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July 24, 2008

As seen on: "Gossip Girl"

Here's a secret from the "Gossip Girl" set: they can't get enough of this rose gold pendant by Garland Collection.
Gossip Girl Blair Waldorf, as played by Leighton Meester, regularly wears one on the show, engraved with the word “Waldorf”. Priced at $1,200, it's available at www.Roseark.com or through www.garlandcollection.com.
She also wears a rose gold Garland Collection ID bracelet, engraved with “Blair”.
Meester wore the necklace regularly last season and has already been seen wearing it while shooting upcoming episodes for the new season.
Behind the scenes, the show’s stylist, Eric Daman, wears a large rose gold Garland Collection ID bracelet engraved "Eric".
Both items are available at Roseark in West Hollywood, on roseark.com, or through www.garlandcollection.com.

July 24, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 21, 2008

Vivienne Westwood at Berlin Fashion Week

Vivienne Westwood's Anglomania show closed out Berlin Fashion Week in a streetwear-inspired spectacle that somehow managed to blend 80s-era Harlem with ancient Greece. View photos from the show
Westwood’s buddy Kim Cattrall looked on from front row as models sporting heavy gold chains and headbands bounced down the runway, looking like they might have hung out with Westwood’s ex Malcolm McClaren in the 80s, when he was stalking hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa in Harlem.
Bold prints, primary colors and Dionysian grape patterns injected Jeremy Scott-esque humor in to the irreverent parade, in which models traded their traditional poker faces for wide, camera-ready smirks.
Westwood continues to show her more affordably-priced Anglomania line in Berlin, demonstrating a long-running affection for the city where she taught fashion for twelve years (at the Berlin Academy of Arts). Berlin's growing reputation as a center of style was further cemented when Mr. Karl "leather trousers" Lagerfeld himself, in town to accept an Elle Fashion Star Award, hinted he might show in Berlin in 2009.
Und das is gut, ja?

July 21, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 15, 2008

Brangie sees double

It's not every day that a lady drops a set of twins, you know. Well, it is actually—but not a set of twins like Brad and Angie's of course! Knox Leon (named for Brad's grandpa and Angelina's great-great grandpa) and Vivienne Marcheline (Marcheline is the name of Jolie's late mother) entered the world Sunday, with fully-fledged celebrity careers already in place. For what it's worth, the wee little humans share their birthday with Julius Caesar...and Italian DJ Benny Benassi. At 5.02lbs, Vivienne was slightly heavier than Knox (better keep an eye on that). 
Jolie gave birth at the exclusive Lenval Hospital in Nice, France, which has posted ecstatic news releases about Madame Angelina and her babies on its website. Click here if you too would like to give birth at Lenval.
Sadly, I was unable to find contact details for her OB/GY, Dr. Michael Sussman who is, we hope, taking an extended vacation after being hounded by baby-hungry media for the past few months.

July 15, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (2)

WireImage has a Polaroid moment

Last week, Wireimage covered an event that was so cool, it could only be shot using Polaroids.
Polaroid cameras make anyone—even posturing rich kids with Ray Ban fixations and "Less Than Zero" personalities—look like the most compelling people in the world, as evidenced by these fetching shots  from the Hugo Boss party at the Kingswood East Hampton Estate.
The photographer, listed as J. Kost, ventured wildly beyond  WireImage convention, shooting candid images of hipster feet, hipster backs, and hipsters in the shadows. Go here to see for yourself.
Anyone familiar with WireImage—the leading provider of entertainment images to the media—understands how revolutionary this is. WireImage photos are almost always borderless, brainless, and handily-sized for tabloid use.
Could Polaroid paparazzi be the future? Did Mark the Cobrasnake have it right all along?
Pictured: Paul Sevigny (in silly yellow glasses), George Garrow and guest (in silly fedoras), and Johnny Cragg and Christian Langdon (silly). Photos by WireImage.

July 15, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 10, 2008

In defense of Us Magazine

You subscribe to The Economist. You've read (and understood) James Joyce's "Ulysses". You're fluent in Chaucerian Englishe. And you love Us Magazine.
It's OK—stop feeling so damn guilty about it. Of the 12 million people who read the trash rag, we suspect more than a few are well-schooled, sane-minded professionals just like you. They furtively get their tabloid fix at checkout lines, in dentist wait rooms or on secluded beaches, privately reveling in the drama of Madonna and A-Rod, or snickering at Mariah Carey's inability to know how many bathrooms she has.
Vanity Fair, the New Yorker and "The Cremaster Cycle" may have pride of place on the coffee table—but it's Us Magazine that travels with us, our secret mistress.
I recently talked to a former tabloid magazine writer (she couldn't take it for more than a few months) who is an exceptionally smart and cultured woman. She reasoned that our unhealthy obsession with "Us" stems from lack of self-esteem, and depression that our lives aren't like Brad and Angelina's. "Hollywood stars seem so perfect, so beautiful, so wealthy—we need to hear about their drama and their ugliness in order to feel better about our own lives."
It's a spectator psychology that dates back to the era of Greek tragedies, Roman gladiators and Shakespeare's groundlings: in the end, seems like humans are genetically programmed to wallow in the misfortune of others. Schadenfreude is our therapy.
So instead of feeling ashamed of your Us Magazine habit, accept it. You're only human.

July 10, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (7)

Get preggers, go Pally

Growing bellies love the soft, curve-kissing styles of Rachel Pally's jersey-knit Long Full Skirt, which has been adopted as de rigeur day wear by expectant moms from Ashlee Simpson to Angelina Jolie.
Simpson has been photographed in the skirt several times since announcing she is with child, and has reportedly ordered it in many different colors so she can wear it every day.
The Long Full Skirt retails for $190 and is available at Shopbop.com

July 10, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen-Biggs' golf gatherings

"American Pie" actor Jason Biggs and his wife, actress and artist Jenny Mollen-Biggs are hosting Hollywood's least Hollywoodish gatherings each Wednesday night. Held at a mini-golf course in the hills above L.A., the parties celebrate the culture of all things golf-related, with golf attire encouraged and outdoor screenings of "Caddyshack" promised each and every week.
Organized with local art gallery ghettogloss, the soirees started two weeks ago and look set continue through the summer. "So far we have gotten a really unique crowd," said Mollen-Biggs speaking on the phone from Whole Foods, where she and Jason were shopping for bacon-flavored chocolate ahead of their wedding ceremony in Napa this weekend. "We get super artsy types, and actor-types, and Asian golfers and zookeepers. Seriously—we've taken over."
Twilight at the Club takes place each Wednesday from 7pm to 11pm. You must arrive no later than 10pm. Bring your clubs. Here for details.

July 10, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (1)

Giveaway: Eva Longoria's "single" dress

Married she may be, but Eva Longoria remains single in spirit in this beautiful silk maxi-dress by L.A.-based label single.
The line is the brainchild of very-not-single husband and wife team Galina and Michael Sobolev, Russian ex-pats whose tale of creative and romantic partnership is the stuff that births love sonnets.
In her native Russia, Galina learned to make clothes from her grandmother, a well respected dressmaker who had her own atelier in a glitzy neighborhood in Odessa. There, just steps away from the Opera House, learned to sew and crochet and assisted her grandmother in making clothes for the stylish wives of diplomats and government officials. In 1977 her family moved to New York where she enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and became a model, walking the New York runways alongside Pat Cleveland and Iman for Michael Vollbracht and Michael Kors. Galina moved to Los Angeles in 1987 where she met her future husband Michael Sobolev, an entrepreneur and MBA, on Christmas Eve, 1992.  They started the line single together, using one-of-a-kind prints based on original artwork from art studios in Italy and France.
single is available at select stores of Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's, Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Fred Segal, Planet Blue Harvey Nichols and many other exclusive boutiques worldwide.
Single is gifting one Stylephile reader a maxi dress (retail value $348) as worn by Eva Longoria. To win, leave a comment telling us the best thing about being single, and leave your email address. Deadline is Wednesday July 16 at 5PM.

July 10, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (48)

July 7, 2008

Your Netflix queue: the window to your soul

Forget the eyes...it's a person's Netflix queue that is truly the window to their soul.
My Netflix queue, for instance, currently harbors Disney's "Alice in Wonderland", "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "The Panic in Needle Park".
Verdict: This queue belongs to an infantile escapist fascinated with life's seedy underbelly.
Like rings around an ancient oak, the Netflix Queue documents your cultural growth patterns, providing evidence of your secret obsessions (nothing but Nietzsche documentaries and "The Anarchist's Cookbook" for a month, eh?), your ambitions (25 films on how to break in to film), and the pinings of your inner child ("The Black Cauldron").
Unlike TiVo, which feeds only your most immediate, day-to-day entertainment preferences, Netflix allows you to curate in the long term, and stock your right brain's pantry with fruit picked from deep within the vaults of film history.
Naturally, all theories deserve testing—so I called 'round a few Hollywood folks to find out what's coming up, or has recently come up, in their red letter day.
"Netflix..the red envelopes, right?", said film director Larry Clark (pictured), shortly before checking to see what his latest delivery was: "La Vie En Rose."
Verdict: Time-strapped romantic who is too much of a workaholic to actually get to a movie theatre—but who heard that Marion Cotillard is a babe.
Power publicist Kelly Cutrone has "National Velvet" ("to watch with my daughter Ava"), "The Idol Maker" and "Best in Show".
Verdict: Super high-achiever with a bitchin' sense of humor, who may position her daughter to become a champion show jumper. Or a rock star.
Producer Brian Grazer (pictured), according to Michael Rosenberg (president of Imagine Entertainment), does not have a Netflix account because "he likes to go to see movies in movie theatres, with people, and popcorn."
Verdict: No Netflix, no soul.
Writer/director Sacha Gervasi, ("The Terminal", "Anvil! The Story of Anvil") has ordered "La Balance" (a 1982 French thriller directed by Bob Swaim), "Betty Blue: The Director's Cut" and "Riff Raff" by Ken Loach. With a Netflix queue like this, you don't need tea leaves or palmistry to know what's on Gervasi's mind.
Verdict: Likes French babes, would like to direct French babes.
Actress Daniela Sea of "The L Word" (pictured) said that while she doesn't have Netflix ("I move around too much"), she does regularly rent movies from the local video store, the most recent being the 1962 film adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey into Night", and "Morvern Callar", about a girl who wakes up to find her writer boyfriend with his throat cut beneath the Christmas Tree.
Verdict: Introspective, individual, a seeker of meaning with a dark side. Especially morbid around the holidays.
Music photographer Piper Ferguson is has Netflix'd "Tempest", "Wanderlust" and "The Chocolate War" (Verdict: Pop culture junkie and total escapist with teenage rebellion bubbling in her veins), and Laura Whitcombe of the fashion line Label recently ordered Lars Von Triers' "Europa Europa" (Verdict: A lady of impeccable taste).

What's on your list?

July 7, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (2)

Mr Big becomes Mr Buzz

We hear that Chris "Mr Big" Noth has sheared the locks from his head, possibly to help him keep cool (it aint easy being hot shit, ya know?), or possibly for a new role, now that he's quit "Law & Order: Criminal Intent".
We were unable to find actual photos of Noth and his fresh new military-style crew cut, so instead The Stylephile offers you this realistic sans cheveaux rendering of Mr Big, as created by our highly able art department.
Noth looks pretty good, we think. Not too much like a rapist, and quite a bit like Bill Paxton's Chet character in "Weird Science".
Noth has just wrapped shooting the comedy "My One and Only" with Renee Zellweger.

July 7, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

Agyness and Albert, sitting in a Plumm tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G.

The Strokes' Albert Hammond Jr. played DJ groupie to his new ladyfriend, supermodel Agyness Deyn when she spun at New York nightspot The Plumm last Thursday. The party was in honor of Plumm owner Noel Ashman's birthday (pictured, with the couple) and Hammond was all over Agyness "like flies on shit," according to a source. Noel Ashman was overheard asking the couple whether they were officially dating, upon which Agyness turned to Albert and asked "are we dating?". Hammond replied "Dunno." What a rock star! The couple then locked lips and "groped each other playfully", putting to rest any doubt as to their dating/non-dating status.
Deyn spun vintage glam by David Bowie and Eighties pop by Cyndi Lauper and Michael Jackson, and hung out at the club for over an hour before heading off to the Hamptons.
No doubt Hammond Jr., who's new solo album "Como Te Llama" comes out today, will have plenty of advice for his babe's musical project—a band called Gene Jacket she started with Danny Mastersons's sister, Alanna.
Deyn was, until recently, dating a member of U.K. band The Paddingtons.

July 7, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 6, 2008

Have your own reality show for $2500

What's more obnoxious than an SLR-brandishing, cargo-pant-wearing tourist family in Beverly Hills? An SLR-brandishing, cargo-pant-wearing tourist family in Beverly Hills with its own camera crew.
Guests at the Peninsula Hotel can grab their 15 minutes of fame for a mere $2,500, which will buy them and their tribe a full day with an Emmy-nominated producer (times must be hard) and his crew. The team will follow guests around as they sightsee, shop, relax by the pool, and generally behave like the stars of their own reality show. The footage will then be edited in to a professional-quality DVD that can then be taken home to torture future generations with.
It's all part of the hotel's "Academy" program, which aims to give Peninsula guests a flavor of the true Beverly Hills lifestyle. I noticed there were no "Be Mean To Your Spanish-Speaking Nanny", "Botch Your Botox", or "Join AA" options, which would have added fuller authenticity to the program. Although you can book a session with Hollywood voice coach Bob Corff, who taught Jake Gyllenhaal (pictured) to sound like a cowboy in “Brokeback Mountain”.
"Enis you son of a whoresunbitch! I wish I knew how to quit you!"
Cool!
Peninsula Academy reservations are subject to availability and advanced booking is recommended.
Contact the Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel Concierge for details. 310-551-2888 or
pbh@peninsula.com

July 6, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 3, 2008

Meet the meathead: "The Doorman"

Doormen—like abused pitbulls and parking inspectors, they wield a level of power that is, all too often, entirely unrelated to their level of intelligence.
You can squeeze inside the tiny mind of the door 'tard in "The Doorman", a new Gigantic Pictures mockumentary based on the life and times of fictional doorman Trevor W., the most powerful clipboard holder and biggest ego in New York.
Until he loses his job, that is.
The movie stars the Borat-like Lucas Akoskin, with cameos by Peter Bogdanovitch, nightlife entrepreneur Amy Sacco and "Queer Eye" interior designer Thom Filicia, who sagely reminds the brashly-attired Trevor that "straight guys don't wear turquoise."
The Doorman premieres in New York City on July 18. Here for details.

July 3, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (1)

Kate Moss's hairy moment

Clip-on hair is for Kardashians and Hiltons, right? People who love teeny dogs, cosmetic surgery and stripping in Vegas. Oh, and people like Kate Moss.
As you may have already heard, Kate lost her head—or part of it—while leaving the Berlin launch party for her new fragrance, Velvet Hour. A track of blond hair extensions tumbled from Kate's tousled bed-head and plopped on to the red carpet, shortly before being scooped up by an intrepid papparazzo. He then sold the  locks on eBay, with proceeds benefiting a drug awareness foundation in Germany. Go figure.
To avoid such embarrassment in the future, we'd urge Moss to go the whole hog and get some proper celebutard tresses: from Hollywood extensions guru Sheila Stotts, of course. She charges ladies like LC, Paris and Courtney Love anything from $1500 to $16,000 for a 'strand-by-strand', where half-inch pieces of are glued or bonded into place.
Or Kate could go right to the source, and clip in one of Jessica Simpson's HairDos (created with Ken Paves), or a headband fall from Paris Hilton's new Dreamcatchers brand of  hair extensions which promise that "Finally, you can have the exact same hair as Paris Hilton."
Yikes.

July 3, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 1, 2008

The spritely styles of Pixie Geldof

Pixie Geldof, the 17-year-old daughter of British musician/saint Sir Bob Geldof, managed to pull off a series of striking costume changes amid the mud and chaos of this year's Glastonbury music festival in the U.K.
While most of her contemporaries were doing practical things—like wearing element-friendly House of Holland logo tees and water-proof trash bags—Pixie regaled us with dramatic wigs, boho turbans, fedora hats and knee socks pulled up over Wellington boots.
Has England just gotten itself an Olsen twin?

July 1, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

Michael Jackson's clothing line--will it be Bad?

How badass would it be if Michael Jackson's hotly-anticipated clothing line turned out to be an entirely literal homage to the King of Pop's 35 year career?
Meaning: cod pieces, white Bedazzled gloves (worn one at a time), shoulder-padded leather jackets, and Moonwalk-friendly jazz shoes. Oh and let's not forget the accessories: oxygen masks, red lipstick, home skin-bleaching kits, Jheri Curl and, of course, a range of blankets.
No word on whether he'll be producing a children's line.
The collection, being produced in collabration with Ed Hardy and Christian Audigier, will be available exclusively at Kitson this Fall.
PS: Did you know there are people whose sole purpose in life is to track all known appearances of MJ's white glove? It's scary.

July 1, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 23, 2008

Angelina gets her tats out

Angelina maxes out on body art in her summer flick "Wanted", giving her most famous tats an airing ("Quod Me Nutrit, Me Destruit" never fails to remind me of the dangers of pizza), as well as throwing in a few temporary extras for good measure.
In addition to Jolie's existing Cambodian prayer, tiger and tribal tattoos, her character Fox sports two massive  "Toil" and "Tears" tattoos on the undersides of her arms, and various words on her forearms—all of which make for one sexy assassin/UN Goodwill Ambassador.
P.S. After you see this film, do resist the urge to visit your nearest ink shop and get a copy-cat job. Angelina can pull off ginormous "toil" and "tears" gang tats on her spindly limbs—you can't.
"Wanted" is in theatres June 27th.

June 23, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 18, 2008

The Great Los Angeles Brainwash

There was a rumor going around the Mr Brainwash private preview in Hollywood last night that the whole thing was, in fact, a hoax.
"Someone told me this is all a big joke," said my informant in hushed tones. "We're all being filmed, and then in a week they'll reveal that Mr Brainwash isn't who he says he is, and everyone will know just how stupid L.A. is for falling for it."
This was whispered to me as I hovered around a graffiti'd urinal, à la Duchamp, just one of many jarringly literal interpretations on display in the former CBS studio on Sunset Blvd.
Whatever the truth, Mr Brainwash is definitely real, at least: he's Thierry Guetta, a French filmmaker who became so obsessed with the street artists he was filming, he decided to become one himself, wheat-pasting stretches of L.A.'s La Brea corridor with black and white Banksy-style stencils.
And if Guetta is indeed out to insult test L.A.'s intelligence, then he's doing an audacious job of it—in this super-sized solo show, his first ever, Mr Brainwash manages to rip off pretty much every important artist of the last 500 years. The DuChamp urinal, the Van Gogh self portrait and a whole series of Warhol Marilyns, all tweaked, ad-busted and given the Brainwash treatment. (The only thing he hasn't re-worked, as far as I could tell, was the Mona Lisa.)
But that's not to say there weren't any original ideas inside this cavern of re-purposed greatness.
His larger installations were, for example, very striking--former editing bays filled with books and taped off, graffiti'd with the words "not finish"; a dog sculpture made from old telephones; a 15 feet high take-out bag, complete with receipt taped to the side; and a 30 foot high robot built entirely from (working) vintage TVs. "Look, that's totally L.A.," said a friend, pointing to a cage filled with film reels and car tires. She was right.
I asked Roger Gastman, publisher of street art magazine "Swindle", whether he thought the Mr Brainwash thing was an elaborate J.T. Leroy-esque hoax. "Um, no, I don't think so," he shrugged. "I mean, he exists. He's outside right now, riding a tricycle with a cast on his leg."
The next morning I asked Shepard Fairey, arguably the best-known graffiti artist in America, his thoughts on the conspiracy theory. "He's not a hoaxer," said Fairey. "He is, however, crazy."
Go see for yourselves.
Mr Brainwash, "Life Is Beautiful" continues through Sunday, June 22. At 6121 W Sunset Blvd @ El Centro, Hollywood, CA, 90028. Click here for opening hours.

June 18, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (2)

Eurotrash invades L.A.

Growing up in London, I learned all my values from a TV show called Eurotrash.
Hosted by Jean Paul Gaultier and the deadpan Antoine de Caunes, it dragged its viewers through the silliest, most bizarro European subcultures imagineable—against a high fashion backdrop, bien sur.
The first season, which aired in 1993, featured appearances by fashion industry icons Ellen Von Unwerth, Helena Christensen, Pierre et Gilles, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Giorgio Armani, punctuated by segments about pubic hairdressing, Alpine Hells Angels, S&M restaurants and nude golf.
I ran into Eurotrash's host, Antoine de Caunes (pictured), last week at a party at the Houdini Mansion in L.A., where around 200 guests were celebrating the birthday of flame-haired L.A. scenester and professional fag hag Lenora Claire. (pictured)
De Caunes was being followed around by a production crew from French network Canal Plus, which is filming a five-part series about American contemporary culture, scheduled to air around election time. The bodacious Lenora Claire and her friends were deemed just the right kind of sexy for the French, and she was selected to be L.A.'s representative for the night. The suited De Caunes was completely re-styled for the camera by Lenora's friend, fashionista and writer Clint Catalyst, so he could fit in with the exotic birds around him. De Caunes ended up looking like a cross between Boy George and a Thomspon Twin, with an assymetrical curly wig, airbrushed makeup and embroidered Jared Gold suit jacket.
"I miss Lolo," lamented de Caunes, when I ran in to him in the bathroom, getting his lipgloss touched up. He was referring to the late French porn star Lolo Ferrari, who had the largest breasts in the world (71 inches), and was a Eurotrash regular. "She was very, very sweet."
Also hanging around were James St. James (former Michael "Party Monster" Alig co-hort), Heatherette designer Richie Rich and impresario Kim Fowley (pictured, in yellow, who formed The Runaways with Joan Jett and Sandy West). Fowley, who looked like a cross between John Waters and Frankenstein's monster, wasted no time in getting to know me—upon being introduced to me, his first question was "tell me about the inside of your c**t. Do you f*** girls or boys? Are you a top or a bottom?" Goodness!
I told him all he neded to know, naturally...

June 18, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (1)

Obama prefers Hope

Fairey put 700 posters in to production, 350 of which would go on the street, bearing the words "Progress" or "Hope". When they sold out he made 10,000 more, and shortly before beginning his second production run, he heard word from Obama's people again—they loved 'Hope', and felt that was the best message for Fairey to pursue.
Fairey's next batch of posters was all ‘Hope’ and the rest, as  they say, is history.
The Obama campaign posters are sold out, to purchase other Shepard Fairey prints visit the Obey Giant store here.

June 18, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 17, 2008

Patagonia designs eco wet suit with The Malloy Bros

Dan Malloy, one of surfing's legendary Malloy Brothers, told me about the revolutionary eco-friendly wet-suits that he and his siblings have helped develop with outerwear brand Patagonia. The brothers have been working with Patagonia, whose founders are part of the same Ventura, CA, surfer scene they grew up in, for the last three years, helping the company test and develop the suits. They have been designed using the same principles used to create insulated ski outerwear, resulting in a warmer, more environmentally-friendly sea-skin.
They're made from high-quality Japanese neoprene rubber and lined with chlorine-free merino wool and recycled polyester. Wear one, and you'll still feel warm even in 55 degree water. Brrrr.
The suits can be purchased from Patagonia stores. Click here for more information.

June 17, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

Couch surfer

You know there's more to surf films than Spicoli in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and Point Break's Johnny Utah, right?
Take a bite out of the contemporary surf film movement and lose yourself in the dreamy, romantic seascapes of surf filmmaker Thomas Campbell. A member of the Moonshine Conspiracy, a surf-artist crew that counts Jack Johnson and The Malloy Brothers among its members, Campbell's documentaries "Sprout" and "The Seedling" (shot on 16mm film) capture the laid-back, graceful vibe of the surfing subculture, with a nod to the old-school 70s California vibe. "Sprout" (2004) changed the way people looked at surfing, and features some of the sport's greatest, like Rob Machado, Belinda Baggs, Joel Tudor, Dan Malloy, Tom “Weggy” Wegener, and C.J. Nelson. "The Seedling" focuses on a small band of California logriders.
To see a trailer for Campbell's latest film "The Present" (out this Fall), click here.
For something to make you smile, click here.
Thomas Campbell’s work was featured in the Beautiful Losers exhibition, curated by Aaron Rose and Christian Strike. Buy his movies here.

June 17, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 10, 2008

Uberstars at the Warhol Museum

Online is where stars are born these days, as evidenced at the "Uberstars" exhibit at the Andy Warhol Museum.
The show, put togther by blog overlord Glenn Kaino (founder of artsy social networking site Uber.com) aligns present-day cyber stars with Andy Warhol's original Superstars.
Like the Superstars (and New York's Club Kids), the Uberstars came seemingly from out of nowhere, some building enormous followings not necessarily by "doing", but just by "being".
In the exhibit, a Polaroid of nightcrawler and scruffball model Cory Kennedy (pictured, left) sits next to Warhol's photo of Brigid Berlin (!). Author, blog queen and fashion commentator Clint Catalyst (pictured, right) finds his likeness neighboring Mick Jagger's, as shot by Warhol. (No-one was deemed worthy of Edie, yet.)
All the Uberstar Polaroid shots were taken by Kaino with his Big Shot Polaroid camera (designed for portrait use only, these were originally released in 1971 and produced until 1973). Other Uberstars include artist Aaron Sandnes, pink-haired model Audrey Kitching, journalist and former Women's Wear Daily West Coast Editor Rose Apodaca, and "Project Runway" alum Rami Kashou.
“It’s remarkable to see the many close parallels between Warhol’s Superstars of the 1960s and 1970s and these glam-fab ‘kids’ of today,” says Thomas Sokolowski, director of The Andy Warhol Museum. (Although we imagine there's slightly less drug use among the Uberstars.)
The show is part of the "Transformer: The Work of Glenn Kaino" exhibit, which features a number of Kaino's enormous, futuristic sculptures (pictured: "A Plank For Every Pirate", 16'x16'x14', wood, paint, plexiglas). A catalog with the same title as the exhibition will be published by German art publishing house Hatje Cantz later this year, featuring essays by David Levi Strauss, Larry List, Lauri Firstenberg, and Thomas Sokolowski.
The exhibit continues through the end of August at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburg. Visit www.warhol.org for more information.

June 10, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (4)

June 5, 2008

Touch the testosterone: Ed Norton's "Fight club" gear, Javier Bardem's "No Country" shirt

If you're creepy like me, you may occasionally fantasize about burying your nose in the armpit of Ed Norton's "Fight Club" shirt, huffing the emasculated sweat like bad glue, getting high on the fumes of his frustration.
Mmmm.
Or perhaps, you lust after Carmen Electra’s gold floral print with white lace trim dress with silver buttons, the one she wore in “Scary Movie 4”.
Whatever your film or TV costume fetish, you're bound to find something to satisfy it at the upcoming Hollywood Roadshow, a huge auction taking place Saturday June 21st and Sunday June 22nd in El Segundo, just south of L.A.
Several hundred items from acclaimed films including “No Country for Old Men”, “Star Wars”, “21 Grams”, and “Lords of Dogtown” (as well as Edward Norton’s personal collection of costumes and key props from “Fight Club”) will be up for bid, with proceeds to benefit the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Additionally, hundreds of movie-themed pinball machines and arcade games including PacMan, Ms. PacMan, Galaga, The Simpson's, Jurassic Park, and many more will be auctioned. 
Personally, I'd be psyched to get my hands on Oscar-winner Javier Bardem’s denim jacket, long-sleeve button-up shirt and black "Wrangler" pants (with bloody holes) from “No Country for Old Men”. Or Stacy Peralta’s Graffiti Short Surfboard, used on screen as set decoration in “Lords of Dogtown”.
The live auction will take place on Saturday and Sunday, June 21st and June 22nd at Premiere Props’ warehouse in El Segundo, California (128 Sierra Street, El Segundo, CA 90245).  There will be a preview from 9am – 11am, and the auction will begin at 11am. All items will also be for sale to the general public via Hollywoodroadshow.com and eBay.com, with the preview beginning June 21st at 9am and the live auction starting at 11am.
For more information, visit www.hollywoodroadshow.com.

June 5, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

From TV to Bootie

At Kari Feinstein's pre-MTV Movie Awards Style Lounge, I ran into two very excited women brandishing panties with strategically-placed padding at the back. One was a former PBS producer named Susan Bloomstone, who had given up the TV game in order to help women's butts look better. "Look, these make your bootie pop!" she exclaimed, holding up a pair of pink panties, soft cotton hip-huggers with built-in undulating glutes.
In the film-world, butt-padding is commonplace. Pedro Almodóvar had Penélope Cruz wear a prosthetic rump in "Volver", so she could look more womanly. And on ABC's “Brothers and Sisters”, Calista Flockhart's character padded her bony behind, so she could look more appealing to her suitors. The ass-less Kelly Ripa tried on a pair and is now a convert—and who can blame her? Booty-enhancing surgery is one of the most painful procedures around, which is exactly why Susan Blooomstone came up with the BOOTY POP concept in the first place. After reading a an article in the New York Times about the dramatic increase in the rate of buttock augmentation surgery, she figured there had to be a better way, founding her company Sweet Apparel with friend and fashion merchandiser Lisa Reisler.
I took a pair home—not for me (I am extremely blessed in the booty department), but for my skinny-ass boyfriend, who wore them all afternoon. He said he definitely felt more feminine, although pointed out he would be perturbed if a girlfriend padded her booty out early in a relationship. "It's false advertising, don't you think?"
BOOTY POP is available in seven colors at Kitson. Visit www.mybootypop.com for more info.

June 5, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 3, 2008

Black the new black at the MTV Movie Awards

There were no "in-between" hues at Sunday MTV Movie Awards, with stars opting either for dark and dramatic, or dangerously day-glo.
Sarah Jessica Parker won the "tightest dress ever" award in microscopic black L'Wren Scott and lace-up Louboutin boots. Charlize Theron looked like a Jean Paul Gaultier perfume in black leggings (yikes!) and nude-and-black bustier.
Rumer Willis was all grown up with side swept raven tresses and a clingy black cocktail gown. And heiress Paris Hilton, who apparently is not gay any more, looked very Bonnie And Clyde with her dashing boyfriend Benji Madden, both of them wearing black-and-white print. We hope Benji stuck around to take his girlfriend to jail later that night, where she will serve a 23-day sentence for violating her probation. Anne Hathaway, who will never go to jail for violating anything, looked just about edgy enough in a pretty Sophia Kokosalaki number.
Sadly, no-one sent the "black is the new black" memo to Meghan Fox, who showed up looking as though she'd been possessed...by the Sugar Plum Fairy.

June 3, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (1)

Working class aesthetic, bougie prices: denim by Earnest Sewn

For a company that makes no bones about its infatuation with the American working class aesthetic, Earnest Sewn Denim offers some pretty swanky jeans. With custom pairs selling for a few hundred dollars a piece, it’s hard to imagine Midwestern farmers and big-rig truck drivers shelling out a month’s wages for these denim threads, but it’s clear that those aren’t the Americans that Earnest Sewn is catering to. The upscale line offers clients the opportunity to customize nearly every component of their jeans, from the buttons to the cut to the crucial pocket lining.
Patrons of the spacious New York concept store can while the time away dinking espresso from the coffee bar or trying on a new pair of  Repetto Zizi’s (the lifelong shoe of choice for French pop auteur Serge Gainsbourg). The store doubles as a work shop and the staff prepares all of the custom jeans in-house.
Though the DIY jeans customization is Earnest Sewn’s bread and butter, the company offers a broad range of pre-designed options for men and women that make it easy for non-New Yorkers to get their denim fix. For men, the slim Iggy fit jean in jet black stands out as one of the better style choices, eschewing the acid-washed, baggy look for a tight fit that’s a bit more sleek and understated than Earnest Sewn’s typical designs. Currently, the store’s website doesn’t allow you to design custom pants online, and phoning in an order can be rather tedious, so customers anxious to indulge in the full Earnest Sewn experience must make the trip out to Gotham.
(On a Gainsbourg-related musical tangent, aficionados should check out the recently issued “Cannabis” soundtrack featuring some wonderful music written by Serge and “Melody Nelson” arranger Jean-Claude Vannier. Though not as revelatory or avant-garde as that 1971 magnum opus, “Cannabis” offers some pleasant, if subdued, classical cues and funky rock instrumentals.)
Earnest Sewn, 821 Washington St., New York, NY, 10014. (212) 675 0553

June 3, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

Aladdin-chic at the 2008 CFDA awards

The Oscars of U.S. fashion, the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards is where the hoitiest of the toitiest celebrate emerging and established fashion design. While this year's awards brought few surprises in terms of the winners (Francisco Costa of Calvin Klein in the womenswear category, Tom Ford for menswear, Tory Burch for accessories and Rodarte for best young designers), I did choke on my zero-carb kelp noodles at the sight of so many MC Hammer-style genie pants being worn by the  fashionable guests. Ashley Olsen now registers on my pop culture radar after donning this sweet tuxedo-style bolero jacket and high-waisted baggy pants ensemble, perhaps in a nod to the late Yves Saint Laurent, who was famous for his "Le Smoking" tuxedo jacket for women. Ashley's look is simple, brave, and reminds us of waiters we made out with on summer vacations in Greece.
"Vogue" magazine's André Leon Talley showed up looking like Sinbad the Sailor's gay brother, with his sidekick, the night's MC Naomi Campbell, also opting for a very "One Thousand and One Nights" look. Yards away was Maggie Gyllenhaal in sandals and baggy silk pants, looking very "I Dream of Jeannie". No magic carpets or actual oil lamps were sighted.

June 3, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 1, 2008

The drama of Yves Saint Laurent, 1936-2008

I'll be wearing black sweats for a year—Yves Saint Laurent, the legendary French couturier, died Sunday of a brain tumor, aged 71. Yves Saint-Laurent, who famously quipped "Fashions fade, style is eternal", was perhaps as drawn to the possibilities of fashion on film as he was to the drama of the catwalk. I mean, who can forget that white-collared, black dress as worn by his muse Catherine Deneuve, playing a wealthy housewife-turned-prostitute in "Belle de Jour", or her black leather get-up in in "The Hunger"? Or Sofia Loren as the stylish YSL-clad mod spy in "Arabesque"? And what about the strapless ready-to-wear YSL number worn by a young Isabelle Adjani in "Subway"?
Yves was drawn to fashion design aged just 11 after watching a stage production of Moliere's "L'École des Femmes". Afterwards, he painstakingly recreated the costumes in miniature.
He went on to become Christian Dior's assistant and upon his mentor's sudden death in 1957, took over as creative head of the House of Dior, aged just 21.
In 1958, he met Pierre Bergé, a theatre director and stage producer, who became his lover and manager, and together they founded his haute couture house. As well as championing the concept of ready-to-wear fashion, Saint Laurent designed costumes and sets for the stage and ballet, including ''Notre Dame de Paris'' performed at the Paris opera Ballet in 1965. On screen, he brought us pure sixties mod in "The Pink Panther" (1963) and elegant evening gowns in "Stavisky" (1974). He collaborated with French pop star Johnny Halliday in the Seventies and had a number of famous muses, including Catherine Deneuve, US-French socialite Betty Catroux and Loulou de la Falaise.
Saint Laurent will be remembered for his earlier, revolutionary "Trapeze" and "Mondrian" collections, for creating peasant-inspired chic, and for doing the unthinkable—bringing androgynous men's tailoring into women's wardrobes, most memorably with his "Le Smoking", a tux jacket for women.
YSL haute couture ceased production upon Saint Laurent's retirement from the world stage in 2002. YSL ready-to-wear is now designed by Stefano Pilati, a former tutee of Tom Ford, who headed YSL's ready-to-wear division from 2000-2004.
You should rent "Yves Saint Laurent: His Life and Times", 2002 documentary, to learn more about this tragic genius. Don't forget the Kleenex.
(Photos: Yves Saint Laurent, Yves saint Laurent with Catherine Deneuve. WireImage.) 

June 1, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 28, 2008

In defense of Wim Wenders' "Palermo Shooting"

Generally received as the "worst film of Cannes 2008", I have to confess that Wim Wenders' "Palermo Shooting" has me totally intrigued. Here's why:

1. The film is infested with high-level style icons.
2. One is a heavily-pregnant Milla Jovovitch...what's not to love?
3. Another is Dennis Hopper. He plays Death.
4. Lou Reed plays a Ghost.
5. Support actress Jana Pallaske is in a hot Berlin rock band called "Spitting Off Tall Buildings", who once wrote a song called "Yuppie Scum".
6. Wenders (pictured, right) bravely dedicates the film "to Ingmar and Michelangelo, 30.7.2007," which, according to Variety's reviewer "elicited derisive hoots at Cannes screening". Several audience members walked out, others booed at the end. All this merely serves to add to the film's legend.

With all this in mind—looks like "Palermo Shooting" is shaping up to be The Best Unintentionally Funny, So Bad It's Good Underground Film of 2008. Like others of its ilk (R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet", for instance), it's the sincerity of intention coupled with ill-conceived execution that creates the perfect conditions for such classics. And as stoner college kids and B-movie aficionados will attest, there's nothing groovier than the underdog.
Now let's pray it gets distribution.

May 28, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 27, 2008

Rachel Pally...making classy comfortable

Rachel Pally's "Jersey Girl" moniker does not have anything to do with her being from New Jersey (she's not—Pally is a card-carrying L.A. woman).
Rather, it stems from her ability to take jersey knit—that soft, most agreeable of fabrics—and transform it into gowns worthy of goddesses.
Indeeed, goddesses like Angelina, Oprah and Amy Smart are all fans of the line, as is singer Eve, who wore a deceptively light-weight royal blue Rachel Pally evening dress to Pally's Fall/Holiday 2008 show at the art-deco Oviatt Penthouse in downtown L.A.
Pally's life mission, it seems, is one after our own heart—making classy comfortable.
Buy Rachel Pally here.

May 27, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

Slim eye for the beefy guy

Shooting recently began for Fox Searchlight's Biggie Smalls biopic "Notorious", slated for release in 2009 with actor/rapper Jamal Woolard (a.k.a. Gravy) playing the lead.
Biggie (pictured, in black)—along with Winston Churchill, Al Capone and Cee-Lo Green of Gnarls Barkley (pictured, looking at his watch)—was one of the few stout gentlemen who had truly figured out his style. But in a fashion climate that favors puny Dior Homme pretty boys,  many Leviathan guys are still struggling to avoid the saggy, baggy t-shirt look.
Thankfully, help is at hand.
I talked to New York celebrity stylist Rachel Johnson, who styles size 15 basketball player Lebron James (yes, she styled *that* Vogue/Annie Leibowitz shoot), and asked her to share some of her sartorial secrets for bigger boys.

1. It's all about the fit...so get a tailor.
"My number one thing with my big guys is fit. Whether it comes from a thrift store or from your grandfathers closet, it needs to fit your body properly, meaning your jeans can't be dragging on the floor, and your blazers should be well-tailored. Which brings me to the next point—all guys, especially big guys, need to have a tailor. He could be the man at the dry cleaner, whatever it takes—but that's the only way you're going to get your clothes to fit properly."

2. Get good shoes...and a matching belt.
"This is a must. You may not want to spend money on shoes, but it makes a huge difference. If you're not sure where to start, go to Salvatore Ferragamo, because they have a really good range, whether you're wearing a tuxedo or looking for a great loafer to wear with your jeans and button-up shirt. While you're there, make sure you buy the corresponding belt...it makes you look so polished."

3. Buy good quality shirts
"Turnbull and Asser are my absolute favorite shirtmakers, we use them for Lebron. If you have never had a shirt made and tailored for your body, try it. You will see an amazing difference in how your jackets fit. And then when you wear the shirt by itself, you'll notice that crisp, tailored feel. Lebron did a cover for ESPN magazine wearing a tailored shirt and the magaizne got a bunch of calls from people asking where they could find it...what they didn't realize was, it's all in the tailoring! For something less expensive, go to Macy's and get a Kenneth Cole shirt, then take it to your tailor so it contours your body a litle bit."

Rachel Johnson's website is www.thomasfaison.com

May 27, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 26, 2008

And the award for Hottest Product Placement goes to...Carrie Bradshaw!

Just in case you've been living in a style-free bubble, New Line's "Sex And The City" movie is being released Wednesday. And even though Variety's esteemed critics have given it a half-hearted "eh" in their reviews, frankly we don't give a damn. Why? Because, lest you forget, costume designer Patricia Field (with a little help from Sarah Jessica Parker) have commandeered threads from some of the biggest names in fashion for this movie, making "SATC" a 3-D skip-through some of yummiest, most voguiesh looks of the last year.
(Spoiler alert)
Vivienne Westwood has designed the pièce de resistance, Carrie's wedding dress, winning out despite some stiff competition from a Zac Posen gown. In the end Patricia Field, who was gunning for the "more unusual" Posen number, was overruled and the "princessy" Westwood dress was chosen. Fred Leighton provided Carrie's pricey jewlery and Manolo Blahnik reigns supreme in the shoe stakes (no love for Louboutin?), designing a shoe specifically for SJP.
There are an estimated 300 costume changes in the movie, of which Carrie Bradshaw has 81. (No sign of Bitten, Sarah Jessica Parker's clothing line?)
Regardless of any plot and/or script deficiencies, the SATC movie is destined to delight us because, dear readers—this is the kind of product placement we approve of.

May 26, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 22, 2008

Madonna at Cannes

Madonna seems to have borrowed Mary-Kate Olsen's hair-do for the Cannes premiere of her Malawi documetary "I Am Because We Are", about the plight of Malawi's one million AIDS orphans. Wearing spangly Chanel, Madonna looked blonder and more beautiful than ever, with sun-kissed tendrils framing her high-cheeked visage, à la Mary-Kate at the Met's Costume Institute Gala. We fully approve—this is a much better look for Madonna than the overplayed Farah Fawcett flick she has sported for the last few years.
PS: Remember Madonna's awesome pointy-bra'd Jean Paul Gaultier look from Cannes 1991?

May 22, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

Clash of the Green Goddesses

Both Angelina Jolie and Dita Von Teese opted for striking shades of green at Cannes this year, Jolie picking a moss Max Azria Atelier gown for the "Kung Fu Panda" Premiere, and Von Teese going for an emerald Christian Lacroix number for the "Changeling" red carpet parade.
The heavily pregnant Jolie is wise to pick a contemporary earth tone, while the usually impeccable Von Teese lets herself down, looking forced and costumey in this OTT number, which looks like it fell off the prom dress rack at my local Goodwill.

May 22, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cameron Diaz goes bald

Natalie Portman rocked a mean bald head in "V for Vendetta".
Demi Moore was hot as a butch egghead in "G.I. Jane". And we longed to stroke Sigourney Weaver's stubbly scalp in "Alien 3".
Cameron Diaz, however, is not a natural-born Hare Krishna.
Just take a look at this photo from the set of "My Wednesday's Keeper", in which she plays a mother who shaves her head as a gesture of support toward her daughter who has leukemia.
I haven't seen such a disconcerting conehead since, well, "Coneheads".
Thankfully though, this is a bald cap, entirely temporary. Something Britney should have considered before reaching for the clippers.

May 22, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 20, 2008

Angelina's 1920s chic in "Changeling"

Dig out your grandma's 1920s felt cloches, ox blood lipstick, and Mary Jane ankle straps—tonight is the Cannes premiere of Clint Eastwood's "Changeling", a true story-inspired tale set in 1920s Los Angeles. Starring Angelina Jolie, the movie features some stunning Roaring Twenties looks (put together by costume designer Deborah Hopper) that are sure to thrill vintage fans.
The 1920s were hugely influential in terms of modern fashion, and you'll regularly see Ascot racewear, "garconne" or Flapper straight shifts and Great Gatsby-esque looks on contemporary runways. (Think Temperley London Spring/Summer '08, Chanel Fall/Winter 2007, and Sue Wong's recent forays into bejeweled 1920s decadence.)
Thankfully, modern women are more in love with their curves than 1920s gals were–we no longer feel compelled to bind our breasts with the once-popular Symington Side Lacer bra, which could be laced at both sides and pulled in to flatten the chest...ouch!

May 20, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 15, 2008

Last chance to buy tickets for "Fashion For Life" this weekend!

It's your last chance to buy tickets for Fashion for Life, the annual fashion fundraiser for Friendly House, one of Los Angeles’ oldest and most respected addiction recovery organizations for women. The event takes place this Sunday, May 18 from 2pm – 5pm at Mercedes-Benz of Beverly Hills.
The event features a dynamic fashion show highlighting seven Los Angeles designers, including Kevan Hall, Robert Rodriguez, Marc Callo, and Elsie Katz Couture. The audience will also be treated to a first look at Paige Black Label, the new collection of skirts, trousers, dresses, vests and jackets in fine fabrications created by Paige Adams-Gellar. DJ AM will spin during the show. Honorary Co-Chairs Amber Valletta, Cameron Silver, and Paige Adams-Gellar, emcee Lisa Rinna and renowned retailer Lisa Kline will be joined by fashionistas from across LA.
At last year's event, Decades boutique owner Cameron Silver (pictured, with model Amber Valetta) exclaimed that Fashion for Life was his "fashion Bar Mitzvah" when he was presented with the Vision Award for his contributions to L.A. fashion. This year’s Vision Award honoree goes to Lisa Kline.
Tickets begin at $75 and can be purchased by calling 310-929-7826, or emailing friendlyhouse@sbcglobal.net. Click here for more info.
Fashion for Life is offering to gift a Stylephile reader one of their VIP Gift Bags, containing items by Paige Premium Denim, Kol Candle, Zooey T’s, Stacie Bass Flip Flops, ghd Hair Care, Voluspa Candles, Grant Chris Rohloff T-shirts, Balance Water and a notepad from the night's  Vision Award Honoree, Lisa Kline.
To win, tell us this: how would you define L.A. fashion? The most insightful comment wins! Leave your answers in the comments section of this post, and dont forget to include your email address. Deadline is Wednesday May 21 at 5PM.

May 15, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (10)

Online stylists help with your "Sex And The City" fashion questions

Despite Brian Lowry's lukewarm reaction to the "Sex And The City" movie in Variety, doesn't mean we can't still play dress-up. Online retailer Tobi.com is encouraging the SATC-obsessed to make the most of their personal Stylist Program to help them put together the perfect Carrie/Miranda/Samantha/Charlotte look. Hit up one of the Tobi stylists on live chat, and they'll answer your questions on how to look like Carrie in Paris, for instance, or Miranda in the final season. They've watched every single episode and are poised to assist you in creating your winning SATC look.
(L-R) Wannabe Carries should opt for this Rag & Bone Split Back Swing dress ($470). Would-be Samanthas could try on Grey Ant's Mini Slip Dress ($264). Mirandas would look chic in Black Halo's Jackie-O Dress ($328). And preppy Charlottes might want to pick up a Sea Shirt Dress ($392).
Cosmos, sadly, are not included.

May 15, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eva Longoria's dress causes temporary blindness

At the "Blindness" premiere last night, Eva Longoria's turquoise Versace Haute Couture gown clashed perfectly with the red carpet. The in-your-face hue was way too Euro-obnoxious for my tastes, although the dress perfectly hugged her tiny toned body.
Mischa Barton's irridescent navy blue Alberta Ferretti gown was beautiful, but would have worked better on a woman who has the curves to fill such a dress. Natalie Portman, as always, could do no wrong—she  was sublime in royal purple Lanvin.
Visit Variety's Festival Central to see all the looks.

May 15, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (2)

Cate wins Palm de Phwoar at Cannes

Baby? What baby?!
Cate Blanchett, 39, was stunning, svelte and statuesque in ruffled pale peach Armani Privé at the Cannes premiere of "Blindness" last night, walking away with the night's Palm de Phwoar. ("Phwoar!" is what British males exclaim when they think a lady looks pretty).
It was the first time Blanchett, who gave birth to son Ignatius Martin just four weeks ago, had hit the red carpet since the arrival of her new baby.
She's in France for the May 18 world premiere of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" in which she plays the evil Irina Spalko. "Crystal Skull" is the fourth installment in the Indiana Jones saga, and is directed again by Steven Spielberg.

May 15, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (2)

May 13, 2008

Postcard from Cannes

Dear Mom,

I'm having a faaaabulous time in Cannes, thanks in no small part to the bronzed locals, endless swirl of parties and, of course, my aptly named Postcard from Cannes high-heel sandals by Elisa Ferare. Handcrafted and super-duper comfortable, they are awesome for strolling down La Croisette—plus I heard that Scarlett Johansson, Halle Berry, and Nicole Richie all own a pair.
I heard that Elisa, a former dancer and sometime interior designer, launched her eponymous collection in 2004 because she could never find what she wanted in luxury shoe market. She wanted to add at least four inches to her 5'4" frame without sacrificing comfort. She started making her dream shoe out of her Hollywood Hills workshop by restyling a platform sandal into her ideal; a brocade-covered five-inch look. "I started wearing them, and people would constantly ask me where I got them," says Ferare. "So I decided to start my own line." Today, her collection of teeteringly high platforms, platform wedges and embellished flats is carried at Jeffrey in New York, Maxfield’s in Los Angeles, as well as several other boutiques across the country, wholesaling for $235 to $260.
Thirties and Forties motifs run through most of her creations. "Even if the fabrics are new, they're treated to look worn," she says. Ultimately, Ferare believes that a beautiful shoe doesn't really mean anything unless it can be worn. Thus, going on the idea that a dance shoe has to be more comfortable than any other, she has the collection hand-made at a Los Angeles dance shoe factory.

Air kisses to you all, and see you in 12 days!

Love, The Stylephile

You can buy Elisa Ferare's designs at Maxfields and Neiman Marcus. Click here for a full list of stockists.

May 13, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mary-Kate's new chinchilla obsession

Loathe Mary-Kate Olsen and all that she stands for? Can't abide the skinning of innocent creatures in the name of fashion? Then you'll want to throw up all over this Leonello Borghi chinchilla carry-all, which has become the undernourished Olsen twin's favored carry-all du jour. 
Please excuse this caustic introduction (blame the irritatingly cool L.A. weather), because actually, I'm a big fan of Borghi's designs. The Florence-born accessories designer worked in Paris with Prada for three years, before moving to New York where, in 1999, he worked with Giorgio Armani on his inaugural accessories collection. In the summer of 2001, he launched his premiere men’s accessories collection, debuting his first women’s accessories collection in 2002. Mary Kate's "Otto Shopper" is made of chinchilla and twin sister Ashley is also a proud owner of this caramel swirl fur bag.
Leonello Borghi recently created an exclusive collection for 'Barneys NY. Buy here.

May 13, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (7)

May 8, 2008

Anna Wintour and Lebron James cartoon

We hear that none other than that Vogue columnist André Leon Talley has purchased the cheeky New York Observer caricature parodying Vogue's controversial April 2008 cover.  The original cover, which featured a bellowing LeBron James with model Gisele Bündchen, was branded racist by some. The cartoon, on the other hand, features a somewhat terrifying Anna Wintour and a rather fey-looking Condé Nast owner Si Newhouse in their place. 
Perhaps Leon Talley plans to gift the drawing to his boss this Christmas?

May 8, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 30, 2008

How Allure's editor-in-chief protects her summertime skin

Allure was the first major publication in America to devote itself solely to beauty, so it comes as no surprise that founding editor Linda Wells has the scoop on every skincare and sun tanning secret you could think of.
First and foremost, she doesn't trust the sun as far as she can throw it—she wears 85 SPF and adds anti-oxidant drops to her glass of Perrier before venturing out at midday. It may sound a little extreme, but she is BFFs with many of America's top dermatologists, and they all tell her the same thing: sun = danger.
I spoke to Wells today and she reminded me that melanoma is the fastest-growing cancer in America.
That's right—frolicking on the beach without adequate SPF protection and relaxing in a tanning booth could land you in the radiologist’s office quicker than a daytrip to Chernobyl, if you're not careful.
To highlight this sad reality, Allure magazine is hosting an exclusive art auction next week, with nude portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Scarlett Johansson, Gisele Bundchen and Kate Moss donated by some of the biggest photographers working today: Mert and Marcus, Annie Leibovitz, Michael Thompson, Steven Klein, Bert Stern, Reed Krakoff and Eve Arnold among them. The 2nd Annual ‘Most Alluring Bodies’ Exhibit takes place at Skylight in Manhattan, New York on May 7, and all proceeds from the silent auction will  benefit NYU’s Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Group and kick-off Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
Ahead of the big event (which is invitation only), I snagged half an hour on the phone with Wells, and asked her opinion on tanning beds, SPF makeup, the best sunscreen and why so many of us think we're immune to the effects of the sun...
Read it and weep, sun worshippers...

So why do you take such a strong interest in skin cancer?

Well, I have the palest skin in the entire United States of America. So I have always been really aware of skin cancer and of my responsibility. The statistics are so terrible—it  is the fastest growing form of cancer in America, and the most common.

The statistics are out there...so why do we still like to bask in the sun like baby seals?

Many people feel their healthiest and most alive when they are out in the sun. But it’s also the situation when they are most at risk. And there's the aesthetics of the sun tan. I know I should bite my tongue, but I still think that suntans look good. But I don’t recommend them.

How does a woman’s awareness of sun damage change as she grows older?

Women in their teens and twenties are the ones most likely to marinade their bodies in baby oil while they sit outside during spring break or go in to tanning booths in the winter. They believe they are immune. When women reach their thirties, they realize they have to protect their skin because they don’t want to look older. The cancer connection comes much later.

Tanning beds, once and for all—are they or are they not safe?

I believe there are more tanning booths in the U.S. than there are Starbucks. The tanning companies say it’s safer to use a tanning bed than to go in the sun. It’s not safer. They bombard your body with UV light. You should not be in those things. It's like sitting in the doctor’s office smoking a cigarette. But don’t expect the tanning companies to tell you the dangers, however.

Having a deep Donatella Versace/George Hamilton permatan is tacky anyway, right?

In terms of fashion, I go to the shows in Europe and New York and very few top models have tans. A lot of them are from Eastern Europe and their skin has never been touched by the sun, and they have no visible pores at all. These women have no interest in getting a suntan.

What about SPF makeup...does it really protect us?

Here’s the problem with SPF makeup– you think you're fully covered, but you’re not. You don’t put it on all over your face; you don't put on enough to equal the coverage you would get from a sunscreen. Also, you don’t reapply it all day long. So it really creates a false sense of security. It’s great that makeup has SPF in it, but that’s not always enough. Luckily most self-respecting cosmetics companies have daytime moisturizers that have SPF 30. And when you go to the beach you should put on regular sunscreen of course.

How do you look after your skin?

I just got back from being on a boat in the Bahamas for four days and I took anti oxidant supplements, and I put anti oxidant drops in my water. I reapplied sun screen every hour. The anti oxidants tablets are called Heliocare and contain a fern extract. They really help protect your skin cells against damage from the sun. But I would never rely on those alone.

What about using chemical-free mineral sunscreens. Are they equally effective?

Mineral products are great but I don’t think there’s that much that’s terribly wrong with chemicals. If the natural product can do what the chemical can do, then terrific, but in all likelihood the natural product probably does contain at least some chemicals. Trust me, the disease is worse than the effort to prevent it.

What are the key things to know when you're buying sunscreen?

You want to pick a broad spectrum of sun protection. It’s not just the SPF. SPF protects against UVB rays. You also need to protect against UVA, which cause wrinkling and skin cancer. I love Neutrogena with Heliocare. They make one called "Dry Touch" that doesn’t make your face greasy at all. I was using SPF 85. I wouldn’t touch an SPF 8 or 15. Aveeno makes a really good one too.

What about self-tanning lotions?

I think self tanning is great. That’s a way of having your cake and eating it too. I do that sometimes, during the summer. If you get a self tan then you’re not going in the sun, but you have to be sure that the self tanner contains sunscreens. There’s new research that says that in the 24 hours after you have treated your skin with tanner, your skin is more vulnerable to sun damage, so people should be aware of that.

What’s the most interesting thing you've learned about sun tanning over the years?

I am always fascinated by the psychology of it, and why we persist in doing something that is unhealthy. It always comes down to that tension between vanity and health. If you can appeal to vanity and take care of health, then you’ve won the game, especially in terms of what we do as a magazine.

April 30, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (3)

April 29, 2008

Men's swimming shorts, a subject close to my heart

I received a missive from Clearly First (the very cool Madison Avenue gift and lifestyle store) about men's swimming shorts...a subject close to my heart. 
You see, I spent my childhood summers on the thong-infested beaches of the Mediterranean. So now, there is nothing more offensive to me than a man's sand-sprinkled bare bottom, fronted by a bulging cod piece. At the opposite extreme, there is nothing less yawnworthy than a pair of Quiksilver knee-length board shorts. The ideal lies somewhere in the middle, hovering around the fitted mini shorts worn by James Bond (from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig), the kind that both covers and enhances, if you know what I mean...
Enter London-based Orlebar Brown. Their range of classic, tailored shorts in monochromes and stylish patterns hits exactly the right spot. I especially love their yummy pink short shorts. The company was founded by London photographer Adam Brown and lawyer and housemaker Julia Simpson. They came up with the idea for Orlebar Brown after being "regularly disappointed with what was available" in the realm of men's bathing shorts.
You can buy Orlebar Brown at Clearly First, 980 Madison Avenue, New York , NY 10075 tel: (212) 988-8242.

April 29, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 24, 2008

Agyness Deyn pops in to L.A.

Two worlds collided when super/über/add your own superlative model Agyness Deyn left the safe confines of London and New York to attend the launch of a t-shirt line in at Fred Segal Fun in Santa Monica.
So what was the tee shirt line that inspired the peroxide cropped style icon to grace our polluted Pacific shores?
E.VIL is the name of the eco-friendly line, a capsule collection created by Svedka vodka, with proceeds benefiting Heal the Bay, a nonprofit helping suck the nastiness out of the beaches of Southern California.
The party was hosted by TV actress Minka Kelly and New York's infamously sullen The Misshapes deejayed, causing toes to tap among the wide-eyed Hollywood crowd which included Jamie Lynn Sigler, Kim Kardashian, Rami Kashou (Project Runway), Nick Verreos (MSN Style Studio), Kelly Kruger and Perrey Reeves.
Then everyone went home, threw out their lip gloss, dyed their hair black and started cutting themselves.

(Top photo: Minka Kelly (R) shakes hands with Agyness Deyn.
Bottom photo: Agyness Deyn with The Misshapes.)

April 24, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 22, 2008

Harmony Korine, back for more

Were it not for Harmony Korine, life might have been very different for edgy leading ladies like Chloë Sevigny and Rosario Dawson. Korine wrote the screenplay for "Kids", the infamous tale of drug-addled, morally-bankrupt youth in New York. Directed by Larry Clark, the movie made stars of Sevigny (who once dated Harmony Korine) and Dawson, and came to epitomize the white-trash obsessed, hipster skateboard subculture of the 1990s.
Korine went on to make cult favorites "Gummo" and "julien donkey-boy", and wrote Larry Clark's semi-pornographic Ken Park. After a break of eight years or so, he returns with "Mister Lonely", an endearing celluloid oddity about a Michael Jackson impersonator (Diego Luna) who falls in love with a Marilyn Monroe lookalike (Samantha Morton) at a commune populated by other faux 20th century icons in the Scottish Highlands. Director Werner Herzog plays a Panamanian priest in a seemingly unrelated storyline about a miraculous group of flying nuns (look out for Herzog's entirely improvised scene with an eccentric, tearful local).
"Mister Lonely" was screened at the Silent Movie Theatre in LA on Saturday, and I spotted Miranda July, and someone who looked very much like Chloë Sevigny hanging around, looking slouchy and beautiful.
Korine treated us to an amusing Q&A session after the movie, grimacing when asked questions like "what's your process", but relishing the telling of many wild and colorful stories about how he made the film. Some of them, (like how he decided to not shoot the movie in Iceland after meeting a creepy location manager who was wearing a see-through nightgown and had four frozen horses in her house) sounded almost as fantastical as the movie itself.
(Photo of Harmony Korine (L) with a fan at the Silent Movie Theatre)

April 22, 2008 in FAME | Permalink | Comments (3)

Blonde Venus: The essence of glamour

For many, Marlene Dietrich's iconic performance in 1932's "Blonde Venus" set the glamor standard forever more. Whether she was parading around in a shimmering white top hat and tails, bedecked in feathers and ruffles wih an enormous 'fro, or even swimming nude, she commanded the screen with her style, creating a visual blueprint that would inspire the world of fashion for decades. This coming Sunday, April 27 at 5.30PM you too can revel in the sheer decadence of Dietrich, when the Art Directors Guild presents a Screening of "Blonde Venus" at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.
Directed by Josef Von Sternberg, the film sees Dietrich play Helen, a former nightclub entertainer who is forced to return to the Paris cabaret to support her family. The costumes were designed by Travis Banton, who helped mastermind Dietrich's famously androgynous look.
I recently visited the marvelous Berlin Film Museum where you can see the original costumes worn by Dietrich in "Blonde Venus" and many other movies, plus rare home video footage of Marlene and her many lovers.