What do Kirsten Dunst, Penelope Cruz, Uma Thurman have in common? No, it’s not the fact they are three beautiful actresses. It’s the fact that when you put them on the red carpet, they do nothing but shine. At Cannes Film Festival, people may remember the winner of the coveted Palme d’Or, but they’ll also remember the dresses that sparkled, the flawless faces and the figure-hugging numbers that played with the imagination. Here are my highlights from this year’s full-filled festival on the French Riviera:

Calvin Klein La Croisette beach party
Joanne Black style: Myla dress, YSL heels and Sergio Rossi clutch
Calvin Klein parties are a magnet for beautiful women – which makes them ideal for a bit of style spotting. There were a number of contenders for the best-dressed crown. Standing out from the star-studded crowd were both actress Vanessa Hudgens, who wore a flashy yellow Calvin Klein dress, and Jessica Chastain, whose on-trend orangey red number with red sandals and a white clutch caught more than a few eyes. Close behind were top model Laura Stone in a gold figure-hugging dress, which she matched with some beach-friendly flats, Clemence Poesy sporting a 60’s-style white mini shift dress and festival judge Uma Thurman in an embellished black dress.

Duran Duran – Belvedere party @ VIP
Joanne Black style: Jitrois leather dress, Alaia belt, YSL shoes and a Chanel bag
Those who go to see Duran Duran in anything other than a rock chic style do so at their peril. This legendary British band is just made to be followed by leather-clad fans in sexy black numbers. With access to the VIP area back stage, I was well-placed to catch all the fashion action. For a second time, Vanessa Hudgens led the way in a stunning black dress and leather jacket – teamed I’d like to add with the same YSL heels I wore! Jamie Foxx also looked cool dressed all in black – perfect for his turn behind the microphone – and jury judge Jude Law was his stylish self in a grey blazer and white T-shirt.

Charles Finch’s 3rd Annual Filmmakers Dinner @ Hotel du Cap Eden Roc
Joanne Black style: YSL jumpsuit and shoes
Find yourself with an invite to one of Charles Finch’s prestigious soirées and you know you’ve arrived. For his guest list is like no other. Setting the style standard, Charles himself was looking as good as ever in a blue shirt and espadrilles from his new brand Chucs. Add Jane Fonda – who wore a dazzling floor-length off-the-shoulder black gown – Mick Jagger and his fantastic designer girlfriend L’Wren Scott (who looked elegant in her own design) and legendary music producer Richard Perry into the mix and it’s not hard to see why the Filmmakers Dinner is still the hottest ticket in town. It was great to see top new couple Emily Browning and Max Irons getting cosy and I also have to mention Tods’ CEO Diego Della, who showed us how the smart/casual look should really be pulled off – wearing a black and white scarf as a tie, with a black shirt (collar standing up), a navy blazer and jeans.

De Grisogono Dinner
& After Party @ Hotel du Cap Eden Roc

Joanne Black style: Roberto Cavalli gown and de Grisogono diamond Earrings
Fawaz Gruosi, founder of de Grisogono, is a man who understands beauty. He also understands that when you mix dinner with diamonds, dancing and daring dresses, your parties become a mecca for sparkling fashionistas. This party was less about the clothes and more about admiring the bodies being shown off by them. Supermodel Bianca Balti, who arrived with Fawaz, has such a stunning waistline, it was nice to see it in a fringed white dress with a cut out waist. Karolina Kurkova also opted for the cut out style, revealing a little flesh with her dark chocolate brown dress. But the beautiful bodies didn’t stop there. With Goldie Hawn (in a beige floor-length silk fish skin effect Alberto Feretti dress), Ex Vogue editor Carine Roitfield in a sexy lace number, Naomi Campbell in full-length gown and Georgina Chapman in a short white piece of her own collection, there were plenty of well-toned and well-heeled wonders to observe. Designer Eva Cavalli also deserves a mention for leaving her dress at home, throwing out tradition and sporting a stylish black tux.

AmfAR Cinema Against AIDS L’Oreal Party @ Hotel du Cap Eden Rock

Joanne Black Style: Lanvin gown
Another party at Eden Roc, another opportunity for Goldie Hawn to show us just what it takes to be a leading lady in the style stakes. Wearing a soft pink Roberto Cavalli one-shoulder gown with diamante round the waist, de Grisogono earrings and a gold Shamballa bracelet, she took centre stage at this stunning event, designed to raise money for AIDS research. Of course, hers wasn’t the only stand-out performance. Also opting for a pale gown with diamante detailing was – the now Princess of Monaco – Charlene Wittstock. Supermodel Karolina Kurkova made an entrance in a short halterneck white Chanel number with gold chains, Gwen Stefani stepped out in a glitzy black halterneck gown with a fish tail and gold belt and L’Oreal model Doutzen Kroes took a turn in an orange mini dress with gold heels, a gold cuff and a blue clutch. And, not to be outdone, the men also gave us something to pour over – actor Sean Penn worked the all-in-black look (complete with skinny tie) and Renzo Rosso sported a trendy tux with a T-shirt and chain.

From the red carpet to pre-awards parties, Oscars week is all about style. In the ‘City of Angels’, you’ve got to be well-dressed if you want to impress – and get invites to all the right parties.

There’s nothing like a week of glamorous events to give your wardrobe a workout. Here’s what I packed for my stay at the Beverley Hills Hotel:

Balmain dress: I wore this with Sergio Rossi heels at the Soho House Grey Goose party. It was a real crowd pleaser – and conversation starter with a few celebs – and made a great addition to the suitcase.
Lanvin jumpsuit: This number kept me warm when it started to rain on the way to the Kevin Spacey Foundation event. With my Christian Louboutin heels and YSL accessories, I was all dressed up and ready to talk to the man himself.
Jitrois leather dress: Faced with a room full of leading ladies at the Charles Finch and Chanel party, I knew I had to pull out all the stops. Wolford tights, my Louboutin heels, Stephen Webster earrings and a hint of Chanel helped me complete the look.
Lanvin gown: No trip to Elton John’s viewing party would be complete without a fabulous gown, which I wore with my Prada fur, Chopard diamonds, YSL heels and a Sergio Rossi clutch.
Extras: I even found time to add a few new accessories, popping into vintage shop Decades for some fab earrings and the Chanel boutique on Rodeo Drive for a pair of stunning gloves – with that famous chain detail.
Chucs bikini: a must for all those morning after pool sessions.

With nights spent living out my A-list fantasies and days spent relaxing poolside, there were more than a few highlights from this week with the stars. To celebrate, here are my Style Academy Awards:

Best dressed man: Ok, so I’ve narrowed it down to a shortlist. First up is Jon Hamm who looks great even when he’s not playing Don Draper! I liked his beige suit and jade green shirt look when I caught up with him at the Grey Goose party. He said he’d just been at an Irish party and had discovered the expressed ‘cead mile failte’, which means a hundred thousand welcomes. Also worth a mention is Piers Morgan (looking sharp in a black suit, white shirt and blue tie) and Gerard Butler, who looked every inch the movie star in a grey suit, white unbuttoned shirt and black cashmere coat at the Weinstein pre-Oscars party.

Best dressed woman: It’s another list! Olivia Cole looked cool in a Temperley number with a Paul & Joe blazer at Soho House and Jennifer Lopez and Cameron Diaz showed everyone what a great personal trainer can do – Lopez was sporting a LBD that complemented her shapely pins and Diaz gave us all a treat by stepping into a mini dress. I also think Hayden Panettiere dazzled at Elton’s party in a long white gown with built in gold top.
Best celebrity spot: Too many to mention really, but highlights include having lunch sitting on the table next to designer Valentino and spotting Leonardo DiCaprio (hiding under a baseball cap), Serena Williams (wearing a short grey leather jacket over a tennis-style mini dress) and Helen Mirren (in a fitted top and yellow skirt) at Soho House.
Best use of sparkle: And the winner is… Heidi Klum. In glittery shoes and a Julien Macdonald gown, she sparkled on that red carpet.
Best red carpet look: Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz deserve the title in this category. Both leading ladies opted for colourful, figure-hugging numbers that accentuated their stunning body shapes. Johansson wore a backless purple lace Dolce & Gabbana  dress and Cruz stepped out in true star style in a red sequinned L’Wren Scott dress, which she accessorised with Jimmy Choo and Chopard jewels.
Best use of Chanel (at the Chanel party): With a room full of ladies dressed in Chanel – everyone from Cate Blanchett to Uma Thurman – it was hard to pick a winner. I have to single out Naomi Watts though for her short cream skirt, see through top and soft pink bolero-style jacket, which she paired with cool ankle boots.
Best celeb chat: It’s got to be Kevin Spacey! We talked about his recent trip to Dublin and all the hot spots he visited.
Best sexy number: Sharon Stone kept it simple in a black Dior dress and really let her stunning looks do the talking.

Phew! After all that style, I need a rest.

 

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.

As a fan of Lanvin – especially at this time of year with their party dresses and winter holiday bags – I just couldn’t resist selecting Paula Laschera as my style icon for December. She’s the perfect ambassador for Lanvin and here she makes elegance and sophistication look effortless. I love the way she has combined autumn colours beautifully. The brown fox throw is stunning over one shoulder, the brown suede shoes give the outfit a funky edge and the statement clutch brings it all together nicely.

Find out more: www.lanvin.com

Where: Lanvin Men, Savile Row
Joanne Black Style: Lanvin T-shirt, Wolford body, YSL bag, Sharon Wauchob jacket, Jitrois leather leggings and Sergio Rossi over-the-knee boots.

When great style, great music and great design come together the result is every bit as fashionable as it sounds. Lanvin’s Savile Row store provided the perfect setting for an evening of music (from Mika’s iPod), Marrakesh-inspired cocktails and sharp looking men. Mika’s fashionable following – from British film director Mike Figgis and shoe designer Christian Louboutin to Paul Smith and British Milliner Stephen Jones – were out in force to help him celebrate the launch of his limited edition book Songs For Sorrow, which comes with 4 new acoustic tracks.

Lanvin’s very own designer Alber Elbaz was among those designers and artists chosen to illustrate one of the new songs for the book. His beautiful mermaid – dressed in Lanvin no doubt – was designed to accompany the song Lady Jane and showed just what an accomplished artist he is.

After my fill of celeb style, I snuck away with my complimentary CD to listen to Mika’s new songs. I recommend Toy Boy – it’s very catchy and worth the trip to Lanvin just to hear!