I love my new dress by Rory Beca

Picked a very simple black washed silk, V neck, long sleeved short tunic off a rail at Henri Bendel on Monday. It's the perfect shape for the season & for my apple shaped figure as it accentuates the good bits (legs, bust), and hides the very bad (stomach), whilst still being immensely flattering. It wasn't super cheap - $238 before tax but it'll be a wardrobe staple. It came with a tie sash which I think is superfluous, off trend, and grossly unflattering unless you are a twiglet.

I'd never hear of the label, and the Bendel's assistant cld only tell me that she was 'upcoming'. So Google revealed all. Rory Edelman is just 24, based in Los Angeles & has an impressive list of US stockists already. She started out designing scarves, morphed into one of a kind red carpet dressing, and put her first collection together for SS06. This tunic is called Rizzo, & is a key shape in her collections which are beach minded, West Coast in feel, and based on simple shapes.

Unfortunately, really, really dreadful amateur styling in her look books masks that chic simplicity making them look more High Street than High Style. A combination of shocking lighting, and a contorted model means you can't see the line of the pieces - a fairly basic error.

However, I like what she does. It's not really fashion, just easy everyday pieces that could easily form the basis of a 20 or 30 something's summer wardrobe, at a bearable price point.

I gave the frock a whirl at the Allegra Hicks shop opening on Wednesday night, pairing it with black patent, ankle strap block heels with ribbon bows on the toes (a direct copy of the ones that Matthew Willamson did for Pucci for AW/06, I'm afraid), 80 den black Wolfords, & a black leather & patent bag by All Saints. In the summer it'll go with tanned bare legs and open toe wedges or ballerines.