Competition Time: Win a Sex and the City Style Goody Bag!

We're giving away a range of designer make-up from one of Hollywood's leading make-up artists: Victoria Jackson worth over £150. We're also going to be giving away an exclusive tips booklet from Victoria herself to help you recreate Carrie's effortless glamour every day of the week! And that's not all. We're also going to throw in a range of Carrie-inspired, on-trend accessories such as this gorgeous mustard pashmina from Scarf World to complete your Sex and the City look!

To get your hands on this amazing prize all you have to do is email us with the answer to this painfully simple question:

What is Carrie's Maiden Name?

A. Golightly
B. Bradshaw
C. Hobbs

Email us at: closetcompetitions@gmail.com with your name, postal address and the answer to the question. The winner will be randomly selected and announced on the 31st of March. Good Luck!

The Fashion Feed: Confessions of a Shopaholic Special

We are counting down the days until the release of Confessions of a Shopaholic this Friday and to celebrate this New-York-set-Fashion-Fest we've put together a Fashion Feed special on re-creating Becky Bloomwood's gorgeously garish style.

Unashamed clashing is the key to creating the 'Confessions' style. Start simple with this gorgeous yellow handbag from Marks and Spencer. It may be big enough for a weekend-sized break but oversized handbags are a massive trend this season so it could easily double up. Priced at £49.50 this is probably more of an investment piece for most recessionistas but since it's made of high quality leather it is without doubt worth the extra pennies.

Whilst you're in the mood for solid fashion investments why not splash out on this fabulous tangerine coat from the Star range by Julien Macdonald. Military jackets are big news in the world of fashion at the moment so this coat provides two-in-one trend value. It will set you back £85.00 but this piece will last you a life time. Tangerine may be this month's colour, but even once the trend is over it will look timelessly bold and beautiful. This piece is currently on sale at Debenhams.

Recessionistas on a budget needn't be without their homage piece to 'Confessions' however as New Look have brought out these perfectly pink peep-toe heels for the bargain price of £30.00. Clash these little beauties with anything else in your wardrobe and you're guaranted to turn heads on the high-street. We all thought Carrie was experimental in her time but Becky Bloomwood is without doubt the next generation in statement moves. The good news is, just like the Sex and the City crew, this girl knows how to have fun with fashion so following suit should be a blast!

Where it's at this Winter

The tide of fashion can turn very quickly and if you want to stay afloat the only people worth talking to are the designers who spend all their time trying to push boundaries and stay at the cutting edge of forward-thinking style. I caught up with one such individual to find out what was going to be hot on the High Street for Autumn/Winter 2008.

Victoria Smith, a freelance embroidery designer from Manchester, has recently started selling her own individual designs after several years of hard graft in the fashion industry. As you can see from the images left and below her new enterprise 'Fancy Stitches' fuses a range of styles and inspirations to create truly unique looks and she's got a lot of ideas on what to wear this season.

So Victoria, what looks do you think are going to be big for the back end of 2008/beginning of 2009?

Looks that are big this Autumn/Winter seem to be tartan- jackets, mini skirts and tops, aswell as leopard print, bows, frills and delicate beadwork/embroidery. Purple and mustard are also key colours this year.

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

My inspiration comes from everywhere but my main sources are magazines, shops (fashion and interior design), fabrics that boast nice patterns - I have even been inspired by somebody's curtains!

Nature is also endlessly inspiring flowers are massive part of my designing so its important that I observe the world around around me to keep coming up with new ideas. Different cultrues such as Indian and African are so colourful and rich, and so different to ours that they also strongly influence the fashion world.

What looks do you see being the future of fashion?

I think fashion is always revolving and things keep come back in, even if its a few seasons later. So we are likely to see styles from the past coming back round again, for example, floaty empire lines were really in over the summer, now the emphasis is on more fitted smarter looks. This cycle is likely to repeat itself next year too.

Do you think that the UK is particularly daring when it comes to style?

I think London is one of the top leaders in fashion world, producing designers such as Scott Henshall and Matthew Williamson. Central Saint Martin's (fashion college) has produced many leading lights in fashion world who are often pushing boundaries of fashion. You only have to look to London Graduate Fashion Week for rising stars like this. London Fashion Week also highlights how London is seen up there with the other leading fashion capitals such as Milan, Paris and New York as people travel from round the world to come to it.

C is for Carrie, Court Shoes and Comfort

All of the Sex and the City girls were well known for clomping around the Manhattan streets in killer heels but there's a lot to be said for comfort. No wonder Carrie had to take cabs everywhere, it's not as though you can go on a 6 mile urban hike in 8 inch stilettos. The court shoe is a great alternative to hideously high heels and were, on more than one occassion, favoured by the girls on the hit show. I found these amazing Salt Pink Court Shoes at Kurt Geiger reduced from £120.00 to £59.50. Kurt and the crew broke traditional style taboos and mixed together red and pink to created a timeless shoe that will match beautifully with a range of styles and colours. For the traditional look match your heels to the colour of your outfit or for a trendy street look wear them with jeans.

If the credit crunch is really taking it's toll on your shoe fund then pay a visit to Peacocks. I picked up this fabulous pair of court shoes in this season's key colour - mustard. They were a snip at £12.00 and will definitely come in useful this season and for seasons to come. Mustard is a colour that seems to come back round every year so it's worth keeping a pair of mustard shoes stashed in your closet to modernise an otherwise classic look. Court shoes still give your legs and posture a boost but will also enable you to walk gracefully rather than tripping over or getting your heels caught in drains and man covers. Always a bonus if you ask me!