Taylor Momsen at the Roxy

I think everyone can agree that Taylor Momsen holds the title for most dramatic style revamp in young Hollywood to date. And whilst attending the Tokidoki and Onitsuka Tiger Sneaker collaboration launch party in West Hollywood on Tuesday, her outfit certainly reinforced her dramatic bad girl makeover is here to stay- so forget the blonde haired, blue eyed, innocent actress- it's all about stockings and stilettos now I'm afraid.

I must admit, while I may have dabbled in a bit of gothic clothing when I too was younger, I am proud to say that I did it with style. Some may disagree, but when compared to Taylor's recent get-up, I think many will swiftly change their minds. No matter what your style of choice, there's a way to go about it- and looking like a stripper at only 17...is not.

The mismatch of rose lace leggings and mesh netted tank top is not a good look, although I do like the leather jacket- but then again leather is a staple for any wardrobe all year round, so she's played a safe card on that one. The patent leather buckled transformers do bring back a lot of memories for me, as I too used to own a pair exactly the same- I know... the shame- so I'm not one to judge the footwear on this occasion.

Underwear as outerwear was a huge trend for s/s 2010, but on this occasion, the young musician has taken it a step to far- I hate to say it but she looks more tacky and tasteless, than stylish and sophisticated. Gothic style doesn't necessarily mean you have to dress as crazy as possible, just look at Dita Von Teese- the woman just oozes Hollywood glamour. It's all about wearing a few key pieces, fabulous accessories, flattering make-up, and most importantly, your presence. You have to have the right attitude to pull off the braver of outfits.

So here's a little bit of advice Taylor...less is more!

Image credited to Zimbio.com

Britain's Next Top Model Live Exhibition

The first ever Britain’s Next Top Model Live exhibition took place this weekend at London’s impressive ExCel Centre, so with my press pass at the ready and dressed to perfection, I was ready to embrace the life of a model. And in more ways than one…

The weekend wasn’t spent entirely sipping champagne and browsing the vintage clothing stalls – oh no – I had to earn my keep and take centre stage at the Style Icon Workshop to give daily discussions on this season’s biggest trends. The editor of MyFashionLife.com, Emily O'Brien, took to the mic as the expert guest speaker and gave a confident, funny and insightful look into this season’s camel, leopard print and shearling trends. Day after day Emily brought in a crowd of fashion-hungry girls (and, occasionally, guys) while me and the other interns simply posed on stage in our outfits – oh the hardship.

In my free time I explored the wonders of fashion, beauty and music. The stalls were certainly varied, from Zandra Rhodes footwear, Jonathon Aston tights, Bourjois makeup to even teeth whitening, though I had to pass on the latter as the fear of the dentist suddenly took over me. Free makeovers and hair styling were also on offer for a bit of well-deserved pampering, (something that I definitely took advantage of) all thanks to the London College of Beauty and the world-famous stylist, Adee Phelan- who I must say, looked very trendy in his white sunglasses and tapestry of tattoos.

Musical sensations Eliza Doolittle and Diana Vickers provided the lyrical entertainment, while BNTM judge Charlie Speed left many a young girl in a flutter with his live interview on the main Kiss Open Catwalk stage. Carrying out the interview was the lovely Emma Willis, who I had the pleasure of meeting backstage (she's a lot smaller in real life, but then again most celebrities are!)

However, we all agreed that the highlight of our weekend was witnessing the amazing Chyna Whyne in action (although the Tia Maria cocktail bar came a close second.) Aside from her jaw-droppingly stunning appearance, the singer-turned-stilletto-master gave a hilarious insight into how to walk in the most highest of high heels, leaving us still singing her catchy theme song for most of the day: “When I am walking in my stilettos”… ahem, I digress.

The main event was, naturally, the live catwalk show with the finalists from the latest series of BNTM – the crowd went crazy at the sight of the naturally stunning girls. The show itself was equally impressive, too, with dance routines, fabulous fashion, comedy, music and most importantly....semi-naked male models! Trust me ladies, these guys were sculpted to perfection. However, I have to admit the best part of the show, for me, was listening to singing sensation Jessie J with her belting performance of 'Mamma knows best.' Having never heard of this artist before, I have since listened to her music a hundred times- her voice and stage presence is truly breathtaking. For a little taster of her vocal abilities just take a look below (sorry about the lighting, the stage was overly lit up) or you can watch a Youtube clip of her in action here: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jessie+j+mamma+knows+best&aq=o

Our base for the best part of the three-day event was at the Style Icon Workshop, a cute little set up that proved a main focal point for many fashion and beauty bloggers alike, including Pixiwoo with their extremely helpful sisterly makeup tips and Gemma Cartwright, the former editor-in-chief of CatwalkQueen.tv, with her handy wardrobe wearing tips.

My verdict? The weekend was a massive success and one that I was very proud to have been a part of – I just hope this exhibition is a first of many to come, so bring on next year! But before I go I just want to end this post with a snippet from the Joey Bevan fashion show, accompanied by Molly Smitten on vocals. Enjoy!