REMNANTS

• Christian Louboutin is currently suing everybody and their brother who dares to design a shoe with a red sole. Well, that’s silly, you say to yourself. Trademarking the color red would be like Donald Trump trademarking the phrase “you’re fired” or Paris Hilton trademarking “that’s hot.” OH, WAIT. As Yves Saint Laurent hilariously pointed out, Louboutin can hardly be considered the originator of the red sole given that Louis XIV was pairing his pantaloons with red kicks. (New York Magazine)


• Poor Halston is having a rough month. Last week SJP broke up with Halston Heritage, and now Harvey Weinstein has similarly bailed, ostensibly to focus on lofty film pursuits like Spy Kids Part 201 (it’s 4-D!) Not only will there be no Spring 2012 collection, but Fall 2011 deliveries are potentially being canceled. (My Fashion Database Blog)


• In less heavy news, Gwen Stefani will be designing a kids line for Target slated for release this fall. I personally can’t wait to get my baby super kawaii in Harajuku Mini. (The Independent)


• In other celebrity collections that I can endorse (unlike last week), Kanye West is possibly launching a line for reals this time. He’ll allegedly be collaborating with knitwear designer Louise Goldin on a high-end women’s line. Fingers crossed that he includes affordable tees printed with some of his best Twitter expositions. (Sun Sentinel)


• Kate Spade is launching a lipstick collection and everyone is freaking out about how ‘genius’ the name is. It’s Supercalifragilipstick. Did your socks literally blow across the room in amazement? Yeah, mine neither. Also a bit debatable is the fact that the four shades are in fact lipstick/gloss combinations, not the kind of retro creamy matte shade one would expect from Spade. (Styleite)


• If Miami Fashion Week Swim 2012 is any indication, the new ‘it’ beach cover-up is pants. This is certainly better news than a sheer cropped tank top as the next cover-up trend, although apparently also on the slate are high-waisted bikini bottoms, and as Taylor Swift proved, those are just bad news all around. (AP via The Straits Times)

Above photo: Kate Spade via Styleite

REMNANTS

• To further confuse the whole vintage versus secondhand versus pre-owned versus simply old crap conversation, now retailers are attempting to cash in by blurring the line even further. You have stores like J. Crew and Lucky Brand stamping the word vintage on tees, Urban Outfitters, Chick Downtown and Free People selling vintage items along with new collections, and couturiers creating “vintage-inspired” pieces. I suppose if I were sitting behind a dusty countertop of signed rhinestone pins wearing cat eye glasses somewhere the semantics of this would really cheese me off, but eh - people got to get paid. The article does name check The Way We Wore, which was one of my favorite vintage stores in Los Angeles along with Entre Nous and Decades. (Los Angeles Times)


• You would think that we have enough fashion-y competitive reality shows, but you would be wrong! Nicole Richie and John Varvatos are the newest mentors on NBC’s Fashion Star, joining the illustrious ranks of host Elle Macpherson and fellow mentor Jessica Simpson. I hope skinny didn’t take Nicole’s sass away, because hilarity could ensue when she’s confronted with the enigma wrapped in a buffalo wing that is Jessica Simpson. (Entertainment Weekly)


• Joe Jonas went to a Calvin Klein runway show and now totally wants to do some sort of collaboration. Or, as Joe more eloquently put it, “they [Calvin Klein] wanna do some stuff, I wanna do some stuff with them.” I’m sure he’s a perfectly nice young fellow, but ugh, this just makes my brain bleed. (Contact Music)


• In other “get off my lawn” news, Avril Lavigne has expanded her Abbey Dawn clothing line. I have a guilty love of “What the Hell,” but I’m pretty sure Avril Lavigne is a terrible person. (Backseat Cuddler)


• This week in John Galliano speculation: he’s doing a Topshop collection. No, wait - he’s not. (Huffington Post)


• In real Topshop news, an image of model Codie Young (above) has been pulled from the site amid complaints that she looked unhealthily thin. The image has since been replaced with a new one of Codie looking less skeletal/wearing more layers. (Telegraph)

Above photo: Topshop

Look of the Day: Emma Watson For Vogue

With the July 2011 issue, I think we’ve now firmly established that Emma Watson + anything Vogue = magic. You really have to check out the entire slideshow, because it is just perfection. I want to tear out all the pages and wrap them around me like a Slanket.

This is a pretty hard look to emulate, because with with the exception of the Solange Azagury-Partridge lips ring, it’s not like any old retailer is carrying the couture Dolce & Gabbana dress and insane jeweled Alexander McQueen thigh high boots (oh yes, my friends - those are boots). That dress is the stuff dreams are made of - it’s sort of like a beautifully ornate Christmas ornament come to life.

I LOVE Emma’s hair and makeup - the Robert Palmer girl-esque slicked back hair with smoky eyes and red lips is so dramatic yet classic. I would love to try the makeup, but in my not entirely capable hands I’m worried I’d emerge an extra from The Threepenny Opera. I turned to my friend Tamra, an amazingly talented (and hilarious!) makeup artist who’s clearly no stranger to creating kind of this editorial look for a few pointers. Here’s what she had to say:

Be ready to “dig” in the paint. To achieve this ultra sexy /glamour look that Emma is rocking you’ll need two things: strong colors that give you great pay-off and trusted tools.

For the brows - feather the brows using a product like Benefit Cosmetics’ Brow Zings (Dark). For your peepers, base the eye with a black noir cream liner, also use a waterproof pencil to smudge into the water line for that uber smoky/sultry look. Add a warm brown to the crease - blend blend blend then blend some more.

Emma has a porcelain milk-like complexion, and you’ll want to color match your skin with the right foundation (use the beauty blender sponge for hard to reach places). Set with translucent powder. Cheeks aren’t really emphasized in this image and neither is a bronzer - but if you MUST, use a warm tone along the hairline.

Define the lip with the perf red hue, then for dimension dress the siren/brick red with a clear gloss. Wahlaaaa!

Thanks T!

Get the Look!

ADAM’s Glass Jeweled Linen Tank Dress - $198 (orig. $297)

Anna Sui’s Embellished Tulle & Lace Dress - $1065

Allsaints’ Paloma Dress - $238

FunnyPeopleCo’s Embellished Tights - $15

Topshop’s Jewel Tights - $25

Solange Azagury-Partridge’s Hot Lips Lacquered Ring - $1500

Guess’ Pave Red Lips Stretch Ring - $55

Emma Watson photo credit: Mario Testino for Vogue

Taylor Momsen Fronts Madonna’s Macy’s Line

Genius marketing move or synchronized shark jumping? Via BNET:

For the tween/teen fashion shoppers who think of Madonna as Lourdes’ mom, Macy’s (M) has hired its very own bad girl to be the face and boost the credibility of its Material Girls line for potential customers who are trying to cut the apron strings.

A fashion brand that has design input from Madonna and her 13-year-old daughter Lourdes Leon is bound to generate lots of publicity, which is what Macy’s was counting on when it signed up the singer via Iconix, the brand licensing company that works with Kohl’s (KSS) –- and, lately Britney Spears — on the Candie’s brand. Yet, a mom-and-daughter project may seem a little too quaint for some teens, even if Lourdes is referred to by her nickname of Lola in association with the brand.

So, enter Taylor Momsen, the punky, 16-year-old Gossip Girl actress and wannabe rocker who has distinguished herself from the rest of the cast by dragging on smokes and dropping F-bombs. Could Macy’s have found a better reflection of the breakout punky pop singing wannabe actress Madonna from the Reagan years? Maybe, but this one suits the breaking Material Girl advertising campaign, at least for now.

With Momsen, Macy’s and Iconix have hedged their bets nicely. In the Material Girl introduction, Macy’s can promote the edginess associated with the past Madonna and the current Momsen for teens who are traditionally skeptical about whatever mom wants them to wear, even if mom is Madonna. At the same time, it has the warm if not altogether fuzzy story of the Madonna/daughter collaboration to sell the moms of Material Girl’s target audience. They, after all, have ultimate control of the credit the cards that will determine if the brand lives up to Material Girl rolling-in-bucks aspirations.

If Momsen acts up - in the wrong way, that is - and turns out to be more of a hindrance than a help moving the brand as back to school progresses toward the holiday season, Macy’s can dump her in a flash. It’ll still have an ace in the hole with Lourdes, or Lola. The name used may depend upon how much damage Momsen has done and just how Macy’s wants to spin the line in the aftermath.

I have to admit: beyond finding Madonna to be sort of joylessly pursuing the shadow of her former notoriety these days, her devotion to all things Ed Hardy (not to mention her semi-disastrous tracksuit line for H&M some years back) make her a dubious choice to helm the latest celeb fashion line. As Stylelist points out, much like the lady herself, “the collection is a mishmash of Madonna’s greatest fashion hits from the early years.” Which is to say, an 80s retro meet not-quite-ready-for-Topshop look.

And then, there is the Momsen. Much like Little J, Momsen has been on a particularly bratty winning streak as of late, which does somehow does solidify her as a natural choice for spokesmodel.

My prediction? Despite the interesting marketing choices, this collection will most likely fizzle like those ill-fated velour tracksuits, especially when celeb-driven shoppers can find much more solid wardrobe pieces from the Olsens and Gwen Stefani. Madonna, of course, will keep on keeping on, Lourdes will remain one to watch, and Taylor Momsen? Well, that’s anyone’s guess, although the Courtney Love path is both a cheap shot and a good guess.

Your thoughts?

Image credit: Macy’s/Material Girl Collection

A Lot of Look: Drew Barrymore at the Whip It Premiere

Drew Barrymore has been on a fashion rampage of sorts lately, which, if she were Courtney Love would indicate that she was into the bad stuff, but in Drew’s case (at least these days) tends to translate to simply being “wacky.”

I like Drew, but I think it’s at least a minor crime to pair that jaw-droppingly gorgeous yellow Alexander McQueen dress with ratty skunk hair.

Photo credit: Fashion Magazine

Insert Caption Here ______

Models channel Audrey Hepburn at a fashion event in Sydney, Australia.

Photo credit: Gawker