The perfect Christmas Outfit...

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

And to make sure all those wishes come true...

Disney Couture at www.asos.com

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

A vintage perfume bottle with which to decant my 750ml bottle of Prada Infusion D'iris...

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

The most beautiful pumps I think I have ever seen...

*sigh*

Chloé

http://www.net-a-porter.com/

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Studs and velvet - the perfect LBD for this season...

 Team this Topshop beauty with the Judith Leiber clutch, the Miu Miu beret and a coating of Chanel rouge lipstick and what do you have?

Perfection!

www.topshop.com

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Only red lipstick will do under the mistletoe this Christmas - and mine had better be Chanel...

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Attending mass on Christmas morning?

Make sure you do in this Miu Miu Angora beret.

www.net-a-porter.com

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Have you ever imagined yourself as a star-crossed lover?

 With this package you can personalise the names of the characters of your choice, send it off and voila! you have your very own version of Romeo and Juliet...

I'm thinking Zac (Efron) and LaVoguette - but with a happy ending this time!

A selection of novels available from www.urbanoutfitters.com

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

A Chanel jacket... à la Julia Restoin-Roitfeld

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

For Daddy's Little Princess...

Disney Couture Princess Bracelet - www.asos.com

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Sam Sparro got it wrong, it's all about red and gold this Christmas.
Nomadic Headphones - www.nixonnow.com 

On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Judith Leiber sets the standard for wrapping this year with this BEAUTIFUL clutch.

(And just for the record, if the rest of my presents aren't all wrapped in silver and gold embellishment... then I hope you kept the receipts!)

Judith Leiber Package Clutch - www.net-a-porter.com

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me...

Make mine a champagne darling, oh and yes serve it to me in my Louboutin flute please.

*Style Prediction*

A quick heads up guys:

Next season is going to be all about khakis, leathers, military pieces, canvas textures, capes etc etc

Therefore I am going to make a prediction:
These Chloé wedges are going to be a definite MUST-HAVE, so get them on your Christmas wishlist!

(You can bet Barbie has!)

Oh what a doll.

Barbie...

As if it's not enough that you have the longest legs, the smallest waist, the flattest stomach, and of course, Ken -  you now have to go and add Christian Louboutin to your list?

Some girls get all the luck!

Oh mon dieu!

Ok so I have been so so so busy with essays and uni work (oh the joys of student life) that I have failed to write about the many exciting things that have been happening to me...

I am working for French Vogue again - you could call me their Freelance London assistant... :)

3 weeks ago I assisted Emmanuelle Alt, Fashion Director; beautiful, innovative and generally - amazing.

And tomorrow... I still can't quite believe it... I will be assisting Carine Roitfeld - yes my friends, the Editor in Chief!

So bedtime calls, need to be fresh as a daisy tomorrow but roll on the christmas holidays and the end of essay hell and I shall reveal all.

Remember - Patience is a virtue.

xxx

Vive les Ecossais!

There's something about seeing the exact tartan print of your school skirt worn in such a fashion forward way... cue nostalgia and coat envy.

Parisian Chic

I love this look, especially that coat... Tara Jarmon, design one for me please?

Mixing designer statement pieces with vintage accessories; this is a perfect example of le style français -

ah comment la vie parisienne me manque...

And she is so en vogue with her OTK’s (that's over-the-knee boots for those of you who don't speak the fashion lingo)

This is 'Parisian Chic' to perfection!

She wears: Coat, Tara Jarmon. Boots, by Derby from Galeries Lafayette. Scarf, Ralph Lauren. Bag, vintage.

"I just love that I don't give a f*** fashion"

She's with us!

It's fashion week, the next big show is Elie Saab of red carpet fame.

CRISIS

The junior fashion editor has forgotten her invites, cue a moment of panic and then a solution - I am asked to go down to Le carousel du Louvre, find the Vogue team and give them their invites. Hell yes I can do that.

A glorious day, I decide to walk down la rue saint honoré and then I catch a glimpse of my reflection in Fendi's shop window - oh no this just will not do. I look... so... BRITISH! why oh why did I decide to wear a Jack Daniel's t-shirt today of all days, this is fashion week not Beerfest!

 Now I wish I could say that I took myself in to Lanvin to make myself look more Fashion Week-esque but I think we all know that didn't happen - I could barely afford food (well that's not a bad thing in fashion - skinny?!) let alone a £1000 dress. So I would have to embrace the fact that I was a Londoner, embracing London style and ignore the voice inside me that was howling at the fact that I was not wearing my most amazing outfit.

I arrive at Le carousel - people are already queueing in a desperate bid to be allowed in without an invite, bless. No sign of the Vogue team yet, so I wait... and wait, and wait. Omg have I missed them? please don't let this be A Devil Wears Prada moment, my heart feels like it's going to explode out of my Jack Daniels printed chest. I run over to the people at the door...

"Bonjour je suis avec le magazine Vogue (God i LOVE saying that) est-ce que l'equipe est déjà entrée?"

"Non. Pas encore"

Phew. Ok time to breathe.

And then they appear, my god they are just so cool. A uniform of black, beauty and effortless style.

"Charlène!"

My street-cred has just risen by 100%, the Vogue team are calling my name!

"Tu viens avec nous"

... wait did I hear that right?

They take me over to the door and lead me in...

"Where is your invite Miss?" but before I can even muster up a response someone grabs me by the hand and says,

"She's with us".

Wow did that really just happen?

I am in awe.
We sit in the second row (erm... guys I had the front row at the Atsuro Tayama show - you're slacking) and then the music starts and fashion comes to life.

God I love you Vogue.

Coco Rocha, Jessica Stam, Sasha Pivovarova, Carmen Kass - you name it they walked.

And can I just say, Coco absolutely KILLS the runway - I ♥ her.

The designs were breathtaking, of all the shows that I could have seen this would definitely have been up there on my list. I love old school glamour, the Hollywoodesque, red carpet couture - and if anyone can achieve that to perfection it's Elie Saab.

And yes, I got backstage.
Now this was unintentional. The show ends, the Vogue team get up and automatically start walking in a different direction to the crowd. Oh god, what do I do? should I follow them? should I just go back to work?

I follow them... well I would have been stupid not to. And boy oh boy, was it worth it!

Oh hi Jessica Stam, great show! Tania Dziahileva, gosh how nice to see you! Vlada, loving the red hair!

I join the paparazzi crowd, get a sneaky shot and decide it's time to return to the office.

But wait, there is an extremely beautiful and tall goddess standing right in front of me on the escalator, still wearing her look from the show - I've never felt more inferior, short and normal in my life.

"Anna, Anna can we take your photo!!?"

What you don't want mine?

Anna Selezneva, I would kill to look like you. 

Well hello November issue... I believe we have met before...

I am SO excited!

Forget The September Issue, The November issue is out!

 This is the issue I worked on in the summer at British Vogue - I like to think of it as my baby!
I assisted 4 of the shoots that are printed in the magazine but my favourite and the one that I had the most involvement with was Bay Garnett's story on Fashion's Greatest Hits - and boy oh boy does it look good!

Greatest Hits

Get your inspiration from your dad, if it looks this good you know you're on to a winner.

So Brigitte Bardot...

Now don't say I didn't give you the heads up on the monogrammed white shirt trend!

Ahoy Sailor!

Caroline Trentini - legs for miles...

I was hesitant about this look - the idea of layering print upon print... i just didn't expect it to look THIS GOOD.

This is perfection. And I want a daisy chain headband! Peace.

Oh those DVF trousers, what a love-hate relationship we have.
I fought and fought for the PR company to let us have them, we got them and I thought, are you serious? They are hideous!!! but clearly Bay's styling and Trentini's legs work magic together because it's so wrong that it's right.

Leather trousers, a yellow silk shirt, red accessories - it just shouldn't work, but my God it does.

Bay I salute you - you are a genius!

This girl is just so cool it hurts.

And if that's not enough she has the fashion world eating out of the palm of her hand, no wonder she's laughing.

Why have Burberry not designed a bag especially for me?

Forget the Alexa, the Charlene has a much better ring to it...

I. WANT. THAT. BAG.

To be or not to be...

I don't know why but I have always had an obsession with the character of Ophelia in Hamlet. Maybe because I saw Kate Winslet play the role on screen and hey I'm not going to lie... I ♥ Kate Winslet - mainly because she made having red hair look AMAZING in Titanic.
But that is by the by, this dress from Chloe's 2010 Spring/Summer collection is divine and for some reason it screams Ophelia to me -
beautiful, hopelessly romantic and so simple that it is an absolute work of Art. 

Fashion Week...

As I sit here typing in my student accommodation (not even an en-suite - mon dieu!) I can't help but notice that my life seems to have taken an unglamourous turn from the glory days that were French and British Vogue. James Joyce's Ulysses now sits on my desk, replacing my diary-esque Chanel lookbook and the closest thing I have to couture is my sewing kit. 
Oh the joys of being a finalist...

So I have decided to take this opportunity to reminisce about my experience at Paris Fashion Week earlier this year, it seems somewhat appropriate as the Spring/Summer Collections have just drawn to a close.

Where to begin?

The front row of course!

Now there was obviously some confusion that glorious day back in March when I, a humble intern turned up to the Atsuro Tayama show clutching my hand-me down invitation - you see, editors decide what shows they want to attend and any left over invitations are then left for little people like me.

"Wait here please Mademoiselle".
Oh gosh, ok...but why can't I just go in? I bet Carine doesn't get this sort of treatment!

So I stood waiting, eyeing up every passer by with thoughts of god help you, did you get dressed in the dark? or o.m.g i want your bag! I hoped that I was giving off some sort of effortless allure, you know - clearly this girl has been asked to wait behind because she is so blatantly a Voguette and not because someone is playing a cruel joke and given her a fake invitation. But then more people were asked to wait. Relax Charlene.

Finally, we get the go ahead and are asked to follow a man upstairs to the venue. This is when I was shown to a seat in the front row.

O.M.G.

I couldn't help but smile to myself, the wait was so worth it. Yes you may have the latest Chloé bag on your arm darling but enjoy the show from the third row won't you?

Cue the music, SKINNY models (these girls definitely lived up to the stereotype) and ACTION.

The pictures speak for themselves. The designs didn't blow me away but are extremely wearable.

Coming soon: Elie Saab show with the Vogue team...

HA! i love this.

I remember the first time I saw this ad.

 I was sitting in the fashion cupboard with one of my fellow interns; it was lunchtime. I was munching away on my daily pot of "taboulé" from Franprix - yes, we did eat and no, we can't all afford to eat in the building's canteen with Paris' business elite.

So there we were, flicking through magazines in a bid to relieve our minds from the idea of another afternoon of returns when I stumbled across this page.

"Omg this is us!"

We ripped out the page and stuck it up on the noticeboard, a source of inspiration for our future careers.

I wonder if it's still there...

Inspired

Dress inspired by a costume Anna Friel wears playing Holly Golightly in the current stage adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany's at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Go and see the show to witness the real thing - the dress took my breath away!

Clothes, clothes and more clothes...

So what exactly is the role of a fashion intern? What do you do?

The amount of times I have been asked those very same questions is endless - it's time to shed some light.

You have probably all seen the Devil Wears Prada - and if you havn't... well shame on you! but even French Vogue (and I can also tell you British Vogue) do not have a fashion cupboard with the same surreal quality as the film - let's leave that to Hollywood shall we?

The Parisian version, shall we say, a little more humble. With a somewhat terrifying polaroid of Carine dressed in her signature furs pinned to the door, and a handwritten "Adults Only" beneath it - it is safe to say that for anyone, this room can be somewhat of a daunting place. But then the door opens, and the smell of Chanel, Dior, Hermès and all things couture invades your every being... that is until you see the mountain of returns piling up infront of the window. Yes, my friends, they didn't show that in the film now did they?

The real deal.

Time for some theory:
The main aim of a fashion story is essentially to sell clothes. As a fashion editor, you are still a journalist and thus your job is to "spread the word" - the only difference being that your 'gospel' is fashion. Therefore, designers and PR companies come to you to advertise their products- to get the word out about their latest collections. Et voila! The fashion story is born! Editors get inspiration from Look Books and fashion shows, and depending on the theme of their story - they then select the pieces they want to use.

Now you didn't think that they bought these clothes did you?

The next part is what makes a fashion intern - as lowly a position as this is - extremely valuable to the magazine. For each shoot, pieces are called in, whether this be from PR or in-house and become the rail upon rail of fashion paradise. The editor then makes their "choix" as they say in gay Paris and "les non-choix" await in the wings praying for a chance to win some limelight on those glossy pages.

So, off go "les choix" (accompanied by a few "non-choix" just in case) with the editor and their team for the shoot. And this is where the magic happens - fashion comes to life.

It's when the clothes return from the shoot that the role of an intern becomes... a little... horrific. Suddenly the Givenchy dress that hung so beautifully on the hangers and model is now another piece of clothing in a bag, labelled up and ready to send back to its original habitat. Every single piece of item that has been called-in MUST be described and listed, then folded and wrapped in tissue paper before it can be sent back and this is where the Devil gets his kicks. Imagine a magazine as large as Vogue, where there are maybe 3 shoots in one week, with at least 100 items of clothing each and that's not even including the accessories.
That is a. lot. of. clothes.

Add to that the phone calls from PR's asking where "la ceinture Chanel" or "le petit sac en poulain violet par Nina Richi" is and your heartbeat has risen by 200% as you delve into the mountain of returns to find them. Now, that is fashion darling.

So there you have it in a nutshell, the daily routine of an intern. Of course, you get to assist shoots and after showing your capability can be asked to be involved in selecting the pieces etc but for the most part, returns are your life. To get to the top you have to work your way up the ladder, or in the fashion world, that Louboutin stiletto heel.

The first time i met Carine...

I'll never forget the first time I met Carine Roitfeld - mainly because I didn't even realise it was her...

We had a call in "Le shopping" to say some packages had arrived for the editors/assistants so off I went to reception to pick them up and on my way... well you know what happens next.

There was a little group of effortlessly stylish women huddled in a group blocking the door, my exit. Now, as an intern - as nice as people may be, you know you're at the bottom of the ladder and extremely unimportant so I felt slightly daunted by the fact that I would have to break up this little rendez-vous and ask to get through. Well before I even opened my mouth, my presence must have been felt because around turned this immaculately made-up woman.

I have to admit, I looked at her and seeing the slight lines at the corner of her trademark smoky eyes did not expect to see the face of an older woman - her silhouette is age defying. She was wearing clothes that even I couldn't pull off at 20 - partly due to the fact that I'm not your average size 0 fashion martyr (I enjoy a bit of cake every now and then). But there she was, the infamous Carine Roitfeld and I didn't have a clue...

"Bonjour!" She beamed at me, yes BEAMED. I will remember that smile to this day because let me tell you, a smile like that does not come often in the fashion world. And even in my oblivious state, I still remember feeling - wow I like this woman...

It wasn't until later on that day that it actually hit me - O.M.G that was Carine!

Come rain or shine...

Next time I will go for this approach à la Marilyn.

Rain rain go away PLEASE come back another day!

Snow, ice, rain and sleet: as impossible a combination as these are, I found myself fighting with all four on my first day at Vogue; a day that I like to remember as “le premier jour du reste de ma vie…”

Now imagine those pitiful people, standing at the side of the road in a desperate battle with their umbrella as they try to avoid the complete horror of looking like they have swum fully clothed through a swimming pool but failing miserably, then voila - you have correctly pictured little old me.

I was wearing my vintage cowboy boots, a somewhat signature part of my wardrobe at the time (I should note it was February) which on leaving the house remained a perfect suede brown but were now a big fashion NO. They had somehow turned strangely bi-colour from where the rain and snow had darkened the entire toe area, making said boots look as though they should have been kept tucked away in the wardrobe of their original owner who was probably a blind cowboy and definitely not about to enter Parisian Vogue Headquarters.

So what did I do?  
I ran… People do not run in France, you see rushing is unheard of, you take your time about everything but I didn't care, I would not let this weather and whoever invented suede get the better of me! By the time I reached the gates of the Elysée building, let’s just say the disaster that was my boots had now escalated to the point where the entire foot area was a cold and wet dark brown while the remainder was its original chestnut. Yes this may seem a trivial matter to some, but when you are about to begin working with arguably, the best dressed people in the world, you want to look your best. But there wasn't much I could do about it now or I would risk being late for my first day so in I went, making my way to the Vogue floor while avoiding any eye-contact with my traitorous boots.

I made my way down the corridor, faced with an archive of canvas Vogue covers either side of me until I reached the fashion department and there, greeted by an array of beautiful and yes skinny women, my Vogue Adventure was begun...

Paris ♥

Ah Paris - comme tu es belle! cité de l'amour, la mode, le chic, le luxe... tu me manques

Photo taken sur Le Pont Alexandre III by little old me - this was my walk home everyday from the Vogue offices.

And yes... the view took my breath away everytime.

Let the journey begin...

So I started this blog and decided to give myself the appellation (isn't that a great word, I just discovered it!) of La Voguette. However, I have completely failed in writing anything that makes me worthy of this persona, in fact I seem to have failed in writing very much at all - bad blogger... commitment Charlene, come on.

While sitting here in my humble Hemel Hempstead home, I realised that I have experienced what is probably the dream of every young girl - the chance to live and breathe fashion in la vraie ville de la mode, and believe me live and breath it you shall!

The fashion industry is incredible but it is not for the fainthearted, to work with the best you have to be the best and that my friends, is a beautiful thing. That is why French Vogue is undoubtedly sovereign, the cream of the fashion crop (in my eyes anyway). I think it's time for said eyes to reveal what they have seen...

Let our journey begin.

A man after my own heart...

"What can I say? I just like nice clothes, that's all."

Elvis Presley

Did someone say Monogram?

Another little style tip for all you fashionistas!

Monogram a white shirt - your initial - enough said.

Trust me, this trend is gonna be HUGE.

Elvis did it, and hey if its good enough for him it's definitely good enough for me.

If you buy anything next season...

make it a pair of lace-up boots - these are the ones i've been eyeing...

Urban Outfitters.

Dear Santa...

I know it's early but if I promise to be a really good girl this year could you please bring me a lifesize pair of these diamond incrusted Louboutins?

Pretty please?

X

And they call it... Puppy Love.

It's summer. We are all looking for THE ultimate accessory. Well I think i've found it...

Just look at that adorable little bundle of fur! Go on I dare you not to sigh a little in sheer delight at such a CUTE specimen. And look how wonderfully she matches that Dolce jumpsuit!

Yes, you could buy the latest IT bag but how long will it take before you're bored and are looking for the next Paddington or Birkin? But a puppy... now there's a different story. Instead of wearing dead fur on your back why not carry the real thing on your arm? Let it live and breathe as nature intended and watch as it showers you with unconditional love. I love my Bayswater, i really do but i sometimes feel our love is a little one-sided. Yes, my bag is a little selfish... I take it on outings, call it "baby", try not to fill it too much so it doesn't lose its perfect shape and have accepted having to resort to second best as it commands all the attention on entering a room (is this what it's like to be a boyfriend?). It's like a living species except, it's not and quite frankly I feel a little underappreciated.

So I have decided that instead of investing all my affections on maroquinerie, I am going to make like Dolce and Gabbana and get myself a perfect pooch. I know a dog may not do all the things that my Bayswater does, but at least I will know that at the end of the day when I lay her down to bed I won't be rewarded with silence, but in its place the most tremendous feeling of appreciation that can only come from those wistful puppy dog eyes.

awww

Buried treasure

I was once in love with a Burberry trench...

It was beautiful; beige with a black scalloped trim (oh so chloé-esque). I would see it every day, hanging up on the curtain rail, its perfectly round buttons staring at me, like puppy dog eyes just daring me to take it down and try it on. I could imagine myself walking down la rue saint honoré adorned in skinny jeans, louboutins (i dream big) and that oh. so. perfect. trench.
But my fascinations always had to stop there because it would and could never be mine.

But why? i hear you whisper.

The reason being it belonged to my boss and fashion extra-ordinaire, Carine Roitfeld. I cannot even describe the respect I have for that woman, the times she would walk into the fashion department and her presence would just consume the attention of everyone in the room; all eyes on her outfit - and can i just say it was always AMAZING.

But yes, i will always have a little bone to pick with her and that bone is in the form of a Burberry trench. In my 3 months interning at French Vogue, that beauty sat on its rail and never left the fashion cupboard once. You see children, this is what happens when you are in the fashion elite - amazing pieces are thrown at you everyday but they just become buried treasure in the heap of pretty packages with your name on them.

Oh the life it could have had...

But life moves on, and so has my Burberry eye candy.

Say hello to this oh so classic trench from the resort 2010 collection. So simple and soo perfect for my first day at Vogue tomorrow...

I guess I'll just have to keep on dreaming...

La Voguette.

"I ♥ FASHION"

Boring! don't we all? I would estimate that at least 67.8% of my generation have been quoted in saying this very short and unimaginative sentence. In a time when everyone is trying to be individual are we not all subconsciously becoming a clone of one another? The short answer would be yes.

And yet here I am starting a fashion blog, joining the fashion brigade and ultimately becoming a sheep to la mode's shepherd... I can't help it, I want in.

In two days I will be swapping French Vogue's fashion cupboard, better known to myself and my fellow interns as chez moi, for la version anglaise at British Vogue. My soul has already been sold to the industry but now its time to document it.

Let La Voguette adventures continue...