What: The Pendant.

Which: Yes, huge statement necklaces continue to be important. Yes, armfuls of cuffs are a must. But this summer sees another new accessory on the horizon: The long pendant necklace. You want an eclectic pendant with a quirky twist and an interesting trinket. It could be in silver, it might in gold but it should be on a chunky, funky chain or just a simple leather thong.

Why: Because a long pendant works with the new simple minimal silhouette. Because your personal collection of bling and over the top jeweled necklaces is big enough to light up any Christmas tree. Because jewellery is a great way to add personality – and your own individual stamp – to any outfit. Because we love anything that’s a little 70′s.Because we love the look of Gwyneth and Carine Roitfled. Because there is a Wonder Woman lurking inside all of us.

Wear: Toss a long pendant necklace over your favourite maxi dress or layer up long pendant necklaces over a grey Tee and skinny cargoes. Try a pendant necklace with your floppy white shirt and a pencil skirt. Throw a long necklace back with a simple Review dress. Remember the FiFi golden rule with jewellery: keep the attention all on one area. So when you wear a pendant ditch any earrings and bracelets: it’s too confusing and overdressed. You want the focus to be on one fabulous piece (which means no one will even notice you are wearing last season’s top. Bless).

Where: Check out YSL show (bottom left), the Reed Krakoff show and Tommy Ton street shots all from Style.com

It was a fashion moment unlike any other. Somber, dramatic and beautiful, the service and memorial to celebrate the life of Alexander MCQueen was held this week in London at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

“Speakers at the 70-minute service, held on the second-to-last day of London Fashion Week, exalted McQueen’s imagination and technical prowess, but didn’t shy away from his dark side, his fascination with the macabre, his salty humor and his acid tongue,” says WWD.com. “It was a life lived in the public gaze, but it was as vulnerable and retiring as it was glamorous,” the Reverend Canon Giles Fraser told the 1,200 guests, who included Sarah Jessica Parker, Daphne Guinness, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Karen Elson, Stella Tennant, Stella McCartney, Roland Mouret, and Philip Treacy. “Despite the dazzle of his world, he never forgot his East End roots and how much he owed to his loved ones,” said Fraser.

WWD writes, “In a speech peppered with early memories of McQueen’s penchant for last-minute cancellations and his often savage tongue, American Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour called the designer a ‘complex and gifted young man’ who worked out his dreams and horrors on fashion’s stage. ‘The world that he loved was inside the atelier.’”

Tim Blanks from Style.com said, “There were plenty more soul-stirring moments, from the poignant memories of McQueen’s close friends Annabel Nielsen and Shaun Leane, to Michael Nyman’s performance of his theme from The Piano, to the London Community Gospel Choir’s exultant ‘Amazing Grace.’ But nothing could match the perversely pulse-quickening (we were in church, after all) impact of Björk’s elegantly spare rendition of Billie Holliday’s ‘Gloomy Sunday’. She was dressed in a McQueen flight of fancy, the wooden wings from ’13′, his unforgettable girl-and-the-robot show.”

“Sam Gainsbury, who produced all of McQueen’s epics, also produced this sendoff. Her years of experience with the boy genius paid off in a service whose solemnity and ritual—right down to the solitary piper playing Braveheart at memorial’s end—would’ve pleased the designer. ‘But where was the punch-up?’ Gainsbury wondered later. ‘There was always a punch-up.’ Not in this cathedral.”

“He would have loved it,” said Kate Moss. Bless.

Yours fashionably,

FiFi
www.FiFi.com.au

It’s New York Fashion week! So what’s the show everyone is talking about? Marc Jacobs. But, of course. He is the man with the vision. He is the man who leads and doesn’t follow. He is the man who, for summer 2011, is having a love-in with colour. Who is having a big smooch with the 70’s and mad prints. He is the man who is having a group hug with Jodie Foster (in Taxi Driver) Donna Summer and Jerry Hall. There was red! Purple! Pink! Burgundy and Brown! All tossed together and having fun, fun, fun. It was very retro inspired but backstage (as Style.com reports) Marc said he was inspired by 2010 “I was at Naomi Campbell’s birthday party in Cannes and all the girls wore these long dresses, and after dancing all night they hitched them up to the waist.”

So what are the standout pieces? There were very Missoni inspired zigzag knits, sexy strapless jumpsuits, satin shorts, divine halter neck dresses and voluminous short peasant tunics a la YSL. I loved the red chiffon flowing maxi dresses and the high waist, wide leg pants. There were cute small clutches, chain-link shoulder bags, giant flower belts, chokers and gold glitter platforms. The model’s hair was full on frizzy and eye makeup was heavy. Most importantly it was joyful, carefree, fun, bright and colourful. Isn’t that what we all want from our clothes in summer? Bring on the party!

Yours fashionably,

FiFi
www.FiFi.com.au

If you have been living under a stiletto you may not be aware that the world’s biggest fashion event of the year is about to happen!  Along with 16 cities around the globe, (like New York, Paris, London, and Milan) Sydney will host Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out tonight. Yes, tonight! It’s all about “shopping for something good.”

The idea was initiated last year by Anna Wintour at American Vogue to create a night of shopping as a ‘stimulus package’ for the fashion industry. The concept soon spread across to all the Vogue magazines around the world and now Sydney is participating for the first time. So what’s on offer? There are in-store events, fashion shows, pop-ups and exclusive offers throughout the CBD

The night begins at 5:30pm in Martin Place and ends with a Vogue party at Ivy. ‘You can even shop for good on the night by purchasing the signature Fashion’s Night Out T-shirt from Gap from the Vogue pop-up in Martin Place for $25. All proceeds will be donated to Fashion Targets Breast Cancer.’

Next up go along to the Hermès Elizabeth Street store “to learn a few tying techniques and have your silk-clad moment immortalised on a personalised postcard’, head to Bally for an ‘evening of cognac and canapés, while DJ Leigh Irwin hits the decks for instore entertainment’ and skip to Burberry ‘to buy a limited edition black leather bracelet with nickel metallic stud detailing, taking inspiration from the Burberry Spring Summer 2011 collections (but only 15 bracelets will be available for sale so you better be quick).

But wait there’s more!

The Chanel Boutique will go sub zero with an Autumn Winter live fashion shoot in the basement of the Castlereagh Street Boutique and at Gucci you can be styled in signature pieces from the new fall winter 2010-2011 Fashion Show Collection and then have your photo taken for the photo wall (And be one of the first to experience Gucci’s new fragrance – GUCCI GUILTY). Not enough luxury and glamour for you yet? Slip into Prada in Martin Place and you will be served fine champagne on arrival before you drool over the divine bags and shoes…

If you need to know more then click here at Vogue Australia for the list of the all the stores, what’s on and where to go.

Now get shopping!

Yours fashionably,

FiFi
www.FiFi.com.au

FiFi’s Five Favourite Fashion APPs: Guaranteed to keep you amused for hours!

Style.com

Can’t find your way to your front row seat at the Paris, Milan or New York shows? See all the fashion shows right here as they happen (virtually).Check out the Style File blogs with all the latest global fashion news, read all the fashion show reviews, drool over the runway videos and the coolest parties. All from the comfort of your couch. Impossible to live without this APP!

Net-A-Porter

What a fabulous idea: you can lie in bed, float in the pool, or sit in a meeting and buy the latest designer bag, fabulous shoes, and gorgeous clothes from the Net a Porter. Scroll through the most coveted pieces: Horizontal? Vertical? Zoom in for a closer look! If you just feel like browsing you can window shop for hours or just click and drool over the online magazine. Oh so addictive.

Chanel

Is there anything that Karl can’t do? Even if you can’t afford anything Chanel it’s so luxurious to have the Chanel App right there on your phone. You’ll find fabulous videos and photos of the latest Chanel shows (right now the Haute Couture show from July) plus all the divine individual shots of the looks and accessories. There’s also a direct link to Chanel News. Oh la la!

Shopstyle

It’s a fashion search engine that will find you anything you desire. OMG. You can choose US, UK or even France. It’s not available in Australia yet but that doesn’t mean you can’t shop. Most stores will ship internationally. After a fabulous designer bag? Click on the bags, and then refine your choices: colour, price and shape. Is it a black shoulder bag? Choose that option and voila! Every black designer shoulder bag available online (up to a point) to buy right there at your finger tips. (that’s about 1600 bags!) Find one you like? Click through to buy …You never need travel overseas to shop again

Gucci

What joy! You can check out the exclusive fashion shows, latest collections, videos, as well as the latest Gucci news and events. If you are into music then click on the Gucci Beats feature (and mix your own music with help from Mark Ronson) or listen to a new music selection by Frida in the Gucci Music Channel. Cool. Fashion at your fingertips.

Yours Fashionably,

FiFi
www.FiFi.com.au