2010 Retrospective
PA PhotosNaughty Footballers
There was almost as much action off the pitch as on it as Wayne Rooney, Ashley Cole and John Terry were all being accused of extra-marital dalliances during 2010. Coleen Rooney and Toni Poole stuck by their men but Cheryl showed Ashley the door…
PA PhotosThe Mulberry Alexa
Like Jane Birkin and Grace Kelly before her, Alexa Chung had her style icon status officially cemented when Brit bagmaker Mulberry decided to name its latest line after her. True to Miss Chung’s downtown, geek-chic personal style, the preppy satchel design of The Alexa was a swift sell-out with every well-groomed celebrity and fashion editor’s arm sporting one this spring.
PA PhotosRIP Alexander McQueen
On February 12, a 40-year-old Lee Alexander McQueen was found dead at his London home. Reportedly still reeling from the death of his mother a few days previous and of his mentor and close friend Isabella Blow in 2007, the iconic fashion designer had committed suicide just weeks before his new collection was due to be shown. After his death it was announced that his label will continue, and this month he posthumously received a British Fashion Award for Outstanding Achievement in Design.
PA PhotosThe Year Of Powerful Women
What do Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga have in common? Besides striking senses of personal style, they shared high billing on 2010’s list of the world’s most powerful women, published by Forbes in October. Why’d they – along with women like Oprah and Beyoncé – end up in the top ten, beating out numerous politicians and business executives? "When we set out to identify this year's list, we decided it was time to look up and out into the broader culture," Forbes said. "Our assessment is based less on traditional titles and roles and more on creative influence and entrepreneurship."
PA PhotosThe Beatles Arrive On iTunes
It took seven years of negotiations and a trademark lawsuit, but Macca and co got there in the end – 2010 was the year Liverpool’s greatest export, The Beatles, finally made it onto iTunes, meaning that we could transport their back catalogue around in our pockets and listen to it wherever we liked. Happy days indeed! Now, if only we could convince Pink Floyd to do the same…
Rex FeaturesThe End Of Big Brother
Channel 4 buried the 90s TV phenomenon in style with a special ‘Ultimate’ edition in June, which saw 10 BB favourites from 10 years battle it out to be declared the Ultimate Big Brother Contestant. Brian Dowling was crowned, Chantelle cried…A LOT and Jade Goody was remembered before the much-celebrated (and in later years, much-slated) show was ‘evicted’ from our screens forever. Sob…?
PA PhotosShearling & Aviator Jackets
Designers looked to the skies for style inspiration and re-ignited our love of aviator and flying jackets. The introduction of shearling in slicker shapes - Burberry Prorsum’s was the highest flyer of the designer bunch - meant that stylistas and stars alike needn’t freeze in winter, or compromise their cool in the cold.
Rex FeaturesCheryl Cole’s Rollercoaster Year
Divorce, No.1s, malaria, Gamu-gate – it’s enough to make anyone feel faint! Life just doesn’t come with more ups and downs than those experienced by Cheryl in 2010; the starlet herself even declared it the worst year of her life. “You know what I want more than anything? Those last 10 seconds on New Year's Eve. '10, 9, 8... 2011!’ I'm going to scream them.” And who can blame her? Let’s hope next year is dull in comparison for our nation’s sweetheart.
PA PhotosShock Hollywood Splits
The celeb shocks just kept coming as more and more star couples – who had appeared to be living the Hollywood dream – announced break-ups, separations and divorces. Among them Scream duo Courteney Cox and David Arquette, who stated, “[We want] to better understand ourselves and the qualities we need in a partner”, and Oscar winner Sandra Bullock and husband Jesse James after it was revealed he had cheated on her with a tattoo artist. Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes, Lenny Henry and Dawn French, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy, and Christina Aguilera and producer partner Jordan Bratman also called time on their seemingly rock solid relationships.
Go RunwayChanel’s ‘Yeti’ Collection
Chanel’s creative director is no stranger to the spectacular (or the slightly bonkers), but Mr Lagerfeld outdid even himself with February’s autumn/winter 2010 show at the Grand Palais in Paris, where models stomped through real icebergs (yes, real icebergs) in woolly mammoth trousers, huge furry coats and yeti-esque boots, all of which Karl called, “a triumph of fake fur”.
Rex FeaturesMad Men Fashion
If you’ve failed to notice the high street’s new-found penchant for 50s-style skirts and retro-fabulous glamour, then you’ve been in a fashion coma! We thank Mad Men - the sleek TV series set in an early 60s New York advertising company - for bringing back femme fatale silhouettes, lace gloves, boxy handbags and vintage florals. Now is the time to raid your gran’s wardrobe!
PA PhotosChilean Miners
The world held their breath and let out a collective sigh of relief as 33 miners were rescued after spending 69 days underground. Using NASA-designed equipment the miners were hoisted to safety through half a mile of rock, during a dramatic 33-hour rescue.
Rex FeaturesThe Jumpsuit
Not since the 80s have jumpsuits and their utilitarian sister – the boiler-suit – had so much fash-pack attention. Spotted on the catwalks of DKNY (very urban cool), Chloé (as silky eveningwear) and Marios Scwab (classic disco diva), the all-in-one then popped up on tonnes of red carpets, sported by the likes of Rihanna, Fearne Cotton, Katy Perry and Chloe Sevigny.
PA PhotosWorld Cup
We bid goodbye to the men in our lives for a couple of weeks when the World Cup kicked off in South Africa on 11 June. Of course, much as we complained about being football widows, we were also committed to the cause of Team England – and gutted to see them get trounced by Germany. Just because we couldn’t ogle Becks in his sexy suit on the sidelines.
PA PhotosConDem Alliance
When the dust settled after the May election, we realised that not only were we no longer living in Tony Blair’s ‘Cool Britannia’, but that the political landscape was different from anything anyone in Britain had ever seen before. With David Cameron and Nick Clegg heading the so-called ConDem alliance, we braced ourselves for major change...and, as it turned out, for thousands of people to take to the streets (and to the shops) in the kind of protests that Britain hasn’t seen since the ‘80s. We’ll be watching this space for 2011...
PA PhotosThe Rise Of Twitter
We weren’t the only ones completely addicted to Twitter this year. The stars were busy announcing babies (Emma Bunton, Dannii Minogue), divorces (Eva Longoria) and ranting (pretty much everyone).
PA PhotosGetting The Chop
One way to guarantee column inches is to chop off your long and lovely locks and debut a short ‘do. But the ladies that went short this year didn’t need any extra attention. Keira Knightley sported a super-shiny bob. And Katie Waissel’s grown-up pixie cut got tongues wagging and hairdressers snipping, as girls requested her new cut in salons up and down the country. And that’s not to mention Emma Watson...
PA PhotosEmma Watson’s Crop
How did the Harry Potter starlet wash Hermione out of her hair? By going from long and luscious to cute and pixie-like back in August. The length-loss was more a rite of passage than a style-statement, as Emma stated: "For the nine years I was on Harry Potter I was contractually obliged not to cut my hair. So when I got the chance to change my appearance, that's what I did. The moment I cut my hair I felt I became a woman. Now I'm ready to start taking risks."
iStockFashion’s Night In
After the raving success of the international shopping event, Fashion’s Night Out, our sisters at Vogue.com translated this online - aptly naming the evening Fashion’s Night In. We joined in with the fun, blogging about all the one-night-only deals and one-off VIP services from the likes of Browns, Net-a-Porter and ASOS. Yes, this was the year that shopping on the sofa officially became cool.
PA PhotosFrankie Sandford’s Fringe
Blunt bangs were so 2009! This year it was all about the big swept-over fringe, and there was no one who worked a fabulous fringe like Frankie Sandford from The Saturdays. Possibly the coolest and most covetable bang in the history of pop, we yearned for a big, sexy peek-a-boo fringe.
Rex FeaturesGlee
If you’d told us last year that we’d be hooked on an all-singing, all-dancing TV camp-fest, we’d have scoffed into our lattes. But fast-forward 12 months, and we just can’t imagine life without Mr. Schu, Sue Sylvester and our weekly glittery dose of Glee. The Madonna special alone makes this a TV phenomenon worthy of its own parade.
PA PhotosiPad Released
When we heard about the iPad, we weren’t quite sure exactly what it was for: smaller than a laptop, bigger than an iPhone...what? But as soon as we got one of those slick tablets into our manicured hands we realised why the whole world seemed to be going crazy about how the device was a so-called game changer.
Rex FeaturesVampires On Top
Yeah, so 2009 was all about Robert Pattinson but, this year, there were a few vampires after his patch. Ian Somerhalder and the cast of True Blood to name but a few! Seems that pale and interesting really does ring true.
PA PhotosJustin Bieber
Bieber-mania hit the UK this year as Him Of Luscious Locks performed on X Factor, had crowds of girls in a frenzy and broke records with his teen-friendly tunes.
PA PhotosThat Meat Dress
Pyrotechnic lingerie, Kermit dresses and Armadillo heels: we’ve got used to Lady Gaga’s wardrobe being at the ultra-weird end of the fashion spectrum, but the meat dress she wore to pick up her multiple MTV video music gongs surely had to be her weirdest (not to mention most uncomfortable) look yet? Explaining herself to Ellen DeGeneres, Gaga said, "It has many interpretations but for me...[it means that] if we don't stand up for what we believe in and if we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're going to have as much rights [sic] as the meat on our own bones. And I am not a piece of meat." Hmmm.
PA PhotosThe Curse Of The Oscars Continues…
The legend goes that if you win a Best Actress Oscar, your whole world falls apart. Reese Witherspoon and Hilary Swank both got divorced swiftly after their Academy Awards, while Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts and Halle Berry suffered similar relationship casualties following theirs. In 2010, the curse hit again when Kate Winslet announced her separation from Sam Mendes, shortly followed by reports that Sandra Bullock had split from her Jesse James. Freaky? Just a bit…
PA PhotosBritish Music Ups The Ante
2010 has been a stellar year for home-grown bands. JLS conquered the US, Florence + The Machine took over the charts, Tinie Tempah upped the ante for UK urban acts, The Libertines and Take That got back together, and Brit Pop’s finest, Pulp and Suede, came back to fight another day. And that’s without mentioning all the great new acts emerging, like Factory Floor, Jonah And The Whale and Jessie J.
WENNKatie Price And Alex Reid Get Married
A matter of weeks after she dumped him on live TV, everyone’s favourite queen of self-promotion Pricey married mocked-cage-fighter-turned-reality-TV-hero Alex in a quickie Las Vegas ceremony, just hours after he won the public over to be crowned winner of Celebrity Big Brother. Coincidence? Surely not, you cynics!
PA PhotosNail Art
Inspired by Beyoncé’s fierce talons, Christina Aguilera’s claws and Katy Perry’s printed digits (which had pictures of her beau Russell Brand on), we were in and out of the nail bar every week working a new colour or design. However, there was one celebrity who took nail art to an extreme. During her court case for missing alcohol education classes, Lindsay Lohan sported 'nail art' that featured a very rude word on the nail of her middle finger. One look we didn't copy!
WENNThe Male Model Boyfriend
Go get ‘em, girls! In 2010, females in Celebland started doing what men have been doing for yyyeears - dating younger models. Male models, mind. Halle Berry nabbed Olivier Martinez, Kate Winslet bounced back from her divorce with Director Sam Mendes by dating Louis Dowler, Kylie Minogue’s relationship with Spanish model Andres Velencoso kept going strong, and then there’s Madonna…
Rex FeaturesGrey Chanel Nail Polish
Who would’ve thought that grey nails would be en vogue? Not us! In January, Chanel made a clever move by introducing their ‘Particulière’ and ‘Taupe’ shades, blends between beige, grey and a bit of purple. Fashionistas everywhere went wild, and soon the likes of Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rihanna and Lily Allen were sporting a mushroom polish. Other nail varnish big-wigs such as O.P.I were soon to follow, but Chanel was most certainly the front runner.
Lanvin for H&M
We’ve never been so over-excited about a designer and high street collaboration quite like the Lanvin for H&M one that hits stores in winter 2010. The covetable collection featured the signature ruffles, luxe cocktail frocks and ornate necklaces of the French fashion house, but at a fraction of the price. Now that’s shopping we likey like!
Rex FeaturesThe Return Of Bold Lippy
One hot trend that we LOVED at GLAMOUR.COM Towers was the return to classic lipstick and bright, bold colours. Sure, lip gloss still rocked, but a perfect, matte pout in a velvety red, pink or lilac was where it was at in 2010.
The X Factor Scandals
This year has been by far the most controversial series of The X Factor we can remember. First the auto-tuning scandal, then Cheryl Cole’s decision not to include Gamu Nhengu, followed by Katie Waissel’s saucy grandmother, reports of affairs between various contestants (Matt Cardle/Katie Waissel, Storm/Katie Waissel, Cher/Zain Malik), Aiden Grimshaw and Treyc Cohen’s shock exits and Wagner’s £1 million book deal, to name but a few.
WENNMaxi Skirts & Dresses
Classic evening chic was back in the spotlight for 2010 with reworked maxi skirts and dresses. Stars, models and style aficionados took a fashion vacation from high hemlines and worked the maxi 24-7 for all-out glamour. Our favourite looks? Eva Mendes rocking her floral maxis every season and Rihanna’s Gucci gown.
PA PhotosFacebook’s 500 Million Friends
Facebook has long been a pretty pivotal aspect of our lives, but even we had to take a deep breath when we learned that there were 500 million people in the world who could potentially become our Facebook friends. Coupled with the release of The Social Network, which purported to give an unprecedented insight into the life of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, we began to realise just how much influence that blue-and-white website has over the world. And then we went back to playing Farmville.
PA PhotosStocking-Style Tights
The A-list developed a lust for sassy stocking-style hosiery - from Pixie Lott to Alexa Chung - we’ve never seen so much hip and thigh than 2010!
PA PhotosRoyal Engagement, Finally
Prince William and Kate Middleton finally made it official that she will be a princess on 16 November, when they announced their engagement, sealed with his mother’s iconic sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring (not to mention her amazing blue Issa dress and impeccable blowdry). Cue the countdown ‘til 29 April 2011, when we’ll finally see The Dress and acquire our very own royal wedding teacups to pass down to our granddaughters.
PA PhotosKaty Perry And Russell Brand
When kooky man-eater Katy hooked up with infamous lothario Russell in 2009, it was a match made in between-the-sheets heaven, no doubt, but long term love? We could only hope these two would realise how right for each other they were. And to our surprise and delight, they did! The sexy singer and seemingly-untameable Casanova got engaged in January and wed in a lavish Indian ceremony in October. Congratulations!
PA PhotosRed Hair
From Rihanna’s fire engine red to Cheryl Cole’s ruby hue, the colour of the year had to be red. But it wasn’t just the faux rouge ladies that were our hair icons this year; naturally titian-haired lovelies, such as Florence Welch, Paloma Faith, Nicola Roberts and Karen Gillan showed that being a natural red-head is also the hot hair hue du jour.
PA PhotosRobert Pattinson Wins Sexiest Men – Again!
Not sure if you’ve heard of him, but Robert Pattinson is a slim, pale British fella who plays some vampire called Edward Cullen in a teen flick called Twilight we’re quite fond of? Yes, well, for a second-year running you voted him No.1 in our Top 50 Sexiest Men pole. Looks like we’re not the only ones who’ve had our beady eyes on Rob, then…
Rex FeaturesSimon Cowell Gets Engaged
Well, we never thought we’d still be alive to see this one happen. Simon Cowell, the notorious bachelor, got engaged. Enter Mezhgan Hussainy, make-up artist to the stars, whom he had been friends after meeting on the set of American Idol. Rumours were sparked when he told Piers Morgan in a TV interview that Mezghan was ‘the one’, and, lo and behold, a few weeks later, the pair announced their engagement – after a mere two months of dating! We can’t WAIT to see the wedding pictures!
PA PhotosSienna And Jude Back On
On-again, off-again poster children Sienna Miller and Jude Law rekindled their relationship (officially) in May 2010. The pair were spotted on a Christmas holiday with Jude’s children in late 2009, but their first official outing was the Met Ball in New York. The two were even rumoured to have gotten married in a traditional indigenous ceremony while on holiday in Laos. Here’s hoping this one’s for keeps.
PA PhotosStudent Riots
Thousands of students took to the streets in London and elsewhere in Britain to protest about the increases in university tuition fees. But their efforts were for naught, as the government’s proposal to raise the fee cap to £9,000 was passed by a tiny margin of just 21. Will this change British education for ever? Watch this space...
PA PhotosTake That Reunite With Robbie
The 15 June 2010 was a day many Take That fans never thought they’d see again – Robbie Williams rejoining the band to complete the original line-up. Well, it happened, and with it came a record-breaking new album. Released on 15 November 2010, Progress became the fasted selling album in over 13 years, while their tour – the biggest in UK history – sold out in just two days. We think it’s pretty safe to say that this is the year Take That came Back For Good.
PA PhotosYear Of The Love Rat
We temporarily lost our faith in fella-kind this year when it emerged that some of our favourite, surely-most-faithful celebrity men were in fact nothing short of love rodent! Ashley Cole - OK - but Mark Owen, Vernon Kay, Ronan Keating? Shame on you! You could also argue that 2010 was also the year of the ‘sex text’ – cheating for the 21st century and infidelity du jour!
PA PhotosThe Saturdays
2010 was truly a great year for British girl group The Saturdays. They released their second best-selling single, Ego; they collaborated with US rapper Flo Rida; Frankie and Dougie (from McFly) got together, again, and broke up, again; Rochelle and Marvin (from JLS) made us believe in a pop-perfect romance, but then split in November; they travelled the country with their ‘Headlines’ tour, selling out each of the 17 venues; they filmed their own reality TV show, ‘The Saturdays: 24/7’; took part in a Ghosthunting special, and penned their first biography, ‘The Saturdays: Our Story’. PHEW!!
Eclipse-Mania
Twilight-mania continued as the third instalment, Eclipse, was released in July. Of course Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner were as lovely as ever to look at but they were also joined by a new vamp in the shape of Xavier Samuel! Swoon.
PA PhotosTwo Tone Locks
It started in California and swept through the Hollywood Hills like wildfire. Throughout the summer the coolest US celebs were sporting beachy, two-tone, dip-dye hair, which starts with dark roots then graduates down to light blonde at the ends, with a honey, mid-blonde shade through the mid-lengths. And it wasn’t just the cool stateside stars that were working the two-tone trend, celebrities like Alexa Chung, Drew Barrymore and Fearne Cotton were also sporting dip-dyed hair, helping to make the look a massive hair trend over here.
PA PhotosThe Ash Cloud
Just when we all thought we lived in the hey-day of jet-setting, Mother Nature comes and puts us in our place. The Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupted in April, ejecting ash into the atmosphere; thousands of flights were cancelled, causing misery for holiday makers and celebrities alike. (John Cleese reportedly paid £3,319 for a taxi ride from Oslo to Brussels). Trade was also severely affected (the sushi industry panicked as Norway was unable to export salmon), and the disruptions were only declared to be officially over in October 2010.
