“I’d love to have Kate Middleton on the cover.I assure you it is not for want of asking!” Vogue UK editor Alexandra Shulman

“It really wouldn’t do for her to dress like a Kardashian.” The Daily Telegraph’s fashion editor Lisa Armstrong ( on kate’s sleek style).

“Kate Middleton is gorgeous - that killer body, it’s like a body of death! So I think it would be easy to dress her. She’s so elegant; she carries herself in a way that goes beyond clothing.’ Phillip Lim.

“Fake goods aren’t totally bad, at least it created jobs at some counterfeit factories. We don’t want to be a brand that nobody wants to copy.” Prada CEO, Patrizio Bertelli.

“It was a lot of fun. Obama was hilarious. I wouldn’t give the food an A+, but it was pretty good.” cover girl Kate Upton on the White House Correspondents’ dinner .

“It is a rare man who can be that tough on the field and also have his own line of underwear.” President Barack Obama, taking a below-the-belt shot at David Beckham.

“Sometimes I can’t get him to stop singing. He loves it in the shower in the morning, sings to the kids. But it’s not a song.  He’ll sing one line of something romantic or cute.” Michelle Obama on Obama.

“If I could be someone else, who would I be? Gosh. If I had some gift, I’d be Beyoncé … I’d be some great singer.” Michelle Obama

Park Lane…by Frances Osborne.

‘The bestselling author of The Bolter and Lila’s Feast ( two books I loved ) returns with a delicious novel about two determined women whose lives collide in the halls of a pedigreed London town home.

When eighteen-year-old Grace Carlisle arrives in London in 1914, she’s unable to fulfill her family’s ambitions and find a position as an office secretary. Lying to her parents and her brother, Michael, she takes a job as a housemaid at Number 35, Park Lane, where she is quickly caught up in lives of its inhabitants–in particular, those of its privileged son, Edward, and daughter, Beatrice, who has just returned from America after being unceremoniously jilted by her fiancé. Desperate to find a new purpose, Beatrice joins the radical suffragist movement and strikes up an intriguing romance with an impassioned young lawyer. But unbeknownst to both of the young women, the choices they make will connect their chances at future happiness in dramatic and inevitable ways.’ Very Downton Abbey…

$10 Publisher: Vintage (June 12, 2012) Amazon.com

The Way We Live in the Country ...by Stafford Cliff , Gilles de Chabaneix

Another fabulous book in the series!
The Way We Live… series of books focus on environments and styles of living that are parallel around the world yet somehow stylistically distinct in particular locations. This latest addition to the series celebrates country living, from the lavender fields of Provence and woodsy English cottages to Montana weekend ranches and Mexico’s traditional adobe haciendas. Among the interiors and homes depicted here, there is sure to be inspiration aplenty for anyone daydreaming of rustic, yet stylish, country living.

Traditional and contemporary styles are explored: an airy, minimalist sitting room looks out on to lush countryside; bunches of herbs and antique tools hang from rough-hewed beams beside a roaring log fire; an intricate stone floor shines through the sleek glass top of a contemporary dining table, where a bowl of fruit from the local farmers’ market awaits guests.

The concluding section of the book is a rich sequence of images of the best that life in the country has to offer, from colonial New England farmsteads to life aboard houseboats in Pacific Northwest fishing hamlets. This is inspirational, aspirational lifestyle photography at its finest.
$26 Publisher: Rizzoli (February 14, 2012) Amazon.com

Now that the cold weather is really here it’s just great to wear all those exciting winter pieces: coats! knits! boots! Woo hoo. In Sydney it won’t last long but what a joy it is to pull out gloves and scarves and have fun getting dressed. Read on for my top ten buys to get you looking fabulous. Do you see any crazy colours ? No way! Build your wardrobe around the chicest colours navy, black and caramel with a touch of brown and maybe a dash of red. Then you are go for launch. Hint: Save the bright colours, mad prints and kooky styling for the street style bloggers at Fashion week.

Online bag buy of the week;
I’m loving J Crewe : so many divine cashmere knits and so many fabulous basics. What else did I spy there? Why, a bag of course. This is one of those every day numbers. It’s in great leather ( won’t be scratched by your huge diamond ring), it’s a great size and cool shape. It has lots of great zips but not covered in too much gold glitzy hardware. It comes in red, orange, black and blue as well. The good news ? It sits in that mid price range: Not  thousands but not cheap but chic either: The dollar went down but really it’s not a huge difference in price $508 . Jcrew Biennial satchel buy here.

Witchery Spliced Embellished Tee
This week’s FiFi fashion is just really all my favourite items I’ve come across snooping around the shops and online: A trench, a stripe knit and the indispensable sequin tee. This sparkly number is new in witchery. Love the navy and the sheer sleeves (it has a sheer back too). Love the idea that it skims and doesn’t cling. Love it in summer or winter. Remember it’s about contrasts in fashion: sequins with denim, heels with chinos, Chanel tweed jacket with white tee. $199 Buy here

Sporstgirl denim shirt
You can’t go past a denim shirt for weekend dressing. It’s cool. Of course you love the idea of mixing denim with denim because as a loyal FiFi Report subscriber you read about that years ago ( well as soon Chloe sent in down the runway for spring 10). It’s almost a classic now. Love under a floppy sweater and just hanging out the bottom. You can throw it back with a leather skirt or tuck it in with high waist wide leg pants.  Yes, you can. I like it a little bigger and worn sloppy style like the Chloe runway. Buy here for $79

Cue Peplum top
Phobe Philo at Celine was really the first designer to send out a peplum style jacket ( in terms of recent contemporary fashion): I think it was her first collection which was in June 09 . It was a casual cotton jacket with a sneaky little peplum styling around the hips. Anyway fast forward and now it’s the season of the peplum. Guess what? You will love it. Why ? because it’s so flattering. It’s quite fitted where you want it (Sucks you in at the best place) then watch that little pelum flare out and cover that spot where all those sticky date puddings have been sitting. Love this for work or weekend with Chinos or jeans. This number is also in red (it’s burgundythough it looks black). $195. You saw a version in white on the model Angela at the Westfield Burwood style session. Love. Buy here

Country Road Lofty Roll Neck Knit
Question: When is a jumper a tea cosy? When it’s the coolest cape/ short sleeve knit. Love this navy chunky sweater because it’s got ¾ sleeves so you won’t die of heat exhaustion lying by the fire. You can layer it -as they have done- over a navy long sleeve Tee. it’s very flattering. I should know I have tried it on and it does give good muffin bottom coverage without making you look like Jessica Simpson. TIP: wear over skinny jeans. Love with ankle boots and under a coat. It’s also in a lovely oatmeal cream.  Love it belted over a leather pencil skirt. True. Belt it in yes: It’s actually not too bulky. You can create your own peplum.  $149 ( might be on sale ) Buy here

Burberry Brit tech fabric trench
I have been in Trench rehab for a while but now it’s cold and rainy ,well, I’m like Joan Rivers and a scalpel…. But why dag around looking at copies of tench coats when you can have the real thang? Burberry is now available here online here in Australia. (Trench porn!). You could buy everything. My pick? This great little casual number. They describe it as a ” Relaxed showerproof technical fabric trench coat with set-in sleeves with a detachable check-lined hood and Heritage features reference the original Burberry trench coat’. Delicious. $995. Buy here. $995.00

Karen Walker Navy Multi Cashmere Top
Here’s a little secret. I have been checking out this stripe cashmere sweater online since it first came online last year. Now I must share it with you as it has been reduced from $350 to $175. It’s rather gorgeous don’t you think ? Cashmere. Tick. Stripe. tick. Great neckline. tick. Great colours. tick. Perfect length for bending over in low rise jeans. Lovely with a skirt or jeans. Yes, please. Buy here.  $175

MK Flex Mid by MICHAEL Michael Kors
It’s the thing: it’s my job to stamp out dags and to make you look groovy ( without wasting your time or money). So let me present the 3 pairs of shoes you need for winter. I’m talking heels, flats, and boots all at a great cheap but chic price ( not the dream version alas!) . Yes, they are all black but isn’t that the coloour we actually all wear? Please feel free to also lash out and buy taupe, brown or red. My first buy are these fabulous MICHAEL Michael Kors pointy heels. They are a great heel height so you don’t stagger around. No need for nurofen when wearing these all day. They even have a rubber sole. Shut up. Makes stomping the pavement so easy. Do I need to tell you that pointy toe is back? No! Do I need to tell you how to wear them? NO! Tip: just make sure your pants stop at the ankle. The price for you? $106 plus postage I think. While you are on this site check out GAP, Banana Republic, Old navy. All ship to Australia. Sorry. You may spend too much time on this site. $106 Buy them here. You can try David Jones but I think they have sold out in black.

Seedheritage Freya ankle boots
It’s all about the ankle boot this winter. But you knew that. Long boots work with skirts but, as we have discussed, you need ankle boots to rock with coloured jeans or actually with any jeans or pants. If you’ve got the legs you can rock ankle boots with a skirt or dress. Actually can I rephrase that? If you THINK you have the legs. ( it’s how you feel not what shape you really are). Anyway I am here to tell you that the hot boot du jour is the Acne boot ( see here ). But I am very happy to share with you the Seed version which is very similar but of course a little less damage on the Prada wallet. Love the heel : it gives your legs a little help without looking too high and silly when wandering the hills of Provence. Love the outside zip and the classic round toe. Love the wide ankle. That’s the key. You want a wide baggy ankle on your boot . Not a tight zip look. Your jeans should be short and sit just above. Cool $229 Buy here.

Mimco Loafers:
Say au revoir to those ballet flats you’ve been thrashing for years.  Time for loafers.  You can see here at Net a porter that Marc Jacobs- as well as Gucci -have fabulous loafers. I saw these lovely simple loafers at Mimco. Now on sale for $99. Love the chic toe, the very subtle gold detail on the front and they are great quality. Wear with crop pants, jeans or with a skirt if you are feeling groovy. And you have legs like Alexa Chung. Bless. Hint: Please no socks. Just don’t. If it’s too cold then time to pull on the ankle boots. merci.$99. Buy here.

PEAR & PINE NUT POLENTA CAKE (GLUTEN-FREE) adulterated from luculliandelights.com

I decided that I was desperate for pear and polenta cake. I found this lovely recipe on the net and got to cooking. I used instant polenta instead of plain polenta. oopsies. It was delicious but was more polenta than cake.

You need for 8 dinner guests or 35 models:

400 ml /1.7 cup milk
135 g/ 4 3/4 oz salted butter
250 g/8 3/4 oz corn meal on the coarse side ( NOT instant polenta)
230 g /8 oz sugar
3 eggs
2 large and soft pear
3-5 tabsp pine nuts
optional : 1 teasp crushed cardamom kernels or ground caradmom if you only have that

• Slip out of your new Celine coat.
• Climb out of Rick Owens boots.
• Pull on Prada Jim jams
• slip into Louboutins slippers.
• Pour a wine.
• Pre heat the oven to 175°C.
• Find a bowl and toss in polenta, sugar and cardamom.
• Melt the butter and then add the milk, bring it to the boil and then pour it over the corn meal.
• Let it stand for a couple of minutes so that it absorbs all the milk. Like your hips will absorb the cake.
• Beat the eggs.
• Pour another wine.
• Add the eggs to the mix and stir well.
• It should be quite gooey and liquid ( such as your good self after a wine): the corn meal needs more liquid than normal flour.
• Peel and slice the pears thinly into small chunks and quickly cook them a little in unsalted butter.
• Pour the batter into a moisterised cake tin lined with baking paper.
• Plop the pear oozing in butter on the top of the cake.
• Sprinkle the pine nuts on top of the cake.
• Toss in the Bake pre-heated oven until it’s cooked.
• The pine nuts could be nice and brown as an Hermes bag.
• Should be about 40-45 minutes.
• You can sprinkle with icing sugar for added chic before serving.
• Yum.