Grazia and vintage Cathy (ok, just one year ago).

Oh, hello! I was featured in Grazia Middle East's June issue in the Style Hunter section from last weeks Bloomingdale's event at Dubai Mall. Also on the same page was fellow blogger, Mahryska and these cute, young twins (I'm so jealous of her huge Bottega Veneta bag). I love how Mariyah and I are on the same page. Small community, we are.

In the April 2009 issue of Grazia, I was also snapped while out at the Dubai Polo Desert Challenge at the Desert Palm Hotel. Can you guess who my main inspiration was last year? Lol, I think it's pretty obvious... (ie. a bloated Blair Waldorf).

I kind of cringe when I look back on the photo - although it was just a year ago (a year is not very long), I couldn't get away with wearing that huge headband anymore, and even though the heels are about 3-4 inches high, I still have them but don't wear them.. they're not HIGH enough for me now :-)). Also, everyone keeps telling me my hair looks better darker than this strange metallic brown look I had going on (I agree).
And somehow within the year, I changed nationality from British to Australian...

Ha! Well at least one thing's stayed the same - I'm still into my florals!

Never without my bag.

For those of us that can't afford the actual bags. Wear them close to the heart.

Or just for those of us purely obsessed.

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Photo source: Never Without My Bag  Vogue Pelle

Victoria Beckham.

Tell me what's your idea of physical perfection, because she sure as hell comes close to mine.

Victoria Beckham for Vogue Germany - May.

 

Interview extracts, courtesy of redcarpet-fashionawards.com

On fashion being her passion: 

 My true passion belongs the fashion. I fulfilled a life long dream by starting my own label. It’s my baby. Although I’m now in my fourth season, I always feel nervous before and during the show. As a Spice Girl I could hide behind the other 4 girls, during my presentations I’m totally responsible.

On being a perfectionist: 

I do not compromise. I only use the best materials. Each piece is a favorite part of my own wardrobe, and if I wear something it must look good from every angle, not just from the front.

On her past fashion sins: 

I consider my past as a fashionable part of the path that led to where I am today. ‘Elegance is the privilege of old age’.

Feeling f(l)at, needing motivation.

These shots of Daria Werbowy are from Flair Canada's 30th year Anniversary special from last year. 

They did a 3 cover issue with stunning fashion-forward trends.

 Ahhhh, I just needed a bit of inspiration and motivation to get that washboard flat tummy!:-)

 I should be bikini ready for island hopping in the Philippines next month for my birthday!

PS - That Dolce & Gabbana leopard print dress is the SEX. For reals. That would be my go to outfit, 24/7.

Disney gets fashionable.

 Do you recognise any of these friendly characters?

These plus more, by Ulrich Schröder for Elle Spain, April 2010

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Original source: fashionising.com

Photoshop not required.

 The April issue of Marie Claire France is numero 100% sans retouches! All the photos in the entire issue are unretouched (excluding the advertisements). Judging by the photos I've see, I wonder why they'd need to be photoshopped in the first place - the girls are naturally beautiful.
I hardly find knee creases or shiny cheeks to be confrontational or offending.

Frédérique Renaut, Fashion-Beauty Editor of Benjamin Kanarek blog, mentions the 'old school pre-photoshop' tricks the magazine would have used, such as: burning out the skin using overexposure, soft light, adding a half blue filter to whiten the skin, pulled back images, large smiles for celebrities so their nasal labial folds are hidden, pulled back hair with hands stretching the skin and smoothing the wrinkles. Using grainy film and converting the images to black and white to neutralize the skin tones.

(I guess, these are some tricks for the rest of us!)

Covergirl, French actress Louise Bourgoin.

Of course, by seeing the beautiful and slim models still look almost perfect and gorgeous without any photoshopping could very well play on the insecurities of women even more!:-) I love the natural look of the photos though and vote to see more magazines rely more on photography tricks!

Internationally, Marie Claire are known for promoting good body image for their readers. The February 2010 issue in Australia shows former Miss Universe and all round loveable Aussie girl Jennifer Hawkins, naked and unretouched. A dimple and a hip crease never hurt anybody.

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Original Source: All of the material is under ©Copyright http://www.benjaminkanarekblog.com/

Le Cirque.

Sophie Vlaming for Marie Claire Italia, April 2010.

Who doesn't love vintage style photography, or vintage lingerie? 

Especially by the likes of Dior, Versace, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana...

Stunning.

Sizzling Liz Lemon.

The worlds funniest woman, Tina Fey, gets all messy and wild in the April issue of Esquire magazine.
Photographed at Asia de Cuba restaurant and Morgans Hotel, New York City.

 Thanks to Heba for the pictures!

Samantha Harris.

Six years ago, a 13 year old girl named Samantha Harris entered the Australia-wide model search for Girlfriend magazine but lost out to the ever lovely Abbey Lee Kershaw.

Samantha is now a step closer to international model success. Having participated in London Fashion Week last month, she's been able to get her name and her face out there - showing potential to join the global ranks of other models who started off the same way she did, such as Miranda Kerr and Abbey Lee.

The Aboriginal/Danish beauty will be Vogue Australia's April covergirl. Shot by Nicole Bentley and decked out in Miu Miu. She's got such a gorgeous face. And those shoes, oh those glorious shoes...

Chloe in wonderland.

Chloe Sevigny plays an incredibly styled Alice in this Wonderland themed spread for April 2010 Harpers Bazaar Russia. 

Thanks to Mariyah for the pictures!

February Amica.

Fashion shoot by Bill Georgoussis for Italian fashion magazine Amica.

Model: Mina Cvetkovic

Polka dot.

I hardly do outfit posts. That's coz I'm pretty boring!
And because I work in an office all week and it wouldn't be much fun showing you that.

I mentioned this vest before, I love wearing it over anything and everything.
The lace camisole underneath is from Jeanswest too.
And the skirt, the 8 pound skirt is from Primark. Funny story - my sister and I went to Primark Oxford Street, lost each other in the madness and decided to just meet up afterwards. I was out first but afterwards she was telling me about this mini skirt she saw which was so cute and was almost going to buy but thought, 'hmmm it's more Cathy's style...'. I asked her if it was polka dot and had a bow on the front... Lucky she didn't buy it, because I did! It's totally my style!

A couple of polka dot dresses featured in the March issue of American Vogue actually. Ok, completely different to the style in which I wore it above. 

Polka dot shift dresses are cool though... If I owned dresses like that I'd be doing a lot more work-outfit posts!

Cherry bomb.

Look how gorgeous Dakota Fanning is in the February issue of Vogue Italia. Those eyebrows are the sex. I love the edgy, girly look they've given her - very high fashion. I can't really believe she's only 16 still. She looks sweet and sexy, but not too sultry or Lolita-esque. 

The pictorial coincides with the release of her new movie The Runaways, also starring Kirsten Stewart and honestly, I can't wait to see their portrayal of THE MOST KICKASS GIRL BAND EVA...!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-CHERRY BOMB.

Posh spice.

Victoria Beckham will be Glamour magazine's March covergirl and I can't wait to see the full pictorial. Many thanks to the lovely http://thefashionwh0re.blogspot.com/, who shared these photos with us first. It definitely shows a different side of Ms. Beckham, better than the regular pictures we see of her walking through airports with that stone-cold face and those sky-high heels.

Reminds me of the Spice Girls mania that hit us mid-90s.
Unabashedly I WILL admit that I was a huge fan. I bought their cassettes and CDs, magazine features, I would sit on Saturday mornings watching Video Hits so i could record their filmclips, I think I even owned a Spice Girls lunchbox (ok that, I admit, is quite shameful)...

Posh was always my favourite though. Probably just because she was the prettiest (I was a superficial kid ;).

I'd love if she did more modeling. I know whatever money she would get from doing a shoot is like pocket money for her, but she's got such a nice body and face, seeing her in more magazine shoots like this would be great.

70+ items I now want. Thanks.

The January issue of W Magazine in the States has a glorious spread of '70+ looks for the New Year and the New Season'.

I just want to say WOW.

I would love to wear every single outfit in this shoot! Just perfect.

To view the whole spread, click: W Magazine - January 2010