J'Adore Dior?

There have been two designers at the forefront of everyone's mind this fashion season - Hedi Slimane at Yves Saint Laurent & Raf Simons at Dior. Whilst both obviously having enormous boots to fill (Hedi taking over from Stefano Pilati, who gained wide critical-acclaim during his time as creative director at YSL), but it was Raf who really needed to make his mark, accustomed as the industry was to Galliano's outlandish, ostentatious creations. Would the man behind minimalistic chic at Jil Sander deliver?

We're impressed but not quite sure yet - there were some pieces that scream Dior, minimalist or not, but there are some that didn't immediately grab us - what do you think? Tweet me @melissaodabash & let me know your thoughts.

Melissa's Top Tips For Your Home: Botanical Grandeur

Get back to nature, decorate your home with botanical goodness! Whether its pretty leaves you find on your sunday strolls, pruned trees indoors rather than out, garlands of flowers cascading down your walls, we at Odabash beleive that surrounding yourself with greenery goodness is essential to inner fulfilment. Recently at the office, Melissa decided to Feng Shui and surround us with beautiful orchids, and we have to say, we feel better already!  Try it yourself, here are a few of our favourite ideas for bringing the outside, inside.

 



Melissa's Guide to Paris Fashion Week!

With Paris Fashion Week starting today, Melissa wanted to share with you her favourite things about Paris and all her top tips on how to do 'the city d'amour' in style! So grab your breton stripes, your Chanel sunnies, your bicycle and your baguette, and say "Bonjour" to the Odabash Guide to Paris Fashion Week!

WHAT TO WEAR?

A statement bag is an absoloute must for fashion week. Make it big so you can fit everything you need in it! We love these red bags from Chloe, Proenza Shouler and Jimmy Choo. They can jazz up any outfit in seconds!

From Right: Chloe (Net-A-Porter), Proenza Shoulder (Net-A-Porter), Jimmy Choo (Net-A-Porter)

Fashion Week means lots of walking, and taxi's are notoriously scarce in Paris, so make sure you pack a pair of luxe ballet pumps! Obviously French Sole is our go-to for dolly flats here at Odabash, Melissa also loves Jimmy Choo, these super cute miu miu embellished nude numbers are super chic too and make a great alternative to sky high heels without sacrificing style.

MELISSA'S PARISIAN PACKING TIPS!

At this time of the year the weather can be very unpredictable in Paris! Wherever your going infact, Melissa suggests always checking the weather before you travel, lay out all outfits on bed so you can interchange pieces. That way you won't end up trying to find an outfit after a night on the tiles with a fuzzy head and nothing to wear! When packing its best to lay everything flat to minimise creasing and this way you can fit a lot more in, and leave room for shopping!

We love the way this lady has organised her packing! Its also fun to Instagram your packing pics!

Always pack a travel candle to make your room feel more like your own space. Staying in so many different hotels during show season can get quite disorientating, so it is a great way to make sure you feel right at home! We love Jo Malone, Diptique and Miller Harris not only for thier dreamy fragrances, but also for their beautiful packaging. These also make great gifts if you're meeting foreign acquiantances for dinner!!

Diptique Candles available from Liberty

Dont forget to pack a notebook, camera or sketchpad so you can make notes on everything you see while in Paris. We love the idea of sketching looks rather than photographing them at the catwalk shows. Much more authentic and pleasurable than trying to snap a blurry photo on your iphone! Other Odabash essentials include an Ipad for catching up on emails in the morning over coffee and croissants, a bottle of Fiji Water to rehydrate regularly and business cards so you never get caught out without one!

Christian Dior's fashion sketches and the ultimate fashionista's sketchbook!

WHERE TO SHOP?

Of course no Fashion Week is complete without some serious shopping! After seeing all the beautiful clothes on the fashionistas of Paris and on the runway, we challenge you not to do some damage to your credit card, especially in the fashion captial of Europe! Here are our favourite places to indulge in some retail therapy, Paris styleeee.

Zadig & Voltair and The Kooples fill the trendy streets of Le Marais!

Head to 'Le Marais' and get lost in the meandering streets filled with uber trendy boutiques such as The Kooples, Zadig Voltaire, & Surface to Air. Make sure you check out Toutes Les Filles boutique and stock up on your Odabash essentials too for your winter getaway! Thier store has a bit of everything so if you can only visit one shop in Paris, this is the one to make sure you have the best choice! 'Colette' is also every fashionista's one stop shopping destination, as well as 'Le Bon Marche' for picking up the latest designer bags and accessories!

Stack up on Odabash at Toutes Les Filles in Paris!

St Germain des Pres

If you're after designer labels, St Germain is the place to be! With boutiques like Chanel, Celine, Louis Vuitton and Isabel Marant at your disposal, it is pure French high-fashion euphoria! Even if your purse strings don't stretch that far, we seriously recommend just checking out their window displays which are just beautiful. Once the domain of artists, musicians and intellectuals Sant Germain des Pres is also a great place to people watch, especially if sitting in one of the typically Parisian street cafes. We particularly love spotting Parisian locals and thier chic pooches!

Pooch watch and an Apperetif in St Germain, the perfect way to spend the early evening or a stop off on your shopping trip!

If you have a morning off and love a romantic flea market and a good bargian hunt then Porte de Vanves Flea Market is the place to be! Every Saturday and Sunday morning from 7am–1pm, the market is known to be at the top of its game in Paris for vintage clothes and accessories, antiques, and trinkets, books and old suitcases. The early start means there is no excuse as you can head straight to the shows after you've had a rummage!

Bargain hunting at Portes des Vanves Flea Market (Style Traveller)

EATS & TREATS?

After a long days work what better way to treat yourself than with Paris' reknowned culinary concepts and restaurants that sprawl across the city, you're spoilt for choice! A few of Melissa's favourites include Atelier Maitre D"Albert in St Germain, with amazing art on the wall as cosy intimate but modern atmosphere its perfect for after dark indulgence. KGB, also in St German comprises of an amazing menu of fusion food, like tapas but with a French/Asian twist, the pan fried scallops with a hint of lemongrass and coconut milk are a real treat for the tastebuds! If it's quick and easy your looking for, but don't want to compromise on taste and quality then Relais de L'Entrecote is the perfect choice and great for when all you are craving is a classic Parisian Steak Frites, they have nothing else on the menu so service is quick and house wine is amazing. The waitresses dressed in black with white pinnies, very authentic Paris! Le Petite Zinc right opposite is also a real experience, serving seafood in an amazing Art Deco styled setting.

Clockwise from Top Left: Scallops at KGB, Art Deco at Le Petit Zinc, 'Hallo Hallo'! Waitresses line up outside L'Entrecote, Modern Bistro Atelier Maitre D'Albert

DON'T MISS!

This season in Paris we at Odabash are seriously looking forward to what Karl Lagerfeld will pull out of his sleeve for his show. Judging from recent productions it is bound to be a visual feast not only in terms of the clothes walking the runway, but the runway itself! We wonder what the theme will be this seaon? Girls attop of oversized Chanel purse and surrounded by gigantic pearls on a revolving carosell anyone?!

Oppulence on the Catwalk or Carousel at Chanel!

If you get time, a great thing to do is walk the river and check out Notre Dame. With its gothic towers and ornate architechture it is a real inspiration to any creative soul. If you can see it at night, even better, and from the back of a gorgeous Parisian man's motorcycle? Well, the city is yours!

Notre Dame Cathedral painted at night.

So it's "BON VOYAGE" From all of us at Odabash for now....Stay tuned for our Paris Fashion Week Round Up after the chaos is over!

Milan Fashion Week Round-Up

Yesterday saw the closing of Milan Fashion Week, the penultimate week of the most important month in the fashion calendar (alongside Fashion Week February of course!) With fashion-flu fast setting in & those toes in desperate need of a pedicure having been subjected to the highest of heels for over a fortnight, you'd be forgiven for thinking the fashion editors would be dreaming of getting back to a comfortable bed, home comforts & their old faithful ballet flats (French Sole of course darling!). That's where you'd be wrong - this is Milan, where the heels are high, the looks are bold, skirts are short & more is more more more!

Here is the Odabash round-up of collections, looks & style we loved...

Roberto Cavalli showcases crisp white crochet, embroidered nudes & muted takes on his usual bold prints

We love Roberto Cavalli when he is in full-on, all out Italian glamour mode, leopard-print & lace flying everywhere - however, we love him EVEN MORE when he tones this down & creates a collection as beautiful as this SS13 one. The crisp white blazer with it's crochet cut-outs (crochet is so next-year, just wait until you see Melissa Odabash 2013!), that super-sexy but still conservative split pencil-skirt! The barely there slip of a nude evening gown! Mr. Cavalli, with this collection you are really spoiling us!

Kings of the more-is-more ethic, Dolce & Gabbana create a typical bold look, part flamenco, part wholesome holiday in the Spanish Riviera.

We love this collection from Dolce & Gabbana, who, as usual, have managed to make such a themed collection look anything but novelty. All very 'Brigitte Bardot does St. Tropez' & we're expecting to see Eva Mendes sunning herself in some of this early next year!

Feminine shapes in billowing silks & chiffon were the order of the day at Blumarine, in subtle muted pastel tones.

Blumarine have excelled themselves with this super-feminine riot of pastels & chiffon, we particularly love the third-from-left silver slip of a dress - super-chic & perfectly complemented by minimal gold jewellery (yes girls, it is cool to mix & match your gold & silver these days!) 

Pucci abandoned their signature prints for the most part for SS13, sending models clad in clean, flowing whites down the runway.

Pucci have minimalised their signature psychedelic prints for SS13 & pulled off a crisp, white look with aplomb. Masculine pieces like the boiler suit & drop-shouldered blouson jacket are given a feminine overhaul in flowing luxe fabrics, making this a super-lustworthy collection from Pucci!

STREET SNAPS

Milan Fashion Week attendees were in a playful mood this September - lots of on-trend comic book prints, quirky statement sunglasses, pops of colour & bold accessories, including our favourite, this cream bike, which we love against the bright blue & orange of her ensemble.

MFW BEAUTY

Beauty-wise, polished-to-perfection skin was the order of the day at MFW, so girls, get that cleanse, tone & moisturise regime in hand immediately (& finish it all off with a bold, bright lip, be it in fuschia, coral, pillarbox red or plum)

Roll on Paris, starting today...!

Coming Tomorrow...

...the Odabash round-up of Milan Fashion Week, where more is more! Including some of our favourites from Roberto Cavalli & the one & only MFW royalty, Dolce & Gabbana. Keep your eyes peeled!

Weekend Beach Dreaming

The sunny weather we've had in London today has got us back dreaming of holidays and white beaches after the grey we've been experiencing recently...Take us here please..!

Travel Style Icon: Rosie Huntington-Whitely

Oh, how jealous are we of Rosie Huntington-Whitely?! Not only does she have that amazing Victoria's Secret body, but the clothes that hang off it are almost even more enviable! Us Odabash girls are loving her super glam but comfortable and relaxed travel style. Ladies take note for how to look like a supermodel when you hit the airport: invest in a big statement travel bag, a pair of skinny black jeans, some cute taupe shoe boots and some big sunnies! It also helps if you have that glossy honey blonde hair and glowing skin...! All aboard the Private Jet!

The Pirelli Calendar

After receiving several emails from Melissa’s brother in law regarding our beauty post on how to achieve the perfect fishtail braid, it seems as though we have forgotten to cater for our male following. Apparently fishtail braids, according to David, fashion guru and all around go-to man for style tips, are definitely not the rage with gentlemen for Summer 2012, or ladies for that matter! So we have decided, as we are so kind and thoughtful at Odabash, that this one is for the boys (and the girls for fit-spiration!).

Gentlemen, prepare to be amazed, Ladies, prepare to be ultimately, depressed, before splurging on that gym membership you've been promsising to buy since last Christmas!

Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford word the 80's supermodel magic

The famous Pirelli Calendar dates back to 1964 and  is known for its limited availability, only gifted to an exclusive number of important Pirelli customers and celebrity VIPs. The calendar features tasteful and artistic shots of ‘of the moment’ models and women from across the globe. To appear in the calendar has become a mark of success for the select few models that are chosen, as well as for the photographers commissioned to produce the images.

A younger Kate Moss and a strikingly sexy Gisele Budchen grace the pages of the infamous Calendar in the 90's

Legendary photographers ranging from Terry Richardson, known for his risqué and somewhat blunt take on art, to renowned fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier who has shot numerous editorials for Vogue and Harpers Bazaar as well as campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Celine, Cartier and Ralph Lauren. Even Karl Lagerfeld has shot for the calendar!

Erin Wasson, favourite to designer Isabelle Marant and Adriana sizzle in the Noughties



Over the years, the models and celebrities who have appeared in it include actresses Sienna Miller, Penélope Cruz, Brittany Murphy and Selma Blair, alongside supermodels extraordinaire Naomi Campbell & Cindy Crawford, leggy Gisele Bündchen and the infamous Kate Moss, and of the Victoria’s Secret Angels Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio.

Model, Actress and Designer, Rosie Huntington Whitely and Miranda Kerr are shot by Terry Richardson for the 2010 Calendar



How beautiful are some of these shots taken on location in a variety of different exotic places all over the world, from the WhitSunday Islands in Australia, to the outbacks of Morocco, and the resort style capital, Cannes. Boys? You can't say we never do anything for you! And girls? Depressed yet? We thought so...more uplifting posts soon!

Melissa's London Fashion Week Round Up!

London Fashion Week! Our favourite week of the year in our home city came to a close last night, so as we did for NYFW, here is Melissa and the Odabash girls’ round up of our LFW magical moments, shows, celeb spots and oufits!

Technicolour Trench's at Burberry SS13

Always a fashion week highlight and one of Melissa’s all time much-loved go-to brands, the Burberry SS13 Collection Led by Christopher Bailey did not disappoint this season. The much anticipated show included an array of perspex capes, and a rainbow of metallic trenchcoats in bright hues of pink, blue and orange. Of course Burberry’s signature style, classic British heritagewas included, with a range of neutral and military coloured, but overtly textural garments and structural shapes, perfect for those rainy English summer days!

Our favourites from Mulberry SS13 - How cute is that Poodle?!

Backstage at Mulberry SS13

Mulberry this season showed a beautiful feminine medley of flora and fauna with a muted but fresh colour palette and tropical blossom inspired prints, combining a laid-back mishmash of on trend mints and lavenders and pastels. Creative Director Emma Hill mixed up this exotic inspiration with our rural English craft heritage perfectly. With Kate Moss and Alexa Chung sat front row it was the ultimate British affair. We at Odabash are lusting after one of those pooches too!!

Julien Macdonald's SS13 Presentation

While Welsh Fashion legend and Melissa’s personal style advisor and pal Julien Macdonald didn’t put on a show this season, we were just as impressed with his beautifully ornate and decadent collection of embellished evening wear. The Odabash team are borderline obsessed with the styling from his presentation also, juxtaposing masculine harsh hair and gothic make up with the most breathtakingly feminine gowns. We thought it bought a whole new edge to couture and dressing up for the ball, very Rooney Mara! Check out our three favourite pieces from the collection here.

Tribal Extravagance at Matthew Williamson SS13

A vision of tribal

Melissa’s fail safe go-to designer for summer fashion (apart from her own line of course!)has to be Matthew Williamson, and he did us Brits proud with his trademark Technicolor explosion, this time Indian Holi Festival inspired, collection. The intricate mirrored embellishments, blue lagoon and shocking pink colours infused with tribal embroidery and tassels played against geometric patterns and the most lustrous of fabric. It made us want to book a holiday immediately to Goa to join in the raucous street party and fling vibrant paints and powders at each other!

Kim Seyers and Andy Murray converse with Anna Wintour on the FROW at Burberry



The Odabash award for ‘Most Star Studded FROW’ of the season has to go to that of Burberry. A whole host of ‘of the moment’ celebs mingled with each other, sporting hero Andy Murray and girlfriend Kim Seyers sat next to Anna Wintour, while Harry Styles from One Direction cozied up to Dita Von Teese (every teenage boys dream?!) and Slumdog Millionaire’s Dev Patel. On the other side the Fash Pack were out in force, Suki Waterhouse, Pixie Geldof and Alexa Chung mixed with New York Upper Eastsider and style icon Olivia Palermo, we could not stop oogling her outfits over the last few days! Check out our pick below.

Olivia Palermo never fails to dress to impress!

Some of our fave Street Style looks from around London this past week. Love Anna Dello Russo!

Here are a few more images of our favourite street style from this SS13 London Fashion Week from around our home city. The spectrum of creativity and style in London is unparalleled with any other city and we are proud that we are working and living in such an inspiring city! Another London Fashion Week is over…at least now we can dream about what we will be wearing next summer! Someone press fast forward please?