Praise be. Vogue is launching a Reality TV series next month with modeling agency IMG about the life of three models as they go on castings and learn the ins and outs of the biz.
Voguettes across the land, get ready to use your computer for more than just online shopping and Style.com.
Visit NY Mag's fabulous blog In the Cut for more info or to WSJ to learn more - and see a clip!
WHERE are they getting these models? ROUGH.
Kelli, Episode One's Winner - a really good designer, even though she is wearing paint-splattered ripped jeans in this picture
If you are having a slow work day today, head over to Style.com and check out their slide show on Ibiza style. When I imagine what people visiting Ibiza this summer might wear (not going to Ibiza when I lived in Barcelona is still my biggest regret!), I assumed it would echo the high-end designer styles one might encounter in St. Barths, Monaco, and the like.
However, according to this slide show I could hang with the jet set Ibiza crowd (Elle Macpherson, Jade Jagger, etc...) in my Topshop and H&M duds. These three were my favorite looks from the slide show, and they are all vintage, Topshop, or something of a similar price point. Enjoy!
I love Chloe Sevigny. I think she is a very stylish gal. That's not to say that sometimes her ensembles don't make my eyeballs jump out of their sockets and my jaw literally drop to the ground like Bugs Bunny, out of utter shock and surprise. Because they do. Some things just. Don't. Work. So when I came across this picture of her at the premiere of HBO's Generation Kill I had to sit and think for a moment. Was this ones of those times?
In theory, I love this look. A black, baggy, menswear-inspired trouser paired with an undeniably feminine top. A red lip with an otherwise basically bare face. A high, slick bun that looks like it was put up in just a few minutes, not slaved over by a stylist. Almost no accessories - just strappy black heels and a tiny purse thrown across the body.
That brings up the question, then, of why doesn't this work? Why is the sum of the parts better than the whole? I think the answer lies in the fit. The pants should be a tad higher in the waist to accent it. And just in general, they do nothing for her. The bustier should nip her in a little more, again to flatter the waist. Together, the both just look dumpy, not quirky and definitely not her usual level of chicness.
What do you think? Do you love it? Do you hate it? Or do you agree that it is successful, but only hypothetically?
Photo courtesy of Daily Celebrities.
Am I to believe my eyes? Is that Heidi Montag carrying a Birkin? A gleaming white Hermes Birkin with Palladium hardware?
Her? Really? REALLY?!
I think I just threw up a little.
THIS is the correct version of picture-of-famous-woman-with-Birkin:
Aerin Lauder, with Birkin, from February of this year.
I will freely admit that I love a good fashion-based reality show. America's Next Top Model, Project Runway, and MTV's Made: I Work in Fashion are just a few of the highlights saved on my DVR. However, at some point you have to wonder, haven't I already seen this? And that is exactly how I feel about the CW's new fashion-based reality show Stylista.
This "new" show premiering this fall will follow a group of individuals competing to become an assistant to Anne Slowey at ELLE magazine. This program is a shameless rip-off of Devil Wears Prada (see clip where she throws Slowey throws her coat) and Fashionista Diaries, and is produced by none other than Ms. Tyra herself, but watch the clip below and let us know, will you be watching this fall?
Oh, and here is an early bet that it replaces One Tree Hill as the show after Gossip Girl!
Thank you, W Magazine, for bringing models back to modeling! Mannequins back to magazines! Look out for the new July issue featuring Daria Werbowy, Kate Moss and Lara Stone on the cover. 
...Chanel Iman!
So divine in 3.1 Phillip Lim (pictured with the designer, at right), complete with calf to shoulder ruffles and a C-emblazoned belt, a cute and stylish wink at the Costume Institute gala's superhero theme. Cocktail hour never looked so chic.
We are in a major state of adoration.
Photo courtesy of Style.com.
Gwyneth Paltrow, former and self-proclaimed style icon, has been laying low as of late, keeping her red carpet appearances relatively limited and her awe-inspiring style moments even more few and far between. She has been spending time across the Atlantic being a hands-on mom to her kids, which is a very refreshing move for an A-lister to make. I am very impressed by this and have a great deal of respect for this choice, but the lover of glamour in me missed red carpet Gwyneth. I missed the Gucci velvet suits and simple, modern Calvin Kleins of her style reign (end of the 90s/beginning of the millennium).
There has been something in the air recently, however. Ms. Paltrow has been getting it oh-so-right. From Jay-Z's wedding to her whirlwind press tour for Iron Man, GP has not missed a beat. With her incredible haircut to her newfound embrace of her killer gams, she is looking amazing. Great short frocks that are simple with a touch of edge (white for night, embellishments, super brights, cut outs, asymmetric hemlines and necklines) paired with the simplest yet spot-on choices of jewelry and her now ubiquitous sky-high heels have become her latest staples.
Gwynnie was just our Chic of the Week, but just one mention did not seem like enough; a tribute was more in order. And we are not the only ones to take notice of the actress's sexy new incarnation--her transformation is being hailed from the smallest blogs to the largest fashion mags and newspapers across the world.
Go, GP, go!
In Proenza Schouler at Beyonce and Jay-Z's wedding on April 4th.
In Sonia Rykiel, black Louboutin stilletos and a Chanel clutch at the Berlin premiere of Iron Man on April 22nd.
Pretty in pink in Dior at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation "Hottest Pink Party" in New York, April 8.
Ms. Paltrow sporting a black Preen mini and Giuseppe Zanotti lace heels (at left) in Rome on the morning of April 23rd.
Going through some old letters, photographs and other old papers (I am a notorious paper-goods pack-rat), I found a postcard I used to keep on my wall in my dorm at boarding school of the Egon Schiele work "Sitting Woman with Legs Drawn Up" from 1917 (sometimes known as "The Artist's Wife), pictured at the top. There has always been something in this pose and in the garments she is wearing that has always made me picture this subject as a dancer doing her stretches before class.
How do I love thee, Daily? Let me count the ways...
1. What other magazine exposes Anna Wintour repeating a Prada dress at the shows?
2. Your cheeky coverage of scandals, antics and interessant diets
3. You give the people (well, me) what they want--models, editors, socialites!
4. You scoop some of the best new talent before anyone else can ready their pens and paper
5. You provide me with The Daily Mini, which I love maybe more than a delicious bread pudding.
Please say you'll be my Valentine!
Check out their website: www.fashionweekdaily.com
If you haven't already sent your loved ones (and yes grandparents definitely count as Valentines!) a Valentine's Day Card, then get on it and send one of these precious e-cards from Kate Spade! There are 30 cards to choose from and it takes about 15 seconds to let someone know you are thinking of them (go with the version on the left) or just to make someone laugh (the card on the right).
xo,
FB&F Girls
drumroll...
From left: Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Alessandro Dell' Acqua, Marc Jacobs
From left: J. Mendel, Doo. Ri, Luca Luca, and Rodarte
While this look is very delicate and gorgeous, it can be difficult to pull off in real life without looking....shall we say inappropriate? The safest bets are to go with sheer blouses with a camisole underneath paired with dark jeans or a pencil skirt, camisole-like tops under a cardigan or blazer for a night out, sheer dresses with opaque tights for the day or time night, and (if you can rock a kids size XL) I love that sheer wrap.
From left: Chiffon Blouse $22.80 at Forever 21, Camisole $38 at Victoria's Secret, Chiffon Ruffle Top $25.20 at Wet Seal, Un Deux Trois Juniors Wrap $58 at Neiman Marcus
From left: Calvin Klein dress $178 at Nordstrom, Sequin Striped tunic $36 at Forever 21, Vanessa Bruno skirt $114.90 at Shopbop, Nanette Lepore dress $250 at Nordstrom
All Ready-to-Wear Spring 2008 Collection Photos from Style.com
It is impossible to turn on the television or open a magazine today without seeing a show about going to rehab or reading about the latest celeb to check in or out of one. Now I'm not doing anything as intense as committing myself, but I am giving myself a test for the month of February that feels pretty extreme. I am giving up shopping for the 29 (damn you leap year) days of February 2008.
The street artist from Toulouse, France is working with the cosmetic company to create limited edition blushes and lipsticks, all adorned with her Fafinette characters that are equally feminine, dreamlike and tough street chicks. I immediately wanted to move to Paris and start drawing hearts on my cheeks, so I rushed to the artist's website Fafi.net (which is totally clever in itself...get it? Fafi-net?).
SWF desperately seeking an end to the writer's strike.
This has got to end. I feel adrift without my lovely TV shows to come home to after work. Keeping me semi-satiated while "30 Rock," "Gossip Girl" and whatever else it is that I watch are off the air, is ABC's newest, "Cashmere Mafia."
While I admit we've heard it before--4 girls, New York, fashion--I really enjoyed watching eps on the computer while I tubbed yestersay (I just discovered this new favorite pastime on Monday, watching TV on the computer while languidly lying in the bathtub). It is never dull watching people live glamorous, dramatic lives, no matter how many times it's all been shown before...and it makes me feel like a little bit less of a loser to watch a show about 30 + year olds than about 17 year olds.
Patricia Field has lent her expert eye to styling the show, made especially apparent in Mia's (played by Lucy Liu) wardrobe. Mia's look is equal parts Carrie Bradshaw and Samantha Jones--Miss Bradshaw's quirky, fashion forward looks mixed with the bright colors, 80s businesswoman style and brazenness of Samantha's ensembles.
In watching a brief video of the cast, Patricia and producer Darren Star (another Sex and the City alum) discuss the show's wardrobe, the words 'trust,' 'expert,' and 'fashion forward' come up again and again. Miss Field is certainly no slouch. Star says matter-of-factly that Pat really elevates the shows style and helps bring that all-important wish fulfillment factor to the show. Just like "Sex and the City," "The Fabulous Life of..." and "Gossip Girl," we love to watch things that have that It-Factor. And by "It," I mean Want-It, Need-It, Covet-It. Besides a juicy plot, these shows suck us in and generate buzz by showing us the careers and luxuries we never knew we so desperately wanted and needed.
Go to http://tv.yahoo.com/cashmere-mafia/show/41110/videos to watch the full video.
Like SATC, the clothes and setting (Manhattan) are whole other characters in the show. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't talk about the credited characters as well. These 4 successful broads, who met at business school, all lead very busy lives. Half are trying to juggle their messed up love lives with their demanding jobs, while the other are trying to figure out how to make their marriages and children factor into their equally demanding jobs. Mia Mason (Liu) is a recently promoted magazine publisher, trying to soften rumors spreading about her cutthroat tendencies--both personal and professional, Juliet Draper (Miranda Otto) is a hotel exec with a cheating hubs, Caitlin Dowd (Bonnie Sommerville) is a makeup exec and maybe lesbian and Zoe Burden (Frances O'Connor) tries her hardest to make her refreshingly happy marriage thrive while her career in investments sucks up all her time.
I think these gals have great chemistry and get a kick out of watching them conference call, lunch and sleep around the Upper East. I will be staying with this Mafia, already making an unwavering decision to boycott Lipstick Jungle, thank you very much.
Photos courtesy of the NY Daily News, The Purse Page and IMDB.
I think someone needs to invent a self-locking wallet, that only lets you in when you are purchasing something logical or within your means. It would automatically do a scan equal parts bank account and credit card debt, only allowing you access when appropriate (groceries, bills, etc.).
I bring this up, because this flat broke dame has been shopping a little too glamorously as of late. Without the glamorous salary to match, I should add. A leisurely visit to American Apparel a couple of weeks ago turned into popping into J. Crew, which led to my aforementioned trip to Intermix (see: "Winning is everything."). My most recent retail adventure? Prada. Yes, Prada. In my defense, let me clarify that I live about three blocks away from all four of those stores.
Let me also clarify that I wasn't going to Prada for any wardrobe purchasing or to "pick a few things up." I was not on a mission to snag one of Miuccia's full, watercolor skirts or madcap, growing garden heels (all well out of even my fantasy budget). All I wanted was one little trinket that I spotted about five pages in, while perusing through Feb.'s issue of Bazaar. What I am talking about, of course, is the Prada bracelet watch. Or watch bracelet?
I have zero interest in functionable fashion, apparently. Or wise investments. I just bought a faux watch. Yes, my friends, the watch face and hands are only for show. It is just a lovely little leather bracelet made to look like a watch. A clever ruse! And that is exactly what I love about my new toy. I just bought this one and already I really want to buy the one that is mauve (am I the only person under 80 that says mauve?) and yellow as well and wear it layered on one wrist with the black and purple beauty I just added to my collection, for a look that says, "Oh, you thought I'd be a good person to ask what time it was because I had not one, but two watches on? Gotcha!"
Oh and while my purchase, in my mind, is most certainly fabulous, it is also for the flat broke! I purchased this little piece of Prada's collection for under $300. Prada on a budget, without resorting to fragrance gift-set purchasing? Yes, yes, yes it can be done.
Photos courtesy of Style.com
