Golden Girls

It's late and I'm sorry but HAPPY NEW YEAR WORLD! I'm back and this year it is with a new vengeance. 2011 has this crystalline ring to it, it's new, bright, icy and ready to play... and so am I. 

Finally back in Canada after three wonderful weeks at home in England with my family, a week in the Bahamas for a training camp and several days getting beat up by my brothers; I'm well rested/ ready for the new semester, the final month of the swim season and more shenanigans with my housemates. 

So, on our agenda today... awards season! Tonight is the first awards show of the season, the Golden Globes, which culminates with the Academy Awards on February 27th.

As I write all the biggest TV and film names are gliding down the red carpet in an array of different glorious designer gowns and tuxes and I thought it would be fun to compile a bunch of potential awards season dresses... I need to hurry!!!!

So, to begin with, I took a gander at some of last year's Golden Globes dresses to see what styles are favored and what the trends were:

Rightfully red

We often see stunning red dresses on the red carpet as seen here on Cameron Diaz in an Alexander McQueen gown. The trick is not clashing, the red needs to be the right shade or else you end up looking tacky.

Form fitting

 We know Christina Aguilera has a hot body because she knows when to flaunt it in form fitting divalicious gowns like this Versace creation. Donatella usually ends up with several celebrities wearing her designs and it's pretty obvious why

Fashion forward 

 Another Atelier Versace dress here on Drew Barrymore. This dress is everything a red carpet outfit should be: it's loud without being obnoxious, it is beautifully tailored to show off her curves, it is designer and it has that extra edge without making the wearer look like a fashion whore. The awards shows are in the neutral fashion zone... go too casual and you look like a bum or too avant garde and you're trying too hard to have style.

Sleek and black

 While I love seeing bright adventurous colors on the red carpet, black is the universal go-to for evening looks. Here January Jones plays it safe in black, but at the same time she is one of fashion's cool kids as she's wearing the hottest label of the past year: Lanvin. Alber Ebaz thinks that 'Lanvin is not a cool brand', but I'm sorry to say, it totally is.

Sparkly 

Glitter and sequins are a given at awards shows, and Jennifer Garner shows us this in another Versace gown. The stripes of sequins create a very sleek silhouette and make her look even taller and thinner if even possible.

White is right

 Another color favorite is white, which can often be a disaster but Kate Hudson and her Marchesa, one of the biggest awards show dressers, show us that white is sexy and not at all safe. There is so much I about this dress that I could blather on about but more and more people are storming the 2011 Golden Globes and I need to get a move on!

Now on to the dresses I would love to see in the next month and a half. I divided them into two categories: the I dare you and the expected. So, here goes:


I Dare You - designs I would love to see because what fun are conventional dresses right?

 From left to right: a Marchesa confection that would be immensely difficult to sit down it, but if you're a winner you wont be sitting down very much. An Alexander McQueen earth queen dress that has a very unconventional shape for red carpet and a Chanel feathery explosion that would blow the roof off of the joint.

 I want to see Natalie Portman, my pick for Best Actress in a Drama, to wear the Rodarte    because she trends to favor the brand for red carpet although it is a very loud choice and she probably wants something to cover her baby bump. The Jason Wu is a stunning choice there just needs to be something to cover the torso... and I would love to see someone, most probably Marion Cottiard in the Dior Couture creation as she is the current face of the brand.

 Another less conventional but very sunny Dior, a tribal meets flapper Gucci and a Baroque Givenchy by some of the fashion heavy hitters.

 And the last of my 'I dare you' dresses are not as 'outrageous, they're just alittle too 'different'... you know what I mean? The Dolce and Gabbana white shift would look so lovely on someone like Carey Mulligan or her waifish compatriot Emma Watson. Oscar De La Renta is a very good red carpet dresser and I think the Dr. Seuss styled foliage is awesome, but probably too clashy. And finally, red carpet genius Reem Acra is a sure pick but this mini is probably not dressy enough, although I think Ginnifer Goodwin could pull it off like last year.

The Expected, here goes! I probably wont get many right but I count color, if it is from the same collection and designer as a victory.

 Donna Karan had a beautiful 25th season collection for Spring and this dress would look amazing out there. Giorgi Armani is probably the biggest red carpet dresser for awards and I wouldn't be surprised to see someone wear one of his creations. And Atelier Versace made it very difficult to choose one dress but I loved this Grecian fringed creation.

 

Two Oscar De La Renta dresses, to the left a shimmery shift and the middle is so well suited for Mila Kunis, it just pops. Another sparkly dress by Jenny Packham rounds out my picks for glittery gowns. Taylor Swift (I know she's not an actress but she likes glitter) take your pick.

* I just stopped over to check out the Yahoo! Golden Globes arrivals pictures and I'm getting them all terribly wrong but I have actually seen alot of those gowns and ruled them out. However, I'm getting designers and collections right!

 Neutrals are always a good pick. A Valentino dress for someone like Chloe Sevigny, the middle and right are both by red carpet bigwig Elie Saab. You can't go wrong with a thing high slit like Angelina Jolie or a full gown like Lea Michele favors.

White white white! J Mendel, Marchesa and Versace all have convincing and completely different styles and cuts, but they're all super elegant.

 I'd love to see some sunny colors flood the awards circuit. I love the sunny orange  a la J Mendel, Naeem Khan makes this yellow (the most difficult color to wear) dress hard to resist and Marc Jacobs makes zebra print shimmer.

 I want to see Lanvin being paraded around. I hope Julianne Moore wears it although I wonder if she'll be wearing Tom Ford. Rachel McAdams just wore this Michael Kors dress so I probably shouldn't include it, but it's very elegant and casual. This Giambattista Valli dress is probably the best choice and is very reminiscent of a red dress Heidi Klum wore to an awards show years ago.

 Some more red dresses although alittle more daring and different: PLEASE SOMEONE WEAR ALEXANDER MCQUEEN. Elie Tahari pleads his case in a burgundy one shoulder goddess dress and Elie Saab gives us this masterpiece that I would love to see Portman in.

 Blue is probably one of my favorite colors and I haven't seen any on the red carpet as of yet... so I'm freaking out. The two Monique Lhuillier dresses are so different you could be forgiven for thinking they were by two different designers. Again I would love to see Portman in the one on the left and maybe Rachel McAdams in the middle on. And on the right we have a cerulean masterpiece with gorgeous beading by Reem Acra.

 More bluey hued gowns: Ports 1961, Dior and Reem Acra deal strong hands. I would love to see Maggie Gyllenhaal wearing the dress on the right.

Purple is a gamble but hey what the hell: Vera Wang, Chanel and Caroline Herrera are all heavy hitters.

And finally the blacks: I would love to see a Gucci creation on the red carpet. I kinda have a crush on Frida Gianini. Next is a Nina Ricci Pre Fall creation that is vampish, yet elegant and on the right is another Jason Wu number, with alittle more cover, but just as stunning.

So, the Golden Globes are happening as I type away, 4 hours after I began this post (I went out for poutine in the middle.) Can't wait for them to set the tone for the rest of awards season. And that my friends, is a wrap. Have a good night.

- Life is good

Listening to: 'No Such Thing' - John Mayer

Observations: Who what where is such a fun board game

Craving: New week, new outlook

To top it all off

Fall classes are over, the semester is coming to a close and I think I'm about to start myself a new weekly tradition... Two weeks ago I did a post called The New News, and it got me thinking: For now I probably wont be the daily poster because it's hard to keep up with all that goes on in our wild and wonderful world. So, I propose that every Friday I'll do a type of 'news' roundup of events that fall under my 'jurisdiction' as it lies: art, fashion and random ish that you need to know about! Forgive me that this one lands mid-week (I started last week I swear).


No news yet on what I'm gonna call it... but we'll see. 

So to begin with: Vogue announced that Fashion's Night Out will return for a third year in 2011. Good times eh? It's probably one of the biggest nights in fashion and last year's was the biggest runway show New York had ever seen. It's all about promoting new brands and bringing exposure to stores and products so as to encourage lots of green to be spent. No problem there, I'm sure. Plus for all you Gossip Girl addicts it made for a hell of an episode, when I saw it I screamed so loud my housemates almost retracted my TV privileges. 

Bookmark this day on your calendars ladies and gents

Hey, isn't that? No way, it can't be: Naomi Campbell? Between throwing cellphones and testifying in conflict diamond court cases I guess she has time to party with the new generation of models at FNO. - Info and images from NY Magazine and Vogue.com

The art world was shocked this week when Pierre Le Guennec, 71, a former electrician to Pablo Picasso came forward with a whopping 271 piece cache of never-before seen Picasso originals. We know of many lost works by Picasso, who created many thousands, but this trove is special because these are works we never knew existed. There's a bit of confusion over how Guennec received these lithographs, portraits, watercolors and sketches and Picasso's heirs are entering into a lawsuit claiming theft... I can understand the criticism,  I mean, why come forward with these treasures now and not earlier? Investment? Dunno, all I care about is when are we gonna be able to see them?! 

 Drawing of  guitar

 Nature Morte Verre

Papier colle pipe et bouteille - Images and info courtesy of the Associated Press and Succession Picasso

It's around this time in December that I get slightly emotional because the year in review stuff begins. I'm sure you've all been subject to television specials on the top songs of the year, or lists of the top news stories, the best gossip... etc. However much I like to hold onto the closing year I love love love calendars. 12 and sometimes 18 images to get me through the next year and one day I'll own a Pirelli Calendar courtesy of Karl Lagerfeld. He was in Moscow showcasing some of his talented models and releasing several images. The theme is Greek gods and goddesses, perfect for someone who has her Classics exam a week from yesterday.

As to be expected there are many calendars out there toting images of naked men and women but I have to say, I think Karl's photographs are classy and not at all risque because A) it is art and B) geez, it's Lagerfeld for Pete's sake, he runs the show. Maybe I'm just used to it because of all the nudes we study in Renaissance class. You really can't be a prude if you're going to study Art History, just saying (hope I don't get in trouble for that.)

Here we have Athena - goddess of wisdom and war, Ajax - technically one of the Greek heros who fought in the Trojan war, but hey, androgyny is not frowned upon in these times and Hera - goddess of women and wife of Zeus. (Yes that is Julianne Moore.)

Apollo and Artemis - brother and sister deities. God and goddess of the sun and moon respectively, among other things.

Here we have Bacchus and two Bacchantes - the god of celebration and festivals and the women who forced into a frenzy.

You know you've made it when... so explicitly jealous.

In more art news prominent Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was stopped from leaving China last week. He was en route to South Korea when the police detained him in the airport stating that his departure was being stopped in order to maintain national security... shifty much? Wei is one of the most famed contemporary artists of China, but also one of the most outspoken. This comes at an interesting time because the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony takes place this week in Norway and the award is going to the 'jailed Chinese dissident' Liu Xiaobo. China is not extremely excited that this award is going to one of their more controversial figures and they have made an effort to stop other such figures from attending the ceremony.

One of Wei's most famed achievements is helping to design the Bird's Nest Stadium for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. His latest work, currently displayed in the Turbine hall of the Tate Modern (as part of the Unilever Series) is the absolutely monumental Sunflower Seeds. Get this, the Turbine hall has been filled with 100,000,000 (yeah, 100 million) hand painted, life sized, handmade, porcelain sunflower seeds, no mean feat at any rate. The work is meant to be a commentary on the 'Made in China' economy and China's globalization. Juliet Bingham, Curator, Tate Modern stated that:"Each piece is a part of the whole, a commentary on the relationship between the individual and the masses. The work continues to pose challenging questions: What does it mean to be an individual in today's society? Are we insignificant or powerless unless we act together? What do our increasing desires, materialism and number mean for society, the environment and the future?"

 Promotional picture for the exhibition which I hope to go see in person when I get home.

I'm really sad that visitors are no longer allowed to walk on the surface of the work... I really wanted to pick one up and potentially forget that I pocketed it and take it home with me. - Info and images courtesy of Reuters and the Tate website

Anyway, back to studying, ciao all!


- Life is good


Listening to: 'Losing my Religion' - Glee version and the original R.E.M.
Observations: SNOW, everywhere
Craving: Study snacks... but I will resist

A free show

I'd like to dedicate this post to a friend of a friend: I'm thinking of you, S.


So about once a week I love to take a trip to the Apple movies website to sift through all the new trailers, and there are some really good films coming out! I'm really stoked about all the potential movie watching I will be engaged in once exams are over and I can't believe that two weeks from now I'll be back home in England. This term has flown by... major swiftness.


Anyway I decided to celebrate my love for movies by doing alittle digging to find runway looks that compliment some of the up & coming films and also some of my older favorites... and let us away!


The upcoming


#1... I want to begin with this image that I was ever so lucky to snap, at the Rialto market in Venice this past summer

I apologize for the quality, but that man there... is Johnny Depp. Yes, I am fortunate enough to have seen him in the flesh although not as close as I would have liked. I was probably 15 feet away... give or take.

So what is the occasion then? Well Johnny boy is in this film called The Tourist, set in Venice (duh), co-starring the cool as a cucumber Angelina Jolie and the ever so fly Paul Bettany. It's an action something or other that I can't wait to sink my teeth into. IMPORTANT: Pay attention to the scene at 1:04...

Ok.... apart from the fact that A) 'Map of the Problematique' by Muse is one of my favorite songs of all time, B) I spent a month 'living' in Venice and could tell you were many of those scenes were shot and C) It stars Johnny Depp, this film actually looks pretty good.


Oh, I saved the best for last... so yes, I hope you were watching closely at 1:04 because...

We were there :) No big deal right?! Sorry, for this, I need to claim bragging rights. Alot of people in my class didn't think he was actually performing the stunt, but I definitely think it's him.


So I kinda had a hard time finding runway inspiration for this film cause all the clothes are so normal... except for his wonderful blue pinstriped pajamas, but luckily I found something. Here (from left to right) we have a spot on Etro Spring '09 pantsuit that looks as though they could be the female version of Johnny's, a Max Mara Spring '08 silky suit and lastly a classy and definitely not pajama worthy, but still cool for running around Venice, Armani Prive Couture '10 suit.

#2 Ok ok ok. It has a really really unfortunate name, but I think it looks absolutely unreal especially because it totes the acting chops of both Daniel Craig (yum) and Harrison Ford. Here we have... Cowboys and Aliens (major cringe, but at least you know what to expect, right?)

COOL! Defo looking forward to that... whatever it may be. And on the fashion front... easy peasy non? We've got D&G whose Spring '10 collection was heavy on the western and the denim. Derek Lam went pretty literal with cowboy hats and fringe for an '09 show, loving the metallic booties though. And the all American hero Ralph Lauren put the chic back into the ole West for this upcoming Spring '11 collection. I've never owned anything fringy or a big buckled belt, and now I really want one.

More stunning Ralph Lauren (left) and D&G (right) but they bookend a spectacular Diesel Black Gold Spring '11 leather mini that to me screams desert trekking and gun slinging.

For fun I wanna speculate about what the aliens will look like... I mean, will they be weird reptilian beings, slimey, goopey and amorphous or futuristic and sci fi? I leave you to ponder with examples by Rick Owens '11, Alexander McQueen '10 and Gareth Pugh '09 creations.

#3 A new take on a classic fairy tale, but with the director of the first Twilight film, who knows what this will be like. This new Red Riding Hood film will probably draw huge crowds of adolescent girls, but I'm actually alittle excited for it:

My family and I used to listen to Roald Dahl's 'Revolting Rhymes' when were were younger and our favorite was the version Red Riding Hood... the best part by far is:
"That's wrong" cried Wolf. "Have you forgot
To tell me what BIG TEETH I've got?
Ah well, no matter what you say,
I'm going to eat you anyway."
The small girl smiles. One eyelid flickers
She whips a pistol from her knickers.
She aims it at the creature's head
And bang bang bang, she shoots him dead.


Hours of endless fun off those tapes. Dahl is one of my all time favorite authors. My kids will read his books with relish. Anyway, here are my runway counterparts... So it's purple, but you can't mistake the imagery of the giant hood & cape combo, plus she's walking a pair of wolves: who else but Alexander McQueen from '02. Next is a wonderful crimson cape by Giambattista Valli from '08 and lastly is one of Pierrot's fairy tale themed looks from the '02 show.

We have another Valli creation and an awesome Zac Posen' 07 gown for when Miss Hood wants to go out and celebrate her cunning and survival.

#4 When introducing this film I need to clarify that these numbers are not a reflection of my personal favorites because if this were so, this film would be number one by far. Black Swan is what I can only describe as a psychological thriller, a ballerina film on acid. I remember when I first saw the trailer there were so many emotions running through me, I was totally electrified with excitement. Add I'm so excited that Natalie Portman is garnering Oscar buzz. I hope the film lives up to my expectations, especially because the Mulleavy sisters, who are behind Rodarte, designed the ballerina costumes!

Brilliant eh? I rustled (couldn't help a feather related joke) up some images of ballerina type dresses bordering on the cliche, but that's my job. Here we have an Alexander McQueen '08 dress that is not meant to recall a ballerina's tutu but with all its bunched up tulle how can you not think about that. Jil Stuart makes great wearable clothes and this look reminds me of great sportwear and the type of loose dress a ballerina wears to train in. Comfy. And then we have the full swan lake regalia (although I'm not sure they have pale green swans)... the feathery skirt looks like feathers or wings and could totally pass as a costume for the Royal Ballet.

Next we have a David Koma '11 swan lake-esque dress perfect for 'good girl' Portman, a rich, vibrant Lowe '10 figure hugging mini that is perfect for the 'bad girl' Kunis because it's sensual as opposed to the clean cut lines of the Koma dress. And Lastly I found an actual ballerina at a runway show from Talbot Runhof last season... pretty sweet stuff especially the ballerina haha, I'm kidding. I love the vibrant colors of the dress and the exquisite red ballet shoes, being on pointe in those would actually be fun.

#5 Last year a Colin Firth film graced screens everywhere and it blew my mind (Tom Ford behind the lens of a camera is just incredible.) Well this year he gets another chance at greatness in a period film about King George VI who suffered from a debilitating stammer and sought help to cure it.

Gee golly, the cast is brilliant, music is already making me teary and it seems to be right up my Dad's alley, that of inspirational films. So with all that you need excellent costuming, and I have that. It comes in the collections of three of my favorite designers: Jean Paul Gaultier, whose Fall '07 Couture show was all about princes of different nations and embraced royal culture with uses purple, crowns, epaulettes etc... Next comes Alexander McQueen's Fall '08 show whose themes included English royalty, militarism and the English dominion over India. Coincidentally King George VI was the last Emperor of India. And Mary Katrantzou wraps up these three heavy hitters with her Fall '10 collection with graphic military inspired prints.

Other honorable mentions are: Tron Legacy, a wicked looking sci-fi film continuing from where the first left off back in 1982. A Winnie the Pooh remake, my childhood is back! Jane Eyre, another retelling of the classic book. And The Eagle about a disappeared Roman legion and one young man's journey to find the gold standard.


Moving on to The Classics


#1... I only saw this at the end of my senior year, but it's the first sci fi classic:... The Matrix

Who else would I go to for over the top Gothic and leather... well Gareth Pugh of course. He nails the long trench coat, S&M leather, psychological mind bender look for both the guys: Neo and Morpheus and the ladies: Trinity. 

And if there was any need for fabulous footwear, well then we could always turn to Givenchy.

#2 I love Tim Burton because he's not afraid to take risks and make eccentric decisions in film and this past spring his Alice in Wonderland was one of those risks. Need I remind you?

Let's dress up the characters! So here we've got a version of the Red Queen, Alice & the White Queen all found in Marchesa's Fall '10 show...

One of my favorite characters is the White Queen and I especially love her metal minions in the film... again I turned to Gareth Pugh who in '09 created some very Medieval characters that look like knights in armor... exactly the type that the queen (middle) has by her side.

And just incase you thought I forgot: here we have the Caterpillar a la Jean Paul Gaultier, she even comes with her own turban and pipe. Next we have Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum who came to life through Donatella Versace last spring (incidentally this entire collection as inspired by Alice in Wonderland). And last but not least is the Rabbit, impeccably dressed by Just Cavalli. 

Loads of people were excited for the Alice in Wonderland film as you can see by this Stella McCartney necklace. All the major motifs on one gold chain.

Unfortunately I couldn't find looks for the Cheshire Cat or the Mad Hatter... I know right, two of the best characters. But, when in Brighton trolling the lanes this past summer I stumbled upon a store called Pretty Eccentric whose artful fashion and eccentricities make for some awesome headgear. Here's an awesome top hat that I think any Mad Hatter would be proud of. I apologize of the lackluster quality cause I shot it through the glass.

Cool eh?

#3 Last but not least... we thought it was going to be a trilogy but On Stranger Tides will be released next year. Yep, I'm talking about Pirates of the Caribbean 

Now I couldn't tell if this was the original trailer cause it's been so long, but not to worry. I've got your costumes covered by none other than Mr. Jean Paul Gaultier and his Spring 09 collection... yeah it's pretty obvious what it's about.

Arrr matey. Where be my rum.... or my bed. It's late. Anyway, that's all folks

- Life is good

Listening to: sadly nothing I want to hear

Observations: The Prince of Egypt is one of my favorite animated films and I will make a pact to watch it at least once every year 

Craving: The eleven days left of my 'sentence' a.k.a first semester to be over and to go home