New Guardian

By Rachel Holmes SORRY ABOUT THE CUT OFF WRITING! Has Hermione cast a spell on the fashion world? The year was 2001, and a new fashion starlet was about to emerge, butterfly-like, from the Muggle world, wearing a shiny green smock top, faux snakeskin platform shoes and yellow trousers from Tammy Girl. It was hideous - but she was only ten years old. Who knew that eight years later Hermione Granger would become one of the most talked about fashionistas of the year? Yes, by the summer of 2007 our Hermione had ditched her robes, pointy hat and shiny shoes for Louboutins, a YSL clutch and host of pretty dresses. Rumours flooded the internet: Hermione was about to oust Kiera Knightly as the star of the new Coco Mademoiselle ad campaign; she'd been signed by Storm modelling agency; she was about to close a £2m deal. Meanwhile, the 17-year-old travelled the globe with Ron and Harry, attending film premieres. Hermione wore a different Chanel dress to every one, wowing the crowds and adding fuel to the fire. Then she dropped off the fashion radar. We can only assume Voldemort's star was on the ascendant once again, and Hermy had to spend some time in Hogwart's library boning up on new enchantments and fighting off Dementors. When she re-entered the fashion scene a few months later it seemed that Chanel were no longer working their magic on her: she was pictured wearing a blue shirt-dress that deserved to be fed to a Hippogriff at the National Movie Awards 2007. It would be another year before the Boggart in the wardrobe let her come out again, and this time her Patronus charm worked: she was the star of a spooky Harper's Bazaar shoot, posing with top designers such as Giles Deacon and Matthew Williamson while wearing their clothes. Since then, Hermione hasn't looked back. She sat primly on the front row of fashion shows in London and Paris last autumn, dressed in Chanel and YSL (we think a stylist was back on the scene). She did an ethereal shoot with Vogue Italia. Then Karl Lagerfeld photographed her for French Crash Magazine, looking so couture it almost hurt our eyes. She even had her eyebrows concealered out and nun-like headgear: proper high fashion! The Gryffindor head, Professor McGonagall, expressed concern this week about Hermione's new direction: "It's all very well, but what about her NEWTs?" she said, adding, "I prefer a 'warts and all' portraiture as opposed to these airbrushed images". We're expecting to see much more of Hermione during fashion week in September, as this week she was announced as the new face of Burberry. "[Hermione] was the obvious choice for this campaign," the Burberry creative director, Christopher Bailey, said. Aside from Hermione, the new Burberry ads were kept strictly Muggle-bound, with no one else from the wizarding world appearing. Instead, the stars were five skinny blokes from the world of film, music and art. We can't wait to see what comes next for the sorceress with the magical fashion touch. Disclaimer: all Harry Potter references are fictional.

BANG ON TREND We haven't looked at footwear for a while, so let's break the drought and talk about sandals. The aim is to provide a sandal for every taste ... here goes. For a sporty, Hervé Léger bodycon-style sandal (take a look and you'll see what we mean), try Office's Herman sandal for £40. For the Birkenstock fans and ethical shoppers among you, try the Wakataua sandal from El Naturalista (stockists are on the website). Also, Terra Plana's summer collection has some lovely flat shoes and these high-heeled strappy sandals for £85. For ultra-glam options, try kurtgeiger.com. We found these gold leather flats for £75. These shiny Christian Louboutin 'Bilbao' sandals are not for people who are scared of heights. The bright red grid design will brighten up a monochrome look for £250. Those of you with skinny ankles and a penchant for the tribal look could go for these Faith cuff-detail sandals, £40. They have a beaded ankle cuff and tie at the back with a leather thong. For the active, these jelly neon pink gladiator sandals are a steal at £9.75 and have the added advantage that you can wear them in water. For a comfortable evening look, we love these lace-up flats from Reiss at £89, and for a jazzy nautical outfit try these blue canvas sandals with gold trim from Chloe for £290.

FASHIONISTA OF THE WEEK Dear readers, some of you may realise how hard it is for me to put finger to keyboard in penning this section ... This week, the coveted title goes to none other than Anne Hathaway. The woman that we have compared to a long-necked bird, to a pale apparition, to our worst nightmare, even, managed to pull it out of the bag this week. She went to the Tony Awards wearing a black Oscar de la Renta dress with a feathered skirt and red Louboutin heels. The whole look was understatedly magnificent, even down to the makeup and jewellery.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK "In general, I think, yes, we can look back, but not that much. It's too literal. Like shoulder pads. We belonged to that time. But for me, it doesn't make sense today. You can play with it for one season, but it's not going to be revolutionary. I think we should move forward, not back." Donatella Versace talks complete sense about the eighties revival to Lenny Kravitz forInterview Magazine.

FASHION GRAVEYARD Cut-outs Stacey Ferguson, aka Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, is prone to wearing dresses that look like she's gone on a rampage with a pair of scissors. This is what she wore for her appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. The green lines make it look as if her toned abs have flexed and, in a move that the Incredible Hulk would be jealous of, split the fabric.

SHOPPING NEWS Some rather disturbing news to kick off with: we heard this week that luxury retailer Hermes has started breeding its own crocodiles on farms in Australia to keep up with a huge demand for the classic Birkin and Kelly bags. Chief executive Patrick Thomas, displaying a remarkable lack of sensitivity, explained that it can take three to four crocodiles to make one of the bags and quipped: "The world is not full of crocodiles, except the stock exchange!" Where's Peta when you need them, eh? June 26 marks PoverTee Day, and to mark the occasion Maria Grachvogel has created a T-shirt which is available to buy online. The Fairtrade organic rose-print shirt costs £10, with £2 going to ActionAid, a charity tackling poverty around the world.

OUT AND ABOUT Yorkshire fashion week kicks off on 22 June, with work from young up-and-coming Northern designers as well as a collection from Betty Jackson. The week culminates with a grand gala catwalk show. Christopher Bailey has already lent his support to the event: "As a Yorkshireman I feel incredibly proud to be associated with such a fantastic initiative and expression of Northern, British talent." Quite right, Christopher! For more information and ticket inquiries contact the Textile Centre of Excellence on 01484 346500 or email: yfw@textile-training.com. This month Topshop will be celebrating the summer with gardening sheds at selected stores nationwide. Drawing inspiration from the Chelsea Flower Show and reflecting our return to traditional domestic pursuits, the store is offering you the chance to grow your own blooms at home. Each time you spend over £50 in store you can collect a complimentary potted African violet. Lovely! For more details visit insideout.topshop.com