Style icon: Emmanuelle Seigner in Polanski's Frantic 1988

Slightly off-tangent from my usual posts, this entry is a tribute to a film that, after three hours of restless insomnia last night, I so happened to stumble upon. Indiana.J hunk Harrison Ford plays the protagonist in Frantic, whose wife is abducted during their romantic French vacation and soon finds himself lured into the Parisian underworld of crime, drugs and espionage in his attempt to find her.

Befitting to it's name, the plot is exciting and full of twists and turns. Put simply - it's definitely one to watch. Even more worth watching than the film itself however is it's leading lady - Emmanuelle Seigner - who I believe is possibly the most underrated style icon of cinematic history. I will explain:

Emmanuelle (or 'Michelle' as she is known in the movie) plays the part of a native drug dealer and the ultimate femme fatale who helps Ford on his quest of tracking down his wife around the back streets of Paris. Clad in an over-sized leather jacket, monster silver hoops, red lipstick and smoky eyeshadow, she oozes effortless sexuality that make men fall in love with her and women want to be her. Her punk-rock inspired look provides that all-important dose of French chic mixed with a tough, rough, street-style aloofness as if to insist upon her deviance from defined social paradigms. Despite the cool exterior, there lies underneath a certain vulnerability to this slouchy, gum-chewing, socially awkward character yet her marked unawareness of her own beauty makes her fascinatingly incandescent on screen.

This is to you, Emmanuelle, the forgotten diva of Hollywood starlets and timeless style icon.

Look at the photographs to see what I'm talking about but if you want the real deal - watch the movie!

PFW: Emilio Pucci Fall 2013

Don't you just love the look that Mr Dundas of Emilio Pucci brought to us at Paris Fashion Week? His collection flaunted chemises and dresses in exotic prints broken up by golden or black suede-clad boots that reach all the way up the leg. The palette was interesting to say the least, contrasting lilacs and baby blues of chiffon and silk against injections of blacks, whites and metallica. The rulebook of fashion would have wholeheartedly condemned such bizarre contrasts of colours and textures yet it all seemed to work to perfection, bringing an interesting new dimension to the meaning of fun and glamourous haute couture.

A more simplistic palette from Dundas also hit the runway, featuring semi-transparent lace and silk dresses, creating more of a girly aesthetic. Right now I am very into sheer with opaque - it's a very elegant look.

PFW: Hermès Fall 2013

If Christophe Lemaire is anyone to go by, 'big' seems to be the new in-thing for this season. His fall 2013 collection for Hermès was by far one of my favourites of Paris Fashion Week, boasting over-sized trenches and swampy blouses, engulfing the bodies of the models and in doing so creating an inextricable sense of mystery. Despite the all-too-apparent expression of modesty there lies a hint of femininity through the black gartered espadrilles, cropped trousers and mid-calf hemlines, highlighting the graceful silhouette of the woman. The colour palette is wonderfully elegant, pairing the conventional black and white with the more earthy tones of tan and burgundy, misty blue and silver grey as are the textures of leather, silk and fur. Everything just seems so effortless, so 'last-minute choice' that it's impossible not to fall in love with it. Please take a look and feel free to comment.