Anya Hindmarch broke into the fashion world at the tender age of 18 when inspired by Italian bag fashions in the streets of Florence. She introduced these to the UK through Harpers and Queen magazine and became an overnight entrepreneur. Her interest in fashion bags never wavered and she began designing and producing her own bags, still influenced by Italian designs.

She opened her first store in London in 1993 and her earliest major success was the screen-printed ‘Be a Bag’ – a personalised tote bag. Her designs were soon being sought after by Hollywood’s A-list, international socialites and even royalty (Princess Diana was an early fan).

Going from strength to strength, she soon opened stores in New York and Los Angeles, as well as numerous other locations worldwide. Her handbags are now sold in over 19 countries and her turnover doubles every three years. Glamour Magazine gave her the Designer of the Year award two years running and in 2007 she received the British Fashion Awards Designer Brand of the Year; the same year she launched her controversial eco tote bag bearing the slogan “I’m Not a PlasticBag”. Last year she was honoured with an MBE for her contribution to the British Fashion Industry and Anya Hindmarch’s empire is now worth over $30 million.

Hindmarch was particularly interested in bespoke designs and in 2009 she launched her bespoke range at her new London Pont Street store. The 100 product strong range includes handbags, wallets, jewellery boxes, key sets, money clips, USB sticks, albums, diaries and luggage, all available in a variety of finishes and colours and ready to be personalised with embossed messages in the purchaser’s own handwriting.

This year Hindmarch created a capsule collection of four exclusive designs for Barbour’s 2010 Autumn/Winter collection. The quartet comprises a practical but stylish ‘Foxy’ wax cotton jacket and coat trimmed with velvet or fur and two ‘Minx’ quilted styles.

At the age of 42, and regularly consulted by British Prime Minister, David Cameron, the world seems to be Anya Hindmarch’s oyster. But bags are her passion and whatever her political ambitions, Anya Hindmarch seems set to retain her ‘queen of handbags’ crown for many years to come.

Most people who are short or near-sighted wear contact lenses. Some of the reasons for not being able to wear them include allergies to the lens materials or to the contact lens cleaning solutions, astigmatism that is too severe to correct or people who suffer from recurring infections. Dry eye conditions also prevent the wearing of contact lenses in some cases; however there are natural tear solutions available that could alleviate this issue.

Anyone with one of the above complications would have to wear spectacles. In this case, they would not be able to play contact sports like rugby, football, baseball or American football! Also some people who wear spectacles can develop little “irritation sores” around their nose when the spectacles rest. Others might not like the feeling of something clinging to one’s nose all day. It could drive one stark raving mad – then it would be advisable to investigate wearing contact lenses!

With contact lenses, the cost factor probably puts a lot of people off, however there is a choice of wearing daily disposable lenses, hard lenses or lenses that have to be removed every night. Some people simply do not want the hassle of digging into their eye twice a day to insert the contacts, but after a while that becomes second nature.

There is not much chance of spectacles damaging the eye or weakening the eyesight. In fact in some cases, they rectify problems with eyesight – as in children who are squint. In addition, nowadays, the spectacle frames from which to choose are so modern and attractive; people could have more than one pair. In addition, if sunglasses are needed, clip on sunshades are available for certain spectacle frames. Alternatively, a pair of prescription sun glasses also functions perfectly.

Both contact lenses and spectacles have pros and cons. It all comes down to personal choice and the kind of lifestyle involved. Some health schemes will help to pay for spectacle or contact lens costs, but opting for the corrective short-sighted operation is classed as “cosmetic surgery” so not too many health packages pay for that.

Introducing Kate Spade to the UK! Recently this well known American entrepreneur, designer, and accessory queen opened the doors to showcase her products in a townhouse in London’s Covent Gardens. Recognised and sought after world-wide as a fashion leader, she has specially designed an enamel bracelet engraved with the words “London Calling” to announce the Kate Spade store will be “calling” on London permanently next year!

Since 1993, Kate has been wowing Americans with her popular products. When she could not find a handbag that suited her for everyday use, she decided to design her own – and voila! The collection started with handbags and has since spread to include shoes, baby and home, stationery, glasses, handbags and clothing, laptops cases, jewellery, beauty products, pyjamas and now a range of short storey books where each storey is based on the line “she is quick and curious and playful and strong”. Magazine and newspaper fashion editors quickly recognised this hallmark newcomer to the fashion scene and Kate Spade was established. With stars like Sienna Miller and Sarah Jessica-Parker seen out and about in her designs – what more encouragement does one need?

Her style is fun-loving, as well as useful and shows a hint of cultured elegance. With popular spots and stripes in her designs, she takes one back to the nostalgic 1960′s combined with modern day appeal. The design of her shops alone has been described as a “visual shorthand” of her brand, being replicas of any young, fashion-conscious girl’s apartment! Kate’s husband Andy Spade introduced a men’s range called Jack Spade to complement the Kate Spade collection, which has been equally successful. Kate has ships worldwide, including the Philippines, Japan, and Hong Kong.

In the course of her career, Kate has accumulated many awards, the first one being when she won “America’s New Fashion Talent in Accessories’ from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Over the years, she has spread her wings and moved into home accessories, including bedding and linen. She was honoured for her New Home Collection when she received three design awards in 2004. It seems as if everything she touched turned to gold!

In 1999 Kate sold out to a well known group who then sold to Liz Claiborne for a record $127 in 2007. To end on a controversial note, there are those who criticise her handbag design as being so simple that it would be easy for fake manufacturer’s to copy – simple maybe, but oh so useful! A spokesman from Kate Spade replied that all their authentic products have a label sewn into the product and another branded on the outside of the product, so look out for those.

It’s always an agonizing process to buy that swimsuit for the summer or your overseas vacation. Looking at yourself in the mirror you’re already trying to visualize your body in a variety of suits. Unfortunately, none of them suit your taste and now you’re stuck for an answer. Here are a few tips to help you over this particular obstacle:

• Decide what kind of body shape you have.
• Decide whether you want a designer swimsuit or just a normal everyday swimsuit.
• How much do you want to spend on it? This would depend on how often you intend to wear it. If it’s just for the vacation then you may be better off buying a less expensive swimsuit. If you’re going to be wearing it regularly throughout the summer, it may be worth your while to invest in a more expensive suit.
• What type of suit you want will depend on whether you’re going to be using for both swimming and sunbathing or just sunbathing.

Once you’ve determined the answers to all these questions, you also need to consider where you’ll be wearing your swimsuit: Next to the pool or in the ocean? This will have a great influence on which type of swimsuit you buy. If you’re going to be braving the waves of the ocean, it will be advisable to get a suit that is sturdy and can hold up against the onslaught of the water. The last thing you want is to be undressed by the ocean. Poolside swimwear can be more flimsy and shouldn’t be too much of a problem when swimming. Either way the key is to feel comfortable and confident.

Choose your best looking swimsuit and have a ball in or out of the water. Have a great vacation!

Chanel unveiled their Spring 2011 collection at the Paris Fashion Week in an extravagant presentation at the Grand Palais on Tuesday. An array of traditional Chanel tweed jackets with black and white motifs, three-quarter-sleeve jackets, some trimmed in floral print and long skirts in various dark shades were among some of the look paraded by models. Stars who were spotted at the fashion show included Lily Allen , Rachel Bilson and Keira Knightly. Check out the video below for the latest fashion by Chanel.

At the recent Lanvin Spring 2011 Show in Paris, designer Alber Elbas filled the runway with a mix of long pleated skirts split open at the sides, pantsuits and elongated jackets. Celebs like Janet Jackson, Lenny Kravitz and Deeta Von Teese came to show their support. Thanks to the kind folks at Vidicom, I am able to share this runway video with all of you. Enjoy!

In today’s life, especially if you’ve got a family to take care of, make-up needs to be easy, simple and quick. Very few people have the time to stand in front of a mirror for ages to apply some foundation etc. Here are a few tips for those who want to put on their make-up in five minutes or less. The key to success is to have all your make-up out and ready to use before you start. Also be aware that you need to move quickly and efficiently in order to complete this task flawlessly.

Firstly, make sure that you cleanse and tone your face while you’re taking your shower. Once you’ve finished your shower and dried your face, immediately put on the moisturizer. This will give it enough time to draw in before you apply your make-up.

Get dressed and then do your make-up. Since you’ve already put on moisturizer, your skin should be sufficiently prepped for the make-up.

Next: Put on your foundation and blend it with a brush or sponge. This shouldn’t take more than half-a-minute at the most.

The next step is to apply the blusher in exactly the same way as the foundation. It will also need to be blended and here you can once again use a brush, sponge or even your fingertips if you prefer.

Once this has been done, apply your eye shadow with a brush and blend. This is followed shortly with the application of the eyeliner according to your eye shape.

Lastly you deftly put on the mascara with a few practiced brushes. If your blush or eye shadow needs to be touched up, you have 30 seconds to do so. Doing your make-up for the day should not take all day at all.

The fact that she has become such a huge celebrity means that there are plenty of people looking for tips to dress and look like Taylor Swift. Even people who aren’t that interested in her music want to look like her because she has such a unique and appealing style. Of course we could all try and find our own look and style of dress, but why reinvent the wheel? Taylor Swift has found something that works so it is understandable that others want to emulate this.

Tips to dress and look like Taylor Swift

The following tips will help you capture a bit of the unique style of Taylor Swift. The more effort you put into each of these the more closely you will be to resemble her. Of course though, we come in all shapes and sizes and you will only be able to look like her up to a point.

- One of the most distinctive features of Taylor Swift is her blond hair. If you are not this colour already you will need to dye your hair and add the distinctive curls. If you take a few pictures of her hairstyle with you to the hairdressers they should be able to recreate the look.

- Another one of her big assets is her charming smile. If you want to emulate this you will need to make sure that your teeth are in good shape; you might also want to consider having them whitened. If your teeth are not in good shape they you will need to visit your dentist in order to get the Taylor Swift look.

- Many people are full of praise for how great Taylor Smith’s skin looks. If you want to copy this you will need to have a good skin-care routine.

- You should be quite conservative with your makeup when trying to look like Taylor. She only uses it sparingly and this is why her face looks so natural.

- A huge part of the Taylor Smith look is her clothes. She is heavily influenced by the country music scene but she has also adder her own unique twist to this. Her most favoured garment is the long dress, but you will also find her sometimes in jeans and t-shirts; the summer dress is also another big favourite. For footwear she likes to put on appear of custom made cowboy boots.

When it comes to wearing makeup in the summer you will likely be aiming for three goals; protecting your face from too much sun, avoiding too much sweat on your face, and of course helping you to look great. In order to help you do this here are some makeup tips for summer.

The summer is always a time when people want to look their best. Just keep in mind that you will probably need to have a different makeup routine than other times of the year.

• Foundation can be uncomfortable when the weather is hot outside; it can also look unflattering if you begin to sweat from your face. Instead of foundation you can use a tinted moisturiser. For best results you should do this with a slightly wet sponge and make sure that the moisturiser is spread evenly over your face.
• During the summer months you really will find that less is better. If there is any makeup item that you can do without you should stop using it.
• If you do want to use foundation try and use an oil-free product as this will be less likely to run because of sweat and heat.
  Try to avoid using too much blusher and instead work on a healthy natural skin colour.
• Try to avoid using pressed powder with moisturiser as it can become clumpy looking. Instead just use loose powder lightly.
  Keep some blotting paper handy so that you can remove any excess oil or sweat.
• The most important thing to keep in mind is that your skin is protected from the sun. This is important because it could lead to health problems or wrinkles.

There you have just a few makeup tips for summer. This is a time of year when we tend to get out a lot more; the correct makeup routine can make it all the more enjoyable.

On Sunday, July 25th the cast of the hit series “Mad Men” took to Duffy Square in New York City for the much-anticipated Season 4 Premiere. Actress January Jones sparkled on the red carpet in a haute couture gown and a modern Grecian-inspired hairstyle that complimented the look. Sebastian Professional Stylist Design Team Member Thomas Dunkin tended to the tresses of the leading lady, and shares a step-by-step “how-to” for achieving the actress’ slightly undone updo with modern texture:

1. Starting with damp hair, saturate strands from root to tip with Sebastian Professional Volupt Spray.
2. Tousle hair with fingers while blow-drying to work in volume to maintain a look of “yesterday” texture.
3. Once dry, run hands through hair while spraying Sebastian Professional Re-Shaper throughout for added texture and hold.
4. Randomly select pieces to set with a curling iron for another dousing of texture.
5. Section off hair starting at the top slightly to the right of center.
6. With each section, apply a dab of Sebastian Professional Matte Putty and twist the hair from front to nape making sure to keep a random, textured effect.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 across the whole head, securing each section with clear Blax bands and bobby pins.
8. Massage the hair over the whole head, pulling slightly, for a disheveled finish with a modern twist.