Fashion at the Oscars: Jennifer Lopez in Giorgio Armani Prive & Sarah Jessia Parker in Chanel Haute Couture

One of my favorite nights in fashion just came to a close and of course I’m here to give you my two cents.  When I covered the Golden Globes earlier this year, the main thing I took away was that I was…yawn, bored.  The Oscars were a bit more interesting but most actresses still played it safe – but at least some had the good sense to wear couture!

My two favorite dresses of the night happened to be haute couture:  Jennifer Lopez in Giorgio Armani Prive and Sarah Jessica Parker in Chanel Haute Couture.  Lopez was stunning in an iridescent pink dress that was equally sparkly and dramatic.  The extra petal at her hip were beautiful and accentuated her feminine curves.  Parker’s gown, on the other hand, was striking in it’s simplicity. The most beautiful part of the dress was the neckline and back of the dress.  Both women wore the most popular hairdo of the night – the messy updo.

Fashion at the Oscars: Gabourey Sidibe in Marchesa & Mo'Nique in Tadashi Shoji

The best story behind an outfit – without a doubt – goes to Mo’Nique.  Her entire ensemble was dedicated and made in homage to Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American actor to be nominated and win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind.  Mo’Nique stated:

The reason why I have on this royal blue dress is because it’s the color that Hattie McDaniel wore in 1940 when she accepted her Oscar. The reason why I have this gardenia in my hair, it is the flower that Hattie McDaniel wore when she accepted her Oscar. So for you, Miss Hattie McDaniel, I feel you all over me.

Overall, the ladies looked lovely and there weren’t too many missteps… though of course I had my least favorites.  Here’s my quick rundown on the trends I picked up on and my picks for different categories:

Color Trends:  Lots of metallic shimmer, especially gold, but silver and iridescent were also really popular.  Blue also was a popular color for the night – from midnight navy to royal blue to pale baby blue – blue was popular in many shades.  Pale blush was also on the carpet and I must say, I was not a fan.  The color of the dresses were too close to the color of Demi Moore’s & Anna Kendrick’s skin – they blended in too much and were not flattering (which was a shame because Demi’s dress was gorgeous!).

Couture:  Finally!  The ladies wore couture.  From Chanel, Giorgio Armani Prive, Atelier YSL, Atelier Versace, Donna Karan Couture – the ladies went a bit more high fashion.

High Slits:  At the Golden Globes the ladies showed off their um, “globes” – at the Oscars, they showed off their legs with thigh high slits.  Mariah Carey, Zoe Saldana, Demi Moore, Anna Kendrick and Jennifer Lopez all showed us a little leg.

The Messy Updo:  I’m not sure if it was the weather (rainy) or if it was intentional, but many of the ladies had messy updo’s.  Jennifer Lopez, SJP, Zoe Saldana, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Ritchie and Miley Cyrus all wore this look.

Most Improved:  Tina Fey in Michael Kors looked great.  Word on the street was that Vogue helped style her – and it showed.  She looked beautiful while still looking strong and intelligent and didn’t have any uncomfortably low necklines.  Mariah Carey also came far.  She still had the girls on display but this look was almost classy for her.

Least Favorite:  Charlize Theron & Zoe Saldana.  Charlize’s awkwardly placed rosettes drew all the attention to the breasts – and looked ridiculous.  Yes, Dior, apparently, can do wrong.  Zoe’s dress was beautiful from the waist up but the mass of tiny ruffles on the bottom of the dress was just too much.

Most In Need of Finishing School:  Miley Cyrus and Kristen Steward are tied for this one.  Kristen Stewart should stick to converse because she can’t pull off glamour.  She needs to wipe off that smug look off her face and stop slouching before she hits the red carpet.  Miley actually has great Oscar dresses (she had one of my favorites) – she just needs to be able to wear it like a lady.

Check out the gallery to see for yourself and let us know your favorites, least favorites, etc…

Left to Right: Amy Adams in Carolina Herrera, January Jones in Lanvin, Courtney Cox in Victoria Beckham

Last night the Golden Globes aired and started the official round of 2010 award ceremonies. The Golden Globes is notoriously the fashion “dress rehersal” for the Oscars – and I really hope that this year, the Golden Globes are not an example of what we can expect at the Academy Awards. Everything from the fashion, to the actual show was very ho-hum BORING. I didn’t see anything that made me excited. It seemed like everyone played it very safe.

Left to Right: Christina Hendricks, Chloe Sevigny, Christina Aguillera

There were definitely some trends popping up on the red carpet:

• As far as color these were the major players:  Black, Red, Purple (in all of its shades) and Pale Pastels.
• Strapless – the most popular of the necklines – along with accompanying cleavage as an accessory
• Waist details – lots of cinching at the waist with beading
• Fabric flowers and ruffles
• Hair – either upswept or down and very natural (blame it on the rain??)
• Makeup – not too dramatic.  Most emphasis was on the lips – either very red or very pale.
• Umbrellas are the new black? Sorry, just kidding – but it was really funny to see Red Carpet shots taken with umbrellas.

Left to Right: Fergie in Elie Saab & Leona Lewis in Roberto Cavalli

My very favorite looks included January Jones in Lanvin, Courtney Cox in a design by Victoria Beckham, Zoe Saldana in Louis Vuitton, Lea Michele in Oscar de la Renta and Kate Hudson in Marchesa. There were 3 looks that I absolutely hated!  Mariah Carey and her boobs hanging out all over the place (did they have their own nomination??), Sandra Bullock in that sheer hot mess of a dress and Tina Fey in a Zac Posen dress that was actually not bad but did not suit her AT ALL.

The Worst! Left to Right: Sandra Bullock in Bottega Veneta & Tina Fey in Zac Pose

Who were your favorites?  Who did you dislike the most?? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts!

Ken & Dana Designs B-Side

Ken Leung and Dana Chin, the dynamic duo behind Ken & Dana Designs, have collaborated with designer Doori Chung on a collection of sculptural jewelry for her Spring ’05 runway show, and have been featured in editorials of several major fashion magazines. Now Ken and Dana are dropping a new collection of vintage scarf necklaces for their B-Side label.

Ken & Dana Designs B-Side

The B-Side label is one of two produced by Ken and Dana, the other being BYLU. It features avant garde designs that are unlike anything you will see in your local mall. The label is broken down into several different series, Rights featuring the case ID numbers of civil rights cases, Graffiti inspired by the graffiti of New York City, and Geometry. The label’s tag line, “jewelry remixed”, could not provide a better description of the eight scarf necklaces that are available now on their website.  Each necklace is one of kind and is transformed from a simple found vintage scarf into a work of art by Ken and Dana. They all feature geometric brass hardware and are able to be worn in a multitude of ways. The must have of this crop of scarf necklaces is the black and white vintage Oscar de la Renta ( center in the first image).  It retails for $300, a mere $75 more than the other scarves in the collection, but its well worth it. Consider this one an entry on the wish list.

Anna Wintour's Having a Party, Are You Invited?

Last month we presented the trailer for The September Issue, the much anticipated documentary by R.J. Cutler that takes a behind the scenes look at the inner-workings of Vogue magazine and its famed Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour.

The film documents the lead-up to the September 2007 issue – weighing in at nearly five pounds (2.25kg), the finished magazine was 840 pages, contained 727 advertisements, and was the largest issue of Vogue to date – kind of a testament to what life was like prior to the recession (ah, memories).

So since the movie is all about Anna and her team it’s only fair she gets to host the opening party right? August 19 will see what is sure to be an extravagant affair – a who’s who of the fashion industry – and will be followed by a private dinner.

Everyone’s speculating on whether Karl Lagerfeld will make the trip over, but word on the street is that Oscar de la Renta will be attending, and you can expect to see appearances by some of Anna’s larger than life co-workers and designer BFFs.

Looking forward to the red carpet pics!

(“Save Anna” image via)

Costume Institute Gala: Rihanna in Dolce & Gabanna, Kate Moss in Marc Jacobs, Posh in Marc Jacobs

Last night was the most important night in fashion – the Metropolitan’s Costume Institute Gala. More important than the Oscars? Yes. We’re talking about all the fashion heavyweights – models, designers, and the celebrities who wear their clothes all come together to celebrate the Costume Institute’s new exhibit. This year, the Gala was hosted by Marc Jacobs and Kate Moss – appropriately enough, as the theme was “The Model As Muse.”

Movie stars, designers and their muses came dressed to impress and what follows below are highlights from the red carpet. Trends included lady tuxedos, big shoulders, gold and lame and lots of blue in an assortment of shades from midnight navy to 80’s teal. One of my favorites was Rihanna in a lady tuxedo by Dolce & Gabanna with gorgeous exaggerated shoulders and sleeves complete with bow tie. Another favorite was Stella McCartney’s lace jumpsuit – it’s something that I really need in my life – now (because I go to so many galas, haha).

Costume Institute Gala: Madonna in Louis Vuitton, Liv Tyler/Kate Hudson/Stella McCartney all in Stella McCartney, Kirsten Dunst in Chanel

Louis Vuitton had a strong showing with Madonna, Leighton Meester and Kerry Washington all sporting looks right off the runway. The Double C’s were also spotted on the red carpet with Kirsten Dunst, Diane Kruger and Anna Wintour all sparkling in Chanel Haute Couture. Model muse Sasha Pivovarova wore a gorgeous feather coat by Giambattista Valli that overshadowed the dress that she wore underneath – and that’s ok. She was a great example of picking one piece to shine and letting it be the focal point with understated accessories.

There were many gorgeous looks last night and I’ve chosen my favorites to show you. You can see them all on the Style website. Let us know your favorites! Take the survey below and/or leave a comment.

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Images of Rihanna & Posh from People

Vogue On Film: The September Issue

Ever wonder what goes into compiling those hundreds of pages? All the hours, joy and pain in putting together that one issue a year that could double as a deadly weapon – you know how heavy “that” issue is!! Well set to debut this weekend at the Sundance film festival is “The September Issue”. WWD reports that filmmaker R.J. Cutler documented 300 hours of Anna Wintour and her team as they prepared for the September 2007 issue, Vogue’s biggest issue ever. Not only does the film explore the process to creating this massive issue but dives into the the intimate details of Wintour’s personal life relationships with her late father, legendary British newspaper editor Charles Wintour, and daughter Bee Shaffer, as well as with creative director Grace Coddington.

There are said to be guest appearances by Oscar de la Renta, Patrick Demarchelier, Karl Lagerfeld, Nicolas Ghesquière, Jean Paul Gaultier, Stefano Pilati, Phillip Lim and Isabel Toledo. A star studded cast to say the least! How many times have you thought “if I could only know what goes on in the inside” . . . well now we just might get to know!

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Read more for a little video sneak peek!

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The main event at the Ruby Slipper event was the shoes and they were amazing.  From towering stilettos, to bejeweled ballet flats, there was an extraordinary array of designer interpretations of Dorothy’s iconic Ruby Slippers.  Check out pictures below of the shoes by Alberta Feretti, Oscar de la Renta, Betsey Johnson, Botkier, Giuseppe Zanotti, Abaete and Diane von Furstenberg.  Check back the next few days for peeks of the rest of the shoes.

Alberta Feretti

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Stills from the film The Wizard of Oz.  Sketches of the ruby slippers from left to right:  Jimmy Choo, Betsey Johnson, Moschino, L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani and Sergio Rossi.

Next year is the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, and to commemorate the anniversary Warner Brothers Consumer Products has enlisted Swarovski and 19 designers to design their take on Dorothy’s ruby slippers.  The designers include A. Testoni, Abaeté, Alberta Ferretti, Betsey Johnson, Botkier, Christian Louboutin, Diane von Furstenberg, Giuseppe Zanotti, Jimmy Choo, L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani, Lisa Pliner, Manolo Blahnik, Moschino, Oscar de la Renta, Roger Vivier, Sergio Rossi, Stuart Weitzman, Tibi and Tuleh.  All of the designs will include Swarovski crystals and will be unveiled September 4th in the windows of Saks Fifth Avenue.  The shoes will take a tour and make several stops including Art Basel in Miami.  The ruby slippers will be auctioned off and the proceeds will benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.  The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies and I cannot wait to see this collection!  I hope they make their way to San Francisco!

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Images of Sketches: WWD & Business Wire