Amy Winehouse, great music talent is dead at 27!

It's a sad day for British music with the sad and tragic loss of the young Amy Winehouse who has died at the age of 27. With two successful albums and a beautiful and distinct voice reminiscent of Billie Holiday, Amy's career was far too short plagued by her demons of drugs and alcohol that has ultimately been her demise. For many years now Amy's private life as been in the spotlight as she battled to recover from her addictions. I'm deeply shocked by the news of her death today at 3:54pm in North London , I know she was still battling addiction after her current tour three weeks ago was cancelled but I always believed she would eventually fight these problems and come back to music with a bigger and better album than Back to Black, which was an exceptional album. I had high hopes for her musically and it's a great shame now that she will immortalised with the likes of Kurt Cobain who were troubled but exceptionally musically talented who showed greatness but died far to young.

RIP Amy I hope your finally at peace. xxx

Haute Couture Fashion week

I know this is about a week to late, but work has been crazy with trade shows coming up and the launch of a new season beckoning. So better late than never is my top three at Couture Fashion Week. I'm of to London Fashion week this September but I can't imagine it being quite as amazing as Couture Fashion Week with the exquisite hand made one offs it's where fashion truly meets Art.

My First of the top three of the week goes to Jean Paul Gaultier, his reinvention and homage to his classics makes this a really exciting collection, particularly with his make of unisex couture, and male models on the runway. With his designs including tailored tutus and corsets with key trends of pleating and draping, this really was a collection to be proud of. And  there was a great and welcomed surprise in the form of Erin O'Conner, it was great to see her on the runway again, she looked fantastic.

This was the first time in 15 years without John Galliano being Creative Director for Couture Christion Dior and he was noticeably missing. Although I liked Bill Gayyten's collection it just wasn't Galliano. With the pastel palette and graphic prints it was a fun collection, I particularly liked the embellishments and massive bobbles in the models hair. Ra Ra skirts was a huge trend in this collection and I think most of us won't ever afford couture but a Ra Ra once Couture flows to designer to high street is a certain wearable possibility. This whole collection was playful it reminds me of candyfloss on acid and I think fun in fashion is always good it's a shame this is Bill's first and last couture collection for Dior, as he certainly has potential but with his departure does this mean maybe Galliano could be back?

And last but very much not least is Chanel. Karl Lagerfeld can do no wrong and this collection inspired by Coco Chanel herself was stunning. The boater hats are exquisite and if anyone has one going spare I WANT IT!!! The classic tweed jackets had an update with a broad shoulder offset by nipped in waists that comes in vibrant magenta and navys. There was a definite lack of flesh showing and I think the strict governess look benefited from that, just going to show that less can definitely be more sexy.

As always leave a comment, what did you think about Haute Couture Fashion Week?

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Email: dolcevitaoffashion@hotmail.co.uk

Cotswolds!

Last weekend a group of friends and I ventured out of London to the fabulous Cotswolds. It was my first time visiting and I can see why it's so popular. It was the rural countryside I had hoped for with it's little brick walls and with it taking under two hours to get there from London it's a great location for a weekend away.

We stayed at the Lower Mill Estate a vacation rental place within an natural reserve and our back garden overlooked a beautiful lake. If you are looking to escape the city I couldn't recommend a better place. The nights our the quietest I've ever heard and during the day there is a spa for treatments and an in door and out door swimming pool and gym. Once we used the facilities in the morning we rented bikes and rode through the countryside, stopping at country pubs at most opportunities.

It was an idyllic weekend, we had garden bbqs and spa treatments I couldn't have been more relaxed and calm. Note though if your are interested in the Lower Mill Estate it has a noise restriction at 11:00pm. Which is fine but on a wonderful summer night it would have been nice to have had some drinks and conversation on the deck and due to the neighbours and noise ban we had to go inside, which was disappointing. Don't get me wrong I appreciate no screaming, loud music but to not really be aloud outside at all after eleven on a girl weekend where gossip and vino were the topic of the night it was sad to have to move location.

See link for the house we stayed in http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/cirencester/56361

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Any fashion questions or questions about my blog email me on dolcevitaoffashion@hotmail.co.uk.

xxx

My verdict on Glastonbury 2011!

Glastonbury was two weeks ago, I accept this blog is late but work has been crazy so I hope you forgive the tardiness. But lets face it if you went you probably have now something I call the Glastonbury blues so you might be glad for the trip down memory lane.

Firstly the weather didn't deter my festival spirit nor did it hinder my fun. Having now seen Glastonbury with rain and lots of mud and being there during a heatwave I have to say completely different experiences but this year was so much better. Last year the heat was unbearable towards the end there was no shade to hide from it and I hadn't slept in days because my tent was an inferno. On the other side of the spectrum was the rain and the large volumes of mud, have to say I have never seen that level of mud before in my life, never. First it went to clay and then it went to quick sand but Sunday the sun shone and the mud, some of it anyway dried up.

But your not reading this for my weather report, so lets get talking about the music. Firstly I'm going to be controversial here and say that Beyonce was not the best act I saw this year and she didn't live up to the hype nor my expectations. The festival all week had been rife with speculation that Prince, Kayne West, Jay Z  would duet so when Crazy in Love came on and even though he was there he didn't duet baffled me. Not just that I found her to be very hypercritical she was man bashing for twenty minutes of the set only for the rest of it to be on her knees asking someone to make love to her, very confusing and conflicting messages if you ask me. Have to say that had I not seen Coldplay and not heard her reputation as amazing live I would have been impressed her voice and dancing were amazing but she couldn't get the other little aspects needed to have a great festival stage presence, for instance why we singing happy birthday to a no one? And being ten minutes late when we've already waited an hour for the set isn't really festival behaviour might work at arenas but not on the field love.

Coldplay on the other hand I can't gush about them enough, what an amazing set. From the pyrotechnics to the live acoustics Chris Martin and Co were the un-noticed headliner that stole the festival in my opinion. I don't own Coldplay albums but I saw them at Live Aid and they intrigued me, but this festival I'm a full fledged fan, definitely going to buy there back albums, AMAZING. From the lazers to the fireworks I was speechless, they had the crowd in the palm of there hands. Well done boys.

The second band who are a must to catch live our Mumford and Sons. I missed them last year as there were too many clashes, so was determined to see them this year and I wasn't disappointed. And although the rain poured while they performed songs from Sign no more it didn't matter Marcus's folk voice had me hypnotised, can't wait for the next album. Definitely a must see live act.

I could talk about all the acts I saw but I feel the blog would turn to a novel. So quickly Elbow, brilliant and it was the bands birthday which was to fun to be included in. Jessie J in a chair shouldn't have bothered coming and if she was persistent on doing the set at least bring dancers, watching you sing in a chair for an hour and abit not so much fun.

See the pics of my experience at the muddy festival very sad it's not on next year but roll on Glastonbury 2013.

xxx