Cheryl Cole: Saturday night style icon

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Cheryl Cole in Wolford Bondage tights

There’s something very fashionable about staying in on a Saturday night at the moment.  This has a lot to do with the fact that singer, songwriter, model and recognised style icon Cheryl Cole is on hand to brighten up our TV screens with her stunning smile and winning wardrobe.  From false lashes and red hair dye to bondage tights, this sexy singer knows a thing or two about setting the trends.  Only last week, Selfridges sold out of its £32 Wolford Bondage tights and has since been inundated with orders after she performed her latest track on The X Factor.

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Cheryl Cole in Alexander McQueen

It seems everyone – from teenagers to yummy mummies – is scouring the shops for their piece of Cheryl’s hot style.So important is the Cheryl look, we’ve seen her featured on the cover of British VogueElle and Harper’s Bazaar, and watched as she has picked up a whole swath of ‘best dressed’ awards.  She is also rumoured to have around 18 stylists to help her put the look together, which (if true) reveals just how committed she is to getting her style right.  So what is it about this pop star that makes us all rush out and buy tights that we may never have occasion to wear?   The answer, as evidenced by Vogue.com’s recent style file – which profiles her latest looks – is that we not only like everything she stands for, but we also like all the varied outfits she chooses to stand in.

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Cheryl Cole in Herve Leger and Louboutin heels

I say varied, because it’s easier to list the labels Cheryl hasn’t stepped out in.  It would be fair to say she has a preference for Alexander McQueen T-shirts – which she wears with skinny fitting jeans – Nicholas Kirkwood, YSL and made-to-measure Rupert Sanderson shoes, de Grisogono and Stephen Webster jewellery and figure-hugging clothes, which work well with her small but curvy frame.  But, if you looked through her wardrobe, you’d also find short David Koma, Versace, Richard Nicoll and Sass & Bide dresses, long Stephane Rolland, Azzaro and Zuhair Murad gowns, red skinny Citizens of Humanity jeans and leather Balmain jackets – to name but a few.

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Beatrice Boyle dress over LNA leggings and Be & D studded bag

Whether she’s on the stage or at the airport, Cheryl knows how to make an impression.  I love the one-shoulder Herve Leger dress she wore on the Danish version of The X Factor – which she teamed with another Cole favourite: Louboutin heels.

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Sass & Bide Dress

I love it when she wears edgy short statement dresses, especially the black Sass & Bide dress – with lace detail on the sleeves – which she selected for an appearance on Le Grand Journal.

And I even love the Beatrice Boyle dress she wore on route to LA over LnA leggings with a Be & D studded bag.

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Stephane Rolland dress

If I had to choose just one defining Cheryl outfit, however, I’d opt for the bespoke Stephane Rolland gold and black dress she wore for a results show. It was short at the front and long at the back, giving her both a young, edgy look and the chance to show off those wonderfully toned legs.

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Julian Macdonald revealing two-piece, Rupert Sanderson shoes

With her daring outfits and sexy style, Cheryl has turned one of the nation’s favourite talent shows into a catwalk runway. And, as someone who likes tuning in for her fashion update, she certainly gets my vote.

Serpentine Summer Pavilion launch party

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Joanne Black @ the Serpentine Pavilion Party - © Frederic Aranda

Where: Hyde Park, London

Joanne Black Style: Short Alexander Wang 40s-style dress, Stephen Webster White Earrings, blue and yellowy gold short Osman jacket, white YSL heels and a Prada handbag

Set against the glorious Hyde Park, Jean Nouvel’s red and black steel Pavilion – complete with dance floor, bar and table tennis tables – was the perfect location for a what has to be one of my favourite parties of all time.

The fact the sun shined long into the evening meant this was a real summer party – with superb style on show at every turn. Nicky Haslam gets my vote for coolest look of the night. His fantastic turquoise suit was a real statement piece and his spruce green T-shirt, black belt, beads and boots were a great combination.

When I think back to the stand-out fashion, Nicky was in good company. Stephen and Anastasia Webster looked great together – him in a cool grey double-breasted jacket with a blue pinstripe running through it and her in a stunning white halterneck dress with what looked like roosters in circles scattered across it. John Rocha and his daughter Simone looked effortlessly cool. Simone wore a short black blazer, white shirt and clogs and John accessorised his suit with trainers. Jared Leto added a funky edge to proceedings with a black and white jacket, bleached blond spiked hair and trousers with interesting detail down the side. And David Bailey showed us just what a legend he is with a denim jacket with brown leather collar, colourful white and green Hawaiian-style shirt and beige hat with the word ‘fashion’ written across it.

Mention also has to be made of those lovely ladies: Lily Cole, Alice Temperley and Bianca Jagger. Lily stepped out in a warm purple Temperley dress with gold detail around the bust, Alice looked striking in a cerise pink outfit, with a white hat and silver clutch, and Bianca Jagger gave her black taffeta-style dress and short jacket some real sparkle with an pair of emerald green earrings.

If I had to choose one highlight, however, it would be the surprise performance by Dizzee Rascal who wowed us all with his musical talents – and sharp style as he opted for a grey suit, white shirt and amazing shades for his turn in the spotlight.

Royal Ascot 2010 – Gold Cup Winner Rite Of Passage

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Joanne Black and Lolita - Royal Ascot 2010

Where: Ascot Racecourse
The hats:
Thursday: Black Angie B hat with a ribbon under the neck
Friday: Funky cream Anthony Peto hat

Joanne Black Style:
Thursday: White Spring/Summer 2010 Sharon Wauchob dress, with a black crochet bolero style jacket, YSL belt, Alaia ankle boots, Alexander McQueen bag, red Prada sunglasses and Stephen Webster jewellery
Friday: Camel Bottega Veneta dress, with a vintage mink shawl, Sergio Rossi ankle boots and a Ferragamo bag

There’s one thing I love more than backing Ascot’s Gold Cup winner Rite of Passage (a 20-1 chance) and enjoying the celebrations, and that’s dedicating a whole two days of my year to that often forgotten aspect of fashion: hats!

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Joanne Black @ Ascot 2010

Strolling round the Royal Enclosure, I felt like I was attending a festival of fashion rather than a horse racing event. The royal racegoers were out in force – Princess Beatrice looking beautiful in a gold Grecian-inspired dress, navy bolero jacket and a navy hat and the Queen stepping out in a lovely lavender outfit and matching hat on Ladies’ Day (much to the frustration of those who thought she’d be in yellow).

Anyway, back to hats! I was spoiled for choice when it came to looking for great styles over the two days. When I wasn’t staring at Jackie St Clair’s striking red anemone-shaped hat, I was enjoying Wilnelia Merced’s wonderful orange and brown hat with beautiful long feathers, which she accessorised with an orange and gold high-waisted pencil skirt, nude cami and see-through top. Danish designer Isabell Kristensen wore a beautiful DD Valentine large-rimmed black hat with pink flowers, which looked great with a white dress from her own couture collection. And Joan Collins looked absolutely wonderful with a Philip Treacy hat and turquoise jacket with puffed sleeves.

Beyond the obvious excitement of the headwear – and the remarkable win with Rite of Passage – I was delighted to be snapped by a photographer compiling a book about 300 years of Ascot. Who knows, my face might be in all good bookshops this time next year!

PFW: Lanvin

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Paula Laschera and Joanne Black

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Lanvin Autumn/Winter 2011

 

Where: Espace Ephémère Paris

Joanne Black style: Jitrois leggings, Wolford jumper and Lanvin heels

When people talk about the Autumn/Winter collections, their minds are usually fixed on the latest LBD, the use of colour or masterful cuts on display. But when I think back to the fabulous Lanvin show – my last at Paris Fashion Week – I have to start by mentioning the runway. And what a runway it was! Any model that can navigate a Hollywood-style staircase while trying to look glamorous is to be admired.

It wasn’t just the runway that kept me entertained at this show. With chocolate lollipops and bubbly on tap, it was a treat just turning up. Then we have the collection itself, which unusually contained a lot of black. Gone were the candy colours of 2009 and in came models with black wigs, short dresses with edgy heels and fur-trimmed boots. Shoulders were often accentuated with oversized outfits, such as a khaki coat and double-breasted red coat. Alber Elbaz was in top form.

Strangely for a fan of all things black, I had my eye on a short hot burgundy number and a grey long sleeved sexy dress. I also could have easily left wrapped in one of the fab furs – especially a black and white piece that looked like it was going to take flight as was paraded along the runway.

With all eyes on the catwalk, it was hard to take in the crowd, but I did manage to spot Jade Jagger posing for the photographers in one of my Oscars dresses. Nice choice Jade.

The long scarf

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Joanne Black Fashion Pick

Forget fancy ties and heavy coats, this season’s statement piece for men is the long scarf. Brad Pitt wore one inside his shirt instead of a tie at the Cannes Film Festival and now you can look fabulous by using one to dress up a casual or evening look this winter. Rag & Bone do a wonderful blue scarf –which I have taken out on occasion – and Rubinacci on Mount Street has a great selection that’s worth adding to your Christmas list. Who could resist something so practical, warm and super-stylish?