W.E is Madonna’s labour of love – a tribute to her life-long idol, the controversial socialite who clawed her way up the social ladder with vigour, not totally unlike the director herself.

Set in New York in 1998, the story revolves around Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish), a Sotheby’s employee married to an award-winning psychiatrist, who persuades her to quit her job for the domestic life and trying for a baby.

Wally’s obsession with Wallace Simpson (Andrea Riseborough) grows more intense, much to the annoyance of her absent husband, when Sotheby’s holds a series of auctions, selling the Duchess of Windsor’s  possessions.  As Wally, conveniently named after her heroine, daydreams, we are drawn into the world of the formidable social climber and eventual fashion icon Wallace Simpson and her scandalous third marriage to Edward, the next king of England.

Wally develops a close friendship with a Russian security guard at the gallery, who indulges her fantasy with after-hours secret viewings, and soon the world of Wallace Simpson becomes an escape as her life crumbles around her.

One of the strengths of W.E is that it’s a highly styled visual treat.  The costumes are exquisite, especially the evening gowns worn by Wallace Simpson, who had a penchant for Mainbocher and Schiaparelli.  Galliano, Issa, Cartier and Stephen Jones contributed to Wallace’s lavish wardrobe, under the direction of Arianne Philips, a long-time Madonna collaborator.

The reverence of the film was momentarily suspended with some lighter, humorous scenes.  Edward spiked his snoozing guests drinks with benzoin, which had them raising the skirt levels and pogo-ing to the Sex Pistols (a reference to Sofia Coppola’s Marie-Antoinette, perhaps).

One glaring problem with the film is Madonna’s heavy-handedness with presenting the increasingly parallel lives of Wally and Wallace.  At certain points in the film, Wallace appears in a vision and speaks to Wally, sometimes mockingly, and at other times for comfort.  The ridiculousness of it almost compromised the subtlety of the film.

The parallels between Madonna and Wallace Simpson are glaringly apparent and it’s no coincidence that W.E was made at this point in her life.  Both strong, sassy American women, they could command a room and bring a bit of brash fun to the upper echelons of society.  As faux-geezer Guy Richie hushes his royal connections, you could say that they both married into British aristocracy and questioned their true place there.

W.E has some historical inconsistencies and it was at times shaky, but it’s a real visual gem and most enjoyable to watch.  Madonna’s dedication to W.E, from the costumes to the ever-changing cast is admirable and while it needs to be reigned in at certain points, it’s a film to be proud of.

Galliano’s stunning graffiti reflects London’s quintessentially cool style and pays tribute to a long, supportive relationship with magazine.

To avoid the wrath of Boris, Galliano has used ‘reversed graffiti’, an effect achieved by creating a stencil, then pressure washing the surface beneath it.  The graffiti will soon fade away with the London grime and weather, so to catch a glimpse of this unique ‘fashion moment’, you’ll have to act quick.

ELLE challenges readers to hunt down all 10 graffiti venues and clues can be found on the ELLE website, www.elleuk.com/25thbirthday.  The first person to spot all of the graffiti will win a once in a lifetime prize – a handmade piece of artwork made by Galliano himself, which was the inspiration for an ELLE cover in 2009.

The extremely covetable artwork is typically flamboyant and uses feather, leather and more fabulous textures.

Here is a list of clues to help you discover the graffiti locations and get closer to the unique Galliano gift…

1. Contemporary art locale and address of ELLE’s exclusive 25^th birthday party
2. The hottest street in London to head for a curry
3. The home of London Fashion Week and a place to get your skates on in winter
4. Where Napoleon did surrender (and catch a train to Portsmouth)
5. London’s riverside cultural mecca
6. Dedicated followers of fashion still flock to this birthplace of 1960s chic
7. A street performer-packed piazza in the heart of theatre land
8. Escape the pandemonium of Oxford Street in this quiet boutique-filled oasis
9. Where Jimmy Choo and Harold Tillman cut their teeth
10. ELLE lives here

If you’re the lucky winner, take a snap of your Galliano artwork and send it to cheriecity@hotmail.com

This is the first time that Korean designer Doii Lee is showing at London Fashion Week and her show was arguably one of the prettiest, among a sea of asymmetric panel dresses.

Doii’s Autumn/Winter 10-11 collection was inspired by her favourite Russian fairytale, Babushka, and the folklore influences are present on all of the striking, bohemian pieces.

The first part of the collection was all about bold rose print dresses with translucent sequins, coats trimmed with white faux fur, rose covered headpieces and those shoes!  These gorgeous cherry red, platform courts with printed silk ankle-tie were awarded their own post on The Fashion Scout daily blog, as they really are just so stunning!

The models looked impossibly fresh, with tumbling curls, red lips, rosy cheeks and dewy skin – no slicked-back androids there!

The Doii Paris collection reminds me very much of Blumarine’s colour-bursting prints, Moschino’s bold romanticism and KENZO’s crafted, patchwork-inspired detailing.

The purpose of the digital prints is to tell a story and Doii does this with playing cards, winter landscapes, skulls and even bottles of wine.  It is a style also seen in Romeo Pires’ Spring/Summer 10 collection, which featured a collage of checkered flags, skeletons and apples.

The second part of the collection focused on an adorable coral, red and turquoise print depicting birds and monsters.  The whimsical print featured on very feminine and wearable trench coats, romantic ruffle dresses and a full-length gown.

Next up was more detailed, abstract digital prints in floaty silk dresses and an Eastern kimono-style shift dresses panelled with grey jersey.

Then came the lace – a delicate lace party dress with a structured bodice (very Daisy Lowe), a lace wool two-tone coat and a 50s minimal lace dress with bell sleeves and contrasting printed detailing.

Metallics also featured with this dainty drop-waisted, printed dress with soft-spun gold cuffs and waistband and translucent sequins. Wool coats also got the Doii treatment, with colourful fabric-covered buttons, polka dot lapels, faux fur trims and printed tie-belts.

The show culminated with a model dressed in a black fur and embroidered print coat with an oversized fringed bonnet – very elegant, old world Parisian.  I wonder if Doii took inspiration from that other stylish Parisian, the inimitable Diane Pernet, with her signature black veil…

Doii Lee graduated with BA Hons in Fashion Design and Knitwear from Central St Martins in 2002 and soon after started her career with John Galliano in Paris.  The next year, she was approached by Antoni Marras, the new art director at KENZO, and worked for KENZO Défilé Studio.

She presented the first collection of Doii Paris during Paris Fashion Week, October 2006 and is now based in London.  Doii’s work is so intricate, exquisitely tailored and optimistic, which is a real breath of fresh air this season!

* All photos by Chérie City

As Tavi smartly pointed out, she is about half the size of the average fashion ed/celeb and the offending bow was shot with holes. Would any editor dare to strip Diane Pernet of her signature raised veil? Non, pas du tout!  So really, the crux of the matter is that the teen fashion prodigy has fast-tracked her way to the privileges that editors have spent years trying to cultivating and maintain and surprisingly enough, they don’t like it!

Couture is an industry clawing on by its teeth, so it’s no surprise that designers are consciously trying to appeal to a younger market – hence Tavi at Dior, Lady Gaga sporting Armani Privé and Valentino’s woodland neon nymphs.

The direction of the house of Valentino has been somewhat vague since the departure of Valentino Garavani.  His second set of predecessors and former Valentino accessories designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli began their assault on a new look brand with their romantic, sculptural A/W 09 collection, but this season they’ve gone wild and thrown the rulebook to the wind.

Valentino’s elegant woman has put her prim little suit in storage and turned into a to a cyber partygirl with a new best mate, Alice Dellal.  Blush and nude shades are carried over from the Autumn/Winter ready-to-wear collection, but this time they’re set off with flashes of fluorescent pink and yellow and silver (with more than a nod to Pam Hogg’s panelled catsuits).

Underneath the neon and sparkle, there are whispers of classic Valentino, with beautiful draping, volume and embellishment, but the pair really stick the knife in with their interpretation of  the iconic ‘Valentino red dress’.  There are three red dresses in the collection, the most outrageous being a red leather mini dress with waves of leather ruffles.

The sheer visors and ‘exotic bird’ make-up seem to reference Avatar and the models certainly have an eco-warrior vibe.  This unashamed attempt to appeal to a younger, ‘new money’ crowd hasn’t gone unnoticed, and their new rock ‘n’ roll image has sent shockwaves through Valentino’s clique.

Valentino’s partner Giancarlo Giammetti labelled the collection a ‘ridiculous circus’ and told WWD that both he and Valentino “are always supportive of the designers of Valentino, even if we don’t approve of their effort to be cool at all costs.”

A polar opposite collection was John Galliano’s historical, equestrian collection that looked back to the work of Belle Epoque designer Charles Lamb, who was also the inspiration for Christian Dior’s New Look collection in 1947.

Galliano cracked the whip, as models were sent down the catwalk in Edwardian riding jackets with nipped-in waists and peplums, checked skirts with bustles and top hats with veils.  Next up was cocktail hour with the most beautiful jewel coloured, gathered chiffon skirts, embellished jackets, halter-neck bustier shirts and draped dresses in Duchesse satin.

For evening wear, it was all about the most incredible ball gowns and Galliano found inspiration with ‘The Gibson Girls’, the illustrated feminine ideals at the turn of the century.  There were delicately structured satin bodices with voluminous, sculptural skirts in exquisite fabrics and a colour palette including dusky pink, raspberry, petrol, mauve and ice blue.

You can tell that Galliano lives for creating couture and the colours, craftsmanship and historical references make his shows the most anticipated of all.  Suzy Menkes acknowledged the beauty and emotion of the collection, but suggested that “it would be a fine thing if Mr. Galliano could just once make the starting point of Dior couture not fashion’s sweet memories but a clean sheet of paper on which he writes 2010.”

It’s interesting that designers who have been at the helm of Valentino for just over two seasons should cut away from the house’s heritage so significantly, while Galliano, who has made Dior his own since his arrival in 1996, still references Christian Dior’s most prominent collections like an old friend.

With rejuvenated houses such as Balmain, Givenchy and Balenciaga excelling commercially but losing part of their original identity (plus the closure of Christian Lacroix), I would personally drape myself in raspberry tulle in support of Galliano’s nostalgia over a label who is in the painful midst of a personality crisis.