Fashion Blog

Why have Alexander Wang handbags become the coolest bags at retail? One, they’re really cool. Two, Wang is a hot designer – who keeps his look street and his pricepoint less that most other New York designers. Three, they’re made of sturdy leather and are practical as well as cool – and are often under a thousand dollars, which is amazing, considering the $2500 pricetag of most Givenchy and Balenciaga bags these days. The Wang bags sell out fast at Barneys, but Satine on West Third St. also carries them – but they DO go fast. We are loving thisleopard Milli Satchel bag, which is a great laptop bag – but can also fit your makeup, money, keys and blackberry. We love the square shape and the leopard on the black. Leopard’s never out, and will good with your military khaki’s and army green this summer. Satine also has a bunch of smaller Wang camera-style bags, too.

satineboutique.com
8117 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048-4308
(323) 655-2142

Shopping Landscape

We haven’t talked about Nicole Richie’s metallic butterfly sleeved low back Reem Acra metallic gown at the Oscars – and we have to admit, we took a long time to really get it. Because Nicole ALWAYS looks chic and bohemian, we’re used to her showing up flawless and always consistently and quietly wearing her own personal style, no matter what the occasion. Then we studied the dress and her look – and realized she pulled off the nearly impossible: by NOT going too far, not giving up her own style, and by really remaining true to herself. She didn’t wear lipstick, she wore a simple ballerina hairdo, and the dress – silver metallic with bits of gold and bronze – must have been heavy with all that beading, but she floated down the carpet in it. Interesting that a woman who’s so tiny and in such great shape chose to only expose her beautiful back – but Nicole is a true fashion girl and gets that it’s more chic to surprise than flaunt. Meanwhile, Nicole’s chic stylist Simone Harouche worked with Miley Cyrus for the Oscars this year, and we were shocked at how just pretty and lovely and girlish Miley looked in her satin Jenny Packham corset and A line ballgown skirt. The skirt was not too poufed, so instead of going rocker chick – or princess – either of two extremes she’s played out – she just looked pretty and young and even a bit sexy, but not too. The TOTALLY right place for her to be. Her best look ever. Jenny Packham is a British eveningwear designer who’s had representation in Los Angeles for about five years now, and she’s a good choice for a young woman.

Oscar Fashion 2010

We watched the Oscars at a Mercedes-Benz sponsored party at L.A.’s new Soho House on Sunday night. The British and NY based Soho House – in NYC, it’s on Ninth Avenue in the Meatpacking district, and hosts a restaurant, screening rooms, pool tables, bars and meeting areas for its private membership (NY edition in our photo here) – has taken up temporary residence in L.A. around the Oscars for years. But this time, it’s for real – that’s what the manager told us. Waldo Fernandez, famed decorator to the stars, told us he brought in the furniture for the events this week, but will procure permament fixings for the club, at the top of 9200 Sunset, which opened officially on Monday after the Oscars. It’s got fabulous views, a huge marble fireplace, a wood lined bar, and a great outdoor terrace with heat lamps for parties and screenings. At the Mercedes Benz screening party on Sunday, we mingled with stylists Magda Berliner and Tanya Gill; actress Perrey Reeves, Cameron Silver – who helped put Kathryn Bigelow in her Boucheron earrings at the Oscars – Andy and Jodi Wing, eyebrow queen – who had just come from doing the eyebrows of Penelope Cruz and Jennifer Lopez for the Oscars – Cheryl Tiegs, Julia Sorkin, and a lot more of L.A.’s coolest residents – who no doubt will soon be Soho House members. Some of them, apparently, already are. The event was producer by Patrick Herning for Fathom pr. – Merle Ginsberg

Eye of the Beholder - by Merle Ginsberg


There were not that many ladies in black at the Oscars for 2010 – and Carey Mulligan’s black Prada crystal gown doesn’t coat, because the fabric was embossed, shiney and dabbed with tiny objects and sparklers. But both Kristen Stewart – Hollywood’s new Goth girl – and Susan Bridges, wife of Oscar winner Jeff, donned chic black and looked elegant and classy – due to the shapes of the black dresses they wore. That’s because Monique L’hullier, who made both gowns, is excellent at fit – and texture. Both gowns had texture and shape which added so much to their visuals. In the case of Kristen, the dress was very mermaid fishtail, and for the first time on a stage, she looked rather sexy – and even, dare we say, feminine.
But true to her nature, she kept her hair pulled back and wore little makeup – and that’s what made the dress look modern. It shows the range of black: it can be very young and rocker-y, or more stately and chic and grown up.

Oscar Fashion 2010

We are wavering on Cameron Diaz’s Oscar look this year. She usually goes messy and undone, with messy hair – or very very sexy. This is her image – hot chick with hot bod. So for her to suddenly emerge in “princess” mode – in the biggest, most old-school ballgown of the Oscars, by Oscar de la Renta – with red lips and perfectly waved hair – well, it was too much of a shock. We couldn’t even see her figure, let alone imagine it. It was like she was angling for something – to suddenly be seen as a good girl or a young mom? Then she did double duty (as just a few other stars did – like Jennifer Lopez) – changing for the Vanity Fair party into a same-color cocktail dress, also very demure for her: not short, not low cut. What’s up with Cameron Diaz’s grown up act? We get the feeling she’s trying to be taken “seriously” – and going a little too far. Cameron, bad girl suits you MUCH better – even if it’s only a stylistic choice. And is it US, or was her hair suddenly MUCH longer for the VF party at the Sunset Tower Hotel?

Oscar Fashion 2010

We knew Charlize would wear Dior to the Oscars – she just went to the show in Paris, is pals with John Galliano, and she’s worn Dior to the Oscars a number of times, as she’s on contract with the brand for advertising. And how AMAZING did she look in this orchid pink color? With her dark berry lipstick shade and flat shiney hair? It was a great look for her! BUT of course, we’ve heard and read a great deal about the bust detail of the dress – the circles in the bodice, what looking like palms gripping breasts. A lot of people said they couldn’t get past the idea that she clearly wanted people to stare at her breasts. Or did she? It could be that this is the dress John Galliano wanted her to wear, and she just let him run wild with his imagination. OR it could be something that overshadows everything else: Charlize broke up with her longtime boyfriend Stuart Townsend in the last few months. THIS is what we call A BREAK UP GOWN!!!! It shows the world and potential suitors that she’s looking for a new man. Now, it’s certainly not demure – but Charlize is no doubt also looking for a sexy new role, as her last few movies were as unglamourous as it gets – and she’s already got an Oscar!

Oscar Fashion 2010

We’ve been waxing on about this for two days now, but it’s a big issue: if a designer dresses two – or even three – women who appear at the Oscars, shouldn’t they make the styles of the gowns wildly different? Elie Saab’s two gowns, on Anna Kendrick and Rachel McAdams, were wildly different in color and silhouette. Marchesa’s three – on Sandra Bullock, Vera Farmiga and Gaby Sidibe – were totally diverse in color and shape and style. But the double Armani’s on Jennifer Lopez and Amanda Seyfried were a bit too similar, and in the case of this Versace gown: tight corset, flared ripped ruffled skirt, shorter in the front, longer in the back – on Demi Moore in peach blush, and Elizabeth Banks, in smoke grey – does it not look like the SAME dress?? It’s a great dress – quite flattering to the body, and at the same time, statuesque and festive – but outside of the color, it looks like the exact same dress in a different shade. This isn’t good for either of these women, nor for the house of Versace. They should have made an attempt to communicate with these stars and stylists to change up the look more. These dresses will forever wind up running together! And the hairstyles are similar, too!

Oscar Fashion 2010

The great news about wearing a really strong color at the Oscars is that you will definitely stand out. The bad news is, if a number of women are all wearing that color – in this case, wine red – you’re then grouped with all the red dresses for years to come, when the Oscars 2010 are referenced. But this is going to happen no matter what. The overwhelming color trends at the Oscars were of course, red gowns – metallic gowns (Sandra Bullock, Nicole Richie, Kate Winslet, sapphire gowns (Mo’Nique, Gaby Sidibe, Oprah), peach gowns (Anna Kendrick, Demi Moore), and the super pales (Sarah Jessica Parker, Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Lopez). Isn’t it amazing that almost no one wore black? (Carey Mulligan’s black Prada was sprinkled with stones, crystals and tiny objects.) It was a rare year indeed in that regard. Some complained about the limited varieties of colors – but let’s face it, yellow and orange aren’t a good option.
So here are our ladies in strong strong red: Sigourney Weaver, finally finding her best red carpet look in red Lanvin chiffon; Vera Farmiga in her heavily ruffled and festooned Marchesa; Penelope Cruz, in her wine red Donna Karan couture – her coloring probably looked best in this color, and it was SUCH a change for her that she really stood out; and Michelle Pfeiffer in her lovely red gown, which we believe to be Armani. It was also rare to see Michelle in red – she’s a black afficianado – and to see a blond in red! It was a risky move for her, and a good one. George Clooney’s date Elisabetta Canalis also wore red – obviously a lot of stylists and designers were thinking alike.

Oscar Fashion 2010

Elie Saab, the Lebanese couturier who shows in Paris, really is an Oscar household name these days. It all started with him dressing Halle Berry when she won her Oscar all those years ago for “Monster’s Ball.” Since then, he’s gone on to dress many an A list celeb, and most often, Beyonce’, who’s also really helped to put him on the map. Other designers repeated themselves if they dressed two ladies at the Oscars: the two Versaces looked similar (Demi Moore and Elizabeth Banks), the two Armanis did too (Jennifer Lopez and Amanda Seyfriend). But the two Saab chiffon floaty gowns were wildly different, which is an achievement. Anna Kendrick’s pale blush or peach gown was as light as peach yogurt whip. The brilliant minds on E! thought it looked like a peignoir or fancy nightgown – but in fact, it’s very 1930’s old Hollywood, and the color really suits her. Yes, it’s a very soft floaty chiffon gown, very “flou,” as they say in French – a whisper of a gown. But she’s a young girl and can pull off this soft ethereal look very well. Great hair to go with it, and all and all, this is one of our favorite looks for her. It has a very Alberta Ferretti feeling – it looks like a Paolo Roversi photographic image. It’s SO opposite Anna’s image in “Up in the Air” – that tought brash navy jacket office girl. It could actually change the way casting people think of her – which is one of the purposes of Oscar fashion looks. They’re not just for the viewers at home – they’re messages for producers, whom these actresses want to see them in a different way.
Rachel McAdams’ Elie Saab is lovely, but honestly – we thought she was Elizabeth Banks when she walked onto the stage. Her hair color and makeup schemata change so much, we don’t recognize her lately. However, this pale blue and violet watery chiffon print was very flattering for the newly pale toned Rachel. It’s interesting that a lot of ladies did opt for large ballgown skirts, which IS an Oscar tradition – and is definitely the dressiest thing one could ever wear. We admire her nerve for going almost tie-dye, it’s different, and the corset work in the bodice is beautifully intricate and different with a printed fabric. You sure don’t expect a full skirted down to be in a print. Maggie’s Dries print was a slim column.
If Anna was a parfait, Rachel was a floating spring. And you’d never know the same designer made both gowns.

Oscar Fashion 2010