Madonna expresses her masculine side in tailored power suit and shirt at designer launch party

She made the power suit famous in the eighties in her Express Yourself video.

And now it seems Madonna is determined to bring the trend back, as she was spotted wearing a masculine tailored suit and shirt in London last night.

The 51-year-old singer arrived at a launch party for fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg at Claridge's Hotel wearing the outfit, which she teamed with a black fedora hat and black belt, which drew attention to her tiny waist.

But it wasn't only her Express Yourself suit that sparked hundreds of copies.

The singer has been hailed as a fashion icon for the majority of her career, although she admits she did make some style errors in the eighties.

Describing her most embarrassing outfit in a recent interview, she said: 'It was the purple lipstick, fluorescent-green sweater combo.

'It’s OK, it was the eighties. It was a bad-hairstyle era. Let’s face it!'

Other stars to attend the prestigious event last night included Victoria Beckham, Joan Collins and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Paltrow's appearance at the party suggests reports of a cooling in her friendship with Madonna are no longer true.

There were claims earlier this month that the pair had stopped speaking after a series of fall outs, which left Madonna out in the cold by her former best friend.

'They don't speak,' Us Weekly magazine quoted a source as saying. 'I can't tell you exactly why they had the falling out.'

However, both Gwyneth and Madonna looked happy and relaxed as they left Claridge's after the party last night - suggesting they have put their issues behind them.

Madonna casts Fox family for Wallis Simpson film

Madonna has cast James Fox and his son Laurence Fox in her film about Edward VIII's wife, Wallis Simpson.

The film, titled W.E, began shooting on Monday. Madonna has co-written the movie, which she is also directing.

James Fox will play King George V, while Laurence Fox has been cast as his son Bertie, Edward's younger brother.

Australian actress Abbie Cornish will play a modern-day New Yorker, who becomes obsessed with King Edward's decision to abdicate for his lover.

Andrea Riseborough, best known for playing former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in BBC drama The Long Walk to Finchley, will play Simpson.

James D'Arcy, who starred in ITV2 opposite Billie Piper in Secret Diary of a Call Girl, has been cast as Edward VIII.

W.E is Madonna's directorial debut on a feature-length movie. She previously directed a short film, Filth and Wisdom, which premiered in Berlin in 2008.

British film critics slated the London-based drama, with the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw calling it "dumb and tacky".

Madonna warned over staff party

Madonna has received an official warning from council officers after staff at her London home upset neighbours by staging a noisy party.

Nearby residents complained as loud music and singing ruined what should have been a peaceful Sunday afternoon near the Queen of Pop's Marylebone property.

But it would appear that Madonna was not to blame. While employees of the Material Girl were getting into the groove in London, the singer herself was out of the country.

As the property's listed owner, Madonna was nonetheless issued with a noise abatement order. The 51-year-old singer was warned that any further offence could land her with a £5,000 fine.

Westminster City Council were called shortly before 2pm on June 27 following a complaint.

Arriving around 30 minutes later, officials deemed the singing and music coming from inside the house to be so loud that it constituted "statutory nuisance".

Noise officers managed to contact the partygoers via the entryphone, at which point it was discovered that the property's owner, Madonna, was not present.

A noise abatement notice was served on the revellers by posting it through the letterbox, after which the music stopped. A further notice addressed to the owner was handed to staff in person the following day.

Westminster City Council said the case is unlikely to go to court, but warned that any further offences could see Madonna summoned to appear before magistrates.

Councillor Ed Argar, cabinet member for city management, said: "If people want to hold a party, regardless of the time of day or night, they need to show some common courtesy to their neighbours, who should not have to pay the price for others' selfish behaviour."