FGI Night of Stars 2013

On Tuesday, October 22, The Fashion Group International hosted its annual Night of Stars Gala at Cipriani Wall Street's gorgeous venue. FGI is a non-profit, professional organization whose mission it is to not only be the pre-eminent authority on the business of fashion and design, but also to help its members become more effective in their careers.  

Posing on the red carpet at FGI's 2013 Night of Stars

plaid corset: Stacy Lomman, Fall '13

high/low skirt with leather yoke & crinoline: Stacy Lomman, Fall '13

spiked dog collar: Stacy Lomman

booties: Gianfranco Ferre

gloves: Sportmax

Photo Credit: Randy Brooke

Fashion Group Int'I. is a brilliant organization founded by some extraordinary women such as: Eleanor Roosevelt, Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, Edith Head and Claire McCardell (give me a sec. while I bow down to her... ). I am proud to be a member and a Rising Star Finalist in the womenswear category in 2012.

Wendy looking stunning!

dress: Moschino, vintage (from Shrimpton Couture)

faux ostrich vest: Stacy Lomman, fall 2012

shoes: Miu Miu

jewelry: Wendy Brandes

So, when my "sistah from another mistah," Wendy Brandes suggested that she get us tickets for the Gala, I was more than happy to accompany her.  Wendy happens to be a Fashion Group Int'l. Rising Star Winner in the fine jewelry category (2012).  If you're not familiar with her, you need to be.  She's got the best bling this side of Texas! Actually, her work trumps every famous jeweler I can think of -- this side of Texas and the other.

Wendy shows off the silk charmeuse lining...

Back to the Night of Stars.  This was FGI's biggest one yet.  Certainly, Marc Jacobs can pack a house but I think the late announcement that twerking Miley Cyrus would present Jacobs and his business partner Robert Duffy with the 'Superstar Award', pushed it to capacity.  There were other big stars in attendance as well -- Kate Upton, Mayor Bloomberg, Carine Roitfeld, Alexa Chung, Alexander Wang, Hamish Bowles, Simon Doonan, DVF and Christopher Kane -- to name a few!  

Miley Cyrus wearing Marc Jacobs

Wendy and I dressed for the occasion, of course.  I wore an outfit from my fall 2013 collection and Wendy wore vintage (as she often does) along with a custom vest I did for my fall 2012 collection. Just when I was feeling proud that I was able to squeeze myself into the corset and skirt worn on the runway last month at the Chicago Gold Coast Awards Show, along came Miley Cyrus to knock me off my high horse.  

side view...

Love her or hate her, it's hard to deny that Miley is a very pretty girl. And she was wearing a very pretty dress.  By Marc Jacobs, of course.  I think she nailed it.  I snapped some pics; I couldn't help myself.

side/back view...

Top 10 Fashion Moments Of 2012

10. NY Times fashion critic, Cathy Horyn and designer, Oscar de la Renta bitch slap each other with words.

9.  Marc Jacobs brings Dr. Seuss and fantasy to the runway for Fall 2012. 

Photo: Style.com

 

8.  Comme des Garcons' Rei Kawakubo is praised for her Fall 2012 two-dimensional "paper dolls" collection.

Photo: Style.com

7.  Marc Jacobs wears a black lace Comme des Garcons dress with visible "tighty whities" to the Met gala in May.

Photo: Getty

6.  Lagerfeld shows Chanel's annual Metiers d'Arts collection in a Scottish castle where Mary Queen of Scots was born and uses all Scottish fabrics/fibers.

5.  The Olsen twins win the CFDA Award for womenswear.

4.  Raf Simons makes an exit from Jil Sander and an entrance as creative director at Dior.  Jil Sander returns to her eponymous label.

3.  Stefano Pilati says goodbye to YSL to head up men's label Ermenegildo Zegna.  Is he CRAZY?  Former Dior Homme designer, Hedi Slimane fills Pilati's shoes in a big way as his first collection (Spring '13) for the label, now called, Saint Laurent is critically acclaimed.

Photo: Style.com

2.  Nicolas Ghesquiere drops a bomb announcing that after fifteen years, he's leaving the label he helped to reinvigorate.  Youngster (and American), Alexander Wang replaces Ghesquiere as creative director at Balenciaga.

1. Brilliant jewelry designer and my bestie, Wendy Brandes wins Fashion Group International's 2012 Rising Star Award for Fine Jewelry (and wears a Stacy Lomman dress to accept her award)!!

Met Costume Institute Gala 2012 - The Best And The Worst

Monday evening, I was lucky enough to cover the 2012 Met Gala for the fashion web site, Lookonline.  Yep, it was pretty cool to get a VIP press pass and hang out in the holding room with other writers, photographers and news reporters.  They rounded up the writers first and brought us out in groups of twenty-five.  I was lucky number twenty, therefore I got to pick a really great spot to position myself for the two hours of red carpet arrivals.

 

Vogue editor Anna Wintour was the first to arrive

Photo credit: Stacy Lomman

And what a spot!  I have always liked Hugh Jackman, but after seeing him ten inches from my face, I can say with certainty that he is one of the most handsome men on the planet.  And Marc Jacobs is in great shape -- I could see everything through that lace dress he was wearing.  The "tighty whities" killed me though!

Marc Jacobs in a sheer Commes de Garcon shirt dress

Photo Credit: Stacy Lomman

From my vantage point I could see more than a few starlets trip up the last step before the entrance.  What a shame... they came so far just to fall at the very end!  LOL.  And then there was gorgeous Rene Zelwegger who, despite her sausage casing dress, didn't trip at all.  She kind of hobbled up each stair in a funny and very vertical fashion placing one foot and then the other onto the same step before moving on -- kind of like we all did when we were small children.  Brooke Shields managed to conquer the giant staircase with a cane due to a recent injury and actress Leslie Bibb, who was wearing a voluminous "Gone with The Wind" gown, navigated the menacing stairs all by herself.

Actress Leslie Bibb in Zac Posen

Photo Credit: Stacy Lomman

So, let's talk fashion.  Since the event was honoring the innovative designer and pioneer of "ugly chic" Miuccia Prada, we saw lots of ladies outfitted in Prada dresses.  I've selected my top three below...

Top to Bottom: Carey Mulligan, Milla Jovovich, Diane Kruger

Photos: my pal Randy Brooke

Moving on to the top three hottest dames of the evening.  Say what you will about model Anja Rubik's hip bone or her attempt to outdo Angelina -- she was breathtaking.  

Anja Rubik in Anthony Vaccarello

Photo Credit: Style.com

Gwyneth Paltrow in Prada

Photo Credit: Style.com

The Clarins sisters -- all in Thierry Mugler

Photo Credit: Style.com

My top five disappointments because I couldn't limit it to three...

Actress Elizabeth Banks in Mary Katrantzou //  the dress worked great on the runway, it just didn't work on Elizabeth.

Photo Credit: Style.com

Kirsten Dunst in Rodarte //  It might work in a Bonnie & Clyde film, but this outfit makes Kirsten ten years older -- very dowdy.

Photo Credit: Style.com 

Kristen Stewart wearing (and posing with) Nicolas Ghesquiere of Balenciaga //  I don't know what happened here, Balenciaga is usually spot on, but I don't think this is working for Kristen.

Photo Credit: Style.com 

Actress Christina Ricci wearing and posing with designer Thakoon // This was just too much dress for the petite Ricci.  The bow covered her completely from the back.  And I'm not thrilled with the placement of the front bodice detail -- it is placed too low and makes the dress look like it's falling off.

Photo Credit: Style.com

I am hesitant to criticize the president of the CFDA, but I'm really "puzzled" by this DVF dress.  Von Furstenberg must have had a better option after four decades as a designer.

Photo Credit: Style.com

Funky and fun.  These outfits may not have been traditionally beautiful, but I wish that more people would have pushed the envelope a bit at this event.  After all, it's the Met Costume Gala so if there is a time to take a fashion risk, this would be it.

Singer Florence Welch wearing McQueen

Model Coco Rocha wearing vintage Givenchy

Actress/designer Chloe Sevigny wearing Miu Miu (Miuccia Prada's other label)

Photo Credit: Style.com

The most noticeable trend of the night was gold and silver.  Sequins, shimmer and sparkle were all over the place!  Here are my top three picks...

Carey Mulligan in Prada

Actress Camilla Belle in Ralph Lauren

Model Karolina Kurkova in Rachel Zoe

Photos: Style.com

And finally, here are my overall favs...

Actress/model China Chow in Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture

Rene Zelwegger in custom Pucci

 Carey Mulligan in Prada

Photos: Style.com

Marc Who?

It's already been one year since I showed my debut collection during New York Fashion Week, yet it seems like just yesterday!  I'll never forget my first posting in the Fashion Calendar... take a look!!

Marc WHO??

Marc Gets Pretty

Marc Jacobs presented a sophisticated and feminine collection on Monday evening at one of Fashion Week’s most anticipated shows. Apart from a few shots of buttery yellow, Jacobs stuck to mainly grey and black, therefore, enforcing the ongoing theme of colorless clothes for Fall 2010.

Silhouettes were simple, uncomplicated and modest, but Jacobs managed to keep his girls looking modern and interesting through the details. Texture played an important role in the collection and we saw plush velvet, extravagant fur, chunky knits, embroidered eyelet and sequins.

Fabrics ranged from soft and sheer to nubby wools, to crosshatch menswear suiting, but the overall feeling was feminine. The mixtures of fabrics were, at times, unconventional, but that is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Jacobs. His ability to pair a Fair Isle sweater with a patterned skirt and make it work is only something a true artist can command.

Shoulders remained strong, but were brought in considerably from Jacobs’ Fall 2009 proportion and crisp tailored menswear jackets still looked soft and pretty. Jacobs showed some mitered stripes, a ditsy floral dress and a muted water color gown, but other than that, the collection was relatively free of print and pattern which helped to maintain the thread of simplicity.

Dresses and skirts dominated the runway with lengths falling from below the knee to the ground. Trousers were generously wide -- a nice departure from all of the skinny pants we’ve seen for the last several seasons. While most pieces did not reveal a lot of skin, Jacobs sprinkled in a few dresses with plunging necklines that would otherwise have been quite serious.

Overall, Jacobs presented a refreshingly safe and refined collection in terms of what we may have come to expect from him. The clothes are wearable, understandable and pretty. Now, if they were only affordable!

Photo Credits: Style.com