Text and Videos, Vivian Kelly
SHANGAI
This City served as a source of inspiration last season for society designer, Douglas Hannant. This season, designer Tadashi Shoji drew inspiration from past and present Shanghai to deliver a beautiful collection that stars such as Olivia Spencer, will continue to love and wear.
To read more and to view my backstage video interview, click here for the full story on my new URL.
Enjoy!
Text, Vivian Kelly
Topic- Daphne Daphne Daphne!
I’m obsessed. Daphne Guinness is the subject of this latest fashion obsession. I “went there” and asked friend, Anthony Palermo, of the Anthony Leonard Salon to dye my hair as blonde as it would go. After two bleaching blasts in the past 12 weeks, I’m there, with the exception of the black skunk stripes Daphne sports. I’m not ready for that as such a couture look requires wearing 5 inch heels and vintage McQueen couture, which would be fun but just not within my reach just yet.
In the meantime, I’m buying up pieces of Daphne’s capsule collection created for MAC Cosmetics. Thus far, I carry the following around in my Volvo [while in the Country] or in my leather Birkin-esque satchel [while in NYC]: “Fling” Eye Brow Pencil – THE perfect shade for you platinum blondes out there who don’t want to mess about with powders and brushes
- Cremesheen LipGlass in “Richly Reserved”
Next to buy between shows are:
Pro Longwear LipCreme in “Approaching Storm”- I struck out at the Grand Central station location – they sold the 6 tube they’d been allotted.
“Red Dwarf” [a maybe]
Blush Ombre in “Azalea Blossom”.
Thankfully, in NYC there are ample opportunities to snatch up some MAC Cosmetics – almost as many as getting my frozen mocha frappe fix at MACDonalds.
Once I’ve scooped up the remaining Daphne pieces, I’ll be ready to attend one of my top 3 events of this NYFW – The screening of THE LEGEND OF LADY WHITE SNAKE, starring Daphne, co-written by the white hot Neil Gaiman and Bernard Henri Levy and directed by Indrani.
The premiere is Sunday night at 10p.m. with a write-up and more images to follow post-event.
Last Thoughts: FIT did what I heard was a wonderful exhibit of Daphne’s clothes. I’ve posted a few images here. Which one is YOUR favorite?
Text, Vivian Kelly
The morning after the 69th Annual Golden Globes, our winners for “best-dressed/most beautiful” were: Charlize Theron, Madonna, and of course, Angelina Jolie, who managed to look even more beautiful than ever in her cream Atelier Versace gown. The woman is unnaturally gorgeous, almost cartoon like in perfection and always a reliable glamour fix even if we get our dose from afar.
The Always Gorgeous Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace at the 69th Annual Golden Globes
The above women are so stunning that they may not be as relatable as another actor, Jodie Foster. She’s Hollywood Royalty and has been since her big screen debut as “Nina” a teenage prostitute in Martin Scorcese’s Taxi Driver in 1976. This star has “class” and gamely smiled [and actually appeared relaxed] when Globes’ host, Ricky Gervais, took a few verbal cracks at her. Maybe having a perfectly made-up face, thanks to Carol Shaw, helped her keep her cool.
Text and Video, Vivian Kelly
I’m still reading 100 Unforgettable Dresses and using it as a “time out treat” from grading and teaching. The section that kicks-off the book is one of the best written and informative pieces of fashion history I’ve read in a really long time.
In the video below, author Hal Rubenstein talks to The Fashion Examiner about Elizabeth Hurley, Gianni Versace and the magic they created together with the infamous “safety pin dress”. In the book, Hal dissects the WHY part of the magic these dresses imparted on the women who wore them. The closest most women get to that “magic feeling” is when they step into their wedding dress and are transformed.
Text, Rambo Kelly
Transcribed by Vivian Kelly
I’m under pressure – I have to come up with a big theme for the Holidays. Okay here goes – DIAMONDS.
I found my theme after knocking over one of the books in the FE Library. It’s title was Elizabeth Taylor – my Love Affair With Jewelry. I really REALLY LIKE “LA LIZ” because she wore her diamonds for everyday. Why have something pretty if you don’t wear it? Dumb, huh?
We read in the LA Times that Thomas W. Burstein of Christie’s said the only time the famous ring left Taylor’s hand was when she offered it up to friends to try on. “She really had this notion that the jewelry should be shared and loved by everybody.” Nice lady, I bet she liked cats too.
My 5 Reasons to Give Diamonds
1. You don’t HAVE to give the real ice. There’s great stuff that looks like it – Carolee has a pretty version of Liz’s Prince of Wales pin they’re calling the “Triple Feather Plume Pin” for $95 that squeaks under that $100 or less budget range.
2. Another of my faves, Marilyn Monroe said that Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend. I look really good sitting next to the giant poster we have of MM in a red dress – shows off my platinum colored fur.
3. Our jeweler friend, Renato of New England Jewelers pointed out that “diamonds go with everything, unlike rubies, sapphires or emeralds”.
4. A little sparkle perks up a blah rainy day like today.
5. That 33.19-carat, emerald cut diamond ring would look great in my Xmas Stocking and Ollie and me could have hours of fun playing soccer with it…
Last Thoughts:
HURRY to Christie’s! Go and see this exhibit, before it shuts-down Dec. 12th. The auction starts Dec. 13th. If I can get through security, I’ll be there. Too bad I can’t hold a bidding paddle!
Let the Print Parade Begin!
Text, Vivian Kelly
My Burberry obsession started the day I met Christopher Bailey at the MET Museum’s press preview for “AngloMania”, which focused on British fashion from 1976-2006. It was one of the strongest showings the Costume Institute’s Andrew Bolton has ever put together. The waiflike Bailey was on-hand and I immediately sensed the presence of a star as I pushed my way into the crowded press preview.
Bailey had an irresistible combination going – he was modest, cool, media-genic yet approachable. He was also passionate about fashion and the Burberry brand. That, combined with the campaigns he’d started to conceive, the obvious admiration he had from Industry heavy weights such as Anna Wintour and Hamsich Bowles, added to my favorable impression.
Bailey himself looks “Burberry”, or at least the image I’ve come to associate with the brand since he’s been at the helm. The first few campaigns featured Kate Moss in the starring role, 
followed by it model, Agyness Deyn and Harry Potter Star, Emma Watson. Regardless of the model, the concept is always the same – a grouping of young guys and girls ranging from British Public School students to bright young things out and about having a good time. A key component of “British Cool” is that they never ever look like they’re trying to BE cool. Trying too hard is off-limits.
Don’t think for a minute though, that Christopher Bailey has just coasted by all of these seasons on this one iconic plaid and a couple of great ad campaigns. Bailey has turned Burberry Prorsum into a brand that used to be “Porsum, or is it Prosum what? Into the highlight of London Fashion Week. Part of the Burberry mystique is the use of Prints and Patterns and mismatched prints that look eccentrically cool rather than dorky.
The last time I remember such excitement over prints was when Dean and Dan Caten of Dsquared did this in their spring 2010 show and before that, the late Franco Moschino’s wild catwalk shows for his Moschino Cheap and Chic brand of the late Eighties and early Nineties.The Caten boys’ and Moschino prints are for the fashion obsessed.
By contrast, Burberry prints are more understandable and relatable, and as such, reach a much broader audience. They allow you to participate in one of the season’s biggest trends [Let’s call it “the Print Parade”], in a way that doesn’t have you look like a clownish Moschino party-goer.
I’ve never been a fan of “baby” designer brands, until I stopped in front of the Burberry Baby store window at the Westchester Mall, enthralled by a short sleeve Burberry plaid dress. On a roll, I strolled into the Burberry proper shop, where I promptly fell in love with two handbags.
That evening, I took inventory of the Burberry pieces in my closet and wondered if I could wear it head to toe. Yes, I could, but I a toned down way. How about the navy wool Burberry boyfriend jacket, short blue Hunter boots, the plaid shirt and kilt? I haven’t worn more than one of my Burberry pieces at one time, but I will this winter and am pretty confident the Fashion Police won’t stop me.
While my Burberry collection is limited to the classics, I’m fully on board with some of Bailey’s more adventuresome designs, such as the gorgeous blue Prorsum dress Kate Bosworth wore to the Burberry Body event on October 26 at the Beverly Hills Boutique.
Prorsum is the next step in my prints meet the classics voyage and at the time of this post, am coveting the long sleeve blue graphic print dress model, Samantha Gradoville, [IMG of her on spring Runway] wore in the spring 2012 show. Maybe I’d wear it with my short blue Hunter boots, or maybe with a pair of black platforms….
Text, Vivian Kelly
Are you a “Betty-Jackie” or a “Joan-Marilyn”? Mad Men Costume Designer, Janie Bryant shares a few key accessory styling tips to enhance your look.
Janie Bryant, recently had a public appearance, hosted by Carolee jewelry, at Bloomingdale’s Century City in Los Angeles. Style expert Janie met with customers and provided jewelry and fashion advice on “How to become your own leading lady!”
Not being on the West Coast at the time, I couldn’t go, but I got to correspond with her via email and I’m going to pick up a copy of her new book, which she recently released. THE FASHION FILE Advice, Tips and Inspiration from the Costume Designer of MADMEN, provides tips based on Janie’s “Mad Men” style trends. In it, she teaches her readers how to create different moods and reveal a bit about their personality through accessories… “It’s the surest cure-all for wardrobe ennui.”
I’ve been a fan of Mad Men, since last summer, when checked into a motel at Rehobeth Beach, Delaware, just to score some much needed down time. A mild case of insomnia turned out to be a big plus when I stumbled onto the show, which I’d been intending to watch for months. I never left the room until check-out at 11a.m. the next day as I lay on the bed gobbling up episode after episode of Mad Men and a pot of hotel room coffee. After 4 episodes, I came to a few conclusions:
-“Joan” looks hottest in her most covered up dresses- no hiding those amazing curves
- “Betty” is my favorite in character and looks fresh and tailored and classically beautiful.
I started studying Betty’s look on hulu [no AMC at home], and fell back in love with camel cashmere and pearls.
My Mad Men “moment” came when Joan’s secretary pool were talking about whether they were “ a Jackie” or “ a Marilyn”. Although that was over 40 years ago, these 2 categories are still alive and very relevant today. In case you missed the episode, Betty is a Jackie, and Joan is a Marilyn.
I’ve always been “a Jackie”, even when I bleached my hair Marilyn white years ago, wanting to see if I could bust out of my “type”.
Not possible – it takes more than a hair color change.
The sort of jewelry, fragrance, and dress all contribute to your J or M category. I started studying the characters’ outfits and decided that they were too retro for my every day look, but maybe copying details such as hairstyle and jewelry would give me the effect I was after. When Gina DiDomenico’s of Paul Wilmot Communications emailed me about Janie explaining how to get the character’s style with a few accessories, it was the answer to this fashion prayer.
Follow this LINK to watch a video of Janie Bryant offering her unique fashion and styling tips
Thanks to Gina, I got my most pressing questions for Janie about “Mad Men Style” answered.
Below, the Q&A 1. Which character did you first want to work on? Why?
JANIE BRYANT: From the moment I read the script, I loved all of the characters. They each have their own story and costume nuances—I’m lucky to be able to design for them all!
2. **We’re fascinated with the past now, particularly the Sixties: Mad Men, The Real Stewardesses of Pan Am. What do you think it is about this period that fascinates us so much?
J.B. People feel nostalgia for a time when they could dress for occasions. They want to feel the everyday glamour that is so characteristic of the 1960s and incorporate this into their everyday lives.
3. How can we incorporate aspects of “Mad Men” dressing into our wardrobes? For women?
J.B. A classic shirtwaist dress or sheath dress are great silhouettes to incorporate into your wardrobe. Match your shoes to your handbag and don’t forget to layer those pearls, ladies! You could even add white leather wrist gloves for a fun little touch—any length will do!
4. P/s suggest a Carolee piece for the principle characters: Joan, and Betty, in particular.
J.B. It is simply the best for Betty, so strands of ladylike pearls would be my choice for her. For a little drama in Joan’s life, a broach makes such a statement!
Endnote: Today, I went to Lord & Taylor and purchased my first “Betty-Jackie” Carolee piece; a 16″ pearl necklace, which I’ll be wearing daily.
As for my Joan-Mrailyn friends, this Art Deco crystal broach would be stunning on you!
Text, Vivian Kelly
As of late, the World of Fashion is obsessed with the notion of “fairness”. Prior to the Eighties, this notion did not exist. You could either afford a Louis V. bag or you could not. Many did not KNOW WHAT a Louis V. bag was, or meant.
The first time I heard of a Louis V. bag, I was 13 and reading Jacqueline Susann’s Book, “Once Is Not Enough”, at night, once my parents were in for the evening. In it, the ill-fated heroine, January Wayne, carries a Louis V. She is fabulous – has long center-parted hair, is tall, slim and gorgeous, in jeans and classic cashmere, toting her Louis V. Growing up, January’s typical forms of transport are her Daddy, legendary playboy and producer, [Mike Wayne's], private plane, expensive sports cars – you get the picture.
Although at the time the film begins, Mike’s career is in the toilet, he can’t bear to let his daughter not continue to live her Park Avenue/Palm Beach lifestyle. Mike marries Dee, a super rich bi-sexual socialite who’s having a secret affair with “Carla” – probably Greta Garbo, and collects husbands as a hobby. January’s only friend is “Linda”, aka Helen Gurley Brown, Cosmo’s ballsy editor.
The story line is trashy and addictive, but my real fascination was with January and her perfect clothes. January was nineteen, a bit too young to wear proper socialite clothes such as Douglas Hannant. Had she lived, this young heiress would doubtlessly have grown into it, but had Douglas Hannant’s PINK collection been around in 1975, she would have loved the classic pieces that are a little less serious but completely suitable for her jet set lifestyle.
The good news is that DH Pink is not exclusionary. To give it a more modern spin, as PR maven, Melanie Holland, President and Founder of The Project, said “This collection is for women like us too, who work and aren’t traveling around on private jets.”
This statement summarizes the seismic shift that’s taken place in fashion and society in the years between the 1975 release of Once Is Not Enough and Douglas’ PINK debut. The day has come were we can ALL have a bit of this upper-class look without actually being jet-setters.
Below, looks from the Douglas Hannant’s 1st PINK Collection.
Text, Vivian Kelly
A few weeks ago, while in Town [NYC] to check-out Douglas Hannant’s new PINK collection, I had a number of interesting conversations. One of these was with an industry insider, M, whom I’ve known for 20 years, and whose opinions I respect. We had been rehashing a few of the recent NYFW Shows. Farah Angsana, an eveningwear designer came up.
I remarked that I’d been following her for 4 or so years ago, starting back when I attended the now defunct Mercedes Benz LA Fashion Weeks at Culver City, CA. She and Kevin Hall were consistently among the best shows there. Ms. Angsana knew how to shape a beautiful bodice – which reminded me of Nineties designer, Donald Deal – who may have missed his calling. HE should have been working with movie costume designer Edith Head. Together, they would have designed some utterly unforgettable gowns for Grace Kelly, similar to the stunning aqua one she wore in To Catch a Thief (1955).
Prior to seeing the butterscotch ruffled ball gown in this collection, I had associated the words, “beading” and “bling” with Ms. Angasana’s evening gown designs. This gown showed her ability to deliver design that is understated and elegant and that whispers rather than shouts. Designs such as these play better in the Box’s Art Gallery setting rather than on a runway with blaring music in the big tent’s stadium-like venue.
“Sometimes less is more, said my friend, M. It really worked better for her showing in the Box than having a big runway show.”
She’s right. I admittedly only saw a few of the looks before rushing off to the next show, but was impressed by the elegant looks I did catch. In our short interview, Ms. Angsana said that she was inspired by a recent trip to Asia and numerous visits to art galleries and museums in which she was sparked by the gorgeous fabrics and embroidery treatment she admired there.
Watch the video below, to hear the details.
Text, Vivian Kelly
It was early in the morning, mid-way through NYFW, and in the dash from our West 56th Street hotel to the Lincoln Center tents to go backstage for Callula Lillibelle, no time for some sorely needed coffee. The lobby at Lincoln Center was weirdly empty, but Neiman Marcus’ Fashion Director, Ken Downing was there, Starbucks in hand, and we stopped by to chat and to get a bead on what one of fashion’s sharpest forcasters thought of the New York s/s2012 season so far. I mentioned we were on our way to chat with William Calvert, backstage at Callula Lillibele.
“Is it Neiman’s?” Ken asked us as Mark [Behnke, of Fashion Tribes],whiled- away those few pleasant moments before hitting backstage.
Good question. I replied, “Hm, well there was a great coat I saw last time.”
“Honey, it takes more than one coat to be in Neiman Marcus” he joked. It struck me then, how hard his job is. I kept that question in mind a few minutes later, as I watched the models get into their looks and pose on the white backdrop backstage, presumably for the lookbook that would be in stores for spring.
I finally actually “met” the designer, William Calvert, after an aborted attempt to record our phone conversation a few months earlier, in which he told me that C.L. had a few winning silhouettes that worked well from size 2-12 and that he worked on tweaking the winning formula each season. I botched that interview, but this describes Callula’s mission – to make women look good and to as the French so aptly put it, “look comfortable in their skin”, and to be proud of their curves.
During our backstage interview, that took place in front of the scrim where the models were posting for the look book, William said “Callula Lillibelle is primarily a dress collection” and in answer to our other question, “it sells at Saks”. Unsurprisingly, the strongest looks were dresses such as the lemon/silver stretch tweed boatneck one that would look as good on a curvy woman as on the size zero models posing in the Box presentation.Best in show was the white “Penelope Cruz” – that had a beautiful wrap front bodice, that was both glamorous and practical.
While pointing to the models posing in front of him , he told us that he was inspired by strong curvy fashion icons such as Sofia Lauren, Penelope Cruz, Beyonce and Rihanna. Clients and fans include curvy ladies such as Oprah and Gayle King.
There were though, non-dress looks that stood-out, such as the right-on-trend pink jacquard jacket over an ivory dot lace tank and ivory pin dot slouchy shorts. It seems that grown women really WILL be wearing shorts to work, after all. Both looked great with a pair of chic Stuart Weitzman pumps.
To answer Ken’s question, ["Is it Neiman's?"], we concurred that Callula is a solid collection that is perfectly placed at Saks, rather than Neiman’s which houses cutting edge design and where shoppers go to find what they expect to see on the pages of US Vogue. The Neiman’s woman is one who counts fashion and her wardrobe in her top three life priorities. Neiman’s top customers have Ken on speed dial.
By contrast, Saks and Callula are more mellow in their approach to fashion. This brand offers an excellent fit and the fact that the designs do not vary radically from season to season is reassuring to women who want some style but who don’t want a whole new wardrobe each and every season. This collection fits her lifestyle, as while she enjoys her fashion, she doesn’t want [or need] it delivered at warp speed. She paces herself with easy to wear fashions such as Callula. Fashion and her wardrobe are important but rank lower on the priority list, and like Saks, there is a sense of decorum in her attitude. Despite the year-round throng of tourists and buzz, the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship continues to maintain the air of stately dignity when well-to-do ladies shopped there on their way to lunch and their choice of gloves was an important matter. Similarly, Callula also possesses that gracious sensibility but there’s no better way to experience it than to slip on one of William’s dresses and to see for yourself.
