I thought I’d start an occasional series about my personal style icons, so let’s start, for no particular reason, with Tina Chow

Tina Chow died a premature death but her personal fashion sense remains an inspiration.

Chow was a jewellery designer, model and wife of the restaurateur Michael Chow. She also collected vintage couture. Her collection contained both contemporary items by designers such as Azzedine Alaia and Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, and early couture pieces by the likes of Alix, Vionnet and Fortuny. In particular, her collection of Fortuny gowns and coats was unparalleled outside a museum, including both Delphos pleated dresses and fabulous printed velvet mantles.

Chow was born Bettina Louise Lutz in Cleveland in 1950. Although assumed by many to be Chinese, she was actually of German and Japanese descent. She became a model as a teenager and during her sporadic career her luminous beauty was photographed by the leading photographers of her day, including Helmut Newton and Stephen Meisel, as well as captured in paint by Andy Warhol. She married Chow, 12 years her senior, in 1972 and the couple became leading members of the contemporary glitterati and art scene.

Chow owned some of the world’s most beautiful clothing and was photographed wearing it for the Rizzoli book ‘Flair’, which is one of the gems of my fashion collection. But despite her couture wardrobe, the image of her that is the most enduring is her great simplicity. Chow sported a daily uniform of close-cropped black hair, almost no makeup, a white vest or t-shirt and black pants. To top it all, she would usually wear jewellery of her own design - big bangles in clear acrylic, or plaited bamboo. Her elegant simplicity is still a great act for women to follow, whatever your age or size, and can be achieved on any budget. In my 20s I dressed like this in white vests and black jeans - in my 40s I’d add longer sleeves and some neck interest, but you can create a look that is basically the same, from chain store to high street to Bond Street.

Chow died in 1992 at the age of 41 from AIDS. Nursed by her daughter China, she passed away peacefully wearing her favourite Fortuny Delphos gown.

There’s been some negative press about Madonna being ‘too sexy’ on the cover and promos for her new album Hard Candy. Balls to that, say I

Madonna’s new album came out a couple of days ago and is expected to make the Number 1 slot in about a week. Described as in club mode but this time with an added urban hip hop beat, she’s also promoting it with a series of sexy videos and a raunchy cover showing herself in a leotard and thigh-high boots.

Well honestly, what do people expect? Slippers and a furry dressing gown? Madge has always played on her sexy image, and since she’s still in fantastic shape at 49, I don’t see any reason why she’d change it. Tina Turner was rockin’ on well into her 50s. The Rolling Stones are at it in their 60s. I hope Madge will do it till she drops off the twig.

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Alright - she’s over 40, so how could I not write about Carla Bruni, who has taken the UK by storm?

She’s all over the papers in her Dior suit (and also, in other papers, without much on at all - very nice timing). Bruni, wife, as we all know, of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has done what no-one thought she would - got the British press to roll over and have their tummies tickled. Their love affair with her is much to the bemusement of the French, who haven’t got much time for Bruni.

The truth is, she looks bloody fabulous on her trip. Poised, elegant, sexy as hell. Any woman who wouldn’t want to look like her is probably nuts. There’s no point in envying women like this any more than there is in envying Stephen Hawking’s intellect. Some people have got it and some people haven’t, and Bruni has got it in spades. That’s why she’s a millionairess.

She’s also fulfilling a media role that’s been left vacant a long time. (more…)

Haven’t written for about 10 days as we were on holiday in Brittany last week.

It was amazingly beautiful, but not really SecondCherry territory, in that there were very few opportunities to play dress-up. (more…)