The F Word is Fashion, Melissa Leo

THE OSCARS ARE HERE, THE OSCARS ARE HERE!

I couldn't even wait until tomorrow to start talking about the fashion. Overall, I'm pleased: this year, we really got something to talk about!

I think Anne and James are doing a fabulous job hosting. I especially loved the singing!

But just for the record, I will start a Bostonian riot if Natalie Portman doesn't win. My boyfriend said he'll do something similar if Colin Firth doesn't win. If they both lose, the northeast should be very afraid!

So without a moment to spare, here's my view on the 2011 Oscars.

Click the links to see and judge for yourself!

THE WORST

• Jennifer Lawrence (Calvin Klein Collection): While her hair and makeup is awesome, I really don't think casual minimalism is the way to go for the Oscars. Especially if you are a nominee for best actress. This would've been perfect for the SAGs, or even the Golden Globes, but for the Academy Awards? No thank you. She was quite fancy for the other ceremonies, why go casual now?
• Michelle Williams (Chanel): Her hair and makeup, once again, was supreme; however, this dress completely washed us out. Light skin+blonde hair+ light dress= blob of light. She's worn a lot of light this award season, couldn't she have mixed it up? She had so many hits in previous seasons, but this wasn't good enough for me.
• Mandy Moore (Monique Lhuillier): On the surface, it's a really pretty dress,  Mandy Moore looks so old school Hollywood. But I think the separation of sparkles  and the silhouette is kind of awkward. The waist is kind of boxy and, to be perfectly honest, basically everyone has worn a beige sparkled dress to the Oscars. It's time to get a new look. Also, I really hate the earrings she wore with this. It was, once again, awkward.
• Sharon Stone (Dior): BLACK SWAN GONE  TERRIBLY TERRIBLY WRONG. I have never seen something more disturbing than that hair!  The silhouette is awesome, but the ostrich feathers and the STUPID HAIR makes this the worst dress of the night, in my mind. Sharon Stone's been around for a while, I really think she should know better. There's no excuse.
• Nicole Kidman (Dior): Nicole is a beautiful woman and I understand her intentions with this dress, but it was executed poorly. The designs were weird and the architectural aspects made her look bottom heavy. Also, I felt like a bare neck would've been better with this dress. Good try, though!
• Marisa Tomei (Charles James): Why would you ever think this is okay? I hate this dress so much! While the navy's a good color on her, it is not flattering in the slightest. The silk and tulle- is it tulle- breakdown is really awkward. Maybe if the tulle-we're going to say it is tulle- started at the waist?  will say that I do like the neckline.
• Florence Welch (Valentino): She's awesome and this dress is totally her, but I wish that she glammed it up for the Oscars. This is the Oscars, people! I feel like she always wears this light beige/yellow color and if she experimented with a different pastel, it literally would have made the world's difference.
• Melissa Leo (Marc Bouwer): Melissa Leo, not only did you drop a F-bomb, but you also taught us that yes, there is such a thing as too much lace. Maybe if this was black lace, it would've been awesome. But it's too overwhelming, especially for the winter.  Also, this dress doesn't have any movement, which is awkward.

THE BEST

• Mila Kunis (Elie Saab): Obsessed. She is turning into such a trendsetter. This was perfection. The lilac was beautiful on her and this dress was so cool and effortless. The lace around the neckline, as well as the semi-see through areas of the dress, made this dress young and sexy. And the hair, makeup, jewels? Incredible. She has a knack for making people envious of her because she's that cool. I love her. 
• Cate Blanchet (Givenchy Couture): I'm so smitten with this art. It's not just an awards outfit, but it is art. She is the perfect person to wear this fabulous piece. I can't really re-call anyone wearing something similar o this on the red carpet, which is why I'm so pleased. I feel like a lot of people won't understand this look because it is more avant garde than your typical Oscar gown, but it's so beautiful and really interesting. And hints of yellow? Who does yellow? Cate Blanchet does, that's who.
• Scarlett Johansson (Dolce and Gabbana): A lot of people aren't fans of this dress, but I really love it. The raspberry color is absolutely incredible and I love Scarlett's take on lace. The cool and casual hair was so chic and ravishing. The back was so awesome which really made the dress for me. I do not think it photographed all that well, but I bet it looks incredible in person. I think there was a lot of hub-bub about it being see-through. But,  it's the Oscars. Stylists are smarter than that.
• Hilary Swank (Gucci): Ladies and Gents, this is how sparkles and feathers are supposed to be done. The silhouette was awesome and having a silver look throughout made the feathers more subtle instead of clownish.  And the lack of jewels was the perfect thing to counteract such a shimmery dress! In my mind, this was Zoe Saldana's Oscar look last year done right. 
• Halle Berry (Marchesa): This is the way to wear pastels! Her skin tone looks amazing with this beige and certainly doesn't wash her out. The details on this dress, as all Marchesa dresses, are absolutely incredible. She rocked the minimal jewels looks which was perfection for this outfit.
• Natalie Portman (Rodarte): I'm typing this as the Best Actress nominees are being announced: I'm really nervous. Anywho, she looks absolutely radiant. I'm obsessed with this purple color and I'm glad she's giving Rodarte (she just won YAYAYAY) some credit. Her tassel earrings are supreme. And as always, she knows how to look appropriate and classy when pregnant. I love her!

AND NOW FOR SOME ANNE: So many looks and she has seriously rocked them all. I loved her red Valentino gown when strutting down the red carpet. That train was such a red carpet moment and the epitome of glamour. Loved it.  And the red lips made it so iconic, which I loved! And can we talk about the tasseled Oscar de la Renta gown she wore? It was so retro and chic. I'm obsessed. And the red Armani Prive? The red looked incredible with Anne's dark hair and light complexion.  The beading was incredible and even though it reminds me of Armani Prive she wore in the past, the color made it something new. Even the Lanvin tux during her sing-a-long was so chic.

The Weekly: Shuffle Off to Buffalo

So yesterday, my fabulous friend and I went to the Buffalo Exchange right by school. If you don't know about Buffalo Exchange and are too lazy to click the link I generously posted, this is what you need to know: it's incredible. Of course in every thrifty store, there's a fair share of not so fabulous stuff; however, the hunt for the best is so much fun. We both got some awesome stuff so here's a preview of what I purchased!

A bit blurry but these are my steals!

A flannel of my very own! The zippers on the back of it are kind of weird...but I kind of love it. A lot.

I didn't get this snake wrap bracelet at Buffalo, but a vintage store right across the street! I've wanted something like this for a while so I'm quite pleased.


THE OSCARS ARE ON TONIGHT!! I'm so excited and cannot wait to see all of the beautiful dresses. I'm thinking sleek silhouettes and pastel colors. Oh and I also need to blog more about Fashion Week around the world.

But for now, onto the weekly!

• Jennifer Aniston at the Just Go With It premiere (Nina Ricci): I love this Nina Ricci dress and Jennifer looks incredible in it. The minimal jewels looked really great with this dress because it's  not your average LBD. I'm such a sucker for asymmetrical shoulders lately and I love this one! It's also extremely age appropriate which is always a plus!
• Halle Berry at the Costume Designers Guild Award (Elie Saab): OBSESSED. The raspberry color of this dress looks absolutely amazing on her! This dress makes her look insanely skinny as well, or like a minute as my mom would say. I kind of wish someone younger wore this and there were more accesories but without a doubt she is stunning.

xx

Retro Love

Without a doubt, Diane Von Furstenberg is one of my favorite designers of this generation. 

Tonight, I went to a DVF Shopping event the Fashion Club, FAB, organized.

And then this happened.

Re-Issued DVF Vintage  Prints.

Do we love?

 Yes we do! 

In my mind, this is  quintessential Diane Von Furstenberg. 

I really hope these amazing prints make a striking comeback!

That's really all I have to say, but I just wanted to show these prints off!

xx

Williamson's Form of Flattery?

As London Fashion Week is underway, I have been perusing the looks.  But something struck me when I looked at Matthew Williamson's Fall 2011 Collection:

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I've always loved Matthew Williamson for his fun prints; he's always made me think of bohemian/resort chic. But this piece seems a little too familiar a little too...Marchesa?

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Is it just me, or does the black Williamson possess a creepily striking comparison to this orange Marchesa look from Resort 2011? While the two have a plethora of differences, I can't help feeling as if I'm looking at basically the same dress. 

So the real question now: which one is better? 

Let us partake in Williamson versus Marchesa.

Matthew Williamson

I think that the black scheme is very universal; I know I have a hard time pulling off orange. As everyone should know by now, I really love long sleeved mini dresses. I also really like the fringing at the collar; however,  I 'm not how sure I like the sporadic fringing along the dress. While I think the fringe is well placed, and may even be flattering, it can be a bit overbearing.

Marchesa

As I mentioned before, the orange is a little hard to pull off and I don't really like the length of the sleeves in this version. But, I love how this dress almost looks metallic, which is a really cool contrast to the orange. The unbalanced fringe makes it look edgy and really chic.

Alas, I think I like the Matthew Williamson version better, sorry Marchesa.  So...is copying the equivalent to fabulous?

xx

The Weekly: If You Can Go Downtown With a Girl Like Me

Once upon a time, I used to think that Rihanna was such a fashion icon: she had the perfect blend of edge and style to make her something really special. But things changed. Yes this is going to be a ranting blog. I just don't understand, what happened to Rihanna's style. Of course everyone feels for her Chris Brown tragedy; however, her fashion sense is starting to scare me.  Remember when she looked so amazing?

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I loved when she wore this Zac Posen at the 2008 Grammy Awards. The color was so stunning and the knee length hem was genuinely fascinating. I remember it was back then when I thought to myself, "Self, Rihanna is going to be a fashion icon."

But let's fast-foward to NOW.

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I'm totally all for being an original for fashion, but there's a fine line between "individuality" and "costume frenzy" and Rihanna has totally crossed it. I don't know who made this dress and quite frankly, I don't want to know. All of these bright colors, mixed with her clownish red hair makes her look ridiculous in my opinion.  She has such potential: WHAT WENT WRONG?! This also brings up another question: what exactly does it take to become a fashion icon in contemporary society? Do you have to dress too insane, a la Gaga and Rihanna, or can you dress with taste and be considered iconic?

I don't really have an answer, but just a cute little thought!

Anyways, onto the weeklies!

• Rosamund Pike at the 2011 BAFTA Awards (McQueen): Here's an upcoming trend for you: wearing incredible McQueen prints on the red carpet. You would think that a blonde wearing a yellow dress would be way to much yellow, but the different shades made this monochromatic look tres chic! Her wavy hair made this look so ethereal and awesome.  And the natural browns she used for her belts and bracelets added to this ethereal look. I actually liked the red carpet interpretation much better than the runway look because I was too focused on the belt and bangles, though the silver leaf look is so cool.
• Gemma Arterton at the 2011 BAFTA Awards (Yves Saint Laurent):  I thought this dress was super fun, like a modern take on Marilyn's "Diamonds" dress. Periwinkle and black is such a stunning and sophisticated color duo, which is even better by mixing fabrics. I'm glad that she toned down the accessories and focused more on eye-popping makeup. The bright red lip is so elegant and perfectly fits this chic Parisian look. LOVING IT.
• Blake Lively at a Van Cleef&Arpels Party (Marchesa): Once again, Blake Lively is the best dressed at a party, shocking! Is anyone starting to sense my eternal jealousy? If anyone else were to try and pull off this Marchesa, I would probably really hate it. But Blake knows how to wear such a complex dress and make it look effortless and incredible: nude heels and no jewels. Her slightly messy hair also makes this outfit work. Ugh,  I wish I was her.

xx

Ra Ra Fashion Baby

So New York fashion week is coming to a close. Obviously it is time to reflect. There are so many beautiful shows, so this blog is going to be a doozy. 

One of the major trends I've seen throughout the week is a major 1990's revival, as I discussed in the Tibi blog. We've seen a lot of this in Gray Graham, Edun, and Vena Cava.  Some may hate this idea, but I kind  of love it. Not saying it's an easy way out, but the trial error portion of the 90's is over...because it happened in the 90's. So I think we can expect less of the hideous looks and more sleek and chic 90's inspired looks. But of course, a crucial part of the 90's look is looking confused and distressed.

 

Gary  Graham

Vena Cava

Also, brights are pretty awesome for the fall season.  While various designers showed us some color, my favorite was Luca Luca's collection. I loved how the colors in the collection were bright enough, but not in-your-face-neon. They were rich and sophisticated, which is 100% appropriate for the incoming season. I also loved the use of orange, which is really random but I feel like it's an understated color but Luca Luca knows how to make it enviable. L'Wren Scott also owned the color trend this season.  The colors in L'Wren Scott were really different than those in Luca Luca, but I still loved them! Instead of being rich and sophisticated, these colors were really pretty.

As always, there were some absolutely fabulous party wear. I loved looks from Alice&Olivia, Badgley Mischka (let's be honest... Jennifer Lawrence should have rocked this pink and black look if it was out), and Monique Lhuillier. All I have to say is that Oscars are going to be awesome.  Also, I'm seriously considering planning a classy and sophisticated party.

Remember when I said that white was making a comeback...not letting this go.

Speaking of Elie Tahari... I'm now going to talk about specific shows.

I LOVED ELIE TAHARI. The looks in this runway show are fabulously different, but still has a fabulous cohesiveness.  What I love most about Elie Tahari was that I didn't feel like I was looking at the same thing; everything was so spectacular and unique. It also reminded me a lot of Black Swan , and everyone here knows how I feel about Black Swan. The evolution of black to white to animal fierce and chocolates to deep rubies was everything that I love. 

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Ruffian was pretty awesome as well. I really enjoyed the whole tuxedo and masculinity versus femininity. The three dimensional aspects of some of the looks were pretty sick really different. I don't think that Ruffian is 100% wearable necessarily, but it's great to look at, right? Oh and by the way, totally obsessed with this look: 

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Also, Rodarte makes me think.

ANYWAYS.

Diane von Furstenberg was absolutely incredible. The one word to describe this show: sleek. I loved it. DVF always understands women and what they want in fashion. But this show, was the sexiest one I think I've seen from DVF. But of course, she also gave us trendy looks. She's just my favorite, I love her.

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AND THE TWO MOST MEMORABLE SHOWS IN MY MIND (besides Tibi) GOES TO...


PRABAL GURUNG
I was expecting some fabulous looks, and that's what we got. Gurung's collection was 100% FIERCE. Each look was better than the next, seriously. The colored fur was so retro but so sick, I want it! Overall, the collection was essentially blacks, whites, reds, and pinks which was awesome. I loved when he mixed together the different colors. Each look had its own inspiration and silhouette which was absolutely incredible; however, the frequent black belt really tied it all together. And this collection better get some Oscar recognition.

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AND JASON WU WAS LIFE CHANGING.

I don't think I'll be able to adequately describe how much I love this collection, but it was truly amazing. It was so Parisian chic meets All-American in my mind, which I'm so smitten with. The jackets, first of all, were smashing. I'm OBSESSED with lace so this is stunning. The prints throughout Wu's show were so retro and really simple, perfect for accessorizing.  Although the collection was mostly black and white, the colors that Wu incorporated were really sleek and sophisticated. What I loved about this collection was that he wasn't trying to wow us with flashy colors, just his designs. The little party dresses were also incredible and super sexy. And the little bundles of fur were also amazing...like Jason, you're seriously making me the happiest girl in the world. I've always really liked Jason Wu, but this collection made me love him.

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Alrighty, that was good fun.

xx

Tibi RTW Fall 2011

So yesterday I went to fashion week and it was awesome! 

Last night, Tibi ruled the runway. Sleek looks of red, white, gold, grey, and navy strutted its way down the catwalk. There was a lively vibe; high energy music played  and the lights were fully turned on as the supermodels did their thing!

According to the program's description, this collection was heavily inspired by "the sleek and modern simplicity of the 90s". What I loved about this collection was how it wasn't scary grunge inspired; however,  it was more like Clueless 90's (with more class)...and who doesn't love Clueless?

ANYWAYS, BACK TO TIBI!

The show was stocked with amazing separates and party dresses. What I loved most was how there was something in this collection for everyone: the preppy, the trendy, the indie. the androgynous- EVERYONE!   The fun shapes and silhouettes was mixed perfectly with the lace, appliques, and Rococo style prints.

My favorites you may ask? Well, since my pictures won't show off how awesome these looks are, style.com here we come (but more of my pictures later).

I LOVED....

• The shearling biker jacket mixed with a beautiful chiffon floral dress. The juxtaposition of tough versus girly was so sick.  Mixing fabrics is so awesome.
• Mid-calf grey sweater dress. The simplicity of  this was to die for. A perfect staple and the cable-knit design gave it some pizazz. How incredible would this look with a little jacket and booties? Really incredible is the answer!
• Spider Lace pant and blouse duo. At this moment the collection got interesting and I eventually fell in love. I was happy to read  in the program that this was not a playsuit, or else the print would have been TOO striking for the streets. Anyways, I loved this! The lace was super fun and on their own, these two pieces can really pull an outfit together and make it look unique. And we all secretly want to be unique.
• Spider Lace shirt dress: Once again, obsessed. I think the fitted silhouette with such a fun design is different; we are usually bored with flowing dresses and overbearingly bright prints. But because this is fall, we are given something classy and wearable. I'm already thinking of amazing accessories to finish this look off with!
• Teal Crepe dress: I am so smitten with this color- GORGEOUS! As we are all aware, longer skirts are making a comeback. What I loved about this one was the mixing of fabrics. The silk and chiffon combo made a long dress exciting, which is difficult to find because the world is obsessed with minimalism.
• Gold and navy Jacquard dress: In my mind,  a  gold and navy duo  is such an unappreciated color combination but, when used, is absolutely fabulous. Color blocking was  taken to a new level here; the different fabrics made it more subtle but I think it looks fabulous and elegant. The knee hem is also classy.
• Gold and navy blouse and trousers: Besides it being the best color combination- oh yeah I went there- I love the blouse and trousers can look absolutely fabulous on their own as well as together! When I look at this combination, only one word comes to mind: regal. It's probably the pants and the blouse's collar, but it seriously reminds me of a fabulous English kingdom. Obviously, this look can be toned down with simple staples which I think is good for those who aren't as willing to make a statement,
• Jacquard box pleated dress: This is the part of the show when I fantasized about a nonexistent cocktail party I was hosting. This dress is so much fun and so youthful which, being a teenage girl, I love. I liked the hint of navy, which was smart or else this dress would've been TOO gold. Obsessed.
• Full-skirted V dress: In my cocktail fantasy, I am flat chested and wearing this dress! So gorgeous! I love how this is more or less the grown up version of my prior favorite. The show was filled with a lot of cutesy dresses, which I love, so it was awesome to see something a bit more mature, which ultimately gave the collection a bit more of an age range.
• One shouldered swan feathered dress: Obsessed with this red dress! I really love the whole idea of one shouldered dresses, so this is perfection. I usually think a red and black combination is a bit too harsh but I think the little black in the print made it not harsh, but ridiculously fabulous. The bodice almost looks like some kind of ruching or draping, either way I think it looks great with the full skirt.  For the record, this model handled the shoe malfunction like a champ!

• Rococo race back and pleated skirt dress: I was really close to running onto the runway and stealing this; someone would HAVE to wear this to my fake cocktail party. I love how the prints on the bodice and skirt aren't identical, but work together so. It was the perfect amount of print and umm remember when I said we should all get used to white? Yeah...
• High neck pouf dress: Another great look featured at my "cocktail party". The white/grey color mixed with the chiffon appliques was the perfect blend of understated and ah-maz-ing. This dress is 100% fun and I think anyone who wears it will feel and look incredible.  I'm glad this isn't just a typical "sweetheart" neckline; the high neckline takes away a little bit of the cutesy quality (not too much because it's adorable) and makes it edgier.

  final verdict on this collection= fabulous. absolutely fabulous.

And because you're not sick of this blog post yet, some pictures that I took!

Olivia Palermo and Vanessa Hudgens...no big deal.

I loved seeing what the other on-lookers were wearing; some were  uber fierce and out there, while others were not. Needless to say, he was my favorite.

Just some struttin'.

SO MUCH MEDIA.

Thank you,  Amy Silovic

Oh, and I was asked to shoot some segment questionnaire so  here's my first picture of myself on my blog? MILESTONE.

Once life becomes less stressful, I will be giving a full update on New York's Fashion Week so get ready!

xx