As featured in British Vogue magazine, February 2011

{words & images via Vogue}
on US citizenship rumours: “Oh God, what’s David said now? That’s the first I’ve heard. I’m proud to be English. But LA is definitely home. Lionel Richie asked me the other day how I felt about raising kids there – I’m always bumping into him at the airport, it’s weird – and I said, I feel great. But at the moment they’re little, so I can wrap them up in cotton wool. Ask me again when they’re teenagers.”
on other people’s opinions of her: “I’m a positive person. It’s never nice when people write hurtful things and much as I say I don’t see it, I’m not stupid. But I’ve seen both sides of fame and I realise that it’s brought me a lot of opportunities. I suppose if I really cared what people say I’d have topped myself years ago.”
on the image she projects: “I always look at my miserable stupid face and think why didn’t I just smile… because I’m quite a happy, smiley person. But when I see the paparazzi, I freeze. Maybe that’s my safety wall after all the years of crap. Still, at least the bag looks fabulous.”
on her design skills: “I suppose if people think the clothes are too good for me to have designed them, that’s a backhanded compliment. Look, I don’t draw, but nor do lots of designers. I tie things around me. I experiment with ideas and I try to work out a way to make everything flattering and a woman feel beautiful. Oprah Winfrey recently asked me to make her a dress. I must be doing something right.”
on her husband: “The other morning I looked across at David just after he’d woken up and thought, you look really crap. THANK GOD, because this is a man who always looked perfect.”

As featured in UK Elle magazine, February 2011

{words & images via Elle}
on putting on a brave face: “It’s very much a perception. And that can be frustrating at times, especially when somebody you’ve never seen before approaches you in a restaurant toilet with an opinion on your marriage. Nobody knows what I went through behind closed doors. Nobody knows what it was like when I was on my own. Of course I held myself together in public. Who wouldn’t? Do people want me to throw myself on the street and weep?”
on her self-perception: “My confidence has never hit such an all-time low as it has this year. It feels really bad. I’ve always been self-critical but… I don’t look at pictures of myself. I can’t. I used to be able to, back in the beginning. It’s not about how you look, though, but how you feel inside. I’m getting there again, but it’s a process. At least I can say I’m happy with my morals and with myself as a person.”
on life after divorce: “People who have been in my situation tell me that it’s taken them a long time, it’s been a long struggle and by no means are they over it – but they know why it happened. I can’t wait to get to that point. I’m sure there are reasons. I don’t know what they are yet, but I’ve got to believe it. I’ve got to! The one thing I would love is to just feel settled one day.”
on her personal style: “I’m high maintenance when it comes to beauty. I never dress for men. That’s just not me. Never have done. I want to feel nice as a woman – and for women to think I look nice, too. Fashion is armour, isn’t it? And I need the power of that armour.”

Natalie Portman and Colin Firth continued to dominate the 2011 award shows, once again scooping best actress for Black Swan and best actor for The King’s Speech, respectively. The Social Network came out on top as best motion picture (drama) once more, also bagging best director and best screenplay – that’s got to be a happy bunch of geeks! Talking of geeks, or Gleeks in this case, they too had cause for celebration with Glee winning best television series (comedy or musical), and Jane Lynch and Chris Colfer winning best supporting actress and actor in a television series. For a full list of winners, click here. Other highlights of the night included Ricky Gervais cutting close to the bone with his quips (surely you know what you’re going to get when you hire him?!), and a very distinct set of trends on the red carpet:

{Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace / Catherine Zeta Jones in Monique Lhuillier / Mila Kunis in Vera Wang / Megan Fox in Armani Privé / Sandra Bullock in Jenny Packham / Scarlett Johansson in Elie Saab / Anne Hathaway in Armani Privé / Olivia Wilde in Marchesa / Dame Helen Mirren in Badgley Mischka / Claire Danes in Calvin Klein / Mandy Moore in Monique Lhuillier / Emma Stone in Calvin Klein}

Supposedly a picture says a thousand words, and those umpteen words are all the more potent when there’s a celebrity endorsement involved. Cue ‘Spring Campaign’ season. As super as those models’ powers may be, they pale in comparison when a potential Oscar winner or the spawn of a Hollywood superstar is thrown into the fold. I’m frequently won over by the dynamic images of fashion and beauty campaigns, and the following haven’t disappointed:

Which campaign stands out to you?

We’re right in the midst of Hollywood award season, and although The Main Event* isn’t until 27th February, we’ve got lots of red carpet action to look forward to in the meantime. Following the choice of the people came the choice of the critics, and the A-List turned out in force, dolled up to the nines. Facebook movie The Social Network nabbed top honours winning best picture, and Colin Firth – having also been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week – won best actor for his role as the stammering King George in The King’s Speech. Natalie Portman, who has quickly found her pregnant style groove, picked up best actress for Black Swan, quipping to the film’s director, Darren Aronofsky, “You are responsible for getting me skinny and indirectly responsible for getting me fat” (referring to this news). It remains to be seen whether Portman and Firth are now favourites to take home the coveted gold statuettes in 6 weeks time, but one thing’s for sure… I will be firmly Team Darcy. As for the fashion choices, it was black and white and glam all over:

{images via prphotos}
*The Oscars. Just to clarify.