Dress of the Year

The Fashion Museum in Bath has announced its Dress of the Year - Antonio Berardi's black and white trompe l’oeil corset dress worn by Gwyneth Paltrow to the premiere of her film Two Lovers in Paris.

Gwyneth said the following about the dress: ‘When I tried this dress on, I was amazed by the construction and the uniqueness of it. It was at once elegant and sexy and very very much its own dress. It is one of the absolute favourite dresses I have worn and I feel so lucky that we had that evening together in Paris’.

Each year since 1963, a fashion expert has selected a dress or outfit for the museum’s collection to represent the most important new ideas in contemporary fashion. Take a look at the Dress of the Year choices from 1963 to 2009 here.

Gardeners' world...

I've just come across these hanging Sky Planters, designed by Patrick Morris.


I quite like the idea of the upside down herbs in the kitchen, but the maidenhair fern and spider plant in the picture below reminds me a little too much of the macrame hanging baskets I used to make as a child in the 70s!
Having said that, I think they're really nicely styled images...

Reboot

After a four-week exercise break over Christmas (well, I'm only human!), I was raring to get back to bootcamp in January.

Finally, I'm beginning to feel like I'm getting back on track.

Exercising first thing in the morning does mean I have to get up at 5.50am, three times a week (urgh), but I'd much rather get the workout done before other commitments get in the way (and, more importantly, it's not hanging over me all day - something I hated when I used to go the gym after work). Our trainer, Zita, pushes us without being a bully, and each session involves something different - so much better than doing the same boring old routine every day!

Have I lost weight since I started bootcamp last summer? No. Am I feeling fitter and less stressed? Yes - dramatically so!

Photographing fashion

I'm looking forward to the 'Photographing Fashion' exhibition, which is opening in March at the Fashion Museum in Bath.


It's going to include examples of British fashion from the 1960s, including pieces by Mary Quant and Jean Muir as well as original photographs from the Sunday Times fashion archive.

Spring is in the air

Mondays are always a busy, busy day in the Anusha office, as we catch up after the weekend. We're especially hectic at the moment as we're beginning to take delivery of our new spring/summer collection - I do enjoy the excitement of unpacking boxes of goodies!

My love affair with gold jewellery continues (we're talking subtle/tasteful, not bling!). I'm really pleased with our new range of beautiful, textured-finish gold and semi-precious stone earrings, bracelets, cuffs and necklaces. Perfect pieces for summer - I know you're going to love them. They'll make an appearance online in the next couple of weeks...

Full length and fabulous!

I'm very excited - tomorrow evening, Mr Anusha and I have been invited to The Pump Rooms in Bath to celebrate the civil partnership of some wonderful friends of ours.

With a dress code of 'full length and fabulous', it seems rude not to push the boat out for the occasion! Claudia, Anusha's hair and make-up artist has kindly agreed to come round to my house tomorrow afternoon to work her magic. I'm ashamed to admit, I've been inspired by pictures of Cheryl Cole's messy-dressy do, which she was sporting at the National TV Awards on Wednesday!

Photo location - booked!

I've just come back from George Bayntun, a family-run bookshop and bindery in Bath, where I'm going to do my next Anusha photo shoot. Little inside the shop has changed since 1938.


Downstairs, in the amazing Victorian bindery, a small team binds books entirely by hand (apparently, there are over 100 stages in this process). Lovely Annie showed me round the building today, giving me a chance to see the huge collection of hand tools and blocks (they have over 15,000 - some dating back to the eighteenth century), rolls of colourful goat and calf skins, and gorgeous hand-marbled papers.



What a treat for a wet Wednesday morning!