Joanne Black in YSL @ Esquire's Singular Suit Party

Location: Somerset House
Joanne Black Style: YSL tux jacket (inkeeping with the theme), over a Lanvin dress with YSL heels and a Chanel bag.

They say a suit makes a man. Well, as demonstrated by last night’s Esquire launch party, it also makes a fantastic art installation.

Art and fashion go together like a great tux jacket and a short dress. So I was delighted when my invite to Esquire’s Singular Suit exhibition came through. A great blend of style and culture, the show revealed bespoke suits created by bringing 18 fashion designers and leading creatives together.

A piece by Hugo Boss and Jan De Cock

With collaborations between Aquascutum and Antony Gormley, and Gucci and Mark Ronson, it was never going to feel like a shopping trip to T M Lewin. Among the more daring pieces was a see-through suit, designed by Richard James with Spencer Tunick, that certainly left nothing to the imagination. My favourite piece, however, involved a collaboration between Hugo Boss and artist Jan De Cock. I would love to add their black wool suit – complete with splashes of yellow paint – to my winter wardrobe! Hugo Boss certainly knows how to make a suit look like a work of art.

Stylish Amber Le Bon

Faced with so many eye-catching designs, I can’t say I gave the audience much attention. I did manage to take a shot of the ever-so-trendy Amber Le Bon – twice in one week I know – who wore a beautiful silver sequined top from Zara, with a cream Chanel bag and cream and black laced up Manolo Blahnik shoes.

The exhibition is on until 31 August, so if you’re a fan of anything in trousers, it’s well worth a visit.

Joanne Black @ Cartier Polo 2009

Where: Guards Polo Club, Windsor Great Park
Joanne Black Style: All from the sales – a black Lanvin dress with Martin Margiela cream belt, silver Lanvin sandals, a headscarf by Luca Rubinacci, bracelet and earrings by ex-Lanvin designer Ligia Dias and a cool Lanvin bag.

Whoever decided fashion and sport would mix well, obviously hadn’t tried wearing high heels on grass. Ok, so we could all opt for more suitable wedges for this popular day of divot-stomping – along with celebrities such as Geri Haliwell – but no polo event would be complete without watching well-dressed ladies trying to pull off an elegant walk on the balls of their feet.

Joanne Black with friend Maria and sister Caroline

After 20 years as a regular race goer, you’d think I’d have got it down to a fine art! But, even after a quick practice away from the cameras with my sister Caroline and friend Maria, I was surprised I made it to the Cartier tent – let alone the Chinawhite after-party. With so much people-watching to do, I only caught a glimpse of the action on Smith’s Lawn – where England sadly lost the Coronation Cup to Argentina. Fashionistas were out in force in short dresses, ankle sandals and cool Boyfriend or rock leather jackets. Amber Le Bon, the beautiful daughter of Simon and Yasmin Le Bon, looked stunning in a short black and white Jasmine di Milo dress with interesting crossover front straps –together with cream Bottega Veneta shoes, a Chanel bag and a Zara leather jacket. Anna Friel also deserves a mention for her daring Antonio Berardi short black dress with plunging neckline, which she teamed with Chanel sunglasses and a vintage Croc bag.

Fashionable crowd @ Cartier Polo 2009

Cartier may not be able to control the weather, the result of the polo or the rather unpredictable surface, but it certainly knows how to attract a fashionable crowd. Let’s hope divot-stomping is still as stylish in another 25 years!

Joanne Black @ the Donna Karan George’s Appeal evening

Where: Donna Karan on Conduit Street
Joanne Black Style: Marjan Pejoski dress – the same designer who brought us Bjork’s famous swan dress in 2000 – a black YSL belt, Alexander McQueen Peyton bag and Lanvin shoes.

It’s not often you get to see the compassionate side of the fashion world. It’s a ruthless industry driven by trends, looks and top outfits. But, as proven by the team at Donna Karan, there is always room to achieve great things – while buying great clothes.

This was a discount evening with a difference. As well as the cocktails, canapés and 10% discount on all Donna Karan clothes, the proceeds from a live auction and 10% of sales on the night were being donated to the fantastic George’s Appeal – an appeal launched to try and raise over £5million for Neuroblastoma, a childhood-only cancer.

Joanne Black socialising with HRH Princess Michael of Kent

Guest of honour HRH Princess Michael of Kent gave a passionate speech about the disease – which has a 70% fatality rate among children with an aggressive form of the disease – before the auction. I have to say I was excited when a bidding war broke out over the Personal Stylist Session I’d donated. In the end, it was Donna Karan customer Denise Pollard-knight who walked away with the prize – contributing to the staggering five-figure sum raised for the cause that night.

Of course, no Donna Karan event would be complete without mention of some of the stylish outfits on show. HRH looked elegant in a grey silk evening jacket (by a Venice designer), a black skirt with vertical lines (great for making the most of her height) and fabulous pink diamond chandelier earrings. Donna Karan’s General Manager Giuseppe Perrella stepped out in DKNY; Alex Bergholz-Gander – who helped HRH navigate the store – wore head-to-toe Donna Karan, with a necklace by my client Yara Lasytsya, and Yara looked stunning in the beautiful Lanvin dress and Donna Karan belt I’d helped her select that day.

First prize, however, has to go to TV Expert and co-author of ‘The Naughty Girl’s Guide to Life’ Sharon Marshall. Sharon not only did a great job comparing the auction, she was also wearing a black Jessica Kagan Cushman bracelet that said ‘Please knock, bell out of order’ on the side. Given I also have this bracelet, Sharon obviously has great taste!

Joanne Black @ Serpentine Party

Where: Hyde Park
Joanne Black Style: Sharon Wauchob dress with Arthur & Fox tux jacket, Donna Karan sandals, a vintage bracelet, a belt by Martin Margiela and hair and manicure by Fred Gielly’s salon.

Summer parties don’t get much better – or more stylish – than the Serpentine’s annual soirée. Set in Hyde Park around the gallery’s latest pavillion – designed this year by leading Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa – this is the summer event to which everyone wants an invite.

After a few weeks of brilliant blue skies, I was even expecting the sun to put in an appearance. But it didn’t take long to realise I’d have to rely on the other guests to add a splash of colour to proceedings. And with around 1,000 outfits to admire, I wasn’t disappointed. The Serpentine attracts such an eclectic audience that it was never going to difficult to spot some stunning stand-out – and often daring – pieces. With everything from Rubinacci to Topshop on display, it felt at times like I was window-shopping rather than sipping wine in one the city’s Royal parks.

Thandie Newton looked fantastic in a multi-coloured tie-dye dress and skinny gold belt with cut-away ankle shoes and a blue leopard-print clutch; Daria Zhukova wore a stunning cream Alaia dress and belt with funky gladiator shoes, and Erin O’Connor opted for a spruce green Grecian-style Donna Karen dress, which really complemented her height and body shape. But it was rapper Pharrell Williams who stole the show with his equestrian-style outfit – complete with a white polo shirt, trimmed beige jacket (and matching hat) and blue jeans tucked into brown riding boots. Even without the horse, he pulled it off.

By the end of the evening, I was actually glad the sun chose not to show up. It meant I got to enjoy model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s cropped jacket from Topshop – that worked well with her violet maxi dress – and Luca Rubinacci’s fab slipper shoes, which he told me are too hot for Milan but perfect for London.

My only regret is that I didn’t get the chance to ask Tim Jeffries how he still doesn’t look a day over 40. I certainly need to find out his secret – and I’m positive the answer doesn’t lie in my current face cream!

Where: 40 Holborn Viaduct
Joanne Black Style: Blue Balenciaga dress, Lanvin shoes and a Bottega Veneta bag. 

Joanne Black, Champagne & Cupcakes

Sometimes I do wish shopping was more like attending a fashion show. You arrive, you sit back with a glass of champagne – and in this case a cupcake – you watch someone else trying on the latest clothes, and you walk away with ideas for a whole new wardrobe.
Of course, there is an obvious flaw in my armchair shopper approach. What works on one person doesn’t work on another – a message clear to all those attending Tuesday’s ladies evening and fashion show. The event was more than just a trip through the latest trends. It was designed to give women access to advice and guidance from experts in finance, astrology, law, interior design, massage and styling (me!).

Joanne Black @ the Irwin Mitchell Ladies Evening

After watching a solicitor’s office transformed into a Central London catwalk, I was inundated with requests from women keen to know what would work well with their body shapes. Dressed in ‘summer’ blue outfits – from Jigsaw and Reiss – my two colleagues Jacqui Wales and Jackie Scully helped me share the styling secrets that no woman should ever be without.

Joanne Black in action

I was delighted to see Jennifer Aston, my former Aston and Hayes tutor, at the event. Thankfully, she didn’t mention the ‘summery’ highlights that are running through my hair at the moment. I’m not sure they’d ever make it onto the syllabus!