Posts Tagged ‘Cristina Ehrlich’

 

The Washington D.C. film critics just put their picks in for top actors and films of 2008 – and none of the expected glamazons were there – not Anne Hathaway, not Penelope Cruz, not Kate Winslet, not Cate Blanchett. The D.C. crits voted Meryl Streep best actress for “Doubt,” Rosemarie DeWitt best supporting actress for “Rachel Getting Married,” Mickey Rourke best actor for “The Wrestler,” and Heath Ledger received his first posthumous award for “The Dark Knight” as best supporting actor. Best film was Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire,” and its lede actor, Dev Patel, was named best breakthrough performance. So it looks like the odds have shifted a bit – of course, the Golden Globe nominatins are out on Thursday December 11 – but right now, the glammest lady to dress and look for on the red carpet is “Slumdog’s” lede actress, former Mumbai model, Freida Pinto. She’d look a lot better in Dior, Chanel or Valentino, than a pink and gold sari. And she has done a lot of Indian fashion magazine modeling.             

 

Then again, let’s not count out Rosemarie DeWitt. The former co-star on “Mad Men” is being dressed lately by superstylist Cristina Ehrlich, who also dresses Amy Adams and Penelope Cruz.

 

 

Thursday night, the Diamond Information Center presented the new L’Agence fashion line and the Fashion Rules board game at Fred Segal Melrose – yes, we are tooting our own horn!!!!! – shutting down the café, the gift shop, and the entire second designer floor for the event hosted by Fred Segal’s Ron Herman, Ron Robinson and L’Agence’s Margaret Maldonado – and it was a crowd so cool that it left even the most jaded L.A. fashionista saying, “WOW – we haven’t seen this many really chic people in one place in a LONG time.” Instead of cocktail dresses and stillettos, there were boots, leggings and leather jackets – kind of like a Rick Owens meets Ann Demuelemeester Martin Margiela vibe – and after all, it WAS Fred Segal.

 

It doesn’t hurt that most of the stylists of the Margaret Maldonado Agency were on hand – the impossibly chic Maryam Malakpour, who contributed some looks to the L’Agence resort collection that was hanging on a number of racks on the second floor, in blacks, whites and neutral tones -  and was also getting kudos from hanging drapily on Fred Segal mannequins. Malakpour wore a simple slim cut black dress of her own design for resort called “The Maryam Dress,” sky high Balenciaga stilettos, and a crazy black monkey fur jacket she bought in Mexico City. “This is the way to do it, darling,” she cooed. We believe her. Her sister Marjan, another great stylist, was also on hand – the chic sister act was launching their new travel foldable all-leather shoe line called NewbarK – the alternative to the ballet flat. In silver, gold and black, with their own little travel pouch, they’re perfect to carry around to fly in or wear on set – and they looked great displayed with L’Agence’s soft jersey long t’s, long t dresses, and elegant layering.

 

MMA fashion stylists Tanya Gill, Negar Ali, Cristina Ehrlich, Petra Flannery, George Kotsiopoulos, Annie Jagger and the bicoastal Andrea Lieberman were all representing to congratulate Maldonado – and so were L.A. fashionistas Des Kohan, Pegah Anvarian, Dineh Mohajeur, Celine Khavarani of Prada, Cameron Silver, Therese Tran, hairstylist Yuki Sharoni, Marilyn Heston, Angela Janklow, Lisa Keshtar of Donna Karan, author Jodi Wing. Ashlee Margolis of the A List welcomed guests, who kept cooing about the collection – “no one has seen anything this chic and wear-able for this price point in forever!” was the refrain. Not to mention – comfortable.

 

Top MMA makeup artists Torsten Witte (who also does hair), Troy Jensen, D’Andre Michael (who works with Mary J. Blige), Lorena Lopez, Garret Gervais (currently working with Britney Spears) and so many others also came to congratulate Maldonado and of course, Fred Segal’s Ron Herman and Ron Robinson.

 

And then, what’s a clothing launch without a few well-dressed celebrities on hand? Lionel Richie missed his daughter Nicole  - she’d left before he’d arrived – Nicole donned a L’Agence black dress from the current resort collection, and hung out with her stylist, Simone Harouche, also in an outfit from spring – which had a lot of design contribution from her. Another of Simone’s clients, Christina Aguilera, showed up later, in a long strappy black tiered dress from spring, hanging out with her husband Jordan Bratman. When Aguilera saw Maldonado, she hugged her, and said, “Why don’t I have more of these pieces? I need more!!!” This seemed to be the general consensus.

 

L’Agence is exclusive in Los Angeles to Fred Segal – so check it out. The Fashion Rules boardgame is also exclusive to Fred Segal in Los Angeles – but can be pre-ordered on this site. Having just garnered mentions in the December Elle Magazine gift guide and the Vivre Catalogue, it’s set to be the hot Christmas gift in – and out – of fashion circles. 

 

 

Former Gucci designer Alessandra Facchinetti’s recent collections for Valentino – she was the master’s successor when he stepped down and retired last year – have been admired, particularly her Valentino couture this past July. But clearly, her designs have not produced the red carpet results – nor front row celebs – nor buzz enough to keep her in the job. Rumors are swirling since Paris Fashion Week a week ago that designer Giambattista Valli will be taking over the reigns at Valentino VERY soon. And apparently, Giambattista – who also designed Ungaro before doing his own VERY successful line of evening and cocktail wear – was already offered the job when Valentino Garavani (his full name) decided to step own originally – but did not want to dissolve his own collection, which has been a real retail success – and a red carpet one. Hollywood stylists Cristina Ehrlich and Estee Stanley – who dress the Olsen twins, Penelope Cruz and Jessica Biel, amongst other – are huge fans, and have helped make GV a big Hollywood red carpet name. If Cruz winds up with Oscar and Golden Globe nods, as is buzzed, is name could get a lot bigger very soon. But then again, taking over Valentino could turn Valli into the star Olivier Theyskens has become at Nina Ricci. There’s nothing new and fresh like a new designer at a very old house, with a very old established name.

 

And the Hollywood factor could really work in Valli’s favor. His Paris front row had Natalie Portman, Harry Potter’s Emma Watson and Margherita Missoni in it – and wouldn’t Valentino have loved to have them! Even the clothes – beautiful well-cut and chic – were an ode to Valentino’s elegance and simplicity. And amazing fabric choices.

 

Yes, there are designer musical chairs all the time – Ungaro has had a series of new designers almost every season recently – but Givenchy has finally had big success with Riccardo Tischi, and Stefano Pilati is a huge hit at YSL. Sometimes it takes a few designers till you get it right.

 

It’s a baby boy fashionista for Jenni Kayne and her husband Richard Ehrlich. The L.A. designer and her husband welcomed son Tanner Kayne Ehrlich this past weekend, and he is 8 pounds, 9 ounces, and is 20 inches long. And his aunt is super stylist Cristina Ehrlich! Jenni Kayne missed her own spring show in New York in early September due to her pregnancy, but perhaps she’ll bring little Tanner to New York to February.

 

      

                    Cristina Ehrlich, Hollywood superstylist – along with her longtime business partner Estee Stanley – to Penelope Cruz, Jessica Biel, the Olsen Twins and many more – and co-designer of the Miss Davenporte line – just returned from the VERY FIRST trip to Paris couture, and gave us here at FASHION RULES an L.A. eyeview of being a Hollywood stylist at the couture shows.

                     “I was embarrassed, “Cristina told us, “that I’ve been a stylist for over ten years and I’d never been to Paris couture. The only downfall was going without Estee, who’s pregnant and due with her first child in September. She’s been wearing all our Miss Davenporte clothes and just taking them out a little. This could mean that Miss Davenporte baby is on the way – we’ll see.”

                       But back to couture.:

                       “I’ve been getting up for years at 3:30 or 4 am for years to email or call fashion contacts in Paris to track down certain dresses for client s- but there’s nothing better than meeting these people in person. Couture is excellent for that because prêt a porter shows are twice as populated.”

                      Cristina added she was not just meeting – but hunting. “Penelope Cruz has two movies opening very soon,” she confirmed. “Woody Allen’s ‘Vicky Christina Barcelona” (with Javier Bardem) will have its L.A. premier on August 3, and NY premier on August 6th. And she has the movie “Elegy,” with Sir Ben Kingsley, opening on August 4th – and Penelope is one actress who can really carry a couture gown. But the audience in Paris for couture was a different lifestyle than even Hollywood: these women were wearing custom Birkin bags in fuscia croc, with orange lining and orange straps. These clothes are really for princesses. Forty-four thousand Euros is not expensive for a couture dress. Now, an expensive one could run a hundred and sixty thousand Euros.”

                   Among the highlights were meeting new Valentino designer Alessandra Facchinetti the day after her Valentino couture debut, and getting to spend 45 minutes with her in the Valentino atelier – “We went through EVERY SINGLE DRESS,” she laughs. “This was very exciting for an L.A.-based stylist. There were a lot of wearable looks in there for our clients.”

                Another highlight was visiting the Roger Vivier shoe boutique  on Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore and meeting Vivier designer Bruno Frissoni, who had his American representative, Anne Crawford, in tow. “I got to see the one of a kind couture shoes,” she told us. There was a black croc pair that cost $11,000 Euros – and a croc bag for $23,000 Euros.” There, Cristina had a surprise siting – and meeting – with one of her fashion heroes, former Chanel model muse Ines de la Fressange. “She’s still the chicest woman in Paris – and I told her that, too!”

                 She of course cooed over the couture collections of Chanel, Givenchy and Gaultier – “and being able to see the clothes after the show is to really see every detail.” She also got to see the newest Azzaro ready to wear collection at their atelier, and Lanvin resort, due to a surprise meeting with Alber Elbaz at the famed Chinese restaurant in Paris called Dave’. “In Dave’ that night, “ Cristina tells us, “I was with L.A. stylist Tanya Gill, and we saw Ellen von Unwerth – and this man in a bow tie who looked familiar. Luckily, I was wearing a one shoulder white Lanvin dress – and it was Alber Elbaz and he noticed it. I told him I was Penelope Cruz’s stylist, and he invited me into his atelier the next day. He’s one of fashion’s forefront geniuses.”

                   Now she’s planning her trip to Paris ready to wear at the end of September, but in the meantime, she’s still dreaming of couture. “For me, it’s art appreciation,” she laughed. “But it’s so interesting to observe that for SOME lucky women – it’s a sport!”