London Calling Fresh Design Talent

We thought we'd let you know about an exciting competition for all our budding designer readers (as we know you're out there). We'd love to see you enter and make us proud! Here are the details:

Fashion156 and Start London are offering the chance to win a unique opportunity to showcase your design talent (if you have any)! Fashion156 consistently unearth and then shine the spotlight on up and coming designers. Now they have joined forces with Start London to widen the search for the design stars of tomorrow, so if you have got what it takes... it could be you! This competition will offer two individuals with raw design talent the chance to see their creations brought to life on the pages of fashion156.com and sold in Start boutiques. What a way to start 2009!

Shorts and Twin Set Sheer Top and Cardigan by James Long as featured in the latest issue of Fashion156...your design could feature in future issues...

The competition is open to students, graduates and anyone with a brand-new label that is not already established. Designers (both menswear and womenswear) are invited to submit their ideas; this should be in the form of a series of detailed sketches or photographs which must be original, directional designs for Spring/Summer 2009.

The closing date for initial entries is 31st January 2009 so you'd better start sketching! The ten designers which the judges feel have best conceptualised their ideas will be invited to produce an actual garment and the winning designs will be selected from this shortlist. All ten finalists will be featured on the fashion156 and Start London websites with readers invited to judge and vote for their favourite design. The winning designs will be sold in store and online in March.

For further information drop an email to info@fashion156.com

Effortless Cool defined by an image

If I were to make a dictionary of over used phrases of the English language I would surely include 'effortless style' and accompanying my text would be this image. In practice, for most of us at least, pulling of this style is anything but effortless. Successfully achieving this look is very much like achieving the 'bed head' hairstyle...copious amounts of product and mirror preening are required! This chap as captured by the Sartorialist is effortless cool.

Ordinarily, I might have just linked to this Sartorialist capture over on our twitter account but I felt that it deserved more than just a tinyurl link. Points will surely be knocked off for posing with the cigarette but everything else about it is perfect. Giancinephile recently posted on the Cult of the Effortless Cool where he discussed Paul Helbers words in Man About Town where he described how a 'dirty' casual French look makes a man attractive and intriguing and I do buy into that. Of course, I very much enjoy making the effort but on my off days, I wouldn't mind looking like the chap above...

With regards to the photographer, well, over the course of the last two days we have all been reminded (if there was any doubt) that the Sartorialist is certainly very much still sitting pretty at the top of all Street Style blogs.

No no no no NO! His hair is DREADFUL. It looks like mine when I've just towel dried it crossed with a mad professor's. The outfit is ok but tame. As for the Sartorialist... sorry, but Garance Dore is my favourite nowadays.

Ha, you are being very judgemental this evening! His hair is being blown in the wind so I think the mad professor claim is harsh to say the least! I agree that Garance Dore takes better pictures but sadly she rarely points her camera at men...which is why until she focuses on more men she will not replace the Sartorialist as my personal favourite!

And the winner is....

Happy Tuesday to one and all. As we all return back to our 'normal' lives following the long festive break all remnants of Christmas will be coming down to day (sadly the tree will be in the trash by this evening) and even more heartbreaking...there are very few presents left to open. However, our Happy Socks sponsored sock giveaway allows one lucky reader with the chance to start the new afresh and the draw has just taken place...queue drum rolls...and the winner is Fuschiaboy, congratulations! Thanks for entering everyone and for those of you who didn't win, better luck next time!