The Met Ball 2012

Diane Kruger in Prada

The Costume Institute Gala, more well known as The Met Ball, is the annual ball that celebrates the opening of The Met's fashion exhibit. Described as the fashion industry's Night of Nights and considered as the fashion world's best red carpet event by the fashion press worldwide, the event is organized and hosted by Vogue and the costs are shared by Vogue and Chanel. Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour oversees even the smallest details and especially the list of celebrity invitees. 

This year's theme was dictated by the exhibition that opened yesterday - Prada and Schiaparelli: Impossible Conversations and the guests did their best to be at the height of the event. Flowy floor length gowns, mini dresses and tuxedos were the true stars of the night. Among my favorite gowns were clearly the bold colored ones, such as Diane Kruger's purple wonder, Diana Agron's green frock and the canary yellow Versace dress worn by Mad Men's January Jones. However there were a lot of other beautiful dresses out there. Here's my selection of the best dressed celebrities. Look out for the eye candy at the end!

Dianna Agron in Carolina Herrera

Amy Adams in Giambattista Valli

Are you a Book Lover?

I am a true book lover! Ever since I was little my parents encouraged me to read lots of books and be it  novels, fiction, biographies or historical novels I always enjoy a good book. Among my all time favorite books I could of course cite classics such as Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" or Alexandre Dumas's "The Three Musketeers" or "The Count of Monte Cristo" that I have read several times and can't seem to get enough of, but there are many other amazing books that are less widely known. For example a recent discovery of mine was "Au Bonheur des Dames" by Emile Zola, a book that chronicles the beginning of the  glamorous Grands Magasins Era in Paris (Galleries Lafayette, Printemps, Bon Marche ring a bell?). The book follows the destiny of a poor girl that comes to Paris and manages to support herself and her brothers by working as a shop assistant in the first Grand Magasin in Paris. The story is so beautifully described and the functioning of such a luxury store is told in the slightest details that you can feel that you're actually there, when the idea of a luxury store is born and you get to see it grow before your eyes. This book is definitely a must-read for all fashion lovers, as it will transport you to a magic world! 

A good book lover needs a great reading space. Lots of light, shades of white and huge bookcases are what you need to enhance your reading experience. Here is some great interior design inspiration for big and illuminated reading spaces. Be it Karl Lagerfeld's photo studio with thousands of books and magazines related to fashion, photography and art or simple living room bookcases I'm sure you can find something that inspires you!

Inspired by the Navajo Print

Tribal prints and designs seem to have invaded the streets since Isabel Marant's FW 2011 collection and I couldn't resist not making up an inspiration board for this trend. The old navajo or aztec prints are very cheerful and colorful, you can wear them on accessories to give a boost to a simple outfit or as a central piece of your outfit if you're not afraid of colors. Us girls surely have embraced this trend, but there are also a lot of men that feel inspired by the play of colors and the geometric figures. Have a look for yourselves and tell me what you think about it!

Anna Dello Russo for H&M Collection

It's official! Legendary fashion icon and Fashion Director of Vogue Japan Anna Dello Russo will be creating an accessories collection for H&M this year composed of jewelry, sunglasses and shoes! She draws her inspiration from an "Alice in Wonderland" pop up book, some pieces of turquoise furniture in her home and of course from her love for anything sparkly and bling-bling. The stylist manages to create an extraordinary collection that complements her unique maximalist style: it will be glamorous and very ornamental. The video shows Anna herself talking about the collection for H&M and about her fashionable closet. Have a look at some exclusive photos with Anna and Creative Advisor for H&M Margareta Van Den Bosch: