Fashion Lists

VERSACE SAFETY PIN DRESS MOST ICONIC EVER?

The infamous Versace "safety pin gown" worn by Elizabeth Hurley in 1994 was voted the most iconic dress of all time by U.K. department store, Debenham's. Really?. . . Really? The gown she donned for the Four Weddings and a Funeral premier was memorable, for sure, but the most iconic?



Here's the list of the top twenty:

Debenham’s Top 20 Most Iconic Red Carpet Dresses list in full:

1. Liz Hurley - Versace “safety pin” Dress: “Four Weddings and a Funeral” Premiere (1994)

2. Audrey Hepburn - White, belted flower patterned Givenchy dress: Oscars (1954)

3. Julia Roberts - black vintage Valentino dress: Oscars (2001)

4. Catherine Zeta-Jones - red Versace dress: Oscars (1999)

5. Jennifer Lopez - plunging sheer green Versace dress: Grammy’s (2000)

6. Keira Knightley - dark plum Vera Wang one shouldered dress: Oscars (2006)

7. Kate Winslet - red one shoulder flower strap gown by Ben de Lisi gown: Oscars (2002)

8. Halle Berry - Elie Saab net and embroidery topped dress: Oscars (2002)

9. Bjork - outrageous swan dress designed by Marjan Pejoski: Oscars (2001)

10. Kate Moss - vintage ripped Christian Dior gold satin gown: The Golden Age Of Couture VIP Gala, V and A Museum (2007)

11. Reese Witherspoon - knee length strapless yellow dress designed by Oliver Theyskens for Nina Ricci: Golden Globes (2007)

12. Cindy Crawford - Versace red plunge dress: Oscars (1991)

13. Gwyneth Paltrow - pink Ralph Lauren gown: Oscars (1999)

14. Charlize Theron - pale blue Christian Dior ruffle dress: Academy Awards (2005)

15. Penelope Cruz - pink strapless feathered Versace dress: Academy Awards(2007)

16. Hilary Swank - navy blue backless Guy Laroche dress: Academy Awards (2005)

17. Gisele - White Christian Dior strapless dress: Oscars (2005)

18. Cher - Bob Mackie’s sheer art deco-inspired creation: Oscars (1987)

19. Renee Zellwegger - pastel yellow strapless Lily et Cie dress: Oscars (2001)

20. Uma Thurman - crimson Alberta Ferretti Gown: Oscars (2000)

Emmy Awards Fashion Wrap-Up

EMMY AWARDS RED CARPET LOOKS

The Emmys were on last night. I didn't see any major fashion disasters, but then again, I was only half watching. I did see a lot of fabulous-looking dresses, however. Here are my picks for "WOW!"

Sandra Oh

Heidi Klum

Lisa Edelstein

Marcia Cross

Christina Applegate

Brooke Shields

Only one look made me go "huh??"

I don't know what's going on here with Eva Longoria.

That's Zoe Stylish

I DIE / THAT'S BANANAS

Welcome to my new favorite fashion reality show (besides PR, ANTM, and The Hills, etc): The Rachel Zoe Project. It's like taking the part of The Hills that I love so much, which covers the fashion aspect, and upping the ante.

The show follows celebrity stylist, Rachel Zoe and her bitchy assistant Taylor, her new lovable assistant Brad, her husband Rodger (who happens to look just like Todd Oldham), and the celebrities she dresses.


In the first episode, Rachel has to dress actress Joy Bryant for an event in Hollywood. While looking for something for her to wear, she hits one of her favorite shops, Decades. She tells the camera: "When it comes to Decades, it's literally impossible for me to leave without buying something for myself. It's the mecca of designer vintage." She goes on to gush over the inventory of Decades.


She doesn't end up buy anything for Joy, but finds a bag, necklace, and gown she can't live without. "It just makes me so happy every time I walk through the doors." One of my really bad habits is shopping. . . Part of my working as hard as I do is supporting my habits."


Rachel has two phrases she uses when she finds something that's so gorgeous she doesn't know how to express herself any other way: "I DIE" and "THAT'S BANANAS." In epidsode two of the show, she says about a pair of gorgeous diamond earrings: "This makes me die. I could just like cry. Just throw me in my coffin now with those earrings on. "


Before she can get Joy dressed, she has to deal with her employees. Uber-bitch Taylor is nasty to new fresh-from-Vogue- Brad and won't train him on how they do things the Zoe way until it's too late. Brad talks to Rachel about it and Rachel talks to Taylor. Blah, blah, blah. They start to get along. Sort of.


Meanwhile, Rachel is starting her own brand of accessories and flies to NYC to get the party started. While there, she meets with MIchael Kors and goes through his inventory to find a dress for Joy. IN the end, she finds a red Zach Posen gown and when Joy puts it on, Rachel is compelled to say, "Holy Shit. That's bananas. Joy, you're shutting it down."


In episode two, Rachel has to dress Debrah Messing for the SAGs. Too bad there's a big rainstorm in LA and a leak in Rachel's showroom that soaks all of the dresses, partriculary those she had picked out for Deborah. Brad almost ruins everything but in the end saves the day. YAY Brad!


High fashion drama, different episode, loads of fun. That's bananas!

Fashion News

LC GOES FOR BROKE

According to TMZ, Kitson - the boutique who was selling Lauren Conrad's clothing line - began doing a buy-one-get-one-free promotion when the collection wasn't moving. Apparently, not even that worked. As a result, the boutique is throwing in the towel and giving the entire LC collection away. Luckily, it's going to a good place -- a charity called Caitlin's Closet. The organization donates prom and homecoming dresses to teens from low-income homes.
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Fashion News

THAT'S ZOOOOE STYLISH

Celeb stylist, Rachel Zoe, will be the latest fashionista with a reality TV show. Her Bravo debut, titled "The Rachel Zoe Project", will premier on Sept. 9 at 11 pm. My friend caught an episode the other night. Bravo must have been giving us all a little sneak peak of what it's going to be like so we can decide if we want to squeeze it into our already-brimming fall TV schedule.

Fashion News

MACY'S BIG BIRTHDAY SNAP

Who's 150 years old? Macy's is! To celebrate their big birthday, the famous department store has hired famed Rolling Stone photographer, Mark Seliger to do a commemorative shoot. The ad campaign will showcase five celebrities including Christina Aguilera, Martha Stewart, Donald Trump, Calvin Klein, and Tommy Hilfiger.

"This is an incredible milestone for Macy's," said Peter Sachse, president of Macy's
Corporate Marketing. "There will be big celebrations and moments throughout the
remainder of 2008, but what better way to kick off our 150th birthday festivities than
with some of today's most popular stars and designers paying tribute to Macy's most
revered and long-standing icons - all shot through the extraordinary lens of one of
America's most talented photographers." [blockquote from Reuters]

The photos will appear in magazines and in in-store advertisements in October 08.

Hump Day Fashion Icon

TORI AMOS

I've been following the Cornflake Girl's career since 1992 and have always found her outfits to be interesting and often inspiring. She dressed the part of big-haired rocker chick back in the 80s but then switched over to a more refined look. She started wearing the Boho look long before Sienna Miller put the look on the fashion map. Diaphanous shirts and dresses, flared jeans. And the shoes. It's all about the shoes with Tori.

She wears shoes that make me dream of having a walk-in closet just for heels. She's even designed and marketed her own shoe line. Two years ago, she told the British paper, Mail Online:
"Shoes are my passion: Pollini, Kurt Geiger, sleek boots by Sergio Rossi. Even if everything else is downplayed, I'll wear good shoes."

Through the past almost 20 years she's kept one thing relatively the same - her hair. That long, red curly hair is her signature. In addition, her piano is her most constant accessory. Now at 44 years old, the rocking redhead is still a heavyweight fashionista.

Fashion Gossip

GOSSIP GUY

Ed Westwick (aka Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl) is rumoured to be adding his "two cents" to the outfit he'll be wearing in the August issue of Vanity Fair. Could this mean "Fashion Designer" may be in his future? The title would certainly fit since the whole cast of GG is so fashionably fabulous. In fact, Chuck is always dressed to the 9s.

Fashion Boner

BECKS'S GOLDEN BALLS ARE A HIT AGAIN

Normally on Wednesdays, I like to post "Hump Day Fashion Icon," but today I'm far too lazy. So instead I'm posting "Guy Everyone Wants to Hump. Of course I'm referring to David Beckham's latest underwear ad for Emporio Armani. Actually, let me rephrase that "Guy Everyone Wants to Hump Except for Mel C."

Recently the ex-Spice Girl was quoted as saying: "I'd be very proud if my man looked like David Beckham," Mel revealed. "But if I see a picture of David in his pants, I avert my eyes - it's my friend's husband, so it feels a bit wrong."

Really?

Beckham has stated on his blog that he's "amazed" by the huge public interest in the ad. Really??

Really??

Look of the Week

FETE FASHION

Speaking of Paris's Haute Couture Week, Mark Ronson and Daisy Lowe were adorable doing the party circuit in the City of Lights.

Pass the Ketchup Please!

THOM YORKE ROCKS RED PANTS

What was I just saying about people being fashionably fearless in London? On Wednesday, June 25, we were lucky enough to catch our fave band, Radiohead play at Victoria Park. In a bold move, Thom Yorke rocked out in a pair of ketchup-colored skinny jeans. Who likes ketchup with their hot dogs? We do!

Art Farty Fashion

OOOOO, LA LA

Last week, the art world's elite gathered in Zurich to attend Art Basel. The legendary contemporary art fair, which has been called "The Olympics of the Art World" by The New York Times, was packed with big ticket paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photographs, and video works.

It also swarmed with dressed-up art enthusiasts, heiresses, and influential jet-setters. Since this is a fashion blog, I'm going to focus on the fabulous get-ups rather than the amazing art that I've heard about. Here are a few of the more outstanding art-inspired outfits from the parties that dotted the nearly week-long art extravaganza:

All photos from The New York Times.

Manhattan Metallics

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE

It was all about metallics at The Sex and the City movie premiere at Radio City Music Hall on Tuesday Night. Sarah Jessica Parker walked down the pink carpet (how appropos) in a silver Nina Ricci gown, which happens to be one of the most stunning gowns I've seen in a long while. "It looked like architecture to me," she said. "It looked like Manhattan."

The star-studded gathering was all glam and glitz, rife with silver, gold, and bronze. Christian Siriano was no exception. He was there with his model from Project Runway (I forget her name), dressed in a ruffled gold lame shirt that could have been dangerous to the eyes of photographers had their flashes caught it at the right angle. Go Christian!

Here are a few of the outfits that really, ahem, shined:

Link of the Week

I've been trying to find out where I can get my hands on the bathing suit Shayne Lamas wore on Monday's episode of The Bachelor. It was a black one-piece that had a lot of straps going across the back. Very pretty and very tasteful, while still being sexy (and I'm not referring to her trampoline show for Matt).

So I went looking on a website called Seen On that that gives info on where to get clothing that you've seen on your favorite shows. Unfortunately for me, they don't cover The Bachelor. It's probably just as well; it probably cost a small fortune. But if you see a dress on your favorite show, you may be able to own it one day. Oh, the joy! In any case, It sure beats QVC for TV shopping.

Soup's On!

JOEL McHALE LADLES THE SOUP ON FASHION

Joel McHale, the hilarious host of The Soup, and his stylist talked fashion to Street magazine. Joel always looks sharp (and gorgeous) in his designer duds so it's no surprise that he admits to being "a big, fat clothes horse." During the interview, he admits to having a closet bigger than his wife's and to being hot for former Soup host, Aisha Tyler. To read the full scoop, go here!

Marc Jacobs' Spicy Ad

BAG IT UP, I'LL TAKE IT

Victoria Beckham is the new face or "legs" of Marc Jacobs. The latest ad shows Posh Spice's legs coming out of a Marc Jacobs shopping bag he had made especially for her.

“I knew this wasn’t going to be Vogue,” Ms. Beckham said by phone from her home in Los Angeles. “I knew I had to put myself in their hands, which could be quite scary.”

She said she had a long discussion with Mr. Jacobs after he first proposed the idea, last September, and a follow-up chat with Mr. Teller, who met Ms. Beckham’s misgivings with a typical mixture of charm and candor.

“I told her, ‘You’re the most photographed woman in the world,’ ” Mr. Teller recalled. “ ‘And fashion nowadays is all about product — bags and shoes — and you’re kind of a product yourself, aren’t you?’ She was, like, ‘Uh, yeah.’ ”

*photo and quotes from The New York Times. To read more about the ad, go here.

LET'S MAKE A DEAL:
AMY WINEHOUSE TO ADVERTISE ROBERTO CAVALLI THREADS?

Speaking of singers donning designer duds, rumours are circulating that Amy Winehouse will be the new face of Roberto Cavalli. The fashionable singer was reportedly approached by Cavalli and asked to advertise his line. The deal would involve Amy wearing Cavalli's garments to gigs and events in exchange for a lifetime supply of the designer's clothes.

Reportedly, Victoria Beckham is responsible for the arrangement. After telling Cavalli that she really digs Amy's style, he was inspired to make the deal. Sounds great -- all those free clothes -- but if this is true, I hope Amy doesn't give up her unique and edgy fashion sense in exchange for vanilla designer garb.

V IS FOR VIVIDLY GWEN

This month, V Magazine is featuring fashion maven, Gwen Stefanie, on its cover. Actually, there are three avant-garde covers to chose from. In her interview, Gwen discusses motherhood (she gushes over her little Kingston), sex, and marriage. And of course she talks beauty, saying that she's still the little stylish cupcake she's always been:

For the longest time I didn’t even let anyone else do my makeup or hair. To be honest, my sense of style isn’t insanely premeditated. I don’t really worry about it or think that hard about it ... usually it just happens. I’ll accidentally curl my hair a certain way. I was always the little girl locked in the bathroom putting on makeup, singing, and getting a million burns from the curling iron. I’m still that girl.

I've never heard of V, but when I saw the over sized magazine with the vivid cover, featuring Gwen, I snatched up my copy. It's a good read, but crammed with ads (what style mag isn't?). It's not until you get to middle of the magazine, that you get to the meat. This issue has a really good interview with Bret Easton Ellis and an excellent section on what's happening in the art world.

LINDSAY MONROE FOR NEW YORK MAGAZINE

Lindsay Lohan posed nude for the spring fashion issue of New York Magazine, In the issue, the actress re-creates the famous fashion shoot that Marilyn Monroe did six weeks before she died. Original photographer Bert Stern shot Lohan, made up to look eerily like the late actress and fashion icon, in the same poses. Lindsay said the decision to do the shoot was a no-brainer: “I didn’t have to put much thought into it. I mean, Bert Stern? Doing a Marilyn shoot? When is that ever going to come up? It’s really an honor.”

To read more, check out New York Magazine Fashion.