Fashion In Film Festival: Birds of Paradise

What are you doing Friday?  If you love costume and movies, the Fashion in Film Festival is running April 15th through May 2nd for true geeks. Their tagline promises “a major extravaganza in costume spectacle, dance and diabolical glamour”.  How can you resist that? Birds of Paradise  “highlights those episodes in cinema history which most distinctly foreground costume, adornment,...

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Robert Pattinson Was Not Sexy While Filming 'Water for Elephants' Love Scenes

Robert Pattinson commands the lust and admiration of girls around the world, but Reese Witherspoon says her love scenes with the British actor in Water for Elephants left her disappointed. That's because Rob was apparently suffering from the most disgusting cold ever during the shoot. “Rob possibly had the most hideous horrible cold of any co-star I’ve ever had to do a love scene with ever in my...

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Chado Ralph Rucci Spring 2012

Chado Ralph Rucci's exquisite tailoring always makes him a favorite at museum fashion exhibitions.  Design students take notes on the signature seaming that dissects the anatomy like a surgeon. For spring 2012, Mr. Rucci did not disappoint.  The runway was awash with a palette of white, more white and some shades of off-white. Shiny silver was the second big color, with inky grey/black...

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Naturalizer Fall Collection & Shoe Giveaway

Not your mother's shoes...That was the message that the Naturalizer team set out to show shoppers last week.  My younger sister wouldn't let my own mother walk into a Naturalizer store for years to ween her away from frumpy but ultra-comfortable shoes.  Angelique Joseph, the brand's director of product design has overhauled the look and direction for today's fashionistas.  The...

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Adam Spring 2012

Transparency and pastels.  A few black and white prints thrown in.  Adam Lippes' collection for Spring 2012 was like finding a luxe box of licorice all-sorts.  The sweet pinks and lavender colors were never too sugary as they were used in sleek, well cut silhouettes of pants and jackets.  The dresses were feminine and smart, but never frivolous.  This is a grown-up's version...

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Elie Tahari Spring 2012 and Fall 2011 Sample Sale

Merchandised, perpetually wearable, priced appropriately.  The traits that make Elie Tahari a commercial success are often the same reasons that the fashion elite don't consider him a respectable designer.  Customers are very loyal to the brand.  The collections are 'trend-right" and produced very thoughtfully to what the customers want. One does not hear "innovator" or "trendsetter"...

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Theia Spring 2012

Romanced on a bed of roses?  I can't imagine a lovelier way to present a Spring 2012 collection.  With Goddess Chloris as a muse, designer Don O'Neill showed a meticulous collection of gowns and the debut of the Theia day dress line.Chloris was the Goddess of flowers.  For Theia, this mean light, petal-like transparency. This inspiration was also translated into high tech digitally...

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Amazon's Contemporary Chic Giveaway

Amazon has always been my go-to for books and MP3 downloads when I am frustrated with ITunes.  Now, will it also be my go-to for contemporary fashion?  The e-commerce giant is stepping up its fashion game this Fall.  It stocked up its clothing offerings with labels like Rebecca Minkoff, BCBG, Twelth Street by Cynthia Vincent for the ladies.  For guys, they are rocking brands like...

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Byron Lars Spring 2012

How much of fashion is fantasy?  How do you bring dreams into reality?  My favorite designer Byron Lars just released a surrealist video presentation for his Spring 2012 collection last week. He wanted to democratize the presentation experience by making it accessible to all and at your convenience.  (This is a much appreciated sentiment after the chaos of NY Fashion week). The...

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