THE BLING BLOG

The Carnivale of Couture, Part Quien Sabe?

That cool chick S. at Style Tribe has asked a most compelling question for this week's Carnivale of Couture.  Riddle this:

For this week's Carnivale of Couture, I want to celebrate our role as bloggers.

What distinguishes us from fashion press is our lack of limits:  we can express as we please, and our unique personalities make us more interesting rather than less professional.

To that end, I want to invite everyone to write about their most significant fashion purchase.  Not the most expensive or most exciting, but the one that was somehow pivotal, or meaningful to you personally.

I am indeed humbled by this question, for she asks me not for my most favorite fashion purchase (easy, that), and not for my most fabulous fashion purchase (even easier, that), nor for my most costly fashion purchase (easiest).  She asks specifically for my most significant fashion purchase.

In this context I choose to think of significance in terms of meaningfulness.  That makes it much easier.  In light of that, my choice is clear.

That dress at left.

St. John sage green knit sleeveless dress.  Deep v-neck with flounce around the hemline.  With little sparkly paillettes and a groovy brooch at the bottom of the v-neck.

I went one afternoon with my intended's cousin and her daughter to shop for a dress for my impending elopement to Las Vegas.  We were done in less than 45 minutes.

I came to the top of the escalator at Nordstrom, and there it was right in front of me on the mannequin.  It was the first dress I tried on.

Like many things with respect to my marriage to Trey, this was simply right.  I knew when I saw it, like I knew when I saw him.

Sigh.

Wedding dress.  Indeed my most significant purchase.

The Carnivale of Couture, Part Whatever

The esteemed Shoe Lover, creator and purveyor of the clear shoe boxes asks in this latest installment of the Carnivale of Couture,

"If you could exchange your life with that of any one particular fashion "celebrity" (Shoelover will use that term loosely), whose life would it be and why?"

No doubt I wouldn't mind being VALENTINO GARAVANI, also known as, simply, Valentino.  After all, once you become a singularly-named entity, you have certainly arrived, no?

Why Valentino?  He is a timeless master of design and his adoration of women and the feminine form comes through in his work.  Unlike Tom Ford, this man really does love women.

He is a genius with color, although at one time he was celebrated for his "no color" collection, a symphony of whites, beiges and creams.

He is at once audacious and humble.  He can at one moment dismiss all other designers, and in the next moment refer to himself as simply a "dressmaker."

He's a remarkably well-preserved 75 years old, and still works a 60-hour week.  Unless, of course, his collection shown in January of this year was his last?  We'll have to wait and see.

And he has a stable of Pugs.  At last count six of them.  All allowed to romp at will around the Place Vendome atelier, the yacht and the six homes.  Maybe I'd rather be one of his Pugs?  I'll think about that.

Describing his lifestyle, from Recline, a travel magazine,

"...Valentino lives quietly and turns down many invitations for nights on the town. “I was never completely crazy to go out,” he says. “I don’t drink, I don’t smoke and those places [nightclubs] are boring. I prefer a calm life.”

...personal chefs at his homes in Versailles, Rome, Capri, Tuscany, London, Gstaad, New York and on his yacht, TM Blue One, prepare Mediterranean cuisine without cream or butter...  “My ideal meal is quite simple – a light pasta, vegetable salad, a piece of apple or fig tart perhaps, a little red wine, some little cookies and mineral water..." 

"Everything has to be made in my home, although I would allow chocolates from Belgium and eat only a very few” the designer says revealing that he considers “a little self denial to be healthy.”

Oh and this, too.  He can get away with saying stuff like this,

"Fashion guru...  "shuddered" when...  suggested Hilton may wear a Valentino dress for her forthcoming marriage to Greek shipping heir PARIS LATSIS.

"No, I don't like her. She is marrying the son of a friend of mine. They have billions."

"She is vulgar, and she is not even pretty.  The Hiltons, they have nothing."

(photo from Telegraph.co.uk)

The Carnivale of Couture, Part Seven (?)

This round of The Carnivale of Couture is being hosted by the irreverent and witty Zoe at Verbal Croquis.  If I thought it was easy to spend $10 million last time (that is, $6.5 million after taxes), this task is utterly daunting:

“The Ultimate Dinner Party"

You are throwing a little dinner party in your apartment featuring fashion glitterati, past or present, dead or alive.  You are only allowed to invite 5 people, so be careful in your selections.  Feel free to include designers, style icons, journalists, models, moguls, intellectuals, you name it.  Make your invite list, please share your reasons why you invited each person.  Remember, every good hostess takes into consideration how their guests will mingle, so tell us about that too.  For brownie points, tell us what they’re wearing, what you’ll wear and what you’ll serve, etc.

I present, "A White Party."

Not like a P. Diddy White Party, okay?  Like a you've-gotta-wear-white and then eat Rudy's Texas BBQ, aka "The Worst BBQ In Texas."  Like a down-home, finger-lickin' plate of ribs, moist brisket, smoked turkey, beans, sausage and messy sauce.

And the reason I'd serve this to these luminaries?  So I'd have tons of leftovers, since only one of the following guests looks like they'd eat much.  Plus it'd be fun to watch Anna Wintour turn up her nose!

Why white?  I guess it's de rigeur this season, according to my Neiman's catalog.  And I like it, provided I have a decent pink flush to my cheeks.  I'm told by someone who would know that there are some very good products for this, but that the best thing is sleep, nutrition and a good attitude.  While I'd have to save my five seats for the people listed below, I would want Kim to help me get ready.

I'd wear a very open-necked, lightly-starched White Collection Lyon shirt with French cuffs from Thomas Pink, white silk cargo pants from Ralph Lipschitz Blue Label, white pebbled leather driving mocs from Tod's, and pearls from Erica Courtney.  A 15" choker with an 18" draper of 12-13 mm baroque, greenish South Sea dandies with a couple of diamonds and green beryls sprinkled in for sparkle.

Tom Ford

Why Tom Ford?  Why?  Why?!  (banging head on desk)

There are so many better designers.  There are so many people more worthy of a paper plate of Rudy's Texas BBQ.  Probably so many nicer people, too, including anyone I could pull out of solitary at Rikers.

So what am I thinking inviting this walking, sentient fruit salad of a freakshow to my dinner party?  I'd really like to figure out what makes this guy tick.

I'd like to figure out what it is about this guy that compells people to think him an arbiter of taste and style.  I'd like to know why women toss their clothes aside and climb in bed with him to be photographed for a magazine cover.  Maybe by sitting at a table with him and watching him interact with people I could make sense of this one.

And for that, I'd have to invite the next guest,

Sigmund Freud

Having studied Freud at length in graduate school, I understand his theories and don't believe in them at all.  In fact, psychoanalysis really has no place in modern society.  Or does it?

In fact, it might!

In order to understand what makes some of these people at this dinner party tick, we need Freud.  His deconstruction of the human condition into the id, the ego and the super-ego are a reasonable  structure when faced with the personalities of Tom Ford and Anna Wintour.

And though I doubt Dr. Freud would comply with the dress code, since he's basically only ever been documented in the same tweedy three-piece suit, I think Siggy would get his BBQ on in earnest.

Audrey Hepburn

What a beauty, no?

So timeless, so classic.

Such good taste, such grace.  So delightful.

Such a dainty eater.  I bet she'd try a nibble or two.

Maybe Audrey could help Tom Ford amend his apparent negative and exploitative opinion of women.  If any woman could, Ms. Hepburn could.

And even if she couldn't do anything for Tom, she'd light up the room with her smile and the room would resonate with her tinkling laughter.  She could tell us about what she did for UNICEF and her campaign for literacy for women.

And she'd make the next guest squirm with envy.

Anna Wintour

Ms. Wintour, you're everything that's wrong with the world.  Okay, so you dress well.  And you when you talk, we listen.

But ewww, you're so mean and nasty.  You're just so arrogant and condescending.  And did I mention mean-looking?  You're mean-looking, too!

I know you were married to a psychiatrist, but evidently there weren't enough psychotropics available to make the right cocktail to be crushed up in your calorie-free liquid breakfast for him to go the distance with you.

So why don't you and Mr. Ford get a room together, m'kay?  One with a big, big couch.  And a comfy chair for Dr. Freud.

Let me know when I can pay Amazon.com for an advance copy of Freud's posthumous tome, "Women Who Hate Other Women."

L'Wren Scott

Who is this woman?

She is wonderful, is what she is.  Scott is a genius designer, artist, art director, stylist, music video producer and creative director, short film producer and director, feature film writer, modern "Renaissance woman," jeweler, the exclusive creative stylist for Herb Ritts, and all around (seemingly) down-to-Earth great gal.

And a carnivore.  From Utah!  Which means she will eat some BBQ with me and I could grill her about her work.  I could tell her, obsequiousness aside, that Vanity Fair should've hired her and Herb Ritts instead of Tom Ford.

We could talk to Audrey, too.  I'm pretty sure she could tell us a few things about life.

And tall!  6'3" and wears heels while out with boyfriend Mick Jagger (and didn't quit her day job).  She says the one of best things that happened to her were Manolo Blahnik stilettos. 

Aside from my first reason for adoring her, which is the 195-carat green diamond masterpiece she constructed under Bulgari for Nicole Kidman to wear to the Oscars (above right), I like someone who seems so composed and sophisticated and yet admits to being a complete klutz.

And she's a photographer, too.  So she could take pictures.

The Carnivale of Couture, Part Six

Harrods Girl and Barneys Girl from I Am Fashion ask the fantasy question I often find myself pondering,

        "Surprise darling!  You have just won the lottery!  How will you, the super fabulous
        fashionable blogger, spend your US $10m winnings?  Tell us all about your money-       
        spending plan!!"

Oh, would that it could be...

Now, assuming that the bills were all paid, no one was owed money, the parents were happy, the kids were educated, the roof was still attached to the house and the plumbing was intact...

After taxes, of course, with about $6.5 million left over, I would:

1.  Look for some great charities (like this one, this one, or this one) that would benefit from $1 million.

2.  Find something for the husband, like one of these pretty boats from Hans Christian.  Either the 41T or the 48T.  Or if I am feeling especially magnanimous, the 48T with doghouse.  A new, custom job made in Thailand for $500,000.

3.  He'd need one of these watches if he gets #2.  $2500.

4.  Okay, one of these little cars, too.  He's a wonderful husband.  But that's it.  Christmas is over.  $440,000 MSRP.

5.  At least one of these little monsters to keep the Pugs (and us) company.  $2000.

6.  And for me?  This is so, sooooooo easy.

No, no.  Not the lady who used to have such pretty red hair and who won an Oscar (ostensibly for wearing a fake nose, but most likely for her convincing ten-year-long performance as the happy wife to Tom Cruise).  No, you sillies!

The necklace.  195 carats of natural green diamonds designed by L'Wren Scott (now known as girlfriend to Mick Jagger) for Bulgari.

Because you know how I love green.  $3 million.

7.  I'd need a ring since I couldn't wear the necklace every day.  As I wouldn't be wearing them together (tacky!) I'd opt for a fancy, natural green diamond.  Bright, vivid green.  Much pricier and rarer still than the stones in the necklace.  An antique square or rectangle cushion-cut center stone of three to four carats with half-moon white diamond side stones, set in platinum.  Custom job, of course.  But modest, you know, for everyday wear.  $500,000.

8.  And finally, a luxury trip for two to Africa to see the critters with these guys and definitely stay here, stopping in Germany on the way to pay my respects to the Dresden Green, and stopping here in the Maldives on the way back to unwind.  $60,000.

With nearly $1 million left over, earning a safe, steady 5-8% return, I'd go back to work and wait for the next "Surprise, darling!"

The Carnivale of Couture

Makeup and beauty expert Kim Weinstein of i am pretty nyc  is hosting the fourth installment of the very popular Carnivale de Couture.  She asks the following comprehensive question of us writers,

            "What was your most/least favorite part/garment/party/celebrity sighting
             of The Week and, as a result, are you looking forward to the upcoming   
             season with anticipation or trepidation?"

I will get to her question at the end.  But first I want to explain my perspective with regard to the Carnivale of Couture, or rather, in the case of Fall '06, the carnival of ready-to-wear.

My interest is chiefly the accessories, specifically the jewelry shown with the collections.  In the case of the Fall '06 Ready-to-Wear Collections, it seemed more a situation of what was not shown with the collections.  With few exceptions, it was difficult to gain any kind of perspective about what trends were coming insofar as jewelry was concerned.

So you might say, "This isn't a jewelry show, it's a clothing show."  And I would agree with you upon first glance, except I would remind you that the manner by which most designers make money is by releasing secondary, tertiary and even quarternary fashion lines.

They all sell ready-to-wear high-end, black-label clothing in boutiques and in boutiques within department stores.  Then they also have lower-priced clothing in the stores.  And then of course they sell shoes, handbags, sunglasses and eyeglasses, scarves and gloves, luggage, fragrance, cosmetics, and jewelry.  Basically anything that can be contained in a lucrative licensing agreement.

Some designers, like Marc Jacobs and Luella Bartley, have two separate handbag lines, one more exclusive and pricey than the other.  Bartley's secondary line is sold at Target.

I therefore think that if the designers are going to sell these goods, they have an obligation to show them on the runway.  For now, Olympus Fashion Week hosts an accessories exhibit and has an accessories director named Lisa Bradkin who knows her stuff.  But I challenge you to find anyone in that exhibit whose designs are being paraded on the runway.

Despite my distate for the audacious Kimora Lee Simmons and her low-end pedestrian Baby Phat clothing (seemingly created with the sole purpose of tarting-up and trashing-out pre-teen girls with a "hip-hop lifestyle"), the ready-to-wear Fall '06 Collection she showed last week in New York was shockingly subdued and elegant, and prominently showed her high-end Hello Kitty jewelry.

Of course, the lower-end goods will never make it to the runway, leading some unsuspecting mothers to believe that the Baby Phat they see in Women's Wear Daily is the same Baby Phat being sold at Macy's in the Teen and Girls departments.  It is not, to be sure.

In general, and with very few exceptions, designers (Vivienne Tam, Peter Som, Rebecca Taylor, Anna Sui) showed high-necked, handkerchief-scarved, bowed, knotted or ruffled necklines, thus negating the need for ornamental accessory neckwear.  The suiting and coats often had fur collars.  These rich elements and graceful details were, in my opinion, what resuscitated and saved some of the dreariest colors in the pieces worn on the runway.

However, many designers attended to the direction of the frilly, soft and ornate necklines by simply adding delicate, long earrings, which were decidedly not last year's chandeliers.  In the case of Badgley-Mischka's swinging pendulum drops (near left) and Oscar de la Renta (far left) and Ralph Lauren Women's similar choices (at right) all paired with evening gowns, we can expect this trend to continue.  I am particularly fond of this type of graceful enhancement to any ensemble.  Depending on the shape of your face and your coloring, you can choose an earring that really compliments your look.

Unfortunately, come Oscar time, we can count on someone in Hollywood, let's just say, the lethal math of a stylist trying to make a name + an unwitting and clueless starlet (any guesses?) to heap about 100 carats of Neil Lane across their bony sternum and not-so-heaving bosom and another 50 carats from their earlobes and plus another 50 on their wrists and hands and let this variation on the timeless and never tired Oscar de la Renta ruffles (at left) or this soft, elegant, ruffled and handkerchiefed gown by J. Mendel (at right) wear them.  At most, these gowns warrant a beautiful pair of earrings as above.  Period.

There were a few ethnic-inspired pieces incorporating large wooden discs and natural fibers (Tracy Reese, no image available) and some leather cuffs.  Designers did seem to want people to wear bracelets, or perhaps watches, because many of the sleeves were either 3/4 or 1/2 length, leaving bare vast acreage of skin begging to be adorned.  This trend repeated itself at Carolina Herrera (at left) not only with suits, but also with coats and jackets.

My sense is that bracelets, (in particular, wide cuffs, chunky links, stacked bangles and even a mish-mash of chains and the aforementioned all shown together) will be in demand.

Diane von Furstenberg's "9 to 5"/"Working Girl"-themed collection was a vibrant ray of sunshine in the otherwise drab landscape.  Her Fall '06 collection was not shudder-inducing as we might expect considering the theme and music.  Mercifully, rather than be fearful of any thinly-veiled threat to return to 80's shoulder pads, it was fun and girly, with right amount of moxie.  Diane von Furstenberg showed large, chunky, hammered link bracelets in yellow gold and a bold, sandblasted link bracelet in white gold with a dangling diamond-paved Celtic knot charm (no detail image available) which was truly delightful.  DVF herself (at left with Barry Diller) wore the yellow gold version.  Unlike many women, DVF wore the bracelet, it didn't wear her.

Only Badgley-Mischka, it would seem, deviated appreciably from the trends .  They showed "Y" necklaces (far left), large diamond-paved charm pendants hanging from a string of faceted beads (second from left), elaborate white, brown and black pave diamonds flowing in waves into an organic jellyfish (?) pendant (center), a dark red cabochon pendant from a wavy chain (far right) and finally, a number of crosses and flowers hanging from ribbons tied around the neck (right).  Though the ribbons are technically a bit dated (so last season - sarcasm), we'd be smart to pay attention to just about anything Badgley-Mischka turns out.  They are rarely unstylish, and very rarely make women look bad.

Overall, I predict we will still see many small charm necklaces like last season, the continued return of very yellow, high-carat yellow gold in ethnically-flavored pieces, rose (pinkish) gold gaining momentum, more faceted beads with pendants, briolettes, cabochons, some pearls and generally more color.  Colored stones, colored pearls and colored gold.  More color.

To wrap up, Kim and i am pretty nyc asked for the best and the worst.

The worst?  Luella Bartley's enormous razor blade charm.  Charming?  I think not.  Ick.  Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

The best?  Ralph Lauren's gorgeous olive fab (not drab), his hammered yellow gold drop earrings on French wires with cabochons, and his pretty-faced, softly made-up, beautifully-tressed models.

(all photos from Style.com)