Would You Really Customise Your Birkin?

Owning an iconic Hermes Birkin bag will stay in dream-territory for a lot of us, so it comes as a shocker that some designer-toters are paying for their luxury arm-candy to be painted, drawn and stickered on. Would you dare to do the same? To be fair, the outcome can look seriously cool. Artists and brothers Shelby and Sandy we're approached to customised a bright blue version of the classic bag and, they had to admit, it was a pretty daunting task. 'It was definitely our most expensive canvas yet'. Yep, you'd need to have a pretty steady hand to approach that with paint on a brush... 

Kim Kardashian was famously given an oversized Birkin bag for Christmas from her now husband, Kanye West. What made it different was the fact that it was hand-painted by the American artist George Condo. Needless to say that after a couple of days of wear, we never saw the, ahem, hard to style-in bag again. Considering a Hermes bag of that size could be anywhere up to tens of thousands of pounds to acquire, you really have to love your add-on artwork for it to make financial sense. 

Now to the woman who started it all, actress Jane Birkin herself. To have one of the world's most coveted bags named after you is no mean feat, but the actress has toted her original bag for years and years. Adorned lovingly with stickered momentos, this battered bag has clearly seen it all, and it's almost quite romantic of her to have those memories on display for all to see. 

What do you make of the style set customising their Birkins; is it a form of self expression or a travesty against all things fashion? Let us know by tweeting us @InStyleUK using the hashtag #BirkinDebate.

The Bucket Hat Is Having A Moment

It all started when Rihanna wore a camouflage-print bucket hat last summer. Whilst we, er, take our hats off (sorry) to the stylish starlet for her unfailing ability to make her one-off looks into global trends, we had to do a double take at this sartorial choice. Yet it looked like, once again, Rihanna was at the forefront of the Next Big Thing in fashion. The favoured headgear of fishermen and sun-shy toddlers alike may have been banished from our fashion radar for over a decade, but it looks like it’s making a comeback.

The bucket hat has also cropped up across the SS15 catwalk shows – Isabel Marant, Burberry Prorsum and Rag & Bone all sent the humble hat down their runways. Celebrity admirers of the look range from Pharrell Williams to Eliza Doolittle, who rocked her leopard-print version with a toned-down white maxi-dress.

Tapping into the ever-growing 90s revival, the bucket hat joins jelly sandals, scrunchies and crop tops in its nostalgic tribute to the past. This is a look that you need to have some fun with rather than playing it down. Wear a bold, colourful print like this number from New Era, or take inspiration from Miley Cyrus pair a more muted bucket hat with a plaid shirt, for a nod to 90s grunge.

Although it may be something of a divisive trend (particularly for those of us who remember Kevin & Perry Go Large a little too well), the bucket hat is going nowhere. For a cute, carefree look, we say you should give it a try.

Kate Moss And Stella McCartney Team Up Once More For Autumn Winter 2014

Kate Moss has reprised her role as the face of Stella McCartney for the first time since 2009. Despite the fact Mossy hasn't fronted a Stella campaign for five years, this is actually the seventh ad the supermodel has appeared in for her friend. And they say not to mix business and pleasure. Rubbish.

Shot by their mutual friends Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, Kate looks as stunning as ever, with her tousled blonde hair, bronzed cheekbones and tanned limbs stealing the show. While Stella may have made firm friends with a new crop of models and musicians lately – we're looking at you Cara and RiRi – the designer clearly knows that no-one has the same pulling power as her BFF, Kate Moss.

'Kate epitomises the Stella McCartney woman and I wanted to capture her dreams and the moments we have shared over the years,' Stella said of the choosing Kate for the new campaign. 'I wanted to escape into something surreal this season and fashion should make us dream, sometimes.

As well as Kate, the new campaign is all about Stella's new Cavendish bag – a tote embellished with stars, and modelled by Moss. Not forgetting the classic Stella zip motif that runs throughout the collection, highlighted in the artwork of the ads. Safe to say, this is one of Kate and Stella's most stylish partnerships yet.

Pirelli Brings Their Sexy Calendar Bang Up-To-Date With First Curvy Star

Kate Moss, Helena Christensen and Miranda Kerr are just some of the famous faces who have graced the iconic Pirelli calendar in the past but, thanks to a killer fashion team and the inclusion of their first ever 'curvy' model, we reckon that the 2015 edition is set to be the motor-sport brands most on-point offering yet. Styled by French editor Carine Roitfeld, next years fetish themed-calendar will star Natalia Vodianova, Adriana Lima, Joan Smalls and Tom Ford's rising star Gigi Hadid, but its the editions curvy model that we can't wait to see. 

Candice Huffine has been in the modelling industry for 15 years, fronting the cover of i-D Magazine and starring in countless campaigns, but she's still honoured to be a part of such a world-renowned project. Speaking of her time in the fashion industry, Candice was quick to add that she has '...always felt welcomed, but my presence on this set - the most glamorous in the world - is a sign that things are really changing'. And we couldn't be more for it...

Inspiration for the shoot includes Brigitte Bardot and Catwoman (although we have to wonder if the up-coming release of S&M film 50 Shades Of Grey had anything to do with the choice...), so we can expect plenty of boudoir bustiers modelled in black latex. Shot by acclaimed fashion photographer Steven Meisel, starring some of our favourite models and styled by one of the worlds most fashionable women; this is one sexy calendar we definitely want to see... 

A release date has not yet been confirmed but if previous sale dates are anything to go by, you can expect to see the first plus-size model to grace the Pirelli calendar by November.

The Swimwear Trend Taking The Fashion World By Storm

The reign of the itsy-bitsy bikini is officially over. Surfing the ocean wave from the far reaches of Australia and the States, to Blighty's shores, is the rash guard, a long-sleeved swimwear top formerly worn to prevent chafing during water sports. Sexy, right? Love it or hate it, it looks like this new trend is here to stay. Seen at Mara Hoffman and Belusso last week at Fashion Week Swim 2014, the rash guard has already hit the high street with versions popping up in Victoria's Secret and ASOS.

But are you ready to surrender your most flattering bikini for this sporty look? It certainly has its perks. Trend-setter Rihanna showed us just how versatile the long-sleeved swim top can be, pairing a leopard-print Cia Maritima version with denim cut-offs to greet fans in Rio, before heading off for a moonlit swim in the matching two-piece. A glamorous look that works for both day and night? We’ll take it.

Devotees of the rash guard are also drawn to its flattering nature. Proud of your hard-earned holiday abs? A cropped rash guard lets you flaunt your best bits without flashing too much flesh.

It’s worth remembering that this look was originally borne from practicality, and pale-skinned beauties like Nicole Kidman have long been aware of the rash guard as a go-to beach cover-up to avoid dreaded sunburn. So if your skin turns more salmon than sun-kissed when you’re out in the heat, this new swimwear trend might be the one for you.