Everything Just So

Disco Dolly

2012-02-21T10:00:00.003-05:00

When I first saw this Stephen Burrows ensemble at IMPACT: 50 Years of the CFDA, now on view at The Museum at FIT, I thought it was from the 70s but it’s circa 1997! Still, there is more than a hint of 70s disco glamour in the halter neck bodice and draped loose pants, and of course nothing says “Let’s Boogie” like bronze mesh and gold lamé.

Luring disco dollies to a life of vice!

Impact: 50 Years of the CFDA is on view through April 17, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Linda in Yellow

2012-02-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

Linda Fargo, Senior Vice President, Women’s Fashion Director and Store Presentation at Bergdorf Goodman. Photo by Mr. Newton.

Getting back to pops of color, I am loving Linda Fargo, Senior Vice President at Bergdorf Goodman, in those yellow trousers she wore a few days ago during New York Fashion Week. I also love the studded and yet ladylike black bag, which is Valentino, and the multicolor fur scarf. Okay, I love the peacoat too, and the red lipstick. The whole outfit is perfect!

I think I will have to bring a skirt or pair of pants with major color into my closet soon. I like this pencil skirt from J. Crew.

No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Casablanca Blue.

I also adore their yellow capris.

Café Capri in Baked Citron.

Which would you pick?

Meeting DVF

2012-02-15T10:45:00.000-05:00

Diane von Furstenberg speaks to the press at The Museum at FIT.

At the press preview of Impact: 50 Years of the CFDA, I looked up from photographing a cluster of dresses in the exhibit hall and in the dim light found myself a foot away from Diane von Furstenberg, with both of us smiling at each other and nobody else around. And even though I am very shy in approaching famous people I knew I had to take this opportunity to say hello. I introduced myself and told her how excited I was to meet her. She smiled, touched my cheek and said, “You’re so pretty!”

What?

I was floored, this was not what I was expecting. At all. I had to laugh, she caught me so completely off-guard and then I said the first thing that came to mind: “Do you think so?” “Yes!” she said. We only chatted for a moment and I mainly told her I needed the leopard wrap dress of hers (from 1974) in my closet, and about how well her dresses sell at Bloomingdale’s across all generations (which they do). She was being hustled away by museum staff to give remarks to the press but before she left she said, “You’re a beautiful woman!”

Wow!

There’s something very generous and inviting about her, and she’s so glamorous with her big bouncy hair, her chunky gold jewelry, and her flowing colorful clothes (of her own design, of course). I read on Twitter that she rolled up to FIT that morning in a green vintage Bentley. Now there’s an entrance! But there was not a hint of diva about her when we met—she’s so solicitous of people, asking them questions (“What did you do at Bloomingdale’s? How many children do you have?”), complimenting them. I think she gave me a lesson on what someone who is beautiful inside and out looks like.

A leopard print DVF wrap dress from 1974.

Impact: 50 Years of the CFDA is on view through April 17, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Hello, Lover

2012-02-14T08:15:00.001-05:00

A 2012 Zac Posen dress.

From the exhibit Impact: 50 Years of the CFDA, now on view at The Museum at FIT, consider this stunning red Zac Posen gown from 2012 my valentine to you.

I would love to sit around the house tonight wearing this beauty and drinking champagne with my husband. I wouldn’t need to go anywhere. The dress itself would be the occasion!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Impact: 50 Years of the CFDA is on view through April 17, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Pops of Color, Two Different Ways

2012-02-12T09:15:00.001-05:00

Lauren Santo Domingo, co-founder of Moda Operandi. I love the green skirt. Photo by PacificCoastNews.com.

At an Obama fundraiser in Manhattan last week, both Lauren Santo Domingo and Anna Wintour wore bright colors under neutral coats. I shy away from a lot of color in my wardrobe, preferring to use it as an accessory, but these pictures are inspiring me to think about adding a skirt with a pop of color to my closet.

Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief of Vogue. Photo by PacificCoastNews.com.

Do you own a brightly colored skirt?

Impact: 50 Years of the CFDA

2012-02-10T08:00:00.004-05:00

Diane von Furstenberg speaks to the press at opening of Impact: 50 Years of the CFDA.

Diane von Furstenberg, in her remarks to the press at the new exhibit Impact: 50 Years of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which opens today at The Museum at FIT, stressed the motto of her native Belgium: “Unification Makes Strength.” Similar values, she said, are the foundation of the CFDA, begun in 1962 as the brainchild of fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert when, as von Furstenberg noted, “There was little recognition for American designers.”

Lambert wanted to change that so she and 50 leading designers of the time formed a council to promote American fashion. For von Furstenberg, the current President of the CFDA, American fashion is all about the impact—a key word that she said kept coming up in her conversations with FIT co-curators Patricia Mears and Fred Dennis about an exhibit to celebrate the CFDA’s 50th anniversary, to the point that it became the title of the show. It is also about commercial success. “Commercial is not a dirty word,” von Furstenberg said. “American fashion is about the success of design, the success of popularity.”

Oscar de la Renta speaks to the press. I was so excited to see him!

Mr. de la Renta said John Fairchild, the publisher of Women’s Wear Daily from 1960 to 1996, was another huge promoter of American fashion in the early days of the CFDA.

Left to right, Tory Burch, Yeohlee Teng, and Mary McFadden (looking so old school glamorous in a full length fur coat and beret!).

Donna Karan spoke of the mentorship aspect of the CFDA, with older designers helping the younger ones. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Anne Klein,” she said. Karan worked for Klein early in her career.

Each of the approximately 100 garments and accessories on display was chosen by a member-designer as the most representative of their work, and the exhibit as a whole is a stunning testament to the breadth of American design and the rich heritage young designers of today have to inspire them.

A Mary McFadden ensemble from 1979.

Detail from the McFadden ensemble. Look at the color, look at the pleating!

A 1985 Donna Karan ensemble.

Norman Norell evening set, gold sequined camel silk jersey sheath dress and cashmere coat with sequined lining, circa 1958. Gift of Lauren Bacall.

A 1971 Sidney Wragge dress.

Left to right, a dress by Thakoon, a Yeohlee Teng ensemble, and a Proenza Schouler dress.

A simple and lovely cream-colored dress by Halston from 1976.

Oscar de la Renta silk taffeta gown with black Guipere lace bodice, Spring 2012.

Detail of black Guipere lace bodice by Oscar de la Renta from his Spring 2012 collection.

Impact: 50 Years of the CFDA is on view through April 17, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Lauren Santo Domingo and Her Hermès Kelly

2012-02-09T09:00:00.003-05:00

Lauren Santo Domingo in front of Lincoln Center during New York Fashion Week, September 2011. Photo by Marko MacPherson.

New York Fashion Week is upon us and I want to kick it off by sharing a look I like from last NYFW, in September 2011. This is Lauren Santo Domingo shown on 5 Days, 5 Looks, 1 Girl, a fun feature on Vogue.com. I somehow missed this when it originally came out last October. Lauren is a Vogue contributing editor, co-founder of Moda Operandi, the internet site where you can buy looks directly from the runway, and New York socialite (Her husband is Andrés Santo Domingo, a Colombian beer heir).

Shoes by Céline. These are a little high for me but I like the look of them. Photo by Marko MacPherson.

Photo by Marko MacPherson.

I still can’t get over the Into the Gloss interview where she said she never washes her own hair, but maybe that interview is why I now like to see what she is wearing, and in this case, I love the entire look. It’s so modern and clean, and then you have the ladylike Kelly. J’adore!

If you go over to Moda Operandi today, you can shop her (million dollar) style. I will definitely be there to have a look.

Dreams of Cartier

2012-02-07T11:15:00.000-05:00

From the windows of Cartier, NYC.

I blame you, Duchess of Windsor, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rachel Zoe. Between the movie W.E., the auction of Elizabeth’s jewels in December, and all the bling Rachel Zoe regularly wears on her show, I have jewelry on the brain. And not just any jewelry—big jewelry, gorgeous jaw-dropping jewelry, jewelry you leave to your kids to fight over (or sell at auction).

I mean, hello. I’m dying here.

Tank Américane watch of white gold and diamonds, $54,100.

So I made a trip to the Cartier boutique in Manhattan, which I’ve never been to before. It was a freezing Saturday in January, which ended up being the perfect time to go: plenty of room at the counter and an associate free to show me some rings from the Trinity de Cartier collection—the Cartier classic featuring three linked bands, one of white gold, one of yellow gold, and one of rose gold. I also tried on one with the white gold band set with pavé diamonds. Forgive me for not getting pictures, I was deep in trying-on mode and didn’t want to break my stride!

I tried on this ring. It’s from the Trinity collection and costs $11,050. It looks sooooo good on me. Honey, please?

For fun I also tried on the gigantic Panther ring that Rachel Zoe often wears, made of 18K yellow gold with peridot eyes, an onyx nose and spots made of black lacquer. It is quite heavy in weight and price, $23,700. Not really my style, but I wouldn’t kick it out of my jewelry box either.

Rachel Zoe owns this amazing Cartier panther ring.

Pearls the size of gumballs, anyone? Maybe for that Wilma Flintstone look?

I have a friend who doesn’t like to go on these trips I make to check out beautiful things because it depresses her afterwards. She’ll say, “Why can’t I be rich?” I’m the opposite, I can see, try on, and hand back expensive things. Just because I want to look at something doesn’t mean I want to own it. I can appreciate the craftsmanship, materials, and design of an object, and then call it a day. In fact, I like these excursions because I don’t spend any money. I didn’t walk out with a ring (that day, anyway), but I did get an education on why Cartier is so special.

What I did actually go home with from Cartier. You can bet this bag garners some glances on the street!

The handsome and attentive Robert gave me four samples of Cartier perfumes.

What about you? Do you find it depressing to see something and not be able to buy it (immediately or ever) or is it okay to look and leave?

Spotlight: Givenchy—Past, Present and Future

2012-02-06T08:00:00.003-05:00

Hubert de Givenchy in New York, 1970. Photo from Wmagazine.com. If you love Audrey Hepburn, you love this guy too. In my mind he is the King of the Little Black Dress. And he’s so handsome!

One of the great reasons to visit the show Fashion, A-Z: Highlights from the Collection of the Museum at FIT, Part One is the opportunity to see the vision of different designers within the same house over the span of several decades.

Under “G” for Givenchy, you will find a wonderful black beaded 1968 dress from founding couturier Hubert de Givenchy, as well as two pieces by men who have succeeded him since his retirement in 1995—Alexander McQueen, who was head designer from 1996-2001, and current creative director Riccardo Tisci, who was appointed in 2005.

A side view of the dress. The placard that accompanies it is below.

A Fall 1997 coatdress by Alexander McQueen for Givenchy.

There was a lovely quote by Alexander McQueen at his retrospective last year at the Met about his time at Givenchy:

“Working in the atelier at Givenchy was fundamental to my career…Because I was a tailor, I didn’t totally understand softness, or lightness. I learned lightness at Givenchy. I was a tailor at Savile Row. At Givenchy I learned to soften. For me, it was an education. As a designer I could have left it behind. But working at Givenchy helped me learn my craft.”

You can see some of the softness in the beyond gorgeous black wool and silk coatdress from McQueen’s time at Givenchy. The tailoring is there, but so is the addition of the golden embroidery depicting the kind of scene you might find on an ornate folding screen from China or Japan.

A Spring 2011 black leather and chiffon dress by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy.

As for Tisci, I don’t always love his designs, they sometimes strike me as overwrought, but I find this leather and chiffon ensemble sexy and dark and it would look fantastic on the right person.

I’m fascinated with the pleating of the leather and the addition of chiffon to this bodice. Both tough and soft, literally!

Look at the leather straps winding around the torso. I think maybe three people in the entire world could wear this and look great in it and Angelina Jolie is one of them.

Givenchy, for those of you who don’t know, is still an haute couture atelier (and there aren’t many of them since the rules set up by the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne are quite strict), Hubert is now 84 (wish him happy birthday on February 21), and the house he founded in 1952 is owned by luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

Fashion, A-Z: Highlights from the Collection of the Museum at FIT, Part One is on view until May 8, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Ready for Takeoff at Prada

2012-02-03T15:50:00.001-05:00

I’m now convinced that both Miuccia Prada and Karl Lagerfeld (see Chanel’s haute couture show for Spring/Summer 2012) are fans of Pan Am.

I took these pictures today at the Prada store in SoHo at Prince Street and Broadway, and my my my, these look like something Christina Ricci as Maggie Ryan would carry right on board with her to work a transatlantic flight to Milan!

Christina Ricci as Maggie Ryan on Pan Am. Photo from The Sun.

Can’t you just see this entire ensemble on Maggie’s arm?

As I am a big fan of 1960s and 70s stewardess culture I love every bit of these ladylike details and am swooning over the gorgeous bags, the silk scarves, the aviator sunglasses, and the high-heeled pumps.

And yes, that IS me, your intrepid photographer, right above the handle of the bag.

Welcome Aboard!

How I Wear My: Lace

2012-02-01T07:30:00.002-05:00

For a “How I Wear My” post in February, how could Adrienne of The Rich Life (on a budget) and I lose with lace? And judging by its appearance in magazines and on runways lace is hot right now, but does it ever really go out of style?

I like using lace as a way to add texture to an outfit, especially an all-black ensemble. I also like seeing lace in unexpected ways, such as this long black cardigan by Rodarte for Target. My favorite way to wear it is with a white T-shirt and jeans.

Sleeve closeup.

A lace roundup in a recent issue of Harper’s Bazaar. I want every single thing on this page.

Check out this month’s participants for some inspiration on how to either add lace to an outfit or make it the whole point!

Adrienne of The Rich Life (on a budget) in a Hanky Panky white lace camisole, thrifted tuxedo jacket, and skinny jeans. Let’s have a closer look.

I love the masculine-feminine juxtaposition, with the tuxedo jacket paired with a lace camisole.

Lace on the beach!

Amy of Lowcarbhighstyle in a beautiful Ann Taylor white blouse with delicate black lace overlays on the sleeves and at the shoulders.

White, black, sheer sleeves, lace and a leopard clutch? Perfection!

Pam of over50feeling40 in a gorgeous and unusual Joni B. blue sweater with white lace overlays. Wow! Let’s move in.

I love the pairing of blue with white. This is one of those garments I would want to turn inside out, to see how it was made. Did I mention she bought this on sale for $25?

And to top it all off, Pam accessorized this jacket with a glamorous cuff.

Tori in a Forever 21 ivory lace dress. I love how she has slightly toughened it up with a faded denim jacket and then added those elegant strands of pearls and chains.

Veronica in a rose-beige lace top by Forever 21. This has a wonderful casual-but-romantic feel to it and here’s another gal after my own heart, pairing lace with jeans!

For March, won’t you take a look in your own closet and pull out something you just love, something you can’t imagine living without? Adrienne and I are on a spending freeze for February (pinky swear!) and want to focus on pieces we already own so next month’s post will be “How I Wear My: Most Cherished Wardrobe Item.” Send Adrienne or me a picture of yourself in the piece you treasure above all others and we will include you in our post on March 1!

And do head over to The Rich Life (on a budget) to see more ways Adrienne is wearing lace.

Lace Ace

2012-01-29T20:00:00.002-05:00

Talk about knocking it out of the park. On the eve of her 30th birthday in January, how gorgeous was Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, in this stunning Alice by Temperley black lace gown? I love how feminine, demure and yet sexy this look is. I also love how Kate keeps her hair, makeup and jewelry very simple so it doesn’t compete with the dress.

Photo by Bauer Griffin.

Photo by Reuters.

Why don’t you channel some of Kate’s lace beauty and join Adrienne and me for our “How I Wear My: Lace” post on February 1? Send me a picture of how you wear your lace and I will include it in our post that day.

What a great picture. William looks a little like, “You. You checking out my wife? You want I should come over there and kick your ass?” Or maybe that’s Brooklyn, finally getting to me after all these years. Photo by PacificCoastNews.com.

My Blue Heaven at Chanel

2012-01-26T20:25:00.000-05:00

It started out blue at Chanel and just got bluer.

Is it the Pan Am influence?

The Chanel haute couture collection for spring/summer 2012 was shown in Paris on Tuesday, with an “airplane” aisle for a runway.

Maybe Karl Lagerfeld had the distinctive color of the famous Pan Am uniforms in mind when he decided to make the entire Chanel collection blue. Is he as addicted to the TV show as I am? I wanted to wear most of what I saw on the models and it was inspiring to see all these shades of the same color. If you have 15 minutes, do yourself a favor and check out this show. From ice to baby, from peacock to midnight, Uncle Karl’s got the blues and you’re going to want them too.

Who needs the drink cart when the flight attendant is strolling down the aisle wearing this? Make mine a double!

I love this coat so much. I want to wear it with jeans and high-heeled black ankle boots.

I hope this appears in the Chanel boutique window so I can see it up close.

As Rachel Zoe would say, “I love me a (Chanel) sequin.” I’m sure she was dying over this entire collection, as was I.

I adore this iciest of blues.

Will we see someone wearing this beauty on Oscar night?

Uncle Karl (or is that Captain Karl?) takes his bow.

All photos courtesy of Chanel.

Julie Collection Corsica Rings (Or, How I Spent My Summer Vacation 20 Years Ago)

2012-01-20T13:45:00.000-05:00

Corsica stacking rings shown with my wedding band.

The February 2012 issue of Lucky features a section I always like called “The Look I Want Now!” where one of the fashion editors talks about the clothes and accessories she’s craving. I adored the three rings from Julie Collection called “Corsica” rings in chalcedony, labradorite (iridescent gray) and moonstone, and when I saw that readers could take 35% off the price of each ring, $48 regularly, now $31.20, until February 27 or while supplies last, it was a done deal.

Julie Collection is in Manhattan off Lexington Avenue on 74th Street (my old stomping grounds since my obstetrician’s offices are around the corner) so I packed up my daughter (a very patient child) and we made a trip to the city.

The studio is well-lit, the sales associate Aimee gorgeous and charming (and one of the models on the website, look for the lovely girl with long light brown hair and dimples!), and there is so much to love in this collection that I predict a few more rings and bangles will find their way into my jewelry box.

Chalcedony, the most hypnotizing shade of blue.

What I especially love about these rings is how they look ancient and modern all at once, like something I lifted from one of the Egyptian cases at the Brooklyn Museum. If someone asks me about them I think I’ll say, “These old things? I picked them up the summer I worked at an archaeology dig in Italy.” They look fantastic together as a set and even more amazing when worn with a simple gold band. I’m wearing and loving them now and they are going to be a key part of my look this summer.

Labradorite, which does all kinds of pretty green-gold things in the light.

Aimee wrapped my rings into this hot pink pouch. Mama like!

Moonstone, which is white one minute, purple and blue the next. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I didn’t buy this when I visited the studio. I regretted that decision so I snapped it up online the next day and it arrived the day after that in the pouch shown below.

Gorgeous.

I have been on the hunt for a big ring for my right hand for some time, but I didn’t want gaudy or even too sparkly since I was interested in something for everyday use. These Corsica rings beautifully fit the bill.

On their own.

With my wedding band. I love them both ways!

Julie Collection
146 E. 74th Street (at Lexington Avenue)
New York NY 10021
347-968-4302

Duchessa Jewels

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Blue collet necklace in a gold mount. Photo by Duchessa Jewels.

My friend Nerida at Art for Interiors has recently launched Duchessa Jewels to sell the gorgeous jewelry she designs.

From Nerida I learned that the gemstone necklaces I admire on Anna Wintour are collet necklaces, a style popular in the Georgian era—referring to the years 1714-1830 when the kings George I through IV ruled England (with a Regency thrown in for fun, from 1811-1820). She’s also taught me about the jewelry owned by the Duchess of Windsor. What I love about Nerida is that she has taken her passion for famous and historical jewelry and figured out a way to recreate it so you can have some of that glamour in your life without being the editor of a famous magazine or a woman married to a former king.

My mother bought one of Nerida’s topaz collet necklaces a year ago and I love to see it (and yes, put it on, see below) every chance I get. She recently purchased the blue necklace shown above which I hope she will let me borrow for Date Night the next time I’m in Virginia.

Wearing the topaz collet necklace, December 2010.

Dear Mom, once the blue necklace arrives, please wear both of them together like Anna does:

Anna at the Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2012 show on October 3, 2011. Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Europe.

And then add some sunglasses and a wild trench!

Anna attending the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012 show on October 5, 2011. Photo by Bauer Griffin.

Do stop by Duchessa Jewels and have a look at Nerida’s beautiful designs such as the above bib necklace, based on the Duchess of Windsor’s stunning 1947 Cartier bib necklace.

Black, White and Red All Over

2012-01-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

I spotted these chic note cards in a gift round-up in the December 2011 issue of Harper’s Bazaar. It seems like most of the time the items featured there are way beyond my budget so it was exciting to see these 10 cards and envelopes by Pixelimpress were just $17.50 and I couldn’t resist buying a set.

From the December 2011 issue of Harper’s Bazaar.

I adore the black and white chevrons and the envelope is the perfect shade of red. They feel so Art Deco and elegant and I love that they are put out by a small stationery company owned by a woman in Prosper, Texas!

Pamela Sherry, the owner and designer of Pixelimpress, has a blog so I am looking forward to reading about her design inspirations, as well as seeing what other stationery products she makes and sells.

In the meantime, I have some notes to write and I hope what I say is half as glamorous as these cards.

Last Call: Daphne Guinness

2012-01-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

Daphne Guinness in a vintage Armani Privé gown. Photo by David Bailey.

This Saturday, January 7, 2012, is the last day to see Daphne Guinness, at The Museum at FIT.

I finally received the book to accompany the exhibit over Christmas, after ordering it on November 1! Apparently the first printing sold out and it had to go back to press. Looking through it is a visual delight and Daphne has inspired me even more to stick with wearing black and white and painting my nails red. That is a combination you often see her wear and I tell you, it never gets old. It’s also interesting to read the vignettes on what Daphne thinks of various things, such as this, called “On Her Years in a Wifely Chrysalis”:

“When I was in school, when out of uniform, I wore pretty much anything I wanted. Then I got married—and it was fifteen years of having children and being quite conservative, which was interesting in itself. My husband was quite conservative, which I respected. He didn’t like me to dress up. I’d buy Manolos and hide them. I’d take off my stilettos and put on flats. He didn’t like me to wear hats—an English peculiarity which is almost inexplicable.

“When I was married, I’d try to tone it down and dress in a way that my husband was comfortable with. Of course, having children played its part, and living in Switzerland was not conducive to dressing up.”

On the left is a jacket of Daphne’s own design paired with a dress by her and Alexander McQueen.

I don’t know about you, but I would love to give these crazy blue shoes by Massaro a try.

Before I saw the exhibit and Daphne herself at the remarks to the press given by her and Dr. Valerie Steele, chief curator of the museum (I even got to ask Daphne a question!), I had it in my head that of course she could dress any crazy way she wanted, she has a lot of money—she is one of the heirs to the Guinness brewing fortune—so who’s to tell her she can’t. But seeing how shy and reticent she is in person, and really, how charming, and thinking about the above quote, I’ve changed my mind about her. Now I get a sense that she started knowing herself better and better as she got older and wanted to use clothes to outwardly reflect what she was holding inside—someone who wanted to dress in the most unusual and dramatic way possible. I think that takes guts, actually, and I don’t think you need money to do it, you just have to have the courage to be yourself.

So despite what I first thought, I now find Daphne an inspiration.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

How I Wear My: Statement Necklace

2012-01-03T07:30:00.001-05:00

For this month’s “How I Wear My” post, it’s high glamour time. Adrienne of The Rich Life (on a budget) and I are loving our statement necklaces.

When I first stared wearing my statement necklaces to my holiday job at Bloomingdale’s, I felt very self-conscious, since my favorite one, from J. Crew, is so big and green-gold glittery.

Well.

Plenty of the ladies who work there wore necklaces even bigger than mine (which I call the Anna in honor of Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief of Vogue, whose gemstone collet necklaces I adore).

This J. Crew necklace subtly changes colors in different lighting, which I love.

With a strict dress code of all black at Bloomingdale’s (although white shirts are permitted), a statement necklace is the only way you can bring color to your work outfit. So I got over my self-consciousness and started wearing every big necklace I own.

Another necklace I love is a recent purchase from eBay—half mother-of-pearl and black jet, half diamante, from the 1950s. I bought it from a vintage jewelry dealer in the north of England, which just enhances the romance for me. When I wear either one of these necklaces, I keep everything else pretty simple—black long-sleeved crewneck T-shirt, black cardigan, black jacket. I want to keep the focus on the necklace.

I never get tired of black and white.

Please do head over to The Rich Life (on a budget) to see how Adrienne and others wear their statement necklaces. I hope it inspires you to wear the biggest necklace you own today.

In February, the month of Valentines and love, we are going to tip our sartorial hats to that most romantic of fabrics—lace. It doesn’t have to be just bridal or boudoir. So get creative with lace, send Adrienne or me a picture of you wearing it, and we’ll include you in our “How I Wear My: Lace” post on February 1!

Happy 2012!

2011-12-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore since my whole life feels like a never-ending self-improvement campaign. You should see my monthly goal list held inside this Hermès beauty.

Hermès Ulysse notebook in Blue Jean Togo leather.

Oh how I love this thing.

I do believe in reminding myself of simple ways to get more enjoyment out of everyday life and for 2012 these are my top choices:

1. Wear red nail polish more often. My friend Serene at The Elegant Bohemian often has red nails in her posts and she looks so elegant and chic. What are more classic and mood-improving than red nails?

I have to bust out the red nail polish (and leopard cuff) more often.

2. Wear sequins as much as possible. Or Hermès scarves, diamond or pearl jewelry, or whatever wonderful thing I already own. Do not save the good stuff!

Sequined cardigan by J. Crew.

Hermès Twilly in the Grand Manège pattern. I’m happy to report I’ve been wearing this baby a lot.

3. Drink prosecco with friends at every opportunity. I understand from experience that life as you know it can change in an instant so I try to make a point of having as much fun as possible, which includes bubbly with friends!

I am deep in my prosecco phase. It’s cheaper than champagne and often better. I got this from FreshDirect, the grocery ordering service in NYC, for $16.99. I will be toasting to you when I drink this on New Year’s Eve!

If you would like to read an interview I gave to The Karina Chronicles, a blog by the lovely ladies who make Karina Dresses click here.

Happy 2012!

Alphabet City

2011-12-29T09:15:00.001-05:00

Detail of a 2006 dress by Jean Yu of black and white matte silk jersey and black grosgrain.

I don’t know if there were complaints from designers who weren’t included in The Museum at FIT’s latest show, originally titled The Great Designers, Part One, on view until May 8, 2012, but the museum briefly shut down the exhibit to rename it Fashion, A-Z: Highlights from the Collection of the Museum at FIT, Part One.

The name change makes sense since co-curators Colleen Hill and Jennifer Farley stressed to me during the press preview that putting together this show allowed them to determine what the museum has and what it needs in its permanent collection. I also heard Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of the museum, tell a group of well-heeled women on a private tour, “For ‘U,’ we knew we didn’t have good Ungaro (Emanuel Ungaro, the famous Italian designer), but we had great Undercover.” So I think for the curators the focus was on getting a better handle on FIT’s entire collection rather than making a statement about which designers they considered great, and, by exclusion, which ones they did not.

Undercover (Jun Takahashi) 2006 dress of black crepe and black cotton, embellished with the knitted necklines of multiple black t-shirts.

A Geoffrey Beene evening dress of black wool crepe, dark gray wool jersey and rhinestones, from Spring 1994.

Both dresses are by Marc Bohan for Dior. On the left is a dress from Fall 1969 of printed pink silk chiffon, metal, and faux pearls. On the right is a dress of green silk velvet, metallic pampilles, rhinestones and glass, from the fall of 1963.

I adore the color and detailing of this dress, which comes with a little surprise, as shown in the next picture.

Surprise! Check out the back of this dress, which is not visible in the exhibition. I happened to find this picture online of the Dior house model wearing this beauty from when Bohan originally showed it in 1963. Demure in the front, sexy in the back! Photo by Corbis.

On the left Jean Yu’s 2006 dress. On the right, a Zoran ensemble of purple silk and silk cording from 1979.

The Museum at FIT’s permanent collection includes 50,000 garments and accessories. Can you imagine? That’s one (gigantic) closet I’d like to spend time in.

Fashion, A-Z: Highlights from the Collection of the Museum at FIT, Part One is on view until May 8, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Making a Statement

2011-12-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

Anna at a November 2011 Museum of Modern Art tribute to Pedro Almodovar. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images North America.

I’ve noticed that Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief of Vogue, has taken to wearing her gorgeous gemstone Georgian collet necklaces in stacks, which I just love. They are rumored to be from the renowned jeweler S.J. Phillips Ltd. in London and cost approximately $20,000 a pop.

Do not even get me started on this insanely gorgeous (and sequined!) Chanel suit. That navy blue against a backdrop of red roses? I’m dying! Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images North America.

Anna in her necklaces at the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards in November 2011. Photo by D. Dipasupil/Getty Images North America.

All of this means Anna is the perfect candidate to be part of the post “How I Wear My: Statement Necklace” that my friend Adrienne of The Rich Life (on a budget) and I have planned for January 3, 2012. Why don’t you channel a little of Anna’s glamour and send Adrienne or me a photo of yourself in your statement necklace? We’d love to include your and your blog in all this elegant fun.

Collet necklace by Nerida of Art for Interiors.

Christmas in New York: Bergdorf Goodman

2011-12-26T09:15:00.000-05:00

Detail from Bergdorf Goodman window on Fifth Avenue. Fur cape by J. Mendel.

These are just three of the many gorgeous windows from Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue between 57th and 58th in Manhattan and are easily my favorite. They are so gloriously detailed and over the top and yet the window designers who put these creations together never lose sight of the fact they want to show you the clothes to be found inside the store. I looked at these windows at 10PM so I had them mostly to myself. I know if I’d gone earlier in the day there would’ve been a line to see them.

Dress and cape by J. Mendel.

I love this tiny window depicting dancing mice on top of Judith Leiber minaudières.

It’s almost too much to take in until you get closer and let your eyes break it down into details.

Dress by Marchesa, coat by J. Mendel.

Bergdorf windows make me ridiculously happy to be a New Yorker. They are always a pleasure to see and they inspire me to dream.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas in New York: Barneys

2011-12-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

These are the windows from Barneys on Madison Avenue at 61st Street in Manhattan. They’re called “Gaga’s Workshop,” designed in collaboration with Lady Gaga. As you stand outside you can hear her song “Born This Way” playing, so it feels like a little disco party right there on the street.

You can’t see it in this picture, but the blue lights fluctuate. These are the most gorgeous shades of blue to see at night. I was drawn right to them.

Gaga’s Boudoir, made entirely of hair.

Gagamachine.

Christmas in New York: Hermès

2011-12-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Hermès boutique in Manhattan. This window is on Madison Avenue.

These are the windows from the Hermès boutique on Madison Avenue at 62nd Street in Manhattan. I love the peek-a-boo aspect of trying to see what’s behind the honeycombs and I love all the patterns and shapes the layers of wood made.

Front of crocodile oxfords.

Heel of crocodile oxfords (Mama like).

This window is on the 62nd Street side of the store.

The focus of this window is the Magic Kelly scarf, which I just love.

Ask and You Shall Receive (Or, Thank You Valentino and Giancarlo!)

2011-12-08T09:06:00.011-05:00

Okay, Valentino didn’t ask me to be the caretaker of his archives, which I asked for in my last post, Spotlight: Valentino & Versace, but he and Giancarlo Giammetti just opened the Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum, showcasing the iconic Italian designer’s 47-year history with over 180 videos and 5000 images, so you know I am completely freaking out, in the best possible way.

I love that the museum includes videos, original sketches, press clippings, advertising and photos of women wearing Valentino, to help viewers put the clothes in context of their time.

I also love that it is free.

I so hope there is a video, sketch and story attached to the above pink cape, from Fall/Winter 2007, made entirely of pink organdy petals, which has to be one of my favorite articles of couture, from any house at any time.

Spotlight: Valentino & Versace

2011-12-07T11:50:00.000-05:00

A Valentino red silk dress, left, Versace suit on right.

Another interesting pairing coming out of the A to Z approach of The Great Designers, Part One, now on view at The Museum at FIT, is found at the letter “V,” with Valentino and Versace placed side by side. I think of them as opposites—Valentino’s focus is on elegance, beauty and exquisite detailing, while Versace’s aesthetic is more brash, edgier, oozing sex appeal and celebrity obsession—so I love how the qualities of these two very different designers are amplified when their work is in juxtaposition to one another.

The red silk Valentino evening gown shown here is from his final haute couture collection in 2008 and a gift to The Museum at FIT from Valentino himself. It is also one of the favorite pieces of Jennifer Farley, one of the co-curators of the show.

Versace skirt suit of multicolor cotton and silk and rhinestone buttons, 1991. This suit features an Andy Warhol print with actors James Dean and Marilyn Monroe.

I love the neckline of this gown and how the silk drapes down from the shoulder. Can’t you see it fluttering behind the lucky lady wearing this beauty?

Also, have I ever mentioned that I want Valentino and Giancarlo to adopt me so I can live at their Château de Wideville just outside of Paris and be the caretaker of the Valentino archives?

The Great Designers, Part One is on view until May 8, 2012. The second half of the exhibit, The Great Designers, Part Two, will open May 23, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Spotlight: Christian Lacroix

2011-12-03T09:15:00.000-05:00

Christian Lacroix evening gown. Orange silk faille, orange silk satin, rhinestones. Spring 2005.

I’m usually not a big fan of orange, unless it’s an Hermès box, then I like it very much, but I thought this Christian Lacroix orange evening gown from 2005 was a showstopper. It is currently on display at The Museum at FIT, as part of the exhibit The Great Designers, Part One.

A closeup of the Lacroix gown.

Christian Lacroix closed down his haute couture line in 2009, and his name is no longer his own—it has become the stamp a licensing company uses for eyewear, stationery, home décor, and menswear—but in October Paris Opera Ballet opened La Source, which featured costumes by the designer himself.

The Great Designers, Part One is on view until May 8, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

How I Wear My: Sequins

2011-12-01T09:35:00.000-05:00

Sequined tank by Apt. 9 from Kohl’s, jacket from J. Crew.

For this month’s “How I Wear My” post, it’s all about the shine. Adrienne of The Rich Life (on a budget) and I agreed this is a great time of year to focus on sequins.

I love sequins so much I’m convinced I’m part magpie, the bird attracted to shiny objects. I love how you can go full throttle and wear sequins to be the most sparkling person in the room, or use them to infuse your look with a touch of texture and shine, or just add a dash of glamour to denim. I think they are wonderful any time of year and I especially adore the surprise of them in the daytime.

Adrienne of The Rich Life (on a budget) in a glorious black sequined jacket.

I am also loving the bag!

Pam from over50feeling40. Think there aren’t sequins here? Think again!

I love how Pam incorporates sequins throughout her look, from a touch peeking out from behind her jacket, to the sequined purse and sequin-like bracelet. Subtle and gorgeous!

Paula of Fashion Over Fifty, looking ethereal and dreamy in periwinkle sequins.

Introducing my mother, looking stylish in an eggplant-colored blouse sprinkled with golden sequins.

Topaz Swarovski crystal necklace by Nerida Aylott of Art for Interiors. I wrote a post about it in January which you can read here.

Why not get 2012 off to a glamorous start and join Adrienne and me for “How I Wear My: Statement Necklace” on January 3? Send either of us a photo of yourself in your necklace and we will include you, and your blog if you have one, in our post!

The Great Designers, Part One

2011-11-30T08:15:00.003-05:00

Armani Privé evening gown. Silver silk, Diamond Leaf Swarovski crystals. Fall 2007.

Now on view at The Museum at FIT is The Great Designers, Part One. Jennifer Farley and Colleen Hill co-curated fifty garments from FIT’s own collection of over 500,000 garments and accessories to celebrate the greatest designers of the 20th and 21st centuries, arranged alphabetically from A to Z.

This unique approach means you will see pieces by Cristóbal Balenciaga but also by Nicholas Ghesquière for Balenciaga; dresses by Coco Chanel, as well as by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel. It also allows the viewer to look at garments by lesser-known design houses such as Boudicca, represented in this exhibit with a striking black and white ensemble from their Fall 2006 collection.

On the left is a coat by Cristóbal Balenciaga from Fall 1950 made of gray, brown, tan and black cut silk velvet. On the right is a 2007 coat by Nicholas Ghesquière for Balenciaga of wool, leather and chinchilla.

Boudicca (Zowie Broach & Brian Kirby) ensemble. White cotton, black polyester net, black rayon stretch knit, black leather. Fall 2006.

Note the black ruffled crinoline underneath the unusual cut of this skirt.

A 1954 Charles James evening gown of dark emerald green silk satin.

A 1947 Mainbocher evening dress on the left, a Claire McCardell evening Popover dress from 1955 on the right.

Viewers will enjoy works by famous mid-century American designers like Charles James, Mainbocher, and Claire McCardell, as well as standout (and unusual) groupings such as the 1908 Paul Poiret coat alongside Miuccia Prada’s 2008 Guipere lace skirt and blouse, and Gareth Pugh’s 2007 black wool and patent leather dress.

An interesting juxtaposition, left to right, of Poiret, Prada and Pugh, from 1908, 2008 and 2007, respectively.

A 1908 Paul Poiret coat of black silk faille and black and gold silk fringe.

Miuccia Prada’s 2008 Guipure lace blouse and skirt.

A closeup of Gareth Pugh’s 2007 dress of black wool and patent leather appliqué.

The Great Designers, Part One is on view until May 8, 2012. The second half of the exhibit, The Great Designers, Part Two, will open May 23, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Give ‘Em the Ol’ Razzle Dazzle

2011-11-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

1898 Dresses from American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity at the Met in 2010.

I recently came across this contraband photo I took at last year’s American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity at the Met. It was the only picture I took from that exhibit because as soon as I snapped it the guard yelled, “No pictures allowed!”

Well, at least I got one.

The black dress with the sequins, on the left, was one of my favorites from the show. I don’t think of dresses from that period as being festooned with sequins, and yet this 1898 dress was a gorgeous subtle sparkler.

Fast forward to today and, as Rachel Zoe would say, “I love me a sequin.” Here is a J. Crew sequined cardigan I bought last year that I’m determined to wear more this fall and winter. I love how the sequins are sewn in straight lines up and down the sweater.

Consider this post your sparkly invitation to join Adrienne of The Rich Life (on a budget) and me in our “How I Wear My: Sequins” post on December 1. If you’d like to show how you wear your sequins, send either of us a photo of yourself in your finest sequined attire or the name of your blog, or both, so we can include you in all the glittery gleaming fun!

The Red Shoes

2011-11-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

It’s been a long time since I’ve had red shoes but when I saw this pair of red patent penny loafers on a stacked heel by Tahari at DSW last week, I fell instantly in love. It didn’t hurt that they were on clearance. I know red is not the most practical color for shoes but I wear so much black, gray and navy in the fall and winter that I find myself instinctively drawn to deep intense colors in accessories and footwear. These looked fantastic with what I happened to have on in the store—dark denim, long-sleeved navy T-shirt, gray scarf, black peacoat—so I went for it. And then I bought a second pair in black patent.

But the red really stole my heart.

A true penny loafer.

What about you? Do you own a pair of red shoes?

Neutral Party at Prada

2011-11-21T09:00:00.003-05:00

After so much color and boldly patterned dresses, coats and shoes in recent Prada displays, I was surprised by the neutrality of the windows at the Prince Street store in SoHo when I passed by on Friday. All of these paler tones reminded me I have a lovely cream-colored wool coat I need to wear more often this winter.

Of course, then I think about getting on the New York City subway wearing said coat and cringe at the idea of what it will come into contact with.

Are you a fan of winter white?

Chanel Do Over

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-05:00

A trio of feathery sequined suits from the “Sparkle” section of Daphne Guinness.

When I attended the recent lecture Andrew Bolton gave at FIT on this year’s Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met, one thing I found interesting is what he had to say about the lessons he learned from the 2005 Chanel exhibit, which he organized, along with Harold Koda, Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute at the Met. The Chanel exhibition, Bolton noted, was “stark, minimal, it looked like fashion.” He also noted the public didn’t respond to it as much as they did to McQueen. If he had the exhibit to do over, he said he would focus on the detailing of Chanel’s clothes, knowing Coco herself was very concerned with the fit of a sleeve, say, or in the way a skirt hung.

In that spirit, I thought I’d take another opportunity to show pieces from Daphne Guinness’s Chanel collection, part of her larger couture collection now on view at The Museum at FIT, but with a focus on the details.

A Chanel jacket made of ivory sequins on silk net, with white feathers.

This suit is made of wool crepe, with a flared skirt over “mushroom” petticoats in pleated and embroidered tulle. From the 2002 Chanel Haute Couture collection.

The back of the suit featuring an ivory ribbon, a particular touch of Daphne’s and one I love, giving the suit a romantic feel. Can’t you picture the wind fluttering this ribbon in the breeze?

The “mushrooms” attached to the petticoat appear to be made up of a lightweight metal. Amazing.

Dior on the left in champagne pink, Chanel on the right in black.

The back of the Chanel and Dior dresses.

Detail of the diamanté tips on the back of the dress, making an interesting and modern train. Who wouldn’t want to follow this lady at the party to see where she’s going?

Daphne Guinness is on view through January 7, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Everyday Makeup & Into The Gloss

2011-11-08T11:30:00.000-05:00

I’ve wanted to do a makeup post since having a peek inside the makeup bags of Jennine Jacob, founder of the Independent Fashion Bloggers, at her blog The Coveted, and Coco Rocha, featured on my favorite beauty blog Into The Gloss. I have been more interested in Coco after she sat on one of the panels at the IFB Conference in September. She was tall and beautiful, just like a model should be, and she seemed nervous moments before she joined her fellow panelists, which made me like her instantly.

I decided to show what’s in my makeup bag after realizing I got some helpful hints from both Coco and Jennine. Maybe somebody can get a helpful hint from me. Also, I don’t know about you, but I love to know what cosmetics different women are using.

Another great bag made by my friend Juliet. I love looking at this bag so it always gets my day off to a terrific start.

If I ran into you on the street in NYC chances are I’d be wearing most of these products:

Neutrogena Deep Clean Facial Cleanser. An inexpensive cleanser that I use every morning. It’s great for oily skin.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, Oil Free, in Porcelain. I switched to tinted moisturizer when I wanted something lighter than foundation and since finding this I haven’t worn foundation at all.

YSL Touche Éclat Radiant Touch in 2, Luminous Ivory. This is a liquid concealer that multitasks. I use this not only under my eyes but under my brows as well, as a highlighter. It’s a splurge at $40 but it’s worth it.

Origins Just Browsing in Soft Brown. Otherwise my eyebrows would be all over the place. This provides control and a bit of color.

Covergirl Perfect Blend Eyeliner in Smoky Taupe. My old standby. I have been using this pencil in this color for over 10 years. It blends well and is a fantastic neutral shade. You can draw a precise line or go smoky with this liner. I hope Covergirl never stops making it.

Laura Mercier Eyeshadow, the Mauve Sunset trio (shown here above the YSL gold pen, on the left). I only use the pink-tinged taupe, which is matte. Some eyeshadows irritate my eyes. This is not one of them.

Almay Smart Shade Blush in Berry. I can’t do powder blushes anymore, they don’t adhere to my skin like they did when I was younger. This gives me a more dewy look and I will sometimes even use a tiny dab of this instead of eyeshadow.

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara. I’ve been through three tubes of this since I discovered it while looking for a lower-priced version of a mascara I love, DiorShow Mascara, which sells for $24.50. I use mascara nearly every day so the DiorShow, while a great product with a heavenly rose scent, has to be a treat. The Revlon is a pretty good substitute, not only in packaging but in the wand design and the product itself (though without the great scent) and sells for about $9. It provides volume and definition without flaking or clumps.

Revlon Illuminance Crème Shadow in Twilight (the eyeshadow quad next to the Revlon eyelash curler). I use the pale pink shimmer, just the tiniest amount, directly under the brow to highlight that area.

Estée Lauder Lucidity Translucent Pressed Powder in 01 Light. This has been good for taking away shine but I’m switching to something new when this compact is finished. I’m ready for a change (and any product suggestions are welcome).

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Cavalière (top) and Chanel Glossimer in Mica (bottom).

For lips I am currently using these (though not at the same time):

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Cavalière. The Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks have sheer shimmering color and are perfect for daytime wear. Cavalière is a wine-infused dark pink. I also have this lipstick in Bel-Ami, which is a lighter shade of pink.

Chanel Lèvres Scintillantes Glossimer Lipgloss in Mica. I thought this was going to be a bubblegum pink when the Chanel sales associate gave me a sample to try (and therefore way too sweet for me), but it’s surprisingly sheer, with just a hint of pink shot through with silver.

Voilà! The very natural looking result.

I highly recommend the beauty blog Into The Gloss. Emily Weiss, who writes it, is on staff at Vogue and gets amazing lengthy interviews with magazine and beauty industry insiders. My favorites have included Jean Godfrey-June, the beauty director at Lucky, and Linda Rodin, a stylist who started her own line of facial oil called Olio Lusso. If you want to read a really crazy interview, check out the piece on Lauren Santo Domingo. It’s like wealth on another level. She doesn’t even wash her own hair. Ever. She has someone else do it. I’ll admit, part of me is fascinated by this piece of information, even if another part of me is repulsed.

Emily Weiss of Into The Gloss. She’s hustling to make it to a fashion show on time and I love the photo of this guy watching her running in high heels!

Halloween in Review

2011-11-03T09:00:00.001-04:00

With my son the skeleton and my daughter the pirate.

My Halloween costume this year was “Glamorous Witch,” the same as last year. A new addition to the look was a long purple wig bought for ten dollars at Save on Fifth, Park Slope’s answer to Woolworth’s (remember that store?). The wig satisfied my fantasy of long hair and added a nice pop of color.

Walking with my daughter along Seventh Avenue in Brooklyn.

The main reason I’ve been repeating this costume is an annual chance to wear a full-length vintage black velvet coat given to me by my husband’s grandmother. I love its Joan Crawford shoulders and bell-shaped sleeves. It is one of the most glamorous things in my closet.

Street corner witch and the NYPD!

The jack o’lantern on my front stoop in the shadow of my witch hat.

I hope everyone had a great Halloween!

How I Wear My: Missoni Cardigan

2011-11-01T08:00:00.005-04:00

Adrienne of The Rich Life (on a budget), one of my regular blog reads, bought the same blue cardigan I did from the Missoni for Target collection and we thought it would be fun if we each did a post showing us wearing it. Since I was about fifteen minutes from hosting my son’s 9th birthday party when these pictures were taken I wore my cardigan with a black long-sleeved T-shirt from J. Crew, a pair of Levi’s and Calvin Klein wedge boots.

Please do visit the gorgeous Adrienne to see how she styled her Missoni cardigan!

When the Missoni for Target items were released in September, I was prepared to want everything. Before the Target.com site crashed because of nationwide Missoni lust, I managed to buy three cardigans, a tote, and a knit scarf. The tote was way too big and the scarf was itchy, so I returned those items. I did keep the three cardigans, although I gave one to my mother as an early birthday present.

This blue cardigan was the only thing I truly wanted out of the Missoni collection and it does not disappoint. I love the shape of it and the different shades of blue. I knew if I had too many Missoni items I would experience zigzag fatigue. Sometimes I like to have just one item from a particular brand, in order for it to feel special to me. (I will, of course, make an exception in the case of Hermès, but I’d only buy a scarf design or Twilly in one colorway, not several, to preserve the sense of rarity.) I like certain things in my closet to be unique and this Missoni cardigan is one of them.

Hard to believe I looked this calm minutes before a bunch of 9-year old boys were about to ring my doorbell, expecting to be admitted into my house and served cake.

Blues like this look great with a red nail. This is Berry Hard by Essie, my favorite shade of red right now.

Adrienne and I think this idea, one item worn by different people, is a great way to showcase key pieces in our closets that we bet you have in yours too. We like it so much, we’re doing it again next month. On December 1 we will be showing how we wear…

SEQUINS!

We’d love to have you join us. The more the merrier! Let either of us know via email or comment so we can add your link to our blogs. If you don’t have a blog, just send us an email with a photo of yourself a couple of days prior to December 1 and we’ll include you in our “How I Wear My: Sequins” post.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:03:00.001-04:00

I hope all you lovelies have a glittery, glamorous Halloween.

If you need some fashion inspiration as we head into November, the catalog to accompany the wonderful exhibit Daphne Guinness, now on view at The Museum at FIT through January 7, 2012, is finally available for purchase. All royalties from sales of the book will benefit the Fashion Institute of Technology. I’m ordering my copy today!

Daphne Guinness by Valerie Steele and Daphne Guinness.

Fashion Walk of Fame: Norman Norell

2011-10-30T09:50:00.002-04:00

Norman Norell’s plaque on the Fashion Walk of Fame (and my shadow).

For this month’s Fashion Walk of Fame post, highlighting one of the designers honored with a plaque in New York City’s Garment District on Seventh Avenue, I selected Norman Norell. I read about him every once in awhile in sewing magazines like Vogue Patterns or Threads, where his fine tailoring and couture-like techniques for ready-to-wear are held up for study for home sewers.

Norman Norell (1900-1972) was born Norman David Levinson in Noblesville, Indiana. He studied fashion design at the Pratt Institute in New York City and in 1922 joined the New York studio of Paramount Pictures, designing clothes for Gloria Swanson and other silent movie stars. He also costumed the Ziegfeld Follies and the Cotton Club.

He formed Traina-Norell with Anthony Traina in 1941 and founded Norman Norell Ltd. in 1960. He helped pave the way for Bill Blass, James Galanos and Halston (all honorees on the Fashion Walk of Fame).

Evening Ensemble, 1970-1971. Gold organdy; beaded gold silk jersey. I mean, hello, I want to wear this for Christmas. I am in love with the giant bow and now I really need a pair of gold beaded pants. This Norell ensemble was part of the 24,000 items given by the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2009.

His plaque reads:

“Norman Norell demonstrated that clothes designed on Seventh Avenue could rival the most elegant creations from Paris. Norell was sometimes called the American Balenciaga because of the perfection of his tailoring. He also used the finest fabrics in the world and made sure that every detail, from button hole to hemline, was beautifully finished. This superb workmanship was all the more remarkable since he made ready-to-wear, not couture. His sequined mermaid dress epitomized glamour.”

The title of this picture is “Fashion Designer Norman Norell Assisting Student Designer Deanna Cohen Fit Dress She Designed” and is by Joe Scherschel. It first appeared in LIFE magazine on June 6, 1960. I love the delighted smile on Deanna’s face. What a thrilling moment it must have been for her. You can buy this picture on Art.com.

Dress, Evening. Traina-Norell, circa 1955, silk. Photo from The Costume Institute archives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Michelle Obama in vintage Norman Norell for a Washington Christmas party in 2010. What a gorgeous dress and I love that her mother is right next to her. Photo by the Associated Press.

Vintage Norell perfume, given to me by my Mother-in-Law. Thank you, Dot! I love the sleek glamour of this bottle. The perfume was introduced in 1968 and is still available for purchase. FragranceNet.com describes the scent as a “rich floral blend, drying down to vanilla, moss and myrrh.”

Norman Norell’s plaque is on Seventh Avenue between 38th and 39th Streets, next to Claire McCardell.

Bolton Reflects on McQueen Exhibit

2011-10-27T07:40:00.004-04:00

Andrew Bolton, curator of the immensely popular Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at The Metropolitan Museum of Art this past summer, gave a lecture Tuesday night to a packed house at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. The McQueen exhibit drew over 660,000 visitors during its three-month run, making it the 8th most popular exhibition at the Met in its 141-year history.

One of the most interesting things to learn was that prior to McQueen’s death, an exhibit of his work had originally been intended as part of a trilogy of influential designers to appear at The Costume Institute at the Met. The first was to have been Charles James, the second, Christian Dior, and McQueen would have been the third, though he was unaware of these tentative plans. At the news of his suicide, in February 2010, The Costume Institute quickly decided to focus solely on McQueen.

Met Director Thomas P. Campbell, Bolton related, worried that an exhibition of McQueen’s work so soon after his death would be considered “ghoulish.” There was, however, precedent—Bolton noted Richard Martin, then Curator of The Costume Institute, had staged a show of Gianni Versace’s work a mere five months after Versace’s murder in July 1997.

Gallery View - The Romantic Mind, Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Gallery View - Romantic Nationalism, Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Bolton attributed the “totally unexpected” success of the show to several things, chief among them being a close collaboration with Sarah Burton, now creative director at McQueen, who had worked with the designer for 14 years and provided unique insight into his design process. Bolton also brought on board Sam Gainsbury and Joseph Bennett, who helped produce McQueen’s stunning runway shows.

Timing was influential in two ways. First, mounting the exhibit so soon after his death meant McQueen’s complete archives were still intact and Bolton felt that “the freshness, the rawness” of McQueen’s passing would enhance the authenticity of the show. This would be no revisionist exhibition. Second, Bolton theorized, was that as Kate Middleton married Prince William on April 29, she wore a wedding dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, a dress revealed to the world just four days before the McQueen exhibit premiered to the press.

Kate’s dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.

If people came because Kate’s dress made them want to see more McQueen, they stayed in line, sometimes for hours, because of the complexity and “sweeping imagination” of his work. Bolton himself was astounded that McQueen’s oeuvre “appealed to the hearts of so many different types of people.”

There are plans, Bolton said, though not yet finalized, for another McQueen exhibition, this one in London, to be organized by a different curator, with the date and place still to be determined.

Alexander McQueen (British, 1969-2010)
Corset
Dante, autumn/winter 1996-97
Lilac silk faille appliqued with black silk lace and embroidered with jet beads.
Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph © Sølve Sundsbø/Art + Commerce.

Daphne Wednesdays No. 5

2011-10-26T09:02:00.003-04:00

Sequined leopard coat by Dolce & Gabbana; Rick Owens/Daphne Guinness silver necklace and beige cape.

If want to wear leopard this fall in a way that’s sure to get everyone’s attention, it’s gotta sparkle, it’s gotta shine, so this week’s Daphne Wednesdays features a sequined Dolce & Gabbana leopard coat from the “Exoticism” section of Daphne Guinness, now on view at The Museum at FIT. You’d definitely win any style smackdown if you wore this. Meow meow!

I love not only the two-tone hair (I must paint a platinum stripe in my own hair asap) but also the netting across the face. In a recent profile in The New Yorker Daphne noted, “What’s great is tying a bit of net around your face, and everything looks like it’s in Super 8. It gives a bit of grain to the world.” I have to try this myself sometime.

A few people really liked the Chanel jacket next to the Valentino suit I featured last week so I thought I’d include it as well. Note the elongated sleeves that extend past the mannequin’s hands, as well as the fur edges, with are edged themselves with pearl beads and square sequins. Divine!

Daphne Guinness is on view through January 7, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Schiaparelli & Prada at the Met

2011-10-24T08:18:00.003-04:00

Elsa Schiaparelli (French, born Italy, 1890-1973), by Jean Clément (French, 1900-1949). Necklace, Fall 1938. Clear Rhodoid (cellulose acetate plastic); metallic green, red, pink, blue, and yellow painted pressed metal ornaments). Courtesy of The Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Mark your calendars, lovers of fashion exhibits! Next spring’s Costume Institute show at The Metropolitan Museum of Art is titled Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion and will feature the work of Schiaparelli, the Surrealist Italian fashion designer (Chanel’s biggest rival in the 1930s) in a “style conversation” with the work of another iconic Italian designer, Miuccia Prada, whose bags and shoes and clothes I routinely lust after (I bet you do too). It will be co-curated by Harold Koda, Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, and Andrew Bolton, Curator, The Costume Institute, who curated this year’s unbelievably successful Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty. It will be on view from May 10 through August 19, 2012.

In honor of this news I thought I’d post a photo of one of Schiaparelli’s works. The above insect necklace is one of her most famous accessories. And in keeping with that theme, below are recent Prada windows at the SoHo store on Prince Street, showing the accessories for Fall/Winter 2011-2012. I am in love with that green snakeprint pump.

Daphne Wednesdays No. 4

2011-10-19T09:56:00.002-04:00

A cream-colored Valentino suit, left, a Chanel jacket on the right.

For this week’s Daphne Wednesdays, I wanted to share with you this cream-colored Valentino suit and blouse, of cotton, wool and silk, from the “Chic” section of Daphne Guinness, now on view at The Museum at FIT.

I loved it in the beginning of the documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor when Valentino tells a reporter “I know what women want. They want to be beautiful.”

Exactly. This suit exemplifies that ideal and I adore everything about it, from the color to the fabric to the A-line skirt.

Also note the gorgeous peacock blue ribbon with crystal brooch at the neck, not Valentino, I’m sure, but a personal touch of Daphne’s, which sets the whole look off. A recent profile of her in The New Yorker mentioned “she might accessorize a jacket with a diamond pin attached to the inside of the collar, so that it reflects a discreet, flattering light on her face.”

Daphne Guinness is on view through January 7, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Daphne Wednesdays No. 3

2011-10-12T14:45:00.002-04:00

A dress by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel now on view at The Museum at FIT, part of the exhibit Daphne Guinness.

This post should be subtitled “I Need Some Chanel Right About Now.” Every October I feel this way, wanting to break out all the dark clothes in dramatic colors, the black, the purple, the midnight blue, the deep dark moody red. This Chanel dress from the couture collection of Daphne Guinness, now on view at The Museum at FIT, exactly fits my mood. It is elegant, it is black, it is Chanel. There are feathers, there are flowers, there is shimmer, there is shine. Do not even get me started on the diamanté necklace starting in the front and draping down the back. This beauty is from the “Evening Chic” section of Daphne Guinness and it is divine. Forget the Halloween costume, I want to wear this to greet trick-or-treaters on October 31.

A closeup of the amazing bodice and flower sleeve, with feathers attached to the edge. Also note the stunning necklace and what appears to be an owl brooch attached to the back of the dress. I will look into this and get back to you as soon as the exhibit catalog is released later this month.

I never get tired of feathers and sequins. Is it from all the time I spent in Las Vegas as a child?

Daphne Guinness is on view through January 7, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Birkin Bash on Fashion Hunters

2011-10-11T09:57:00.002-04:00

Ambria Miscia of Second Time Around consignment shop in NYC with Michael Tonello, author of Bringing Home the Birkin. Photo from Bravotv.com

If you have cable please watch Fashion Hunters for me tonight at 10:30pm/9:30c on Bravo TV. Fashion Hunters is about the Second Time Around consignment shop in Manhattan on the Upper East Side. When I saw on Twitter that Michael Tonello, author of one of my favorite fashion books, Bringing Home the Birkin, will be a guest on the show I instantly linked to Bravo to see the preview and this episode looks like a good one. The sellers at Second Time Around invite a number of Hermès Birkin and Kelly owners to a party, I’m assuming to see if anyone is interested in selling their bag, and Michael tells Ambria, the Assistant Manager, that one of the Birkins brought to the party is a fake!

It’s no secret I am a huge Hermès fan and a Birkin or a Kelly (probably vintage) is at the top of my wish list. After reading Michael’s book about his stint as a Birkin reseller, I know he is an expert on all things Hermès, especially the bags, so tune in to Fashion Hunters to have him show you exactly how to spot a fake.

If the lady with the faux Birkin paid real money for that bag, stand by for the fireworks and the tears, the cuss words and the denial!

Fashion Hunters airs Tuesdays at 10:30pm/9:30c on Bravo TV.

True Confessions

2011-10-07T10:37:00.002-04:00

The fabulous Bella of the Citizen Rosebud gave me the “Tell Me About Yourself” award. Thank you, Bella! This award is similar to one given to me earlier by the also-fabulous Catherine at Aesthetic Alterations and JTWisdom of Bubbling with Elegance and Grace, all of them asking the recipient to share seven random facts about herself. Here are mine.

Please don’t open this near me because I will have a terrible accident if you do.

1. I’m horribly addicted to Red Vines Licorice.

2. The very first thing I wanted to be was a figure skater.

3. I am deeply afraid of thunder and lightning.

4. True Blood is my favorite fictional show, while my favorite “reality” (ha) show is The Rachel Zoe Project.

I have a crush on about half of the actors in True Blood but Alexander Skarsgård, who plays Eric, is at the top of my list.

Still loving The Rachel Zoe Project.

5. I wouldn’t call myself a “Twihard” but I am looking forward to the next installment of the Twilight movie franchise. I feel I belong to both Team Edward and Team Jacob.

Can someone tell me why I find Taylor Lautner so cute? I’m old enough to be his mother.

6. Because my father was in the Navy, I graduated from a high school run by the Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Subic Bay, in the Philippines.

7. The dress I wore to my senior prom was inspired by the pink dress Marilyn Monroe wears to sing “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in Gentleman Prefer Blondes.

Marilyn in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

I know you are smiling right now, either at my hair or my arm candy.

I now pass this award on to ladies I’d like to get to know better:

A Glimpse of Paris
Antares: Alfa Scorpii
Magnificent or Egregrious
My So-Called Corporate Life
Not Dead Yet Style
Paula’s Diary
The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower

Daphne Wednesdays No. 2

2011-10-05T09:12:00.018-04:00

For this week’s Daphne Wednesday I’m featuring the stupendous navy blue dress by Christian Lacroix and black silk taffeta jacket with silver eagle epaulets by Alexander McQueen, from the “Dandyism” section of the exhibit Daphne Guinness, now on view at The Museum at FIT. I hope when the exhibit’s catalog comes out later this month there will be more details about the pieces on display. I am especially curious to know what metal the epaulets are made of and how much each one weighs.

The blue of this Lacroix dress is gorgeous. In the photo below, notice the pleating in the bodice.

The eagle epaulets in closeup. You can make out the eagle’s head on the right, with the eyes and beak facing the mannequin’s hair. Amazing! More of Alexander McQueen’s artistry at work.

Daphne Guinness is on view through January 7, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Here Kitty Kitty

2011-10-01T10:16:00.005-04:00

Leopard cuff by LaCrasia, the glove makers, from their tiny shop at Grand Central in NYC. Essie polish in Berry Hard.

I never thought I’d say this, but I’m mildly worried about the oversaturation of leopard for fall and winter this year. It is pretty much everywhere in the stores, in every incarnation, and even though I love leopard, and never get tired of it (I think), I will probably just add it to my wardrobe in little pops, especially against blue and purple.

Leopard belt from J. Crew.

Leopard silk scarf from Ross Dress for Less, bought over 15 years ago and the best $10 I ever spent on an accessory. YSL Tribute tote in Aubergine patent.

J. Crew cardigan with tie-neck blouse from Kohl’s.

One exception is this J. Crew cardigan I bought last year. The colors are a different take on traditional leopard print, which is one of the reasons I love it.

What about you? Are you going for it with the leopard this year?

Daphne Wednesdays

2011-09-28T11:07:00.003-04:00

I took so many pictures at the Daphne Guinness exhibit, now at The Museum at FIT, that I wasn’t able to use them all in my original post. These pieces of fashion heaven are too beautiful to miss though, so I’m introducing Daphne Wednesdays to showcase some of my favorites.

Today’s feature from Daphne’s closet is a gorgeous pair of Christian Louboutin high heel platform shoes of floral silk jacquard. I’m usually not a shoe gal but I would wear these in a heartbeat. The pattern is so sumptuous and wonderful and reminds me of cloisonné.

I mean, right? I'm dying here, they are so beautiful.

Daphne Guinness is on view through January 7, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Fashion Walk of Fame: Marc Jacobs

2011-09-24T10:54:00.001-04:00

For this month’s Fashion Walk of Fame post, highlighting one of the designers honored with a plaque in NYC’s Garment District on Seventh Avenue, I decided to focus on Marc Jacobs since I’m waiting to hear if he is taking the top job at Dior, replacing John Galliano, who was fired earlier this year. I don’t know why Marc wouldn’t take the job, Dior is a haute couture atelier, which Louis Vuitton and his eponymous label are not, and would seem to present him with the ultimate challenge of what has already been a huge career. I think what he’s done for Louis Vuitton is pretty amazing—I’ve checked out those clothes on several occasions at the Greene Street store in SoHo and they are gorgeous, especially the coats with their sumptuous fabrics and wonderful detailing—so I would love to see what he could do at Dior.

A lace coat and dress from the Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Photo by Monica Feudi.

His plaque reads:

A fashion prodigy, Marc Jacobs has attracted attention from the very beginning of his career. Known for his clever, witty designs, as in his “Freudian slip” dress, he became controversial with his “grunge” collection for Perry Ellis in 1992. His current success, both for Louis Vuitton in Paris and for his own New York-based collections, rests on his ability to meld the past with the present.

Marc after presenting his Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Photo by Monica Feudi.

Marc’s plaque is on Seventh Avenue in NYC, between 40th and 41st Streets (in front of a Burger King!), next to the designer Betsey Johnson.

Links à la Mode: September 22

2011-09-22T14:18:00.022-04:00

I'm very excited to have a post selected, for the third time, as an Independent Fashion Bloggers' Links à la Mode, this one for my review of the Daphne Guinness exhibit at The Museum at FIT. It's even better that they used a picture I actually took, but every time I glance at it in this lineup, I get distracted by the picture to the right, showing the blue leopard dress and a Louis Vuitton bag. Nice combination!

What's Old is New... Again.

Edited By: Jessica Thorpe

The saying, "what comes around, goes around" has been proven throughout the history of fashion. Stylish peeps the world over have been stimulated by trends of decades passed time and time again. This weeks Links A La Mode is influenced by your interpretation of fashion fads and trends interpreted to suit our modern world.

The funky 70's boho glam look is in full effect with flowing skirts, high waist lines and chunky platforms. Another trend making a loud avant garde blip on my radar is the classic ladylike look of the 50's and 60's. Women are embracing their curves and enhancing them with shape flattering silhouettes. Lastly, current fashion do's that continue to inspire me are clever use of sheer, crochet, macrame and lace fabrics. And last but not least, retro accessories are back in a huge way; statement bangles, fanny packs and cat eye shades are loud on the fashion forefront.

THE IFB WEEKLY ROUNDUP: LINKS À LA MODE: SEPTEMBER 22ND

Denimology: The Time I Met Bill Cunningham

Dress Code: High Fashion: Fashion`s Night Out Berlin 2011

Miss Viki: A fashion conference for bloggers by bloggers

Jimipricute: Dick and Jane

Fashion is Evolution: Missoni Madness!

The Chic Addict: Missoni For Target: It's finally here!

Shrimp Salad Circus: Weigh In: Sexualizing Children

Dress With Courage: Review of the IFB Conference: Lessons Learned

Everything Just So: Daphne Guinness Exhibit Review

Pelin in Style: PARIS, KATE MOSS, HUSSEIN CHALAYAN & more

Missemmamm: Missoni for Target: A Small Town Girl’s Thoughts + Dressing Room Peeks

Elle Yeah: NYFW S/S12 Highlights

Fashion Hacker: How to Follow Fashion Week from Home

Cosmolawlitan: Missoni Shoppers Show Why Fashion Design Protection Is Important

Ethical Fashion Blog: IFB Crystals and Crumpets

Faery: Paris Diaries Vol. 3 - Magic

Fumiko Kawa: Meets With Something Hippie

Style Bizarre: Blogging 101: Fail Better!

Boyish Chic: Fashion Forward: Living in Love

Dolly Dahl: Betsey Johnson Comes To Visit!

SPONSOR: Jackets at Shopbop's Shoptalk: Nightcap, IRO, Smythe, Doma, Alberta Ferretti, Smythe, IRO, Gryphon, Veda Jackets, LAMB, Nation LTD, Duvetica, Kaelen, Surface to Air.

PLEASE READ IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE

If you would like to submit your link for next week’s Links à la Mode, please register first, then post your links HERE. The HTML code for this week will be found in the Links a la Mode group will be published later today. ~Jennine

Daphne Speaks

2011-09-21T11:37:00.002-04:00

A photo to put it all in context. I'd be nervous too if I had a bunch of people taking my picture and waiting for me to speak. There were flashbulbs going off every second.

Daphne Guinness seemed nervous as she walked to the podium alongside Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, to address the press at the preview of the eponymous exhibit celebrating her style. Who can blame her? People (myself included) jockeyed for position to get a closer look. Flashbulbs went off everywhere. The attention seemed to get the best of her at first and at one point I thought she’d ask everyone to stop taking pictures.

A close-up of the first picture. Notice the way she perches on the platform edge of her shoes.

Still nervous.

Dr. Steele did a fabulous job of engaging Daphne in conversation about the exhibit, which seemed to put her at ease. Among the most interesting points:

Steel approached Guinness two years ago about an exhibit highlighting her amazing couture collection. Guinness was reluctant at first but Steele won her over by convincing her that the show would be an inspiration to FIT students. Dr. Steele also said she and Guinness were in complete agreement that “fashion is worthy of preservation and appreciation.” They both noted that when they began to put the show together, Alexander McQueen, the late British fashion designer and a close friend of Guinness, was still alive. There are over two dozen McQueen pieces included in the exhibit that have never before been on display.

Guinness, 43, said some of her inspirations included Diana Vreeland, Nancy Cunard, Josephine Baker, and the Duchess of Windsor.

When I asked her to talk about her evolution of style and if motherhood changed the way she dressed—she has three children, Stavros, 22, Alexis, 20, and Ines, 16—she said she didn’t dress the way she does now when her children were small. She also said she found she made style mistakes over the years, which she said, “helps to define you, you learn.” She finds she’s now influenced by the people she is around and the projects she is involved in.

She looked right at me as she answered my question. I found her articulate, intelligent, shy, and charming. She has big beautiful brown eyes, an English accent, and a way of making you feel as if you and she are the only people in the room.

Valerie Steele did a great job of engaging Daphne in conversation and putting her at ease. I also think Daphne realized she was among fans and friends, all lovers of fashion!

When a reporter asked her to describe her approach to collecting couture she said she knows a piece is for her when “it sparks something in you, you are intuitively drawn to it.”

She noted that in her youth she wasn’t interested in fashion per se, she was more attuned to artists, but she liked the idea of using fashion as a form of defense. She also said that growing up in London she knew she was an “anti-Sloane Ranger,” which drew a laugh from the crowd. She said that while those young women wanted to wear “the little sweater and the little skirt,” Guinness herself had other desires. “I wanted to wear studded leather,” she said.

The photo of Daphne just outside the exhibit.

When asked what she hoped people would take away from the exhibit she focused on young designers studying the clothes. “Designers love to see how the seams are done, how it’s constructed, how the stitching is done, it’s what they always want to know.”

In closing she remarked that she loved the idea of “chic as a kind of armor,” but stressed, “You can’t be anybody but yourself.”

Daphne Guinness is on view at The Museum at FIT through January 7, 2012.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

Daphne’s Closet

2011-09-17T11:51:00.003-04:00

Daphne Guinness in a vintage Armani Privé gown. Photo by David Bailey.

That is some couture collection Daphne Guinness has.

Yesterday marked the opening of Daphne Guinness, at The Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, on view until January 7, 2012. The exhibit highlights the couture collection amassed by Ms. Guinness, one of the heirs to the Guinness brewing fortune, and includes approximately 100 garments and accessories, as well as short films by and featuring Guinness herself.

Ensemble by Alexander McQueen, featuring a gorgeous iridescent cape.

Heelless platform shoes made of red crystals and gold medal studs by Noritaka Tatehana.

Organized into six sections, “Dandyism,” “Armor,” “Chic,” “Evening Chic,” “Exoticism,” and “Sparkle,” the show, co-curated by Guinness and Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT, offers a look into the never-ending fashion fantasy the combination of money and a profound love of the artistry of couture can create. For those who missed the exhibit Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, you can consider this McQueen Redux, since there are many pieces by the late designer, a close friend of Guinness, a dozen of which have never before been displayed.

From the “Armor” section, two sculptural dresses by the late British designer Alexander McQueen.

The exhibition’s design, by Ken Nintzel, is inspired by Guinness’s New York apartment, and from it I can only assume there must be mirrors everywhere in her house, reflecting her look from every angle. Suspended above all is the animated image of Guinness in a silvery catsuit, crowned with a diadem, a Statue of Liberty for the fashion-obsessed.

From the “Dandyism” section, with a focus on tailored pieces, blue jacket by Dior, black jacket by Daphne Guinness and pants from a London punk shop.

From the “Armor” section, dress and hooded cape of slashed metallic foil by Gareth Pugh, and heelless platform shoes of black patent leather by Natacha Marro.

From the “Armor” section, jumpsuit and modified Nina Ricci boots of brown leather and rhinestones.

Most of the pictures I see of Guinness in newspapers and magazines make her seem more the mother of Lady Gaga than the mother of Stavros, Alexis and Ines Niarchos, her three children by her ex-husband Spyros Niarchos, a Greek shipping billionaire. But in the quieter sections of the exhibit, “Chic” and “Evening Chic” especially, you learn the more extreme outfits Ms. Guinness veers toward, which garner the most attention, also have a counterpart: elegant clothing owned by a woman who appreciates the excellence couture provides—the best design, the best materials, the best workmanship. For those of you not inclined to wear, say, a leather catsuit with molded shoulders, you may find yourself understanding (and falling in love with) aspects of Guinness’s aesthetic in these sections of the show. Or maybe that’s just me and the fact that I am a mother myself. Catsuits I don’t understand. Catsuits I don’t do. But a gorgeous black dress with lace inserts by Alaïa? I’m so there.

From the “Chic” section, black dress with lace inserts, white eyelet dress with leather belt, both by Azzedine Alaïa.

From the “Evening Chic” section, a black Chanel dress and a pink Dior gown.

In the “Sparkle” section, a Chanel jacket of ivory sequins on silk net and white feathers.

From the “Sparkle” section, catsuit and cape by Alexander McQueen, made of gold and bronze bugle beads and sequins on silk net, cape of black feathers.

Because so many designers are on display in this exhibit, from McQueen to Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, from Christian Lacroix to Valentino (and many others), for anyone wanting to get up close and personal with couture, this show is not to be missed.

Best of all, admission to the show is FREE.

A book accompanying the exhibit, Daphne Guinness, written by Valerie Steele and Daphne Guinness, will be available for purchase in October. All royalties from sales of the book will benefit the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Come back soon, my next post will cover the remarks given to the press by Ms. Guinness and Ms. Steele, including a question posed to Daphne by me!

From the “Exoticism” section, two Japanese-inspired dresses and chopines by Alexander McQueen for Givenchy.

The Museum at FIT
Seventh Avenue and 27th Street
New York NY 10001-5992
212-217-4558
Hours: Tuesday-Friday: Noon-8PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays
Admission is free

A Moment of Grace

2011-09-15T09:04:00.002-04:00

Grace Coddington, Creative Director of Vogue. Photo by Larry Busacca/GettyImages North America.

The September issue of Vogue, with some great styling by Grace Coddington, the Creative Director, has me excited to think that by this time next year there may be a Grace Coddington memoir to enjoy alongside the 2012 September issue. Grace sold the rights to her upcoming memoir to Random House (for $1.2 million) and will co-write it with Michael Roberts, a Vogue writer. It will cover her modeling days in 1960s London, the car accident that changed her career path, her early days as a stylist and editor at British Vogue, and later, American Vogue. Grace, who was so charming and wonderful to learn about in the documentary The September Issue, turned 70 in April of this year.

I hope there will be lots of pictures of her modeling days. This editorial she styled for the September issue, “My Generation,” makes me think a picture of Grace from the 60s would fit right in next to Natalia’s.

Natalia Vodianova in a Burberry Prorsum coat. Photo by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Here are a few shots from my favorite September issue ever, 2006, with Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette, which Grace styled, on location at Versailles.

The September 2006 issue of Vogue, featuring Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette in a pink silk dress designed by Milena Canonero and produced by GP11 Rome. Ms. Canonero won an Acacemy Award for costume design for Marie Antoinette. Photo by Annie Leibovitz.

Kirsten in a corseted pink and dove taffeta and chiffon ball gown by Alexander McQueen. Photo by Annie Leibovitz.

Photo by Annie Leibovitz.

I hope once her book comes out Grace will do a reading and signing in Manhattan. I would happily wait in line to meet her!

Missoni for Target & Bill Cunningham New York

2011-09-13T06:34:00.000-04:00

Fashion lovers nationwide are lucky enough to have TWO wonderful things being released today. The first is the Missoni for Target collection. It’s really awful how much of this collection I want, from sweaters to pillows to coats to espresso cups. My prediction is by time you read this plenty of items will have sold out online or Target.com will have crashed from all the visitors to the site.

The second release is the DVD of Bill Cunningham New York, the documentary about the beloved street fashion photographer at the New York Times and probably the father of all of us bloggers (one of mine, anyway). You can read my review of the movie here. I’m watching this again as soon as my copy arrives. Here (once more) is a picture I took of Bill working outside of 58th Street and 5th Avenue last Thursday at this year’s Fashion’s Night Out.

I hope all of you lovelies will get a chance to see this documentary soon and if you get your hands on some Missoni for Target, do tell what you bought!

Ladurée Opens in NYC

2011-09-12T08:29:00.004-04:00

Some of the macaroon flavors offered by Laduree. Photo from Laduree.fr.

Ladurée opened their first shop in the United States a couple of weeks ago, in Manhattan on Madison Avenue at 71st Street. I’ve read the lines are kind of crazy right now with people wanting to get their hands on their famous macarons flown in from Paris. I plan on making the trek to try them myself, having never had them before. Ladurée New York offers them in 15 favors for $2.70 each. Before I can get there I will have to enjoy the macarons from Almondine, a patisserie that is a block from my house. Almondine makes them in black currant, lemon, pistachio, vanilla, coffee, raspberry, and, my absolute favorite, passionfruit. Yes, please!

Until I get to Ladurée I will enjoy the macarons from my local patisserie Almondine. Top to bottom: pistachio, lemon, passionfruit.

I plan on having a Macaron Smackdown once I get a hold of a few from Ladurée but a friend of mine assures me Ladurée will win any taste test I stage. I will get back to you with the results!

Ladurée New York
864 Madison Avenue (at 71st Street)
New York NY 10021
646-558-3157
Open Monday through Saturday: 9AM to 7PM
Sunday: Noon to 6PM

Fashion’s Night Out 2011 NYC

2011-09-10T13:50:00.003-04:00

On Fifth Avenue.

Sequined jacket at Zara.

I love this look from Bergdorf’s.

Glitter Tattoos in a Fifth Avenue window.

Rapunzel and two lumberjacks in a Bergdorf window.

A live marionette in a Bergdorf window.

Shoe by Tom Ford.

Nicholas Kirkwood heels.

The man, the myth, the legend. New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham, in his trademark blue smock, at work on Fashion’s Night Out.

Bill was working away on 58th Street and 5th Avenue, just outside of Bergdorf’s, at 10:30PM. This being Fashion’s Night Out, some people started to recognize who was moving amongst them and three girls even took a picture with him. But there eventually got to be so much attention on him that he held up a finger and said, “One minute,” to further photo requests and then mildly worked his way down the street, still snapping away. A moment later he was gone, as quick as an elf. I’m not kidding, you could not find him at all, it was as though he had vanished. I don’t know how he did it! This is the last picture of him I took before he got away.

IFB Cocktail Party & Conference

2011-09-08T13:56:00.002-04:00

At the pre-IFB Conference Cocktail Party at the Mandarin Oriental in Manhattan with Tea of The Brunette World, left, and Sonia of In Pursuit of Style, center. Photo by Ivie Ero of My So-Called Corporate Life.

I will let the pictures do the talking. I had a great time at both events put on by the Independent Fashion Bloggers. Tuesday night was the pre-IFB Con Cocktail Party held at the swanky Mandarin Oriental in Manhattan (thank you Vahni of Grit & Glamour for inviting me) and Wednesday was the conference. I went to both with the charming and beautiful Bella of the Citizen Rosebud, who is so fun to hang out with, I wish she lived in Brooklyn so I could see her all the time. It was exciting to meet so many different bloggers and to hear what people at the forefront of the community had to say during the panels. If you get a chance to attend this conference in the future, you have to do it.

Can I tell you how much I love this photo of me with Ari Seth Cohen of Advanced Style? Photo by Ivie Ero of My So-Called Corporate Life.

The glamorous Jasmin of Vintage Vandalizm.

The line to get into Milk Studios, the IFB Conference venue.

This one makes me laugh every time. Standing in line with Bella of the Citizen Rosebud.

After one of the conference panels.

A Missoni-wearing puppet. It was hard not to stare at this thing the whole time. The puppeteers had her 'Tweeting' on her iPhone and looking around and blinking. On the wall behind her were the live Tweets going on about the conference.

With the ultra-stylish Vahni of Grit & Glamour. Photo by the foxy street style photographer Lee Oliveira.

Rachel Zoe, Sequins & Chanel

2011-09-06T08:34:00.002-04:00

Rachel, Rodger, and baby Skyler (in Missoni!). Photo from Bravotv.com.

This is your friendly reminder that Season 4 of The Rachel Zoe Project starts tonight on Bravo TV at 10/9c. I don't have cable so will be waiting for the entire season to come out on DVD, or watching episodes on Bravo's website if they post them. As a lovely consolation prize for missing the return of Rachel's show, tonight I'm going to a cocktail party at the Mandarin Oriental in Manhattan, in honor of the Independent Fashion Bloggers Conference on September 7. Sort of the pre-party. I can't wait!

I haven't worked out all the details yet but for this cocktail party I'm taking a page from Rachel's playbook and breaking out the sequins and the Chanel. I know Rachel would approve!

Blue sequin tank by Apt. 9, from Kohl's, and vintage Chanel bag.

In a lucky twist, the fabulous Bella of the Citizen Rosebud, who lives in Sacramento, CA, is staying, of all the places she could stay in NYC, around the corner from me in Brooklyn. I'm excited to meet her for the first time and ride the F train with her into the city to get to the party!

Nature Does It Best

2011-09-05T10:53:00.004-04:00

These two birds were easily the most glamorous things I saw last week at the New York State Fair in Syracuse, NY. There are entire halls dedicated to farm animals such as horses, cows, pigs, sheep, llamas and goats. My favorite was the bird hall with various chickens, pigeons, ducks and geese, and these two birds were my absolute favorites.

I love this stylish rooster. Look at those black and white stripes, look at that red comb!

With dots being so hot for fall, this is one on-trend fowl.

Links à la Mode: September 1

2011-09-04T14:42:00.023-04:00

I'm so excited to have one of my posts chosen, for the second time, as an Independent Fashion Bloggers' Links à la Mode, this one on selling old gold jewelry for cash. And just a friendly reminder, if you have gold to sell, you need to get on that. The London PM Gold Fix for September 2, 2011 was $1,875.25 an ounce. I turned my old gold into a new Hermès scarf. Just think of what fashion goodies you could buy with yours!

Season of Change

Edited by: Meghan of WIT & Whimsy

One of my favorite parts about fashion is how the seasons influence our style. As summer winds down, and as this week’s Links a la Mode showcase, it appears we fashion bloggers are ready to usher in fall and embrace layering, new trends and an entirely new season full of ways to rework our wardrobes.

The IFB Weekly Roundup: LINKS À LA MODE: September 1st

Beautify My Life: Leopard is the New Neutral

Best of Bklyn: 5 Ladylike Bags for Fall

Blah Blah Becky: Doing 60s Chic

Dramatis Personae: 10 Things Lady Gaga Taught Me About Style

Dress Code: High Fashion: Roberto Cavalli Fall 2011

Emily Divine: How to Cosmic Galaxy Nails

Everything Just So: Turning Gold, Green

Fashables: Pants that Pop

Inexpensive Chic: Mixing Lengths

Le Pire est Passe: Rachel Zoe’s Debut Collection

Notes from a Stylist: Bamboo in Fashion

Small Town, Big Wardrobe: The Challenges of Shopping in a Small Town

Sugar Coated Style: Lots of High Style with High Slits

The Chic Sheet: Hardly Ever Wore It

The Styling Dutchman: Pin Curl Tutorials

Thank FiFi: Maxi to Midi

This Girl’s Vintage: Balmain: Past & Present

The Style Shift: Styling the Calvin Klein Shift

WIT & Whimsy: Why You Should Pinterest

SPONSOR:

Fashions Night Out at Shopbop: Chaser Tees, Vince, Tbags LA, Freecity, Obakki, Maison Scotch, Aiko, So Low, Joie, Siwy, Wilt tees, Cut 25, & UGGs

PLEASE READ IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE

The Linda

2011-08-30T09:44:00.003-04:00

The Sequined Linda Cardigan, with Tie-Neck Plunge Blouse, both of which I would love to add to my closet. Photo from Saks.com.

I have been loving most of what I've seen from Rachel Zoe's debut collection but my favorite thing has to be this combination of a tie-necked blouse with a sparkly sweater, named the Sequined Linda Cardigan after Linda Fargo, Bergdorf Goodman's Senior Vice President, Women's Fashion Director and Store Presentation, and someone I find myself increasingly looking for in both magazines and in the city when I'm at 57th Street and Fifth Avenue. I saw her last year at Bergdorf's during Fashion's Night Out, looking so glamorous in her dress and high heels, and with a big smile on her face as she watched all of us crazy fashion lovers enjoying the store she helps to run!

Linda Fargo, the chic Senior Vice President of Bergdorf Goodman. I love this whole look, especially her silver hair. Photo by Mr. Newton.

Rachel's collection is available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, and, with slightly different offerings, at Piperlime.

Yves Saint Laurent: His Life and Times

2011-08-26T13:07:00.000-04:00

I have been rounding out my knowledge of fashion history from the decade after WWII up through the late 1990s with the documentary Yves Saint Laurent: His Life and Times. Filmmaker David Teboul got Saint Laurent to give lengthy interviews in 2001 that trace his roots as a young boy growing up in Algeria to the teenager who won prizes in design competitions, from the young man who took over the storied house of Dior (at 21!), to the couturier who started his own house in 1962. Interspersed are interviews with Saint Laurent’s mother, Lucienne Mathieu-Saint-Laurent, his companion and business partner Pierre Bergé, and friends and muses Betty Catroux and Loulou de la Falaise, which give a more complete view of Yves and his world.

Some of my favorite moments were the fashion shows—I love seeing mid-century fashion shows, always held in cramped gilded salons where there is no music, no elbow room, and the ladies smoke, take notes, and even make comments about the clothes in the full hearing of everyone around them. Hilarious!

Fall-Winter 1990 Haute Couture Collection. Green tweed; pink crepe blouse.

Also interesting are the interviews Saint Laurent gave at various points in his career. It’s clear he felt a deep affinity for Coco Chanel, calling her in one 1968 interview his favorite person in history and saying she and Balenciaga in his (young) opinion were the two greats, making a mark on their day and their art. At the time he didn’t consider himself, or any of his contemporaries, at that level.

By 2001 he still considered Chanel “the only house that still has its own style, along with mine.” He’s right—all the tie-neck blouses we will see this fall, the color combinations, and the influence of the 1970s seem a direct reference to the Yves Saint Laurent style.

Fall-Winter 1973 Haute Couture Collection. Cardigan embroidered with gold, gray, and silver; sand-colored chiffon blouse, gray flannel pants. Made to order by Lauren Bacall. I'm convinced all the tie-neck blouses we are going to see this fall are because of the YSL retrospective held last year in Paris.

I found it interesting too that Yves talks about his love of black models, claiming he had the first one in Paris when he started in 1962 and that he considered them extraordinary, “their bodies, the way they hold their head, the legs.” He found them “provocative and exhilarating” and said they “give meaning to the whole creation.”

Edmonde Charles-Roux, editor of Vogue Paris from 1954 to 1966, says in the film that if “Chanel liberated women, Yves Saint Laurent liberated fashion, removing its sacred aura” and making it “younger, freer, more real.”

Spring-Summer 1981 Haute Couture Collection. Gold-and-silver lamé gauze.

Yves Saint Laurent: His Life and Times is essential viewing for anyone wanting to understand the changes in fashion since the 1950s and Yves’ part in bringing them about.

If you want to watch Yves and his atelier at work creating his final collection before his retirement, the same disc contains 5 Avenue Marceau 75116 Paris, which I reviewed here.

All photos of the clothes are by Alexandre Guirkinger, from the excellent book Yves Saint Laurent by Florence Müller and Farid Chenoune.

Turning Gold into Silk

2011-08-24T09:34:00.002-04:00

Photo from Pennachiojewelers.com.

With the price of gold going up and up—the London PM Gold Fix price for August 22 was $1,877.50 an ounce, a record price—I thought it was time to put up a post I’d planned awhile ago on selling old gold jewelry for cash. I sold my gold over a year ago, and if you are planning to do the same, here’s my advice:

1. Keep track of the price of gold for a month. (Oh, never mind, sell now!) I watched the price of gold for over a year to note the fluctuation in prices. I sold at a good time, not as great as now, but when I started watching in early 2009 it was at just over $900 an ounce and when I sold in spring 2010 it was at $1,200 an ounce.

2. Check rates between buyers, because they do differ, and make sure they use the London PM Gold Fix as the standard for what prices they offer. I looked into quite a few places but narrowed it down to Goldfellow.com and U.S. Gold Buyers based on customer satisfaction and what was written about them in the media. U.S. Gold Buyers offered higher prices so I chose them.

3. Sell gold in person, if possible. Another reason I went with U.S. Gold Buyers was because they had an office in the Diamond District in Manhattan that I could walk into with no appointment. If you can’t sell gold in person, find out if the amount of money you are offered for your gold will be less whatever it costs to have your gold shipped to the company. Most places will offer you free shipping through FedEx but you should know, one way or another.

4. Make sure you will not regret saying goodbye to your gold jewelry forever! Most of what I sold was broken and could not be fixed, according to a jeweler friend of mine, which made my decision very easy. The gold could either continue to sit in my jewelry box, collecting dust for another decade, or I could turn it into cash, and roll that cash into something on my Fashion Wish List, which is exactly what I did.

Washington's Carriage 70cm Hermès silk scarf. It looks like Cinderella's coach to me.

I walked out of the Diamond District with a check for a nice sum for such a small haul. I didn’t want to blow it on just anything so for nine months I thought about what would be a good purchase, one that would be special. I ended up using my gold money to buy my first Hermès scarf, which I plan on getting a lot of use out of and passing onto my daughter one day.

Whatever you buy with your old gold cash, it’s a great time to sell.

The Gospel According to Coco Chanel

2011-08-19T09:09:00.002-04:00

On this, the birthday of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (born August 19, 1883), I thought I’d review a fun book I read last month, The Gospel According to Coco Chanel, by Karen Karbo. It’s subtitled Life Lessons from the World’s Most Elegant Woman and it’s in that subtitle that I realized that this book is for everybody. Because if you haven’t read any biographies on Chanel, this is a great introduction to the highlights of her amazing life, and if you have read biographies on Chanel, this is a great break from all that reading, taking what you already know about Coco and thinking about how it applies to you in the here and now.

With chapter names like “On Fearlessness,” “On Embracing the Moment,” and “On Money,” Karbo writes about Chanel’s life from beginning to end in an easy, accessible way that allows the reader to think of all the incredible things Coco was in her lifetime—an abandoned child, a struggling café singer, a fledgling designer, an icon, an aging woman in exile, the comeback of the fashion world—and to turn what Chanel experienced into a motivating self-help guide, or, at times, a cautionary tale, you decide.

Threaded throughout is the author’s desire to own a Chanel jacket. Oh do I understand that particular lust, but unlike Karbo, who at first insisted that the jacket had to be vintage Chanel, as in, a jacket coming from Chanel when Mademoiselle was alive and designing, I would be thrilled with, as Karbo calls it, “Lagerfeld-Chanel,” meaning anything designed by Karl Lagerfeld since he took over as creative director of Chanel in 1983. I thought this was a great theme to work through the book, the wanting of, and the hunt for, a Chanel jacket, and I could’ve used a lot more of it, actually. I won’t spoil the outcome of Karbo’s search for you, but it certainly makes me want to write my own rakish book on getting my hands on some Chanel beyond what I can buy at the beauty counter.

I tried this jacket on last November at Saks Fifth Avenue, which you can read about here. It was heavenly. It was also $4,200.

This is a great end of summer read that can get you pumped up for a weighty biography of Coco you could hunker down with this fall, like Chanel: A Woman of Her Own by Axel Madsen or the one I hope to own soon, Chanel and Her World by Edmonde Charles-Roux, who was the editor of Vogue Paris from 1954 to 1966. Even without going on to read other more substantial biographies, The Gospel According to Coco Chanel is a standout book, giving a quirky, entertaining twist to a subject who still exerts so much influence in the sphere of fashion.

Fashion Walk of Fame: Lilly Daché

2011-08-12T13:39:00.006-04:00

It’s been a long time since I featured a designer honored with a plaque on the Fashion Walk of Fame in the Garment District of Manhattan. With three royal weddings this year, I feel I have been spending plenty of time looking at hats and fascinators all of a sudden, so it seemed the milliner Lilly Daché would be a good choice to revive the “Fashion Walk of Fame” posts and share a little fashion history with you.

Her plaque reads:

Lilly Daché was one of the world’s most successful milliners. Working in New York, she utilized techniques learned in her native France. Her hats were characterized by bold, sculptural shapes, which required complex blocking. Many were also decorated with seductive veils and trimmings. Most famous during the 1930s and 1940s, when a chic hat was at least as important as a stylish dress, Daché was a milliner extraordinaire.

Lilly in the mirror, checking her look. Photo © 1956 Leonard McCombe/LIFE Magazine.

A black feather hat by Lilly Daché, 1939-1940. Photo courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

An evening snood by Lilly Daché, 1940s. Photo courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Lilly's plaque is on Seventh Avenue in NYC, between 37th and 38th Streets, next to the designers Mainbocher and Willi Smith.

Fashion Bloggers & Valentino on September 7

2011-08-10T09:34:00.001-04:00

I bought my early bird ticket for the Independent Fashion Bloggers Conference, being held September 7, 2011, in New York City. I'm so excited! I hope to meet a few of my favorite bloggers like Vahni of Grit & Glamour, Bella of The Citizen Rosebud, and Elissa of Dress With Courage. I also hope to learn anything I can about technology as it pertains to blogging, since I feel I am always playing catch up on that subject.

The same day as the IFB Conference, one of my favorite designers, Valentino Garavani, will be honored with the 2011 Couture Council Artistry of Fashion Award, given by The Couture Council of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. If I had $1,000 to spare (the price of a "Fashionista Ticket," which includes seating and listing in the invitation), I would have to skip a couple of hours of the IFB Conference (sorry!) to attend this luncheon honoring Mr. Valentino, whose work I have long admired. Since that's not happening, I will console myself with having gotten the IFB Conference ticket at the nice price and having a look through Valentino: Themes and Variations, by Pamela Golbin.

Valentino with Anne Hathaway earlier this year at the Oscars, Anne in vintage Valentino red. Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images.

Now to the question that strikes fear in my heart: what do you wear to a fashion blogger conference (or to meet Valentino)?

Skinnygirl Margaritas & Cocktail Rings

2011-08-08T09:06:00.004-04:00

My mother and I tried Skinnygirl Margarita, the ready-made margarita by reality TV star Bethenny Frankel, originally one of The Real Housewives of New York City and more recently on Bethenny Ever After, both on Bravo TV. Margaritas are one of those drinks I love (I’m a on-the-rocks-with-salt gal) but a little too lazy to make at home. If this is you too, I recommend giving Skinnygirl a try. Just pour over ice and enjoy. It’s made with Blue Agave clear tequila and is marketed as being just 100 calories per a 4 oz. serving. I liked it a lot better than margaritas I’ve been served at happy hours (too yellow, too sweet), but less than the best margarita I ever had, which was made with fresh lime juice, and enjoyed in multiple quantities in a tiny little bar in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

I know from watching Bethenny Ever After that not all 50 states carry Skinnygirl Margarita. In New York I can get it from FreshDirect, the online grocery store, for $17.99.

And what goes better with a prepared cocktail than cocktail rings? I hit up my mother’s jewelry box for some of hers to model here.

From QVC, turquoise with pavé faux diamonds, set in sterling silver. I like this one a lot, it reminds me of something Rachel Zoe would wear.

A recent acquisition featuring a cultured pearl and two czs set in sterling silver.

The pearl is huge, the size of a small gumball!

A turquoise set in sterling silver, from the late 1950s, originally owned by my grandfather.

Smoky topaz in gold, circa 1977.

A white sapphire cocktail ring, circa 1964. Easily my favorite. I love its Liz Taylor quality.

I found this tidbit on cocktail rings from Nina Garcia’s The One Hundred: A Guide to Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own—

“The term ‘cocktail ring’ emerged during Prohibition, when women would wear large, bold rings to illegal cocktail parties. A woman would flit her hand around, drawing attention to the bauble, to let you know that not only was she drinking illegally, she was doing it with style.”

Which one is your favorite? Do you wear cocktail rings?

McQueen at Midnight

2011-08-04T16:39:00.002-04:00

Dress, The Horn of Plenty, autumn/winter 2009-10
Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph © Sølve Sundsbø/Art + Commerce

For the final two days of the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit, the Met has decided to do the unprecedented—they are keeping the museum open until midnight on Saturday, August 6, and Sunday, August 7, to allow as many people as possible to see this landmark show before it closes. It's a fitting final tribute to a designer whose imagination was steeped in darkness, with touches of the grotesque and the macabre.

www.metmuseum.org

Belated Rachel, Inspirational Bert

2011-08-02T07:10:00.002-04:00

Rachel, left, at work. Love the sunglasses, love the jacket! Photo by Bravotv.com.

Season 4 of The Rachel Zoe Project was originally scheduled to air tonight at 10PM on Bravo TV. For whatever reason, the start of the new season has been postponed until September 6. Boo-hiss, I need my hit of Rachel! I hope the delay will result in extra episodes.

Thankfully, in the meantime, Project Runway is back and I watched the opening episode last week. So far I am loving Bert Keeter, a 57-year-old designer from Los Angeles who, in his younger days, worked for Bill Blass, Arnold Scaasi, and Halston. Can you imagine what an education that must have been? I loved the dress he designed, made out of what he wore to bed the night before, as the challenge dictated. I also love that he is twice the age of most of the other contestants, proving it is never too late to follow your dream! Go Bert!

Bert, left, talking with Tim Gunn about how he's going to make it work. The dress, partially made out of his orange gingham boxer shorts, is shown in the center. Photo by mylifetime.com.

Project Runway is on Lifetime, Thursdays at 9pm/8c.

Hermès for Target?

2011-07-30T11:15:00.003-04:00

When my mother and I were in Target the other day we came across these bracelets, blatant ripoffs of the very famous bracelets sold at Hermès, so I couldn't resist putting them on while my mother took pictures with her iPhone. I've tried on the real thing at the Hermès Wall Street store, and of course they're much heavier and more gorgeous than these flimsy knockoffs.

Target's version of the Hermès Collier de Chien bracelet, $16.99. The real one retails for around $1,000.
A close-up of the real Collier de Chien made by Hermès. This one is made of navy crocodile and is available at Fashionphile.com for $2,095. Photo by Fashionphile.com.

Target's version of the Kelly Double Tour bracelet.

Plastic wrap still on the "Kelly" lock.
The Kelly Double Tour bracelet by Hermès. This one, in black Chamonix leather, is available at Fashionphile for $745, which is bizarre, since you can buy one directly from Hermès.com for $430. Photo by Fashionphile.com.

I would think the Hermès intellectual property lawyers would be all over this case. Those are pretty distinctive design features that I wouldn't be surprised to learn have been copyrighted, patented, or both.

5 Avenue Marceau 75116 Paris

2011-07-28T12:21:00.003-04:00

If you want to spend some time inside an haute couture atelier, watching amazing dresses come to life, I highly recommend renting Yves Saint Laurent, the two-part feature film, and going straight to part two, 5 Avenue Marceau 75116 Paris, the documentary showing Saint Laurent putting together his final collection before his retirement in 2002. Joined by his longtime muse, Loulou de la Falaise, trusted advisor, Anne-Marie Muñoz, and his seamstresses—look for Georgette, my favorite, with glasses and short red hair—you watch Yves and his team transforming his sketches into glorious haute couture. This was the film that made me want to start sewing again.

I read complaints on Netflix that this movie was boring, but I disagree. It is meditative and there are no voice-overs (although there are English translations), but I liked this fly-on-the-wall approach. It made me feel like I was actually in the room and showed me the inner workings of an atelier and the unbelievable skill of the women and men who worked for Yves. His affection for them is touching and some of the best parts of the film are when Yves is watching a beautiful model walk into his gilded salon, him seeing for the first time one of his sketches come to life. He would say, “Oh, ravissante!” (Ravishing!) with utter pleasure and then praise the seamstress who accompanies the dress when she presents it to him. It’s fascinating to see the collaborative process between Yves Saint Laurent, one of the world’s most famous and iconic fashion designers, and the talented tailors and seamstresses who turn his vision into wearable, exquisite reality.

Sartorialist Inspiration

2011-07-25T16:19:00.001-04:00

Self portrait taken in my mother's living room and yes I'm standing on her couch.

A recent photo on The Sartorialist called “On the Street…All White, Florence” showed a woman in wearing a white blouse and pants, adding color with her woven belt and a pink and red Hermès Twilly scarf wrapped around her wrist, above her watch. I decided to try a similar look with my Twilly in the Tohu Bohu pattern, in the red colorway, paired with a J. Crew navy blue sailor striped shirt.

Photo by Handsome Brother #2 (I have three handsome brothers).

As for the Twilly scarf, the 24 Fbg on the scarf refers to 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the address in Paris where the Hermès mothership is located. I hope I get to visit it one day.

McQueen Redux

2011-07-22T09:48:00.003-04:00

The line I waited in to get into the Met last Sunday.

I returned to the Met for the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibit with a friend on Sunday morning to see it one more time before it closes on August 7.

Well.

The line at 9:30AM when the Met opened was actually two lines, which snaked down the steps and along Fifth Avenue in both directions. I’ve lived in NY since 1996. I’ve gone to the Met more times than I can remember. I have never seen a line for anything in Manhattan like the line not only to enter the Met, but to get into the McQueen exhibit!

The Met has announced they’ve had 500,000 visitors to the exhibit since it opened on May 4. Wow! They have also announced that they will extend the viewing hours until 9PM for the last four days of the exhibit, August 4-7. In addition, starting today, July 22, the Museum will open one hour early to Museum members, offering exclusive entrance to the McQueen exhibit from 8:30-9:30AM, every day except Mondays, when the Museum offers McQueen Mondays, with a timed ticketed entry to the exhibit and with the rest of the Museum closed to the public.

If you get to the Met and find yourself, as I did, standing in line in the Near East Art galleries, you are about 2 hours from getting to see the McQueen show. In which case, I highly recommend buying a membership to the Met (prices start at $100), because members don’t wait in the line, they can go straight in, and bring guests with them as well.

Ensemble, The Girl Who Lived in the Tree, autumn/winter 2008-9
Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph © Sølve Sundsbø/Art + Commerce

The handsome Lloyd, whom my friend and I met in line when we offered to hold his spot so he and his friend could check out the other exhibits in the Met, decided he’d had enough of waiting. He bought a membership at the table strategically placed just outside the McQueen exhibit, and then brought his friend, my friend, and me in as his guests. Thank you Lloyd!

That’s the kind of random and wonderful generosity that makes me love New Yorkers.

Under the Influence

2011-07-18T09:23:00.002-04:00

Chanel ought to give my friend Catherine at Aesthetic Alterations a commission, because when I saw her wearing their new nail polish, Peridot, I knew I was going to buy a bottle of it myself, asap. Peridot is a green-gold that changes with the wearer's movement, looking different at every angle. The Chanel rep at the beauty counter only wore one coat and it looked more gold on her, but I put on two coats to get the full effect. It's a very unusual shade, a color not already in my nail polish collection, and Peridot is my birthstone, so I couldn't let this one get away. It's already sold out in Manhattan.

I lined up recent purchases and old favorites and found that I won't need to buy nail polish for awhile, these colors will easily take me from summer straight into fall.

The colors, left to right:

Essie, Limited Addiction - A glamorous true red
Essie, Velvet Voyeur - A chocolate-laced purple
Essie, Mademoiselle - The best pale pink nail ever
Rescue Beauty Lounge, Catherine - A mysterious deep purple flecked with fuschia, silver, and turquoise
Chanel, Peridot - Green-gold
Chanel, Black Satin - Black as night and very elegant

Do you have a color or brand you love? Please share!

Blame It On Yves

2011-07-14T09:04:00.002-04:00

I know for sure that my renewed interest in sewing is entirely due to seeing 5 Avenue Marceau 75116 Paris, the documentary about Yves Saint Laurent’s atelier as he prepares his final haute couture collection before his retirement in 2002. I will do a review of the movie in my next post but I wanted to share my summer sewing project—a simple A-line skirt made out of black eyelet that I found at Mood Fabrics, in the Garment District of NYC. I stopped sewing for a long time because I found it frustrating, have had no space to permanently set up my sewing machine since moving to New York in 1996, and couldn’t get a hold of good, inspiring fabrics back when I was sewing. But after watching Yves and his seamstresses at work—all the draping, all the thread tracing, all the basting while they fit and refit a dress on a model, made me want to have another crack at it.

Mood Fabrics was a treat—three floors of fabric, some designed by Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, and Carolina Herrera. They have a fabulous helpful staff, and customers ranging from the design kids attending Fashion Institute of Technology, to sewers at all skill levels, to rich ladies like the one who had her Chanel bag, small child, and dressmaker in tow (I’m not kidding), pulling out fabrics and asking the dressmaker, “What would you make with this?” My mother had a theory that the lady has her clothes made by her private seamstress and sinks the money she saves into designer bags. Sounds good to me.

I’ve been thinking about eyelet skirts for over a year—I tried one on last summer at J. Crew but their skirts are too short for me. I found they were featuring eyelet skirts again this year in their catalog and this one is my inspiration.

I loved this black eyelet, so unusual and so very me. I’m not lining the skirt, I’ll wear it with a nude-colored half-slip underneath.

Anyone else sewing this summer?

The Things I Carry

2011-07-11T09:35:00.001-04:00

The fabulous Terri at RAGS against the MACHINE did a recent post on a few of her bags and the contents of one of them. Her post inspired me and I thought I’d share what was inside my bag the other day for a quick trip to Macy’s in downtown Brooklyn. I am pretty finicky about what comes with me on a shopping trip, especially so when I have a child in tow, which that day was my 8 year-old son.

Anyone who’s been reading my blog for awhile must know how horribly addicted I am to what I consider the holy trinity of handbags—Hermès, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton, but I also like simple bags made, as this one was, by a talented and lovely friend. She made the wallet too, at the top, next to the bag.

Contents:

-Wallet

-Goldfish for my son. When you are on the subway anything can happen, including the train stopping for no apparent reason for a long time, so I am a big believer in bringing snacks for kids.

-Metrocard holder, featuring a vintage 1958 subway poster promoting taking the BMT (Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit) to Coney Island.

-Phone; Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball pen in Extra Fine, the best pen ever made, I swear.

-Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Bel-Ami. Eureka, I finally found a lipstick I love, it only took 20 years.

-Keys, featuring my reward cards from CVS, Rite-Aid, and C-Town, a grocery store.

-Tissue

Do you take the kitchen sink around with you in your bag or are you super pared down about what you carry, like me?

Windowpane & Box Pleats at Prada

2011-07-07T08:53:00.000-04:00

These windows, from the Prada store at Broadway and Prince Street in SoHo, feature looks from the Fall 2011 collection. I really can’t think about fall right now, especially when it’s 90 degrees outside, but the boldness of the colors here are so striking and inspirational. I especially love the dresses with the structured bodices, dropped waists, and box-pleated skirts. I could imagine myself wearing the blue one. I’d love to see how textile design comes in to play for Miuccia when she’s designing a collection.

Two-toned knee socks and neutral bags.

I’d take either bag (I am partial to the two-toned one, lower right), but it’s a pass on the shaggy hat.

Shoes you could actually walk in.

Yes, please, to the blue!

The Other Royal Wedding

2011-07-03T09:36:00.009-04:00

A gorgeous Armani dress on the newly-minted Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco. AP Photo.

Grace Kelly’s son Prince Albert II married former Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock yesterday in Monaco. The bride wore Armani and looked quite nice but I am especially crazy for the dresses and hats on the bridesmaids. Aren’t they adorable—the girls and their outfits?

Wonderful dresses on the little bridesmaids, accessorized to perfection!

Met Price Increase

2011-07-02T09:17:00.003-04:00

Alexander McQueen (British, 1969-2010)
Ensemble, The Girl Who Lived in the Tree, autumn/winter 2008-9
Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph © Sølve Sundsbø/Art + Commerce

For any of you lovelies with plans to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art in the future, be advised that yesterday there was an increase in the recommended price of admission to $25 for adults, $17 for seniors, and $12 for students. It had been $20, $15, and $10, respectively. It is the first price increase in 5 years. Children under 12 are admitted for free and there are never additional fees to see any of the special exhibitions the Met is showing, such as Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.

The museum will be open July 4, 2011, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., as one of the Met Holiday Mondays.

Have a great holiday weekend!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street)
New York NY 10028
212-535-7710
www.metmuseum.org

Last Call: Van Cleef & Arpels

2011-06-30T09:07:00.004-04:00

Three Leaves brooch. Paris, France, 1966. Rubies, diamonds, platinum.

This Monday, July 4, marks the final day to view Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. The museum will be open on July 4 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and, even better, admission is free that day. I can’t imagine a more glamorous way to spend what is supposed to be a hot and humid Independence Day than in the air-conditioned Cooper-Hewitt admiring these sparklers before watching the fiery ones that explode over the East River that night.

July 4 also marks the last day to visit the Cooper-Hewitt for two years while it undergoes a renovation to increase exhibition space in the glorious Carnegie Mansion. It’s so old New York in there, I feel like I’m in an Edith Wharton novel when I walk down that dark-paneled staircase. The House of Mirth, perhaps?

Mystery-Set Flower brooch. Paris, France, 1986. Rubies, diamonds, platinum.

Chestnut Leaf brooch. Paris, France, 1952. Sapphires, diamonds, platinum.

If I could pick any two items to own from the stupendous things on display they would be:

Art Deco Nécessaire. Paris, France, 1928. Blue, black and white enamel, sculpted lapis lazuli, rose- and baguette-cut diamonds, gold.

Art Deco bracelet. Paris, France, 1925. Sapphires, diamonds, platinum. Formerly owned by the Duchess of Marlborough (née Consuelo Vanderbilt).

I would want to wear this every single day.

The Cooper-Hewitt gift shop and the Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden will remain open this summer, both free of charge. The Cooper-Hewitt is scheduled to reopen in 2013.

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
2 E. 91st Street (at Fifth Avenue)
New York NY 10128
212-849-8400
www.cooperhewitt.org