Peter Dundas and Anna Dello Russo discuss empowering women, high glamour and the ‘jet-set’ influence on Ft.com.

Time for Anna dello Russo quotes. We’ve missed you Anna!

“When I moved house 10 years ago, I had 4,000 pairs of shoes. I had to buy a bigger home to store all the clothes because I need closets, not kitchens.”

“I’m super tidy so every item is catalogued, stored in garment bags with tissue paper, perfumed and on hangers that are all the same. ”

“I’m not a vintage fan - I don’t like the smell of old clothes. I’m also not a fan of bags, because anything that is practical isn’t handsome; if anything I like clutches. ”

“Pyjamas and tracksuits are sloppy so I only wear Abercrombie & Fitch tracksuits to go to my yoga class. If you dress comfortably, you don’t get the look. ”

“I love opulence, gold, richness. I will always say that I was born in Versailles and will die at the Hermitage. When I visited St Petersburg, I really felt at home like a czarina, attracted to the gold gilded columns that are everywhere. ”

“My father often compares me to Anastasia or to Tutankhamen. ”

“Fashion is a muse just like theatre, art, music, literature; it’s a mirror, a sign of the times. You can view it as a discipline, as frivolous, as costume, but it will never end.”

“Fashion is timeless, like music - even during the war, you couldn’t stop people from singing.”

Reasons to give a Chanel Miroir Double Facettes ( or Blush) on Mother’s Day:

Because it’s Chanel.
Because it’s so pretty.
Because it’s a double sided mirror compact and one side is magnified.
Because she won’t need her glasses to put on her lipstick.
Because Chanel calls that ‘discreet retouching’.
Because she won’t need her glasses to do her eyeliner.
Because Chanel calls that ‘precision application’.
Because it’s just $47 from Chanel Boutiques or major department stores.
Because you will be the favourite child.
Because you can’t afford the beautiful blush for $77.
Blush. And Bless.

The Shoemaker’s Wife: A Novel… by Adriana Trigiani

On the New york Times best seller list this is a perfect book for Mother’s Day..

“Beloved New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani returns with the most epic and ambitious novel of her career-a breathtaking multigenerational love story that spans two continents, two World Wars, and the quest of two star-crossed lovers to find each other again. The Shoemaker’s Wife is replete with the all the page-turning adventure, sumptuous detail, and heart-stopping romance that has made Adriana Trigiani, “one of the reigning queens of women’s fiction” (USA Today). Fans of Trigiani’s sweeping family dramas like Big Stone Gap and Lucia will love her latest masterpiece, a book Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help, calls “totally new and completely wonderful: a rich, sweeping epic which tells the story of the women and men who built America dream by dream.”

$17 Publisher: Harper (April 3, 2012) Booktopia and Amazon.com

Escape Hotel Stories: Retreat and Refuge in Nature BY Francisca Mattéol

If you can’t go to these gorgeous hotels you can experience them via first class arm chair travel : You rmother will love this!
‘Take a journey to some of the world’s most stunning hotels and follow in the footsteps of influential writers and inspirational artists who took refuge in the serenity and natural beauty of these landscapes.
Each hotel or resort in this volume possesses a unique relationship with its surroundings, offering an escape into natural paradises spanning the globe: A ranch in the heart of Wyoming’s wild plains, eco-lodges on Easter Island or in Alaska, a mountain ryokan in Japan, luxury tents in the Australian desert. Mattéoli accompanies each travel narrative with references to inspirational writers and artists, many of whom were environmental proponents ahead of their time.’ DIVINE

$45 Publisher: Assouline (February 22, 2012)Assouline.com

This week it The FiFi accessories special for winter. Woo Hoo! We all know that’s actually the real way to joosh up the wardrobe for the season. And we all need a little joosh don’t we? If you have invested in a few fabulous pieces -some chic jackets, knits and a leather skirt- then all you need are a few fab accessories to add a little fashion edge. Go on then. Start shopping !

The leather cuff.
I love a cuff. I love an orange Hermes cuff. It’s to die for. Who needs a new washing machine when you can have a little bit of hermes on your wrist? $700. Otherwise head to Saba $39, Rachel Ruddick for a fab plum leather cuff $110 or shop bop for a  Tory Burch Double Wrap Logo Leather Bracelet $95.( left)

The faux fur scarf.
You can’t go through winter without a bit of faux fur around your neck. That’s a rule of the season. It will do wonders to any daggy old outfit. Any old daggy neck. Everyone will check out your fabulous scarf and not even notice last season’s jacket. My picks are the Trenery grey scarf with a little bit of fur around the neck. Grey is softer against the face don’t you think? Yes, you do. On sale now $59.
Try Witchery for a fabulous brown faux fur scarf. $119. It’s nicer than this in store. A lot nicer. I tried it on and the girl had to wrestle it from my neck before I ran out. It’s a lovely brown and will work with everything.(right) Or head to Myer they have a great selection of Design Studio faux fur scarves that are in one piece that you pull on. Over your head. Watch the lipgloss. Love it in black too. $49. ( left)

Loafers:
Say goodbye to ballet flats it’s time for the loafer. You know when Celine shows loafers they are hot. To trot around in. Love with jeans or a crop pant. Hell, you can even slip on a loafer with a flirty dress if you have legs like Alexa Chung. Bless. Remember you want wear with something feminine to sex it up baby. Love the Mimco loafers$199, ( left) the always chic Sambag loafers $189, the fab and funky stud loafers from Ninewest $139 ( right) and the divine cream loafers from Marc by marc Jacobs from Shopbop. $275 Yes please! Hint: Not for the muddy paddocks. Also at net a porter in grey. ( middle)

Pointy toe heel:s
It’s a season of goodbyes but please don’t cry when you wave au revoir and double kiss your stompalicious heels. ( you can have them for at least another year so it’s not so bad. ) Time to embrace the pointy toe stiletto. Go crazy, go for a colour. The only place to have fun is on your feet. Love the red suede heels from Wanted $129, the fabulous grey snakeskin style heels from Florsheim,left ( fabulous and much better in real life) $179 and the blue suede heels from Wittner $169. Unless you have a bright neon colour like the Louboutins here or the orange from last week please avoid patent. Black patent is so last, last last season. So there. Who da thunk?

Every day tote:
I think you can buy handbags online. No don’t need to try them on. Just fall in love and press click. And drool. I am loving a brown or tan bag this season. Grey is great and so is black.( Please do not be afraid of black). My picks are the chic taupe shoulder bag from Country Road right $269. Great shape and easy to wear. You want the fabulous black Alexnder Wang Rocco Neoprene & Leather Satchel $790 from saks. And the too, too divine brown Givenchy stand up tote $1330 from Farfetch.com Delicious non? With absolutley no calories. A winner.left

A hat, a belt and gloves:
The trilby is so chic and perfect for winter. Great for bad hair days. Great to look chic. The best one is from mimco $99 but you can find them in David Jones and Myer at all sorts of prices. (Love a hat grey!). Let’s just say most of these accessories like scarves, gloves and hats are there because they are just groovy. Not to keep warm. That’s if you live in Sydney. Just sayin. (Mlebourne and new Zealand readers I can’t wait to come and see you lugging my huge suitcase packed with my winter clothes). You want the fabulous grey long gloves from country Road $129. Wear with a short sleeve jacket, with a knit and sleeves pushed up and pray that it will get chilly. I’m all for a fabulous designer logo belt. Yes, I’m talking bringing out the big guns. It’s the only place you can subtly rock a logo without looking too much like a Kardashian ( those girls even put you off Birkins!.) Love this Gucci tan belt at Net a porter $345.Love! ( hint: Buy a designer belt if the budget demands instead of a handbag: New washing machine optional).

Flourless chocolate & pear cake …adulterated from bbcgoodfood.

The perfect cake for Mother’s Day. Rich but light it’s quite delicious. Oh and it’s flourless -and could be made with gluten free choc -and has fruit, which I’m sure makes it healthy. For a choc cake anyway…

You need for 8 big fat mamas on Mother’s Day!:

85g butter , plus 1 tabs extra for tin
85g  caster sugar , plus extra for tin
85g (gluten-free) dark chocolate , broken into pieces
1 tabs brandy
3 eggs  separated
85g hazelnuts or almonds , toasted and ground in a food processor
4 very ripe pear peeled, halved and cored
icing sugar , for dusting

• Climb into snazzy designer leisure suit
• Climb into snazzy designer ugg boots.
• Cut a circle of baking parchment to fit the base of a 25cm loose-bottomed tin.
• Melt 1 tabsp butter and brush the inside of the tin, then line the base with the parchment and brush again with more butter. Yes, more butter.
• Spoon in 2 tabsp caster sugar, swirl it around to coat the base and sides, then tip out any excess. If only you could tip it off your hips.
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
• Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water, remove from the heat, stir in the brandy and leave to cool.
• Put the brandy back in the fridge.
• Yes, put it back. hic.
• Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a large bowl until pale and thick as Lindsay Lohan.
• Then fold into the chocolate with the hazelnuts like your fav silk Prada shirt.
• In a separate bowl, with a clean whisk, beat the whites until they reach a soft peak . Think George Clooney on a good night.
• (try not to whisk them too stiffly or you’ll have trouble folding them in jsut oiek George on a bad night).
• Stir a spoonful of the whites into the chocolate mix, then carefully fold in the rest of them in 2 additions.
• Spoon into the prepared tin.
• Level, then arrange the pears over the mixture, cut-side down.
• Bake for 40 mins until the pears are soft and the cake is cooked all the way through.
• Leave to cool in the tin slightly before releasing it, then place on a rack to cool completely.
• Acessorise with icing sugar.
• Serve with with lashings of crème fraîche.
• You are still the favourite child.