Emma Sells

Going up:

Actresses-turned-singers: There have definitely been more hits than misses in this camp but we’re loving Zooey Deschanel’s new band She and Him and we’re eagerly anticipating Scarlett Johansson’s album of Tom Waits covers that’s set to be released next month. Infinitely preferably to the likes of Martine McCutcheon…

Sex and the City speculation: With just over a month to go until the movie is released Cynthia Nixon has revealed that one of the characters is set to die. Will Samantha’s cancer return? Will Big have a heart attack at the altar? Or will Carrie fall off her Manolo’s under a bus? The possibilities are endless but we reckon you should have your hankies at the ready…

Anchors: From the motifs on the gorgeous bikinis by Frost French for Debenhams to the Giles and Brother pendant, we’ve fallen for them hook, line and sinker…

Going down:

Heathrow’s terminal 5: First there were the long queues, then Naomi’s dramatic arrest and now they’ve lost Kate’s Louis Vuitton luggage containing samples of her next collection for Topshop. Could it get any worse?

Celebrity twins: Is anyone else getting a bit freaked out by the way that Evan Rachel Wood is becoming more and more like Dita von Teese every time she makes an appearance. Is this a conscious decision or is this the effect that Marilyn Manson has on his girlfriends? We think it’s time she forged her own style…

Skinny minnies: Politicians in France are considering making the promotion of anorexia on websites, blogs and in ads a criminal offense. What will Karl do if this comes into force? Does this mean that Beth Ditto will become the face of, well, everything? We await the outcome with interest…

Going up:

Pilates: We’ve been bombarded by pictures of Madonna looking fabulous all week and, although we’re not quite convinced by her penchant for leotards, we’re loving her look. And if she can do it, why can’t we? We’re heading straight to Beautcamp and have booked our first Pilates class…

Denim: We’re not talking jeans here - the high street is awash with everything from ruffled skirts to towering platforms made with our favourite fabric and the celebs are setting the trend so make like Alexa and go denim-tastic…

PPQ: Our favourite party dress destination has done yet another collaboration, this time with Ben Sherman. Choose from 5 dresses themed from 5 different decades once they hit the stores this month - we’re lusting after the 1980s…

Going down:

Naomi Campbell: Oops, she did it again. Queen of tantrums Naomi got arrested and was hauled kicking and screaming off a flight from Heathrow. Looks like she’ll be back cleaning toilets before you can say diva…

Moccasins: Say yes to fringing and no to the new Uggs. One, two, three, repeat after us, ‘My name is not Pocahontas’…

American Apparel: Being sued by Woody Allen for using an image of him in one of their ad campaigns. Apparently he’s not a big fan of jersey vests and gold lame leggings…

Going up:

Kate Moss, The Biography: The newest ‘tell all’ book about our favourite supermodel has hit the shelves. Unfortunately it’s in French. Quick, who can translate for us?

House of Holland @ Movida: Get on your dancing shoes and head to the hottest club night in town, Fash Bash – yes, the music’s bound to be good but the celeb spotting will be even better… ( every month at Movida, Argyll Street,W1)

Colourful trainers: We’re still lusting after the latest designs from Pierre Hardy (below) but we’ll settle for Reebok or east-end cool kid approved Nike’s too.

Carla Bruni: We’re obsessed. What will she wear next?! And, look, she’s meeting the Queen! And sitting in a carriage! Our new favourite celebrity.

Going down:

Chocolate: Hands up if you over indulged at the weekend? Us too. Diet central, here we come…

Going out: With all new series of The Apprentice and Desperate Housewives, plus the arrival of (we can hardly contain our excitement) Gossip Girl, there are simply no evenings available for us to be sociable.

Winter bodies: Shops stocked with new spring clothes remind us  it’s not too long before the sun comes out – time to book the waxes and pedicures and reach for the fake tan…

Rod Stewart’s clothing line: Seriously? We think this celebrity turning designer thing has gone too far…

The internet is abuzz with talk of the latest round of Marc Jacobs ads. No, not the oh-so-cool sequels to the Posh offerings featuring one of the coolest girls on the planet, M.I.A., but the ones featuring Bjorn Borg and and John McEnroe:

Oh, all right, as you may have guessed there’s some serious fakery going on here. According to Fashionista.com, the spoofs hail from New York-based duo Greg Hart and Thomas Larson who have their own creative agency and who dressed themselves up and posed for the ‘ads’ just for kicks. I have to say I’m pretty impressed – their wigs may not be convincing but they captured pretty much perfectly the feel of your average Jeurgen Teller shoot. And of course, the Marc Jacobs ads as a rule have a hefty dose of humour about them. These spoofs are good but I can’t say they made me laugh as much as the first time I saw Victoria Beckhams legs sticking out of a monster tote.

Anyway, we know that MJ is pretty internet savvy – let’s not forget that he posted comments on Cathy Horyn’s blog during the late-fashion-show-drama of 2007 – and I bet you anything that he’s checked them out and had a good old giggle to himself. In fact, I wouldn’t put it past him to a) use the ads for real b) give Hart + Larson a job (which is perhaps what they’re angling for) or c) use Bjorg and McEnroe as the inspiration for his next show. Would they really be any more outlandish than Spongebob Squarepants? Click here to see the full range of pics…

Continuing the anti-fur theme from last week, I couldn’t help but notice that one of my favourite perma-tanned celebs, Lindsay Lohan, has been spotted stepping out sporting the latest must have accessory - a no fur badge from PETA.

Now, far be it for me to judge or use the words jump or bandwagon, but it’s only a matter of moments since LiLo stepped out in a whole succession of pretty hideous ensembles which all had a distinctly non-fake furry theme. Want to see an example?

Mmmm, the fur lined cape. Hot, no? Now PETA reportedly left her off their most hated list this year because she’s been showing signs of improvement in taste and shopping habits. Apparently the sight of her in her leather jacket is more palettable. Frankly I’d take almost anything over those damned leggings that she wears 24/7, but that’s just me. Anyway, back to the subject in hand. Do you think that she’s really had a moral turnaround or is she merely concerned about the prospect of being covered in flour or having her very own dedicated website a la the Olsens? Only time will tell…

Anyone who knows me well will be aware that on my list of fun things to do, exercise of any sort doesn’t rank particularly high. Or rather it doesn’t rank at all. It follows, therefore, that golf is not an activity in which I indulge terribly often. I meandered round the golf course with my step-mum once or twice as a teenager but nowadays the closest I get is tying to dodge the golfers while strolling on Wimbledon Common. However, the pictures that have just dropped into my inbox of the new golf collection from Stella McCartney for adidas nearly have me reaching for a five iron.

We’re not talking plus fours and flat caps here; cute tailored shorts, smart polo shirts and, my personal favourite, a gorgeous trench-style jacket, will look as good off the course as on. As Stella herself says, ‘I think it is about time that women who wear golf can now echo what they wear in everyday life on the green. It’s exciting for me to bring a bit of an edge to golf.’ I predict that club memberships will be up across the country. The range is in adidas Sport Performance stores now - call 0870 240 4204 to find you nearest stockist.

Today I went for a bit of a wander during my lunch hour and found myself at Topshop, Oxford Circus (quelle surprise). Hidden away behind the bustling crowds I noticed a new window.

With a distinctly jungle theme – a bikini clad mannequin surrounded by foliage and cuddly toy reptiles – this is the latest collaboration between the high street favourite and Olsen-hating anti-fur group PETA. Splashed across the glass is the slogan ‘Exotic skins make our blood run cold – Join Topshop in saying ‘No’ to cruelty’, the aim being to encourage shoppers to spurn anything made from exotic animal skins due to the inhumane way in which they are farmed. (If you want to know the gory details and see the evidence for yourself then click here.) To be honest I can’t imagine that the average Topshop customer snaps up too much crocodile skin on their shopping trips, but I definitely appreciate the sentiment. The window will be up until March 14th so go down and check it out.

If like me you just got paid then the chances are that, instead of budgeting carefully for the month ahead, you’re itching to splurge on something fabulous. I may have just the thing for you – a limited edition Ksubi (formerly Tsubi) t-shirt which I found while having a bit of a rummage on the internet (it is Friday afternoon after all).

It’s a collaboration between the Australian label and two American party scenesters Cobrasnake and Cory Kennedy. Not sure who they are? Cobrasnake is the namesake of photographer Mark Hunter whose website is a stateside equivalent of dirtydirtydancing.com, and Cory Kennedy is his teenage ex-girlfriend and muse turned internet sensation, model and party girl. The limited edition t-shirt features a print of Paris Hilton and Cory Kennedy:

It’s currently only available on the Cobrasnake website and there’s a limited run so all you cool kids out there had better get clicking and buy it fast.

If you’ve recently headed down to PPQ for a quick shopping spree (guilty as charged) or treated yourself to afternoon tea at Sketch (you lucky thing), then you may have noticed the beautiful chalk drawings that are currently adorning the boarded up shop on the corner of Conduit Street and Saville Row.

Far from being the showcase of a budding street artist, this is the location of the hotly anticipated British flagship store of my favourite pop designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, and the sketches are by none other that JCDC himself. Word is that when he came to check out his new shop space he hated the sight of the bland boards so much that he whipped out some chalk from his pocket and indulged in some impromptu doodling. The store itself is provisionally set to open sometime in April, but get yourself down there before then if you want to see the drawings in person.

This lunchtime I treated myself to a spot of window shopping down at uber-cool store, Dover Street Market. And what did I find nestled down in the basement between House of Holland and Zandra Rhodes? The hotly anticipated collection by my favourite starlet Chloe Sevigny for Manhattan’s hottest shop, Opening Ceremony. Finally, a celebrity collaboration I can get excited about. The brightly coloured floral dresses, super-cool hot pants and modish trousers mix Little House on the Prairie with 50’s rockabilly, and it’s easy to imagine Chloe sporting every piece – this is distinctly quirky rather than trend-led.

It’s not cheap – we’re talking more The Row from the Olsen twins than Lily Allen for New Look – and prices start from around £150. Nonetheless, I have a feeling that it will prove a hit amongst the more adventurous of the fashion pack. Top of my wishlist? The black suede wedge boots with a chunky silver zip up the front. If you want to check it out get down to DSM (who are exclusively stocking it in the UK) fast or just click here for a closer look at the whole collection.