27

Feb

This is the Oscars, for Crying Out Loud

There are no E’s for Effort for our Worst Dressed offenders.  Get it together.

Melissa McCarthy paid homage to Bridemaids in a sienna rose jeweled gown by Marina Rinaldi. McCarthy is reportedly starting her own clothing line. I love her; just not in this dress.  Surely there was a more flattering design to be had (i.e. from Tadashi Shoji, perhaps? They have proven they understand and celebrate a fuller silhouette.). 

Another no: Natalie Portman’s vintage scarlet and black polka dot gown by Dior.  I’m not sure polka dots are ever a wise choice for the red carpet.

And a special note for you, Sacha Baron Cohen (and Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj and everyone else who wants to be so “different”): come as YOURSELF.  Costumes and gimmicks at the Oscars? Leave those to the host.  Except for blackface.  That is never appropriate.

No ma’am Melissa Leo: a matronly black and gold sequined combo with an unfortunate ribbon belt?  And what looks the top part of a short-sleeved shirt stuffed into a strapless evening gown? #dobetter

Emma Stone’s fire engine red Giambattista Valli has been seen before, on Nicole Kidman wearing a similar version by Balenciaga in 2007.   And I liked it better on Nicole.

Why take home an Oscar when you can come dressed as one?  Best Actress winner Meryl Streep did, in a golden draped Lanvin. And so did Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson, in a Romona Keveza gold number straight from Caesars Palace. But Stacy Keibler in (Marchesa) did it better, ladies!

Trend that needs to stop?  Split and/or sheer sleeves, as seen on Jennifer Lopez (in Zuhair Murad), Berenice Bejo (in Elie Saab), Sherri Shepherd, the aforementioned Melissa McCarthy, Livia Firth and Amara Miller.  This is not prom season 1974.  Stop trying to make matronly, peek-a-boo and fluttery sleeves happen. And we should not be able to see your lingerie, Sherri.

What else wasn’t cool? Angelina Jolie must be taking lessons from the Lea Michele book of “Look at ME!” posing.  The slit-up-to-HERE black velvet Atelier Versace was lovely, and I get that it’s couture and meant to give leg drama, but it was too much. We don’t all want to see your inner thigh.

Final thoughts? Jane Seymour’s ensemble made me sad, because it reminded me of how beautiful she used to be when she wasn’t trying so hard. She’s a gorgeous woman, but the low cut, red sequined look is just wrong. Bo Derek, on the other hand, is still a “10” (pun intended) in her figure flattering navy gown. And I still am scratching my head over Busy Phillip’s grey lace Dolce & Gabbana.  Scarlett O’Hara did curtains already.

So fab ones, what have we learned? Don’t wear something someone else wore better in recent history.  Stay away from dowdy touches.  Don’t draw unnecessary attention to yourself with outlandish posing. Be sexy AND age appropriate.  And leave the Halloween costume in your closet.  You’ve been warned.

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Images via InStyle/Getty

14 years ago Short URL 3 Comments

Learn From My Mistakes!/Random Acts of Fashion/The Look/Who Wore What Where

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27

Feb

Best Dressed: 2012 Oscars

Hollywood’s big night seemed to be more about fashion than the actual Oscar giveaway!  If you missed The Dictator -also known as Sacha Baron Cohen – dumping what was (hopefully!) Bisquick on Ryan Seacrest, then YouTube it.  Billy Crystal’s Oscar hijinks, a Cirque du Soliel high wire act and a thoughtful In Memoriam tribute featuring Esperanza Spaulding singing “What a Wonderful World” made for a lovely evening.  But on to the fashion.

Viola Davis,  did not take home the Best Actress  trophy but was stunning in an emerald Vera Wang with beaded bustline and natural hair.  Davis  gets a round of applause for leaving the wigs and hair pieces at home and boldly stepped out wearing her short bronze curls, and was FIERCE.  

I also loved  Gwyneth Paltrow’s look; she absolutely owned the red carpet in a modern Tom Ford white gown with asymmetrical neckline and chic floor length cape (which she removed to present with Robert Downey Jr.), minimalist hair and makeup and a wide cuff. 

And Michelle Williams’ coral Louis Vuitton peplum-waist gown with pleating was simply a breath of fresh air on the red carpet.  Her pink Bottega Veneta clutch was also on trend in terms of the color combination.

Diddy – who was executive producer of Best Documentary winner Undefeated – takes home the crown for the gentlemen; I don’t think he ever misses on the red carpet.  He even brought his own lint roller!

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Who got it wrong on one of fashion’s biggest nights? Stay tuned!

14 years ago Short URL 7 Comments

Random Acts of Fashion/Scene and Heard/Uncategorized

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24

Feb

Perry Varner Takes a Bite out of the Big Apple

Fashion industry consultant, Parsons alum and Montgomery native Perry Varner has returned to Alabama for a series of not-to-be-missed fashion events.  Find him at The Royal Experience, Radar Magazine’s second anniversary function and fashion show in Huntsville this Sunday.  He will also be hosting Runway Obsessions: For Colored Girls who Considered Fashion When the Rainbow is Enuf (a clever twist on Ntozake Shange’s work) in Montgomery at the Davis Theatre on March 9.  He spoke with me recently about his motivations and projects.

Mr. Varner has described starting a “movement in fashion.”  When asked to elaborate, he noted the lack of designers of color on Fifth Avenue. 

“I want people of color to have more visibility  when it comes to the impression we make and our buying power when it comes to these brands.  I want people to be more conscious of supporting brands .  That’s why I came to NY.  I’m getting a better understanding of what it means to brand and how little some brands reflect the people who wear the actual items.  There are no black designers on Fifth Avenue.  Not one.  People don’t know that when they go buy red bottoms  [i.e. Christian Louboutin] and Gucci; there are no people of color that represent these products.”

Varner, who is known for masterminding fashionable events, received a bachelors degree from Auburn University Montgomery, and received additional training at Parsons in New York.  He started as a promotions intern with Earthlink Live and later was fashion director for 205 Flava.  He also designed and launched several nightspots, including the popular Amani Raha. 

During those experiences, he says  “I began to only focus on fashion.  I found that being submersed in fashion-related events gave me the most pleasure.  It took me 13 years to figure out what I wanted to do, and the last couple of years to get it right.  It wasn’t easy.  Whatever sacrifices I made, I did it.  I’m in a way better place now [for it].  I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything.  I’d do it the same way again.   I have no regrets.  Somewhere between me thinking this could happen and pursuing it, it happened.”

Now, as a fashion consultant, Varner designs events within New York’s fashion industry and recently hosted a major brunch with numerous media partners and brands during New York Fashion Week.  But it’s not all hobnobbing with the fashion elite.  Varner also teaches a course at Harlem Children’s Zone and has plans to further cement his mark on fashion history with his latest project, a book he hopes to publish soon.

“The History of Black Fashion in America is about how black people have shaped fashion over the last one hundred years in America.  It journeys what we’ve done as people of color and what our contribution has been to pop culture in fashion,” he shares.  

What else can we look forward to from Mr. Varner? 

His latest Style Experience, “Runway Obsessions,” focuses on empowering women.  “I have over sixty models and all female designers.  I’m honoring six  females from the community in each city where we’re doing the show, women who are making a difference.  It opens up a lot of opportunities for the models and designers.  In each city I use local models and I feature designers from that particular city.   I created Style Experience to give people here [a New York-style fashion experience] with beautiful eccentric people, the red carpet, and paparazzi.”

Runway Obsessions will hit the catwalk in Montgomery on March 18,  Birmingham in July, and Atlanta during Labor Day weekend.

For more on Mr. Varner, click here.

Images courtesy Perry Varner

14 years ago Short URL Comments

First Person Fabulous/He Said She Said

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24

Feb

House of Dereon Releases Spring Line

Yes, but will YOU wear it?

For more from the Spring Lookbook, click here.  I think the coral structured dress is the least offensive piece.  Other than that, I’ll pass…

Image via House of Dereon

14 years ago Short URL Comments

Haute or Not?

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23

Feb

BREAKING FASHION NEWS: H&M IS HEADED TO ALABAMA!

Yes, typing in all caps was completely necessary.

H&M lands in Sweet Home Alabama by way of Huntsville’s Bridge Street Town Centre this Spring.   And according to my source,  the store “will include collections for ladies, men, young ladies and young men, with full lingerie, maternity, and accessory departments. This location will also carry H&M’s fantastic children’s collection which features quality clothing for newborn up to kids age 14. The Bridge Street Town Centre H&M will offer approximately 20,000 square feet of selling space.”

Be sure to go to the website and drool over the trendy and affordable pieces; sign up for H&M’s newsletter and you could win a$1000 shopping spree (all subscribers receive a 20% discount off one purchase).  And if you are STILL several hours’ drive from Huntsville (or Atlanta) step away from the ledge: H&M will launch online shopping this fall.

To find out what I love about H&M, click here.

Image via H&M

14 years ago Short URL 2 Comments

Haute off the Press/Love That!/Scene and Heard/Shopping is My Cardio

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22

Feb

Estee Lauder debuts Mad Men Line March 18

Are you as excited as I am about Mad Men’s return to the airwaves on March 25?!  (Okay, maybe you aren’t planning to wear mid-century modern and drink a Manhattan when the fifth season airs.) The characters have inspired a limited edition Banana Republic collection, been immortalized by Barbie and hipsters everywhere, and now in conjunction with the season’s launch, Estee Lauder is releasing a Mad Men-themed cosmetics collection.  The brand will include lipstick and rouge (i.e. blush) in swinging retro glam shades of cherry and evening rose that invite wearers to “shake, stir, [and] seduce.”  The items are prettily packaged in vintage gilt holders; whether you’re a Betty, Joan or Peggy you will definitely look chic when you whisk them out of your pocketbook (er, handbag)!

What better brand to wear to give your Don or Roger a little kiss?

For more info, click here.

Image via AMC

14 years ago Short URL 1 Comment

C'est Si Bon/Love That!/The Look

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21

Feb

Chaka Khan & More at the UNCF Masked Gala this Saturday

UNCF Birmingham’s signature masked gala takes place this Saturday at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel with special guest Chaka Khan.  Area development director Walvid King gave me a sneak peek into what guests can expect.  The black-tie evening, which began as a dinner, “switched to a gala concept in 1990 or 1991,” according to King.  With a $400,000 fundraising goal this year, the local office hopes to exceed that goal and raise half a million dollars this year, and King believes they are well on their way.

What first-timers to the gala can expect: “A first-timer can expect to get a complete understanding of the mission of UNCF, a brief overview of the talent on our college campuses and to hear from UNCF administrators.  They will get a complete overview of what UNCF is all about, and its constituents.”

The Gala’s impact:   “That impact is almost [beyond measure].  We’ve raised over [six figures] on average to support young people in the state of Alabama attending our schools.  You can look at that as being one portion of what we do.  Another portion will go to student aid.  Another portion will go to the school administration for development of its educational staff and infrastructure; [funding] not only benefits hundreds of youth, but extends onto the campus.  The impact is tremendous.  Every dollar counts.”  (The local UNCF development office uses 10% of those funds for administrative costs.)

“Everything else goes back to the schools,” according to King.

What sets it apart from other fundraisers?  “I wouldn’t put it in comparison to any other organization, but everything about our organization is [tied to] fundraising, and I’m not sure if that’s everyone else’s mission.  We are still the number one minority assistance fund in America, and I’d say we hold that crown locally as well.”

Are there any surprises in store for guests Saturday night?  “I don’t want to blow the whistle, but yes, there are some surprises planned.  It wouldn’t be a surprise if I blew the whistle.  (Laughs) It will be a star-studded event supporting educational excellence in this state; this is not something you want to get secondhand. You have to be there to see it.”

King also noted that the local UNCF office manages fundraising for two and a half states with a staff of two people, something that may not be well-known. 

“[The gala] is building and we are growing.  And everyone involved is important.  I really want to thank my wife for her patience during this time; she also volunteers in the office.  And I can’t forget Bryna Reid, who holds everything together while I’m out raising money,”  King added.  “It’s on the backbone, sweat and tears of myself and the volunteers who come by to stuff envelopes and make contacts.  [Many attended UNCF schools and just want to give back.]  It’s a big family effort. ”

This year’s co-chairs are Bill Horton of Regions, and Bobbie Knight-Burley of Alabama Power.  King also expressed gratitude to the numerous sponsors who provided monetary support and man-hours, including two new sponsors: BP and Hershey’s.

For tickets, contact 322-8623 or the UNCF event website.  Don’t forget your mask! 

Image via chakakhan.com

14 years ago Short URL Comments

Birmingham Live!/If We Weren't There It Didn't Happen/Scene and Heard

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17

Feb

SCDD Remembers: Whitney Houston

I don’t think I have the words to describe what Whitney Houston’s music accomplished when she opened her mouth and SANG, or to adequately describe where her lush vocals carried us.  If you can listen to her without feeling you don’t need someone to run to, it’s not right but it’s okay: you may not be human.

My family didn’t have cable television at my parents’ house when Whitney Houston was released.  My dad had a state-of-the-art (at that time) Realistic hifi in our den, and that’s where we played her records.   I remember looking at the woman on the cover as I sat on a barstool in our kitchen.  Thin, brown, with a head full of hair and a big smile – she reminded me of a Barbie come to life.

When Whitney Houston’s music swept WBLX and WABB and everywhere else on the planet, her songs became recital program staples and Star Search pieces. I couldn’t sing a note to save my life, but alone in my bedroom I’d close the door, turn on my Walkman, grab a hairbrush and lip sync in my dresser’s mirror.  With her 80s-perfect gowns, big hair, and modeling credits,  I think for girls my age (no matter what race) Whitney’s beauty, other-worldly talent and down-to-earth persona gave us something to aspire to, whether you wanted to be a singer, actress, model or something else entirely.  Plus, she couldn’t dance; she was just a touch awkward, just like me.  If I close my eyes when I hear You Give Good Love, I can imagine I’m six years old again, riding in my mom’s Toronado, too young for the love she sang about but definitely able to understand the emotion.

I’m not going to embellish her life and ignore or gloss over the fact that Whitney had very real problems.  Real people – whether they are superstars or not – are often more and less than what our expectations hold them up to be.   It is unbelievably tragic that for all the elegant control she had over her voice professionally, she struggled with exerting the same control personally.  I watched the train wreck of an interview conducted by Diane Sawyer, and the Bravo dramedy she starred in with Bobby Brown.  But I always hoped Whitney would pull herself together and triumph.  

This is how I’ll remember her: no gimmicks, no ill-advised attempts at theatricality, just…Whitney.

14 years ago Short URL 2 Comments

Fashion Flashback

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16

Feb

Mother and Daughters Make Design a Family Affair

Sisters Lindsay Oakley and Lauren Carpenter have launched Lila & G, a customizable children’s clothing line celebrating the handmade craftmanship their mother Karen Eubank used in creating their own clothes as little girls.  Drawing inspiration today from their lives as mothers to two little girls of their own (Lila Kate and Gwyneth Anne),  Lila &G makes the process personal: mommies and daughters design the outfit;  Mrs. Eubank constructs the final product.

What inspires your designs?   I remember us drawing out our Easter dresses and my mom would mix and match patterns or draft her own and make them.  She did that for our prom dresses too.  So really that’s been a part of our lives for a long time, since we were kids.  [Lindsay and I] noticed that there was a market for young-looking, sweet clothes made the way [our mother] dressed us.

How did you make the leap from stay-at-home mom to entrepreneur?  I was a teacher for three years; I taught music [prior to Gwyneth’s birth].  When we’re out in public Gwyneth wears clothes that I designed and my mom made, and people asked where they could buy what she was wearing.   And the same thing happened to [my sister and me]when we were growing up.  Since we’re home now, [our starting the business] just made sense.  It really just seemed like a natural thing to do. 

Explain the Lila & G concept.   We looked for things you can’t find in stores and we looked for things you can mix and match.  The idea is that the mom and daughter get to design the outfit together and we get to make it.  They start with our template, and they pick the fabric and trim.  [At our design parties] we bring samples in every size, fabric, and option we  offer.  It gives the client the chance to look at everything,  to try it on their daughter, and decide how [they want to customize their outfit] based on one of the top and bottom options.  Every outfit will turn out different because there are so many options.  (Pieces run between $30-$70 for the Spring line.)

You currently only have pieces for girls.  Any plans to expand for boys? [Laughs] Currently I’m pregnant with a boy, so yes, we’ve already talked about adding a boys line to Lila & G in the future.  Now that we have a boy in the family that’s probably coming soon.  [In terms of expanding the line] we’re also going to have an heirloom line with silk fabrics, satin ribbon and French lace;  it’ll be for special occasions: flower girl dresses, christening gowns, Easter dresses, etcetera.

One last question: what’s it like working with your mother and sister?  It’s good;  it’s been really fun.  We all have similar ideas of how we think little girls should dress or would want to dress.   And it’s given us a new way to connect with each other and spend time with each other.

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Lila & G can also be found on Facebook and Twitter: @LilaandG

Images via Lila & G

14 years ago Short URL Comments

Birmingham Live!/Love That!/Shopping is My Cardio/The Look

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15

Feb

You may not have made it to the Big Apple for the Fall 2012 collections, but you can watch them online from the comfort of your home (where you’ll definitely have a front row seat!).  Prabal Gurung, Marc Jacobs, Rodarte and more…all in one place? Thank you, New York Magazine!

Want more Mercedes Benz Fashion Week 2012 info? Click HERE.

Image via Washhouse

14 years ago Short URL Comments

C'est Si Bon/Champagne Taste Beer Budget/Love That!/Random Acts of Fashion

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