Brit supermodel Karen Elson returns as the face of St. John this fall and I, for one, couldn't be happier to see her gorgeous face and flaming red hair. (Of note, I have encountered Karen as a brunette, and while still gorgeous, my obsession waned momentarily.)
In case the campaign images enough aren't enough to satiate you, here's even more Karen, in the video for her track "The Ghost Who Walks."
I'm in LA for business for the rest of the week and trust me when I say that if there were EVER a week when I needed a little escape, this was it. And thankfully, I have a truly gorgeous respite from the everyday, in the form of my hotel, The SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills.
I'm a tough judge of hotels (or, erm, everything) but from the moment the car pulled up, I knew it was LOVE, in all caps. This insanely chic and beautifully modern hotel DRIPS style from the hotel entrance to the lobby to the pool and of course, the gorgeous rooms.
Since I'm an oversharer by nature, I decided that the written word wasn't going to be sufficient this go-around. So check out the quick video that I shot, showcasing my room, including the private terrace and entirely delightful amenities:
If there are two things that I love in the world, they're burlesque queen Dita Von Teese and a nice, stiff Margarita. The kind folks at Cointreau bring it all together for me post-Cinco de Mayo with the first of three viral webisodes, featuring Dita herself as socialite Margarita Sames, said to be the namesake of the legendary cocktail.
According to lore, it was at one of Sames’ famed parties at her Cliffside hacienda in Acapulco that she began experimenting with “the drink” that would later be named in her honor. Looking for something refreshing to combat the humid afternoon, she mixed top-shelf tequila, Cointreau and fresh lime juice. Her cocktail was so delicious and intoxicating, that it kept the party going for two full weeks! Not long after Margarita’s legendary soiree, the Margarita caught fire across the globe and is known today as the most popular cocktail in the United States, and the undisputed official drink of the summer.
If you've never had a Margarita with Cointreau, a delicious orange liqueur, you are truly missing out. Check out the initial webisode below and for cocktails and more, visit www.cointreau.com or the brand on Facebook.
For Fall/Winter 2010, Yigal Azrouël presented a collection strong on tailoring. Silhouettes were lean and architectural, with undertones of reconstruction. Hybrids of different garments and fabrications creates new silhouettes and pseudo layers. This is most relevant in the jackets with resin leather sleeves and the subtle patchwork details seen throughout.
Fully matched suits offer toughness with removable shearling cuffs, leather inserts and metal accents. The masculine/feminine play works its way into the men’s and women’s collections equally. High-neck details emphasize a certain restraint yet offer softness in their drape and asymmetry.
Preferring a streamlined look, texture is created from the self-fabric with technical intricacy. Spontaneous bursts of color come in rouge, pansy and butterscotch, lightening the mood. Azrouël also designed several looks for Swarovski, integrating the crystal elements with unexpected garments like a rough, distressed leather jacket and raw drape knit.
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It was clear that a dark cloud had settled on the first day of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York when news broke this morning of Alexander McQueen's (born Lee McQueen) suicide in London.
Just 40, McQueen was widely regarded as one of the most influential and artistic designers in fashion. The rare editor's darling and commercial success, he counted Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Sandra Bullock, Sarah Jessica Parker and so many more as devotees.
There's nothing that I can say that another, more articulate voice hasn't already said (i.e. Cathy Horyn's The Loss of Alexander McQueen), but this is a death that I find just devastating.
In his memory, here's my favorite McQueen moment, the state of the art Kate Moss hologram that closed his Fall 2006 show - it epitomized both his love of art and his ability to embrace technology.
RIP
"Sew, cut, drape...do whatever you need to do to finish this." Tim Gunn is NOT messing around this season.
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I must admit, I don't take New Year's resolutions too seriously but when my friend Felicia invited Amber and I to join her for a Physique 57 class yesterday, I felt compelled to say yes. Not only is it a new year and time for a fresh (fit?) start, but THIS is the workout that legends are made of - or at least, you know, Kelly Ripa.
Felicia warned us that this was not a workout for pansies, people. Physique 57 is a fusion of yoga, ballet, pilates and core-conditioning and it literally works almost every muscle in your body, using light weights and your own weight as leverage.
Immediately following the 57-minute class, Amber, Felicia and I celebrated with some Maoz falafel and decided to capture our post-Physique 57 impressions in a video:
If you're intrigued by the Physique 57 workout, visit the site for locations and a class schedule. There's also a relatively new at-home DVD series which has received some RAVE reviews. If at all possible, I do recommend taking at least 2-3 classes at the studio before committing to the DVDs, to ensure that your form is correct. Either way, you can snag the DVDs here.
Have you tried any new workout classes this year? Leave a comment and share!
p.s. I swear I'm a LITTLE slimmer than the angle in this video would have you believe....
Teen style blogger and Rodarte muse Tavi Gevinson made the scene during New York Fashion Week in September, and worked with designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy on an exciting video project to promote the new Rodarte for Target collection, hitting stores December 20.
The short film offers a behind-the-scenes peek at the lookbook shoot, press preview and ad shoot (on location in North Dakota!), as well as the Rodarte Spring 2010 fashion show, with guest appearances by Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman and Elijah Wood, among others.
I must admit, this collection intrigues me though I am almost always beyond disappointed in Target's designer collabs.
What do you think? Are you planning to hit Target on December 20 to snag a few Rodarte pieces of your own?
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Backstage at Rebecca Taylor's Spring 2010 show today, stylist Rodney Cutler for Redken created an uber-chic bow-shaped chignon to complement the designer's uber-girly clothing! I have to say, I think this is among my favorite hair looks to-date. It's just so clever, yet a simple twist on a classic.
To hear Rodney chat hair for the show, be sure to check out the video below!
Did it slip your mind to set the DVR last night? No worries. Check out the YouTube video below of Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour on The Late Show with David Letterman.
While Anna was obviously beyond prepared for this appearance, I thought she was fantastic - dry and funny. She discussed The September Issue, of course, and also Fashion's Night Out (more to come on that in a future post, but shoppers, mark your calendars for September 10!) That said, I was disappointed in Letterman - he seemed dismissive and borderline disrespectful of Wintour at times in the interview.
New Yorkers - pre-sale tickets are now available for the first official theatrical showing of The September Issue this Thursday, August 27, at 12am for the Chelsea 9 theater in New York. Click here for tickets! As for the rest of the country, you'll have to wait until September 4.
