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.

NYC FASHION WEEK-SPRING 08- WOMEN READY TO WEAR September 8, 2007

The feel from the first couple of days of fashion week, is that collections are full of fun stuff, but not all that original. Again designers got inspired from the 30s, 50s and 60s, and the colors varied from washed out neutrals, black and the occasional jewel tones. The good news is that we got almost rid of tent dresses, very low-rise waistlines and leggings. PHEW!!!Clothes are soft and are meant to worn everywhere. Pretty dresses will come our way and it is up to you to choose the height of your hem - as everything goes. Bohemian chic was added to the mix, and the androgynous style has a comeback. Women will be dressed like ladies again. Ladies that can combine work, fun, downtime and play but in a sophisticated way.

I am only commenting on the shows that I thought were interesting and will guide me for my summer 08 shopping. Click here to check out the collections. Here are my favorites so far:

1. ABAETE: 30s and 40s inspired dresses and separates, great tops, palette of beiges, black and white with the occasional emerald frock and soft yellow. Everything can be easily worn in the city or at your vacation spot of choice. Lovely fabrics and very flattering designs.

2. ALEXANDRE HERCHCOVITCH: An androgynous collection with the deconstructed tuxedo inspiring the collection, giving it a cool and sophisticated vibe. Some stuff seemed a bit too warm for summer. Some great tops, which liven up any basic pant or skirt. Colors are mostly black and white with hues of fire red to give the clothes an edgy feel.

3. BCBG MAX AZRIA
Beautiful sheer layers constructed the dresses, which are for the sophisticated, artsy yet strong woman. Everything was belted; Neutrals are big in this collection.

4. BILL BLASS
50s inspired dresses in neutrals and washed out pastels, nicely done and pretty, but nothing new. The feel is quite vintagy.

5. JASON WU
50s inspired frothy frocks and pencil skits, very ladylike, but again nothing new.

6. L.A.M.B.
A 60s inspired collection with hues of Gwen’s everyday wardrobe of tartans and checked jackets. I liked the mini dresses, provided one has legs to show off. There were a couple of floaty animal print dresses, which are ladylike sexy yet cool. What I didn’t like was Kingston participating in the show…He is a toddler. Not an accessory.

7. RAG & BONE
Basics with a polished and cool feel, which will remain hip in the next couple of seasons as well. Nicely constructed jackets and pants, a little bit safari, a little bit Great Gatsby, with a dose of St. Tropez of the 60s. Stripy shirts top it all off.

Keep this list handy when you go shopping / TRENDS
- Neutrals, black and white, hues of jewel colors
- High Waists are back, the real waist is defined by belts
- 30s, 50s and 60s inspiration
- Thin belts wrapped twice around the waist
- Bohemian chic
- Safari pants paired with stripy tops.
- Fedoras
- Kaftans

More collections tomorrow. Stay tuned!

NY Fashion Week / Spring 08: SEPTEMBER 5 - 12, 2007 September 6, 2007

NY Fashion week is finally here and we are all going to find out what we’ll wear in the spring and summer 2008 - I know you have boots on the brain, and I am talking summer fashion!

Here’s a schedule for those of you who don’t want to miss a beat. For the others, I’ll look out for the more representative styles and what we can most wear and keep them posted on the blog. Short and sweet to keep things simple. You will thank me when those sales are on and you’ll know what to look for. I AM SURE OF THAT!

Dashing off to the first party - stay tuned for news. XXX

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

Oscar night is coming up: talk about dress up and how you can hold an Oscar without being nominated February 21, 2007

‘And the Oscar goes to…FASHION’.

Another year, another Oscar night but what are we all REALLY waiting for?The stars to step up in glamorous gowns, dazzling jewels, breathtaking shoes and exquisite evening bags. This year I am expecting the stars to go a bit more crazy than other times. With everyone trying to please the fashion police, the fashion gurus, the fashion connoisseurs, the fashion bloggers, all those events have become a parade of look-like actresses in look-alike gowns. Because, they all try to make safe choices.

Safe is good, but not for Oscar night! What are the rest of us going to dream about? The red carpet needs to spice up a bit and get more adventurous. This applies not just for actresses but for the men too. I don’t want to see another tuxedo & a bow tie. I want personality behind it. I want crazy but stylish suits, hem-lines of all lengths and some attitude to go with it. After all we are talking about Hollywood Royalty and if you are among that crowd you should be able to funk it up. At least Ellen won’t be in a long gown and that’s a relief! Or will she surprise us all? I am also excited because George and Kirsten will be presenting. George because he is brilliant and Kirsten because she is the fairest of them all as far as her style goes.

Stay tuned and come back to read more after the grand event (Sunday, 2/25 at 8.00 EST). For info click here

And if you’re one of the Oscar-crazy people out there, you can ‘Meet the Oscars’ and also have your picture taken holding one (outstanding acting performance is not necessary). All of this is happening this week until 2/24/2007, Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, Location:Times Square Studios, 1500 Broadway, between 43rd St. and 44th St. New York.

After word: ‘It’s In the Bag: Purses from the Permanent Collection’ from the Museum of the City of New York February 3, 2007

A show on ladies purses from the last three centuries is a really exciting and very ‘of the moment’ exhibition for the fashion/conscious and savvy gal, who is not only interested in a beautiful design and a brand-name, but wants to explore more and learn how this magnificent accessory has been a prized possession for so many years.

Fascinated with the exhibition and the beautiful purses on display, I asked the curator Phyllis Magidson to talk to me about this exciting accessory, explain why the bags on view are so important, and what we learn by studying them. To read the rest of the article go to: www.handbagdesigner.com/trends

Valentine’s Day is Coming up January 17, 2007

Yup. It is close. Very close. And a lot of you are wondering what to get that very special person in your life, or how to show them what your intentions are if they are not the ‘very special person in your life’ yet. But flowers and candy, are well…done already! Here are some ideas to get you started:

If your significant other is a girl:
- Red hot lipstick. If you’re confused, just go to a Sephora store near you and the lovely sales associates will help you out. I really like anything Guerlain.

- The red Fendi bag. Oh! It is so delicious. Start with www.neimanmarcus.com

- A nice coral necklace, which she can use also in the summer and works with everything. For affordable options try Urban Outfitters or www.anthropologie.com

- Red ballet flats. she’ll be impressed with your fashion-savvy choice. Lots of options, but for the budget concious, I would try www.gap.com

If your significant other is a man:
- Farenheit Eau de Toilette by Christian Dior. A classic but remarkable scent in a classy red bottle.

- ‘Do the “red” thing’. At Gap stores and you’ll also feel good about yourself.

- A Ferrari? In red maybe? If you can’t afford the real thing, try a ‘mini-me’ version, at www.trendtimes.com

- How about a couple of vintage red cufflings? www.cufflinks.com has alot of options. I like the ‘red sushi’.