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- Christian Wins Project Runway
Christian Siriano just won Project Runway and we have to say he deserved it. His collection was very British, very fashion-forward and had lovely details. The guest judge, Victoria Beckham, thought it was "may-jah" and it was -- majorly fierce. She said she'd wear everything in the collection and it would be an honor to do so (Christian about passed out in excitement at that). In fact we thought our beloved Posh was going to rush the runway and grab the outfit off the model. She made sure to re-affirm that she would set things up so she could wear one of his outfits, which is pretty cool.
Rami had an uneven collection. We didn't care for his color palette -- neither did Michael Kors. His day looks didn't work for us. His evening wear was absolutely stunning, but they never pick the evening wear designer on this show. Remember Austin Scarlett? Remember Laura, who had one of the sublime evening collections we've seen? All hand-beading and sophisticated, dramatic looks? No win for her.
Jillian was surprisingly good. Her collection was like a fashion forward, funky Ralph Lauren collection (she worked at Ralph Lauren). It was well-tailored, yet funky and fresh. Kors loved her knitwear, but Nina Garcia thought she hadn't found her "look." We think Jillian did better than Rami, overall. She had two pleated gorgeous evening looks, as well as day wear. But this is Christian's time and he really is a talent.
It's all over now, alas. But next up is Top Chef -- which premiers in the same timeslot next Wednesday night on Bravo.
Posted in Fashion
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Wed, 5 Mar 2008 23:40:00 EST - Christina Aguilera Loves Her Stephen Webster Jewelry
Christina Aguilera will appear in new Hitchcock-themed ads for British jewelry designer Stephen Webster. Hitchock homages are all the rage these days: Vanity Fair has a photo spread featuring today's actors recreating famous scenes from Hitchcock films.
Christina said she was thrilled to be working with Stephen Webster: "Stephen and I have been friends for many years and working together on this campaign and this collection has been an incredible experience. He's a wonderful designer with a creative spirit and innovative vision and I am honored to be a part of it all."
Don't forget the free jewelry.
Posted in Celebrity
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Wed, 5 Mar 2008 18:00:00 EST - The Season Finale of Project Runway is Tonight
The season finale of Project Runway is finally here. Tonight we find out who will win: Christian, Rami or Jillian. Victoria Beckham is the guest celebrity judge for the finale -- we can't wait to see it. The finale airs on Bravo at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time. Here's sneak peek:
Posted in Fashion
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Wed, 5 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EST - Gemma and Milla Enjoy the Louis Vuitton Show
Gemma Arterton and Milla Jovovich observe Marc Jacobs' latest creations at the Louis Vuitton Winter 2008-2009 show. Louis Vuitton closed out Paris fashion week with its show which was held in the historic "Cour Carree" of the Louvre. Others who were in attendance were Sofia Coppola, Ziyi Zhang, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Wes Anderson, Kanye West, Lee Radziwill, Melanie Laurent, Shilpa Shetty, Lapo Elkann, Hidetoshi Nakata, and Dita von Teese.
Posted in Fashion
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Tue, 4 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EST - New Type of Peeps: Marshmallow Yellow Tulips
Just Born is adding a new shape of Peep to its line-up of tasty marshmallow treats. The new addition is called Marshmallow Yellow Tulips. This is the first new Spring shape of Peeps added since the 1950s. Just Born will also be making the popular Chicks, Bunnies and Eggs again this year in time for Easter.
Will Ferrell was recently transformed into a marshmallow Peep. Will Ferrell is the celebrity people think looks the most like a Peep according to a recent survey. Here's a video of Peeps tulips and chicks being made at Just Born's Peeps factory.
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Tue, 4 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST - Scarlett Johansson Premiere Meet and Greet Auctioned on Ebay
Scarlett Johansson is auctioning off a meet and greet with her on the premiere of her upcoming movie, He's Just Not That Into You. The film debuts August 1st of this year. The movie is based on the bestselling book. Here is what the winning bidder of the eBay auction will receive.
- Two tickets to the world premiere of He's Just Not That Into You. The premiere location has not yet been determined but will be in either Los Angeles or New York this July.
- Chauffeured car service to the premiere
- Hair and makeup for one by Prive
- A meet and greet with Scarlett Johansson at the premiere
The auction listing can be found here. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Oxfam charity. Johansson's latest film is The Other Boleyn Girl. She has made many appearances recently with her Boleyn co-star Natalie Portman.
Here's a video of Scarlett talking about her eBay auction.
Posted in Auctions
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Mon, 3 Mar 2008 21:45:00 EST - Senseo Review: One Delicious Cup of Coffee at a Time
The Philips Senseo single-serving Coffeemaker has been a hit in Europe for quite a while, but it hasn't been as well-known in the U.S. We have a regular coffeemaker, of course, but we were curious to review the Senseo, which promises up to two cups of crema-laden coffee at a time. This isn't drip coffee: it's pressure-brewed like espresso, so you get the lovely rich taste and the crema (the foamy coffee layer) at the top.
It's easy to use: you fill the reservoir with water, put in one or two pods (we used two because we use mugs which are bigger), punch the on button. When it stops blinking (the water is now heated) you punch the button for either one or two cups of coffee. It's lightening fast after that. You do need to run just water through the machine before you use it for the first time, or it won't work, but that didn't take long.
The coffee was rich and strong, with a nice foam at the top. It was quite delicious. The only drawback to the Senseo is that you have to buy only Senseo pods: the Starbucks pods are too small and won't fit. You can order the Senseo refill pods online: we thought the Dark Roast was the best. The coffeemaker comes in red, white or black and retails for $69.99 for the Original (model 7810) at Senseo.com. You can enter to win one for free from Senseo (you have to answer a consumer survey) here.
Posted in Gourmet
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Mon, 3 Mar 2008 15:00:00 EST - Keith Richards Loves His Louis Vuitton
Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones is the newest face in Louis Vuitton's ad campaign called "core values." The core values campaign showcases the original monogrammed line and is focused on reminding customers of the long history of Louis Vuitton as a premier luggage maker for those who travel the world.
No matinee idols for Louis Vuitton. Its latest poster boy, Keith Richards, has deep wrinkles, smudged eyeliner and unruly hair as he sits strumming a guitar in an untidy hotel suite. And Antoine Arnault, Vuitton's head of communications, couldn't be more pleased. "We thought it was important to continue with someone unexpected," Arnault said of the Richards ad, slated to break in a range of general-interest titles in April. "I think when people are flipping through a magazine, this will stop them."
Keith Richards' certainly has that "well-traveled" "wild journey" look about him. Presumably the idea is that Keith had his trusty LV luggage at his side during all his amazing adventures. We actually like the original LV monogram logo -- it just has that classic look that goes with pretty much anything.
A legendary guitar player and a founding member of The Rolling Stones, Richards is the latest personality to appear in Vuitton's "core values" campaign, designed to underscore the brand's travel heritage and classic monogram leather goods as a balance to its fashion-driven marketing. Launched last fall, the first batch of ads -- starring Mikhail Gorbachev, Catherine Deneuve and tennis deities Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf - will continue to appear in tandem with the Richards image. The new spot comes with the tag line, "Some journeys cannot be put into words," and the rocker's haunting, hypnotic expression says it all.
Arnault recalled that, when Annie Leibovitz displayed the photograph on a computer monitor after the shoot, Richards exclaimed: "It looks like a Rembrandt." Albeit one with many rock 'n' roll details, including black scarves printed with skulls covering the table lamps - a Richards touch - and a custom-made Vuitton guitar case tossed on the bed.
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Mon, 3 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST - Skyrocketing Cost of Gold Rattles Jewelry Retailers
As the cost of gold skyrockets, so does the cost of fine jewelry. The Financial Times of London looks into the phenomenon:The soaring cost of gold and platinum is causing pandemonium in the UK's jewellery market as retailers and private owners rush to reappraise the value of necklaces, brooches and rings. Jewellers in London's Hatton Garden -- the capital's jewellery quarter -- are raising the price of wedding bands on a weekly basis, with less-expensive palladium rings now coming into vogue. And insurers are urging clients to get another assessment of the value of their jewellery collections in response to the rapid rise in the price of precious metals, sparked by investors seeking refuge from volatile stocks.
Gold is currently trading at $975.90 a troy ounce, which is ridiculously high. It's a sad time for jewelry lovers on a budget. You can read more about palladium, which was also used in jewelry during World War II, here.
"The price of platinum has been going up so fast, we're quoting people prices for platinum wedding bands on a Saturday and saying we can't guarantee the same price on Monday. "Last week, we had to raise the price of all our platinum items by 30 per cent," said Adam Lawrence, a manager at Anthony Gray, a Hatton Garden jeweller.
The rise in prices has made less-expensive palladium wedding rings -- which are lighter, but nearly identical in colour to platinum or white gold ones -- more popular, London jewellers report. "In a period of five months, the price of platinum has doubled and the making of a platinum ring which once cost £300 now costs £600, but palladium, only costs about £10 per gramme. It's quite light and doesn't tarnish and you wouldn't notice much of a difference between a palladium ring and a platinum one," said Frank Fajardo, manager at neighbouring Bassange.
Posted in Jewelry
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Mon, 3 Mar 2008 09:15:00 EST - 2008 Oscar Fashions That Worked: Tilda Swinton and Sharon Stone
Here are two women who definitely are marching to the beat of their own drummer. Tilda Swinton won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in Michael Clayton. Ah, Tilda. Her incredibly unusual living arrangement (older husband, ten year old twins plus hot boyfriend) amazes and astounds. Nearly six feet tall, she often refuses to wear much makeup, wears her hair short and then asks reporters why people view her as somewhat androgynous. She's an original and we like that. But, alas, her black asymmetrical, shapeless dress was not working for us at all. On the bright side was her fabulous jewelry. Tilda wore a one-of-a-kind, award winning Sahara bracelet and a Mimosa ring. The Sahara bracelet, which evokes the dunes of the desert, is crafted by hand in 18 Kt. white gold and has 1865 diamonds totaling 47.41 carats. The Mimosa ring is made in 18 Kt. white gold and has 4.21 carats of diamonds.
Sharon Stone appeared at Elton John's after party in a white suit accessorized with Damiani diamond bracelets and rings from the Gomitolo collection. Did she give them back at the end of the night? If we were wearing them there would be quite a scene as the bodyguards attempt to pry the jewels from our hands.
Posted in Oscars
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Sun, 2 Mar 2008 18:00:00 EST - 2008 Oscar Fashions That Worked: Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman
Expectant mom Cate Blanchett was nominated for two awards at the Oscars: or Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Alas, she didn't win either one. But she looked fabulous in a dark blue satin gown by Dried Van Noten. She accessorized the look with a gorgeous necklace by Lorraine Schwartz and a Roger Vivier clutch. Nicole Kidman, who is also expecting, looked stunning as usual. She wore a custom-made black Balenciaga gown and a 1,399-carat diamond necklace designed by L'Wren Scott. Her clutch was by Bottega Veneta. Husband Keith Urban stuck close by as her led her down the red carpet.
Posted in Oscars
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Sat, 1 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EST - 2008 Oscar Fashions That Worked: Helen Mirren and Miley Cyrus
Helen Mirren who won the Best Actress Oscar last year is a vision in her red red satin Georges Chakra gown with Swarovski crystal sleeves. She accessorized with a clutch by Kathrine Baumann clutch and diamonds from Fred Leighton. She looks flawlessly elegant. We were quite worried as to what young Miley Cyrus was going to show up wearing at the Oscars, but our fears were unfounded. She looked lovely in an age-appropriate red Valentino chiffon gown, very subtle makeup and a low ponytail. She accessorized with jewelry by Neil Lane and a clutch by Mary Norton.
Posted in Oscars
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Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST - New CEO Thinks Victoria's Secret is Too Sexy
Is Victoria's Secret too sexy? The new CEO thinks so. Sales are slipping and the CEO thinks the company has lost its allure to women over 30. The goal is to increase the quality of the lingerie and appeal to a broader range of women.
The chief executive of the brand known for its provocative televised fashion shows and alluring stores made an admission yesterday. In her mind, the brand has become "too sexy" -- or at least the wrong kind of sexy.
Ms. Turney didn't address those news stories about the women overseas who make the bras and underwear, while being paid a slave wage, nor did she address the fact that Victoria's Secret quality has gone really downhill. But she sounds pretty smart, so we'll keep an eye on the line and hope she turns things around.
"We have so much gotten off our heritage," CEO Sharen Jester Turney said in a conference call with analysts. Responding to the past year's weak sales and focus-group feedback, she said, "We will return to an ultra-feminine lingerie brand to meet [customer] needs and expectations."
*****
Changing customer views will be a huge challenge. Sheri Coulter, a 42-year-old secretary in Flower Mound, Texas, worked at a Victoria's Secret store three years ago. "It was like pulling teeth to get the women our age to come in there," she says. "In our 40s and up, we are sexy -- just not the same sexy a college gal is." For a time, she says, the store where she worked stopped carrying sizes 38 or larger, embarrassing some older customers who were turned away. Limited bought Victoria's Secret in 1982, when it had just four stores and a catalog. Under Limited Chief Executive Leslie Wexner, Victoria's Secret improved its quality and toned down racy styles to appeal to mainstream customers.
In the 1990s, professional women shopped the pastel-painted stores for colorful, European-inspired lingerie, supplementing underwear wardrobes previously filled with black, white and beige styles. Soft music played in the background while saleswomen discreetly offered help. But over time, Victoria's Secret adapted to a changing culture. Women began wearing camisoles and bustiers as outer garments, the growth of the Internet made skin-baring photographs ubiquitous, and teen pop stars such as Britney Spears gyrated on stage in revealing costumes.
One reason Victoria's Secret got off track, Ms. Turney said, was the success of its Pink brand, which launched in 2002 and aimed to introduce college students to Victoria's Secret stores. Pink has grown tremendously; in October, an executive said it would probably reach $900 million in sales for 2007. But as teens and 20-somethings snapped up Pink underwear and pajamas, too many other product lines at Victoria's Secret shifted to target that same customer, Ms. Turney said.
Posted in Fashion
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Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:00:00 EST - Project Runway: Chris March Was Robbed
We're down to the final three on Project Runway, but we're not happy. Last night, Chris and Rami put forth their three strongest looks to see which one would get to show at Bryant Park with Jillian and Christian. Chris March knocked it out of the park with his dark, Goth inspired glamourfest. Rami blew it, but the judges picked him. Unbelievable.
Chris used black human hair extensions on the jackets (if he hadn't told what it was they wouldn't have known -- it looked like fake fur) which was edgy and appropriate for the collection. The hand-created black safety pin skirt was just unbelievably fabulous, as was the lovely black lace Goth flapper dress. Chris is breath of fresh, fierce air and we are very peeved that he isn't in the final three. (Pictured are Chris March's outfits).
We like Rami, but the outfits he showed were just not up to par for him. He's a technical genius, but we hated two of his three final looks. To hear Nina Garcia swoon over that horrible black and white print, draped cocktail dress was nauseating. Ok, we did like his black fantasy ballgown, that worked. But the teal coat was overworked, overdone and over the top. Who would wear that? Not us. Apparently Nina Garcia was in the mood for a giant teal coat. Fine. Whatever.
Posted in Fashion
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Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:00:00 EST - 2008 Oscar Fashions That Worked: Renee Zellweger and Katherine Heigl
Renee Zellweger looked positively ethereal in a stunning silver hand embroidered Carolina Herrera gown. She accessorized with a gorgeous Cartier diamond pin and no other jewelry. We like her short haircut: it's fun and flatters her face. Katherine Heigl looked every inch the movie star with her Marilyn Monroe hairdo and red lipstick. Her silk georgette column gown was by Escada. She finished off the look with jewelry by Ryan Ryan and Jimmy Choo shoes.
(Photos courtesy A.M.P.A.S.)
Posted in Oscars
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Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST
