summer's here! (again)

clockwise from top left: prada, versace, proenza schouler, narciso rodriguez

flick picks

decked in their finest resort, anna wintour and sienna miller arrived hand-in-hand to the premiere of "the september issue" at the museum of modern art late last week.

i don't like sienna and i didn't like her dress either. at first, i figured she just made the powder-blue thakoon dress look cheap, but upon closer inspection (below, left) the dress appears to just be unoriginal and unremarkable. it seems like one of those pieces only considered because of who the designer is ("...but it's thakoon!") and it also bothers me to see night -- or "going out"/ party clothes -- worn in broad daylight.

shockingly (insert sarcastic tone here) i did like ms. wintour's pick for the flick, though i found it odd that her version had hanging sleeves which did not appear on the runway. in pictures, it made her shoulders look less delicate and a bit hunched. i suppose i like that she had it customized (and it shows that she has the power to do so) but i don't think it was necessary -- she often goes bare-shouldered and the weather certainly warranted such exposure.

what they should have worn (from the same collections):

sure, these options may not seem drastically different from what was actually worn, but i think the subtle differences could have made for better looks overall. the thakoon dress on the left seems a bit less skimpy and is more interesting. but model liya kebede recently wore the same dress in an orange-red color to an event (and it was published in vogue) so i'm guessing a-dubs may not have allowed for it.

the prada dress on the right was my favorite from this collection. i love the subdued color beneath an intricate print, complete with retro holliday & brown pattern trim. the silhouette is definitely more classic wintour, though perhaps that's why she didn't pick it. but the orange color of anna's flick pick is tough for any fair skinned broad to pull off. there's always next time!

fierce

sasha pivovarova at chanel haute couture

guess who?

back to the pack

maybe it's just me. but there seems to be something happening with the backpack for summer. this oft-forgotten staple seems to be popping up everywhere, and in fun, new styles.

baby got back at louis vuitton

"memoirs of an imperfect angel"

...is apparently the title of mimoo's new album.

but... why?

bros before... pros?

i'm not really an idol fan but i caved and tuned in to the last two episodes. it was painfully obvious which contestant was the pro -- clearly more talented and deserving of the title.

but because of speculation about his sexuality (and, well, pictures that have surfaced like this lovely little ditty to the left), america opted for a cleaner, safer (read: straighter) and, in my opinion, less talented option. 

am i shocked by america's ignorance and stupidity? not at all. i suppose the fact that adam went as far as he did is a big step. but it'd be nice to think that americans could better recognize talent and remember that idol is, after all, a talent competition.

this doesn't look amazing or anything.......

the devil wears miu miu

i never understood the etiquette of attending a designer's parties/ shows... are you supposed to be respectful and wear the designer?

apparently not, says anna wintour, spotted yesterday at the opening of the new york derek lam store in one of miu miu's shifts from spring.

how did i ever miss this gem?

bravogue!

i'm thrilled to see models grace the cover of the new american vogue, particularly lara stone and jourdan dunn.

but if we're talking about big new faces, where's anna selezneva? sessilee? jac? or what about chanel? irina k? sasha or gemma??!

and if we're using old-timers like natalia and liya, what about karin elson or gisele? guess there just ain't enough room for everybody!

either way, it sure beats seeing another reese witherspoon or jennifer aniston on the cover...

alaia done right... and horribly wrong

two very famous women with suited men on their arms recently wore beautifully crafted, pricey dresses by iconic tunisian designer azzedine alaia.

so how did one look say "class" while the other screamed "trash"?

let's first take a look at the couple on the left. so regal. so full of class. so effortless. our girl michelle kept it basic and chic in all black. her hair looked great, her shoulders bare with a nice full, ruffled skirt to balance out. bravo from head to kitten-heeled toe.

now for exhibit B: none other than ms. mimoo nunez-carey-cannon. in all fairness, this is a paparazzi snap of mimoo getting into a car -- not a prepared red carpet moment like ms. obama's.

but with that said, mimoo is extremely paparazzi-concious (hell, she'd probably be pissed if there weren't any there snapping her up!). we all know she ain't the type to leave the house in sweats and no makeup.

i've always firmly believed that it's not what you wear, but rather how you wear it. sure, mimoo's put on a few pounds, but she coulda pulled this dress off with appropriate styling and accessories. instead, however, she chose big, cheap-looking sunglasses that don't fit her face, what appears to be a claire's silver chain dangling down her front and--as mimoo seems to always do when going for her "conservative" look--a sweater wrapped around her shoulders in the strangest way. i'm pretty sure it's to hide arm fat yet still show boobs and shoulders.

all in all, mimoo makes this dress look horribly cheap. after all -- imagine it on someone elegant and slim like naomi campbell.

the icing on the cake: nick cannon in his corresponding pink tie. enough is enough, already!

does it get any better than this?

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i wouldn't know, since i don't have a TV. but this show is pretty fuckin unbelievable. check out all the episodes at http://www.logoonline.com/shows/dyn/rupauls_drag_race/videos.jhtml

let them eat cake

who is the man valentino garavani?

i wasn't really sure before today. and i ain't gonna pretend like i really know someone just because i've seen a movie about them. but matt tyrnauer's documentary "valentino: the last emperor" did a nice job, i think, of cutting past the glittered facade of fashion and narrowing in on valentino himself -- his vulnerability, his dedication, his complex and longstanding relationship with giancarlo giammetti.

i was touched, for example, by how emotional valentino is. i lost count of how many times he cried in the movie after about #3. but you really saw that emotion in the clothes. it's something you don't really see much of today... everything seems so intellectual now, doesn't it? perhaps you can see it with olivier theyskens? the aesthetics of each are obviously quite different but, with both, you get that undeniable sensation of romance.

yet both are currently out of a job...

like anyone in a great position of authority and pressure, valentino can also be very difficult. i think seeing some of his thought processes on screen helped me understand how someone as talented as alessandra fachinetti could have been fired as valentino's successor so quickly (although this isn't explored in the movie).

i was intrigued to hear that valentino wasn't pleased at all after seeing tyrnauer's film and that he tried, persistently but unsuccessfully, to have a number of scenes removed (tyraneur got that shit in writing!). it's exciting to learn things you're not really supposed to.

the magnitude of valentino's empire and career is conveyed by the preparation for and execution of valentino's lavish 45th anniversary soiree and retrospective in rome. perhaps my favorite part of the movie is during the retrospective exhibit when valentino and fellow couturier karl lagerfeld take a walk candidly around the exhibit, remeniscing about dresses they made in the 60s. in a very telling moment, karl whispers to valentino "compared to us, everything else is just rags, no?"

i left the movie feeling inspired. well, jealous, really. but more than anything, i was hungry. as i walked out of the film forum, i glanced over at the concession stand and, among the popcorn and candy lineup, there stood the icing on the cake: a "valentino red" velvet cake for sale.

buon appetito!

amen!

for real, though

dzaaamn!

bring back black!

just one year ago prada made headlines casting black model jourdann dunn (right) in the fall runway show after not having cast a black model in over ten years (naomi). but there was no black model to be found in this year's show, and it seems other designers have followed suit. i'm confused, to say the least, considering how popular they'd become over the past few seasons.

was it all just a fad?

kudos for liya kebede opening yesterday's balenciaga show (below).
i'm curious, though, about the label's intent with the casting decision. was it a racial statement or an homage to liya's star status? after all, balenciaga seems to have started a trend of opening with older, more established models: veteran russian model natalia vodianova, 26, opened for the label last season (her only show that season), and liya, 31, the biggest black model since naomi, has only done balenciaga so far this season and only did narciso for spring.

but does balenciaga's intent matter? at the end of the day, liya opened the show, widely considered one of the (if not the) most important shows of the season. and she looked pretty damn good!

by the by, where is sesilee lopez (below)??? she wasn't cast in any shows in london, milan or in paris yet, but she was ubiquitous in new york, so i can't imagine she just didn't get any bookings. i'm guessing she's holding out for a big euro exclusive. louis vuitton? chanel? yves saint laurent?


come to think of it, i don't think i've seen arlenis in europe either...

we shall see!

shoe-fly

olivier theysken's footwear at nina ricci defies... logic?

shoulda, coulda, woulda

sample pieces from miu miu's last fall collection (remember the scuba gear?) turned up crammed onto an undeserving rack at the prada/miu miu store in woodbury commons outlets this weekend. the opening look, the black-and-green one-piece short suit worn by amanda laine, hung there stickered at a mere $100.


the fabric was thicker and heavier than i had imagined all this time. the zippers were sturdy. the lines were clean. the elastic was tight. the texture was intricate. it looked and felt amazing. i wondered why it had not yet been snatched up. i held it tight in my hands to protect it from prying eyes. i felt like gollum holding the ring.


ahh, the pitfalls of being without employment. how marvelous it would have been to own such an exquisite piece! not that i could even have dreamed of squeezing my ass in there, but just to have it as mine, stored in my closet as a collector's item, perhaps allowing the occasional drifting waif to hop in. hell, it may even have been the very garment that was worn on the runway -- after all there was silver pen writing inside that said something along the lines of "look #1"...

on the drive home i thought of nearly nothing else. in fact, i thought about it until the next day, at which point i phoned the store to see if, perhaps, the piece was still for sale in the store.

it wasn't.

peppe(red)

i suppose it's a bit easy to see a few splashes of red and declare it a trend, but i wanted to call out how it seems red is being used in milan's fall collections almost like i how i saw gold used for spring: peppered across collections with otherwise drab pallettes. plus, it seems to be a very particular type of red -- a more orange, tomato red as opposed to anything more sensual or bloodlike.

fendi's typically black/ white pallette, for example, was spiced up with a singular red look, while gorgeous reds accented several looks in the prada collection's otherwise earthy, subdued color scheme. ferragamo's pallette was dark and sensual, save for one lone red shift, and versace's pastels and neons were interrupted, thankfully, by two bright red dresses.

see for yourself: fendi, versace, ferragamo, prada (clockwise from left)

prada: frazzle dazzle 'em!

though i've loved each of the last few prada collections in their own way, i have to say that, at least in retrospect, i've found them all to be a big overly conceptual or thematic. the fairies, the lace, the costume jewels, the crumpled fabrics... though beautiful, each felt a bit one-note. sure, i became slightly obsessed with each for a minute, but then, in the typical cyclical fashion of, well, fashion, i had ultimately chewed them up and spit them out.

the collection miuccia prada showed yesterday, though, felt different. there was something old-school prada about it -- and though i've said that before about some of the past collections -- this was old-school in a deeper sense, relying more on tried and true methods like the craftsmanship and tailoring.

firstly, it's impossible to not acknowledge the footwear of the show. the waders, which came in boot, bootie, sandal and mary jane form only looked like industrial rubber -- they are actually all supple, sturdy leather. peep these:




















































but although the footwear may have stolen the show, i think it was the good ol' prada tailoring that made this show remarkable and will give the clothes timelessness. the girls, looking slightly confused or frazzled with wild brillo hair, wore coats in rustic and primary colors, cut in exaggerated proportions, giving a pronounced, rounded shoulder, a miniscule waist (emphasized by the ubiquitous cinching belt), and a collar that hovered several inches above and behind the back of the neck -- as if drawing attention to this oft forgotten erogenous zone.



























i'll leave you with another detail that -- in typical prada fashion -- kept the coats from being too severe and pushed the collection into the naughty: side slits in the coats that rode all the way up the rear, exposing the models' red undies.

solid gold

before we take a look at prada's fall collection, which debuted today in milan, i wanted to call out a trend i've seen emerge since prada showed its spring collection (above) in september: gold. fluid, mesmerizing, luxurius gold. the color spiced up prada's otherwise muted palette for spring, and it seems other designers have been following suit for fall. see below examples at alberta feretti, vivenne westwood red label, zac posen and calvin klein (clockwise from left).

vintage

just one of those songs that brings me back.

trend alert: armhide

with temperatures reaching subzero levels of late, it's no surpise that designers have been putting forward a delightful, functional and decadent accessory: elaborate fur arm warmers! see below examples from giles deacon, donna karan, pollini, balenciaga and marni (clockwise from left).

by the by, peep this shot i found in the prada archives circa 1991:

i'm just sayin...

the oscars: wake me when it's over

**THE GOOD**























as always, i thought ms. tilda swinton looked smashing. she always gives a total look, doesn' she? and it's almost always different than the last. she's toned down here for the oscars, but still managed to give us something fresh and smart -- subdued but not boring. i loved the monochromatic palette-- her skin, hair and draped lanvin blouse are nearly all the same color. with some luscious red lipstick and a bold cascading skirt and swinton managed to quietly stand out in a sea of plastic scarlets in their fancy poofy gowns.























okay, so one might argue this could be considered one of the aforementioned "fancy poofy gowns", but i love marion cotillard and thought she stood out in a bold, whimsical dior couture gown. but there was also something dark and naughty about it -- perhaps just compared to all the other ivory dresses (apparently the color of the season) -- but the color, the transparency of the dior was refreshing.

**THE BAD**

to me, the biggest offenders are those who just don't try. sure, they're beautiful and will probably look great no matter what they wear, so why do they settle for fashion mediocrity?















































natalie portman's rodarte frock looked like it could be bought in any cheap prom dress store. she only considered it because it was rodarte. let's not even discuss the spray tan...

sure, angelina looked great in her black elie saab gown with sweetheart neckline. her earrings were a nice touch and she looks classic, regal, blah blah blah. snooze. i get that she's "above" the whole world of fashion, and i respect that, but i just don't understand why she couldn't once try to wear something daring or slightly interesting.

i almost vomited when i saw alicia keys. the armani prive dress isn't that offensive (in fact, did her and natalie portman shop at the same $10 store?), but for pete's sake she looks like any generic white ho! shania twain, anyone? i didn't even recognize her. i don't like the notion of removing personal qualities for an event like the oscars... she is so funky and usually pretty edgy... don't dumb yourself down, girl! don't be a gem when you really are a hard rock!

last and least, ms. jennifer aniston, who thinks we're all supposed to be floored because she's, for once, not wearing black? who cares. she looked more lame and generic than ever, even in valentino couture.

**THE UGLY**























queen latifah: we get that big girls only have so many options, but this just looks so.... cheap! stick to some basic black -- something a little more regal. take notes from angelina!

amanda seyfried: her sourpuss expression says it all. in fact, i think it's the same look miranda priestly made at james holt's big-bow dress. this tomato-red valentino number is just frumpalicious.























beyonce: oh, b. you must have designers sending you gowns up the wazoo. can't you just stand up to mommy already and tell her that house of dereon never has and never will make anything oscar-worthy??

viola davis: you are adorable, but it hurts to look at you. please go away.





















melissa leo: i don't know who you are, but that dress looks like it was pulled out of the outhouse in slumdog millionaire. you need to keep that color where? back there!

amy adams: drapes match the carpet? never a good look.


sophia loren: i'm scared if i talk shit about you, some big goomba is gonna show up at my door and have me whacked. but it's pretty undeniable that this was the most frightening look of the night. blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-a-alcohol!

they don't make 'em like they used to

they're just that into... labels

all the big sellouts -- ahem, stars -- turned out for the premier of new chickflick "he's just not that into you" in some big labels. here's what they wore:


scarlett johansson in a pink silk strapless oscar de la renta gown with painted floral detail


drew barrymore in lanvin's silk-and-satin cocktail dress with pronounced hips


jennifer connelly in balmain's dazzling emerald shift with exaggerated shoulders and jagged hemline

the snoozer of the pack: i appreciate her attempt to do something unexpected, but jen's black burberry pantsuit fit strangely in the midsection and the gold chains seemed kind of... unoriginal.


here's what the bitches shoulda worn:


i liked scarlett's pick, though i think the floor-length version seemed a bit too formal for the occasion (especially compared to her co-star's picks). this shorter version seems a bit flirtier and more scarlett.





















i think drew barrymore's one of the few people who can get away with a bold color like this bright orange. her choice for the premier was elegant but a bit forgettable.

jennifer connelly's choice was certainly fun, and the color was different, but this lace and studded combo seems to fit her dark, reserved personality better. plus it woulda hidden those skinny legs of hers a bit better.

ok, this is never gonna happen, but this woulda been so fun on jen. her signature black taken to new heights. c'mon jen, surprise us!