Oscar de la Renta
St. John
Zac Posen
Isaac Mizrahi
Christian Cota
Jenny Packham
Marchesa
Norma Kamali
L’Wren Scott
Christian Siriano
Carolina Herrera
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Home > Archives for September, 2011
Monthly Archives: September 2011
Spring 2012 RTW: Good Gowns Part One
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
Tuesday’s Tarot
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011
The Two of Pentacles comes with a flurry of written correspondence. The card depicts a jester who juggles responsibilities with an easy-going approach. The Two of Pentacles definitely has a fun side, but like all the cards in the tarot it also has a negative side that will have you embroiled in troublesome entanglements. This week, expect a slew of paperwork and business exchanges. It’s a busy time full of non-delegable duties. Stay nimble and cope with change using flexibility. Find amusement in the mundane.
emmy 2011 style review: red, wrong, and blue
Monday, September 19th, 2011
The best and worst of the A-list: Kate Winslet in Elie Saab and Gwyneth Paltrow in Pucci. Gwyneth’s face looks better than it has in a while, but the dress is confusing and wrong. A transparent midriff, really G?
Another disappointing turn for Katie Holmes in Calvin Klein Collection. Bad fit, uninspired color, and boring shoes combined to create another dud for Mrs. Cruise. 
Evan Rachel Wood provided a refreshing relief from the onslaught of red in an immaculately tailored Elie Saab.
Hate to say Christina Hendricks looked unnecessarily big in an embellished Johanna Johnson gown. The open toe and low heeled shoe makes her legs appear chunky. A darker tressed Elisabeth Moss stayed in the same color family as her co-star in a pinky-nudish Marchesa adorned with shimmering vines. Damn, I miss Mad Men.
Let’s get the Glee bitches out of the way: self-important Lea Michele vamping for the flashbulbs in Marchesa, Jenna Ushkowitz in an architectural Ghadah Paris, and Diana Agron in Roskanda Ilinic. 
Naya Rivera’s chic, black, subtly-detailed gown made Heather Morris‘ selection look fussy by comparison. 
Colfer proves that photographically satin betrays both genders. Darren Criss showed up his more well-known cast mate in a slender suit by John Varvatos. 
Of the hostesses, Cat Deeley didn’t embarrass herself or wow in Monique L’Huillier. I question the clutch choice with this particular gown. 
Even with ample style resources, Padma Lakshmi in Armani Privé and Heidi Klum in Christian Siriano reinforce the notion that most models can’t dress themselves worth a shit. 
You would think that the Fashion Police might dress a skosh more fashionably, right? Giuliana wore a crimson Cavalli which got lost in the sea of red gowns. Kelly Osbourne did a bit better in plum J. Mendel. However, for someone who regularly critiques others for failing to make fashion forward choices, this safe dress felt more Lea Michele than Kelly Osbourne. Though let’s face it, none of these third tier hangers-on get first pick of the best gowns. 
Prettier than most ladies, how about a little Mario Lopez palette cleanser? Werk those dimples son. 
Joel McHale also looked dapper and fresh in his icy tux coat. 
Not much better than that dreadful Wonder Woman costume, Adrianne Palicki arrived in anti-photogenic satin. Super likable Connie Britton looked lovely in a deeper shade of the night’s most favored hue. For a woman her age, the face and body are damn aspirational and underrated. 
Minka’s old lady Christian Dior underscored the impact of Galliano’s departure on the house. This gown isn’t going to give Jeter any regrets. 
Usually Claire does Narciso or Calvin Klein; instead she went in a different direction with this flashy Oscar de la Renta gown. The perennially overrated Emily Blunt donned Elie Saab. Elie Saab provided many of the evening’s strongest looks, but this wasn’t one of them. Why does she always have that just-ate-a-canary mug on her face?
Julie Bowen did de la Renta this year and kept the accessories minimal. Sofia Vergara rocked Wang (Vera not Alexander, obviously). Don’t match the lipstick to the dress please.
For comics, Kristen Wiig impressed in ombre Zac Posen, and Amy Poehler rocked Peter Som. Her dress was featured right here on Demeter Clarc in the best of blue for Fall 2011 RTW.
Pint-sized Nina Dobrev was swallowed whole by bloodshot Donna Karan. Hate the necklace too. Margulies‘ unseasonable white Armani Privé evoked Styrofoam cup. 
Let’s finish strong and severe with Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey in Alessandra Rich. A different bag and belt could have catapulted her from an eight to a ten. The fantastic Christine Baranski served a seasonally appropriate dark blue Zac Posen and outshone many attendees half her age. 
nap time
Saturday, September 17th, 2011
Have you been pissy, fat and accident-prone lately? Consider this…
1) Inadequate sleep can make you fat. Studies show that chronic sleep debt is linked to increased appetite and energy expenditure. Some argue that Americans aren’t gluttons, but instead just really, really tired.
2) Sleep deprivation can make you psycho suggest studies from Berkeley and Harvard. Lack of sleep can cause distortions, erratic emotional responses, and unpredictable behavior.
3) The American Academy of Sleep Medicine proved that sleep deprivation makes you sloppy. A person’s driving ability, math aptitude, and general response time significantly diminishes when overtired.
4) Sleep deprivation is torture. At least the Russians, British, and the U.S. have used sleep deprivation as an interrogation technique. While not every country has defined the practice as “torture,” those that have suffered through imposed sleep deprivation describe it as worse than restrictions on food or water.
5) Not sleeping enough can make you vulnerable to illness. Sleep deprivation causes our T-cells to decrease, and inflammatory cytokines to rise. A weaker immune system leaves us open to colds, flu, and a whole lot worse…
Take care of yourself this fall by extending the sleepytimes whenever possible. Bright-eyed bitches wake up less hateful, look better, and conduct themselves more competently. Imagine what a better world this would be if we all had the luxury of a solid nine hours.
Brake Check
Friday, September 16th, 2011
After traipsing back and forth across this fine country, can we vent on the shit driving epidemic? The three worst offenses… 
get over
Common courtesy (and in most jurisdictions the law) dictates that if your ass ain’t passing, your ass should be in the right lane. Douche cruising in the left lane at 5 miles over the speed limit causing everyone to pass you on the right, I’m talking to you. Get the fuck over.
leave more room
Tailgating should be left to potbellied football fans at Bears games. In many circumstances, if you rear-end someone you are presumed at fault for the collision. So maybe get the fuck off my trunk. Get too close and get brake checked bitch.
coast
Between the gas and brake lies beautiful coast land. Don’t miss out on this magical place where inertia allows for gentle deceleration. Finesse marks a skilled driver. Leave the jerky stop-starts to the nervous nellies. 
Spring 2012 RTW: For the Boys
Thursday, September 15th, 2011
Marc by Marc Jacobs
Billy Reid
Richard Chai Love
Diesel Black Gold 
Custo Barcelona 
Lacoste
Michael Kors
Billy Reid
Steven Alan
Nicholas K
Lacoste
Marc by Marc Jacobs
The Rachel Zoe Project: Who’s buying?
Wednesday, September 14th, 2011
Rachel arrived in New York and fussed with the final touches to the collection. Jessica Iredale from Women’s Wear Daily arrived for a private preview. Zoe described the collection to Iredale and not-so-subtly dropped the sex of her unborn child in the mix. Interesting PR strategy.
Overall, the color in the collection is off. The camel isn’t quite right. The gold buttons are a bit too garish. It does feel very Studio 54 Halston-y and therefore true to Rachel’s aesthetic. The larger problem is that her viewpoint is predictable and one-note.
We all agree that creatively Zoe isn’t in the same stratosphere as Alexander Wang, right? Put it this way – you’ve got $400 bucks are you gonna buy Wang, or are you going to buy the Rachel Zoe Collection? Ask Lauren fucking Conrad. 
Zoe themed with clichés like “the Parisian Girl” and “the London Girl” and “the Uptown Chic Girl.” The buyers and editors humored her. Nobody’s gonna to tell a pregnant woman her debut collection sucks, even in this cut-throat fashist crowd.
The lemming buyers must have liked what they saw because more than one high-end department store scooped up the collection. A QVC sell-through is one thing, but can Rachel attract a high-end shopper? In Zoe’s case, what she lacks in design talent she overcompensates for in reality show exposure. We’ll see how the collection sells with its well-timed commercial release.
Tuesday’s Tarot
Tuesday, September 13th, 2011
Pentacles correspond to the North, Earth, winter, and feminine energy. Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn, the Pentacles are for you. This suit governs materiality – wealth, possessions, accomplishments, business, land, home, and abundance. The Pentacles support and challenge our sense of safety and ability to relax and refrain from worry. Our physical bodies and connection to the Earth are represented by the Pentacles. We have the next 13 weeks to get that ass in shape.
The Ace of Pentacles brings prosperity and comfortable material conditions. This card manifests the outcome of all work, strife and struggle we experienced with the Swords. With great effort comes great reward: the Ace signifies growth, security, and well-deserved flourishing. When reversed, wealth is mismanaged and good fortune abused, resulting in discontent, anxiety and insecurity.