Decarnin out - what will become of Balmain?

I'm pretty sure this very question troubles all BALMAIN fans now that it was officially announced: CHRISTOPHE DECARNIN, Balmain's creative director for the past 5 years, has left the house. The successor haven't yet been appointed, but whoever he or she might be, all I care to know is how much is going to change?

BALMAIN has been among my fashion favorites these last few years. I loved brand's practical approach to chic, with its shimmering figure-hugging mini dresses, ripped jeans combined with gorgeous jackets, the punk-rock look with burned denim and studded leather offered for this spring and luxurious sweater-dresses from the latest, fall/winter collection. I loved Decarnin's Balmain for giving me a kind of high fashion that I could relate to with my own style. But what now? Which way would the new creative director want to go: keep the sexy rebel spirit or "grow up" and leave it behind? I sure hope it's the former. In the meantime here are some of my favorite Balmain looks of the last couple of years - the kind of looks that soon may become history...

Fall/Winter 2011/2012

Spring/Summer 2011

Fall/Winter 2010/2011

Spring/Summer 2010

Fall/Winter 2009/2010

Spring/Summer 2009

J'adore "Aloha" - brand new nail polish from DIOR

It was love at first sight. I want this polish on my nails asap! But will have to wait till mid-May - that's when this summery vibrant color is going to his the stores.

Top 20 visions of spring from fashion ad campaigns

Looking at all those gorgeous designer brand ads in British VOGUE, I thought it would be nice to collect them all in one place - since together they will make a pretty good spring fashion lookbook and provide plenty of inspirations for my outfits. So there you have it - my top 20 spring fashion advertisement looks.

Natalie Portman for Miss Dior Cherie

Natalie Portman is ever so adorable in this ad campaign for Miss Dior Cherie. In the video she's portrayed as a classy and chic French mademoiselle. Well, it was certainly about time - after all she played two of her most famous roles (in "Leon" and "Black Swan") alongside French actors and is about to merry a Frenchman.

Kate Moss smoking stunt at Louis Vuitton: Bold or Fail?

Kate Moss just added yet another one to the long list of scandals starring her by walking the catwalk at Louis Vuitton autumn-winter 2011/12 show while puffing on a cigarette. Aside from the fact that smoking in Great Britain is illegal at all public places (which certainly includes catwalks), the incident also took place on March 9, which happened to be Britain's annual No-Smoking Day.

Indeed, Marc Jacobs made it quite clear that the new collection and the show was all about breaking the rules, crossing boundaries and expression of personal freedom. But while chain-smoking may be Kate Moss's personal choice, it's hardly something to be promoted, especially among younger generation that is greatly influenced by Louis Vuitton as a brand, Marc Jacobs as a designer, and Kate Moss as a style icon.

So what do we make of this? Was it Moss trying to declare that with her history of drug and alcohol abuse, and dating the baddest boys out there, she can easily get away with just about anything? Or was it Marc's way of rooting for his now ostracised colleague John Galliano by staging a scandal of his own?

DSquared2 fall/winter collection is True Grit-inspired

I was just thinking that I totally forgot to include "TRUE GRIT" in my Go Wild West post, when DSQUARED2 presented its fall/winter 2011-12 collection, with models looking like they walked right out of this Oscar-nominated epic cowboy drama. Like all of the best COEN films "True Grit" is all about real places and real people, and DSquared2 fully carried its spirit. Their version of the wild west chic takes the cliche pop-culture cowboys in tartan shirts and pointed boots completely out of the picture, replacing them with moody dwellers of the harsh land, whose clothing protects them from rough weather during day and keeps them warm when sleeping under open skies at night. Those outfits simply emanate comfort and confidence - just what we need for the cold days in the city.