There was a time that on All Hallow's Eve, fashion industry insiders weren't glued to their desks at 2 a.m. finalizing their next issues, or having dinner with Madonna. Chances are that on October 31st, 20-some years ago, they were hitting the streets with mom and dad in a costume they'd later regretted choosing, all in the pursuit of Whoppers and Reese's Pieces.
We spend most of our time covering womenswear so we delight in the menswear shows because designers tend to take much bigger risks on the runway. Pink lace up bikini briefs? Intricate bondage? Quirky colorful top hats? Koosh-ball-like head coverings? It was all there on the runways of London, Milan and Paris. So we had to know: What do "real" men think about these outrageous ensembles? To find out, we reached out to our friends in the media who aren't fashion-affiliated--like Daniel Edward Rose of The Observer, Jo Piazza of Current TV, who, while a lady it's true, admits she has the mindset of a 13-year-old boy, and Elie Mystal of our brother site Above the Law. But we didn't stop there: we hit the streets of NYC to poll all the men we could find about these crazy looks.
Yesterday's LGBT Pride parade in New York City was more like an all-day block party that engulfed the entire West Village. The event marked the first
On Sunday, while the rest of us were recovering from our Cinco de Mayo hangovers, France was having the second round of their presidential elections. As predicted by many French news outlets, incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy lost to the Socialist candidate François Hollande. Beyond the obvious implications of a new president of France, we here at Fashionista felt a little bummed to lose First Lady Carla Bruni Sarkozy. Along with her counterparts, Michelle Obama and Samantha Cameron, former supermodel Carla made being stylish a key part of the First Lady role. No longer can you just slap on a pantsuit and call it a day. What you wear can be as important as which charities you support. New First Lady Valérie Trierweiler, girlfriend of Hollande and herself a journalist for Paris Match, has big Louboutins to fill.
Coachella is the music festival to end all music festivals, so we always watch to see what fashion trends are going to be big on the circuit. While this weekend brought out the best in some (Dree Hemingway in Dolce and Gabbana!), Buzzfeed's list of Coachella fashion disasters reminded us of the worst. Is anyone else so sick of feather headdresses and denim cutoffs? So without further ado, here are 10 festival fashion trends we here at Fashionista hope get left in the dust!
Fashion shows aren't just about fashion anymore. Or more accurately, fashion isn't just about the clothes anymore. Every season, runway shows get more elaborate, as designers and brands try to cram a lot of drama into the 15 minutes that they have everyone's attention. And it works--it makes a show pretty memorable. (Whether or not it helps the image of a brand or helps the clothes be memorable remains to be seen, as our contributor Long Nguyen speculated in his review of Dior's show.) Karl Lagerfeld and his Chanel extravaganzas are the notable exception. Lagerfeld always wows us with a spectacle of grand proportions--and clothes to match. The Chanel show, which walks tomorrow in Paris, is undoubtedly the highlight of fashion month every seasaon. But those who have come before it this month weren't too shabby, either. Pyrotechnics, a fruit stand, and an escalator all helped designers tell their stories for their fall 2012 collections. Click through to see all the most outrageous runway shows from this season.
If you haven’t hopped on the Pinterest bandwagon yet, you should get on it, pronto. Founded in March 2010, image-based social networking site Pinterest made waves in the start-up world, garnering over 11 million total weekly views in December 2011 -- a 4000% increase over six months. The site allows users to follow other pinners and re-pin (re-post in Pinterest terminology), “like,” and comment on content that others have posted or pinned. Pinners create boards that fall under categories like Art, DIY & Crafts, Home Decor and Women’s Apparel, modeled after thematic mood boards used by magazines and fashion designers for inspirational and organizational purposes. Users can follow all boards created by a user or select individual boards to follow, filtering out pins that aren’t relevant or don't interest them.
To most unknown and/or struggling designers trying to break into the industry, winning the grand prize on a season of Project Runway sounds like an absolute dream come true: $100,000, a major fashion mag editorial, an ultra-expensive technology suite, website partnerships, instant name recognition, and endless opportunities for publicity. But what happens when the cameras stop rolling? When Tim Gunn is no longer hovering over your shoulder in the workroom, telling you what 'worries' him? Or when, instead of competing against 15 designers in a challenge, you're competing with potentially hundreds of thousands of designers around the world? With Project Runway All Stars (finally!) premiering tonight, it got us wondering about all the seriously talented individuals to whom Heidi Klum never said "auf wiedersehen."
Giovanna Battaglia, and Shala Monroque continued their dominion over the internet, but 2011 also introduced the world to a new crop of editors, stylists, and buyers who have envy-inducing style. The best part is watching someone's style grow dynamically in front of the lens. These aren't the girls putting on full looks from the runway, they're pulling items from their own wardrobes and mixing them with new trends. If there's anyone to idolize for having great style, we think it's this new bunch.
Is Beyoncé delivering her baby right now? We have no idea, but the media cannot contain its excitement over the impending arrival of baby Bey-Z. Though it is only Beyoncé's closest family and friends who know for sure if she's delivering today, we decided to take a look back at the diva's most fabulous maternity looks-- just in case she's already popped!
Jared Leto has had an eventful, if a bit confusing, year. He broke the Guinness world record for most shows performed during a single album cycle with his band 30 Seconds to Mars, attended several fashion shows in Paris, hung out with Terry Richardson a lot and turned 40 yesterday. All the while, he experimented with many different hairstyles and attention-stealing outfits, landing him the title of worst dressed man of the year, bestowed upon him by GQ.
Yesterday, we reported that Skechers could pay up to $75 Million for claiming that their Shape-up shoes would "tone" and strengthen legs and butt. It wasn't exactly surprising and turned out to be yet another addition to the list of shady products that Kim Kardashian has tied her name to. Based solely on her business dealings, the girl has a seriously bad habit of lending her name to scams, counterfeits and other dubious business going-ons. Of course, her 72-day marriage and rampant overexposure don't exactly help her case for business integrity. We did some digging and found out that, in total, Kim's name has been attached to at least nine shady business deals over the past couple of years. From lying about sponsored tweets to kopykat issues, click through for a look back at Kim's shadiest endorsements.
The annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which is now in its 16th year, has come a long way since the first one in 1995, which wasn't even broadcast. The 2011 show, which will be filmed tomorrow and air on November 29, promises to be the most extravagant yet with 38 big-name models, three huge musical performances and a $12 million budget. However, did you know that they started out with a budget of only $120,000? That's a fraction of what some of their bras cost these days. Click through to see how the shows transformed from normal girls in a normal fashion show to the celeb-filled over-produced extravaganzas they are now, including a video of the first ever show in 1995!
The MTV Europe Music Awards were last night and, to be honest, it was such a spectacle that it's almost impossible to do a "best dressed" list. Looking through the photos, it seemed most attendants dressed more for a night of raving in some Euro-disco club than a red carpet. There were minor highlights--such as every one of Selena Gomez' eight outfit changes--but it's mostly just a parade of insanity. Click through to see the best of the EMA's awesomely bad shenanigans.
This week Paris Hilton walked the runways...at Ukranian Fashion Week. We'll just let that sink in for a moment. This is the girl who, after all, only a handful of years ago, dominated the glossies and tabloids. She had a hit TV show, a popular single, and a New York Times bestselling book. But this was the early aughties--a heady period of exposed navels (don't forget the rhinestone encrusted belly button studs), juicy couture track suits, fake tans and platinum blonde hair. But while Paris' cohorts spent the past five years growing up and leaving the princessy, party-girl act in the past--Nicole Richie became a designer, Kim Kardashian became a bona fide A-list celeb (whether you like it or not, it's kinda true)--Hilton seems perpetually stuck in the early 2000s, at least when it comes to her style. Between the platinum hair, orange tan, oversized white sunglasses, sweatsuits and itty-bitty lingerie club dresses, Paris' 2011 looks are nearly interchangeable with the fashion that was in a decade ago. Take a look at her non-evolution of style.
]A very sad (or happy, if you don't like them) rumor has been circulating on the celebrity gossip sites today: Demi Moore and Ashton may be splitting up. And while we know not to believe everything we read on gossip blogs, this rumor is somewhat believable for a few reasons: they spent their six-year anniversary apart, and the chronic Twitter oversharers haven't been tweeting at each other. Also, on the day before their anniversary, Demi tweeted (on a Twitter handle that she is going to have to change if this rumoris true): a quote from Greek philosopher Epictetus that said, "When we are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself & study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger." Hmm. Regardless of their veracity, these reports got us reminiscing about Demi's history: both romantic and sartorial. She's gone through several transformations since the early '80s, when she married rocker Freddie Moore and joined the cast of General Hospital. Among those transformations were some nerdy glasses, very short haircuts and an unforgettable Charlie's Angels beach moment. So, click through for a guide to Demi's style evolution during all her relationships, with an especially close look at the Ashton years and her inability to age.
Lauren Conrad's role in fashion has gone from the Cali girl everyone wanted to dress like to a budding designer with some actual talent--her latest line, Paper Crown, hit stores Saturday. While on The Hills, millions of viewers watched Lauren Conrad cry over boyfriends and fight with Speidi. But what we were all really paying attention to--subconsciously or not--was the Laguna Beach native's easy to emulate style. Even with her reality days behind her, Conrad continues to inspire and fuel beauty and fashion trends. We've rounded up ten of LC's signiture looks--from the ever popular side braid to her new tie-dyed ombre tresses (and matching nails).
This year's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists are a mixed bag of prior nominees and newbies, clothing designers and jewelry makers, names that are on the tips of everyone's tongues and names we'd never heard until last Thursday when the CFDA and Vogue announced them. Here's a few details on each finalist, plus our thoughts on why each one could win, to help you decide who to root for.
This morning, the UK's Daily Mail published a story that is headlined "Make-up free Ashley Olsen is unrecognisable in casual jeans and a shirt as she shares a smoke break with mystery man." However, the four pictures that accompany the article, each of which are captioned with Ashley's name, are all clearly of Mary-Kate (a lack of makeup is no excuse). To make matters worse, at the end of the story, they include a picture of the real Ashley Olsen with the caption "Usual style: Last week Mary-Kate was pictured taking her dog for a walk in an Amish-inspired white shirt and navy blue circle skirt." The thing is, that outfit is so Ashley's "usual style." What is particularly ironic about this mistake is that, in these photographs, each girl's outfit is an unmistakable representation of its wearer's style. This kind of mix-up was forgivable from the ages of 0-16 when they basically just wore the same outfits in different colors to every appearance, but now the recently-turned 25-year-old fashion designers have developed their own distinct way of dressing. Without studying their facial features (which look identical to me, even though they're fraternal), I can identify an Olsen in a snap based on what she's wearing. So, I've put together a guide on how to tell the Olsen twins apart based on their style, since there will obviously be several critical points in your life when you'll need to have this ability.
Model slash actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has been sartorially killing it lately on her Transformers press tour. Wearing the likes of Gucci, Stella McCartney, Michael Kors, The Row and more, she looks flawless at every appearance she makes. We hear she's working with Kate Bosworth's stylist Cher Coulter. Coulter's styling, plus Rosie's ability to look great in just about anything, is clearly working out well. We can't wait to see what she wears next. Click through for a slideshow of her best recent looks. **All photos: Getty
In the past year alone, Elle Fanning has been in more magazine editorials than the number of years she's been alive. The 13-year-old has already been dubbed a "fashion darling" by some and we can't disagree. Heralded for her red carpet style, her modeling skills are nothing to scoff at either. She looks amazing in clothes, is incredibly photogenic and has this innate sophistication that is beyond her years. Mixed with the youthful energy of a 12-year-old (the age she was when most of these photos were taken) that consistently comes alive on camera. Photographers and editors (and designers) have obviously taken note--the number of full-fledged fashion editorials she's been in since she started promoting Somewhere is pretty astounding, but what's almost more impressive is the quality of the editorials. They are all in well-respected publications, including many of the best fashion glossies from Jalouse to Lula to Vogue. And speaking of the latter, a little birdy told us she will be making an appearance in the pages of Vogue's August issue with her sister Dakota. In Vogue twice in one year? We see a cover in her future... Without further ado, click through for just about all of Elle's spreads from the past year. (We couldn't pick the best, because they are seriously all good.)
Montreal is known for many things--Cirque du Soleil, bagels sweetened with honey, Stanley Cups, and festivals. It is also known for its heavy French influence, so naturally, the fashion is good. While in Montreal for the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit last week, I took some time to check out the city's thriving fashion scene. Montreal is full of great vintage shops known as "friperies" and high-end department stores like Holt Renfrew. Saint Catherine Street is lined with retail stores akin to New York's SoHo. The style of the city dwellers is laid back with a touch of that signature Parisian chic. Montreal is also home to some amazing designers. I got a chance to visit the boutiques of three of the city's finest local brands--Harricana Par Mariouche, Denis Gagnon, and Marie Saint Pierre. Click through to learn more about the designers and their work.
Online searches for the term "engagement ring" increase dramatically the week before Thanksgiving. (The theory: people like to pop the question over the holidays.) And with news of Kate Middleton and Prince William's pending nuptuals, we can only imagine that the searches have jumped even more dramatically this season. On the hunt and need some direction? We've rounded up the shiniest, prettiest, and the most unique engagement rings out there so that when it finally happens, it'll be just right.
According to Daily Mail, "The Brooke Shields 'power brow' is back!." We've heard this before and it seems the bold brow shows no sign of thinning out any time soon. The British tab reports that the comeback came when Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, and Calvi