Daisy Lowe guaranteed headlines today during the Matthew Williamson show, at New York fashion week. Photographs of her dominated the press with her new dog sat sleeping on her lap in the front row.

The white Maltese puppy was given to Daisy by music producer and DJ Mark Ronson, as a token of his affection for her. Daisy was sat next to friend Kelly Osborne and was also surrounded by Trish Goff, Leigh Lezark and Joy Bryan, who all took time to pet the sleepy puppy.

The couple have faced some negative publicity surrounding their relationship as Mark Ronson is 33 and Daisy, daughter of Pearl Lowe, is only 19. Controversy surrounded Daisy previously, when it was discovered that Gavin Rossdale (husband of Gwen Stefani) was in fact her biological father at 14 following a legally enforced paternity test.

Daisy is also featured in the new Agent Provocateur collection ‘Season of the Witch‘ alongside, equally headline, grabbing Peaches Geldof.

Agent Provacateur launched their Autumn/Winter lingerie collection today, with both Peaches Geldof and friend Daisy Lowe (girlfriend of producer Mark Ronson), modelling in the new campaign.

The adverts titled ‘Season of the Witch‘ show Peaches posing in suspenders and a black see through negligee, whilst she ‘tempts’ a model with a cherry.

The company have been quoted stating “She’s hot, young and of the moment. She’s got an edginess about her and we like the face of the firm to have that hint of danger. We’ve no doubt she’ll be a huge success.” Updated photographs available here

This is much needed new publicity since Peaches married Max Drummey in a suprise wedding ceremony last month, and dominated the papers with the impromtu nuptials.

The campaign is a number of high profile lingerie ranges being launched this season, starting with the D to G, because we’re more than a handful advertising and later this month the Sexy Science by Dita Von Teese, both by Wonderbra.

You can take the girl out of the sportswoman, with competitive focus and bare faced concentration. However, when the cameras are off and the games are over, you can also take the sportswoman out of the girl it seems.

What do you give a 19 year old double gold medal Olympic champion? A pair of gold Jimmy Choos apparently.

“I loooove shoes. I want one pair for every outfit. I’ve got well over 30 pairs but you can never have enough,” said olympian Rebecca Adlington, on her ceremonial return to hometown Mansfield today. Having won the women’s 400m freestyle and going on to break the oldest world record in swimming in 800m, Rebecca was confident of a repeat performance with the promise of more shoes.

Her time of 8:14.10 for the 800m, was 2.12 seconds faster than the previous record set by United States olympian Janet Evans, 19 years ago.

In addition to the parade, Rebecca also had a local swimming pool named in her honour and the Owners of the local ‘Yates’s’ were changing the name of it to the Adlington Arms.

The company chief executive Toby Smith stated “As a nation we’re very proud of her and she is a shining example to all young people of what can be achieved with hard work and commitment. What better way to honour her than to name her local pub after her? We hear she’s a fan of burger and chips, so, Rebecca, whenever you come into Adlington Arms your meal is on the house!”

The Jimmy Choos may be slightly more motivational than the burgers though.

Dita Von Teese is the latest model to boost the successes of wonderbra with a new lingerie line for the brand.

Her collection “Wonderbra by Dita Von Teese” takes its influence, much like Dita’s own, from the glamour of the 40’s and 50’s. The launch follows on from the recent “D to G campaign” where the public were invited to model for the huge billboard campaigns.

The line is launched in the UK on the 23rd of September, but a promotional film “where we reveal a completely new side of me” will be shown on the official website (use link above) from the 15th of September. Are there any sides of Dita we have yet to see?

Update: Video Below

Following on from yesterdays article on the carnival, there was a riot of 200 people at the end of the night.

Can we draw the line now?

Despite being plagued by controversy every year, Notting hill carnival is still going strong in it’s 42nd year. The question we have to ask ourselves is at what cost? Crime is rife, violence is on the increase, shootings last year in addition to the usual stabbings and arrests are ‘up’. This is being spun positively on the news today, claiming the increased arrests are as a result of the more ‘pro-active’ policing, but exactly how much of tax payers money goes towards this?

The beauty of the carnival is that it is free, no one pays to enter and the organisers don’t pay any costs such renting the closed streets. Toilets are at a minimum, they are generally left to the local restaurants and pubs to provide. Many of whom close for the weekend as difficulties with drunk revellers have long outweighed any increase in custom (if any, as most people want to be outside). The mess that the streets will inevitably be in tomorrow is also a common complaint from local residents, actually more often than not, the locals residents complain about the event, would you want the carnival on your street?

The police have a huge presence at the carnival, paid for (with the the essential overtime) courtesy of the tax payer. Ask any officer and they will all have ‘war stories’ about the sheer violence and problems, particularly in the evenings when the mood palpably shifts. What happens if a crime is committed in another part of town. Do these victims get the same level of service they would usually, or is carnival weekend a get out of jail free card for the criminals this weekend? Could this money not be better spent throughout the year as a spread cost, rather than the tax payer being held to ransom over an event that will carry on regardless of policing.

It taps into one of the fundamental questions as a society and more importantly, individuals have to face. When do you draw the line? When do you stop doing something, because the costs outweigh the tradition?

Many of our clients come to us for life coaching, asking the same question. Having the general feeling of unrest, but not necessarily the confidence or support structures in place to take a stand or make a change.

The question we often ask them is, “What will be the tipping point for you?” A common experience is that of dieters, when the negative feelings towards their shape are more acute than the immediate comfort of chocolate. This is the point when their willpower is at it’s highest and the long term gains of an improved body image are stronger than the immediate relief . The confidence to stand up for your individual feelings, rather than ‘fitting in’ by having another slice of office birthday cake is incredibly empowering. The path of least resistance is rarely the most fulfilling.

The question we all need to ask ourselves is; When is enough, enough?

The Government faced increased pressure today to change the licencing rules regarding lap dancing clubs.

In an open letter to the Times newspaper, women’s rights campaigners, plus a number of councils and councillors went to press. This was on the day that Government consultation on the issue came to a close, after licensing minister Gerry Sutcliffe wrote to councils across England and Wales in June, asking for their views.

Women’s rights group ‘Object’ today had their director, Dr Sasha Rakoff go on record stating: “Many local authorities have added their voice to growing calls for an end to licensing of lap dancing clubs as cafes. Current licensing has acted as a floodgate to the industry whilst making it difficult for local authorities and local people to have a say in this process. It has helped normalise lap dancing clubs and attitudes that encourage seeing women as sex objects, not people. The solution to this problem does not lie in tinkering with the Licensing Act 2003 or in planning controls. The solution lies in licensing lap dancing clubs for what they are: venues that provide visual entertainment for sexual stimulation – in other words, sex encounter establishments. We call on the Government to restore democracy to the licensing process and send out a powerful message that buying a lap dance is not the same as buying a cappuccino.”

The cappuccino comment has arisen from the fact that Lap dancing bars are officially classed as cafes. Clubs outside London only need an alcohol license to operate, this means that local residents have very few opportunities to oppose them despite concerns that lap  dancing bars have a very different impact to society. Claims have also been made that the areas surrounding lap dancing clubs become ‘no-go’ areas for women.

If the Government chose to change the licencing to put them into the same category of sex shops and sex cinemas (venues where nude entertainment is provided for the purpose of sexual stimulation), it would give councils the power to not only regulate the clubs, but also how and when they function. Will lap dancing clubs still be seen as suitable playgrounds for dating practice with the new legislation I wonder?

When the London development agency and the British Fashion Council, set up their independent model health inquiry last year, no one could have guessed the rejection their recommendations faced. Following the death of Brazilian model, Luisel Ramos in 2006, the size zero debate was brought into the public consciousness. The BBC were quick to pick up on the issue, commissioning a documentary by Dawn Porter to highlight the issue. ITV responded with a Louise Redknapp programme and many other media sources were keen to distance themselves from the negative press.

One of the 14 recommendations put forward by the inquiry board was to implement a system of compulsory medical tests for models, and subsequent model health certificates (MHC). These would enable the catwalk shows to promote their endorsement of healthy models. However, the organisers of the Paris, New York and Milan shows refused to implement the scheme, forcing London to pull out, fearing models would boycott the catwalks if they went ahead. The British fashion council are now encouraging modelling agencies to act responsibly, through the endorsement of the Association of Model Agencies (AMA).

The head of the British Fashion Council, Hilary Riva, published an open letter today stating; “The Model Health Certificates continue to create very specific challenges. From our conversations with our international counterparts in New York, Milan and Paris it has become clear that they do not recognise the need for an international health certificate. In summary, Model Health Certificates are an unworkable solution based on concerns in principle and practicalities of implementation. The BFC now feel that we have taken this as far as we can within the remit of our organisation. We are not a regulatory body and we have access to limited resources. We believe the AMA should take the lead role in developing and encouraging an international network, to set best practice in each market and develop a version of the MHC which will be a useful tool for models who work internationally.”

The clothing brand Nolita, took the dramatic step of using anorexic model Isabello Caro across billboards in Milan and subsequently, the 2007 Milan fashion week showed much more shapely models. The lesser known Madrid fashion week in 2007,  bandne girls with a body mass index of below 18 from its catwalks – 18.5 to 25 is considered the “normal” range.

Sadly this year, it seems ’size zero’ is last years news, supporting the health of models is apparently no longer ‘in vogue’. Fashion to die for.

Peaches Geldof and Max Drummey, from band ‘Chester French’, got married in a spontaneous ceremony on holiday in Vegas last week. Her agent made an official announcement today, stating;

“Their marriage has the full support of their family and friends. Peaches and Max did not want unnecessary publicity, but following growing media speculation, have decided to set out the facts. No further comment from either will be forthcoming.”

The couple supposedly met two years ago, but are alleged to only just have become a couple at last months I-Tunes festival. Peaches was co-presenting and Max was performing with his band.

It has been difficult for Peaches lately, today it was announced that she had been rejected from the VIP list at the V-festival (oh the trauma). Adding further insult to injury, a Virgin Radio source has said “Peaches has had her day now, It’s all about Pixie (her younger sister). She’s really stepping up and is definitely the cooler of the sisters“. Pixie has of course been given the VIP access at the V-festival.

In addition, Peaches collapsed in her Camden home last month, following a suspected drugs overdose. Her statement following the incident was widely criticised; “People have pre-conceived ideas of me – they can be so negative,” she says. “Creative people can be allowed to make mistakes”.

Lets home this whirlwind marriage isn’t a “Creative Mistake” too far.

For your moment in the spotlight see Bridal Beauty and if you don’t have the personal savings of Sir Bob, try Wedding Dress Savings.

Geri Halliwell, of the Spice Girls fame, has stripped off to a bikini for Hello magazine’s current issue. The article is accompanied with Geri commenting on her discomfort and self consciousness stating, ‘I haven’t been willingly photographed in a bikini for seven years – and I don’t think I’ll do it again.’

There is no doubt that Geri looks amazing in her bikini aged 36, putting women half her age in the shade. However, it wasn’t that long ago Geri was doing sterling work as a UN ambassador, in an attempt to be taken more seriously. It is also a concern that a woman who was so publicly open about her eating disorders, is verbally uncomfortable about the shoot.

What message does this send to the legion of old and now new spice girls fans regarding publicity. Whether you like it or not, you have to take your clothes off to sell pictures? Is this the girl power the Spice Girls so animatedly promote? Hello?

For tips on looking good in your own swimwear see, swimwear trends or swimwear styling for your individual shape;

• Tall
• Petite
• Large Bust
• Small Bust
• Large Bottom Half (hips/tums/bums)
• Small Bottom Half (straight and flat hips/tums/bums)