Style Icon: Florence Broadhurst

You might not have heard of Florence Broadhurst, but chances are you will have seen her maximalist patterns gracing everything from wallpaper and cushions to dresses and Vespas. The story of the Australian design doyenne's life - and death - is fascinating (read more here) and thanks to the people at Signature Prints her legacy has been kept alive. New York label Kate Spade are bringing a whole host of products featuring Broadhurst's patterns in 2012 too, so we'll be seeing a whole lot more of Florence in the coming months.

Hermes Bleaus D'Allieurs Tableware

I don't have the sort of lifestyle that requires a Porcelain dinner set - especially one with an Hermes pricetag - but the new Bleus D'Allieurs range is at the top of my lust list right now. I'm also loving the window displays by talented set designer Sarah Illenberger at Hermes' Berlin store see below). They're entirely made of paper. You can view more of her work here.

Rick Genest for Dermablend - Go Beyond the Cover

This is genius! Canadian Model Rick Genest AKA Rico the Zombie - the world's most tatooed man and star of Lady Gaga's Born This Way video - demonstrates how effective Dermablend's tatoo cover-up is. Great music and editing. Watch it!

Prada Menswear Autumn 11 - Loving the Lurex!!

Who says that men shouldn't sparkle too? Ok, so admittedly not many guys will be able to able to carry off these Prada pullovers, but, as the saying goes a little goes a long way. I've slurged on a subtly sparkly sapphire blue tie which looks precious, intriguing and just eye-catching enough.

Rhianna We Found Love Video by Milena Matsoukas

I'm OBSESSED with the video to accompany RiRi's We Found Love. It elevates a so-so pop song to another level. The promo was directed by the super talented Milena Matsoukas, who also created the iconic video for Rude Boy. Matsoukas is a graduate of the American Film Institute and New York University and has worked with everyone from Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez to Snoop Dog and Jay Z. That's not to say that her videos cost mega-bucks or necessarily use expensive equipment. What they have in common is a strong, compelling narrative and juicy images that ping off the screen. I'll let the lady herself have the final say: "A good video has the right visuals, a well conceptualised story and should be exciting and elicit reaction." watch the video below:

Catwalk to Couch

mary katrantzou's creations artfully fuse fashion with interiors

WOW! That was my initial reaction upon seeing these pictures of fashion Mary Katrantzou's AW11 collection. The London-based fashion designer is often inspired by interiors (who can forget her lampshade skirt?) and this season, Katrantzou imagined her muse as a connoisseur, surrounded by objects of beauty (Fabergé eggs, Meissen porcelain,Ming vases) and dreamt up her hyper-realist prints accordingly. In this shoot by the photographer Erik Madigan Heck for Nomenus Quarterly, the woman in the room is wearing the objects in the the room. It's a surrealist tour de force.

Spanish Prize

these traditional soaps are bathing beauties

I discovered the iconic Spanish soap Heno de Pravia while holidaying summer. The deep green bar has a distinctive sweet, herby scent. Although it doesn't remind me of hay (heno means hay in Espanol) is does remind me of sunshine skys and carefree days, provding the perfect early morning pick me up on grey London days. The story goes that in 1903 Perfumer Salvador Gal passed through the small village of Pravia and was utterly taken by the smell of freshly cut hay and flora on the air. He sought to recreate it and the Heno de Pravia range of soaps and colognes was born. I stocked up on a couple bars at the local Farmica and wish I had bought more. I also LOVE the packaging of these soaps from Portugese store A Vida Portuguesa, which sell beautiful range of traditional products. You can buy them online here.

In Bloom

vic brotherson's floral displays are full of vintage charm

West London flower shop Scarlet and Violet is brimming with all manner of loveliness; cut glass vases, chintzy ornaments and armfuls of beautiful blooms. Owner Vic Brotherson is renowned for creating romantic, naturalistic arrangements in pale, chalky colours. They have a trad feel to them, but the result is anything but stuffy - think Constance Spry for the 21st Century. Brotherson has just penned her first book Vintage Flowers (Kyle books, £25) which shows you how to recreate her artistic arrangements at home. Even if you don’t get busy with floristry wire it’s well worth adding it your pile of coffee table tomes thanks to the uplifting imagery. I’ll let the ultimate domestic goddess Nigella Lawson have the final word: “Vic Brotherson does beautiful bunches of wild flowers and roses the colour of parchment, tinged with the palest of pinks”. High praise indeed. www.scarletandviolet.com

Cold Shoulder

nuclear wintour shows her icy displeasure

Hilarious! Anna Wintour looks thrilled to be sitting next to Nicki Minaj at the Carolina Herrera show during New York Fashion Week. I'm not sure what to make of Ms Minaj's increasingly outlandish outfits and neither, it seems, is the editrice of American Vogue from the look of things. Methinks Nicki is more of a fashion fool than an advantgardist but I salute her for rocking a strong look regardless.

AND SO TO BED...

Pratesi's luxurious linens make for a heavenly night's sleep

The new Pratesi 2.0 collection of bed linens are the epitome of Everyday Luxury. The ultra-soft Egyptian cotton sheets are so sumptuous and finely spun that they come with a princely price tag: prices start from £800 for a full set of bed linens. But when you consider that they are still made by artisans in the Pratesi factory in Tuscany (it takes a week to weave just 10m of the silken fabric) and that we spend almost a third of our lives in bed, they are undoubtedly worth the investment. The role call of customers that the Italian linen house has boasted over the past century includes royality, A Listers and world leaders such as Pope John Paul II, Ernest Hemingway and Elizabeth Taylor. Liz was the only customer who Pratesi have ever made custom-colour sheets for - violet to match the colour of her legendary eyes. Contemporary divas prefer the feel of Pratesi sheets against their skin too; both Madonna and Jennifer Lopez are said to be fans. Tempted to indulge yourself? The Pratesi 2.0 collection is available to buy online at Pratesi.com

PICK OF THE BUNCH

spring's best fashion campaigns are bananas!

I love the saturated colours, bold stripes and juicy fruit motifs in the SS11 campaigns below. Fashion-forward looks for elegant rebels!

Prada by Steven Meisel
Stella McCartney by Mert & Marcus
Jil Sander by Willy Vanderperre

THREADING SOFTLY

maurizio anzeri's embroderies pack a powerful visual punch

Beautiful, other-worldly, unnerving....London-based Italian artist Maurizio Anzeri's striking embroidered artworks are made using old photographs and rainbow-hued synthectic hair. Old images are enlivened in surreal style, breathing new life in to forgotten stories.