Japanese whispers

Without wanting to sideline centuries of Japanese heritage, it’s undeniable that kimonos are having a fashion moment. Early adopters have been hunting down silken robes in vintage shops and on eBay, and wearing them as colourful counterpoints to sawn-off denim shorts and T-shirts for a few seasons now – such as Parisian stylist Catherine Baba, who has been snapped cycling between fashion shows in Japanese robes.

The two major reference points for kimonos are wildly divergent. One, the ethereal, bohemian-styled singer, like Florence Welch or Stevie Nicks (Fleetwood Mac are on the road again), an on-stage whirlwind of long hair, printed fabric and fringing; and two, actual Japanese people or that iconic 1974 album cover, Kimono My House, by Sparks.

In fact, the kimono suit – as worn in its native country – is an extremely formal option, comprised of many parts including sandals and the obi belt – which can require a qualified kimono-dresser to assemble and cost thousands. Whether vintage or new, the current incarnation would more accurately be described as a kimono jacket: something billowy, brightly printed and boasting voluminous sleeves.

But those seeking to invest in something a little more unique can turn to Koro Kimono, a new company, which counts Welch herself among its clientele, that upcycles fabric from around the world. It sells ready-made versions as well as accepting bespoke commissions, working with “cottons and silks from the Tropics via Africa, Holland, India, Japan and Peckham”, as the company itself puts it.

Versatility is key to this garment, it can be adapted for smart or relaxed occasions, with the tiniest amount of styling nous necessary. Cool silk feels blissful on hot skin, making kimonos the perfect cover-up for the beach or poolside when pulling a dress on over your head seems far too much effort. But choose wisely and the same robe can be used to add another dimension to jeans and a jumper come November.

short prom dresses | cheap prom dresses

Sun spots treatment: Photorejuvenation explained

When the sun is shining most of us just want to get out there and enjoy the feeling of warmth on our skin. While we know all about how the sun can damage our skin, as well as burning and premature ageing, over exposure to the sun can lead to sun spots which can also make you look older. Not great.

And while you may think that sun spots and freckles go hand in hand with summer, think again. Freckles and sun spots are not the same thing. Lee Garrett, a trained Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner and skincare expert explains...

What are sunspots?

Solar Keratoses or sun spots are skin lesions that develop as a result of exposure to the sun’s UV rays. They can come in different shapes and colours. They are very common on areas of the skin that are regularly exposed to the sun, particularly on the nose, cheeks, upper lip, temples, ears, forehead, neck and hands.

Are sunspots the same as freckles?

No sun spots are not the same as they are caused by over sun exposure. They make look similar, but they are different. Freckles are small brownish spots of melanin on human skin in people who have a fair complexion generally people are predisposed to getting freckles . They are predominately found on the face can be avoided by using a high sunscreen.

How are sun spots caused?

Sun spots are signs of sun damage to our skin. This damage accumulates over some time so sun spots are more likely to appear as we age. They are also more common in those with darker skin or who tan easily.

Are certain skin types more susceptible to forming sun spots?

Those with darker skin or who tan easily have more melanin in their skin and are more susceptible to sun spots. Child birth control can also cause problem with melanin in the skin.

How can you prevent them?

You can prevent sun spots by using sunscreen protection; use sunscreen everyday to make sure your skin is protected from dangerous UVA and UVB rays. Invest in a high quality sun cream with a high SPF concentration and remember to stay out of direct sunlight between 10am and 4pm when the sun is at it’s hottest.

Certain medications encourage the occurrence of sun spots so make sure you check if exposure to the sun will increase your risk of developing sun spots. Perfumes can also contribute to the appearance of sun spots.

If you have sunspots are there any products you can use to get rid of them?

Applying Aloe Vera twice a day helps the sun damaged areas as aloe vera has remarkable natural healing properties. Lemons are also the most effective remedies for hyper pigmentation, it has the ability to lighten skin which helps to even out the skin tone.

The citric acid in lemon washes away dead skin and facilitates growth of new skin cells so you end up with brightened skin! Vitamin E tablets (Holland and Barrett £4.55) work great as an antioxidant, which neutralizes free radicals that are produced by UVrays that helps protect and repair your skin.

In terms of treatments I’d recommend chemical peeling, laser resurfacing or microdermabrasion as professional dermatological treatments.

What is photorejuvenation?

Photorejuvenation is a skin treatment that uses an Broad Band Light which eliminates blemishes which gives you a healthier, fresher look. I used a Broadband Light (BBL) that delivers pulses of light onto the skin. Using a single wavelength it helps stimulate new collagen which leads to firmer, tighter younger looking skin, also removing brown sun spots and red veins at the same time.

What does the treatment involve?

The treatment involves a patch test initially to see how your skin responds to the first treatment and to also make sure your skin is not too tanned, the light BBL is fired at the skin and the light is converted to energy in your skin and is absorbed into the brown sun spot which absorbs the energy. The spot eventually darkens and falls off within 7 to 10 days. Several sessions may be needed.

What kind of results can you expect?

You can expect up to 80% improvement after just one session, the skin is also left feeling very soft and tight.

How many treatments do you need for results?

I would recommend 3 to 4 sessions that provide excellent long term results, I also recommend that a maintenance treatment is done at least twice yearly.

How long do the results last for?

The results are permanent as long as you don’t go back in the sun and sunbath.How much is a treatment session? Treatments start from as little as £250 up to £350 per session.

Who gets the best results?

Unfortunately lighter skin will achieve the best results but there are other treatments for darker skin types that can help their hyper-pigmentation.

What's the best way to protect your skin from the signs of ageing in your opinion?

Stay indoors, stay away from windows - seriously! Wear SPF all year round and stay in the shade as much as you can and invest in some good skincare.

Patrizia Pepe Fall/Winter 2013 Collection

The Patrizia Pepe fall/winter 2013 collection is the latest line that caught our eye. The Italian label brings a multitude of cool ideas that are easy to apply in on a regular basis. The newest alternatives are definitely a great choice for the new season. The newest Patrizia Pepe creations for fall are both suitable for casual looks and for more formal occasions. With plenty of versatile choices and a few well placed trendy accents, the new designs are definitely an inspirational set of alternatives that can easily prove their style boosting properties in the new season.

A hint of sexiness makes the looks feel modern and youthful. The new Patrizia Pepe collection for fall/winter 2013 brings many versatile feminine pieces such as lace dresses, cool slim fit trousers with a leather-like effect, short skirts with cool details, distressed denim, cool peplum accents or versatile tunics which instantly add a cool vibe to the new season looks. The blazers, jackets and coats included in the new line are also no less than impressive. With modern feminine flairs that instantly add complexity to the new season looks, the fall season must haves demonstrate that one doesn't have to show off plenty of skin to look drop-dead gorgeous!

The new Patrizia Pepe fall/winter 2013 collection also features plenty of surprisingly luxurious accents, especially as far as coats are concerned. Fur vests and fab fur coats, sheepskin jackets or sequin bodycon dresses are the choices that make the new alternatives an interesting expression of luxury. Plus, the deceivingly simple combos create a complex allure which instantly attracts attention. The newest accessories from the label are an important component that helps create the alluring vibe.

Cool studded handbags, cool combat boots for an added edgy flair, statement necklaces, trendy metallic pumps, fab ankle boots or cute waist enhancing belts are the options that the label brings into the spotlight. All in all, the new Patrizia Pepe fall/winter collection for 2013- 2014 features a myriad of cool ensembles that can instantly help you stand out from the crowd.

Couture in a Bottle: Roja Parfums

We wax lyrical on the connection between beauty and fashion, but in the case of luxury fragrance brand Roja, choosing and creating a scent is truly as intricate and detailed as constructing an haute couture gown. Roja Dove, a master perfumer who studied with Jean-Paul Guerlain for more than twenty years, offers a bespoke service; a unique, one-of-a-kind fragrance goes for $20,000-plus. That’s not an insignificant sum, but it’s far less than the cost of a made-to-measure dress. And the process is much more personal. “Customers have been known to cry upon smelling their completed perfume,” says Dominic Venton, the company’s director. In a series of consultations with Dove, you are asked to judge a scent—not knowing its name or origin—and your immediate reaction is noted. The result is a perfume that consists of as many (or as few) notes as you like. Dove insists on only the highest-grade ingredients. To produce one kilo of the Rose de Mai oil he uses requires 307,000 roses from Grasse, picked before dawn, because the amount of oil they can produce diminishes as the sun rises. “No synthetics are used,” says Venton, “so no Roja scent will smell like another on the market.” In addition to the bespoke business, there are 17 women’s scents on offer, ranging from heady florals to masculine chypres. Roja recently launched at Bergdorf Goodman, its first (and only) U.S. location. “Roja strives to offer a fragrance that is as bespoke as possible,” says Venton. “Having to travel to a specific destination makes it more special.” Lucky for us, Bergdorf’s is a quicker trip than journeying to Paris to get measured for an haute couture creation.

Surprise: Kanye Was (Maybe) Hard to Collaborate With at A.P.C.

The collaboration that left minimalist-adoring Francophiles and the hip-hop scene with their ears perked for two years was finally released yesterday. Only to crash the site and sell out in minutes. But as simple as the A.P.C. x Kanye West collection was, it appears that working with Nori's daddy was far from a cakewalk. In an interview with Style.com, A.P.C.'s founder, Jean Touitou, gently hinted at some rather exhausting moments with West — in that time-tested form of a compliment followed by a spewage of wrongs committed. Example: From love ("I just love the guy, so whatever") to an insult in disguise ("He could want a piece to be baggy and skinny at the same time … [but] oh well, you just find a way.") Aw, teamwork.

When asked about the back and forth with the hip-hop artist, Touitou opened the door into the two-year creative process (slash nightmare?) a little further, stating, "When you deal with a guy who wants to redesign just about anything so it could fit [into the] kingdom of dopeness, it takes some time to just sit and say, 'Okay, agreed, but let’s start on something limited, and we’ll see.” He went on to declare, "I am not into the celebrity thing. The only celebrities who impress me are writers. I follow no god, no celeb, no master, no myth"— which we're sure a man who's named himself Yeezus probably wouldn't take too well. To finish off, Touitou relinquished any pent-up frustration he had with West with his final, slightly ominous statement: "Fashion killed rock and roll. Fashion killed contemporary art, and turned it vulgar. And if hip-hop artists are not careful it will also kill hip hop." Oh là là.

Angelina Jolie Casts British Skins Star In Her New World War II Movie

Angelina Jolie has returned to work following her brave double mastectomy earlier this year, setting her sights on a new World War II movie.

The actress and United Nations ambassador will direct Unbroken, an adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand's bestselling 2010 book about Olympian and World War II hero Louis Zamperini. And she's already cast her first star… British Skins actor, Jack O'Connell.

If not an avid Skins viewer, you'll recognise Jack from his highly-publicised relationship with Tulisa Contostavlos. Though we're pretty sure it's his acting that'll have caught Angelina's eye.

Jack will play the lead role of Louis, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Louis (now 96-years-old) is a Los Angeles high school track star-turned-Olympian. He rose to fame in the 1936 Berlin Olympics – but in 1943, his Air Force plane crashed in the Pacific. He survived without food and water for an incredible 47 days enduring shark attacks, aerial attacks and hunger before arriving on a Japanese island behind enemy lines, where he was held as a prisoner of war for two years.

The movie is set for release in December 2014 and Angelina's already started work on the set. This week, she was photographed strolling around Hawaii while scouting film locations for the blockbuster, but made headlines for her incredibly happy and healthy appearance following her double mastectomy. Angelina wore a delicate black vest, proving to the world she's still body-confident despite her surgery. Such a beaut.

Angelina said in a statement: 'I've had the privilege of spending a great deal of time with Louie Zamperini, who is a hero of mine, and now – I am proud to say – a dear friend. I am deeply honoured to be telling his extraordinary story, and I will do my absolute best to give him the film he deserves.'

What's in a tie?

Kevin Rudd sporting a questionably bright blue tie: what could this mean?

If the recent Australian political brouhaha has taught us anything – and admittedly this is a dubious proposition – it is that we are now living in a new world. A world in which we are being forced to abandon old modes of thinking and reconstruct our conceptions of democracy and power.

Or to put it another way, a world in which we are apparently going to have to think about the colour of ties a lot. This started when the entire body politic had some kind of seizure and everyone went around yelling “blue ties” for a few days, but it would seem that was just harbinger of the tie-centric discourse to come. Witness this report on Kevin Rudd’s new campaign ad, which places his “startling hot pink tie” front and centre. And his tie onslaught doesn’t stop there: the electrifying blue number he sported when announcing his plans for Labor party reform was clearly chosen to send a message: "there is a new neck in town, and it is trying to hypnotise you.”

With this new tie-savvy perspective, it might be worth examining a few other notable political ties, to see what they are telling us:

The red tie

'Red is the colour of communism'.

When Barack Obama told the world that he had hunted down and taken out Osama bin Laden, he selected a sedate yet distinctive red number. Now, naturally, red is the colour of communism, so it’s possible that he was indicating that bin Laden’s death was a victory for Marxist principles. Red is also the colour of the blood of Christ – it may be that Obama was trying to emphasise to us all that yes, he IS the Messiah. Either way, this was the US president’s way of letting us know via neckwear that he is in charge, and nobody better mess with him.

The light blue tie

By contrast with Obama’s powerful socialist/Christian message, Tony Abbott made the fateful decision to wear a tie of palest blue on the day of Julia Gillard’s famous “misogyny” speech. The colour blue itself can be problematic, of course, as it is associated with depression and therefore extremely appropriate for parliament. But Abbott compounded the problem by making his blue, not dazzlingly electric like Rudd’s yesterday, but pale and sky-hued. The feeble, washed-out nature of the blue naturally aroused Gillard’s killer instinct, and so Abbott was humiliated, all because he fatally showed his weakness to his enemy via the medium of tie.

The spotted purple tie

'Purple is the colour of royalty'.

But what to do when you’re trying to project, not strength and confidence, but humility? Rupert Murdoch, a man who has worn more ties than you’ve had hot dinners, chose a sort of spotted purple number for what he termed “the most humble day of his life”, appearing before the House of Commons. What does this mean? Well, purple is of course the colour of royalty, so it’s only natural that Murdoch chose his tie to convey the message that he wishes to rule us all like a king. But it is also the colour of piety, so he wanted us to know he will rule us as a nice, friendly king. And then he added the little white spots, which were meant to suggest that even though he may be a mighty purple king, he understands us, the little spots on the tie of his empire, and he has our best interests at heart. And by this sophisticated tie-selection Rupert won all of our hearts and we genuinely believed he was a sad old man with the world on his shoulders.

In this brave new world, some will thrive, and some will flounder. Not everyone can be as ruthlessly incisive a tie-wearer as Kevin Rudd. But whatever cream may rise to the top, it’s clear that we’re all going to have to take a crash course in tie-deciphering if we want to know what’s going on in the corridors of power from now on. Be tie-aware, Australia: your freedom depends on it.

Rihanna Rewears Her Crop Top During Paris Fashion Week

The iconic trend setter is known for making bold risks when it comes to fashion. She was seen for the second time wearing the hot, black bralette style crop top in Paris on July 1. Rihanna, 25, was strutting her stuff in Paris last night in her favorite top. Always looking phenomenal, the star took a risk and wore the same top twice — but it’s okay, because she paired it with a different bottom and ultimately dawned a more ‘upscale’ look. Which bottoms do you prefer with the crop top?

Rihanna’s Paris Fashion Week Outfit:

The hot songstress made a pitstop in Paris between her concerts in London and Germany, allowing her a convenient break to attend the Chanel Haute Couture show during Paris Fashion Week.

Last night, she went out to dinner at the L’Avenue Restaurant with her friend, Melissa Forde, where she wore her chic, (and what proves to be versatile!), satin crop top. The T by Alexander Wang bralette proved to be very revealing and allowed Rihanna to flaunt her tattoos.

RiRi paired the top with a light pink Prada Spring 2013 slip skirt, giving the top a classier edge. Showing off her toned tummy, Rihanna added a criss-cross body chain as her main accessory, embellishing the look with a gold “Fenty” nametag necklace and gold hoops. Her left arm was covered in gold bangles, our favorite one being her gold arm cuff that she wore at the top of her forearm. She added a bright red lip to the ensemble to really get glam and finished off the outfit with a pair of white Manolo Blahnik sandals.

Rihanna’s Crop Top — The First Time She Wore It:

The “Rated R” singer and actress was previously seen wearing the same top when she went to the King of Diamonds Gentlemen’s Club in Miami on Apr. 20. She paired the bralette with matching black satin shorts, still obviously revealing her stomach and showing off a little more skin than she did with the Prada skirt. She rocked another bright pink lip, which seems to be ‘the thing to do’ when she wears this hot top.

RiRi was looking sophisticated, classy, and confident on her night out in ‘#PaRih,’ as she likes to say on Twitter and Instagram. Regardless of her trendy, sexy look and her ability to always exude confidence, what do YOU think of Rihanna’s outfit repeat? Did you like it better in Miami or in Paris? Do you like it casual with shorts or classy with her skirt?