Fashion forward in London as Topshop kicks off shows and parties in the capital

London Fashion Week got off to a glorious, Technicolor start, shrugging off the growing concern that hangs over the multi-million-pound event.

The six-day event, which sees the international fashion industry decamp to London to view the best of British, began with Topshop revealing its Unique collection for spring-summer 2009.

It did not disappoint - despite the status of the event in London coming under threat from America.

With New York insisting the dates of its own fashion weeks be moved to begin on the second Friday of February and September, London's biannual fashion showcase - worth an estimated £100 million to the economy - is being bullied and squeezed by its older, established rival.

Emergency talks held by the British Fashion Council this week - and including Topshop's billionaire owner Sir Philip Green - will attempt a fightback.

But the likelihood is that London's event will be reduced to four days at best from next year.

Sex and the City: Body Image Edition

With Sex and the City 2 hitting theaters today, chances are you've got plans to catch the flick with a few girlfriends -- and, if you're smart, you'll be sneaking in a Nalgene bottle full of cosmopolitan juice. Even if you're not, I'm willing to bet you've watched at least one episode of the monster hit - enough to know the show revolves around four NY women looking for love, happiness, career success and seriously daring shoes.

But in the process of taking us along on Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda's personal and professional rollercoasters, SATC has also taught us about loving our bodies in its own creative way. Beyond the show, the actresses themselves have been through their own ups and downs - Sarah Jessica Parker is consistently and undeservedly attacked for her unconventional beauty; Kristin Davis recently told Fitness magazine that with age has come a growing acceptance for her body. Scripted or not, they always seem to come out on top. Here are a few of our favorite body image lessons, courtesy of SATC:

Models make EVERYONE feel like crap

In "Models and Mortals" (Season 1), Carrie's voiceover tells us "There's nothing like raising the subject of models among four single women to spice up an otherwise dull Tuesday night." After dogging on these "giraffes with big breasts" for encouraging a culture that promotes impossible standards of beauty (Charlotte: "They have this distant, sexy look." Miranda: "That's not sexy, that's starvation."), the following convo ensues:

CHARLOTTE: You know, no matter how good I feel about myself if I see Christy Turlington, I just wanna give up.

MIRANDA: I just wanna force feed her lard, but that's the difference between you and me.

CARRIE: What are you talking about? Look at you two, you're beautiful.

CHARLOTTE: Oooo I hate my thighs.

MIRANDA: Oh, come on.

CHARLOTTE: I can't even open a magazine without thinking "thighs, thighs, thighs."

MIRANDA: Well I'll take your thighs and raise you a chin.

CARRIE: I'll take you a chin and raise you a ... (points at nose).

(All look at Samantha expectantly)

SAMANTHA: What?

CARRIE: Come on.

SAMANTHA: I happen to love the way I loo.

MIRANDA: You should. You paid enough for it. ( Miranda, Carrie and Charlotte all laugh)

SAMANTHA: Hey, I resent that. I do not believe in plastic surgery. Well, not yet.

CARRIE: (Voice-Over) Suddenly, I was interested. If models could cause otherwise rational individuals to crumble in their presence, exactly how powerful was beauty?

Chances are, other women think you're hot, even if you don't

In "Attack Of The Five Foot Ten Woman" (Season 3), Carrie becomes upset when she and Charlotte visit a hot restaurant know for their deserts and she (Charlotte) only orders a fruit cup. Charlotte reiterates how much she hates her thighs, and Carrie explains that the problem isn't in her thighs, it's in her mind.

Carrie then whips out a pricey new pair of shoes procured for an upcoming luncheon...during which she'll be running into her ex's current love, a 25-year-old model (Natasha). Charlotte tells Carrie that she can wear a paper sack and she'll still be the most fabulous woman in attendance. Carrie's response sounds alarmingly similar to something my therapist might say: "Wow! Why can't you do that for yourself?"

Later that afternoon, Charlotte is feeling empowered by her conversation with Carrie. In the locker room at her gym, she bravely sheds her towel in the steam room - something she had been unable to do before. Within moments, a fellow steamer says, "I'd kill for your breasts." Charlotte smiles...as did I.

Even beautiful actresses get tripped up by their looks
In May, Kristin Davis said in a magazine interview that the series has boosted her confidence and shored up her body image. She told Red magazine, "'You get a lot of criticism out in the world or on the internet about how you look. 'Fat here, fat there. Hippy this, hippy that. That has been my entire career." Thankfully, she says, nobody at SATC has ever asked her to lose weight. She also told BettyConfidential.com that her self-esteem has shifted and changed - for the better - as she's aged: "I remember in my twenties when I would go in for auditions and I'd be competing with tall, thin, gorgeous model, I'd just sit there in my seat next to them thinking, "Why am I here?" But with age comes wisdom and I eventually realized I have hips and curves and I'm never going to be the thinnest actress--and I don't want to be. Once I started excepting (sic) my body in my thirties, that's when my career really took off. I think when you're at peace with yourself, you're automatically going to be more confident, and that shows." (You can also check Davis out in Fitness magazine, whom she told last month, "I have hips! I'm never going to be the thinnest actress, and I don't want to be. When you're at peace with yourself and your body, you're automatically more confident.")

"The SJP Divide"
Women tend to fawn over Sarah Jessica Parker - Her hair! Her clothes! Her fabulous style! - but men...mot so much? The charming actress, who some have affectionately referred to as "jolie laide" ("ugly beautiful") is consistently bashed for her looks by men. Entire websites are dedicated to it, practically making it a sport. I don't understand this. Some theories purport that it has to do with the fact that she dresses for her fashionista self, not for men. Sadie at jezebel.com thinks part of is a result of men becoming angry that we women continue to adore her despite the fact that they have collectively deemed her unattractive: " In a sense, we are defying them, creating a new ideal of sexiness that has nothing to do with male gratification... If we disagree about what is fundamentally sexy, this becomes threatening, because the subtext of all sexiness is male attraction. To women, Sarah Jessica Parker is the actress who has shown women can be attractive without being conventionally "pretty." To men, this distinction doesn't exist"

Do you think SATC is positive for women's body image? What's your favorite episode from the series?

Shop Fashion in Paris & Milan

You can find fashion shopping tours worldwide - but let’s focus on France, Italy & USA. In Paris you can pre-book a perfume workshop, shop Discount Fashion, Fashion Accessories, Designer Home Wares or Discount Couture. Just imagine: you can buy Chanel, Vuitton and Dior at affordable prices!
You'll can also visit the most prestigious resale shops in Paris, owned by fashion editors and photographers. Designer clothing is sold here straight off the catwalk, and you'll find collection prototypes at a third of the marked-up price. You'll be able to attend sample sales on some of the tours, where the most fashionable brands sell their last year's collections at a discount of up to 70%. Milan! Who can talk about fashion and not mention Milan? While In Milan you can Shop till you drop for designer brands including Versace, Nike, Calvin Klein, and Prada on the shopping tour to Serravalle Designer Outlet - Europe's largest and Italy's leading shopping mall. Or visit Foxtown outlets just across the border from Italy to Switzerland. But Italy has a lot more to offer for fashion fanatics. From Florence you can visit the outlets of the most prestigious fashion companies on a luxury private shopping tour. You'll have the opportunity to hunt for bargain steals with reductions from 30% to 50% off the recommended retail price. Bruno Magli, Pancaldi 1888, Redwall, Mariella Burani, Sergio Rossi, Furla, Valleverde and Pollini are just some of the names to conjure if you are going to Bologna in the North of Italy.

The latest style hot bikini show

it's hard to maintain a good body just release the passion in the summer . Bikini will always be the focus of the summer, the sun, the most beautiful scenery on the beach, hollow, thin, bright colors dots and stripes are this year's swimsuit trends. Bikini will become popular more thoroughly, the fashion elements will be used, and there will be so seductive scenery everywhere! Put on the hot bikini, enjoying the cool water and the red eyes with envy from others.

Mini-shorts are more sexy and fashionable than mini-skirt this year

This year is no longer the year mini-skirt dominate the fashion trend, this summer mini-short will grasp more focus than mini-skirt.in fact many luxury brands have showed the charming of the mini-short at the early 2010 spring-summer press. However, the latest design of the 2010 spring and summer shorts are different from the traditional boxer design. Bikini elements will be more attractive; in this summer mini shorts will interpret more fashion. The sexy underwear styles can wear the underwear outside, which look more fashionable. Let us take a look at the major brands in the spring and summer 2010 show of the mini-shorts, charm it!