Red Carpet Stylist

Yep, big fashion houses spend big money, it’s true.  But it’s the big debt that seems to worry most of the big honchos steering the ship.  The latest rumour on the block is that Prada plans to sell a share of the company to offset their debt — said to be hovering around $1.5 Billion.  Yikes.  Even for Muccia, that’s a lot of moola.  According to Fashionista, the New York Daily News alluded to the fact that Richemont (a luxury company based in Switzerland) who own Montblanc and Cartier, is angling to get a piece of the Prada action.  Both sides deny, but so did  both sides when Valentino was sold from one owner to another.  LVMH is a little nervous at this point as well, because if and when Richemont does buy some of the pie, they would become a worthy rival (they’re already the second largest luxury group in the world!).   Broke designers and design houses are not news by any stretch after the past year, what with Christian Lacroix filing for bankruptcy and still not able to find a buyer, and Escada doing the same.  Muccia is a smart cookie, though, so if anyone can pull the house out of a hole like that, it’s a good, tough Italian woman like her.

A new year has rung (ding!)and upon checking into my oh-so-daily habit on Style.com, I see these stunners!  Every girl worth her four inches of salt knows that these little puppies are perfect for celebrating in — then maintaining the charm all year round. These Miu Miu Embellished mules are just too cute to pass up, and let’s face it: even if you don’t buy them, just looking at them can brighten up a dreary January day. You can still see the little marks left by my nose pressed against the glass of David’s on Bloor Street as I wistfully admired them.  Like a small puppy in a pet store window, they certainly make you wish you could give them a good home.  For now, I keep them longingly in my mind, rotating them virtually through each outfit I own, imagining the fun we would have in Santorini or Madrid.  It would be far more therapeutic to don them…even if just around the store for a while — at least until the snow seeps away…sigh.

A catalogue for handbags flew into my email inbox this morning, preceded by the words “You have to check these out — I’m totally addicted!” written by my sister.  With the sigh that usually accompanies such email messages from said sister (you see, they can either be completely chic, amazing selections from eBay or the like, OR they are ridiculous exercises of designers saying, ‘watch what I can sell as a complete practical joke’), I opened up the e-catalogue.  I have to admit, there was certainly something unique, quirky and very stylish about these pieces.  They are divided up into tactile categories, based on the texture of the handbag.  The collections are named Geo, Pebble, Suede, Textured and Holiday.  The winner in my books, and clearly my sibling’s as well, was the black pony hair Safety Pin clutch, which is both chic and witty in the same breath.  These little gems are the design child of Joseph Janus, who revived the JNCO Jean Company and just recently launched this line of luxury handbags.  See for yourself, and check out the website and the catalogue here: http://shop.bodhibags.net/collection.php?l=women

Jingle bells and deck the halls is all just fine and good, but nothing denotes the holiday season to me like watching the annual extravaganza of sparkles, skin and lingerie that is the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show! It airs on December 1st on CBS at 10pm central and with talk of a triangular runway, Black Eyed Peas performances and lots and lots and lots of set design and fabulous “costumes” (if you can call them that!) it promises to be outstanding! I’m also interested to see who will be onstage, since our lovely VS spokeswoman, Heidi Klum is pregnant and due shortly, as is fellow VS alum Adriana Lima. I’m sure the place will be filled with lovelies and their devoted admirers. This truly is a spectacle and quite honestly, the most expensive “fashion show” of all time. If not for anything else, you’ve got to admire their gusto and ability to do so much with so very little!

When I hear the name Trump, I immediately think of over-decadence, ornate gold sculptures and impressive real estate holdings.  I think of The Donald and his big red ties, I think of Ivana and her big-blond hair, and I think of Melania with her big, well, you get the idea.  But when I heard of Ivanka Trump’s wedding that took place on October 25th, I knew that she would be polished, poised and absolutely lovely.  Having commissioned her dress from the master of bridal and understated elegance, Vera Wang,  Ivanka looked exquisite.  Sure, it doesn’t hurt that she is a beauty to begin with, but she looked so very Grace Kelly as she said her vows that you almost forget what her family is known for.  Over the past few years, Ivanka has really found success in fashion with her own line of jewelery that has commanded respect for her knowledge of what’s chic and what women (if they can afford it) would love to wear.  But let’s put business aside and wish the lovely ( and formerly) Miss Trump our heartfelt congratulations on choosing a gorgeous dress!  The husband?  Well, I suppose that was a good choice too..

The weather is erratic in Canada to say the least, but the one thing every Canuck girl and boy knows well is the importance of two things in the cool-season:  Layering clothes and Scarves!  Well, come to think of it, I guess it’s really one thing, since the addition of a scarf to your outfit certainly counts as layering.  Wrap them up around your face for a super-cozy and chic look, or leave ‘em long and loose for a Parisian “I just threw this on” look.  Summer or winter, you really can’t go wrong, not to mention the level of polish that a simple scarf can add.  One of my favourite tricks to spruce up an old handbag is tie a contrasting colour scarf, tied neatly to the handle.  This trick, I must admit, I learned from watching Audrey Hepburn.  She was always the epitome of chic, and the scarf would be tied around her handbag just in case she was suddenly invited for a ride in a fabulous convertible car, or needed to go for an afternoon bicycle ride.  Sigh.  Those were the days.  But I digress.  The point here, folks, is that this weekend only, Club Monaco stores are offering you $10 off any scarf in the store!  Now that is good news.  Now, if only we can convince Hermes to put their scarves on sale — and for more than $10 off — we’ll really be on to something.  In the meantime, we’ll take the clever little prints and checks from our friends at Club Monaco.  And remember, all students get an additional 20% in store with a valid student ID.  Now that’s what I call smart!

Now’s the time to grab one for a great price!  H&M has up to 50% off on selected coats in store right now until November 4th.  Just thought you might want to know about that, because most of the ones I’ve seen are a wool-blend and can certainly carry you through a couple of seasons.  Plus, the faux-fur jackets are the perfect cozies to keep you looking on trend when going out during the upcoming holiday festivities that will soon be upon us.  Remember, by the time you need to go out and look for it, it’ll be too late.  Plus, what better reason than deep discounts does a girl need to go shopping?  Now, get out there, and get cozy!

As many who know me well will attest, my lady crush has always revolved mostly around one woman: the vivacious and smoldery Spaniard named Penelope Cruz.  She always looks impeccable, and in every example to date, I would wear each and every piece in her wardrobe and in fact, I dream about it, too.  So, today, when I saw this snapshot of Miss Cruz at the New York premiere of Broken Embraces, I swooned!  Not only are the Haider Ackermann dress and jacket absolutely stunning in their own rights, I loooove the way she paired the slightly rough-and-tumbled jacket with a silk sheath of an evening gown!  It’s perfection!  Now, I often pair my black ponyhair blazer with my floor length evening gowns, so I’m no novice to mixing hard and soft looks, but this one really impressed me.  Bravo, Penelope!  You rock!  I can’t wait to see her next up with Nicole Kidman and Kate Hudson in the movie Nine.  Now, can someone invite me to a fete where I can wear a floor length evening gown, please?  I’m totally inspired!

Ok, so…everyone has heard by now about the whole over-the-knee boot rage that is sooo Fall 09.  And it can work on a multitude of levels.  For example, the nearly-flat, black leather, Captain-Hook type boots are a great way to spice up your skinny jeans and give your casual look some oomph.  I did, however, have the misfortune of seeing a woman wear these boots with an impossibly high-heel, coupled with a very tight sweater. I winced immediately, but then I gave her due props for a moment or two for trying to incorporate the new trend successfully.  Unfortunately for her, it didn’t work.  You can’t sex up your whole outfit, or you hazard looking, well, like a working girl.  The whole high-boot trend actually comes from a reverence for 80′s style that we’ve seen for a few seasons, and these boots are giving a quirky little nod to Pretty Woman.  You don’t want to take this trend (as you shouldn’t with most) as literally — we all love Julia in that movie, but few of us actually hold our dresses together with safety pins ( I hope!).  So the key to wearing these boots isn’t hard, you just need to keep the rest of your look super-breezy and casual, and leave all the sex appeal to the boots, since they have oodles.  There is one pair of boots, however, that was the subject of much debate and discussion: the Prada hip-waders.  Muccia has always had a bit of fun playing with subtext when it comes to women’s sexuality in her designs, and did so again with these puppies.  Coming halfway up the thigh, and with optional waist belt to help keep them up, Prada’s boots are made in the softest leather, but made to appear rubber like the practical ones fishermen don.  The skyscraper heels make these boots the exact opposite of practical, as does the fact that you’re not supposed to get them wet!  As a comment on women’s need to be tough in the world today, we applaud you, Prada.  As wearable and long term functionality, though, we think you might need a slight reality check.   They sort of remind me of a suede bikini I once saw in a Victoria’s Secret catalogue.  The model was wearing it to disembark from her helicopter, and below her feet, the text read: “Not for use in sunlight, do not wet.”  I totally get that most fashion items aren’t practical, and therein lies the fun!  So here I shrug and simply concede that some things are just meant to be strange, I suppose.  Now I’m waiting for someone to show a couture construction hardhat…now that would be hot!

LiLo, or Lindsay Lohan, gained the title of Enfant Terrible this past weekend in Paris, and not in a good way.  You know, the way Jean Paul Gautier was called that for his terribly chic and unique design sensibilities?  No, this was a disastrous mis-calculation on the part of the Emanuel Ungaro label. They appointed Lohan as Creative Director for the label, and  I’m guessing they were hoping for a little more street credibility for their usually classic and elegant evening gowns and demure ensembles.  Unfortunately, what they got was more of Lohan’s own style of dressing, which included lots of leggings and dresses so short that some said they would invite paparazzi crotch shots.  All this, mind you, without showing a single evening gown that would, at very least, balance the awkward looks coming down the runway.  Apparently, the newly appointed creative director of the label (La Lohan herself) appeared at a local Parisian haunt not long after the backlash looking rather unaffected by the responses to the collection.  Wonder what Ungaro plans to do for next season?  Will Paris Hilton soon have a job with the label too?  Let’s hope this was all just a case of Freaky Friday and all will return the way it was come Fall/Winter 2010.