by Goddiva

When it comes to nightlife in Europe, few can compete with London. It’s the city of oil wealth, old wealth, and daddy’s wealth with an odd prince or two tossed in to create the perfect party atmosphere. From Camden and Shoreditch to Brixton and Soho, you will never run out of places to go, cocktails to try, and people to meet. Here are our top ten picks of the most happening places in The City.

1. Fabric

Fabric is urban and very, very trendy. It has Europe’s first ever ‘bodysonic’ dance floor. With the bass coming through the floor making your feet vibrate, you don’t just hear the music, you feel it - literally. It’s not just the floor that Fabric is famous for, though. It’s the crowd, the vibe, its three bars, five sound systems, and a whopping 25,000 square feet of space!

2. Ministry of Sound London

Each weekend, roughly 5,000 people troop to this club to party. Thanks to its three bars, three dance floors, and DJs so good they have become local legends of the party-going scene, the Ministry is truly a good place to while Friday nights away.

3. seOne

seOne has the distinction of being the largest among all of London’s nightclubs. Imagine this - five rooms, a dance floor that’s 30,000 square feet big, and the capacity to house 3,000 people at once. seOne opened in 2002 and is best known for its techno, rave, bass, indie, and drum music.

4. EGG

The name is catchy and the club is even more so. It spans three floors and can accommodate a crowd of 800 at any given time. Its courtyard garden comes with a swimming pool, artificial grass, garden furniture, and a bar. If you’re thinking the garden is for the flower-loving, though, you’re in for a surprise. The garden, which is London clubland’s largest open space, is a favorite of smokers. And since EGG opens as early as 5am on Sundays, it also offers a breakfast that is highly popular among patrons and first-time clubbers alike.

5. Pacha

Reopened in 2001 after a 2-million pound renovation, Pacha is one posh club indeed. It boasts of oak paneling, stained glass ceiling, chandeliers, and a spacious balcony with a view of the main dance floor.

6. KOKO

Camden may be overflowing with nightclubs but Club KOKO stands heads and shoulders above the rest. It can accommodate 1,500 clubbers on any given night and features fantastic arrays of live acts and headline performances of famous artists, among them Madonna, Prince, and Coldplay.

7. Heaven

This club is the best known of London’s gay clubs. Even so, it draws an eclectic crowd. Gay, straight, bisexual - you name it, Heaven has it. Located near Trafalgar Square, Heaven is best known for its choice of European dance beats and first-rate DJs.

8. Herbal

A warehouse turned into a nightclub, Herbal is one of Shoreditch clubland’s finest. Despite its industrial look (thanks to exposed brickwork), cold and outmoded are two things Herbal is not. It has an impressive sound system and an even more impressive line-up of DJs, among them Goldie, Groove Amanda, Fabio, and Andy Weatherall.

9. Club Aquarium

A swimming pool, five rooms, and a jacuzzi where towels are also provided - Club Aquarium is as innovative as it is cutting-edge. It also has a chill-out room, a VIP lounge, and two dance floors! Who wouldn’t want to go clubbing in a place that goes the extra mile to please its patrons?

10. Rhythm Factory

Rhythm Factory is London clubland’s chameleon. It’s a meeting place on weekdays and a wild watering hole on weekends. The atmosphere is laid-back and the music is eclectic. Rhythm Factory is most packed during weekends when it stays open until five in the morning. Great music, great ambience, great cocktails - this factory has it all. And oh, it doesn’t hurt that Pete Doherty plays there regularly.

If there’s one thing you will never run out of in London, it’s nightclubs. There is a club for everybody and every body so go ahead and be choosy. After all, why go to a club where you will be surrounded by glow sticks, fluorescent candy ravers, and bland cocktails when you can easily make a beeline for London clubland’s best and trendiest. When you go to any of the top 10 clubs, your fun meter is sure to hit 180 beats a minute.

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It’s not that we’re obsessed by Coco Chanel. It’s just that it’s almost impossible to discuss fashion and not mention the woman who ruled over Parisian haute couture for almost six decades. We have fashionistas galore in this generation but none of them would ever be able to outclass the great Coco. In fact, no one comes even remotely close. So if Coco decrees “A girl should be two things - classy and fabulous,” who are we to argue? And if she says “A woman who doesn’t wear perfume has no future,” then we’re certainly taking her word for gospel. Ladies, it’s time to hit the counters for that all-important sniff test. It’s not enough to be fashionably dressed. As good as you now look in that Grecian dress, you should smell even better.

Here are our top picks of designer fragrances for 2008.

1. Red Door Revealed Eau de Parfum Touch-On Pen by Elizabeth Arden

Mackay orchids, orange flower petals, lilies, and pink peonies - these are what people will think of once they smell this scent on you. Get the handy touch-pen for on-to-go usage and quick application.

2. Curious by Britney Spears

This scent is a delightful mix of Anjou pears, star jasmines, vanilla, sandalwood, and Louisiana magnolias. Pair it with your cotton day dress and look as cute as the newly reinvented Brit. Who cares that she copied her perfume pitch from Marc Jacobs? The frock will take you from desk to daiquiri. The fruity fragrance, on the other hand, is guaranteed to make everyone curious - about you!

3. Blush by Marc Jacobs

What do you get when you blend pink musk, Jasmine nectar, and sweet orange flowers? A fragrance so tantalizing you’ll be blushing non-stop from all the compliments you’ll surely be getting.

Of course, there are other gorgeous scents that you should try. But whatever you do, don’t go overboard with your perfume. Brush up on perfume tips. At one workplace, a woman wore too much Red Door so her boss showed her the door. In contrast, the same perfume actually saved a woman’s life. A woman in Corpus Christi made her captor flee by spraying him with Red Door. Doesn’t it just amaze you how versatile perfumes are?

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Here at Goddiva, we firmly believe that it’s all about the dress. That’s why we’re always on the lookout for trends, more trends, and, umm, did I mention trends? This year, prints reign supreme - stunning, eye-catching, hard-to-ignore prints that’s sure to attract second - even third - looks wherever and whenever. It’s complete eye candy, and one that you just can’t do without. C’mon. You know you want to indulge your penchant for gypsy floral dresses.

The Boho

The boho print is back, barely two years after it left, and it’s a lot posher than ever! Gone are the staple accessories that used to go with the boho style - mousy hair, tacky jeweled flip-flops, and bad teeth. This time around, the boho is better paired with fabulous boots and sexy heels and tights aplenty. It’s an irresistible reinvention of a classic print that’s sure to make comebacks over and over and over.

The Folklore

Believe it or not, the hippy seventies are back yet again for, like, the nth time. This time, designers are looking at folksy, traditional prints from the French Renaissance to Tsarist Russia. It’s a delicious lesson in tradition and high fashion, and it’ll be oh-so tempting to dance a-la Troika!

The Grunge

Move over, Avril Lavigne and all ye with heavily lined eyes and bad attitudes. The grunge look is back with a vengeance - posher, more feminine, and all in all uber stylish. Who would’ve thought that paisley and stripes could actually make something nice? The trick is to look destitute, but stylishly so - that shouldn’t be too hard with the anorexic economy!

Yes, prints in chiffon dresses, body-hugging tops, and skintight, umm, tights are the height of fashion this time around. Fab, fab, fab!

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That happy time of the year is here once again - fall, when the weather is deliciously cool without the gloom of winter, and when fashion is at its most, umm, fashionable. This year, the staples are back - with a twist. It’s time to get into the spirit of the Calamity Jane look with boots, bottoms, and even more boots.

Of course, short of looking like a fishmonger, you can’t just go a’tucking ‘em pants in ‘em boots, assuming you’ll come out looking fabulous like the beautiful Gisele Bundchen. Do think long and hard to find the uber perfect pairing, and discover the art of looking like you’re made for the catwalk (or at least, the streets of London or wherever you may be).

With that said, you can now sashay ala Kate I-am-so-taking-my-new-job-seriously Moss, donned in this year’s hottest hues of gray and over-the-top prints aplenty - all from the waist down. Complete the look with sexy corsets, or a more sensible long-sleeved jersey top, and you’re all set! That is, at least until the first snowflake falls.

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The LBD: Still on Season This Season

If there’s one thing you can count on being on-season all season, it’s black. Both the color and the style are timelessly beautiful. What’s more, the little black dress is the one fashion trend that will always stay on trend no matter what the trends. It knows no social stratum, size, or style boundaries. Whether it set you back $50 or $5,000, is a size 2 or 12, is pleated or comes as a sheath, it is still a little black dress.

The LBD Then

But did you know that wearing the LBD was not always considered chic? That’s right. Once upon a time, the LBD was a style pariah. Before style icon Coco Chanel introduced black as a fashion color, the hue was mainly associated with mourning. In fact, worn outside this circumstance, the LBD is considered indecent. Coco changed all this in 1926, when she published a photo of a short, simple LBD in Vogue. Straight, calf-length, and decorated by nothing more than a few diagonal lines, the dress won praises everywhere. Vogue called the dress ‘Chanel’s Ford’ because like the Model T, the LBD was simple, accessible, and for women of all sizes, color, height, and fashion orientation.

The LBD Now

Today, the LBD remains a runway staple. From London to Milan, from the streets of New York to the clothing stalls in Tokyo, the little black dress remains the one dress women can rely on to pull them through the most formal, casual, or ‘happening’ of social occasions. And if there’s anything the gleaming metallics and the dizzyingly colorful, sometimes bizarrely impractical collections from the recently ended fashion week is making us appreciate even more, it’s the simple beauty of the little black dress. Some designers feel the same and are tossing out the colors, paring down the details, going back to black.

This week, we did a little round-up of the LBDs you can - if not should - wear this season and the ones you really shouldn’t be trying on, much less bringing home.

1. Trendy but work-appropriate

2. Lacy and lovely

3. Beautiful and Timeless

Eeeeks

4. Mumsy at best, grandmotherly at worst

5. ‘Who done this to you, Hudgens?

3. Take our word for it. these, please!

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A dress is a dress, right? No matter how beautifully cut or gorgeously made it is, you can’t give it full justice unless you wear it with perfectly coiffed or brushed hair and cleverly applied makeup. What better way to create drama than with the eyes? You may not have been born with big, beautiful eyes but with artfully applied makeup, you can easily appear like you were.

Peeper Perfect

Show off what you have by working with what you were born with. The best way to sizzle and smolder is to step out with big, beautifully smoky eyes that are perfectly set off with neutral lips. With everything else on your face kept low-key and muted, your darkly dramatic eyes will appear even more striking. Of course, you should prep your eyelids first so you can get the perfect canvas. The Evian Brumisateur is one primer skin experts swear by. You should also choose makeup hues that make your eye’s natural color pop. Naturally, you’ll need eyeliner and mascara to make your peepers look large and in charge. L’oreal’s Voluminous Waterproof gives nice length and volume. So do Maybelline’s Full n’ Soft and Lash Discovery, Lancome’s Definicls, Stila’s Fiber Optics Mascara, Bobbi Brown’s No Smudge Mascara, Shu Uemura’s Mascara Length and Waterproof, and Giorgio Armani’s Star Lash Mascara Star.

Hair-iffic!

If you want straight hair to go with your perfectly made up face and are turning to hot irons for the solution, get the one that gives the best results. Many women swear by CHI and SEDU hot irons. Remington and Philips work, too, so it pays to do your research before taking one product to the counter.

Scent-sational

With the dress, makeup, and hair down pat, what else do you need? Just one other thing: the perfect scent. Try Vera Wang Princess, Be Delicious by DKNY, or Versace’s Bright Crystal. If you’re after a light and summery fragrance, get D&G’s Light Blue or Vivara by Emilio Pucci. You might also want to try Lanvanila’s Vanilla Coconut scent or Calvin Klein’s Euphoria for a sultry, sweet, and delicious smell. Or, you could spritz on some of Jackie O’s majestic class with a bottle of Love in Black.

There. You’re all ready to step out and about and in your cowl neck metallic dress or Grecian black maxi dress, be the center of attention whenever, wherever.

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There are very few things in life that you can count on to happen week after week after week. One is that little ray of sunshine called the ‘weekend’. Another is the latest Dancing with the Stars reject. And, of course, we can always rely on Victoria Beckham to make headlines, one way or another.

Just a few weeks ago, we were pleasantly surprised (but not overly shocked) with the unveiling of Posh’s fashion collection at a private viewing during the New York Fashion Week. As we all know, Victoria is definitely not a newbie to fashion design, having established herself in the denim jeans niche not once, but twice - first with Rock and Republic with a line aptly dubbe VB Rocks, and subsequently an entire line under her own dVB label. Her new collection, however, is hell bent on elevating Victoria from her iconic status to a fashion legend. And why not, when the new VB label features slim, body-hugging dresses that the designer herself is partial to?

Another thing about Victoria that makes headlines as much as the clothes she wears is - you guessed it! - her hair. No stranger to short bobs, Posh still managed to wow everybody with the cute new pixie cut that she sported on the Marc Jacobs show, still on the NY Fashion Week. However, it does seem like Vic might not be too keen on her new ‘do, thinking that it makes her look ‘old’ and prompting her to consider getting work done. Well, if someone who looks as good as Victoria Beckham needs work done, there really is no hope for the rest of us, is there?

This week, we’ve got Posh admitting that she loves L.A. so much that she’s actually smiling. Not only that, apparently Posh Spice is now turning sporty (watch out, Mel C!) with a new fitness routine and, umm, proper breakfast. Well, here’s hoping she’s not running in one of her a party dress!

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Vic’s got a new ‘do. Vic’s got a new fashion line, too.

As the former Spice Girl revealed her debut fashion collection to a handful of fashion’s elite editors yesterday, she also showcased a daring new hairdo, a short spiky crop.

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham debuted her new collection to a handful of the fashion world’s elite at the New York fashion week. Calling her collection of frocks ‘classy’, spiky-cropped Victoria unveiled dresses that will be produced in limited editions and cost between 809 to 2,364 euros each.

We all know Vic can dance, sing, snag a very eligible man, pout, and squeeze herself into a fitted dress like no one else can. But can she design? The answer, says industry watchdogs, is yes.

Victoria first burst onto the world of fashion design with her dVb jeans and her sunglasses line. Not one to rest on her laurels or - in this case - her denims, Victoria’s taken to the drawing board and emerged with frocks that scream Victoria Beckham. Think somber shades and draconian cuts. Think dresses that put the emphasis on the curves rather than on the design. Think ultra-fitting, body-hugging numbers that fit like a glove from shoulder line to the knee. And if these descriptions sound familiar, that’s because you’ve seen those dresses long before they debuted on the runway.

No, Victoria did not steal another designer’s idea. No, she is not rehashing an old trend. But yes, you’ve seen her collection before because her dresses are exactly like the frocks we have seen her wear. Every one of the frocks in the Victoria Beckham line looks like it had been pulled right out of Victoria’s closet. And this, says fashion insiders, is not entirely a bad thing. After all, if there’s one thing Victoria’s dresses are famous for, it’s simple sophistication. The dresses Victoria made are just like the dresses she herself would wear - exquisitely simple, finely tailored, andcleanly minimalistic in color and design.

From Victoria’s closet to yours - not such a bad idea, innit?

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Coats that sizzle - that’s what winter 2008 is all about. Designers are playing with fabric fit, flare, fold, and color in ways you never would have thought possible; and they’re coming up with coats you would never want to take off or stop wearing.

Collared Coats

Expect collars to look large and in charge and to come with excess fabric folded into interesting 3D configurations. These are coats that make serious fashion statements, what with materials that look like they have been intentionally sculpted. So when you’re wearing collared coats that pack in serious drama, keep the rest of your get-up simple. Forget elaborately cut dresses. A plain v-neck jersey dress or a satin floral frock will provide the perfect contrast. Dresses are no longer just for summer; they are now made to tide you over the cold months.

Cocoon Coats

Get curvy balance and perfect volume with a cocoon coat. Velvet or fur lining on the sleeves or the hemlines will make silhouettes appear even more interesting. Pyramid coats from the House of Dior are just the thing to score. If you don’t have the bucks for them, however, expand your options. Look onto other designers for trapeze pyramid shades with bulky sleeves.

Coats in Leather and Fur

Can you channel biker chic with leather and fur? Of course, and Marks & Spencer leads the way with their leather collection. The leather biker coat is one top trend that lets you wear a lifestyle slickly and sleekly.

When styling up this winter, take your cue from Paris and Milan. Mix and match. Wear eclectic blends. Play with charcoal, silver, lime green, and purple. Wear leather, plaids, and faux prints. Accessorize with stack rings, long, layered statement necklaces, cuff bracelets, faux handbags and belts, slouchy hobos or stylish satchels, and multi-faceted gemstones that catch the light.

Winter may be the coldest of seasons but with eye-popping hues and vibrant designs to keep you warm, who says winter will leave you iced, style-wise?

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