Working Woman

Source: Voque.co.uk


PREEN girls like Gwyneth Paltrow, Thandie Newton, Kate Bosworth and Cindy Crawford know exactly what to wear to a party - thanks to the label's form-flattering, colour-pop dresses - but what to wear to a business meeting has always been trickier, until now.

"We wanted it to be masculine with a feminine twist, we thought it was about time we gave our Preen girl something to wear to work," Preen designers Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi explained. "We have developed great cocktail dresses, great Sunday knits, cool summer silks - but had never really ventured into cool workwear. We thought about it in terms of 'husband' jackets, that chic yet traditional city man."

In order to achieve the workwear look they wanted at the first attempt, the duo collaborated with English tailoring firm Gieves & Hawkes, borrowing their sharp masculine aesthetic and adding fun, feminising details. And it seems their celebrity following has embraced the new range already.

"It's been very popular," Bregazzi confessed. "Rachel Billson just wore the tailoring inspired Petal Dress (look 38), and we expect to see Demi Moore in the suit soon (look 5)."

Caring Carey

BAFTA Award-winning actress, Carey Mulligan has donated the Vionnet dress she wore this year to accept her Best Actress award to Oxfam, to raise money for the charity's women's projects. She joins a list of other famous names - including Elle Macpherson and Alexa Chung - in raiding her wardrobe for the cause.

"I'm honored to be able to donate my Bafta dress to support Oxfam's work helping women living in extreme poverty across the world," Mulligan said.

The dress will have a starting bid of £50 and will be auctioned alongside other items from 10am onwards on Thursday 13 May at www.oxfam.org.uk/curiosityshop. The pieces will be displayed in Selfridges as part of the week long Oxfam Curiosity Shop event from Friday 14 to Thursday 20 May, where shoppers will be helped by a group of high-profile women headed by singer Annie Lennox.

Funds raised from the sale of the dress will go to Oxfam's women's projects across the world including Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Democratic Republic of Congo, West Africa and South Africa. These projects protect, support and empower vulnerable women: campaigning against violence, empowering them to fight HIV and AIDS and offering the poorest girls the chance of education.