Focus Fashion Notes

Best Dressed at the Races. Get ready for The Ladies Day Calendar The summer season will start in earnest with the Grand National at Aintree on Saturday 10th April. The whole nation loves a bet in the Grand National and this year 40 runners and riders will be under starter's orders for what is one of the most celebrated horse races in the world. The very first winner of this ultimate test of endurance was " Lottery " in 1839 and probably the most famous winner of all-time was the great " Red Rum " who won in 1973, 1974 and 1977. The most famous loser, however, was " Devon Loch ", owned by Her Majesty The Queen Mother. In 1956 "Devon Loch ", ridden by Dick Francis , suddenly collapsed just 50 yards from the finish. While race pundits check out the odds and equestrian form, race watchers look forward to Ladies Day and the fabulous fashion forms when the only test of endurance is whether ladies can totter in killer heels and keep their hats o...

SPRING BREAKS - Just a hint of Spring as the birds nestle and golden daffodils adorn woodland walks, gardens and parks. Spring/Summer Collections are arriving in stores a combination of blush tones, fresh feminine florals, strong graphics, tribal safari and nautical. At last we can look forward to well-earned Easter Break and thoughts of sand, sea and life on the open waves. The fabulous VV Brown shows us how to work the nautical look in this outfit from Marks and Spencer's new TV ad . It’s all about the stripes! VV wears this essential belted cotton tunic (£15) over rolled up denim shorts from Indigo (£19.50). Add some Limited Collection platforms (£29.50) , a cute trilby (£12) and on oversized straw shopper (£15) and you’re ready to set sail this spring. Complete the look with some dotty ankle socks to get VV’s quirky look! The new TV ad was filmed on location in South Africa and features fabulous new stars Ana, Dannii, Lisa, Twiggy and VV. Click here to view all the outfits...

For Spring Summer 2010 Debenhams were delighted to relaunch Principles ,one of Britain's biggest and best-loved brands back on the high street, with internationally renowned designer Ben de Lisi at the creative helm. The collaboration is hugely anticipated by customers all over the UK, with Debenhams experiencing overwhelming customer demand for the brand's return. Thousands of searches have been made on their website and store staff have been inundated with enquiries. There are approximately 5 million loyal Principles customers in the UK, so Principles by Ben de Lisi is finally a destination on the High Street for them to shop once again. Under Ben's creative direction, Debenhams is moving the brand back to what it is celebrated for; a timeless, modern collection with a designer twist aimed at the discerning fashion lover. The price position will be lower than before without compromising quality or style. Distilling the essence of the Principles signature style, Ben h...

Let's go retro and this time it's back to the 80s. Hard to believe but at the beginning of the 80s the Apple 2E computer had just 48k of memory, how times have changed! Other innovations of the time were the Rubic Cube, BMX Bikes and Space Invaders. We got physical with Olivia Newton John and Jane Fonda, inspired by Flash Dance the movie and US cult TV Fame Academy and were moved by gloriously romantic movies Flash Dance, Dirty Dancing and Grease. Big hair, big shoulders and big money filled our TV screens with shows like "Dynasty", with power dressing showdowns from rival Carringtons (Joan Collins and Linda Evans) while over in "Dallas", Huston the Ewings (Linda Gray and Victoria Principal) remained immaculate on the windswept Texas plains. Back in Blighty Maggie Thatcher was in power and the New Romantics and their New Wave launched onto the fashion and music scene. strutting dandies Adam and the Ants, Boy George, Duran Duran, Human League, Spandau Balle...