Posts Tagged ‘Merle Ginsberg’

You may never have heard the name Margaret Keane – but you know her work. She created the famed “big eye” paintings of young women in the sixties and seventies, and they were all over magazines, the walls of chic homes, and made a permanent impression as iconic images of doe-eyed women who love high fashion, have chic hairstyles, but are also very innocent. They embodied the look that Ali McGraw had in “Love Story.” Or Mia Farrow in “Peyton Place” – or Audrey Hepburn in her films. Very gamine and Parisian, before that aesthetic was all over fashion magazines and plummeted for shoots in the last decade. Margaret Keane first showed her work at L.A.’s iconic Phyliss Morris Gallery (now on Robertson, then on Beverly Blvd) in 1968 – and she hasn’t been in Los Angeles in the last 42 years. Next week, the Phyliss Morris showroom will have a private event to show the painter’s work on Thursday March 25 from 6pm to 8pm (to collectors, mostly), and then it will be open to the public on March 26th, Friday. In the 1960s, both Ms. Keane and Ms. Morris were very good friends – and Morris commissioned about 30 works of art which have never been seen by the public – until now, that is. For this event, the vintage Phyllis Morris collection and new & vintage works by Keane will be on display – for a short time – which makes this a “Keane lovers paradise” for two weeks only.

The display can be viewed publicly on Friday March 26 (10:00 to 4:00) and the following week thru Thursday at the same hours. Here is some of the work you can see, and the original invite from 1968!!!! Ms. Keane has been in self-imposed exile for much of this time, and this is no doubt the last time she’ll be in L.A. and a great chance to see this amazing work. It will inspire art directors, fashion photographers, stylists, and anyone who cares about imagery. The Phyliss Morris Gallery is between Santa Monica Blvd and Melrose on Robertson Blvd in West Hollywood. – Merle Ginsberg

Dr. David Colbert, whose methods of protecting face and body skin, as well as healthy eating (it’s all in his new book, “The High School Reunion Diet”), have all been endorsed by Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and other celebs – has been one busy man for the last few months. “The High School Reunion Diet” came out in early January 2010, but since then, he’s been to Haiti twice

Well, are you ready for the fashion demands of Oscar week? We KNOW you haven’t shopped for spring 2010 all that much yet – after all, it’s been raining and cloudy and a mess in L.A., so we’re just happy to wear our fur jackets and boots as long as possible.
There are film studio parties, movie parties, dinners and whatever all over town from tonight on – we’re going to a private dinner for NY designer Nicole Miller at Cecconi’s tonight hosted by Marilyn Heston – in a gold Derek Lam cocktail dress and a monkey fur Armani jacket, and YSL leopard pumps. Is ANY of it this season? We’re not saying, but it all looks VERY off the moment and fun, and required NO shopping. Friday is the publicists guild luncheon and the Century City Hyatt (demands a chic work suit with high heels, or a cocktail dress covered up by a blazer, or nice trousers with a great jacket – a mix of day and night clothes, but more day), and then onto the Independent Spirit Awards,

Tomorrow night, Thursday March 4th, Fashionrules is part of the whole Neiman Marcus introduction of their spring 2010 collections. Fashionrules will be selling limited edition t shirts and totes at NM’s across the country, as the stores stay open late tomorrow night to show off the new looks of sportswear pieces, military themes and safari – the hot trends of 2010. In the Beverly Hills store, there will be several fun things going on, open to the public: NM Fashion Director Ken Downing, who’s at Paris fashion week, will do a satellite video from Europe, with an update on fall 2010 trends – hot! (Our favorite so far was Dolce in Milan.) Famed iconic fashion photographer Melvin Sokolsky will be in the store, signing books – and that man is just a lesson. Then a number of major Neimans execs will be in from Dallas to show off Neiman’s new “Art of Fashion” – it’s spring campaign of 16 looks of major designer outfits, all different, with photos shot by Matthew Rolston – they’re in the windows of the Beverly Hills store this week, check them out. Rolston had a major presentation at Art College of Pasadena this fall, and is certainly having a major moment of recognition and artistry. This reporter/editor from Fashionrules will be asking him questions about the shoot, and what it was like to collaborate with the grand Neiman Marcus on windows, an ad campaign, a huge meta project. The events start on Wilshire in BH at 6:30, and go till 8:30 or 9pm – and it’s free and open to the public. The Rolston part will be at 8pm on the second floor. – Merle Ginsberg

Vanity Fair always does a party during Oscar Week in L.A., but last night (Monday March 1), they teamed up with Christian Dior and with painter Kimberly Brooks to host her art show, The Stylist Project. Now, this group of paintings of some of L.A.’s most famous stylists and tastemakers (Jeanne Yang, Andrea Lieberman, Rachel Zoe, Liz Goldwyn, Elizabeth Stewart, Cameron Silver, Janie Bryant, Arianne Phillips) already opened at the Taylor de Cordoba gallery on Saturday night. But this wasn’t an opening – it was an EVENT. Dior dressed Liz Goldwyn in leopard, “Bright Star” actress Abbie Cornish in a tight red sheath, Ginnifer Goodwin in a chic little violet number, and “Mad Men’s” Christina Hendricks turned up with husband Geoffrey Arend, who was in “500 Days of Summer” – while Marisa Tomei wore her hair big and curled, and look hot in a plaid jumpsuit. It was an amazing mix of fashion types, journalists, stylists, VF editors, publishers – and the art crowd. It was actually a well-dressed crowd – that also seemed very brainy! An L.A. rarity! We like when Vanity Fair comes to town – it’s not that most of these people don’t live here, but VF gets them out and in one room. – Merle Ginsberg

Zac Posen is in Los Angeles this week, for the launch of his very first diffusion collection, Z Spoke, at Saks Fifth Avenue. On this past rainy Saturday afternoon, he had an informal modelling of the colorful clothing – the spring hues are kelly green, black, yellows, oranges, reds, with some neutral pieces for good measure. It’s young and fresh, and of course, at a price point that we Zac Posen fans (that’s me interviewing him in the second pic!) can afford on the day to day. We’ve loved his main collections forever – the most amazing evening and cocktail dresses – but Z Spoke is great affordable daywear with a designer edge. Our favorite pieces were a greyish/army green sweater in heavy shiney cotton, worn over a stretch white shirt with bow tie, paired with khaki shorts and black flat repettos – and Zac’s cool cotton corset belts. We love the army green one. Meanwhile, we also loved Zac’s personal look: a burgundy blazer over a bright APC marigold cardigan, over a grey shirt and black pants. How bout the pairing of those brights with cool neutrals? Nervy! And did Zac pick Oscar week to be in LA intentionally? Hmmm . . . read on, friends! – Merle Ginsberg

FASHIONRULES: Zac, great to see you in L.A. on my stomping ground. My sightings of you are always in New York.

ZAC POSEN: Yes, I LOVE L.A. and have a lot of friends here – I’m here as often as work allows me to get here.

FASHIONRULES: So the Z Spoke collection has been brewing for some time, right?

ZP: Yes, it’s been a long term project, we started planning for this week a year ago – that the launch would be in L.A. during Oscar season. It’s always a fun week to be here, I’ve been here on Oscar week many times. We just had a crazy time in NY – I just moved apartments personally, launched Z Spoke in NY, showed my fall 2010 mainline collection – the last five months have been exhausting!

FASHIONRULES: It’s interesting that you chose the name “Z Spoke” for your diffusion line – a play on bespoke English tailoring, right?

ZP: When I first started my own company, the holding company we named Outspoke LLC. And there are elements of my main collection in Z Spoke – color, and every woman wants seduction, support and cinch! Yes, we have touches of bespoke tailoring in the details. I didn’t want to do a collection named “Zac by Zac.” Too easy! I wanted the name to be more part of the spirit of the collection. As we grow and create other brands, I want them to be able to stand on their own merit, like Miu Miu does with Prada. It’s all technique driven, and all the fabrics in Z Spoke are very important – double faced knits, chiffon. It’s all about technique and texture. And it reflects the utilitarian minimalism that’s in our culture right now. We are living in a comfy culture! Z Spoke is for the girl who likes to wear cute flats like Repettos. But it’s still body conscious with dressy knit cardigans – because you always want to show the body a bit.

FASHIONRULES: So Z Spoke is exclusive to Saks Fifth Avenue?

ZP: Yes, for a number of months. That keeps our production and volume under control. I’ve only been in business for ten years – it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. This is the perfect place for Z Spoke to launch and grow. I remember my very first collection trunk show in Los Angeles ten years ago – it was at Tracey Ross. It’s such a shame her store is not in business anymore. She launched so many great designers, American designers, into this market. And we were doing a forties style glamour, and it was the middle of a grunge period! But I knew the opportunity was there to reinvent the dress – that women wanted to look beautiful and sexy again. It was gratifying that I turned out to be right.

FASHIONRULES: So any Oscar news you can tell us about? You’ve dressed some amazing women for the Globes and the Oscars.

ZP: Well, this season is unusual because we made a choice at our fall 2010 show a few weeks back NOT to show any gowns on the runway. That was a way of honoring the black tie customer and celebrities who want to wear a gown in photos that no one’s seen. Who wants to wear a gown that’s been all over the internet or magazines? No one’s going to do it – celebrities CAN’T do it, they get criticized. It’s all about surprise – and of course, quality – and a new identity. Yes we’re doing some gorgeous gowns for the Oscars, and we’ll see what happens on Sunday. I think the celebrities appreciated that we made that choice not to show them.

FASHIONRULES: Zac, you’re a fashion intellectual and a real thinker. What do you think of all the fashion reality shows – the explosion of fashion into mainstream media?

ZP: We’re living in a high-low culture these days. That old idea of “exclusivity” couldn’t last once the internet was so prevalent. It’s now a media fashiontainment culture we’re living in. I knew the fashion world would take center stage in media eventually – it was the last area of culture that wasn’t exploited.

FASHIONRULES: Who’s inspiring YOU, fashion-wise these days?

ZP: I just saw the Jil Sander fall 2010 show online and it’s really the best Jil Sander show ever. Also, I just love the jewelry we used for our own fall 2010 collection – it’s by Yaz Bukey in Paris. Gorgeous! Go online and check it out.

You know we’re in high Oscar season when the invites to see shoes, jewelry, even beauty products start rolling in. Starworks is holding a salon for Stuart Weitzman’s “Red Carpet Collection” next week, between March 4 and March 6. Instead of being in their Rodeo Drive store, they’re holding it at the London Hotel (1020 N. San Vicente Blvd off Sunset), and you have to make an appointment by writing to RSVPSW@starworksny.com. They will actually have some extras at this suite: makeup by Carol Shaw’s team for LORAC Cosmetics, and hair by George from Andy LeCompte, using Joico Products. As you might have guessed, LORAC and Joico are sponsoring the suite. How many stars with wear Stuart Weitzman shoes to the Oscars? We’re expecting a lot of Jimmy Choos, Roger Vivier and other major names – but branding is branding, and that’s what the Oscar week in L.A. is all about. – Merle Ginsberg

I thought I would tell the story of my new Absolut Vodka commercial here on Fashionrules.com, because some of you will see it on the internet, You Tube, or on “Rupaul’s Drag Race” season two, or on Logoonline.com. As part of “Rupaul’s Drag Race,” our season one and season two generous sponsor, Absolut Vodka, asked 6 cast members of the season one series to shoot their own “Expectional Moments” campaign with the Absolut vodka of their choice. We were asked to do this very close to the last day of shooting season two this August, and we each had to write out our own script, featuring an exceptional moment in our lives, capped off by the cocktail of our choice. Drag queens Nina Flowers, Shannel, Ongina and season one winner Bebe Zahara Benet – and my colleague judge Santino Rice – all wrote our ads within a few days of the assignment, and all six were shot in one day! There was a bit of anxiety flying around, but it was wonderfully creative and fun as well. Santino kept trying to get the Absolut and Logo people let him use the lyrics of Led Zeppelin’s “Squeeze My Lemon,” but they were not going for it. I wore a blueberry dress from the Diane von Furstenberg fall 2009 collection that I loved, had great hair and makeup, and talked about writing Paris Hilton’s book “Confessions of an Heiress” with her in the commercial script. There were at least ten people in the room, a big crew, cue cards, and a stylist just for the vodka drinks. My flavor was the brand new Acai Berri Absolut, just released to the stores this week. And yes, darling, that was real vodka in the glass. And yes, I drank it – well, a little of it. It’s amazing with soda and a few blueberries – and wonderfully healthy, as well. And yes, what’s on the commercial is after several cocktails were prepared! No blueberries were harmed in the making of this commercial!

We know the expression “has been” is not what one wants to hear in Hollywood – but when applied to a shoe, it doesn’t have to be yesterday’s news. Getting off our Virgin America flight from LA to NY, we saw the chicest girl wearing thick woolly sweater tights with a cable knit – and these kickass clog like shoes in black, with wooden soles and heels – but about a 3 inch fat heel, very proportioned. It was a very cool look – and little did we know we would see shoes like that all over the runway this week. Michael Kors showed a shoe like that today with legwarmers. This clog like shoe will be big for fall, but you can start wearing them in spring colors NOW – Swedish HasBeens are sold on endless.com, and they are all somewhere near two hundred bucks. You can look at a full selection on swedishhasbeens.com – but you can’t purchase those unless you’ve got Swedish money and can convert. Too much work. But we are definitely ordering them in nude for spring – very chic and anti-fashion enough to be real fashion. – Merle Ginsberg