New Holly Golightly

As well as being a book junkie I also love, love magazines. Pretty much I love words in any form, and when they are packaged together with lavish fashion spreads, I find them pretty hard to resist. It is a pity then that because I reside in the depths of the Southern Hemisphere, I tend to get the o/seas mags a little late, and then I might hold off on purchasing them until the price goes down. This is why I only just found out that Anna Friel has been starring as Holly Golightly in a West End musical production of Breakfast at Tiffany's (there was an interview with her in the October issue of UK Harper's Bazaar).

Even though Audrey's portrayal of Holly in the film version is iconic (and magnificent), when I read Capote's novel I imagined an entirely different Holly. For one, the book is set in the 1940's, not the 1960's. Secondly it doesn't have the Hollywood happy ending. And thirdly, the Holly described in the book little resembles the lovely Audrey. Capote was said to have wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly in the film, but I actually imagined someone not unlike a blonde Natalie Wood.
Preternaturally youthful and with a cute prettiness that doesn't quite mask her sexuality.

I think that Anna Friel resembles Natalie somewhat, so I think the casting is quite inspired. This latest stage version is true to the book in both plot and setting and Anna - whom I've admired since her appearance as Bella Wilfer in Our Mutual Friend (I love period dramas) - dons a blonde wig for the roll.

Many of my favourite bloggers have been gushing about Anna's off-duty style lately, as she is known as a big fan of vintage. Here are just some of the ensembles she has been papped in while leaving the theatre after her performances.

She is too cute for words. And oh how I wish I could get my hair to curl like that and not end up like a hot mess within five minutes of walking out the front door.

You can read an interview with Anna here where she talks about her love of vintage clothing. And can you believe that until this moment I had never heard of her recent TV show Pushing Daisies, in which her role apparently required her to wear all kinds of vintage loveliness such as this amazing dress below? This must be a result of not having cable TV anymore. Or perhaps from living under a rock. Can anyone recommend the show?

P.S. Loving the backdrop that resembles a beehive.

P.P.S. Thanks to Splash photos for the candid pics.