award season 2011: the oscars!!

another awards show, another four hours of my life that i'll never get back.  the oscars last night presented very few surprises...Natalie won, Colin Firth won (loved his shout-out to Tom Ford!), Trent Reznor won (well deserved, seriously). i was overly disappointed that Juilanne Moore and Tilda Swinton weren't there though...i was really hoping to see that killer Tom Ford dress on JM.

the red carpet was, overall, a washout.  tons of nudes, lots of glitter and tulle, and lots of safe looks....and a few trainwrecks!  without further ado..i give you the best and worst of the Oscars, 2011!

BEST DRESSED

1. Cate Blanchett (Givenchy Haute Couture): obviously, Cate blew me away last night in this stunning Givenchy Haute Couture gown.  this dress surpasses fashion, this dress is art.  i know this dress will garner it's share of criticism, but that's only because it's so fashion, it's hard for someone like Joan Rivers to wrap her head around it (love you Joan, but you always like the safe dresses!).  Cate looks insanely chic with her bob and simple make-up, letting the dress be the star, but she doesn't let the dress wear her, which is quite a feat! when Riccardo Tisci presented this couture collection a few weeks ago, i wasn't floored...

but as i've seen this collection on real women (Florence Welch at the Grammy's and now Cate), it's incredibly stunning and doesn't seem quite so alien.  Cate was an all around hit last night, and put every woman who went "safe" to shame.  

2. Gwyneth Paltrow (Calvin Klein Collection): GP can do no wrong!  this stunning floor length shrine to minimalism from Fransisco Costa is a dream on her, and the Louis Vuitton brooch at her hip adds just the right touch of color and is the perfect accessory.  this dress is a custom creation, although the shape and color are both similiar to something Costa showed us for pre-fall and fall 2011.  Paltrow slinked down the red carpet like a silver waterfall in this, and to top it all off (literally), she went with stick straight hair, a warm tan, and simple, fresh make-up.  the hair in particular is spot on, as i'm a firm believer that Calvin Klein and curling irons don't belong together.  super chic, very bold, and another reason why i love/hate GP!  i'll never be as thin, chic, or strong as GP (she's always doing some kind of extreme cleanse or elimination diet that i'll never have the willpower for!), but i'll always strive to be!

3. Michelle Williams (Chanel Haute Couture): talk about sweet redemption from the Golden Globes!  my goodness, Michelle was a vision in creamy white when she ascended the red carpet last night.  Michelle is one of the very few women who can pull off a short sleeve gown and still look chic and gamine. this dress photographs well but doesn't do justice to how insane it is in person..the level of hand-beading on this gown is Karl Lagerfeld and the Chanel Couture team at their finest.  Michelle styled the look perfectly with just a ring and simple earrings (Harry Winston), her pixie cut (which i dream of being able to pull off...keep dreaming), and big doe eyes.  she looked sleek and understated, but in all the right ways.  and her body? amazing. this dress was tailored to her within an inch of its life and that body did it justice!

4. Florence Welch (Valentino Haute Couture): Florence Welch is quickly becoming one of my red carpet favorites.  she tends to take risks and wear really tough-to-wear couture looks, but she manages to pull them off!  at the Grammy's, she wore a stunning Givenchy Couture swan gown (having her Bjork moment!), and last night, she looked beautiful and quirky in this lace and tiered skirt Valentino piece.  the color works so well with her skin and hair, and she's just oozing confidence and gorgeousness.  in a sea of boring glittery/tulle-covered frocks, she stood out and looked very ethereal, which matches perfectly with her personality and voice.  a modern day Janis Joplin with an eye for fierce couture.  

5. Hailee Steinfeld (Marchesa): Hailee Steinfeld was too perfect in this custom Marchesa dress.  The 14-year-old actress actually drew her dream dress herself, and then Marchesa made it happen for her.  she looks so adorable, so age-appropriate, and so elegant and poised in this dress.  the tea length is perfect on her, the color is so sweet, and the detail work and fit makes her look like a princess. i only wish she would have done without the headband...but she's 14 so i'll let it slide. and not to mention...she interviews so well. she comes off so down to earth and poised.  i love her. (and p.s. girl is working some HEELS for being 14 years old!  good for her!)

Most Unexpectedly Chic: Marky Mark's wife in Naeem Khan.  she look so amazing and fierce, right?!  and when they were interviewed, Mark Wahlberg was all about making sure everyone got a good look at her dress. he was proud to be with her. love that!  she looks gorgeous!

Best Dressed Man: Jesse Eisenberg looked amazing in his Band of Outsiders tux, and i love that he wore Band of Outsiders!  love the NY fashion scene love. and omg he's just too cute, and i absolutely loved him in The Social Network and i think he should have won the Oscar.  i know Colin Firth is amazing and he looked very dashing in his Tom Ford tux, but i was team Eisenberg!

Best Serial Killer Chic: Christian Bale...err...Patrick Bateman in Gucci. he always does black on black and always looks amazing and i love his beard and he sounds like a guy who would be my chimmney sweep and i don't care, i love him.  he doesn't dress crazy, but he always LOOKS crazy, right?  LOVE.

Most Random, but CHIC, Appearance: Sharon Stone in Dior.  She looked so fierce!  why was she there?  who knows?

Best use of Ostrich: Hilary Swank in Gucci.  WOWWWWW.  not what i expected out of Gucci!  stunning.

Honorable mentions: Amy Adams (L'wren Scott), Mila Kunis (Elie Saab Haute Couture), Natalie Portman (Rodarte), Oprah (Zac Posen), Celine Dion (Armani Prive), Helen Mirren (Vivienne Westwood), Mandy Moore (Monique Lhuillier)

Worst Dressed...after the jump...CLICK ON!

Gucci - FW 2011

the Gucci woman holds a special place in my heart.  strong, bold, sexy, independent, and mysterious...i kind of view the Gucci woman as the kind of creature that God & the Devil worked together to create.  beautiful and dangerous.  and Gucci was my first fashion love.  it was the first show i saw when i was around 14 years old and...well, the rest is history.

Frida Giannini has been under tight scrutiny since she started at Gucci back in 2004, succeeding Tom Ford.  last season she hit a home run with bright colors, harem pants, and lean, mean jumpsuits, and this season, she knocked it out of the park.  Giannini said her inspiration was Anjelica Huston & Florence Welch (i love that Florence has become this incredible reference in culture for all things free-spirited, chic, and unique!) so we knew that the 70's would still be alive in Milan...and this, my friends, is the Gucci woman, flesh and blood.  a strong red lip, graduated aviator sunglasses, fur stoles/collars, a super rich, jewel-tone palette, flawlessly tailored wide-leg trousers, belted waists, a leather dress, sassy alligator shoulder bags in rich colors, culotte pants, sheer dresses with a slit up to there...

the pussy bow neck line was all over the runway.  i hate bows but for Frida's 70's queen, the bows are drapey and underwhelming, so they work.  

are you dying for the hats? i am.

leather. dress. fur stole.  belt. yes.

Daphne Groeneveld is slowly but surely becoming one of my favorite ladies that stalk the runway.  she's got a look...

holy chic.

this graphic pattern made a few appearances as well, and i'm expecting to see this translate into a really chic, very wearable blouse in stores.  (what's on the runway is in-stores, but a lot of times, especially with large houses like Gucci, the collection gets translated into more wearable pieces in the same patterns and prints that were shown on the runway).  and once again, how major is Daphne here? and how major is that lavender BAG she's carrying.  LUST.

the evening wear is so dramatic, so sexy, and not for the faint of heart.  it'll take a bold woman to wear this as is!  i especially love the stole/shoulders here...flowers made to look like fur detailing.  so feminine and sexy.  just imagine strutting across Lincoln Center in that dress on your way to the ballet..oh.my.gah.

see what i mean?  these long, chiffon dresses that Giannini gave us just exude power, sex, and drama.  they move like a dream.

these dresses are very revealing, however don't come off as vulgar. don't get me wrong, like i said..it'll take some guts to wear these (i'd do it...100%!), as your legs, décolletage, and stomach are all exposed, but the juxtaposition of the heavy coverage of the shoulders seem to balance all of the exposure out, leaving everyone intrigued but not offended.  

it's the allure of the Gucci woman... everyone wants to know 'who is that girl?' and she always leaves us wanting more.

photo credit

Thierry Mugler...Nicola, you tease.

The house of Thierry Mugler (or should i say...Haus?) released this image yesterday as a teaser for the Mugler Womenswear collection, which will debut on March 2nd, the first under creative direction of Nicola Formichetti.  i'm really psyched for this.  if it's anything like his menswear debut, we can expect lots of see-thru latex, slim cuts, grease, and maybe some tattoos?  and given his collab with the Lady and her Grammy's performance, i'm expecting lots of neutrals and nudes.  and hopefully another custom GaGa mix for the runway track. but hopefully the ladies can walk a little more gracefully than the men did (i just can't get over how male models clomp down the runway.  i know they're trying to be butch but it ruins it for me!).

this is such a tease, right? i'm going to go out on a limb here (and that limb is not going to break), and say that Mugler womenswear is my most anticipated show of the European fashion weeks!  can't wait!

style file: spring fever!

the march issues have been landing in my mailbox all week, and i've been strategically planning my march shopping sprees ever since!

first up...punchy corals & neon!

        

i've been massively lusting after a pair of neon flats (a la those hot pink Lanvin ballet flats), and the coral Lanvin espadrilles are viciously arched and perfect with a high waisted pair of shorts.

in keeping with my newfound love for neon...

neon lips at Jil Sander... with a slicked back chignon & huge sunnies, obvi.

neon maxi skirt also from Jil Sander.  i'm loving the idea of the structured maxi skirt with a simple plain tshirt for spring.  so fresh and so young and easy...yet so chic.  

for casual day to day...70's revival baby!

love this skirt. fantastic length, great print!  (Marc by Marc)

High waisted, wide-leg trousers are EVERYTHING right now!  i love this look from Marc Jacobs... which was the show that brought the 70's back for spring.  wide legs can be tricky, but these are tailored beautifully and are actually very slimming.

asymmetrical dress by T by Alex Wang.  super casual...and i'm a sucker for anything by Alex Wang.  this is the kind of dress i'd wear every day.  with sandals or...OR or or with those Lanvin neon pink flats (yes!) and can take me all the way through october with a sweater or leather jacket thrown over it.  

another look from Marc Jacobs... beautiful chocolate silk in a sexy one-shouldered dress with the oh-so-spring2011-Marc flower belt.  so chic, so simple...perfect for a warm, breezy night out to dinner.  lust.

this shirt/shorts combo is straight off the Lela Rose runway and i loved it then and i still love it now.  the top is AMAZING...worn as shown with nothing underneath (to show off all that hard work from Equinox, right?) could put a tank top underneath it to make for a work appropriate look.  the shorts might have to be saved for the weekends, but this is the PERFECT look for the 'chic girl goes to the farmer's market after brunch with girlfriends.'

and onwards to shoe & handbag lust...

Chloe.  no words needed.

everyone knows i LOVE a good 5 or 6 inch heel. this Miu Miu sandal pushes 6 inches, but c'mon..totally platformed and easy to wear...and would look so chic with that Lela Rose look above, right?! (aggressively mixing prints..one of my favorite things to do)  yes. must have.  and yes..i'd wear them to work.

Giuseppe Zanotti...so sweet, floral, and adorable.  great with the maxi skirt, the Alex Wang dress, or even to dress down that Marc silk dress. 

what's on your spring shopping wish list?

oh and p.s. now...i know, i know..my significant other is surely reading this and thinking "why didn't she include her sizes so i can buy her everything?" but don't worry honey, i'll be dropping not-so-subtle hints over the next few weeks for you!  (size 2 in pants/shorts/skirts, 4 in tops/dresses, XS in Alex Wang, and 39 in shoes.  ............ in case you just want to surprise me!)

all pictures courtesy of bergdorfs.com and barneys.com and style.com

Odilon - FW 2011

Odilon by Stacey Clark showed for the first time at NY Fashion week this season, and while they are only in their third season as a label, the brand has a reputation for a minimalist aesthetic and some fancy fabrics.  my interest was piqued.  the Canadian born Clark (who spent many years as an equestrian show jumper, natch) received wonderful press from WWD, being named one of the "12 New Designers to Watch Around the Globe," but i was still unsure about what to expect when i arrived at the Metropolitan Pavilion for the show.

the inspiration for the collection was the greek goddess Persaphone and her "transformation from a young, naive girl into the womanly, unwilling queen of the underworld."  when i arrived backstage, i saw sinewy models having their hands painted black, grey, and brick red and slipping into clothes with long, striking lines.  their make-up, done by airbrushing afficiandos Temptu, was dramatic with a very heavy eye and a nude lip...and the aforementioned colored hands on a few girls.  stylist Marco Santini gave hair texture with Davines salt spray and then brushed it out and mussed to elaborate on the rock 'n roll, goddess of the underworld vibe.

while milling around backstage waiting for the show to start, we were both taken by how striking the incredibly long lines of the clothes were, and how strong the collection was, even just looking at it while it was being pieced together backstage.  

(little known fact: backstage is not the best way to view a look. it's the best place to get an up-close look at the fabric, cut, and construction of the garment, but the runway/presentation stage is the best place to get the full effect.  music, lighting, attitude..it all comes together out there in a way that it just doesn't happen backstage..)

once the show began, we headed out to view the collection and i have to be honest, i fell in love.

the run of the show from left to right.  the most girly and innocent looks were to the left...looks from the beginning of Persaphone's transformation.

i really felt for a similar style (in wide-legged pants) at Jeremy Laing, but i prefer this long skirt with the flutter hemline.  the crop top is in perfect proportion with the volume of the skirt, and the hem adds femininity without taking away from overall toughness of the look.

beautiful long lines, and the red hands are very devil-may-care... a very well constructed look.

(more after jump..click on!)

the magical mystery kind...

your sunday seduction, spring fever 2.0 edition.

nothing about winter is seducing me anymore.  not even two-ply cashmere.  on friday, here in fashion city, we got a little teaser of the goodness to come in the form of a sunny 60 degree day, and i'm hooked.  

this last picture in particularly has me jonesing for the warm days and cool nights of spring, where a full skirt in the day is made evening-appropriate with a chunky knit.  belted, of course.

and in the spirit of happy, springtime adventures...here's a song to liven your day up a bit!

(i absolutely live for Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, don't you?)

so here's to spring springing soon, wherever you may be....

photo credit

Marc Jacobs FW 2011

it seems as is Marc Jacobs is always ahead of the curve, and always in the biggest way possible.  last season he brought the 70's back so strongly that designers were still feeling for said era when sketching for fall 2011.  so while most New York designers were still showing wide-legged pants and 70's-inspired cuts this past week, Marc Jacobs was preparing to blow us all away with what's coming next.  and what's coming next is sexy, severe, and fierce as hell.

the set was white and clinical, almost resembling a padded cell, with a mirrored runway and pillars in the middle.  as the lights dimmed, marilyn manson's "The Beautiful People" began pounding from the speakers (bravo to the sound engineering team...the acoustics were flawless, even in the Lexington Ave Armory), and models began marching out at a furious pace in very strict, Dior New Look-esque pencil skirts, wedge heel boots, polka dots galore, latex, lace, and little pillbox hats with chinstraps done by milliner Stephen Jones.  i literally almost had a heart attack in my seat, it's that good.

the dress and shirt may look like sequins, but it's actually latex dots sewn together. yes, you read that right. latex.

polka dots done right.  those chocolate brown gloves..holy chic.. all mine.

hello Dior New Look, so jazzed to see you making a comeback!

chicistan. dot. com.  literally.

THE SOCKS. YES.

this is how you work a ponytail.  high and tight with 22 inches of extensions.  Guido Palau and team put 22 inches of human hair extensions on each girl for the perfect pony and these ladies were killing it on the runway.  talk about hair flips...

stunning lace and the MJ version of evening wear.  the red lace dress is to die for...that hemline may be tough to wear but i'm willing to hit the gym more often and eat more salads in order to pull it off, and i'm willing to bet there are hoards of women who would do the same.

the show cost a reported $1MM+ to put on, but it was worth every penny.  the glamor, the drama, the spectacle..it's what Marc is about.  every season his shows set the tone, and i'd guess that during September fashion week, we'll see the strict and severe trend emerge from New York's finest ateliers for Spring 2012.  

below is the full-length video of the show.  i highly suggest checking it out to get the full effect, and once again...please note that not a single sequin was used...that's all latex, baby.  my personal fav... around the 4:10 mark...ponytails swinging in unison down the runway.  perfection.

photo credit