We’ve been reading a bit on the web of amateur’s picks for best and worst at the Emmy’s. Now we’re going to weigh our professional serious opinion – and warning, we disagree with all the punters out there. Maybe that’s because we know high fashion, couture, and see every dress on a runway in NY and Europe. We know Hollywood style, but we also know about style in the world at large – the big picture.

Our Favorites, in No Particular Order:

Lea Michelle in navy Oscar de la Renta – it fit her well, she moved in it well, it didn’t wear her despite the largess of fabric – and kudos for having her hair down with such a fancy dress. Smart move, made it modern.

January Jones in Atelier Versace – sorry, fashion naysayers! We LOVE this dress. Seems many out there did NOT get its couture shape, it’s wide skirt with a stiff underlayer, it’s amazing fabric and color. This is an incredible statement dress – and was a very risky move. But January can afford it. We all know she’s gorgeous. Now we know she’s got fashion bravery as well – and European taste.

Clarie Danes in Armani Prive – all in all, this gold sequin beaded sheath is a pretty traditional dress. But with Claire’s flippy sixties hairstyle and smoky eye makeup, this is absolutely the best she’s ever looked. Having won, she picked a good night to look this good. The color makes her shine, shine, shine.

Julianna Margulies in L’Wren Scott - this midnight beaded tight gown is both sexy and professional – slinky and chunky – trendy and classic – and so so simple that it’s even more amazing. A great combo of woman and dress – and we love that she didn’t pack on the jewelry or makeup with it.

AND BIGGEST FASHION RISKTAKER: Anna Paquin in gold and black Alexander McQueen. She didn’t look pretty or sexy – but she looked damn interesting and high fashion.

We gotta say, this good wife is lookin’ even better in this deep navy/midnight beaded L’Wren Scott gown with silver bugle bead deco details. This dress has it all: the color of the evening, deco detail – embellishment and texture – a great fit, sexiness, simplicity – and utter utter chic. And Julianna’s hair and makeup are just perfect for it. She did not gussy up the dress with too much jewelry – she played it all New York modern simple chic. This was one of the standouts of the night. She looked “serious actress,” “sexy mama,” and “fashion chic” all at once. That’s hard to do!!! Kudos to L’Wren Scott, who doesn’t usually do beading. She did beautifully here.

The Rolling Stones are back in action – and on the big screen. They’re re-releasing on May 18th – next week – their classic 1972 album, “Exile on Main Street” – which was recorded in France, where the Stones fled because they didn’t want the British government taxing their assets at the time. But even bigger news than the re-release of “Exile” – an album many serious music critics consider one of the best records ever made – is that there are ten new tracks on the re-release. We’re not sure if they’re covers, or brand new Jagger/Richards compositions – but does it matter? Have the Stones ever put out a song not worthy of repeated listenings? Along with the album comes a documentary, “Stones in Exile” – which includes some never before seen footage of the Stones making “Exile” in France. (That moment in time also inspired some major iconic photographs, too.) The premier of the doc was last night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, bringing out Lorne Michaels, Jimmy Fallon, all manner of music legends – and the Stones themselves. Mick and his lady, designer L’Wren Scott, are out and about in Manhattan a lot lately – they helped out famous dermatologist David Colbert last week by helping him organize a huge benefit for Haiti, which got Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams on the guest list. But of course, they have residences in London and Paris, too. Mick and L’Wren make for a great visual – neither one ever disappoints in the fashion department – and while they’re both pretty lowkey here, we love leggy L’Wren wearing a black leather jacket with a white jabot or ascot around the neck.
Keith Richards, looking rather dapper himself, brought wife Patti Hansen – who of course was a huge supermodel in the 1970′s, and had almost more Vogue covers than any model in history. And she also wore the classic rocker black leather jacket.

Next week, the doc premiers in Cannes, and we can’t wait to see what L’Wren and Patti wear to THAT! – Merle Ginsberg

Sure, it’s fabulous to wear a fetching gown to the Met Ball, the frou frouier the better in this metier. But what becomes a legend most – or makes a girl stand out more – than having the most famous man in the room on your arm? Sienna Miller wore a killer Emilio Pucci short in the front, long in the back, navy blue and tulle fluffy ruffled gown to the Ball, and in fact, spent a lot of time with Peter Dundas of Pucci. The dress was from Pucci fall winter upcoming, and the matching blue shoes were croc. But the fact that she came with obviously on-again man Jude Law is what had the eye-balls snap, crackle and popping! Two gorgeous heads are better than one, when it comes to the papparazzi, that’s for sure. L’Wren Scott wore one of her own slender fender-bender creations to the Ball, but the that she could pose for pics with partner Mick Jagger didn’t hurt her chances of having a lot of flash bulbs burst in her direction.

Usually, with red carpets at awards shows, there’s some consistency: at MTV events, girls go short and rocker. At most music events, the ladies go mini and fun. For the Globes and Oscars and SAGS, the long grown up gowns come out. Well, at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Vegas this weekend, there was every kind of fashion imaginable on the red carpet – including BAD. Our favorite, of course, was Nicole Kidman in a L’Wren Scott tuxedo mini dress and groovy lace up shoes. She was the perfect compliment to her husband Keith Urban, and looked fresh and modern and chic. Scott is Kidman’s former stylist who turned major designer, and of course, L’Wren’s boyfriend is a bit of a famous musician himself – Mick Jagger. After that, we loved Faith Hill in this white stark modern Kaufman Franco sheath, with a bit of extensiveness at the shoulder line – it’s not what you expect on Faith Hill, and that’s why we love it. She looks like she’s in L.A. or N.Y. and not at country music awards fest. She’s a country queen stepping gingerly out of her comfort zone.
LeAnn Rimes isn’t known for style sense, but maybe new man Eddie Cibrian is having a big effect on her – she’s wearing a tres chic navy satin Lanvin cocktail dress that’s VERY tight, but it looks damn good on her. Lanvin at the ACMS???? This is news!
As for Taylor Swift, the youngster went very traditional, in this big Marchesa ballgown. We wish she’d gone with her age, but she went with her position – belle of the ball. C’mon, Taylor- let’s break the mold, girl. You don’t have to look like the queen of the prom.

I was lucky enough to be the guest of my amazing dermatologist, NY’s supremely talented Dr. David Colbert, last night for the Manhattan premiere of Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island.” At the Ziegfeld Theater, we ran into designer L’Wren Scott, with boyfriend Mick Jagger – they’re in town for her small NYC show today (Thursday Feb 18) for just a small select group of editors and buyers. She was wearing one of her amazing fall 2009 coats. At the after party the NY restaurant Rouge Tomate, two floors on 60th St. between Madison and Fifth (the old Nicole Farhi store and space), we ran into pr woman Cari Ross and her client Michelle Williams, in a fabulous pale one shoulder Lanvin ruffle neck dress. She and Dr. Colbert were discussing an upcoming trip to Haiti they are going to take, and a benefit he’ll do in April in NY to raise money for Haitians – he’s been down there treating them twice now. (Naomi Watts will also be involved with it.) We ran into Emily Mortimer and Mira Sorvino, and while Mick and L’Wren didn’t seem to make it to the premiere (she was probably doing last minute details on her show), Leo DiCaptrio, Martin Scorsese (who directed “Shutter Island”) and Paramount’s Brad Grey were all there – as were Mark and Sunrise Ruffalo, who moved from L.A. a while back to the NY area. Sunrise bobbed her hair and looks completely Parisian now. In any case, it was so interesting to observe a NY movie premiere versus an LA one – the women were all chic, the men all in suits, and nobody talked about the box office!! – Merle Ginsberg

What a SAG fashion snafu! Hours before Penelope Cruz strolled down the sunny (yes!) red carpet at the SAG Awards at the Shrine on Saturday afternoon – in a black beaded cocktail length painted-on L’Wren Scott dress – Gucci sent out a press release saying Penelope would wear the first Gucci Premiere “couture” gown ever, designed for her by Gucci creative director Frida Giannini. Gucci had a huge hit with Olivia Wilde’s tight sequin Golden Globe dress, and it seemed they were on a roll. Penelope’s Gucci couture was meant to be pale pink – the hot color of the Globes. But when she walked the SAG carpet in her simple black L’Wren Scott, we were shocked – first, that Gucci sent out the release and big announcement of an entire collection hinging on this – but that Penelope wore a look so similar to her Golden Globe super tight black Armani Prive’ gown. Penelope has shown that she looks amazing in white or pale pink (at the Oscars, at the Venice Film Festival) – so it was surprising that she would eschew the Gucci and wear her usual black. Not that she didn’t look amazing – standing on stage at the SAGS with an overdressed Nicole Kidman and Kate Hudson, and an amazingly chic Marion Cottilard -she appeared the most comfortable in her own skin. We’d love to know the real story of what happened with the Gucci dress – but we may never know. And will Penelope wear the Gucci to some other event now – like the Oscars? Time will tell – but we doubt it.

Okay, we take back what we said about nobody wearing hip designers. Kyra Sedgwick is wearing a pink plum L’Wren Scott, very slender, with a low round neck that is lined in the same color ruffles, and there’s a sprig of rosettes on one shoulder. It’s simple, but the color and cut are so SO chic. The slit up the leg also adds a little sex to the girly color and ruffles. Very smart choice. Also, wearing her hair up in a messy chignon is very sexy with this dress. There’s a lot of hair up at the Emmy’s this year – what does that say about the economy? (Probably nothing, but we like to look for underlying meanings to these things!)

Designer L’Wren Scott was back in L.A. this week, where she lived for many years in an old Charles Bukowski house in the Hollywood Hills, to do both a fall 09 collection trunk show at Barneys – where she sold MANY pieces (what recession?), and to finesse Nicole Kidman’s Oscar gown, which was from her spring collection (she changed the decolletage and some other details for Nicole), and to go to Oscar parties with paramour Mick Jagger.

We caught up with her at Barneys, where the 6’2” beauty – taller in heels (her very first L’Wren Scott shoe collection debuts in the fall, and it is GOOD) – was wearing her own pale grey jeans cut like trousers, and an amazing jacquard pale grey and white corset tuxedo-cut vest over a white bow blouse – and was also wearing some of her own jewelry designs in diamonds that had the Barneys’ ladies drooling while trying on pieces from spring and fall.

“The spring pieces just came in last week, and a lot of it’s sold out already,” a Barneys employee told us. The women who showed up – Lindy G, wife of musician Kenny G, Jaclyn Smith (yes, the “Charlies Angels” one) shopping for looks for the next and last season of “Shear Genius,” Peggy Washburn, Susan Becker and others – didn’t know what to go for first: spring – in mostly pales – or next year’s fall, in blacks and deep forest greens. It was a toss up. A saleswoman was wearing a three quarter length sleeve tight white sheath from spring, over the knee, covered in a light black lace – for around $4500.00. That dress was nearly sold out.

Scott brought along a video of her tightly edited fall show from New York last week, and was pointing out looks to women. “That’s the new headmistress dress,” she explained of a tight dark knit dress with thread embroidery around the neck, with a tight silhouette that fits snug over the knees – her dresses are NOT short – but they ARE tight. “But they look good on all sizes of women,” she explained. “We make up to an Italian size 48 now. Women with fuller figures look great in these clothes – they look like WOMEN.” If you remember how hot Ellen Barkin looked in “Oceans 13,” she was wearing all L’Wren Scott dresses, made singularly for that film, in shades of pink and rose. She never looked better.

Scott is in her 4th season of designing, which grew out of styling such chic ladies as Nicole Kidman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Barkin and Julianne Moore. “I enjoyed styling,” she says, “but that was executing someone else’s vision (she often worked with Herb Ritts and Karl Lagerfeld). “Now I get to execute my own vision. something I’ve always wanted to do.” Her showroom is in Paris, and she fluctuates between Paris, London and New York – not a bad life.

FASHION RULES: Do you miss L.A.?

L’WREN SCOTT: Absolutely. I have so many friends here. And I miss this weather. It’s freezing everywhere else in the world right now.

FASHION RULES: So Madonna is wearing one of your looks in the new March W – a black long sleeved dress with white collar and cuffs.

L’WREN SCOTT: Yes, that’s pretty exciting – it looks great on her.

FASHION RULES: So what was the overriding theme of the fall collection?

L’WREN SCOTT: I like to build my collections on colors and on staples, so when you buy pieces, you are really adding to your wardrobe, and you’re getting a new color palette. The clothes are timeless and modern at the same time. You can see that for fall, I’m working in dark greens and bright greens, along with black.

FASHION RULES: Even the coats in fall 09 look sexy! It’s hard to make coats sexy – or make suits sexy.

L’WREN SCOTT: Well, I think that’s why we’re selling so well. These clothes are all about the body – and they work in every city. They look good in L.A., N.Y., Paris or London.

FASHION RULES: Nicole Kidman’s Oscar gown was modelled on a dress you designed for spring, but you added couture details. Do you do a lot of couture?

L’WREN SCOTT: I do. I love to create a single dress with amazing embroidery or fabric – and they always seem to find a good  home! I do a lot of special orders for people. I find it fun.

FASHION RULES: It sounds like you travel all the time. How do you get all of this done? (the fall collection includes a dark green feathered bolero jacket that looks like it’s made of leaves, and some dark green jacquard prints that are amazing)

L’WREN SCOTT: I’m always working. I work wherever I am. I travel for fabric, I go to fabric fares – finding that leaf jacquard was not easy. Sourcing the great fabrics requires travel. I’m always trying to find something new for my customers. Every season I try to top myself, and push it a little further. I work very hard on the colors, too. Like spring looks like a palette of pales  - but there are whites, shades of grey, ecru – they’re actually very different. Part of the fun for me is creating a new palette every season. It’s fun to see the ideas in your head spring to life. Because it all starts in your mind.

FASHION RULES: Your shows are very thematic, very precise, very – edited. Your look and point of view is so clear.

L’WREN SCOTT: That’s intentional, and that’s what shows should be about. But there are more looks in the showroom than what’s in the show. You have to tell a story in a short period of time in a very precise way. And the editing process is a big part of being a designer. When you own your own business, you understand the costs of things, and the process.

FASHION RULES: Are you still tight with the celebrities you styled for so long?

L’WREN SCOTT: Yes -  I keep in touch with all those girls.

(Someone exclaims about a beaded sheath on the mannequin on the second floor, that is part of spring.)

L’WREN SCOTT: I do love that dress. But it sold so well, I didn’t get one! I’m the last one to get my clothes!

(A woman tries on a gold lame tight sheath with blace lace encrusted into the fabric.)

L’WREN SCOTT: I had that fabric specially designed. Now, THAT dress I DID get – and it looks great when you move.

(The woman immediately buys it)