yasmin says of the shows in those days: "Those shows were always the best fun. They would fly in models from Brazil and Germany and older models who had real character.  I'm so happy I came in at a time when I had the honour of walking with the likes of Pat Cleveland, Iman and Diane deWitt.  They were goddess to me.  They were dance trained and would go spinning down a runway.  They had a real attitude as did Azzedine.  He was a rebel and he did things his way.  He taught me to stand up for what I believe in." 

Yasmin has been very clever with the clothes she has collected over the years, many of them are Alaia, Lagerfeld, irriplaceable icons of the fashion world that her three daughters, Tallulah, Saffron and Amber  will have to fight over one day into the future. "Like me, they love the history.  they only try to pinch the stuff I've had for years.  Everything is going to be theirs eventually, anyway.  Clothes are to be used: why would you not wear them again and again?  That's why I'm such a hoarder.  I made a very silly mistake once.  In a moment of madness - I'd probably just had a baby - I sold an Azzedine dress.  I went back the next day to get it back and it had gone.  That's my great fashion loss and it taught me a lesson." Oh Yasmin?  To have had a moment of weakness like that, how awful?  I now archive whatever I don't want to wear.  Even things that have worn out I keep in my archive.  The only things I toss are lingerie, socks, and everyday basics.  That's it.   Surprisingly I don't have a very big archive - but I'm sure I will have in the years to come.

Yasmin and her eldest daughter Amber, who is making a name for herself in modelling these days.

Is this the most gorgeous bridal party ever?  Yasmin (with her three daughters as flower girls) joined Ciny Crawford and Helen Christensen at Gail Elliot's wedding.

I love this portrait of Yasmin and baby Amber.  

Yasmin has added designer to her CV in the last year launching the YLB for Wallis collection.  "It's something I've always dreamt of.  The collection is made up of pieces I've always wanted to make and that I'm drawn to.  My outlook has changed.  I've grown up, my body's changed (hmm - H) and my attitude to my body's changed, so I do have a different remit."


It's always about the clothes, as I've said before and as far as Yasmin remembers, "I thought I could remember everything I'd ever done over the 26 years of being photographed, but I have come across shoots and thought, 'I don't remember doing that.' There were a lot of Margaritas involved."


I love that because like many of us, we would like to think we can remember everything, but sometimes, there are a lot of Margaritas involved.  ... or Cosmo's, or Champagne, or red wine, or Mohitos, or ...

H

Style Crush: Marion Cotillard

She dresses up when she's working and when she's hitting the red carpet, but when she's off camera and doing things on her own time, she likes to wear her favourites.  Denim, knits, tweed and scarves and her favourite hats.  

The first time I saw Marion Cotillard was in Ridley Scott's A Good Year (2006) along side Russell Crowe.  I loved the film of course (what's not to love? Set in Provence and starring a trim and very funny Russell Crowe, need I say more?) Marion played Fanny Chanel a great name for a gorgeous and sassy character.

Later I saw her as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose (2007) for which she won many awards, an Oscar being one of them.  Her performance was uncanny, I hardly recognised her as the Little Sparrow.

Since then I have seen her in Public Enemies (2009) and of course Nine (2010) - in which I do believe she stole the show.

 Marion in Jean-Paul Gaultier at the Oscars

Marion in fuschia Dior.

She is also the face of the Lady Dior handbag, not a bad gig if you can get it!

I love that she doesn't have a problem with wearing her favourite things over and over. I do that too, but it's mostly because I don't have anything else to choose from.  For Marion, my guess is that she just loves to wear what she loves to wear.  Whether it is her multi-coloured Ray-Ban's or her favourite hat.

I loved the jumpsuit she wore at last month's Cannes Film Festival too, it was daring and different and she looked gorgeous in it too.

She's naturally pretty; she doesn't need all that make up - but hey... show me a French actress that does need all that?  It must be something in the water over there.



Hx