EDITH SAYLOR STYLE

VOGUE BACKS UP FACEBOOK TIMELINE LESSON

2012-02-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

In the post just below, I talked about why Carrie Bradshaw's "Sex and the City" style is timelessly chic. This morning I discovered a post on Vogue.com that discusses the same point, featuring the top 10 ways Carrie's style endures. Click here to read the full article. Enjoy!

WHAT IS CHIC? MY LESSON ON FASHION VS. STYLE FROM THE FACEBOOK TIMELINE (REALLY)

2012-02-01T01:31:00.000-08:00

We would all like to think of ourselves as timelessly chic. We would like to think that we are savvy enough (and insider-y enough) to wear the latest trends with ease, but still retain a sense of personal style that transcends the decades.

But sometimes, that is not true. Sometimes, we just are not chic.

The recent roll-out of the Facebook Timeline has suddenly brought this glaring, shocking, and somewhat debilitating truth to my attention. This horrid new feature makes it easier to view your Facebook activity by year, thereby granting immediate access to photos from the time you very first joined Facebook. Like many college students who joined within the first years of the social network's inception, I joined in the early 2000's.

Let's quickly take a journey back to the early 2000's, before the recession hit, and flash-and-cash was de rigueur. As the 1990's drifted into the past, the angst of teen spirit was wearing off and minimalism was starting to seem, well, just boring. Buoyed by a raging economy of the new millennium, America longed to trade in depressed heroin chic for some good, glittery fun. Tom Ford was at the helm of Gucci, instilling a "sex-fueled... woman-as-glamazaon" aesthetic (Style.com) that pervaded international culture. Vogue ran features in nearly every issue on how to tone one's legs in preparation for steadily rising hemlines (accompanied by photos of Doutzen Kroes et all in second-skin Herve Legers). Starlets were snapped in everything shiny, sparkly, and loud. Tans were intense. Highlights were intense. It was glitz. It wasn't always glamour.

Similarly, photos of my first year of Facebook are not always glamour. Bandage dresses, sequin embellishments, and Juicy Couture are all happening. When the new Timeline first revealed this, I felt sick: "What??! How did I allow this??! Am I just not an inherently chic person?!!" Then, like any depressed girl whose very identity has just been shaken, I took to the couch, ice cream in hand, and zoned out to E! reruns of early "Sex and the City". That is when I saw it. Sarah Jessica Parker, fashion icon of our time, prophetess of all that is chic, wearing a painted-on orange miniskirt, flashy gold belt, and a red bra under an outrageous green (green!) top. I quickly pressed "Info" on my remote control, and found that the episode had originally aired in 2001. A sigh of relief. The early 2000's: when even Carrie Bradshaw looked like a hooker.

Although Yves Saint Laurent's famous assertion that "fashion fades and style remains" is certainly very true, even the chicest among us embrace current fashion to express personal style. It would be wonderful if we never mis-stepped, bucking all trends in favor of fail-safe classics to appear timeless in all of our photos. But that would also mean never really living in the current moment. Both Sarah Jessica Parker and her character Carrie Bradshaw are style (not fashion) icons precisely because they weren't afraid to fail. They took risks, they made mistakes, but they did so with exuberance, passion, and joie de vivre. They had FUN. That enthusiasm for getting up and getting dressed to fully embrace every day is exactly what makes a woman inherently chic. Even when, in the next decade, our photos just are not.

Here are a few more of the world's chicest women photographed in the early 2000's-- embracing the bygone today, taking risks with fashion, having fun, and remaining stylish in 2012:

Charlize Theron in 2001 & 2012

Katie Holmes in 2001 & 2012

Kirsten Dunst in 2001 & 2012

Nicole Richie in 2003 & 2011

Eva Longoria in early 2000's & 2011

Salma Hayek in 2000 & 2012

Nicole Kidman in 2000 & 2012

Victoria Beckham in 2007 & 2012

BATHE YOURSELF IN SHOES

2012-01-27T14:00:00.000-08:00

Take a peek at model-turned-stylist-turned-editor-turned-designer Tabitha Simmons' gorgeous Manhattan townhouse from the February issue of US Vogue. Another glamorous mother to admire!

AMERICAN DREAM

2012-01-26T21:54:00.000-08:00

"What we're selling is a dream, not a garment."

- Stefano Tonchi

13 VINTAGE FASHION ADVERTISEMENTS

2012-01-10T00:22:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Refinery29's "Daily Diversion" featuring this vintage Banana Republic ad, here are 13 more archived advertisements from some of today's most recognized brands!

Burberry, 1924

L'Oreal, 1920's

Louis Vuitton, 1920's

DeBeer's, 1940's

DeBeer's 1950's

Chanel, starring Suzy Parker with Cary Grant and Fred Astaire, 1952

Christian Dior, 1960's

Chanel, starring Faye Dunaway, 1972

Judith Leiber, 1989

Neiman Marcus, 1990

Chanel, starring Claudia Schiffer, 1990

Gucci, 1991

Gucci, 2003

Images via PZR Services, We Heart Vintage, Ad Classix

7 QUESTIONS FOR VOGUE'S SARAH MOWER

2012-01-09T23:10:00.000-08:00

One of the most horrific experiences of my career came in the form of an email from Sarah Mower, one of the most respected voices in fashion. It all happened after Kate Moss' 8-year-old daughter was snapped by paparazzi wearing one of my designer client's children's sweater. The client requested that I send a press release, and I complied, alerting per usual each of the world's top style writers. Ms. Sarah Mower then unexpectedly popped into my inbox, replying to the release by letting me know, in no uncertain terms, that it this was gross exploitation of a child, and rhetorically demanded whether I had sought permission from the child's mother to use the minor's image. As a strong advocate of children's rights, not to mention a lifelong devotee of both Sarah Mower and Kate Moss, I was beyond mortified. Of course, I continue to be an avid fan Sarah's, so I was delighted to read the below interview with her from AnotherMag.com... even though my stomach can't help but knot itself at the sight of her name!

Her recent citation with an MBE for “services to the Fashion Industry” only confirmed to the wider public what the British fashion industry has known for years: few have done as much to ensure the rude health of London’s fashion designers than Sarah Mower. With 20 years of experience in the field, Mower brings a wealth of forthrightness and authority to her work as contributing editor for US Vogue (and vogue.com) and columnist for the Daily Telegraph. And it was her decade-long tenure as fashion critic for the pioneering website, style.com where her reviews attained a must-read status among fashion fanatics and designers alike. In her dual roles as chair of the NEWGEN committee and Ambassador for Emerging Talent for the British Fashion Council, Mower (aided by a crack support network of London’s finest) has been instrumental to the stratospheric rise of emerging designers such as Meadham Kirchhoff, Mary Katrantzou, Michael Van Der Ham among many others.

Growing up, what status did fashion have in your family? What was your start in the business?I was brought up in Bath, and my parents were teachers – my mother art; my father engineering. Fashion had no overt status except that my mother and grandmother made clothes. Around the age of 10, I started doing fashion drawings of my own, with swatches of fabric snipped off my mother's remnants – I still have them! For my 13th birthday, I got a subscription to Vogue – an unbelievable luxury which changed my life. There was still no thought of a career in fashion, but when I went to Leeds University to study English and History of Art, I entered the Vogue Talent Contest, and was a winner that year. I always tell young journalists to go in for that – it gave me the confidence to think I could actually do something.

What was it in your character that drew you to fashion and does it still hold the same interest for you?I think I see fashion in multiple dimensions – as a medium reflecting the ways we live and think. I love researching the history of it and watching new patterns emerge. I also really enjoy talking to designers and trying to get them to talk about how they design and why. I love the instinctive, mysterious aspects of fashion creativity and trying to analyse them. Now I'm old enough to know practically everyone in fashion, I really get a kick out of being able to connect young talent with people who can help build their careers and businesses. Also: I love clothes! You can't do much about how old you are – I am not a botoxer or filler – but I hold onto the idea that dressing well is the best revenge against ageing!

Are you comfortable with your power to make or break a collection?Make or break? I don't know if I can do that personally. As the chair of the New Gen committee, I've asked an amazing panel of buyers and editors and high-level consultants to select designers for London shows and presentations – so decisions are collective. After that, designers get amazing support, both financial, and in every dimension of business from these experts and the British Fashion Council. So I think I participate in more making than breaking!

"You can't do much about how old you are – I am not a botoxer or filler – but I hold onto the idea that dressing well is the best revenge against ageing!"

A lot of critics have talked about how September 2011 was the best LFW in many years – when did you first notice the shift in people paying close attention to London designers?The latest wave of attention came to London when Christopher Kane showed his first collection at Holland Park on an amazing late summer day in September 2006. Marios Schwab and Gareth Pugh were coming up at the same time. Then followed by Jonathan Saunders, Roksanda Ilincic, Richard Nicoll and more recently Peter Pilotto, Louise Gray, Michael Van der Ham, Mark Fast, Mary Katrantzou.

What factors have been important in British designers being able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their European or American counterparts?It took most of a decade to get London to the level it's at today – with young designers exporting British-made clothes to the luxury stores of the world. First, you have to creditProfessor Louise Wilson, who spends two years drilling the brains of each cohort of MA graduates to make them distinguish what it is they are supposed to be saying, and prohibiting any hint of the derivative. Then the economy has played its part – in a downturn there have been fewer jobs so young people have been inspired to go it alone – and then the BFC has reorganized to be designer-facing and offer all the help which is needed. There's the unique Topshop sponsorship of international grade runway shows – and the New Gen support which I’ve already described. There's also Fashion East and the Centre for Fashion Enterprise. And a breakthrough has been the London Showrooms, which we take to Paris so buyers and editors have a one-stop shop, and designers are fast-tracked to an opportunity to learn how to sell and deliver to the standards Barneys, Saks, Neiman Marcus, Joyce and Lane Crawford demand. Another part of the picture is that all the designers I mentioned are working with British factories close to home – that way, they can teach them how to make things beautifully and oversee production in a perfectionist way. Nowadays an Erdem dress, made in Battersea, stands up to any comparison on any department store designer floor, for example.

How did your position as Ambassador for Emerging Talent at the BFC come about and how has it evolved since you started?The "ambassador" title was created for me after I'd been agitating for change at the BFC for such a long time, and mentoring unofficially. Then I volunteered to bring all the editors and buyers to the London Showroom by having a brunch. Since then, the BFC has been incredible, with an amazing team working in all areas full speed ahead. The reward is seeing how the designers all respond so quickly, grow amazingly as business people, work so incredibly hard - and importantly, get on so well. If there was still a vibe-y, stand-offy attitude amongst London designers, I would not be doing this. They are a friendship group too, and that is an advantage I see foreigners looking at in awe. It's one thing which can't be replicated.

How do you think the current stand-off between Milan Fashion Week’s Mario Boselli moving the dates of MFW to overlap with NYFW and LFW will end?Aah the date debacle: for the first time, I felt a sense of incredulity but no anxiety about the date problem. London is so strong now that it can't be trodden on - I found it almost funny that Italy hadn't yet realised that. London has great support coming from the United States and Conde Nast, and it will be sorted out.

Kin Woo writes for Dazed & Confused, Ponystep and Androgyny magazine and is a contributing editor for Dazed Digital. He has produced films for international artists Pheonix, Patrick Wolf and Lissie Trullie.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM MARY-KATE AND ASHLEY OLSEN!

2012-01-09T21:50:00.000-08:00

Here's to a rocking and stylish 2012!

Brought to you by the fabulous tees of StyleMint

MUST READ IN 2012: NOSTALGIA IN VOGUE

2012-01-09T18:12:00.000-08:00

My favorite section of Vogue has always been the "Nostalgia" column. As described in one of my very first posts, the column features poignant memoirs from writers sharing coming-of-age stories revolving around any host of intriguing characters, including elegant mentors, mysterious fathers, and devastating lovers. Ultimately, the main character becomes the author herself, as she grapples with her own dreams, insecurities, and spiritual growth. It is the vulnerable side of a magazine otherwise featuring impeccable ladies who have already achieved an intimidating volume of professional success, cultural intelligence, and ethereal beauty. (And of course, a killer eff-ing wardrobe).

Now, Vogue Features Director Eve MacSweeney has edited a beautiful new coffee table book featuring sixty-three "Nostalgia" essays from the past decade, accompanied by the original archival photographs that inspired the stories (including breathtaking images by Horst P. Horst, Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, and more). I received the book, Nostalgia in Vogue, for Christmas and couldn't be more thrilled. Tamara Warren writes for Forbes.com, "this book is a gentle reminder of why we save our stacks of magazines". Here are a few of my favorite photographs from the collection:

Woman underwater by Toni Firssell from the essay SWEPT AWAY

"Young and in love, Patricia Morrisroe moved into her boyfriend's Sutton Place apartment

only to have her visions of a romantic summer subsumed by a family drama."

Adele Astaire by Rosamond Pinchot from the essay THE AIR IN ASTAIRE

"A grassed over swimming pool in Ireland inspired artist T.J. Wilcox to explore

the forgotten life of 1920s It Girl Adele Astaire."

Jerry Hall by Stan Malinowski from the essay PAINT IT RED

"Jerry Hall's cool attitude and sexy pout turned young Australian Poppy King

into an international lipstick whiz."

And here are three more pieces of "Nostalgia":

1. FACES OF THE EIGHTIES by Padma Lakshmi

2. NOW, VOYAGER by John Gallianon

3. SOOTHES MY SOUL by... me

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KATE BOSWORTH! THE STYLE SETTER'S TOP 10 LOOKS OF 2011

2012-01-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

Inspired by FabSugar's look back at the birthday girl's cool girl style, we toast actress and fashion darling Kate Bosworth's 28th birthday with her Top 10 Looks of 2011.

10. In Mulberry at a dinner for the house at the Chateau Marmont

9. In Chloé at the Sundance Film Festival

8. In Isabel Marant at the Little Next Door café in West Hollywood

7. In Dolce & Gabbana at her Lucky magazine cover party at Hemingway's in Hollywood

6. In Erdem at the LACMA Art + Film Gala

5. In Isabel Marmont at The King's Speech party at the Chateau Marmont

4. In Carven on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon"

3. In Chanel at the Deauville Film Festival

2. In Burberry Prorsum at the Burberry Body launch in Beverly Hills

1. In Chanel to host a dinner at the house's West Hollywood outpost

Oh, to have Kate's closet... and designer showroom access!

BETTERED BY BROKEN HOPES

2011-12-28T01:44:00.000-08:00

"As the tree is fertilized by its own broken branches and fallen leaves, and grows out of its own decay,

so men and nations are bettered by trial, and refined out of broken hopes and blighted expectations."

-- F. W. Robertson

It has been a trying year for our nation, and many people around the world.

May we remember that from our broken hopes comes renewed faith and peace.

ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELEY FOR HARPER'S BAZAAR UK

2011-12-28T00:16:00.000-08:00

Publication: Harper's Bazaar UK

Model: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Photographer: Tom Munro

Stylist: Cathy Kasterine

ELIZABETH TAYLOR AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN HER

2011-12-27T23:45:00.000-08:00

David Downton illustrated these beautiful watercolors of the immoral Elizabeth Taylor for ROUGE Magazine. Those violet eyes have never been captured like this.

Via FGR

Plus 4 more beautiful fashion illustrations:

1. The inimitable Rene Gruau

2. Kate Spade's secret weapon, Virginia Johnson

3. Exclusive sketches from the Versace Atelier

4. 2010's award-winning Black Swan costumes by Rodarte

DOLCE & GABBANA SPRING / SUMMER 2012 CAMPAIGN

2011-12-27T23:30:00.000-08:00

Dolce & Gabbana focused on the traditional Italian family for their Spring / Summer 2012 ad campaign shot by Giampaolo Sgura. Italian cinema stars Monica Belluci and Bianca Balti play the matriarchs overseeing family baptisms and Sunday dinners in the house's signature corsets and full skirts.

Via fashioncopious + thefashionspot

ONE SIMPLE WAY TO BECOME SOMEONE

2011-12-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

"Drop the idea of becoming someone, because you already are a masterpiece.

You cannot be improved.

You only have to come to it, to know it, to realize it."

-- Osho

via musings in femininity

Jess Gold by Same Hendel via FGR

HOPE IT WAS A HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

2011-12-27T22:50:00.000-08:00

"At Christmas, play and make good cheer

For Christmas comes but once a year!"

-- Thomas Tusser

Vogue, December 1954

Hope you had the chance to "play and make good cheer" this Christmas!

Here's to making the four remaining days of 2011 full of warmth and joy!

Vogue, December 1959

PAULA PATTON FOR HARPER'S BAZAAR ARABIA

2011-12-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

The Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol actress stuns in Roberto Cavalli on the cover of Harper's Bazaar Arabia, shot by John Russo and styled by Sally Matthews. Here are excerpts from her interview, via Red Carpet Fashion Awards:

On her favorite designers: My favorite designers right now are probably Dolce & Gabbana first and foremost, I love the femininity of their clothes. They’ll go a bit retro but give you enough modern elements that make it new and free. I’m a big fan of Lanvin, and for evening gowns, Carolina Herrera and I love McQueen.

On how she keeps her famous physique intact: “Sometimes I do yoga, sometimes it’s kickboxing, sometimes it’s weight training, sometimes it’s pilates. Basically still trying to keep the muscles there, so that when the next role comes it won’t feel quite as difficult. I don’t want to have to go through that first month again.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol opens worldwide December 21st.

SAG AND GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEES: FASHION PREDICTION COUNTDOWN

2011-12-16T02:44:00.000-08:00

The official SAG and Golden Globe nominees were announced this week, leaving critics to debate who will dominate the competition. But the real question is, who will dominate the red carpet? Let the countdown to the red carpet begin!

THE 4 VOGUE COVER GIRLS: MERYL STREEP, CHARLIZE THERON, ROONEY MARA, MICHELLE WILLIAMS
Always four steps ahead of the prediction game, Anna Wintour's past four covers have featured nominees announced this week. No doubt she has already nailed which house each talent will be wearing come showtime.

4. MERYL STREEP -- Best Actress in a Motion Picutre for Iron Lady; both SAG and Golden Globe nominations
Never taking the red carpet too seriously, current Vogue face Meryl Streep's designer selection is fascinating to watch. For the 2010 awards season, she chose "Project Runway" alum Chris March's designs not once, but twice (including at the fashion PR Holy Grail, the Academy Awards, pictured below). This year while promoting Iron Lady, the Margaret Thatcher biopic which garnered her both SAG and Globe noms, Meryl chose Stella McCartney, twice consecutively (below). Could Meryl's portrayal of the former British prime minister lead her to favor the British McCartney for the duration of the season? She could go straight to the source and wear one of Thatcher's favored outfitters, Aquascutum. If she sticks to what has worked in the past, we could also expect to see Meryl in Elie Saab or vintage, but smart new choices could include Marni (currently garnering buzz for its H&M capsule collection set to drop March 8, just after awards season closes) or Prada (and not just because she played the Devil in it).
Contenders: Stella McCartney, Aquascutum, Elie Saab, Marni, Prada, vintage

3. CHARLIZE THERON -- Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for Young Adult, Golden Globe nomination
Charlize shimmers in Calvin Klein Collection on the December cover of Vogue, but as the face of J'Adore Dior fragrance, she is obligated to wear Christian Dior for a number of her appearances. For her only awards season appearance last year, she donned a beautiful (yet controversial) custom Dior gown, pictured below. The Academy Award winner also has very close ties Stella McCartney and Versace. Recently when deviating from the tried-and-true, has chosen Balenciaga, celebrity favorite Antonio Berardi, and one of the gorgeous Art Deco pieces from Gucci's major Spring collection (below). Still, her stand-bys are the best bets.
Contenders: Christian Dior, Stella McCartney, Versace Atelier

2. ROONEY MARA -- Best Actress in a Drama for Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Golden Globe nomination
Predicting a newcomer's look is always a challenge, but Rooney has given fashion critics plenty to talk about thus far. She was breathtaking in a dragon-embellished look from Ralph Lauren's japonaise-inspired Fall collection on the cover of November Vogue. Since then, Girl With the Dragon Tattoo costume designer Trish Summerville (whose collection for H&M premiered December 14) has dressed Rooney for the red carpet in spot-on looks from Givenchy and cool-girl label Prabal Gurung (both pictured below). Rooney has also worn the latest from Donna Karan, Calvin Klein Collection, and Roksanda Ilincic. Other great choices for her could be Haider Ackermann, Alexander McQueen, Altuzarra, or Hakaan. No one designer has been worn more than once, and with nearly all of these labels represented by in-house PRs, no one PR firm has been featured more than once, either. While every designer and PR vies for Rooney's favor this season, we anxiously await to see who she ultimately chooses.
Contenders: Possibly Calvin Klein, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, Altuzarra, Hakaan... very TBD!

1. MICHELLE WILLIAMS -- Best Actress in a Motion Picture for My Week With Marilyn; both SAG and Golden Globe nominations
October Vogue cover girl Michelle Williams sizzles in Oscar de la Renta, channeling the Marilyn Monroe role that garnered her both the SAG and Globe noms. The actress also chooses de la Renta when dressing as herself (pictured below promoting Marilyn), but shies away from the bombshell silhouette in favor of a waif-like aesthetic. Girlish lines and prim details have also made her a devoted fan of Miu Miu (which she wore to this year's Met Ball), Nina Ricci, and Erdem. For couture, it's Chanel and Valentino-- last year, she wore the former to the Academy Awards and the controversial daisy-print latter to the Globes (below). Michelle wears these six houses without much deviation, which means it's a solid bet half will see a SAG, Globe, or Oscar carpet. Factoring in a stylist's influence is somewhat beside the point in this case: Michelle is personal friends with a number of stylists and editors, so she works with different people for different events-- sometimes even enlisting someone new at the very last minute, as with last year's Academy Awards. (Although she may be working with Kate Young this season). Despite this variety, Michelle's personal sense of style is clearly defined and extremely consistent. We can expect to see her in something feminine, understated, and highly chic.
Contenders: Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, Chanel, Miu Miu

THE 3 IT GIRLS OF THE SEASON: JESSICA CHASTAIN, VIOLA DAVIS, SHAILENE WOODLEY
Every season there are first-time front runners that kepp the film critics, fashion world, and general public abuzz. For 2012, three names stand out from the crowd:

3. JESSICA CHASTAIN -- Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Best Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for The Help; both SAG and Golden Globe nominations
This may be her first year on the scene, but what a year it has been! With nine (yes, nine) acclaimed films released and a major Zac Posen couture moment at Cannes (below), fashion PRs with foresight have been clamoring for Jessica Chastain all year. She accompanied Emilio Pucci's Peter Dundas to the Met Ball (below), has been embraced by Gucci and Louis Vuitton, and has worn both Oscar de la Renta and Viktor & Rolf (below) exactly twice each. Still, Jessica has not established a clear pattern of favoring one designer or PR firm, but she is consistently dressed in looks that are classically figure flattering with unexpected colors.
Contenders: Viktor & Rolf, Louis Vuitton, Oscar de la Renta, Zac Posen

2. VIOLA DAVIS -- Best Actress in a Motion Picture and Best Performance by a Cast for The Help; both SAG and Golden Globe nominations

Viola Davis joins Jessica Chastain as a Girl of the Season, incidentally sharing the same film and same stylist. Although previously nominated for an Academy Award, this year Viola is considered the strong front runner to take home to trophy. Often favoring David Meister (below), Viola has also worn Reem Acra (to the 2009 Academy Awards, below), Escada, Calvin Klein Collection (below), and most recently Raoul. However, another thing she could share with Jessica Chastain is Peter Dundas-- Emilio Pucci could be a great look for her.
Contenders: David Meister, Escada, Emilio Pucci

1. SHAILENE WOODLEY -- Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for The Descendents; Golden Globe nomination

When cast in George Clooney's The Descendants, Shailene suddenly went from ABC Family's pregnant teenager to bona fide bright young thing. She has since been gracing the red carpet in smart choices from Prabal Gurung (below), Zac Posen, and Christian Dior. She has been heavily favoring Dolce & Gabbana (below), a house with a generous lending policy that supports young talent. A particularly killer choice from Dolce was the tuxedo look Shailene wore to the Gotham Independent Film Awards (below), which set the blogosphere on fire.
Contenders: Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Dior, Marchesa, any young designer

THE 2 BEST DRESSED: EMMA STONE, CLAIRE DANES
The two young fashion girls who dominate every awards season's best dressed list are also nominated this year.

2. EMMA STONE -- Best Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for The Help; both SAG and Golden Globe nominations
Dominating every imaginable best dressed list of the year, celebrity stylist Petra Flannery (who also works with Zoe Saldana and Mila Kunis) has established Emma as a veritable fashion force. Emma has killed looks from every major house and insider label, including Chanel couture (below), Louis Vuitton, Lanvin, Giambattista Valli (below), Bottega Veneta, and Carven. But it was her appearance in a stunning minimalist Calvin Klein Collection at last year's Golden Globes (below) that solidified her status as fashion It Girl. On the cusp of what is hot and exclusive but also thoughtful and beautiful, Petra and Emma will be sure to choose looks that will be the objects of every insider's desire.
Contenders: Chanel Couture, Lanvin, Prada, Stella McCartney, TBD

1. CLAIRE DANES -- Best Actress in a Television Drama for "Homeland"; Golden Globe nomination
With minimalist aesthetic and a strong relationship with Calvin Klein, Claire had two major awards season moments with the house last awards season (including the Golden Globes, below). Oscar de la Renta and Armani Prive were already worn for Claire's last two Emmy Awards (the latter pictured below), so it is unlikely that she will choose any of these three favorites. This year she could choose other favorite designers, such as Louis Vuitton or Lanvin, but based on her recent choices, it could be time for Valentino (below) to be the victor.
Contenders: Valentino

THE 1 CLASSIC A-LISTER: ANGELINA JOLIE
What is there to say about this ultra-talented woman? One of the most beautiful and sought-after individuals in the world, she always rules the red carpet with stunning style and timeless allure.

1. ANGELINA JOLIE -- Best Foreign Language Film for In the Land of Blood and Honey; Golden Globe Award
With partner Brad Pitt nominated multiple times for Money Ball and her own directorial debut recognized, Angelina Jolie will see several red carpets this season. Angelina has, needless o say, worn every major designer, plus has relationships with Louis Vuitton, Versace, and Vivienne Westwood (below at a Money Ball premiere). However, she also favors less prestigious labels such as Romona Kaveza (below promoting Blood and Honey), Jenny Packham, and BCBG Max Azria. When she isn't going full impact with her natural smoldering beauty, Angelina prefers easy, comfortable gowns that allow an event's actual purpose to be the focus (as with her flowing Elie Saab she wore to accept the Honorary Heart Of Sarajevo award for bringing attention to refugees in the country at the Sarajevo Film Festival, below).

Contenders: Louis Vuitton, Versace, Vivienne Westwood, TBD

A LONG-AWAITED RETURN TO ESS!

2011-12-13T21:50:00.000-08:00

Hi friends!

I am very happy to return to ESS after a few months hiatus. This year has brought many exciting changes, and I'm grateful to have time to share "wit, style, and charm" again.

There have been 3 key changes made to ESS that will hopefully make the site easier to read and navigate, including:

1. New header featuring the beautiful Kate Moss shot by Steven Meisel in front of the Hollywood sign-- representing the home of ESS, lovely Los Angeles!

2. New buttons to easily share Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Email, RSS, and Google+.

3. New table of contents to streamline the topics ESS covers: FASHION + STYLE, DECOR + DESIGN, PARTIES + FUN, and WISDOM + WIT.

I'd love to hear any suggestions to make the site even easier!

Also, THANK YOU so much to the thousands and thousands of viewers who have visited ESS since it first began. It started as a simple, personal way to collect beautiful, inspirational things, and it's beyond thrilling (and totally unexpected, and slightly embarrassing!) to see the number of people sharing that appreciation. Thank you so much for all the kind words, both public and private.

I'm so happy to be back online, and hope you enjoy the new additions from ESS! xo

Images: Naty Chabanenko by Pierre Dal Corso for LoveCat Magazine #3

UNWRAP YOUR POTENTIAL

2011-11-08T00:29:00.000-08:00

“I just feel like I have this gift I’ve been given.
It’s like, ‘Someone unwrap it, here it is!’
That drive can’t be held down. I have a lot of ambition.”
- Katy Perry

DISCO POOL PARTY WITH GRACE CODDINGTON

2011-05-17T00:26:00.000-07:00

Disco. Pool. Party.

(Vogue UK, Oct. 1973 via youthquakers)

GWEN STEFANI STOPS TRAFFIC IN STELLA MCCARTNEY AT CANNES

2011-05-17T00:08:00.000-07:00

Gwen Stefani in Stella McCartney at the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival

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BE AN UNREPENTANT PLEASURE SEEKER

2011-04-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

“She is an unrepentant pleasure-seeker.
She is not afraid of a juicy steak or a shot of tequila,
and she gives no quarter to those
who think we ought to feel any guilt whatsoever
about our measured enjoyment of such things.”

- Jonathan van Meter

WORDS FROM: THIS SIDE OF PARADISE

2011-04-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

"But we'll get a butler and dress for dinner and have wine on the table.
I hope something happens.
I'm restless as the devil
and have a horror of getting fat
or falling in love and growing domestic."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise

THE 3 QUALITIES HE WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH

2011-03-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

“I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity, and her flaming self respect.

And it’s these things I’d believe in, even if the whole world

indulged in wild suspicions that she wasn’t all she should be.

I love her and it is the beginning of everything.”

– F. Scott Fitzgerald

Kate Moss & Jamie Hince by Mario Testino for US Vogue September 2011

SPANISH DANCER: LYOKA TYAFEREV FOR MARIE CLAIRE SPAIN

2011-03-13T22:49:00.000-07:00

Lyoka Tyagnerev by David Roemer for Marie Claire Spain, edited by Enrique Campos

Is this my life?