Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Marilyn Hepburn Judges Cannes

Cannes is a Film Festival? Oh, I thought it was a fashion show. Regardless, I will use my grading scheme to judge these stars on what’s really important.

Rating Key:
* No Admittance
** Standing Room Only
*** Press Pass
****Front Row
*****VIP

Paz Vega


In a blood red, strapless gown, Vega channels the late 1880s pencil silhouette, creating emphasis on all the right curves. With a bare face accented with red lips, Paz passes down the red carpet like a fashion temptress.
Rating: *****VIP


Salma Hayek


Salma wears a sea green Balenciaga dress, ornamented with rhinestone details at the shoulder and hem. Maybe it’s the way the skirt leaves the waist or possibly the ill-fitting top, but this dress wasn’t the best choice for Hayek. Besides, the little mermaid probably wants her fins back. Rating: *No Admittance


Elsa Pataky

Although this looks like a Donatella creation, Elsa Pataky wore a Grecian-inspired Roberto Cavalli gown, accessorized with simple jewelry and male arm candy. This Greek goddess scores high in the Cannes fashion competition.
Rating: ****Front Row

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Marilyn Hepburn's Resort Itinerary


Vacationing with Karl and John

So, Karl Lagerfeld and John Galliano just called you to join them as they jet off to the island de jour. You cheerfully accept, but then realize that packing for such a journey will be a nightmare!
Not to worry, Marilyn Hepburn has laid out an outfit for each item on your itinerary.

Friday 9:00 AM – Get Ready for Take-Off
A long plane ride is no excuse to look like a broke biology major in her 3rd year of University. On the other hand, New York mornings can be cold. Battle altitude attitude and weather woes with white Chanel.

Friday 3:00 PM – Hit the Beach
While your jet-setting ensemble was fabulous, you wouldn’t want to be partial to Karl. Turn all 5 of the heads on your private beach with this orange Dior bathing suit. What the hell, throw some jewels on while you’re at it!


Friday 6:00 PM – Fine Dining
Dinner time rolls around and you find yourself in a restaurant full of women in LBDs. While the little black number should be a classic in every woman’s closet, we suggest a special Dior dress for this occasion.


Friday 10:00 PM – Cha-Ching Chanel!
Around 10:00, you and your two designer pals decide to try your luck at the casino. With all of the noise, music, lights, and excitement, you don’t want to blend into the background! Try a sparkling Chanel jacket and accessorize with long necklaces and a faux skinny-tie.

Saturday 9:00 AM – Breakfast and Shopping
Who better to have marmalade and Manolos with than Lagerfeld and Galliano? While Karl may still be dwelling on his ridiculous cactus diet, a bit of shopping cures all. Scope out the strip in pastel Chanel.


Friday, May 16, 2008

Marilyn Hepburn's Cocktail Party

What You Drink and How You Dress

Yes, even what one orders at the bar can indicate what fashions they gravitate toward. Just so you know what to buy your fun-loving friends for their upcoming birthdays, I’ve created a list of designers by their corresponding concoction.

Champagne: Heatherette
If you’re the type of person who immediately glides over to the waiter with the tray of bubbling flukes, there’s a good chance you’re also donning an outrageous mini-dress and equally eye-catching pair of bright heels. Besides, what turns heads faster than a bottle that pops and paired with risqué tops?

Cosmopolitan: Versace
Classic, yet sexy. Slender, bright, and always in style. This pink drink is often ordered by women in bright silk sheath dresses with cinched waists. Their heels often resemble the thin stem of this drink’s stylish glass. While feminine, they’re much stronger than you’d expect.

Pinot Grigio: Michael Kors
Like Michael Kors, a glass of Pinot Grigio is classy, estimable, and always a sophisticated choice. While never out of style, too much of it could make you a little drowsy and tired.

Caipirissima: Gucci
This flashy, but tasteful cocktail is a mix of substance and sugar served in an old-fashioned glass. If you tend to order this rum-based concoction, Gucci’s intoxicating mix of branding and innovation knocks you right off your two-toned patent leather stiletto booties.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The Costume Institute Gala

Marilyn Hepburn Judges “The Oscars of the East”

Rating Key:
* No Admittance
** Standing Room Only
*** Press Pass
****Front Row
*****VIP

Bee Shaffer

Shaffer shows up in a gray Nina Ricci sensation. Her hair is casually swept back, not to take away from the intricate details, fullness, and gradual shading in the dress. Bee keeps all of us fashionistas on cloud nine with the final touch of Fred Leighton jewels.
Rating: *****VIP


Lake Bell

This red and black Balmain electric storm just got Bell’s stylist fired. The combination of her too-tight dress, severe hairstyle, and bandaged ankles makes me glad that lightning rarely strikes the same place twice.
Rating: *No Admittance


Christy Turlington

We already knew Christy was hot stuff, but this Escada dress turns heads faster than a fire truck. The interesting neckline and the fashion-forward flare at the bottom set Turlington apart from your average party-goer.
Rating: ****Front Row


Emmy Rossum

While this flattering Phi dress hugs Rossum in all the right places, something about the look reminds me of junior prom. While prom may have been fun, its not a night to relive when attending the chicest gala of the year. Try something a little more fashion-forward next year, Emmy.
Rating: ***Press Pass


Thursday, January 10, 2008

My Fantasy Wardrobe Picks


While your significant other may have spent too much time on the computer picking his Fantasy Football Team, you have a much more important line-up to choose.... lining up in your closet.

So here are my top picks for the beginning of 2008:

From Missioni:





From Versace:





From Michael Kors:


How To Get Into a New York Fashion Show

In light of New York Fashion Week fast approaching, I decided to post this article from lookonline.com.

HOW TO GET INVITED TO A NEW YORK FASHION SHOW

We all know that with hard deceptive work and a good dose of moxie it's possible to get over on the world, at least temporarily. A past Sunday New York Times The City section article "No Invitation? No Problem!" reveals a whole industry of such hard workers where gatecrashing is an art you can learn in a course at The Learning Annex (how New Age to offer a curriculum ranging from gatecrashing to Deepak Chopra, everything you need for this life and after) . I almost admire this kind of cleverness and drive as long as it is motivated by some true purpose: true purpose may be to serve your own career but it should also contribute something to the industry. The career gate crashers are disturbing when they only take and never give back, there for themselves and not the industry.

Ultimately it is our works that carry us through and if your work does not legitimately give you reason to be there then you are taking the place of someone who does. But that's the rub. Let's say you are the next Marc Jacobs, young, talented, charming. Or a budding Guy Trebay, Kate Betts, Constance White, Richard Martin with bon mots bursting in your brain. Or the next Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington, or Andre Leon Talley. But you have no connections and no idea how to get them. You want to get IN, into the industry, into the fashion shows. How do you do it? Below is a guide, a kind of "how to" But be ready to back up your endeavor with hard work, talent and time. All others need not apply. This is not an overnight miracle. BUT, hook up with the right guardian angels and you may find yourself in some pretty magical places.

GET A JOB It sounds silly but the first step is to get a job. Any kind of job. Whatever area of the fashion business you are interested in, find work as close to that dream as possible. Do not limit yourself in what you do. Persevere. Work in the industry is a foot in the door. And with that foot in the door you meet people, make connections, learn about the business, discover mentors, hear about other job opportunities -- even get invitations to fashion shows and parties. Andre Leon Talley started his career sweeping the floors of Andy Warhol's Interview offices. Marc Jacobs worked at Charivari while attending high school. Anna Wintour assisted Carrie Donovan at Harper's Bazaar.
If you can, find a company with growth potential. A low level job can turn into a high level career with that same company. Admire Prada, Daryl K, Calvin Klein, Zac Posen, Dolce & Gabbana but cannot get work in the design room? Get a job in one of their stores. Want to be a stylist? Find a photographer and develop imagery together to build a portfolio from which you can get paying work. Or assist another stylist from whom you can learn. There are many different areas in the industry; work in one may lead to work in another. Start your own project. If you write create your own website or fashion blog. With a blog you can join with other fashion blogs and gain industry exposure by belonging and contributing content to such network sites as Coutorture.com. It's "not about mainstream thinking" says Mary Loving a twenty-six year veteran of the fashion and public relations industry. "To be successful you have to be creative and bring a new ingredient to the business." That new ingredient may very well be yourself.

GET CONNECTED Find out what's going on. The bible of all bibles in the fashion world is Fashion Calendar (212-289-0420 or Fashioncalendar.net). Any event worth its weight will be listed on Fashion Calendar with contact names and numbers. If you have a chunk of change to spare ($452) you can subscribe to this venerable bi-weekly publication. (If you have the 'Real Player' installed on your computer you can play our 'Masters of Fashion' video interview with publisher of Fashion Calendar Ruth Finley: click here to start video - Real Player format only) If your budget is more limited lookonline website offers good information by subscription for a very reasonable cost ($59 for 6 months) - as well other features to keep you in the know. Supplement this with other sources like Fashionweekdaily.com, Style.com, WWD, available on the newstand and online (which will always contain calendars of fashion shows but not contact numbers), Time Out Magazine, New York Magazine, and free papers like the Village Voice or NY Press.

Many events will be by invitation only. No invitation, no access. If you are a legitimate member of the press you can request coverage of the event but this may also be limited to amount of press and to where you can go. Legitimate means your work, writings, photos, video footage, appear regularly in a venue or several venues. It could be your own venue. If you are an employee of standing either in the retail, magazine, internet, or television worlds, you may get an invitation but even this is no guarantee depending on space. If you are not "important" enough to be invited check with your fellow workers, your boss or your network of connections for an extra invitation.

The good news is often times, especially at fashion shows, arriving early with an invitation can get you in. Be warned however, the more well known designers may also have a list of names at the door. Sometimes they can even check for I.D. If you are not on the list you are not in the door, invitation or not. As a last resort you can go to the event. Extra invitations are hard to come by, you may even risk a reputation as a gatecrasher but it is a good way to meet people in the industry. You might, during fashion week, find free passes to parties being held at clubs around town. This is the beginning of your networking.
Also during fashion week there is sometimes standing room access if you are willing to wait in line for everyone else with invitations to be let in first and take the chance there is room left over. Many times you would be surprised how many big shows you can get into if you are willing to just make the effort and show up! And finally, if you can spend an entire week at the shows you can try becoming a volunteer with 7thonsixth. They recruit quite a number of volunteers to help run the shows.

AND NETWORK Fortunately or unfortunately connections count for a lot in any world and especially the world of fashion. Make a powerful enough network for yourself however and it can even compensate a lack of talent. If you are not the daughter, son, niece, nephew, friend, then you must make your own connections. If you are considering school attend a school in Manhattan, the capitol of American fashion. Go out. Go to clubs, art openings, hot restaurants (even just for a drink at the bar), parties, fashion shows, any industry functions you can get into. Meet people. Get yourself on mailing lists. Be seen enough and there are those who will invite you because they want you to be seen with them. Of course you must look fabulous, fabulous enough to stand out from the crowd. Make a statement; a fashion statement followed up with sincere hard work. It is the only true path to making your mark in this business.

- by Laurie Schechter (This article was first published on Lookonline in 1999)

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

More Pre-Fall Picks

Rachel Roy added some pieces to my Pre-Fall Favorites list. Roy rocked it with earth tone metallics, a bit of sensual simplicity, and a touch of the '20s. Make-up was minimal and waists were cinched. Legs were the sexy body part d'jour, as they were showcased in mini-dresses and skinny jeans.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Balance Dressing

When this Marilyn-masquerading-as-a-Hepburn stumbled across Versace's Pre-Fall Show in a champagne-induced stupor, she knew she just found her new wardrobe. Versace, which remained sexy as always, maintained a refreshing dose of simplicity and luxury. I promise, I'll only wear Chanel No. 5 to bed for the rest of my life, if I could wear this line for a single season.