Leave It To My Friends...

Cartier LOVE bracelet $2,000

 Upon seeing Vogues Holiday Gift Guide, I thought to myself, "What would I put on that list if it were mine?". I asked a few of my favorite stylish friends as well, and after the cliched "world peace" and "feeding the hungry", I got to the decadent meat of the matter at hand! Here are my friends ridiculously stylish Christmas Dreams! (Disclaimer, I did ask my friends to consider being extremely selfish, and pretend money was not an issue!).

Let's start off with Me! I know everyone here is expecting me to say the albino crocodile Birkin with pave diamond padlock, but I am gonna go with a set of 8 Cartier Love bracelets! I love the idea of stacking a bunch on my right arm, so I figure 7 is a nice round number... And obviously the 8th would be for the person giving the gift! So, the person who loves me enough to give me this dream gift is gonna be able to spend a cool $20,000 for all 8 of them. Ah, The gift of "Love".

Cierra Salzano (Model at San Diego Model Management)- HEAD Ski's

Head Ski's $899

In typical California girl style, Cierra Salzano is wishing for an active, sporty Christmas! Her Christmas would be spent on the slopes, with a new set of Head brand ski's. I went all out for her and priced the best set, with all the accoutrement's! Her's was so simple, I threw in all the vital pieces... After all, she didn't ask for an Hermes ski set... At $900 for the ski's themselves, and $600 for a good pair of Head brand boots, Cierra's request should be easy to achieve.

Louis Vuitton Trunk $22,000

Jose Covarrubias (Booker and Scout, Wilhelmina Models)- Full set of Louis Vuitton Monogram luggage. Including a steamer trunk!
For Jose's gift I included a duffel, a classic hard sided suitcase, a rolling case, 2 carry ons (one hard sided, and the other a soft shell...), a passport holder and cosmetic case in the scenario. The price of the vintage steamer trunk doubled Jose's Wish price to $40,375! To be fair he travels a lot for work, so this gift would actually be considered quite practical.

Necker Island $371,000 for a Week

Elgin Wright (Stylist, Saks Fifth Ave Studio Services Consultant,  Fashion Blogger, )- 10 day vacation on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands.
Necker Island is privately owned by Virgin Air owner Richard Branson. It is fully staffed with basic service, trainer, yoga instructor, chefs, guides, and a helicopter pilot. "There is nothing more indulgent than luxury travel, and sharing it with close friends, creating a perfect memory in every moment... Oh, and who doesn't love a do everything butler?" I had better be included in that group of friends!

Chanel White J12 Watch $5,000

Katie O'Connell (Director of E-commerce at Elie Tahari)- Chanel J12 in white enamel.
Katie is a classic girl, with an incredible sense of style, that mixes her fondness for street culture with designer goods from Chloe, Alexander Wang, and Isabelle Marant. Well with this post she wants to introduce some Chanel into her wardrobe, with the classic masculine watch! The white heat tempered ceramic watch is practically indestructible, and always looks great on! In fact one of the biggest trends in fashion for the last decade is a large mariner style watch on a petite frame, and who better to supply that watch than Chanel... The size Katie is looking at starts right near $5,000... Dream Big!

Hermes Birkin Starting $6,00

Silvia Hermanny (Personal Shopper, Stylist, Owner of Fashion House by Silvia Hermanny )- Canary Yellow Hermes Birkin.
A classic bag in an exciting color would be this San Diego based fashionsta's dream! The Birkin's classic nature is offset by the fabulous Canary yellow! The bright yellow is a brave choice, but Silvia is nothing if not brave!  The Birkin starting price is now right around $6,000, and with the bright color, and depending on hardware, the cost will go up from there! I would typically be asking for the same thing, probably the classic Hermes Orange color, but Silvia came with her answer first!

Chanel Bike $17,000

Jeffrey Parish (Owner Junc Boutique, Clothing Designer)- Chanel Bicycle, to ride to private cooking lessons in Provence.
The collectors edition Chanel Bicycle was all over fashion weeks, a couple seasons ago. Agnyss Dean rode it to shows in Paris, and Jeffrey put it on his X-mas wish list as well! Specifically for transportation for the cooking classes at Hotel Le Pigonnet. Having eaten at the Parish compound more than once, I don't think the classes are necessary, for Jeffrey, the experience alone would be the reason to traipse around the French countryside! The bicycle runs a mild $17,000, with the classes running $2000 for a week long visit!

Hermes Cuff $1,000 Each

Brigette O'Donovan (Public Relations Expert atBaby Bird Communications)- Hermes, Collier De Chien Cuffs.
Hermes is a popular dream gift this season. Brigette, a local favorite of mine, is wishing for the classic black and gold Hermes cuff. I personally think she deserves 2! The cuff adds a touch of tough chic to a cocktail dress, and still manages to class up jeans and a sweater. The cuffs start at around $1,000, and end up close to $70,000 for the gold one (a secret holiday wish of mine...) But as Brigette just wants the leather piece, we'll say $1,000! For the look at right, we'd better go with $2,000!

Heidsiek Diamante Bleu $250,000

Jose Rivera (Lead MU Artist at Sephora Pro)- Heidsiek Diamante Bleu Vintage 1907.
Well, a VERY impressive choice! This is the highest price ever to be put on a bottle of bubbly! With good reason, they were sunk at the beginning of WW1 and sat at the bottom of the Gulf of Finland! Sold at auction, after being discovered on board the shipwreck of the Swedish freighter Jonkoping in 1998, the bottles tend to sell upward of $200,000, with the highest going for $275,000! Of course they normally sell as historic novelty items, I certainly wouldn't turn down a glass when Jose offers, after all, they were preserved in the frigid waters!

Billy Kirk Satchel $325

Tyrone Spencer (Menswear Bloggist, Style Consultant)- Billy Kirk NO.95 Satchel
Tyrone says of his choice "I don't ask for much really, just something that has a bit of substance. The weight and meaning behind this hand-stitched shoulder satchel only comes with something 100% handmade and stitched together, each one taking several hours to complete. Think about it: It's few and far between that you come across this kind of artisan craftsmanship, with built in heirloom quality out of the gate." I totlly agree, and am so looking into other pieces from these guys! Check out the entire collection at BILLYKIRK.com

Cavalli Dress $10,000

Mimi Abrahams (Personal Stylist)- Gulf Stream 6, Vacation in a Moroccan Riad, and Cavalli Gown.
Ms. Abrahams is definitely not your typical young mother, she is a diva all the way! Mimi is wishing for a flight to Morocco, to stay at a Gorgeous Riad (a classic Moroccan palace!), and hosting a star studded party at the palace! With a lot of specifics! Flying to the north African country in her private G6, and departing the plane wearing her Cavalli gown! With a guest list including Valentino Garavani, Karl Lagerfeld, and Anna Wintour, this Christmas list is the most fashionable (read expensive!) and definitely would blow the Vogue list out of the water! At 8 hrs, for the flight, at $14,500 per hour, a flight to Morocco is $116,000, double that for Mimi to get home. Renting the Riad would be about 16,00 for a week... The party is set to be extravagant, so figure another $70,000 for that event, and the Cavalli dress? Well, add another $10,000...So with all added up, Mimi gets the grand total of $328,000... God, I am set to have some great vacations this year, with some really great people!

 This was a really fun post! Thanks to everyone who helped with it! You guys are some of the most fabulous people I could know! Happy holidays, no matter what you're doing!

Everything's Hotter Under The Water! (or Under The Sea, Continued)

Givenchy's Glam Fins
Photo from Style.com

So my last post started as a trend story on the oceanic themes from many of last month's shows, but was derailed by the "On The Street" post! So here it is! Next spring is all about Ariel, The Little Mermaid! I know, it sounds trite, but the amazing feats designers pulled to express the trend, are so beautiful, it doesn't come across as cheesy at all!

Chanel's Conch Clutch
Photo from Style.com

 See the conch shell clutches at Chanel, especially the sea foam pink version covered in pearls. The shoes with coral stem heels, were fun, and a little frivolous with a miniskirt, but could be worn as seriously fierce heels with long bias cut dress! 

 I know I have already ranted about the brilliance of Riccardo Tisci, and his spring collection at Givenchy, but here we go again! The shark tooth necklaces, and fins coming off the beautifully tailored suits, were amazing. The shark teeth reference was repeated on shoes as the clasps. So clever and understated. And again lets mention how sharp the edges were on the suits! They were clean and crisp lines accentuated by brilliant, seemingly alive flounces. 

McQueen's Coral Wedge
Photo from Style.com

 Sara Burton at Alexander McQueen, went in a less literal direction, using coral to cover shoes, and even a dress, but most of her sea live was represented through organic shapes on garments. The leather belts over day suits were shaped like waves, and there were beautiful little baby dolls that appeared to move in a ocean current when the model walked! 

Versace Starfish Gown
Photo from Style.com

 While most designers stayed away from prints next season, Donatella Versace, never one to understate, used sea stars, and clams, on her crisp pastel laden collection. It was a definite Versace moment using the classic printing technique, on little shorts, suits and corset tops. Lucite wedges had Sea horses appliqued onto them, and the finale dress plastered with jewel encrusted star fish!

 Designers escapism was showing through, or maybe a hint that they feel like things are picking up, and the brief dark, and minimal period is over, and we need some bright and sunny... Or maybe they just need a vacation!

Out In The Dark!

 I ran into my friend Charlene (from CharleneEileen.com) last night at Starbucks, and she mentioned that she hadn't seen any new posts... FACT! I have been super busy! I had a new internship opportunity come my way, in which I was working directly with Neiman Marcus to coordinate their Fashion's Night Out event! They had an amazing idea for the event, they were gonna show a group of local designers, prior to their Fall 2012 trend show! The best part was, I was gonna style the event, using NEIMAN MARCUS ACCESSORIES! Yes, I had access to the entire store (minus Chanel, and Precious Gems...) in which to dress the girls!
 Well afternoon of the event, my friend Jeffrey Parish, one of the designers that was selected to show, and myself, were walking in to Neimans, and the power went out... We assumed it was due to overloading caused by a HUGE amount of air conditioning... It was literally 1000 degrees outside, and 98% humidity. Well, it turned out the power was out all over southern CA, and would not be turned back on for 12 hours in most places... Leaving myself, and the designers, who by the way had created entire collections for this event, out in the... wait for it... Out In The Dark...
My friend Chantal over at NBC's "The Feast" covered the event... or lack there of for her website the next day! Here is her take on the situation (FNO Cancelled!)... And a little more from me! Make sure to check out the link under my name for my take on visible socks!

Cartier... No, Not The Bracelet, I Mean Willy

Image from Marquis De Lannes

Image from
Schon Magazine #11

  So every once in a while, I come across a model that really speaks to me, Linda, Naadja, Karlie, even Daphne Groenveld, but this one really does it! I love his work.Rarely is this ever in reference to a guy male model. I think the problem is I don't want to sound like I am mooning over a boy, especially a celebrity. I am a man of a certain age, and having posters of "hot guys" is not my style. With Willy Cartier I am willing to do it. Yes, yes, yes, I think he is definitely attractive, his features are both extremely masculine, and soft at the same time, showing his versatility as a model. He plays the "rough trade" card just as believably as the "androgynous" role.

Image from Givenchy

  In Givenchy's campaign he is the girly boy going in for the kiss on another guy, and in the show for spring, he is a hustler ready to kick some ass! This season's couture shows saw him as the big bad wolf at Gaultiers couture collection. He volunteers with unprivileged youth, and in behind the scenes videos, he is a goofy, funny guy out for a laugh! It's true, there may be a big ol' crush involved, but the point of this story is Willy as a model. See for yourself on this Tumblr dedicated to him!

These Girls Wanna Be On Top!

Tanisha, 25 years old, ANTM Hopeful!

  Tomorrow morning at 8am, Fashion Careers College will be hosting the San Diego America's Next Top Model Casting Event! Seeing as I am a student at FCC, and live 1 block away, I figured I would head on down at 12:30am, and see what was going on with the already forming lines. There were 3 girls waiting already, one girl was asleep, so I passed on her, and met up with the sophisticated, and sweet Tanisha, with her million dollar smile, and adorable mom waiting in the car with her! Tanisha is 25, and got her second place spot in line at 10 pm! That's ten hours before the event even starts! She says she has wanted to model forever, and she feels she was "born to do it"! Her favorite girl of the moment is my favorite too, Karlie Kloss, and the similarities don't end there. Her favorite designer is Alexander McQueen! This girl really knows her stuff! She says her dream gig would be a contract at Elite Model Management, and to be on the cover of Elle, followed by a "high Fashion contract at Chanel or Gucci". Let's all give her some positive thoughts and hope she does well tomorrow morning!

Jasmine, 18 years old, ANTM Hopeful

  Next I met with the super sweet, and so friendly Jasmine! The 18 year old, lined up at 11pm securing her third place spot in the line-up. Jasmine says, "It's been my dream since I was little to model." In fact she shared that when she was younger her mom had to hide the cameras in their house, because when she would develop the film, the pictures would ALL be modeling shots of the pretty little girl! Her modeling idol is Naomi Campbell, and when asked who her favorite designer is, she says she "prefers to shop at smaller independent boutiques where I can find things that no one else will have!" Her goal if she wins would be to be on the cover of "17 Magazine", she has dreamed of it forever! I seriously admire these girls for their dream chasing stamina! They are going to be in their cars for 10 hours waiting for the chance to prove themselves against the hundreds of girls that will be showing up tomorrow! Good luck ladies!

The Tears They Came.

  Last week, I was fortunate enough to get to NYC for the Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Can I assume that if you are reading my blog, you all know who Alexander McQueen is? OK, I will also assume that you are aware of the deep feelings, and admiration I have for the man, and his visions. This was a high point of my year!
  The pieces selected for the show were McQueen classics. Pieces I had grownup staring into magazines at. Some pieces induced chills before his death, such as the black feathered dress from Fall 2009, or the Samurai football player from his chess collection in Spring 2005, they were both there! And his years at Givenchy were really well represented, as someone who is old enough to remember his work at Givenchy, seeing the pieces up close was stunning.

  Also awe inspiring was the Plato's Atlantis collection. His final full collection, which until seeing it live I was unimpressed with. What never came across in photo's and editorials was the fact that a lot of the fabrics were woven jacquard's, not printed, as I previously thought. It was amazing! I hated leaving, even now, writing this post I have chills.


  There was a point when I was watching the 3D hologram video of Kate Moss spiraling around in a glass pyramid, where I literally cried, and looked to my friend, who isn't as passionate about fashion as I am, and guess what, he was crying too! If you end up in NYC before the 7th of August, this is a MUST MUST MUST see... I seriously would have regretted missing this show forever. I just wish I had been brave enough to have gotten my own images!





Images from Style.com, and annewilliamson.com

Some Of My Favorite Things!

Pajama Pants at
D&G

  I have obviously been following the men's shows in Milan for the last week or so, but have been insanely busy... Photo Shoot, School, Work, School, and Work... Anyway, there have been some amazing shows this week, with some really great pieces that I am gonna want to rock come next spring, if not this weekend in NYC! Such as silky Pajama Pants! My favorite version of the luxe louche look came from D&G... Yes, D&G! I know, not usually my favorites, but this men's showing was so laid back, and had a couple trends I want to jump all over! Mainly the printed silk pants! Paired with a denim shirt, or matching silk shirt, they appear to be warm weather ready! I am heading to China Town Sunday in the daytime to find me a pair in NY!

Men's Wear Darling of the moment, Umit Benan, has had a really great season, after wowing with his own label, Trussardi picked him up as their menswear designer. At his namesake he did a total tribute to 1980's Cerruti, full of the glam billowing trousers. I preferred the shorts version! The sort suit is a look that I am so ready to start rocking, and this incarnation is gorgeous! I am all about structure, but would be willing to go flowy for this exit!




At Burberry, Christopher Bailey showed a really amazing craft fair of a collection. What at first seemed to be printed sweaters, upon closer examination, were sweaters with plastic bits attached in an almost fir isle pattern! But more important were the SHOES!! They were an amazing confection of nerdy chic styling, mixing classic fringed loafers, and cork bottoms they are easily going to take over where the Prada creeper left off!! I WANT them BAD!

Ok, so by now you all know, I love me some contrasting colors! The more random the combination the better... Well, at Roberto Cavalli, they showed vivid suits, and then mixed and matched flawlessly! The purple printed trousers, and royal blue striped blazer paired together were perfection. It showed how to match mis-matched colors, and my new favorite sartorial mash up, print mixing! The subtlety of the stripes in the jacket was a great combo with the geometric pattern in the trousers! We should all take a lesson in matching(?) patterns! The whole collection was so slick and Italian, it blew the Gucci man out of the water!


At Dolce & Gabbana's signature line, there were a ton of cool pieceses that stood out in a show of techno ,mesh, and sheer jumpsuits, but I have to say, the ONE piece I would definitely wear were the sheer overlaid shorts! They showed it with everything from a tank top, to bare chest, but, no questions asked, I prefer the way they paired it with a dress shirt, going a mature, and dressier route would be the choice I would go with.

  The fabric and styling at Jil Sander were spot on in an example of Raf Simons minimalist  aesthetic. It was very 90's retro, and a little too modern for me, but the python utilitarian tote would easily integrate into my accessory wardrobe! The color? the rusty orange version please! I think that papers for work/school, and the fact that they were shown with almost exclusively shorts, well how Me is that!?
  More shows are coming up, so stay tuned for my Paris Menswear faves!

All Photo's Courtesy of Style.com/

fash·ion /ˈfaSHən/

Me Working!

  :the latest and most admired style in clothes and cosmetics and behavior

  I have kind of explained my emotional connection with fashion, and the relevance it took at a really early age. Now as I have grown up with it as my sole interest in life, I am faced with the question of why. I feel like those of you who have known me for a number of years, have seen many different Me's. There has been Gothic Ian, Raver Ian, Glam Ian, Prep Ian, and who even knows what some of those incarnations could be categorized as.

  From an early age, I wanted nothing more than to be accepted. I wanted to be liked by the cool kids. Very rarely did that work out, for any length of time anyway. But as I tried, I would find ways of making them think I was one of them for a while, and I discovered that clothing was a great way to do it. It was a costume for me. If I wanted to hang out with the Gothic Kids, I would find outfits that were dark and flowy, if I was going to a rave with some Club Kids, I could easily do my makeup, and have stacks made. The only things I really ever had in common with MOST of these people were my clothes. 

  As I grew, and experienced all of these aspects of life, I took from each group the music, the garments, and accessories, the ideals, and mostly the people, that made me comfortable, happy, or dance, or laugh, and helped to create this person I am now! I equate each of theses era's with the costume I wore for each of them. In tights, and Doc Martin Boots, or Blinged out crosses, and gold tooth caps I went there, and did it full throttle.

  I know this sounds mostly like a sad story, but now, as an adult who can identify the number of holes a pair of Doc's has from a distance, or whether someones bell bottoms are vintage or replica's (there was a DeeLight phase in there somewhere...), and tell you in 1 heartbeat whether your Chanel bag is rel, or faux, I am only comfortable with just being me, and the people that I still have in my life from each of the era's know me for who I am, and have been. Just Me. 

Balenciaga and Spain!

Photo from AlainTruong.canalblog.com

  There was a point on Tuesday afternoon, staring into the Lesage embroidery of the Balenciaga Couture dress at the De Young's exhibit, that I nearly cried. I mean it, my eyes welled up with tears. I wasn't brave enough to dare take pics, but I admire (and thank) those that were. The docents were following people around, and were particularly vicious, I did get to do a couple sketches, but the shots do not do the amazing collection justice.

Photo from
AlainTroung.canalblog.com

  The selection they had covered the couturiers career, spanning from the late 30's to the end of the 60's. There were amazing embroidered, and corseted cocktail dresses, to his later geometric trapeze designs. It really was an almost spiritual moment for me! Some of my favorites were the lime charmeuse trapeze dress, with the bow on the front, and the flared cocktail dress in the middle of the selection in the photo to the left.

Photo from Threadmagazine.com

  The selection at the right was particularly inclusive. If you look closely, the styles vary from the green silk gazaar bubble dress, to a selection of earlier evening wear. the back of the pink piece was so beautiful it was one of the many teary eyed moments i encountered that day! It had a stand away collar, that went down into a deep V in the back, and a bow in the middle of it! So gorgeous!
  I feel so privileged to have gotten to see this show! Events like these remind me of what I love about fashion, seeing these garments were absolutely like looking into art!  I want to thank my patient friends who saw it with me... then waited for a half an hour in front of the museum for me! I had a really amazing vacation, and cannot wait for NYC! If McQueen is 1/4 as beautiful of an experience I know I will be in tears!

So, I Have Been So Consumed With The McQueen Exhibit...

Pieces From The Balenciaga Exhibit at the De Young

  I am leaving on June 25th to NYC, to see the McQueen: Savage Beauty, exhibit... Oh, yeah, some friends are in NYC too, but the trip was pretty much determined when the news broke that there would be an exhibit at the Met. That being said, I have been super neglectful of the Balenciaga And Spain exhibit at the De Young in San Francisco. I am nearly as excited to see that, as I am for the Met's show. I leave Wednesday night for SF, and get to see this show as well!
  This exhibit focuses on the designs of Cristobal Balenciaga, and the influence he took from his native Spain.The show is broken up into six areas of influence, Spanish Art, Regional Dress, The Spanish Court, Religious Life and Ceremony, the Bullfight, and Dance! I imagine with Pieces from The Costume Institute at the Met, and some awesome selections from Hamish Bowles (who is the guest curator), this exhibit will definitely be a can't miss, and really educational! If the set up is close to the set up of the YSL exhibit I saw at this venue, I will be feet, if not inches away from some of the most inventive, and well constructed clothing in history!

I Love... Jewelry That Says Something Bold!

Mine! I Adore This Necklace, And People Freak Out
Every Time I Wear It!

  Clothing should be simple... That is the mantra of most of the worlds great designers... The reason we are still bombarded by people who, when asked, reply "Coco Chanel" is their favorite designer, is the fact that she got women of her era out of corset, and gave them clean simple sports wear... So, while Coco Chanel's company has taken a decidedly more ostentatious route, the basis for their ready to wear remains the little Black Dress, but even Coco herself loved a great statement accessory.

Lanvin $2250
at Net-a-porter.com

  I am in love with a huge bauble, for a man or a woman. In "The Devil Wears Prada", Nigel is seen a few times rocking a huge nugget of stone on his fingers, and the best selling necklaces at high fashion companies are the large scale, editorial ready, armor like pieces, ask Alber Elbaz at Lanvin. His H&M collection pieces were among the first items to sell out... I fortunately got my ands on the pearl, and crystal flower one for my best friends Christmas present (she is a very lucky Girl...). Regular Lanvin pieces are fantastic, and can be purchased at Net-A-Porter, but at $2250, can be a little pricey, but without breaking the bank, or waiting for hard to come by collaborations, there are statement pieces out there. I found my favorite piece at a discount/$5.99 store.

Tinley Road Necklace
$18.99 at Piperlime

  If you search "Statement Necklaces" on Google, suggestions for everything from Etsy to Anthropology comes up, but Piperlime.com seemed to be a good bet! with prices starting from $14, they have a great selection. I will say though there were a lot of satin bib selections. Stay away from those... Even the high end ones started looking cheap really quickly!
  From jeans, and a T-shirt, to the classic LBD, a great necklace really can turn a look from Snores to cheers! Have fun!

Vogue Italia, Get Ready For Emily Soto!

  I have recently had the great privilege of working with Emily Soto, a local San Diego Photographer... I met Emily in November at a large event I coordinated. She was working the "Step and Repeat", and almost immediately I emailed seeing if she ever needed a stylist. It took a while, we both have had a LOT going on, but finally last month, we set up a shoot. It was one of the best experiences I have had in SD.
  Emily studied Hospitality, and tourism management at Western Carolina University, and after getting her BA, moved into fashion, and communications. After feeling no creative outlet she discovered her love of photography, and her husband Vic, who is also a super talented photographer.
  All that is great for her resume, but what stuck me as amazing, aside from her brilliant lighting techniques that add an almost cartoon like beauty to the shots, is her willingness to collaborate! She doesn't just want a stylist there to put outfits together, she lets them direct some of the shoot as well!
  "I love conceptualizing shoots, developing creative teams, and seeing the results." Fortunately for me, she has included me in that creative team a couple times! I look forward to our next shoot, and sharing the proof of her talent with you! What is your goal, I asked her, "So many goals, but I have to say my dream is to shoot an editorial for Vogue Italia." Emily, keep it up! You are on your way, and I am excited to be along for the ride!

All Images From Emily Soto

EmilySoto.com

Anna Wintour Supports Gay Marriage... And Talks About It!

  A Prada decked, Anna Wintour is joining in the Human Right Campaign's new video campaign called "New Yorkers For Marriage Equality". Anna filmed her 30 second spot to air along with NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Barbara Bush, and Sean Avery. It is a really cool move for Anna to show a political view, and personal side to her self! "As far as I am concerned, having the right to say I DO is as fundamental as having the right to vote." Nice work HRC, getting someone who gets fashion people off our behinds, and gets us moving! I know I am guilty of not doing enough to benefit causes causes I care about... Having an icon speak for it is a really great motivator! Thanks Anna, and HRC!

Customize A Classic!

Longchamp Le Pliage Image
from Lonchamp Site

  I have always loved Longchamp bags, there is no better carry on than their Le Pliage totes. I have recently been seeing really cool color combinations floating around Point Loma on the USD and PLNU girls, and had to stop and ask where they got them. There are so many different combinations to go with!
  The Main part of the bag is 1 color, you can have a stripe going vertically up (see the image at right), you even pick the length of the strap, and color of the hardware! I am gonna go, Taupe with  lavender stripe. Obviously I am 6'3 so I need the biggest bag, and the strap will be shoulder length. I think I am even gonna go with a Monogram, just to make it, no mistakes, MINE!
  The other great thing about this concept is the only real extra you pay for the service is $60 for shipping! Down side? You pay $60 more for shipping, and you have to wait about three weeks. They are made in the Paris factory, so there is travel time involved! Check out the Longchamp Website, and start creating your own classic!

Visionaire #60, "Religion"... Want...

Visionaire #60 by Ricardo Tisci

  For those of you who don't know, Visionaire Magazine is an Art and Fashion Magazine, that comes out 3 times a year. It features unique designs collaborated on by that issues editor, usually a well placed person at a fashion or luxury goods company. Memorable issues for me would be the extremely rare #18 Louis Vuitton portfolio issue called Fashion, or #24 issue called Light, which was a series of slides in a Tom Ford designed black laquer light box. Well, issue #60 is called Religion, and was edited by Ricardo Tisci, in collaboration with Givenchy, and is available for pre-order now!

Lea T. in Visionaire #60

  Religion feature fashion "Saints" such as Carine Roitfeld, photographed by Karl Lagerfeld, or Givenchy house model Lea T. shot as a veiled martyr styled by Giovanna Battaglia, and shot by Pierpaolo Ferrari. The issue has an asking price of $425, which is nearly $200 above it's usual starting price. Howevere it is not uncommon for issues, especially coveted ones such as the LV, or Tom Ford ones to run upwards of $5000! I would think of it as an investment and jump on the pre-order list at VisionaireWorld.com... I have a feeling the way Tisci's career is moving, and all of the talent featured in this issue, it's gonna sell out, and be on the list of coveted issues! So, now you know!

Met Costume Institute Gala Best Dressed List!

Ricardo Tisci and
Mariacarla Boscano
in Givechy

  As I have mentioned, last night was the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala, celebrating the opening of Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty! While I would love to say that I was there, and post some pics from the actual exhibit, I can't do that. What I can do though is talk about my favorite people, and the amazing clothes they wore... For those of you that don't know, this event is rather like the Superbowl of fashion... The best and the brightest are done up in their finest, and considering who they were celebrating, and who threw the party (Stella McCartney, and Sarah Burton of McQueen),  "Best and Brightest" are the perfect words for it!
  First up we have Mariacarla in Givenchy Couture (right), she is obviously Ricardo Tisci's muse, and favorite model... As a matter of fact, she was his date for the event! Possibly the LUCKIEST girl in the world... And this dress is one of my all time favorite dresses form the designer!

Carolyn Murphy, and Tom Ford
in Tom Ford

Well Mariacarla is the 2nd luckiest girl last night because Miss Caroline Murphy got to attend the party on the arm of the HOTTEST man in the industry! Tom Ford was her escort, and although a little reminiscent of his collections for YSL the Tom Ford dress was really beautiful.Carolyn has always been a favorite girl of mine, and there has never been a secret about my feelings for Mr. Ford...

Karen Elson in
Alexander McQueen

Karen Elson in an Alexander McQueen dress she wore for the finale in his runway show for Spring 2004, one of my favorite productions! The "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" themed show was set up as a dance hall contest, and Karen collapsed at the end in the paillette encrusted gold gown! Goosebumps even thinking about it!

Naomi Campbell in
Alexander McQueen

Naomi Campbell was a close friend to Lee, and she showed up at the event wearing another McQueen design! This one looked to me like it belonged in the Spring 2009 collection... Or Fall 2011... I couldn't find it anywhere in my resources, but I want to say it was one that hadn't been produced... Just Speculation though... If you guys have a definitive answer on this let me know, but I am loving it!

Madonna in Stella McCartney

Madonna in  looked remarkably "un-Creepy" in her star spangled (The back and train of the dress is encrusted in crystals, in the shape of stars! Really a pretty dress from the back too!) 30's style Stella McCartney dress. She has recently taken on a crypt keeper feel, and maybe because you can't see the tendons on her arms, or her legs are covered she has a healthy glow about her... I really think Stella did a great job accentuating Madonna's positives...

Daphne Guinness In
McQueen

Last but by far NOT least is Daphne Guinness... By Far my favorite character from last night! As I mentioned yesterday, Ms. Guinness readied herself in the Windows of Barneys New York, and came to the event in this head to toe feathered gown! With her own personal styling, and the feathered corsetry, this piece is Mind Blowing! This is honestly what I had expected from more people! This was a McQueen showing, and Daphne paid the artist tribute in FULL!

Also worth an honorable mention in my book are Christina Ricci in Zac Posen, Beyonce in Emilio Pucci , and Rihanna in Stella Mcartney...

All Images From Style.com!