Screen Actor’s Guild Red Carpet 2017

So far awards season has been a dud, but the SAG awards might be hinting at a shift in the winds. The gowns were exquisite and held their own superbly.

Clockwise from left– Amy Adams sleek look was enhanced with extra glamorous accessories. Jason Wu’s asymmetrical bodice worn by Brie Larson brought unexpected beauty with the most perfect, tasteful slit in the skirt. Stripes are going to be a 2017 greatest hit, and if we see similar looks to Michelle Williams, in Louis Vuitton, and Michelle Dockery, in Elie Saab, I don’t think we’ll have any complaints. Some said that Emily Blunt’s Roberto Cavalli gown looked washed out, but I disagree. I loved the color, the scoop neck and beaded embellishments. I also like the large feather embellishments and vibrant kelly green of Nicole Kidman’s Gucci gown. Octavia Spencer’s chic gown was elevated by the relaxed peplum and the sheer cover of the off shoulder style. Sophie Turner had a gorgeous red gown, and while I’m not usually a fan of differing straps, on this gown the extra textures visually add to the gown.

The boys of Stranger Things have such great style.

Another great whimsical and sleek stripe from Naeem Khan worn by Tara Shahidi, and Viola Davis looked stunning in Vivienne Westwood. I just wish the neckline was a little higher, I wouldn’t want Viola to have a wardrobe malfunction!

Annalise Basso also had a beautiful gown by Bibhu Mohaparta.

I liked these winter whites from Danielle Brooks, in Christian Siriano, and Natalie Portman, in Dior Couture.

The dresses that didn’t quite hit the mark for me first, was from Taraji P Henson. The color and skirt of this dress from Reem Acra are great, but starting with the tiny bow at the waist line, the dress just loses its traction on up. Where Taraji’s gown seemed to lose elements, Janelle Monae’s Chanel look seemed too busy. While it has a great color and skirt,the bodice and floral choker make it overdone. The floral bracelets were a nice touch, and a simple silhouette in black would have been sufficient. Thandie Newton’s Schiaparelli couture gown was not a favorite, with its unfinished shoulder and odd graphic print. The Dior dress Kate Hudson wore on its own wasn’t the worst, but the flower belt, dark lipstick, and stiff hair left something to be desired. A sophisticated cate eye and maybe a small clipped back strand would have given this look the 180 it needed. Sophia Bush’s Marchesa looked dated, and she could have been better off with a matching lipstick as opposed to the eyeshadow. While I don’t like Julie Bowen’s sheer dress on principle, the  silhouette is pretty. If celebrities insist on wearing these sheer gowns, then maybe designers could put either a matching or contrasting opaque color under the skirt. Just a thought.

My least favorite gowns were this Alexander McQueen number Emma Stone wore. Honestly, they are both such influencers of fashion, I guess I just expected better from them. And this Malan Breton “dress” worn by Jessica Pimentel was flimsy and poor taste.

All things considered, these gowns were a major improvement from the last few award red carpets, but I’m at least looking forward to the Grammy’s in a few weeks.

Photos courtesy of New York Magazine and Variety

 

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Men’s Fashion Week

Fashion month is right at our door, and menswear design is well underway. Over this last month collections have been shown in London, Milan and Paris. While the notion of gender fluidity was present, I felt that there was a strong masculine feel on the runways. They were inclusive, but made a dramatic statement. There was a nod to the outdoors, earthy palettes and heavy fabrics. Coats of course ruled in almost every presentation, but each was so distinctively different from the others in their detail. Fur collars, hem lengths, patterned sleeves, there was a style for everyone. One thing was obvious though, these guys were impeccably dressed.

London

Ermenegildo Zegna

Casely Hayford

Craig Green

Milan

Missoni

Fendi

Versace

Prada

Paris

Issey Miyake

Louis Vuitton collaborated with New York streetwear label, Supreme, which I thought was an interesting blend of fashion. I also liked the logo necklace very much.

Dries Van Noten

Givenchy

Rick Owens collection was called abstract, but this is everyone’s worst nightmare of what wearing a puffer jacket looks like. I think this presentation was a waste of time. Is fashion art if no one wants to wear it?

photos courtesy of New York Times, Wallpaper and scmp.com

People’s Choice Awards

Possibly one of the worst dressed events of all time, the People’s Choice Awards red carpet was bland and boring. Luckily the night was salvaged by these men who showed up looking fashionable in sharp suits with striking accents. I particularly love the tailored pant legs.

Joel Mchale was the host of the evening and befitting his position, looked the part. He did a great job; I liked that he made it through the night not berating us with political jokes.

Clockwise from top Cameron Dallas, Kevin Nealon, Jean Luc Bilodeau, John Stamos, Shaun Brown and Tom Hanks.

 

These metallic dresses were a few of the better fashions at the event. I thought the coloring was great as well.

And of course Melissa McCarthy, Portia and Ellen had some fun ensembles. I liked the length of Melissa McCarthy’s jacket as well as the coordinating fabric. Portia’s asymmetrical top had a heightened style to it with the mix of fabric, and Ellen’s velvet jacket created a textural element to her look that gave it a polished finish.

Victoria Justice’s dress was edgy, but I wanted the hem to be a little longer, just a little shorter than Priyanka Chopra’s skirt. This looks similar to the outfit Kaley Cuoco wore at the Critics Choice Awards, but a little more refined. I think the draped back looks better paired with a skirt and being equal in length. While some did not seem to like Candace Cameron Bure’s dress, I thought it was elegant and mod. The sequin embellishments add fun texture and while I don’t generally love that slicked up, teased back hairstyle, she pulled it off very well.

 

Meanwhile bold doesn’t always mean better, and there is a reason classic looks are always red carpet approved.

I was just talking with a friend about how neon colors are so saturated these days. Ruby Rose’s suit structurally looks good, but that gaudy orange just needs a white stripe across it to resemble a traffic cone. Tara Shahidi’s hair and makeup is great, but the checkered pattern would have been bordering brash on a simple dress silhouette. The tiers of ruffles going down the bodice and sleeves are just over dramatic.

The feathers on the straps of what resembles a bikini top make it a funky, weird vibe, that is Gwen Stefani’s style, but had the top of Gwen Stefani’s been a satin or silky light blue or white, the skirt could have been a focal point of a fancier look. If Jodie Sweetin was going for an edgy punk look, she definitely should have chosen a different dress. Her outfit clashes so poorly because of the mixed materials, accessories and makeup. Kristen Bell’s jumpsuit is mostly cute, but whats with the weird white cups? They look out of place and bizarre.

More fashion nightmares of the evening from Keltie Knight, Lori Laughlin and Renee Bargh. What did everyone else think about the People’s Choice?

 

Golden Globes 2017

The red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards was wildly underwhelming. While there were some good looks, all around I could leave the fashion.

Sheer, sparkle, fringe, ruffles, you name it, it was featured as one of too many elements in Nicole Kidman’s dress.

Sarah Jessica Parker’s outfit was modern with a clean silhouette, but it would have been better with the sleeves fitted and less fabric swallowing up her legs.

As for Kerry Washington’s dress, first the color is so pale. The sheer lace isn’t terrible, but it need to be floor length. Because its sheer, the shoes would have been visible. Being cut at the ankle give the dress an odd shape, and what it with the bow at her waist?

Had there been a back and no cutout on the front of Carrie Underwood’s dress, it would have been a modest look, but because the ruffles of the neckline don’t follow the simple silhouette, it comes off as disheveled.

This looks similar to the Brandon Maxwell dress Ciara wore a few month ago, but even worse because it has polka dots.

The color is good on this gown, but the relaxed ruffly layers should have been left to the skirt, not included in the bodice.

2 questions for Pharrell Williams one, what’s with the beanie? Second, is there a reason for wearing a bandhgala?

Yellow was a popular color on the golden globes red carpet, and for the most part they looked good. Reese Witherspoon and Emily Ratajkowski gowns would have been better without the slits.

One of the few looks I did adore included Michelle Williams attire, it was trendy but elegant.

And to leave on a high note, I enjoyed the looks from Donald Glover, Blake Lively, Drew Barrymore, Kirsten Bell, Octavia Spencer and Milo Ventimiglia.

The navy suits with black accessories were impeccable. I always smile when I see that color combination, because for so long I believed it to be a faux pas, but now I’m head over heels for it.

Donald Glover and Blake Lively’s velvet outfits were on point, Kirsten Bell’s dress was glamorous and edgy, and Drew Barrymore had my favorite gown of the night. It looked feather light and had such a delicate details.

Like I said, I could have left majority of the fashion but luckily, we have plenty of shows this awards season to see some great fashion.

8 Trends That Should Not Follow Us To 2017

2016 provided us with a lot of beautiful and wonderful fashion. There were many a fashion nightmare however, and fingers crossed they don’t survive through the new year.

8-single statement earring

 

Earrings generally come in pairs because we have two ears. This trend just looks like someone forgot the other one or lost it during the day. Hopefully soon its lost entirely.

7-Furry slip on shoes

These shoes are just plain ugly and serve no purpose. It’s like companies said, what else can we put fur on? Shoes! Why? Because it’ll be trendy! Except its not, it serves no functionality. Especially since sandals are generally worn in warmer weather, when would fur on the outer part of a sandal even be a good idea? I wear sandals so my feet stay cool, not to punish them in a fur sauna.

6-Fitness Tracker Bracelets

The entire universe does not care that you are on a diet. Has everyone forgotten about those cute little notebooks called journals? They even have online versions if you’d like to be modern and high tech about tracking your health. Its cool you want to be a better version of you, just keep it to yourself and let the rest of us eat as much and walk as little as we want without the visual guilt trip. Besides they look like those tacky toy snap bracelets from back when.

5-Overalls

Overalls should have never, never ever been revived. What is the point of jumpsuits and rompers if I can just dig up the hideous pair my mom has in the attic from the 90s? No matter how they are styled, they just don’t look good. Fashion has come so far from these things, how did they find their way back into our lives?

4-Yeezy Shows

I really am at a loss as to how this line even made it past the first show. I think we’d all be ok if Yeezy took a really long break, like forever if Kanye wanted. So he can focus on his health, family, music and all.

3-Puffy Sleeves

At first glance these seem cool, but when I tried a couple on it did not translate. Not to mention this puffy sleeve comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes, making it difficult to find one that works at all. We can keep the Renaissance sleeve to the pirate movies please and thanks.

2-Sheer Dresses

I do not get the appeal of these sheer, show all dresses. Why even bother with a dress at all? Little cutouts or sheer sleeves add textural elements, but the whole dress is just a sad cry for attention. There are other mature and fashionable ways to go about letting people know you love your body, are in great shape, have style, etc, etc. This is not the way.

1-Tee shirts under dresses or thin strapped tops

This is truly a nightmare for me, because growing up I had to have sleeves on and with everything. Too many a Sunday was the frumpy tee shirt required to be worn under my summer church frock, leaving me hot from the awful mix of layers and humid temperatures, feeling embarrassed and uncool. This photo alone makes me shudder from the memories. Some may like it, but it will never be fashionable to me.

Critics Choice Awards

On Sunday in Los Angeles were the Critics Choice Awards. The red, or in this case, blue carpet was filled with fashion, and the event was pretty fun to watch as well. Here are a few of my favorites.

Leslie Mann in Greta Constantine. I adore this bright citrusy color. The ruffled, or lettuce style sleeve, is going to be a major upcoming trend. I really like it, what do you think?

Viola Davis in Michael Kors. I thought she looked stunning and she was also the recipient of the first See Her Award that I thought was a very cool part of the ceremony.

These chic black gowns worn by Rachel Bloom(L) and Constance Zimmer(R) were also stylish. I love the details, especially the mix of fabrics of Rachel Blooms dress.

Emma Stone wore Roland Mouret and looked beautiful. Her style is exceptional and I’m also super excited to see La La Land, she’s a great actress.

Amy Adams in Versace

Constance Wu in Johanna Ortiz

Instead of being a baring-all slit, the skirt opens in the front to show off Nia Long’ shoes, but its still closed off by the back. Accompanied by the graphic bodice, this dress is super pretty.

These were a few of my favorite suits. The subtle details, colors and excellent fit are what separated them.

Anthony Anderson & Childish Gambino

James Marsden in Salvatore Ferragamo and Jim Parsons.

Rami Malek in Burberry and RuPaul Charles.

The stars of Stranger Things looked absolutely adorable in their suits!

Nicole Kidman’s Brandon Maxwell was structured and sleek, but slightly overdone. I feel like the top of the dress looks like a batman mask. It would have been much more chic with a scoop or slight v neck.

Kaley Cuoco in a Noon by Noor two piece set. Its innovative for sure, but I’m honestly a little perplexed by this outfit. Does the top need straps? The train is a fun detail, but with pants doesn’t it feel like a bit much? But had it been cut at the back of the knee would it be enough? I’m not sure..

I’m also not in love with this extreme whitewashed gothic look from Lily Collins. The dress itself has pretty details, but overall resembles that of a vampire bride.

Katheryn Winnick’s dress has a lot of elements that create a ton of noise. If this is strapless, why are there sheer sleeves? Why are their multiple sheer patterns? Why bother with a cutout? Is the slit necessary? Visually and constructively its overdone.

I wanted to like Kate Beckinsale’s gown by Reem Acra, but its severely lacking. I also hate that its super sheer. I would have had glitter all over the bodice, not open so her cleavage is showing; and I’d probably ditch the puffy sleeves. It was a nice effort, but fell short.

I usually love Natalie Portman’s style, but this number had me confused. The numerous prints and ruffles are definitely overwhelming. The sleeves might have been charming with a floor length black skirt.

And the fashion nightmare of the evening was Bella Thorne in Steven Kahili. Its flimsy, trashy and daunting. I’m not sure what phase she’s going through, but her style has gotten very extreme and not in a good way.

photos courtesy of Daily Mail

Fashion Awards 2016

Hosted by British Fashion Council and Swarovski, The Fashion Awards, previously the British Fashion Awards, was held at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The ceremony honors international talent in fashion.

Lady Gaga’s Brandon Maxwell was the best look of the night, classic and elegant. I love her minimal jewelry.

These were the best tux’s, David Gandy’s velvet jacket and Johnny Coca’s red festive tie are those tiny details that elevate their look.

Laura Bailey’s voluminous fitted gown was paired perfectly with that metallic bag, Abbey Clancy gown was daring, but still modest. I liked the tied waist and tulip skirt. Karli Kloss also had a classic look that was pretty.

Donatella Versace’s silver metallic dress had great geometric lines. I like the color combination, but I think the insert of the top part of the gown could have been omitted.

Here are a few other alluring looks from Bebe Rexha, Kate Moss and Daisy Lowe.

I actually really like Yolanda Hadid’s dress and how natural her hair looks teased back like so. Other celebrities that have worn their hair like that over style with too much product, making it looks stiff and crunchy.

Gigi Hadid’s Versace jumpsuit is a very sleek, with great color and stylish. I just wish the straps were symmetrical, like pick one style, don’t overdo it.

Alexa Chung was wearing Gucci, and even after having a few months since fashion week to let that look sink in, I still don’t really feel like warming up to it. The color of Lily Donaldson…dress is so pretty, but the whole thing is sheer so I hate it. Adwoah Aboah’s neon tulle dress was not what I’d of expected from someone who was nominated as international fashion model of the year. Nicole Scherzinger’s sheer cutout jumper was over dramatic. The only cutouts should have been left near the shoulder and it would have been so fashionable. But that would be asking too much apparently.

I felt like Jaden Smith and Alessandro Michele’s suits were a bit much. At least Jaden’s suit pants were tailored and his slide shoes actually gave a small element of cool to an otherwise uncool look. The suit that Jared Leto wore wasn’t terrible, but he had that terrible embellished jacket on that ruins the ensemble. He could have just had some fun flair with his sunglasses and gold bowtie, but again with another overdone look. Such a shame.

For a fashion award ceremony, I’m finding myself left wanting more, and that’s such a disappointment.

photos courtesy of belfasttelegraph.co.uk, celebuzz and Hollywood Reporter

 

4 Designers from Mexico City Fashion Week

“The heart of the Americas is known as a cultural hub for its excellent food, art, architecture and design. The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design named it as the World Design Capital in 2018.”

However, twenty years ago there was nothing that could be considered high fashion about Mexico City, and people didn’t know what they were missing. With so much history and legacy, Mexican designers found it easy to be inspired by the beauty Mexico has to offer, and making sure that Mexico City is on the fashion map. After looking at some of the different collections, I can say that there is a vast amount of alluring fashion. Here are a few of my favorite designers I’ve discovered.

Gypsy Sport

2015’s CFDA Fashion Fund winner, Rio Uribe, presented his fist collection this season, his source of inspiration being color. He said this show is a “total rainbow” and I loved the vibrancy and layering of the fabrics.

Kris Goyri

One of Mexico’s most exciting fashion talents. Hawaii inspired this seasons collection, with floral components and minimal silhouettes. Even in its simple design, the clothes have a very dramatic flair about them that I love.

Cihuah

French designer, Vaness Guck’s established her “French Fashion brand, born in Mexico” in 2013. Cihuah comes from a indigenous Nahuatl word for women, recognizing women and their traditional craft, knowledge and culture, nodding at modern, creative, independent and entrepreneurial women. She transitioned from architecture to design, wanting to change the scale of her work and apply her architectural tools to the construction of garments. Her designs are so conceptual, modern and daring. I was oohing and ahhing through the entire collection. These two were my favorites, you can view the entire SS17 Lookbook on their website.

Alejandra Queasada 

After studying fashion design in Paris and London, she was inspired to create her own brand. She describes it as a casual colorful dream that capture and express moments in life. Using contemporary Mexican embroidery, whimsical motifs and avant grade forms, its easy to see why she is one of Mexico’s best designers.

I’m excited to have found these designers to follow, and looking forward to their future endeavors! Which is your favorite?

Photos courtesy of Vogue, frontrow-worldwide.com, cihuah.com and Wmagazine.

Quote courtesy of Elle

Trend or Conformity?

I think in the world of fashion that the word “trend” can be an overused term. It is a lot like how the words great or hero or warrior is used. Everyone uses the term and it sort of loses its meaning after a while.

When I look at fashion and which way it is trending, there are some signs to me that are concerning. Take athletic apparel for instance. Other than the logos on the clothes themselves, it is hard to distinguish one brand from another. They all seem to have similar color schemes and patterns. Is that what constitutes as trending? Is looking similar to each other the new trend?

Recently I read where the Scandinavian retailer H&M launched its “K-Fashion” Limited Edition line that is available only in Asia. This line is supposedly inspired by Korean street fashion. The problem is, as the article points out is that there does not appear to be anything “Korean” about the line at all. “The models look like they’re wearing clothes that could be seen on any street in the United States or any city around the world. So I guess that my question may be, is conformity the newest trend to hit the fashion world? Does anyone wish to actually purchase clothing with the intent that “I want to look Korean?, or Chinese?, Or Scandinavian?

I believe that one of the great parts of fashion that I enjoy is the uniqueness of the different designers. Even if you care or do not care for an individual line, the distinctiveness of the lines are what I find captivating. What some might love in Armani, others may not. What some might love in Hugo Boss, others may find Michael Kors the better alternative. The point being that something as diverse as fashion should not be dumped into a brand disguised as national identity. I am not sure if conformity will be the newest trend. Is the desire out in the world to look like everyone else, or to stand out with something that is creative and distinctive?

 

British Vogue Declares Cleavage Out

“Whatever happened to the cleavage?” Asks Kathleen Baird-Murray in Desperately Seeking Cleavage in the December issue of Vogue.

Vogue observes that many high fashion labels renowned for their ample displays have this year “sent out girl after girl with legs, midriffs and cut-outs on show but no cleavage.”

Fashion editors and stylists alike are all sharing critical opinions, from saying the amount of skin being an indicator of what little power someone has to blaming social media. A stylist quoted by Vogue said of a client,

“On those occasions where her cleavage is more visible, I see what happens on her Instagram feeds afterwards, and out of 100,000 comments, 90,000 will be about her boobs. That’s not healthy, it’s creepy.”

Women’s fashion has taking many a twist and turn through the years, let alone centuries. Exposed wrists and ankles on women were once considered suggestive. Cleavage has been a relatively newer “trend” in fashion, but one that’s been in our faces dramatically and distinctly. I do believe Instagram has played a role in that. Most current models are considered supermodels simply because of their Instagram feeds and their followers. Even when friends of mine on social media post a photo in a swimsuit or revealing top, someone makes a comment or posts an emoji in negative context.

Female sexuality and objectification in general have played a part in fashion. For some companies, it would seem critical to their sales or target audience. Fashion is bigger than that and should be more about the clothes, shoes, bags, etc, than reducing women to their physical appearance. Maybe we are at a tipping point where the focus can be the fashion, and it won’t be such an obvious choice to use in ads, campaigns and runways. As mentioned before, there was an apparent lack of cleavage in fashion week, maybe designers have picked up on the disdain; believing it isn’t fashionable. It could be a dying trend, but do trends truly ever go away?

I have been happier with current runways not throwing cleavage out on their runways so heavily.  As a woman and artist, I understand the proclamation people are trying to make, like, its only cleavage, who cares anyway? All women have cleavage, and some believe it should be shown off. But in the patriarchal world we live in, its coming off as a free show and it isn’t furthering the cause of feminism or stopping the double standard effectively. Revealing cleavage isn’t getting women ahead anywhere in fashion and models should be more adamant about who they model for and what they are wearing. It has a bigger impact than they know.

However, its seems like readers have a different opinion.

I feel like I lean somewhere between depending on the outfit and being over it from the survey. There is a lot more to women besides cleavage, and beyond that, physical appearances. I don’t think that the views on cleavage and the flaunting of it will be going anywhere soon based on this survey. Too many women unfortunately still tie feminism and empowerment to their image, hopefully that will change. There are enough designers out there who emphasize fashion, maybe with this notion, speak loudly enough to make an impact. Vogue is only the fashion bible after all.

 

Online Creeps Lead Fashion Designers to Call Time on Cleavage, Tom Skyes, November 2016

twitter photo courtesy of Vogue UK

Stuart Weitzman ad courtesy of Huffington Post