Oscars 2009 – The gown wrap up February 23, 2009

The dress parade was as good as expected. Hollywood put on its Oscars best, Fashion Police went out hunting & I went along. Check out the pictures here from the OSCARS official webpage.

Dream Girls:

I loved Frieda Pinto in her dreamy hyacinth John Galliano: she was the belle of the ball. Marion Cottiyard was a stunner too: this all glamour French lady, was fresh, a little risqué and very elegant. I was not crazy about the up-do as her hair would have looked better if worn down with that gown, but never mind.
Diane Lane dressed her age and body in her Dolce & Gabbana. She did not steal the show, but she was very put together. Viola Davis was darn hot and sexy. The same goes for Taraji P. Henson and Alicia Keys. Well done ladies.

Elegant yet stiff:

Angelina Jolie, looked beautiful in black, but she is always serious looking, and too serious in a frivolous red carpet parade is just un-cool and boring in my book. As for Oscar winner Penelope Cruz, vintage is always a good choice and suits her, but vintage hair to go with it is a bit much, don’t you think?

Inexplicable:

Jessica Biel was wearing a Prada dress that just looked like a sack. This is shame because Miss Biel is one stunning woman. Fire the stylist now!

Inspiration from the bakery department:

I guess this was the year of the cream puff design, because Miley Cyrus and Melissa George both sported the look. Miley’s gown was an awful choice, too old for a 16 year old and poor Melissa looked like a cross between a cream dessert and an upside down mushroom.

Mama-daughter gown swap: Vanessa Hudgens’ Marchesa was a nice dress but it should have been worn by a 30 year old woman. Heidi Klum was too exposed (again…) and she wore too much jewelry: humongous earrings, bracelets, the works. Honey: less is more in the jewelry department and the older we get the more we should cover up.

Lets play dress up clothes:

Sarah Jessica Parker looked as an aged Barbie doll with plastic hair, while the dress did not fit well around the boobies. I am guessing that this was a look that Patricia Field did not put together.

BAFTAS 2009 February 23, 2009

Gabriel Ororke at the BAFTAS 2009

My very good  and quite glamorous friend Gabriel (pictured here ) was covering the red carpet for the BAFTAS 2009. This is her article: http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=6838078&page=1

The 2009 SAG awards: One way road to the ‘Stepford fashion house’ January 28, 2009

Every time I sit down to see the red carpet of any award show, I am very excited at the possibility that this time it will be different, people will dress more creatively and I will see clothes and styling that will be a pleasant surprise. In the end, I am really disappointed and frustrated that I’ve wasted 2 precious hours watching the boring people in their boring outfits. This year’s SAG awards were no exception. Same dress, after same dress, most floor length, same hair, it felt that we moved to Stepford. What has happened? Where is everyone’s own style? In no man’s land, that’s for sure.
The only girls that were a little different and were a delight in the sea of boring gowns was Katie Holmes, with her cute pixie and Jil Sander fitted dress, Anne Hathaway, as an ancient Greek Goddess, Christina Applegate with her 30s Ungaro in a fantastic turquoise color, and Melissa Leo who was the most glamorous in a frock that was designed from an unknown designer. BRAVO, well done.
We still have the Oscars, so I am optimistic that maybe more actresses will dress the way of Katie, Anne, Christina and Melissa. One can only hope. As for the men? They all looked like penguins in their black tuxes. All except Mickey who looked like he had crashed on a trash truck on his way to the red carpet. Shame Mickey, because back in the 1980s you were seriously cute.

Check out the pictures at www.style.com

Oscars 2008: the Good, the Blah and the Inexplicable February 26, 2008

So we had the Oscars after all…Despite rain or shine we sat in front of the telly for 6 hours – I am including the red carpet + the ceremony time + all the commercials… We saw all the stars clapping one another, giving boring speeches and being ‘entertained’ by hideous dancing and singing. Why do I bother watching them every year then? The clothes baby…the clothes.

The clothes made me think, ONE MORE TIME: where are the runway looks? Where are the risks? Where are the really outrageous and riske outfits? The fun? Most stars played it safe, so safe in fact, that most looked like clones.

Here are my nominations and you can be the judge of who wins the style oscar this year: The Good, the Blah and the Inexplicable. Click on oscar.comred carpet for pictures.

The Good Gals:
- Kristin Chenowerth in Armani Prive. Stunning.
- Penelope Cruz in Chanel couture. Absolutely beautiful and a lovely smile. She always gets it right
- Jennifer Hudson in R. Cavali. I loved this dress and she looked cute with her bangs, but…it was a bit tight. Watch out for the spillover effect Jen and get the dress a size bigger next time.
- Ruby Dee in Kevan Hall. Stylish, age appropriate, the dress fitted beautifully. Well done.
- Anne Hathaway in Marcesa. Divide and regal.
- Heidi Klum. Heidi you were the fairest of them all. Wow!

The Good Boys:
- George Clooney in a classic tux: always a favorite, always a classy guy.
- Collin Farrel: this guy knows how to mix bad guy looks (a bit scruffy, long hair) with a very preppy suit. Fantastic suit Collin. By Dunhill.

The Blah:
- Diane Lane, Cameron Diaz, Ellen Page, Renee Zellweger. We’ve seen you look like that before. Many times in fact.

The Bad Gals:
- Julie Cristie: How to wear red shrink wrap? With sheer pink gloves and crazy hair!!! Julie, please stop designing and focus on the movies.
- Diablo Cody: Would the devil wear that leopard Galliano? I doubt it. I can understand the print, maybe the diamante detailing. Maybe the bright red lip. But all together? And to top it off, the cut was so high up your thigh Diablo, we almost saw your undies. EW!
- Faye Dunaway: Bad plastic and bad hair. Go to the salon and chop it all off. And while you’re at it, take off that dress and never-never wear that shade again.
- Tilda Swindon: Tilda, how did you come up with this rag???

The Bad Boys:
- Johny Depp: Why?!? Why do you want to make yourself ugly when you are gorgeous?
- Wasley Snipes: what were you thinking when you put on a checked bow tie and a cheesy blue suit? That Fashion Police won’t arrest you?

That’s all folks! See you next year.

The First Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards April 23, 2007

The 1st annual independent handbag designer awards have been scheduled for June 20, 2007.

The event will take place at the Museum of the City of New York, will feature not only the new best and hotest handbag designers, but also Carlos Falchi, who will be presented with a lifetime achievement award. The judging committee is the cream of the cream of the accessories and fashion world and academia: Carrie Chapman (Senior Accessories Buyer for Barneys NY), Irenka Jakubiak (Editorial & Fashion’s Director for Accessories Magazine), Paula Correri (Accessories Editor), Rebecca Weinberg (Costume Designer), Phyllis Magidson (Curator of Costume Design & Textiles for MCNY) and Julia Poteat (Assistant Professor at Parsons School of Design).

There is a limited number of tickets, so hurry up and get them now. Click here to purchase tickets.

1st Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards March 1, 2007

As I am co-organizer & the stylist for this event, it is only appropriate that I inform you independent handbag designers out there, about the 1st annual independent handbag designer awards. Read below and use the links to apply.

The deadline for entry is Sunday, April 15, 2007.

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Handbag Designer 101, the handbag designer resource, invites you to compete in the first annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards, its new and innovative competition. Win a chance to present your handbag at a high profile New York event at the Museum of the City of New York and compete for one of six Awards for Handbag Design Excellence, a monetary prize, international recognition and a chance to have your handbag go on marketing press tour.

- Handbag Designer 101 is now accepting designer submissions in the following categories:
- Best Student Made Handbag
- Best Handmade Handbag
- Most Socially Responsible Handbag
- Celebrity’s Favorite Handbag
- Audience-Selected Handbag
- Best Handbag in Overall Style & Design

The staff of Handbag Designer 101 will review all submissions at a Prescreening Event in late April. At this Prescreening, HB101 will choose five finalists in each category who will be judged on the merits of their submitted designs. All finalists will be invited to participate in the first annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards that will take place in June 20th 2007 at the Museum of the City of New York in New York City .

Finalists will provide the handbag shown in the photos to compete at the event. The finalist’s handbags will be presented in a static installation at the event. Over 250 members of the fashion industry, including press and retailers, will attend the Independent Handbag Designer Awards event. A Fashion Panel of esteemed and influential handbag design professors, experts, editors, stylists, and buyers will judge the designs presented and select a winner from each category who will receive the Best Handbag in each respective category and determine who truly stands out as an Independent Handbag Designer.
To apply for the IDHA, please visit http://www.handbagdesigner101.com/awards to fill out the application form. If you have more questions about this event please reply to this email.

The deadline for entry is Sunday, April 15, 2007.

Good luck,

The Team at Handbag Designer 101
www.handbagdesigner101.com

Oscars 2007: Gown & Tux night wrap up February 26, 2007

Another Oscar night and the gowns were predictable_as expected of course. The big couture names all marched on the red carpet: Chanel (Kirsten Dunst, Rinko Kikuchi), Oscar de la Renta (Jennifer Hudson and Jessica Biel), Valentino (Cameroz Diaz and Kate Winslet), Giorgio Armani (the PRIVE collection, Cate Blanchett, Beyonce), Nina Ricci (Reese Witherspoon), Christian Lacroix (Helen Mirren), Zac Posen (Gwyneth Paltrow) and some Monique Lhuillier (Isla Fisher) and Calvin Klein (Emily Blunt) in the mix.

It seems that when actresses find something that works they tend to stick with that look. Penelope Cruz, Naomi Watts and Cate Blanchett all looked good, but we’ve seen similar looks in other events too. Same goes for Beyonce. A truly pretty and sexy girl, but she should try something else than the ’siren look’ for a change.

My absolutely favorite frocks were worn by Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Guyllenhaal (in Proenza Schouler) and Nicole Kidman (in a fantastic bloody orange Balenciaga creation). All chose a bit more risque gowns and they looked amazing.

I wasn’t thrilled with the men either, but Leonardo Di Caprio is amazingly stylish and can wear a tuxedo properly: black classic tux, with wide lapels paired with a black tie. Perfect. (applause). Please give a call to Clive Owen next time Leonardo. He could use some styling tips from a natural like you.

Keep it up girls and boys. We love to see you playing dress up each year!!! For pictures, click here