Want some naked with your shoes?

Now I have seen it all. Galliano used naked women as heels. Funny how these sculpted figures have rotund shapes: large breasts, butts and tummies. Unlike the models wearing them.
Would you wear these?
I am really into the pink version but it has more to do with the colour rather than the naked lady. What I really like about these shoes are the straps; they remind me of soft twisted metal. Very sensual and slithery.

Fell in love with Balmain

Call it rock 'n roll trashy chic. Kate Moss meets Keith Richards. This is the first collection where I have wanted every single piece of clothing presented. And those shoes. Those shoes are rock star shoes. All spiky and shimmery and metal.
The jackets are perfectly tailored; a bit military mixed in with vintage Michael Jackson; damaged and frayed jeans are back; bright bandage wrapped dresses look new again. Never has the 80s looked so good.
Christophe Decarnin has created the ultimate party-girl look and I can't wait to see people wearing these clothes and the clothes inspired by this collection. What a great way to start Paris Fashion Week!

Michael Jackson in his Thriller days. Do you think it's ok to wear ripped jeans to work? I declare it the new uniform.

I like the stiff, wide shoulders; they aren't like the massive padded shoulders we saw in the 80s power suits.

Hervé Leger has nothing on these bandage dresses.

This one reminds me of our muscles; all twisted about and stretched.

Gotta love a train. This would be a hot wedding dress, no?

The lace trend is still going strong.

Deconstructed leather and ripped jeans are next season's official look.

The colour makes me swoon. And that belt is gorgeous.

Model.Live episode 8 recap

This episode was a bit heartbreaking for me because neither Austria nor Madeline book any shows in Milan after going to more than 30 castings. Austria notices that "no one seems to like people of colour here." Breaks the heart. Her managers tell her that it's unfortunately true, but that they hope it will change in a couple of seasons. Austria looks disturbed and upset. Poor girl.
Austria's manager even gets a call from a casting agent saying that she "doesn't look her best." How do you tell that to a 16 (or is she 14?)-year-old girl? The industry can be really harsh.
Meanwhile Madeline thinks she isn't getting booked because she has short hair and thinks that Milan Fashion Week is all about long, luxurious hair à la Versace. She's right of course.

But Cato does very well, booking Cavalli, D&G and the mother of all shows, Prada. I expected that because she has the typical blond, blue-eye look that all casting agents are going for these days.

Next week: Paris!

Starry night on Jimmy Choo bag

It's called the Jimmy Choo "Sky" bag, and I'm in love. Love the slouch, the luscious leather on the sides and...those stars! Ohhhh starry niiiiiiight! Oh wait. I'm thinking of "Oh, Holy Night." Nevermind. Would love to carry this to L'Oréal Fashion Week. Stars are cuter than studs now.
I was never interested in Jimmy Choo bags because I thought they looked too generic but now I have to start looking them up and see if I've missed any goodies.

Sasha Baron Cohen storms Milan runway

Sasha Baron Cohen caused a panic when he leap on the runway at the Agatha Ruiz de la Prada show in Milan. Apparently he was playing his character Bruno for his new movie Bruno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Male.

Can you imagine what the pandemonium it would have caused had this been a huge show like Prada or Gucci? I would love to see Anna Wintour's horrified face.

I love what he's wearing: a mixture of MK Olsen and disowned royal. And look at the expression on his face! Zoolander! God, this guy has guts. Fashion Week definitely needs some humour in it.

He looks like the evil queen in Snow White. I die for that cape.

Update: Now with video!



(Photo: Getty Images, Reuters)

The Duchess costumes

I just finished reading the biography about Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire, who died in the early 1800s. The movie doesn't seem to be anything like the book but that's ok because the costumes make up for it. In the book, Georgiana is portrayed is being a major influence on English politics; this was during the time of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette so there was a lot of political turmoil, revolution and war. Georgiana was also seen as the most fashionable woman in English society. She set all the trends; when she wore her hair up high with feathers, every woman copied her. The book also talks about her relationship with her husband, the Duke, and their ménage-à-trois with Georgiana's best friend, Bess. The movie producers and promoters are hoping that viewers will relate Georgiana to her great-great-great (a lot more greats) niece, the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Certainly there are a few similarities between the two women such as their love of being in the public eye, their love of fashion and the fact that their husbands weren't faithful. But that's where the similarities end.

I am excited to see the movie mostly because I love period pieces and the costumes. I expect similarities in dress to Marie Antoinette, the movie with Kirsten Dunst, as they are from the same time periods. Georgiana wasn't a royal but she did dress with a lot of flair in magnificent gowns.

Check out photo stills from the movie


I'm not an advocate for fur but I love those fox tails on her hat. I wish women wore fabulous hats like that in Toronto. Nobody wears majestic hats anymore. I'm tired of toques and berets.







This dress does not look comfortable at all. I can't imagine what a pain it was trying to walk around, get in and out of carriages, sit on the toilet, etc. in these restrictive frocks.


Was Georgiana the first woman who embraced androgynous dressing?

More Valentino: The Last Emperor

A couple days ago I posted a clip for the movie Valentino: The Last Emperor with his adorable pugs. There are two more clips that I'm excited to share with you.
One of the clips features a funny moment between Valentino and his business partner (and former lover) Giancarlo Giammetti. They are arguing playfully about where they met; both insist that they met at a different location. It really feels like you are a fly on the Parisian wall watching these two.
Enjoy!

Evil Prada shoes hurt models

At the Prada show, two models fell right down on the runway and several of them stumbled. The cause? Sky high heels.
The Telegraph says:

“I was having a panic attack, my hands were shaking. The heels were so high,” one of the models said. “Some of the girls were crying backstage they were so scared.”

As the video pans up, you see one of models' foot wobbling and then she crashes to the ground. Instead of trying to walk in them again, she carries them in her hands and still looks hot.

You can that several of the models are having trouble walking' their knees shake a bit and their feet look unsteady. I applaud these girls for risking injury to themselves. Well, not like they had a choice. But still. Modeling is dangerous work!

During the finale walk, another girl falls to the ground and instead of completing the walk, she turns around and goes backstage.


Click here to see the video of a model falling during the finale.


Check out the video to see the first model fall:

Prada S/S 09: All crumpled up

I was really looking forward to the Prada show, seeing as how the last two seasons have been so trend-setting and came out with beautiful bags (ie. the fairy bag and the lace bag.) So I was excited to see what bags Miuccia came up with.
Unfortunately I didn't like the bags very much. They were scrunched up nylon and leather handbags with pull-ties on the sides. Some of them were very crinkly and had random pieces of leather sticking out from the sides. The effect was rather messy but maybe I have to see it in person to appreciate it. I do like the idea of having a crinkled bag but I don't think the result was beautiful. Compared to the art that was the fairy bag, these ones look like leftovers.
However there was one stand-out piece: a snake skin clutch with a long handle was gorgeous.





(Photos: Style.com)

Easy, breezy, Alberta Ferretti

Flapper dresses, layers of chiffon and loads of pleating defined the Alberta Ferretti show for S/S 08 at Milan Fashion Week. The show reminded me of the Jazz Age; I could picture women with short hair and caps dancing to the Bop.
My favorite piece is the "Little Red Riding Hood" coat/cape.
The colours are so shimmery and romantic; they really embody an age where all women dressed up and were elegant all day. I can't wait to see these looks on the red carpet and what accessories will be paired with them.







Little Red Riding Hood never looked so good.
Doesn't this dress make you feel like dancing?