Red Carpet Stylist

The latest news reports  that Jean Paul Gaultier, creative director at Hermes for the past seven years, has been replaced with Christophe Lemaire.  Lemaire is best known for his work at Lacoste for the past 8 years as creative director.   It seems that even though magazine editors and photographers have loved the avant garde looks from Hermes’ pret-a-porter line, the company hasn’t been selling them very well at the retail level.  While we all love the ‘enfant terrible’, I think it’s a great move to bring some wearability into the storefronts — especially at the extremely high price points.  Lemaire’s first collection will debut in March 2011 — let’s see what he’s got to offer!  As for JP, well, I’m sure he’ll get by just designing for his own line for now.

It’s time. You’re finally ready to be the proud owner of an exclusive Hermès bag. You’ve studied the similarities and differences between Birkin and Kelly bags and even learned how Hermès bags are made. And you’ve spent hours, days, even months dreaming about the perfect Hermès bag color. So now there’s just one more thing to figure out: how to buy an Hermès bag. Surely, it can’t be that hard, right? You’ll be surprised!
Your straightforward quest to own an exquisite Hermès Birkin or Kelly bag is far more challenging than just the steep price tag. Hermès handcrafts the most coveted luxury handbags on the planet, and the company strictly limits the supply in multiple astonishing ways. This has effectively turned the question of how to buy an Hermès bag into an obsession for women worldwide.
Royalty, heads of state, executives, and celebrities compete fiercely for the opportunity to buy a Birkin or a Kelly bag. There are two primary approaches to how to buy an Hermès bag. One is a sprint, and the other is a years-long odyssey. Each leads to the ultimate prize — your very own Hermès luxury handbag. Choose your approach based on which gives you greater joy — the thrill of the hunt or the delight of the have.

Yes, folks, it was a veritable fashion safari at the premiere of Valentine’s Day in L.A. recently.  The movie boasts a star-studded cast which only means that the movie must be as terrible as the reviews seem to say.  However, there is a silver lining on that little cloud, my friends — the dresses were fab!

We love Jessica Biel and her style, no matter where she is — promoting a new film or gliding alongside BF Justin Timberlake — but here she really swung for the fences.  This frothy red and white and chic-all-over Oscar de la Renta gown was not only a beautiful choice for her, but she gets extra points for going thematic for Vday and the film!

Flanked by Anne Hathaway in a gorgeous, although a bit too short for her very light, wintery skin, feathered Marchesa dress and Jennifer Garner looking perfect in leather and lace Valentino, the trio really made a fashion statement.

When stars dress this well for the film premieres, you know that Oscar dresses are just around the corner!

After reeling from the shock of hearing that one of the fashion world’s most talented designers was found dead in his home yesterday, a report in the British Daily Mail said that McQueen ended his own life just a few days after losing his mother.   The report says he is believed to have hung himself and had been distraught recently.  Official details have not been released yet, and the Alexander McQueen store remains closed until Saturday, but mourners and have descended on the shop to show support for the family.   McQueen was a rare talent who dropped out of school at age 16 to learn tailoring on Savile Row.  When he later debuted his first collection after attending Central Saint Martins fashion school in 1994, socialite Isabella Blow bought his entire collection and launched his career as a major fashion designer.  Most in the industry considered him to be a genius who created outlandish, artistic statements and his shows were highly regarded.  The  show that was scheduled for this Thursday (for his lower priced line McQ) is now cancelled.

Yes, we love her for the crazy things she wears (or doesn’t) in music videos, concerts and well, at the airport — but I must admit that Lady Gaga’s choice of gown for the red carpet at the Grammy awards last night left me wanting just a little bit more.  Sure, compared to all the other singing sirens in demure dresses she definitely stood out with her Jetsons-esque dress, and true, she did remember to bring her very own star as an accessory, but I suppose I was expecting more fame monster and less glazed-sugar.  Perhaps that is just the point she wanted to make — after all, don’t we just expect her to be in 80′s style workout wear adorned with sequins?  Yes, we do!  Ok, Gaga, you win.  Your ability to keep us guessing even when we expect the unexpected is a great triumph!  Plus, you get automatic points for wearing shoes with platforms like that – both on the red carpet and for your performance.  Bravo!  Oh, and nice job keeping up with Sir Elton John wearing those crystal encrusted sunglasses…

Yep, that’s right folks!  Jimmy Choo’s Tamara Mellon has agreed to design a capsule collection of Jimmy Choo for Ugg Australia boots!  She said that Uggs are the only other type of footwear found in her closet, so why not design for them?  Well, Tamara, I have to agree!  I go exclusively from high-end high heels right into the pillowy, cloud-like comfort of my Uggs all the time!  I’m really hoping that they have a real Jimmy Choo edge to them…complete with a Mad Max-esque toughness, complete with grommets, straps and spikes!  Oh glorious day!  That would be fantastiche!  Sadly, we’ll all have to wait until next October to see the goods, and from what we hear, they’re going to cost anywhere between $595 and $795 per pair.  Sigh. But just think: you can completely justify them as the most comfortable Choos you’ve ever bought!  Surely that would be worth the cost…no?

The rumour mill has been spinning wildly over the past few days with reports that Sarah Jessica Parker may become Creative Director for Halston.  Well, it’s been confirmed that the sexy, city girl will design for an offshoot line of the label’s called Heritage .  Don’t worry – this won’t be another Lindsay Lohan debacle, as the main line of Halston will still be designed by its regular designing mind, Marios Schwab.   I’m actually looking forward to seeing this line, though I think I already know what we’ll be getting — it is a line that is meant to revive retro looks of they eponymous label.  Let’s just hope it’s not too Studio 54…

So here’s the question of the day:  would you wear boots as bottoms?  Well, we all know that over-the-knee boots were huge this fall, and it seems that the wintery version has taken them to new heights!  These Stella McCartney boots were worn as the lower part of Blake Lively’s outfit at the You Know You Want It book party at Henri Bendel.  She paired a great white shirt and black blazer for a unique, if not risque look.  The boots are gorgeous, no doubt.  Would you wear them sans bottoms?

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