Glam Girls Love Socks

I’m still locked in: even if the temperature is gone, I’m feeling so badly, with all my bones terribly aching. I spend my days in bed or playing with my daughter or trying to do some chores at home, and nothing more, but my mind is constantly at work. I’ve always had a thing for knitted socks, because I think they are a perfect symbol of cozy winter days and freezing winter nights. Miuccia Prada, who often wears socks with sandals (a trend I love), has recently brought them to a higher and more precious level.

Miu Miu fall/winter 2009 collection includes luxurious black or beige knee-high socks, which complete bra-revealing outfits and heavily beaded dresses. These socks are made of ribbed cotton and are bead and sequin-embellished with floral motifs. The black version is so glamourous.

The beige version has a subtler appeal, but are – if possible – even more beautiful than the black one. I like them especially when they are paired to embroidered satin sandals, so as to achieve a super-embellished effect.

The bell in my mind rang twice when I saw the same socks in a lovely editorial by Craig McDean – It’s a Matter of Glam, featuring Sasha Pivovarova – in the October 2009 issue of Vogue Italia. The contrast between the pale colour of the socks and the bright red of the Chloè sandals is striking, isn’t it?

This is my favourite shot of the editorial, because Sasha is wearing a gorgeous Miu Miu embellished skirt and the satin shoes from the same collection. The muted tones of the outfit are amplified by the neutral leather gloves and by the grey fur stole she’s wearing.

These beauties are sold out everywhere, and this is somehow creepy, if you think a pair costs 435 dollars! I wouldn’t never ever spend so much money on a pair of socks (just the idea gives me the creeps), even if I could, but it’s clear die-hard fashionistas have no such scruples when it comes to laying their hands on the latest objects of desire.

Speaking of (tasteless) trend-followers, here is the first “celebrity” who has recently sported a pair of these socks. I hate Heidi Montag’s shameless conversion to any apparently popular trend, but in this case I envy her socks. I don’t like the rest of the outfit, which includes an Alexander Wang burn-out patterned cable tunic, Christian Louboutin Mamimo spectator pumps, a scrunched velvet coat and – God forgives her – a strand of pearls. Just a word about her hair: everybody knows I’d love to be blonde – I’ve never tried to go blonde because I’m raven-haired – but her hairstyle is too much Barbie even for my liking.

When it comes to me and socks, I rarely use them with dresses or skirts because I wear trousers and jeans all the time, but I’ve sometimes ventured into the trend. Here is the pathetic attempt to re-create a school uniform I did last February, when my daughter and me dressed up for Mardi Gras. In this case, I wore the most beautiful socks I own, made of ribbed cashmere, with lace-up suede ballerina flats, a vintage pleated skirt, a vintage striped shirt and a vintage wool vest. I added a red satin bow hairband and an octopus-shaped brooch to the outfit.

Do you like this trend or do you think wearing socks and skirts is a definite no-no?

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From the Valley to the Upper East Side: Lily Van Der Woodsen’s Style Cross-Over (3.10 – The Last Days of Disco Stick)

My husband, my daughter B and me are all ill with (swine?) flu, so I don’t have much time to spend at the pc, since each and every part of my body aches so much that I cannot help but lie down on my bed. This doesn’t mean I’ve skipped my weekly appointment with Gossip Girl. I was looking forward to watching The Last Days of Disco Stick [1] and the episode didn’t let me down. I appreciated the fact that Lady GaGa’s songs are a leit-motif in the story line, I loved her performance (and her red dress, too) and the hilarious cabaret starring Dan and Blair. Many sub-plots have sprouted from this episode (Serena and Tripp’s love story, Jenny’s fascination with trouble, Vanessa and Dan’s attraction), so it will be interesting to see the development of it all.

We all know the show is about the scandalous lives of Manhattan young elite, but Lily is really left in the background! In this episode she only appears once, when she sports a lovely outfit.

She’s a fan of pussy bow shirts and in this case she’s wearing one with an abstract print. She’s also wearing the same glasses she wore at the end of the previous episode. The jewellery she has chosen to complete the outfit is minimal – a diamond ring and earrings with oval citrine topazes.

I could get a rare full figure screenshot, from which we can see she’s also wearing J Brand jeans. This style is Love Story Heartbreaker bootcut in Ink, very classic and comfortable, slightly flared.

Her hairstyle here is cute: this is the usual updo she sports, but with a twist, because the bun is messy and braided. I love this bohemian touch. Just for info, Jenny is reading the October 2009 issue of Nylon Magazine, with Megan Fox on the cover.

What are your impressions about the episode? Did you enjoy it? And what about Lady GaGa’s performance?

[1] The title refers to this movie, but also include a reference to the disco stick, one of GaGa’s symbols, and to her song Love Game.

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I Want Your Love and I Want Your Revenge

All the fashion blogs have recently written about Bad Romance, Lady GaGa’s latest music video directed by Francis Lawrence. The usually daring fashion choices of the American artist have become more and more extravagant and impressive, and this can be seen in the video: GaGa’s stylist, Nicola Formichetti, and the Haus of GaGa team have created something unique and special. The most striking pieces seen on her come from Alexander McQueen spring/summer 2010 collection, Plato’s Atlantis, but any single piece and accessory tell a story.

I’ve decided to write this review with one goal in mind: I think this video pays homage to science-fiction movies and music videos of the past, from an aesthetic point of view, so I hope it will be interesting to see how science-fiction is a genre which, though looking at a distant future, constantly recalls past visions about the future.

The first scene of the video is set in a white salon, with tiles on the walls and flashing neon lights. GaGa is sitting on a white chair, surrounded by white-clad dancers and black-clad men. In the fiction of the video, she is the object of an auction, but she will get her revenge on the winner.

In this scene she’s wearing an Alexander McQueen gold embroidered dress (I love the architectural structure of the sleeves) and shoes, plus shield sunglasses made of razor blades, creepy! Some metal net pieces have been applied on her black polished finger nails, as we can see in the screenshot above. The black object she has her hand on is a Zimku Parrot stand-alone speaker tower, designed by Philippe Starck.

The second scene is an overview of the setting, including other rooms with white tiles on the walls, some Nemiroff vodka bottles, a set of white coffins with the word “Monster” [1] and a cross on them.

The lighting effects of this scene have struck my attention because they remind me of Lenny Kravitz’s If You Can’t Say No music video, directed by the great Mark Romanek in 1998. In both cases, the objects and settings are lightened by a single ray of light in the darkness, an effect which emphasizes the ideas of mystery and impending danger.

The camera then stops in front of a glass door, which leads to the Bath Haus of GaGa, a bathroom where seven white coffins are lined  up. GaGa and her dancers will come out of the coffins (all are dressed in white latex) and will perform a dance routine.

The shape of the coffins recalls the coffin-shaped beds seen on True Blood’s Shake and Fingerpop (the fourth episode of the second season, when Bill, Sookie and Eric go to Dallas).

Science-fiction movies are filled with coffin-shaped beds, which are often rest but also healing places; just think of Ridley Scott’s Alien and James Cameron’s Aliens, where coffin beds were used to protect the hibernated sleep of the protagonists.

The shape of the coffins also reminds me of the shape of the starship seen in Scream, the most expensive music video of all times, directed by Mark Romanek in 1999 for Micheal and Janet Jackson. The influence of Scream can be seen in the general design of the setting in Bad Romance.

The third outfit change sees GaGa wearing an Alexander McQueen black turtleneck dress and booties with metal details, black shield sunglasses and a Haus of GaGa crown hat. In this scene, she’s singing in front of a white-framed mirror.

The following scene is set in the Bath Haus of GaGa, where’s she’s having a bath in a white tub. In this case, she’s sporting her lovely pink/blonde curly hairstyle and wearing Rachel Barrett silicone rubber top and skirt, plus Alexander McQueen monster white platform pumps. What I don’t get of this scene is the look of her eyes: I don’t know if this is a special effect or just make-up, but her eyes look huge and this underlines her alien look.

Her bath is interrupted by two silicone-clad women, who force her out of the tub and give her some vodka to drink. I love this scene because it’s disquieting and because I think it’s a reference to one of my favourite movies ever, Girl, Interrupted by James Mangold, starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie. In particular, it refers to the infamous scene set in the bathroom: sorry but I’ve been obsessed with this scene since I first saw the movie.

Now comes the central part of the video, when the auction for a night with GaGa’s takes place. This scene is wonderful because the setting and her costumes make it special. The white bathroom is turned into a ballroom, where the protagonist is stripped of a weird letter trench coat by Vava Dudu and is left wearing just a few crystals. Note that the men are scantily clad, too: some of them wear trousers and jackets, but others are bare-chested. Another interesting detail are the animal/gas masks some of them wear, echoed by the scary Canadian Hairless cat on the lap of a man. Each man is bidding through a remote control connected to laptops, showing their bids. Just for the record, the winner “buys” her for 1,000,000 dollars.

The dance routine of GaGa and her dancers makes the room look like a stage, and this brings us back to the Nineties and to one of the most beautiful music videos of that decade, Blur’s The Universal, directed by Jonathan Glazer. Damon Albarn and his mates performe in an all-white club, a modern version of A Clockwork Orange’s Korova Milk Bar, where Alex DeLarge and his Droogs often hung out.

Another all-white setting for a dance routine is present in Kylie Minogue’s Can’t Get You Out of My Head, directed by Dawn Shadforth, a music video which heavily references to science-fiction. In the scene above, Kylie was wearing the infamous revealing white jumpsuit designed by Fee Doran, a piece so striking and sexy that turned Kylie into a sex symbol again, after years of semi-oblivion.

As for GaGa, the outfit she is sporting here includes silver shorts, a stunning mesh and crystal top and a gorgeous crystal headpiece, all custom-made creations by Franc Fernandez. In the screencaps above, her new tattoo – a Rainer Maria Rilke’s quote – on the inner part of her arm is visible.

The following scene is set in the same hall as before: now the dancers are gone and GaGa is alone among the men who have attended the auction. This is another of my favourite scenes, because it’s visually captivating: she’s standing at the centre of the hall, wearing Agent Provocateur Love black bra and panties, surrounded by a motionless rain of crystals. We get a 360° vision of GaGa amid the crystal rain, such a poetic and intense moment! She’s also wearing a lace mask by Keko Hainswheeler, Alexander McQueen monster black pumps and Benjamin Cho crystal rosaries.

People gradually disappear from the hall: now GaGa is alone, amid the white flashing lights coming from the walls. This scene is similar to the previous one, because here GaGa is again motionless, while the camera revolves around her. Lady GaGa’s unstoppable desire to experiment with fashion and her own image is symbolized by several elements – her quirky hairstyles, the beyond sexy outfits, the passion for masks and shield sunglasses, the unbelievable headpieces and the metal orb. This a creation by Nasir Mazhar (recalling Leonardo Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man) she first sported during a performance at Saturday Night Live in October 2009 [2]. She’s also wearing black bra and panties, a cut-out metal corset, shield sunglasses and Alexander McQueen pumps with metal details.

One of the latest scenes are set in the same hall: now it is empty and in half-light. Lady GaGa moves a few steps, then sits on a bench. We understand why she doesn’t walk much with those elephantic shoes. Alexander McQueen is one of my favourite designers, but I prefer his Victorian-gothic side to his futuristic views; this doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the gorgeous dress seen on GaGa, all embroidered with iridescent beads and worn with matching leggings. In this scene, GaGa is wearing her shield sunglasses again and sports a towering hairstyle, similar to the ones seen on McQueen’s runway.

The action is slowly approaching to its climax. GaGa makes an unforgettable entrance in the white hall – now turned into a bedroom – wearing a polar bear faux fur coat by Benjamin Cho. The winner of the auction – whose face is half covered by metal armour plates – is sitting on the bed, sipping vodka from a glass. He’s the only black note in a white ocean: everything is white, including GaGa’s tulle bra and panties, her Carrera Safari sunglasses, Kartell Bourgie lamps in the background and the hunting trophies on the wall [3]. Her make-up here is stunning: she pairs a heavy smokey eye with dark red lips, so dramatic [4]!

As I said before, GaGa is sold to the best auctioneer, but she strikes back with a terrible revenge, because she literally sets the bed on fire. The scene above preludes to one of the most intense moments of the video, where the bed is completely wrapped in flames and GaGa gracefully poses for the camera. A creepy touch is given by a RP Encore rat headpiece.

The video is coming to an end, but there’s a last dance routine to perform. I love the contrast between the white setting and the red costumes on GaGa (her red lace number is a creation by Alex Noble) and the dancers.

The contrast of white and red is not a prerogative of Bad Romance, because it first appeared in 2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick, a movie which massively defined the concept of future in cinematography. The art directors Anthony Masters, Harry Lange and Ernest Archer created something unique and absolutely striking, because they imagined a future through the lens of the artistic avantgarde of the Sixties.

The same chromatic contrast can be found in The Universal, where the Red Man is one of the most enigmatic customers of the white club.

A touch of black humour closes the video: GaGa, wearing black lace bra and panties, her creepy rat headpiece and Alexander McQueen monster black pumps, lies on the charred bed, next to the skeleton of her lover. The metal bra she’s wearing is still sending sparks, so we guess it has been a weapon to use against her enemy. This is not the first time she has sported this weird creation by House of GaGa, because she performed at 2009 Much Music Awards in Toronto wearing it.

Just a few words about the video and the song before closing the post. I first didn’t like the song at all, but it has slowly grown on me, and now I can’t get it out of my head, so I guess it’s a perfect pop song. As for the video, I think it’s not as culturally relevant as Paparazzi [5], yet it is an interesting reflection on the opposition of love and hate in a science-fiction setting. Even if I don’t like Francis Lawrence’s style (too glossy and cold, in my opinion), it’s one of the most imaginative videos I’ve ever seen, and the evidence that GaGa is here to stay.

[1] This refers to the re-edition of GaGa’s debut album, The Fame Monster, including new tracks.

[2] She wore a smaller version of the orbit as a headpiece at the Ellen DeGeneres Show in December 2008.

[3] I love coincidences, so I think it’s funny she’s wearing sunglasses called Safari in a scene where hunting trophies hang from a wall.

[4] Christine at Temptalia has re-created the same make-up. I have to try it myself!

[5] The most striking flaw of the video are the several products advertised – the vodka, Carrera sunglasses, the speaker towers, Kartell lamps and Heartbeats by Lady GaGa headphones. I know advertisement and endorsements are essential, but this is too much in your face. That’s a pity, because the video is gorgeous and all these advertisements somehow distract the audience from it.

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From the Valley to the Upper East Side: Lily Van Der Woodsen’s Style Cross-Over (3.09 – They Shoot Humpreys, Don’t They?)

After watching the latest episodes of Gossip Girl, I wasn’t really satisfied with the plot. In comparison to the first two seasons, it all seemed bland, dull and a bit boring. These were my impressions until They Shoot Humpreys, Don’t They?, the ninth episode of the third season, which has given us something to talk about. I really enjoyed the episode because the main event was the Cotillon, a ball introducing young girls to New York’s society [1], and this meant plenty of intrigues. I didn’t pay much attention to the much-hyped Dan/Vanessa/Olivia’s threesome (boring!), but I’m sure it will lead to important turns in the story; the same can be said for Serena working at Tripp Van Der Bilt’s office. Last but not least, our favourite character, Lily Van Der Woodsen, will surely have to face the possible return of her estranged husband, Serena and Eric’s father.

But no more about the plot, let’s focus on Lily’s outfits. She only had two outfit changes in the episode, both impressive. We first see her during the opening credits of the episode, while she’s overseeing the rehearsals of the ball.

Her outfit is conservative, simple and chic, and so is her hairstyle, a bun decorated by a tiny braid (I love these subtle bohemian details).

She is wearing a short-sleeved black sheath dress, with a gathering on the neckline. Her accessories are Christian Louboutin patent pumps, emerald drop earrings, gold rings and a gold bracelet with pearls and emeralds.

I really like this dress: the fabric is weaved, the sleeves are slightly puffy and the gathering on the neckline makes it less plain.

For the big event, Lily chooses a gorgeous satin long dress, with a cowl neck and a short train on the back.

The champagne-coloured satin perfectly compliments her complexion and makes her glow.

The dress is lovely, but what really shocked me is her crystal collar necklace. I think it’s a vintage Kenneth Jay Lane necklace; for sure it’s the best accessory she could have picked for making the dress more special. I also like the barely-there make-up (all the focus is on the red lipstick) and the chic updo [2].

When Lily and Rufus get back home, she’s wearing a white wrap sweater on the dress, a casual and relaxed touch to a formal outfit. The sweater is tied at the waist by a satin ribbon. I love this scene because the semidarkness makes everything romantic and mysterious: it is not coincidental that something unexpected is going to happen.

Before going to bed, Lily sits at her desk and looks through the incoming mail. Her attention is caught by a letter from Switzerland, addressed to Serena and sent by her father. We still don’t know what Lily will do (will she deliver the envelope or will she hide it from S?), but she looks lovely and grave at the same time with the black-rimmed spectacles.

What are your opinions about the episode? Do you think we’re going to face plenty of drama in the next episodes? I really hope so!

[1] This is the fictional Upper East Side version of the annual Bal des Débutantes, which takes place at the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris.

[2] Some of the hairstyles sported by the characters at the ball disappointed me: Jenny’s, for example, is hideous, so shapeless as it is (I love her gloves, though), and also Blair’s didn’t wow me. On the other hand, I really loved the half updo seen on the Plasticines‘ frontwoman, Katty Besnard, who performed at the ball.

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Crystals are a Girl’s Best Friend

Lorelei Lee, the adorable character played by Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Howard Hawks (1953), had an obsession for diamond jewellery and she was lucky enough to marry a her very rich fiancè, who surely fostered this passion. Nowadays girls still love diamonds, but sometimes they can also be pleased by equally glittering and precious objects, Judith Leiber’s amazing crystal minaudieres. The brand, founded by the Hungarian Leiber in 1963, means incomparable quality and craftsmanship, because all the pieces are hand-crafted and decorated by Swarovski crystals.

Generations of American ladies (and First Ladies) have carried these minaudieres since the launch of the brand, but Leiber became really famous thanks to Sex and the City and its costume designer, Patricia Field. I cannot count all the trends launched by the iconic tv show (just think of Fendi Baguette and Hermès Birkin bags, Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik shoes, nameplate necklaces, flower corsages and leather opera gloves), but the unique style of its characters is still lingering everywhere. For this reason, anytime I spot a celebrity carrying a Leiber clutch, Carrie’s swan-shaped bag comes to my mind.

I am referring to The Caste System, the tenth episode of the second season, where Mr Big gives Carrie what he thinks is the it bag par excellence, a Leiber animal-shaped clutch.

Carrie is literally puzzled by this present (and so we are),but she fakes a smile for him, doesn’t know what to say about the bag and says she loves him instead.

The following day, the clutch stands out on the table of the restaurant where Carrie and the girls are having lunch. Miranda comments her mother has a similar bag, but squirrel-shaped!

When Carrie and Big go to a private party in the Upper East Side, she realizes Big has bought that bag not because it was trendy among Upper East Side ladies, not because it would have been the perfect present for her. Everywhere she turns, she notices Leiber bags, all in different shapes and colours. In the screecap below a bunch of flowers and a fruit (I couldn’t identify it) are visible.

In the foreground there is a watermelon slice, which I actually like.

The woman sitting on the couch has a pig-shaped bag on her lap, while the one in the background has an aubergine-shaped bag (this is quite creepy, in my opinion).

It’s funny that Carrie decided to carry her swan at a party where everyone else is sporting the same kind of bag.

Patricia Field picked an important Leiber piece for Sex and the City – the Movie (2008). The infamous cupcake-shaped bag has got an important role in the plot, because Lily, Charlotte and Henry’s adorable daughter, puts Carrie’s mobile phone in her bag before Carrie and Big’s wedding, and this causes all the drama of the movie. Leiber created a custom-made version of the cupcake bag for the movie, because Carrie’s phone didn’t fit in the regular version of the bag.

Katy Perry hosted the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2008: during the show and backstage she sported crazy and colourful outfits, including this weird satin “eye” satin dress by JC de Castelbajac. All my attention is focused on her sweet cupcake-shaped bag, because it is exactly the same as seen in Sex and the City – the Movie. I’m not a fan of Perry’s over-the-top and pin-up style, but she looked amazing in this ensemble.

TV personality Rocsi carried the same precious bag (in chocolate version) at 2009 Bet Awards pre-event, and paired it to a strapless white dress and white lace-up peep-toe booties. I don’t care about the outfit, because it’s quite boring, but the bag is so cute!

The actress Katie Cassidy, among the protagonists of Melrose Place, attended a Nylon Magazine party in August 2009, sporting a leopard-printed dress and hot pink pumps; she carried a Judith Leiber leopard-shaped minaudiere. I think the minaudiere is nice, but it doesn’t show on Katie because it has the same pattern of the dress. The lying-down leopard is very elegant, in my opinion.

One of the celebrities who has been recently spotted with a Leiber animal-shaped clutch in hand is Mary-Kate Olsen, who attended a CFDA reception in October 2009 sporting a black and white outfit. She accessorized it with a gorgeous elephant-shaped crystal clutch. This looks like a maharaja’s elephant, with that colourful carpet hanging from his back. I’ve never thought Mary-Kate was a Leiber girl, but it’s clear she loves statement accessories.

Girls are not the only fans of Leiber’s dazzling bags. Richie Rich, the former Heatherette designer who has now turned to a solo career, sported one of my favourite minaudieres, owl-shaped, during the launch of Heatherette for MAC collection in 2008. Leiber’s style is very different from Rich’s unique taste, but this owl bag somehow works with his outfits.

Leiber’s greatest fan is Jennifer Lopez, who often carries gorgeous crystal minaudieres. On Valentine’s day in 2009, she carried Heart n’ Soul, a heart-shaped clutch beaded with red hot crystals. I think she picked the perfect accessory for an amazing outfit – a Marchesa chiffon dress and Christian Louboutin Carnival satin D’Orsay pumps.

In October 2009 she attended a Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills game [1], during the Breast Cancer Awareness week. She wore a flowy orange dress and carried a lovely Leiber clutch: it was dolphin-shaped as a homage to Miami’s team and pink as a homage to the symbolical colour of the breast cancer awareness. I love it!

Most of Leiber’s crystallized minaudieres have animal shapes, but the range of precious pieces include other fancy shapes,such as fans, fruit, flowers and Buddhas.

Here are some of my favourite pieces. I love this Red Delicious apple-shaped bag. I think it could be the perfect accessory on an all-black outfit: this can be said for most of Leiber’s creations, because they’re so bright and sparkling, that it would be very difficult to pair them with colourful clothes.

This pink finch is adorable, isn’t it? I know Leiber’s creations are surprisingly expensive, but some of her pieces would be perfect for young girls because their shapes are so funny and cute, but definitely not for adults (I would never carry a bird-shaped clutch).

Bianca, my daughter, adores cats, so this black cat clutch immediately makes me think of her.The shape, the attitude of the animal, the eyes are so nice and so true to life that I would love to carry it for a special occasion. I love cats, too, and I’ve always thought black cats are magical and mysterious, so this clutch would be an amazing accessory for any black cat lover.

I know these accessories are really peculiar. They’re so peculiar and expensive that they’ve never become a real trend, but this doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love to have one of those (the black cat and the owl) in my small bag collection. What are your thoughts? Do you think they’re just divertissement bags?

[1] Jennifer’s husband, Marc Antony, is minority owner of Miami Dolphins.

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From the Valley to the Upper East Side: Lily Van Der Woodsen’s Style Cross-Over (3.08 – The Grandfather Part II + Pumpkin Patch Special)

What is happening to Gossip Girl? I enjoyed the eighth episode of the third season – The Grandfather Part II – because the plot seems to make things more exciting, thanks to the rekindled rivalry between S and B and to William Van der Bilt’s intrigues. The downside is that Lily is shown in one scene only, what  a disappointment! On the other hand, I’ve found some juicy stills from the next episode, but I’ll post them next week.

The scene is set in Lily’s sitting room, where Jenny is recovering from a (swine?) flu and where Dan, Olivia and Rufus are playing scrabble. Lily is seen with her beloved white tea cup and saucer in her hand. Have you noticed she’s often holding a cup and saucer in her hands? She’s Lady GaGa’s Upper East Side version!

It’s refreshing to see her wearing a cute patterned skirt and a short-sleeved sweater. She looks very elegant but informal at the same time.

She’s sporting her trademark updo and a subtle make-up.

Here is a close-up on the grey sweater, which has a jeweled neckline. The sparkles from the neckline emphasize the diamond stud earrings, the only pieces of jewellery she’s wearing.

Due to the lack of candids from the set of Gossip Girl, here are some super-cute pics of Kelly and Matthew Settle (who plays the role of Rufus in the show), who went to the Old Navy’s Urban Pumpkin Patch in the Meatpacking district, in New York, just before Halloween. You know I love pumpkins, so I couldn’t resist in posting these.

OMG. Aren’t the little girls absolutely adorable? Matthew is posing with her 8-month-old Aven Angelica [1] and Kelly with her 4-month-old Helena Grace. It’s funny that both children were born in the same year, just a few months apart. Kelly’s outfit is chic as usual: she was wearing skinny jeans, brown boots, a slate grey jacket, a white shirt and a flowy grey pashmina. She was also wearing one of her favourite watches, Hermès H Hour watch.

I love the first pic above: it could come from the set of a romantic movie set in New York, couldn’t it?

My heart melts in front of this pic: Aven is such a cutie, with her denim jacket, pink overalls and pink shoes with white pom-pons!

What are your impressions about the eighth episode of Gossip Girl? Did you enjoy it or do you think the show is getting boring?

[1] Matthew is married to the model/actress Naama Nativ.

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Dreams Fly on the Wings of (Temporary) Tattoos

I’ve always loved tattoos, because I think they can be amazing works of art. Unfortunately, many people get (most of the time, horrible) ink-works just because they want to follow the herd, not because they are really aware of what permanent tattoos mean. In any case, tattoos are becoming more and more mainstream, and you can say it from the several tattoed models who walk the runway. In the Nineties, only the gorgeous Eleonora Bosè, Carre Otis and Jenny Shimizu, plus a few others, didn’t hide their tattoos while strutting the catwalk or posing in front of the camera; nowadays, not only models show the drawings on their skin, but designers have jumped the bandwagon, decorating the bodies of their models with temporary tattoos or body paint.

Chanel spring/summer 2010 collection was all about rolls in the hay, country life and seduction, themes seen through the ever glamourous lens of the Parisian maison. Karl Lagerfeld decided to add a touch of exoticism to some of his models with some wonderful temporary drawings on their legs, neck and cleavage.

Dorothea Barth Jorgensen got several drawings on her: a beaded double C on her biceps and two sparrows holding a pearl thread in their beaks across her neck and cleavage. I think this is a brilliant way to re-work the classic theme of pearls.

Denisa Dvorakova got two temporary tattoos on the back of her legs. In this case, the drawings are cherry blossom branches and pearl threads hanging from them. The longest thread ends with a double C. I love the way in which a Japanese-inspired image is connected to a Chanel leitmotiv.

Kasia Struss cracked a smile for the cameras, while standing on a stool and getting her decorations done before the fashion show. The make-up artists drew a lovely temporary tattoo on her thigh, just above her knee.

Chains and pearls have always been among the most famous symbols of Chanel, so it’s no wonder Kasia got a chain and pearl tattoo done. It’s strange but this decoration remind me of the cilice, a torture implement used in some religious traditions as a sign of repentance and atonement.

This beautiful shot by Tommy Ton shows a model after the show and her chain and pearl tattoo around her wrist.

Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the genius minds behind Rodarte, made a very different choice for their spring/summer 2010 fashion show. Their style is powerful without being overtly sexy or trashy, and is full of references to gothic, primitivism, futurism and the post-atomic age envisioned by Japanese cartoon artists [1]. When I first saw the pics below, I first thought of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome meeting Maori tattoos.

Mirte Maas was seen backstage while getting her decorations done all over the arms. MAC senior artist Chantel Miller designed the motifs, collaborating with the Mulleavys and James Kaliardos (who did the make-up for the show): the result is absolutely amazing, I totally love it. I really like the graphics and the technique which they were made with. Chanel artists used fine-tip brushes or pens, while MAC artists at Rodarte used thick-tip drawing pens, so as to give the temporary drawings a rough and uneven quality.

Dorothea Barth Jorgensen posed for the cameras while a make-up artist was just starting to sketch the decorations on her arm.

These tribal/futuristic drawings were seen on all the models’ arms and necks, and beautifully completed the gorgeous clothes they wore. Do Ranya Mordanova and Sasha Pivovarova, Jules Mordovets and Madisyn Ritland look like fierce inhabitants of a future Earth, don’t they?

The make-up somehow echoes the tribal tattooes – see the lips lined with a hue which is darker than the lipstick.

These are just two examples of tattooes in the world of fashion. Speaking of designers, apart from Marc Jacobs (I hate his tattoos), the only one who comes to my mind is the one and only Stefano Pilati. Ok, I’ve got a crush for him since he became creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, and his lovely tattoos are one of the reasons why I think he’s so charming.

This beautiful shot by Olivier Zahm portrays Pilati hugging one of his muses, Chloe Sevingny. One of his tattoos is visible – an American Indian eagle, very similar to the one seen on John Frusciante’s left upper arm.

He also has a simple star on his upper back. I am so in love with this tattoo that I’m planning to have it done.

The latest ink-work seen on him is an amazing arm sleeve tattoo. Unfortunately this pic – shot by Olivier Zahm – is the only one I could find, because it would be very interesting to see the complete drawing. From what I can see, it is inspired to Japanese culture, because of the blue and purple chrysanthemums.

In this black and white shot by Zahm, the floral tattoo peeps from the sleeve of his blouson, sexy!

As for me, I only have one tattoo, but I hope I can add more in the near future – a star just like Pilati’s and one inspired to Audrey Kawasaki’s works.  I had this done in 2006: at first I wanted to get it on my waist-line, but then I changed my mind and opted for the left inner leg. The quotation is taken from Frank Herbert’s Dune (1965):  it is a line from Bene Gesserit litany against fear [2].

It took me several years before deciding to have a tattoo done, because I wanted to have something really meaningful on me. One of my favourite science-fictions novels came to the rescue.

What about you? Do you have tattoos or do you plan to get one?

[1] I’m sure they got their inspiration for the fall/winter 2008 collection from Katsuhiro Otomo’s masterpiece, Akira.

[2] The complete litany is: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain”.

Source, source, source and source.

From the Valley to the Upper East Side: Lily Van Der Woodsen’s Style Cross-Over (3.07 – How to Succeed in Bassness + On the Set)

How to Succeed in Bassness, the seventh episode of Gossip Girl’s third season, was surprisingly a miss. I really hope the producers of the show have something big in store for the audience, because the plotting and the mysteries we’ve enjoyed so far are nowhere to be found in the latest episodes. Blair herself, the Queen of blackmail and intrigue, is muted, as if she were unable to remember who she is (but I guess this is part of the personal crisis she’s going through). Another reason why I was so disappointed after watching the episode is that Lily is hardly to be seen, and she only has two outfit changings, bummer! On the other hand, I like that the episode is set at Halloween: it’s so funny watching Rufus – a Halloween enthusiast – decorating pumpkins as the Kiss and see him dressed [1] as Johnny Ramone.

Lily’s first scene is set in Jenny’s bedroom, where she’s trying to convince her to clean her closet up, getting rid of the dresses she doesn’t wear. In this case, Lily is wearing a tweed pencil skirt and a short-sleeved blouse with ruffles on the neckline. She also wears black pumps and a pearl necklace. This outfit is very conservative, perfectly matching Lily’s style. I love the shot where Lily’s image is reflected in the mirror: it looks like she’s Jenny’s nemesis, or an older version of the platinum blonde wild girl.

In the rest of the episode, Lily sports a lovely DKNY suit, with a camel short-sleeved cropped jacket and a matching pencil skirt.

This is the only full figure shot I could get, where her shoes and her hairstyle are visible. She’s wearing a pair of Christian Louboutin Rolando pumps in Roccia python [2]. Her hairstyle is typically an updo; this time, she adds a satin bow to accent her bun.

Jewellery is a must for Lily, so some pieces cannot be missing in her outfit. She wore a nice chain bracelet (some rings of the chain are enameled) and lovely button earrings with central coral beads. I really love this outfit and the jacket in particular, because it’s tailored and simple. I also love her red polished nails.

I repeat: the episode let me down, but some candids of Kelly Rutherford from the set emerged and they made my day. The first detail that caught my eye are the flared jeans, because I love this cut. I’m not as tall as Kelly, but I like wearing flared jeans [3] because they’re super-comfortable and have a bohemian vibe. She wore them with a beige cashmere sweater, black ballerina flats and a gorgeous necklace.

When I saw the necklace, I was genuinely happy because I thought I had identified at least one piece seen on Rutherford. I was 100% sure it was a Suzanna Dai necklace, because those circular elements really screamed “Dai” to me. I dropped a line to Dai’s pr office, just to have more details about the necklace…and they told me the necklace is not a Suzanna Dai piece. Bummer again! She also wore a pair of drop topaz and gold earrings.

I have always liked high-heeled shoes (I own some of them, but I never put them on), but what I wear on a daily basis are flats. Well, my favourite flats of the moment are Melissa plastic shoes [4], because they’re very comfortable, but my on-the-go shoes have always been Converse All Star hi-tops since I was 15. In any case, I think flats are amazing if paired to flared jeans, because they emphasize their relaxed vibe. For this reason, I cannot but applaud Kelly’s choice to wear the most classic flats ever, the BB flats by Repetto. This style was originally created for Brigitte Bardot (hence its name), who wore them in Et Dieu Créa la Femme (1956) by Roger Vadim.  The shape and details (the tiny front bow, the gros grain trim) make them a classic to wear all the time. Kelly is so beautiful here, and the BB flats add a touch of Parisian glamour to her beauty.

Did you enjoy Gossip Girl’s last episode? And what about your shoes? Are they flats or high heels?

[1] For the record, Rufus is wearing a CBGB skull tee, another homage to the Ramones, who started their career performing at the famous club in the Lower East Side in New York.

[2] This is not is the first she is spotted wearing Louboutin shoes in exotic leather. She wore a pair of Miss Boxe wedges in Roccia python in Rufus Getting Married.

[3] I don’t wear skinny jeans, because I don’t like wearing something that emphasizes my body. I prefer flowy and comfortable items.

[4] I own three of them – Night flats in green, Isabela Capeto Aranha Flocked sandals in navy blue and Vivienne Westwood three-strap Mary Janes in plum – but I’d like to buy Vivienne Westwood toe shoe Mary Janes, too: they are so cute!

Christina Aguilera’s Style: More Love for Plaid and Halloween Special

I’ve always loved Halloween, because it’s one of the most symbolical events of the year: it marks the passage from autumn to winter and it represents a moment where the suspension of disbelief is a must, and everybody can pretend to be someone else. Many of my favourite movies are set at Halloween (John Carpenter’s movie with the same title and Donnie Darko, for example), and this is another reason why I think it’s a magical night.

I’m Italian, so I live Halloween as an imported festivity. Nevertheless, I’ve been carving pumpkins for Halloween for ten years, one of the moments of the year I love most. My husband usually plants pumpkins in our vegetable garden, so there’s no need for us to buy them, but I’d love to visit a pumpkin patch. A celebrity who seems to share this love for Halloween and for carved pumpkins is Christina Aguilera, who always celebrates this festivity and goes to pick some pumpkins to carve. This year she went to Mr. Bones pumpkin patch with her husband Jordan, her mother Shelly and her adorable son Max. In this occasion, she showed once more her love for plaid shirts.

She wore a cotton brown and pale blue plaid shirt with grey jeans (with busted knees) and lace-up combat boots. Max is wearing a yellow and light blue plaid shirt too!

In this shot we can have a better view of the accessories she chose to complete the outfit: her trusty Alexander Wang Fanny Pack in denim leather and a pair of Prada sunglasses in Honey Brown.

I don’t own any bag by Alexander Wang, but I must admit his bag collections are very interesting. I like the materials he uses (leather that looks like denim, for example) and the simple shapes of the bags.

Isn’t this pic super-cute? I’m sure Max was going to fall asleep, because my daughter does this when she’s tired and wants to sleep. I love Christina’s bare face, blonder-than-blonde hair and red hot nails.

We all know her love for plaid shirts, but scouring archives of past images, I’ve found out that she really loves to wear them to go to the pumpkin patch. Last year she went to a pumpkin patch with a cute little Max (who was wearing a skull t-shirt), wearing another plaid shirt and light grey jeans.

She paired them to black flats, a knitted black cap, a grey bag and an Alexander McQueen black and white skull scarf (thus quoting Max’s t-shirt).

In that occasion, she wore a little make-up – just a pink lipstick and her trademark ruby nail polish.

Christina also loves Halloween, so here are the costumes she has recently worn. In 2009 Max and Christina sported matching skeleton costumes.

Christina also wore Lanvin patent flats, a bowler hat and a pirate patch on her eye. I really love the costumes, because they have a gothic – yet funny – vibe, but I prefer Christina without the eye patch. She was carrying an orange shopping bag with a ghost on it and an Elmo-shaped bucket for trick or treating.

Her trademark is not missing, but in this case it beautifully completes her outfit. Their costumes remind me of the skeleton costumes seen on the Kaiser Chiefs in their Everyday I Love You Less and Less video.

Last year she went treat-or-tricking with her cute family. They all dressed up as characters of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – she was Dorothy, Max was the Cowardly Lion and Jordan was the Scarecrow.

She also carried the ghost orange bag. I have a thing for red glittering shoes, so I really like the Mary-Janes she wore with white socks.

The year before, in 2007, she was still pregnant with Max, but this didn’t stop her from celebrating Halloween. She wore a Spider-Woman costume, with a long black dress (I think the rhinestone web on her belly is really creepy), a purple cape, fingerless gloves and a spider-shaped headpiece; she also carried a Yves Saint Laurent Mini Muse bag in black patent leather. I think this costume is so wrong for her and for the occasion: she looks trashy with all that make-up on and with that puffy hairstyle, and the dress is trashy as well.

On the other hand, in 2006 she sported one of the best Halloween costumes I’ve ever seen. She attended a party in New York, dressed up as the Corpse Bride (Jordan was the Corpse Bridegroom, of course). She took inspiration from the lovely movie by Tim Burton, and re-created the tattered, dusty and bloody wedding gown of the movie’s protagonist in real life. She wore a curly pink wig and a lace-trimmed veil, and carried a bunch of white flowers with red stains on them.

In 2005 she went to a pumpkin patch sporting a very casual – yet cute – outfit. She wore Juicy Couture velour pants, a plain white tee and a comfy Missoni striped cardigan. She also wore pink Havaianas flip-flops and a pink felt hat. She wore no make-up, but her nails and toe-nails were painted red.

For a pumpkin lover like me, the pic above is heaven!

In 2005 she dressed up as a sexy Eighteenth-century lady: she wore a strapless champagne lace corset, a tiered tulle skirt, thigh highs, a nice lace umbrella and a lace-trimmed handkerchief. She completed the quirky look with a curly white wig and Christian Louboutin Wallis patent Mary-Janes. This is not her best look, but it perfectly suits her.

I’ll update the post when I get pictures of Christina taking part in this year’s Halloween. In the meantime, are you planning anything special for the event? At the moment, both Bianca and me are sick (gastric flu), but I really hope we will recover in time to go out on Halloween’s afternoon. For the occasion, I have bought the skull mask of Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti, my favourite Italian group, whose members never show their face in front of the cameras. They say what Oscar Wilde said – “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth” – a motto I totally agree with.

Source and source.

From the Valley to the Upper East Side: Lily Van Der Woodsen’s Style Cross-Over (3.06 – Enough About Eve + On the Set)

It’s quite a hectic period for me: I’m busy with my job, my daughter has caught the first gastric flu of the season (she attends the day nursery and you know how easily viruses spread among children) and I’m not feeling well neither, but I still cannot give up my weekly dose of Gossip Girl.  The sixth episode of the third season, Enough About Eve, is about the useless plots of Vanessa and Blair to have the coveted honour of delivering the freshman toast at the parents’ dinner at NYU.

Vanessa’s mother, Gabriella, appears for the first time. They go and pay a visit to Rufus and Lily, and this is where we first see Mrs Humphrey, in all her little-black-dress glory. Lily is the exact opposite of Gabriella, who doesn’t agree with Vanessa’s choice to attend a private university: Lily is blonde, Gabriella is dark, Lily is the epitome of Upper East Side understated style, while Gabriella loves ethnic jewellery and colourful clothes. Even if my style is more similar to Gabriella’s, I cannot help but gushing over Lily’s first outfit.

She’s wearing a sleeveless black dress, nothing special, but she makes it interesting with a gold chain bracelet and lovely flower-shaped earrings.

The scene takes place in the beautiful living room of Lily’s apartment. It’s funny to see Rufus and Gabriella sitting on the floor, but this makes us understand they’re long-time friends and that the atmosphere of the meeting is informal.

Lily’s second outfit can be seen at the parents’ dinner at NYU.

She wore an Alberta Ferretti purple satin dress, with long sleeves, a round neckline and some decorative stitchings on the sides. She accessorized the dress with gold filigree two-disc earrings, a gorgeous gold bangle by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany, a Judith Leiber crystal-studded clutch and Giuseppe Zanotti gold pumps.

This is an unusual dress for Lily, who doesn’t usually wear skin-tight clothes, but she looks lovely. I really like the bohemian touch of the filigree earrings.

The third – and unfortunately last – outfit sported by Lily in this episode is my favourite. She wore black jeans and a gorgeous red silk blouse, with ruffles on the shoulders. When I saw her multi-strand rhinestone necklace, I fell in awe [1], because it’s so beautiful.

Her hairstyle was quite the same during the whole episode – her trademark messy bun, simple and chic!

Kelly Rutherford does not shoot outdoor scenes very often, so it was a nice surprise to see some candids from the set on the streets of New York. You know I love her personal style and the style of the character she plays in Gossip Girl, but I was really speechless when I saw this outfit on her. Don’t you think it’s pure perfection? She reminds me of the cold and refined heroines of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies (Kim Novak in primis). This is a formal daily outfit, where everything perfectly matches.

She wore a pencil skirt (or maybe it’s a dress) and an amazing tweed jacket, pairing them to a dark green/brown scarf, brown leather opera gloves, Christian Louboutin New Simple pumps (the platform is made of wood) and a black frame bag.

The items I love most are the jacket and the gloves. I think tweed is one of the most timeless and elegant fabrics ever, and is the best choice for this jacket, short-sleeved and not fitted. The short sleeves allows us to admire the stunning brown long gloves. I’ve always had a thing for long gloves, because they’re symbols of a long-gone – but still fascinating – past, so I’ve really appreciated Daman’s choice to connect such evocative accessories to Lily.

Lily always wears at least one piece of jewellery, and in this case she wore small hoop earrings in gold and diamonds. Her hairstyle is a little bit messy as usual, and her trademark updo is not missing.

Now, before closing, just a thought about the frame bag she was carrying: the same style (in a different leather type and size) was seen on Serena/Blake Lively just a few days before. I’m quite surprised Lily didn’t carry one of her Hermès bags and that she traded her Kellys or Birkins for another bag. This is the Wallace frame bag in vacchetta leather by Kotur, a style introduced in the fall/winter 2007 collection and which is modeled after a classic handbag Fiona Kotur found in the Parisian vintage market of Clignancourt. It is carefully crafted with suede lining, interior zipper compartment, and it can be locked or double-locked with a hidden key. Even if Kelly Rutherford and her character always mean Hermès to me, I like this bag on Lily, because it matches her classic style so well.

The Wallace bag seen on Kelly is the medium size, while Serena is carrying the large size in goldleaf haircalf. I prefer the medium size over the large, and I like the goldleaf version better than the vacchetta leather one, because it’s much more interesting and original.

As for the episode, I didn’t like it very much, but it’s what I like calling bridge episode: the effects of what happened in Enough About Eve (especially between Blair and Chuck) will surely entertain us in the following weeks.

[1] I collect vintage rhinestone necklaces, so I’d really love to have such a piece in my collection.

Source and source,