BAFTAs 2011: Spiffy Brits

There was a selection of spiffy souls at the Brit film and TV industry’s annual awards night, earlier tonight.

Held at the fitting Royal Opera House in Covent Garden (one of my fave haunts in Londontown) on a rainy and cold February night, these poised performers were none the worse for wear.

Colin Firth and Livia Giuggioli shine on the red carpet. Firth won the best actor category for his role in The King's Speech. AFP Photo.

Belle of the Brit Ball: Natascha McElhone in formal gloves and other accoutrements.

Hard to ignore such grace.

The Velvet Underground: Tom Ford and Julianne Moore in plush threads.

The one and only Ms. Swinton - in a Haider Ackermann suit.

She's always in a class all her own. The back of the suit had an obi-esque bow.

Images courtesy of Getty, unless noted otherwise.

FuRRR Real: Designer Michons

Michons, one of the designers from the FuRRR Real challenge at Ryerson University, taking place as part of Social Media Week Toronto shares her thoughts on working with fur and on collaborating with others.

You’ll be able to bid on these six, one-of-a-kind couture creations tomorrow!  Details to follow.

Fly

A new image emerged from the Alexander McQueen brand today. There’s something very lovely, yet very sombre about it, don’t you think?

Amongst Butterflies - one of Sarah Burton's designs for SS11

This certainly isn’t the first time we’ve seen butterflies at McQueen. Who could forget this hat, for one? Sarah Burton also had a flock of them in her first collection – including the winged dress above.

What I thought was interesting, though, is the scattered butterflies from which the model and new dress emerge.

Butterflies represent many different things to many cultures. In Chinese culture, they can represent long life. To the Japanese, they are a sign of a happy, married life. In Greek mythology, lovers Eros and Psyche were often shown surrounded by butterflies – and Psyche (the Greek word for butterfly) when translated, means soul. The Ancient Greeks also believed that butterflies were the souls of the dead.

I think to many of us they represent change and transformation.

To me, this brand has always had a soul. Lee made sure of that, didn’t he? I thought this was a beautiful way (whether it was their intent or not) for them to continue that tradition: a new life from a soul, lost, yet ever-present.

As much as my heart still breaks that we have lost the talent and the man that we have, this image gives me hope. Hope, that out of loss, a new life can emerge, a life can be transformed, that we can see beauty. Again.

And what are we without hope? What are we without wings?

Image courtesy of Alexander McQueen.

See more butterflies.

Kaleidoscope du Coco

Vanessa Paradis graces Interview Mag’s November 2010 pages.

Photographed by Mikael Jansson wearing Uncle Karl’s Resort collection for Chanel, the current face of Rouge Coco and Coco Cocoon handbags is a vision in kaleidoscopic colour.

Va Va Va Voom, Vanessa.

Vixen Vanessa in Interview Magazine, November 2010

Read the full Interview piece. Did I mention it’s written by Patti Smith?

Images courtesy of the mag.

Déjà Vu: Have we MET before?

During my exploration of the fash fest that is the Costume Institute Gala, I had a couple of déjà vu moments.

I ask you, dear readers, is it moi or is sweet Carey Mulligan slowly morphing into Renee Zellweger?

Carey's pursed lips worry me

It's the same face Renee has in every photo opp.

You are on the red carpet, ladies! You are allowed to smile coyly at least. I don’t like the recurrence of Miu Miu on Ms. Mulligan who should be taking a few more risks at her age (see old ladies comment in prior post) and Renee Z – I catch some Zs each time she wears Carolina Herrera. Now, there is nothing wrong with a Carolina H dress but every single red carpet? Really?

And as for M.I.A.’s cobweb number by Alexander Wang for the Gap – is it a memory gap in my mind..or have I had this couture dream before?

Oh what a tangled web we weave - M.I.A at the Met

It’s not exact – but the idea is similar. Only thing is – that web that Daphne Guinness is wearing? It’s dripping with diamonds. And she dove into a pool with it on at the Maybach launch. That’s why she is my couture hero, kids. We are dealing with a professional here.

Daphne G, webbified with diamonds.

Daphne G photo courtesy of Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Maybach. All others from JustJared.com.

Déjà Vu: Imprinted to a Tee

Is it me or do these two dresses from the recent Fall Winter 2010 collections look a little more than similar?

Betsey Johnson's animal print scoop neck t-shirt dress for FW10.

Jeremy Scott's scoop neck print dress for FW10.

The expression and hair on Scott’s model also reminds me of Supe, Karen Mulder.

Johnson image courtesy of Village Voice. Scott image courtesy of WWD.

Winter Luxessity

I know technically it’s not the Arctic tundra.

I know there are no yaks running around.

But Toronto was cccccold today.

So I found myself dreaming of winter luxessities from Hermès.

Keeping toasty in the Himalayas: Hermès FW 08/09 Indian Winter Campaign

Raquel Zimmerman in Hermès FW 09/10 . That coat appears in my couture dreams.

Hermès FW 08/09 Indian Winter Campaign

The skirt and Jypsiere bag from the Indian Winter Campaign still make my heart flutter.

Hermès FW 08/09 Indian Winter Campaign. The colours of the Motherland amidst a winter wonderland.

Still piling on the pashminas in FW09/10.

The perfect companions: a mini Siberian Husky and a So Kellly Bag from the FW09/10 campaign

Message to you, Ru-dy: Bring mama Hermès for 2010!

Just looking at these images makes me feel warm and cozy.

Images courtesy of fashiontography and luxuo.

Red or Dead

So many recent collections were painted red. You’d think it was one of the colours of the season.

However, on a recent soujourn to Paris, it was nowhere to be found. A Parisian shop-stress told me, “Women in Parees don’t wear zis. Zey prefer bleck, gris and porpol. Redd is too boldd for zem. It iz not Parizienne.”

Apart from a piece here and there, I haven’t seen much of it on this side of the Atlantic, either.

I am guessing it will arrive on mainstream shores/stores in time for next Fall.

But not in Parees, of couss…

Walking the Boardwalk in chalky red at Chanel Resort 2010

Perfect for a Christmas bash - tinsel and all at Alexis Mabille FW09

A lacy alternative to the LBD at Chanel Resort 2010

Drama is simple, with Mabille’s asymmetrical off-the-shoulder number for FW09

McQueen wraps up red in a not-so-simple cardi for PF09

Haider Ackerman zippers are softened by a multitude of layered tassles for FW09

Rustic russet rolls and folds off the bod at Haider Ackerman FW09

An intricate white border adds a nice detail to a structured kurta jacket at Anamika Khanna FW09

More structure at David Dixon FW09. Photo by Angela Y. Martin

Perfect strapless and gloves at David Dixon FW09. Photo by Angela Y. Martin.

Bottega Veneta does red pinstripes with a boxed bag for Resort 2010.

Devi Kroell in her own design at the CFDA awards

Dries lipstick trench for FW09. Me want.

I’d wear the trench avec this gorg chiffon Bottega Resort 2010 dress...

...and throw in this McQueen clutch for good measure.

McQueen’s version of the one-shoulder gown for PF09 - this time in luscious velvet. Just dandy!

Karen Elson wore the Mcqueen velvet number to the British Fashion Awards the other night.

Vivienne Westwood’s red Roman boots for FW09. Purrrfect.

Image sources: Chanel, Bottega, Ackerman, Dries, Devi images, Alexis Mabille, McQueen, Anamika, David Dixon photos courtesy of Angela Y. Martin, VW boots.

Bugged @ McQueen Spring 2010

It was tweeted, emailed, blogged and buzzed about. The McQueen Spring Summer 2010 show was all anyone could talk about the past few days – it was going to be streamed live so that Lee McQ could bring the power to the fashion people – instead of resting his vision in the hands of the fashion media elite to share with the masses.

Normal, everyday people, going about their normal, everyday lives could have a bit of a McQueen dream along with their afternoon tea, EST.

It was buzzy, alright. And then it was just plain buggy.

Bugs showed up all over the place – in the technical difficulties accessing the stream to the bug optical prints, hair and makeup on the models.

It was a visually interesting show – loved the two cameras on the runway, projecting a mirror image of models walking, so it looked like one long ramp with mulitple models.

The vision was there – McQueen is a showman, after all. The cut, as always, was impeccable. But something was a little ho-hum for me. This show was more about the buzz than the content, itself. With all the pre-show tweets and teasers, I had a different image of the show in my head than what I got.

While the prints were strong, they weren’t as striking as say, the banana yellow dress with black lace overlay he did for Pre Spring 2010, as worn by Drew Barrymore at TIFF recently.

It wasn’t the heart-wrenching beauty of Tundra of Fall 03, or the high impact, slap in your face – this is why I love fashion – moment of Fall 09 or the bring tears to my eyes drama of Pre-Fall 09. Not for me, anyway. And you know how I feel about my darling McQueen.

Here are a few visual snacks, nonetheless.

The shoulder story continues at McQueen

Bugged out at McQueen SS10

Take me to your reptilian leader.

Those models earned their money today, walking in these babies.

Sashay + Sash at McQueen

Take me to your reptilian leader.

Sashayed Sash Jacket at McQueen

Lee McQ

Those models earned their money today, walking in these babies.

Bugged out at McQueen SS10

Lee McQ

Watch the full video.

Images courtesy of daylife.com and catwalking.com. Drew photo courtesy of JustJared.com.

Déjà Vu: Interview, Revamped

The ahem, reVAMPed 40th anniversary issue of Interview mag is due out shortly.

I thought the cover was gorg - reminds me of the mag’s heydey.

Something about it also reminds me of the Patrick Nigel illustration on the cover of Duran Duran’s Rio album. Maybe it’s the angle, maybe it’s the ’80s colours, maybe it’s just the new wave vibe?

 

Mag image courtesy of wwd.com. Illustration courtesy of Patrick Nigel.

I said exshoesme, lady!

A girl can dream, can’t she?

Read more about the joy that is the Barney’s shoe sale.