Fashion Lesson- Iris Apfel And The Ladies Of Advanced Style Offer Sage Sartorial Inspiration

Image VIA Fashionista
“Young women, you're going to be an old woman someday- so don’t worry about it, don’t sweat it, don’t worry about getting older, every era builds character.” That is just some of the advice the women featured in Ari Seth Cohen’s upcoming book Advanced Style doled out at last nights launch party in NYC. What started as a blog of the same name, has been singularly focused, from inception, on ladies and gentlemen of a certain age and their unabashedly bold style choices.

Seen & Heard- Louis Vuitton Takes Credit For Suit, Forgetting That It Was Made By Gucci

Now that is pretty embarrassing. Brad Pitt was busy promoting his flick “Killing them Softly” in Cannes and not really bothering to iron his khaki get-up when Louis Vuitton pumped out a press release taking credit for the outfit. Frankly we are not sure why they would even bother, a two-piece suit from The Men's Warehouse would have looked better than this ill fitting mess, but hey the guy wearing it is Brad Pitt and publicity he is not something he ever lacks.

Fashionable Faces- Kelly Brook’s Puts The B In Bombshell At Cannes

It is undeniable that Anita Ekberg’s bodacious role in Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita will forever be etched in everyone’s minds, particularly the scene where she frolics happily in a fountain as passersby look on with admiration. Kelly Brook took a page from the Anita Ekberg school of hotness and posed in front of the "Palais Des Festivals" in Cannes wearing a glorious Mugler dress, thoroughly working the crowds as well as the photographers. Think of her as the anti-Marion Cotillard.

Seen & Heard- Street Artist Adds Appropriate Photoshop Toolbar To H&M’s Summer Campaign

A super clever Hamburg street artist addressed the obviously photoshopped images in H&M’s swimwear campaign featuring Brazilian model Isabelli Fontana. The Swedish retailer was heavily criticized by public health and cancer groups for darkening her skin to a degree which would only be achievable through unhealthy means, like tanning beds or sunbathing. This year’s upcoming Halloween mask in the making, tan mom might approve of the deeply bronzed look, in a bizarre turn of events Snookie has now admitted to liking her newly de-tanned skin tone and was quoted criticizing the "tanorexic" jersey mom.

Model Behavior- Giselle Is Reportedly Two Months Pregnant

Far be it from us to debate why everyone is always obsessing over “baby bumps,” but while we are on the topic let’s discuss the latest addition to the pregnancy rumor mill. It is being widely reported that supermodel Giselle Bundchen is expecting baby number two with husband Tom Brady. Giselle and her hunky Patriots QB had a son named Benjamin together in 2009.

The whispers started when Ricardo Tiscci who dressed the 31-year-old model for the Met Gala earlier this month in one of his Givenchy creations, was supposedly informed of the pregnancy by Giselle and asked to let out the dress a bit. I mean really, even if she is pregnant, how could she possibly have needed to have the dress loosened? Have you seen the cover of French Vogue this month?The whole thing is talked about like suddenly shamu has washed ashore.

Runway Report- Oscar de la Renta Resort ‘13 Boldly Reimagines His Classic Elegant Repertoire

‘Tis the season of runway presentations created in-between Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter fashion weeks, like Chanel's Cruise collection nestled inside the gardens of Versailles. Much like Carolina Herrera or Valentino you can always count on Oscar de la Renta to deliver incredibly beautiful pieces that are at once elegant and quite wearable season after season.

Scandalous- Gucci’s Trademark Violation Suit Against Guess Is Finally Resolved, Not Really

Image VIA Telegraph
After years of biting their proverbial nails over the eerily similar logo’s on Guess products which sell for a fraction of what top-shelf luxury label Gucci’s wears go for, they decided to handle business the American way and sued them in court. After a particularly nasty court battle that involved tears and finger pointing a judge finally handed down the anticipated verdict. Game over right? Not When Gucci is involved.

Fashion In Film- Roman Polanski’s Short Film Features A Therapist With An Affinity For Prada

While big name films find distribution and notoriety at The Cannes Film Festival, short films also continue to make some noise, especially when they are directed by Roman Polanski. The lauded director of such movies as “Rosemary’s Baby”, “The Pianist” and more recently, “The Ghost Writer,” directed an almost four minute long film starring Sir Ben Kingsley and Helena Bonham Carter for Prada. Yes, fresh off of being one-half of the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute exhibition, which opened recently by fêting some seriously well dressed stars, Muccia Prada has once again delved into a new and rather interesting medium.

The short is simply titled, “A Therapy” and is exactly about that, as you might have guessed. Helena looks absolutely ravishing as she plays the role of a wealthy lady dressed in you-know-who, that chatters on to her therapist (Kingsley) about the perils of money grubbing men that clamor for her attention. As the therapist sits down, Helena’s purple fur -thumbs down if it’s real- coat grabs his attention and -ok, just watch the movie, we won’t spoil it for you. Trust us, it is actually quite witty.

Fashionable Faces- Cassie's Stunning Sci-fi Vibe Invades Cannes

Along with a slew of other celebs who are attending the Cannes Film Festival In the south of France, it was certainly hard to miss Cassie’s shaved ‘do partying it up with Diddy at an event for Chopard. The 25-year-old former model was absolutely glowing in a gorgeous white one-sleeved gown with red satin heels and matching red lips.

Behind The Scenes- Lindsay Lohan Granted Final Say On All Wardrobe Decisions For Biopic

Well, Poor Liz Taylor must be rolling over in her grave right about now. The late glamorous actress is set to be portrayed by Lindsay for Lifetime Television. In preparation for “Liz & Dick” Lindsay has been given free reign on wardrobe choices and is reportedly “obsessing" over “getting into the Hollywood legend's head”.

Awards & Events- Nicole Richie’s Retro Cool Look At The FiFi Awards

The 40th annual FiFi Awards celebrate top sellers in the perfume industry which proved this year to be Tom Ford Violet Blonde, beating out Angel EDT, Bottega Veneta, Elie Saab, and Prada Candy. Celebrities, who comprise a good chunk of this market nowadays are usually on hand to hopefully get an award or present one at the least. One such celeb was Nicole Richie, looking très 60’s chic in a high beehive inspired updo and lace Pucci babydoll dress.

Fashionable Faces- Brad Pitt Goes Back To His Polished (& Highlighted) Roots

Those were dark days, when the man known as Brad Pitt was lost beneath a mountain of facial hair and way, way past due for a trip to his colorist. Thankfully though, yesterday at the Cannes film Festival for the premiere of him upcoming film “Killing Them Softly”, a well groomed and quite dashing Brad showed up with a glow only getting a good facial or being engaged to Angelina Jolie can bring.

Fashion Files- Pricilla Chan AKA Mrs. Zuckerberg’s Surprising Wedding Dress Designer

Bay Area royalty and Facebook czar Mark Zuckerberg and his girlfriend of nine years have never been flashy or extravagant as far as we have seen them. For years everyone has been having a good chuckle about Zuckerberg’s affinity for wearing hoodies to the Facebook HQ in Menlo Park, while Pricilla immersed herself in medical school at UCSF.

On Saturday when friends were invited to the couples backyard to celebrate Pricilla’s graduation, they were surprised to be treated to one of the most talked about weddings since William and Kate. Eager not to stir up hype of Kardashian proportions, the world found out they had gotten hitched through -what else?- Facebook. The first thing we thought of course was “oh wow he’s not wearing a hoodie!” and secondly “who made that gorgeous dress???.” The who, what and how much it cost, turned out to be quite a surprise.

Spring Guide- Fall In Love With Two’s Handmade Tunics, Caftans And Dresses

Monica Patel-Cohn had already been working within the fashion industry for notable folks like Barneys New York creative genius Simon Doonan and the illustrious Prada label in Milan when she decided to venture out and create a soulful collection of her own.

What resulted from her Brooklyn studio was a chic and urban range simple called Two, which married her Italian and Indian heritage beautifully. Created from handloomed saris and textiles, it is easy to see why this label has already garnered a cult following in Europe, Japan and the United States. 

Hair Trends- Create The Diagonal Messy Braid Seen At The “Bless’d Are The Meek” Show

Braiding hair, especially long hair is the easiest and chicest way to get going in the morning for many women. The most common braids or plaits as they are also called might be the simple kind or the “French braid” that starts from the crown. Recently though we have been seeing everything from “milkmaid braids” to the super intricate “fishtail braid” on the runways.

Backstage at cult label Bless’d Are The Meek during Australia Fashion Week, Pureology’s hairstylist Todd Arndt created braids on the models that went diagonally across and were adorned with gilded, filigree headpieces. Arndt described the inspiration as “…a wet look fused with cascading hair; the Bless’d Are The Meek girl has just jumped out of the ocean tonight!”.

(Fashion) Pop Quiz- Can You Guess Which World Famous Supermodel This Is?

Fashion Lesson- The Worst Dressed ladies This Week

Hayden Panettiere seemed to be channeling her inner Karl Lagerfeld when we spotted her in this leather jacket and awful high collared shirt. Add to that a thick leather belt, pleated army green mini-skirt, leopard clutch and you have the perfect example why too many good ideas turn into crap when all worn together.

But Hayden was not alone in her bold and bad wardrobe choice this week, our beloved and almost always well dressed Diane Kruger who is at the Cannes Film Festival, wore a long-ish orange dress with a curiously strong case of pushup bra overdose and don’t even get us started on Lady Victoria Herevy’s white lace and silver applique number. One thing we have learned though is that there is such a thing as too much sheer, don’t you think?

Breaking News- ANTM Judges Finally Revealed Plus Changes In The Elimination Process

Images VIA Zimbio, NYT, Models.com 
What do a model, stylist and PR powerhouse have in common? As of next week they will be sharing the infamous judges table of America’s Next Top Model along with Tyra Banks. There was much talk and speculation as to who would take the place of our beloved judges Miss J, Nigel Barker and Jay Manuel after Tyra unceremoniously gave them the boot, but ultimately she decided against hiring Bryan Boy or some other trendy photo-blogger whose name was tossed around.

Fashionable Faces- Marion Cottilard’s “Princess Diaries” Moment At Cannes

French actress, Marion Cotillard’s flawless princess-like ensemble at the Palais des Festivals in France on Thursday came courtesy of the masion of Dior. Walking the red carpet to promote her new film Rust & Bone at the 65th annual Cannes Film Festival, from her well exaggerated updo accented with jewels to gorgeous ball gown, she was the picture of classic movie stars past. The Chopard jewels adorned around her massive bun would have undoubtedly made Princess Grace proud.

Raw Deal- Factory By Erik Hart’s Monochrome Tank Dress 50% Off

Every woman has been told time and time again about the numerous benefits of having an LBD (little black dress) in her closet. But we can all agree that even the old LBD go-to needs some spicing up sometimes. Case in point, this graphic digital-print number. Printed in black, gray and white in ever so forgiving stretch-jersey, it’s the modern answer to something Edie Sedgwick would have worn in the sixties. One of the most unique aspects of this dress is it’s sharp racerback cut, one that was made very popular by Edie courtesy of Betsey Johnson’s custom creations.

Awards & Events- Day One At The 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival Red Carpet

The Cannes Film Festival is France’s answer to the Oscar’s, which is held in the south of France kicked off it’s ten day screening extravaganza yesterday. Aside from premiering unforgettable films that vie for the coveted Palme d’Or, it’s the amazing fashions that are paraded down the red carpet that have everyone hooked.

One surprising appearance was by newbie singer Lana Del Rey. The indie favorite who had a bag named “The Del Rey” created in her honor by Mulberry also attended the Met Gala this year along with designer Joseph Altuzarra. Jane Fonda looked absolutely stunning wearing a bronze shimmering Atelier Versace gown that showed off her enviable figure. If this is what 74 looks like, we just might have to hunt down some of her old workout tapes and start wearing a leotard again.

Behind The Scenes- Front Row At Chanel’s Palatial Show In The Gardens Of Versailles

Monsieur Chanel AKA Karl Lagerfeld called upon 200 or so fashionable folks like Vanessa Paradis, Ines de La Fressange and Caroline Sieber for the Chanel 12/13 Cruise Collection. It was as over the top as Chanel shows usually are. This time Karl set his sights on the palace of Versailles. The show was specifically set in the Bosquet des Trois Fontaines area within Versailles whish has been recently restored. Decked out in head-to-toe Chanel, the guests did not disappoint in sartorial inspiration. From bight colored heels to floral dresses the mood and weather were quite cheerful.

We have to wonder what Marie Antoinette would have thought of Karl taking over her ornate, lush gardens with Chanel gift bags, finger food and Alice Della’s drum set? When asked after the show, he actually summed up the whole event in two perfect words, "serious frivolity."

Health & Wellness- Seven Moves That Will Ensure A Giselle-Like Derrière For Bikini Season

Image VIA Fashiongonerogue 

Even since announcing a pact called “The Health Initiative”, various editions of Vogue magazine across the world have taken the first step away from underweight, malnourished models towards fashion’s answer to a more athletic ideal. Supermodel Giselle Bundchen’s behind covers this month’s Vogue Paris along with the headline, "Health Initiative Issue ... Special Shapes: the cult of the body and mind." While great genes might also have something to do with the 31-year-old’s enviable figure, with a bit of hard work it is possible to sculpt a fairly similar derrière.

Fashion Files- Take A Look At Teen Vogue Editor Eva Chen’s Inspiring And Practical Attire

Beauty and health director/special projects editor at Teen Vogue, Eva Chen-Bannister knows a thing or two about great style. We love looking through Eva’s tumblr account where she posts pictures of her effortlessly chic outfits and gives tips on everything from gel mani’s to the flats versus heels dilemma. As the first beauty editor at Condé Nast to start a blog, her sleek, minimal style gives us a well-balanced looks day after day.

Seen & Heard- Kim’s Short Story For Vogue Italia

Dreams really do come true, Vogue dreams that is. Kim Kardashian might have been snubbed from appearing at the Met Gala by American Vogue’s Editor Anna Wintour but The Italian version of the style bible has no problem with the reality star.

Shoes Shoes Shoes- Take A Peek Inside Manolo Blahnik’s Exclusive Fall/Winter Preview In Italy

Manolo Blahnik previewed his exquisite F/W 12/13 collection at the Excelsior in Milan, Italy recently. The exclusive event was attended by selected guests including his niece Kristina Blahnik, press but the real surprise was seeing Anna Dello Russo. The Italian fashion editor known for her taste in over-the-top duds wore a canary yellow pantsuit that reminded us of Coco Rocha’s version at the Met Ball a few days ago.

The event also celebrated Blahnik’s book “Manolo Blahnik Drawings”, which the designer happily signed for some lucky ladies. Perhaps better than getting a book signed though, would be to get a shoe signed. Blahnik also obliged several requests to sign the sole’s of shoes as well.

Beauty Files- LiLo Is Caught With An Unfortunate Case Of The “Scouse Brow”

Natural, fairly thick eyebrows are not only very pretty but quite the ongoing trend right now, but overdosing on a dark brow pencil juice is most definitely a no-no. Case in point, Lindsay Lohan. LiLo attended the A+E Networks 2012 Upfront event at Lincoln Center on May 9th, sporting a rather tragic looking “Scouse brow”.

Mamma Mia- Alessandra Ambrosio Just Had Her Second Baby + Supermodel Secret’s To Keeping Fit

Image VIA Vogue Brazil
When Victoria’s Secret darling Alessandra Ambrosio insisted that her manager book an appearance at a Victoria’s Secret store in July he was very much hesitant. That would put her roughly a month or so past delivering her second baby and well, let’s be honest VS is not in the business of showcasing women that look anything but unbelievably fit. “I told my booker and my manager; 'I know I have a job to do, so just book the jobs and hopefully it'll be fine.” Well the time has come, the 31-year-old supermodel just delivered a brother for her adorable daughter Anja in her native county of Brazil.

So what is a supermodel to do when they become pregnant? Thanks to Demi Moore, do what they do best and pose for pictures. To cover or not to cover, seems to be the main concern in theses photographs (as in most celeb versions). Almost all the pictures feature the women holding their breasts with the exception of Miranda Kerr. The picture is actually very delicate and beautiful in capturing the moment that she is holding her belly. It evokes the sense that she is more concerned with her child that posing hand-on-boob for a staged photograph.

Scandalous- Marc Jacobs Gets Revenge On Kidult By Turning A Profit From Vandalized Store

Images VIA Highsnobiety , Zimbio 

Another day another time that Marc Jacob’s is being picked on by someone. Fresh off of shrugging off allegations that Jacobs overworked an underage model for days -which he denied- came a little surprise for the employees at a New York MJ store. A massive pink surprise. Graffiti artist Kidult, targeted the store with the word ART. Jacobs and his PR machine though weren’t going to take this one lying down. They decided to capitalize on the public display of sarcasm, in a big way.

Seen & Heard- Stylish Orthodox Jews Find Inspiration In Rachel And Olivia

All women have their own interpretations of what looking stylish is. One group which has perhaps unfairly lacked an abundance of good celebrity role models or inspiration rather for high fashion wear has apparently been Orthodox Jewish women. In a sea of revealing clothing and hot-short wearing women whose faces are splashed across the media today, Olivia Palermo and Rachel Zoe have become “ladylike” honorary ambassadors.

Raw Deal- Alexander Wang’s Embossed-Leather Wedge Sandals 60% Off

No one marries sleek fashion and urban cool quite like Alex Wang. The 28-year-old designer might have gotten his start with a single sweater (an amazing one at that), but his namesake label which is now in it’s fifth year consistently turns out amazing pieces every single season.

The “Natalia” wedge is no exception. Using lizard-embossed leather and standing tall at a towering but user friendly 5 inches it is riddled with cutouts at the ankle and an unexpectedly chic buckle ankle strap. The shoes which originally retailed for $580 are available for a steal at $232.

Journal de Mode- i-D Magazine’s Ode To “Lights, Camera, Action”

As has become customary, i-D Magazine teased us for a bit with strategic revelations of their Summer 2012 “Lights, Camera, Action!” issue and has finally, finally revealed all eight of them. A very pregnant Julia Restoin-Roitfeld wearing a sequined cape holding a teddy bear was one of the first covers released. Julia was styled by her mother and ex-Vogue Paris editor Carine Roitfeld. The remaining seven covers feature amusingly varied creative people doing the signature one-eyed wink.

Awards & Events- All The Over The Top Fashion's That Ruled At The Met Gala

Hollywood has the Oscar’s and Washington has the White House Correspondent’s Dinner, but the fashion universe has arguably the most glamorous, over-the-top display of designer wear at the annual Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute Gala.

It was a dizzying amount of fashion but we collected all the fantastic and fabulous looks from last night’s “Met Ball”, every last one of them! The museum hosted everyone from Vogue’s headmistress, Anna Wintour -who forced everyone working at Vogue to wear pink- to Beyoncé who wore a show stopping Givenchy Haute Couture Gown. The night also saw it’s fair share of shocking, memorable moments.

Scandalous- Linda Evangelista & Billionaire Ex Reach A Secret Settlement

Linda Evangelista has reportedly settled out of court with billionaire ex-boyfriend and baby daddy, Francois-Henry Pinault yesterday. On the third day of the very public court hearings that have already revealed some embarrassing and personal tidbits of his and current wife Salma Hayek’s lives he had a good reason to finally throw up a white flag in the case.

Daily Roundup- The Met Gala’s Fashionable Date’s + How You Can Watch It Live

The annual Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala will be happening tonight in all it’s glitzy glory. Hollywood meets high fashion and everything in-between. As is tradition, a designer will be paired with a model or celebrity wearing his/her designs while walking down the red carpet.

Take a look at some of our favorite and “memorable” outfits from the 2011 Gala and get excited because for the very first time ever, all the red carpet action will--wait for it-- be live streamed online. As if you needed one more reason to look for whatever fantastic creation Daphne Guinness show up in.

Runway Report- Ellery’s “Delicatessen” Collection Looks Good Enough To Eat

Kym Ellery's Spring/Summer '12-'13 Collection was magnificent just as we expected. Using a mostly white or metallic silver palette interjected with rich fuchsia, red and moss green, the clothes were at once futuristic in shape yet classic in the details. The Aussie designer took inspiration from her childhood and delivered yet another stellar set of pieces we are already obsessed with.

Street Style- The Best Looks We Spotted At Australia Fashion Week Spring 2012

They say you can perpetually attend fashion week all over the globe year-round, case in point, Australia Fashion Week.  Bloggers, actresses, editors and “ladies who lunch” descended upon Sydney to attend some pretty amazing shows including Zimmermann, Ellery, Ksubi, Jenny Kee and Magdalena Veleveska.

From pastels to peplum, check out how the stylish ladies down under interpret current trends and wear designs from emerging designers.

Trend Alert- How To Rock The Denim On Denim Trend À La Leelee Sobieski

Leelee Sobieski was spotted yesterday in NYC showing some denim on denim love while on a Whole Foods run. We typically try to avoid this look because of it’s close approximation to the dreaded “Canadian Tuxedo”. Leelee was able to take this 80’s throwback trend and make it look super chic by pairing two different washes with some cute flats and a striped tee. Keeping it simple is the key to rocking a double dose of denim.

Beauty Files- AnnaLynne McCord Is Bare Faced & Oh So Beautiful

Magazines and Hollywood would have you believe that stars wake up looking like a million bucks with perfectly tousled hair and flawless faces, obviously that is not true. After being ridiculed for having some spots on her face when photographed passing through the airport, the 90210 star took matters into her own hands.

Seen & Heard- Nicole Richie Could Be Styling Hair At A Salon Near You

Nicole Richie has come a long way since her days on the farm with Paris Hilton on “The Simple Life”. The 30-year-old mother of two hangs out by the ocean with Glamour Magazine in some of her favorite Winter Kate designs. Nicole spills her tips for reigning in naturally curly hair admitting she could probably work at a hair salon -and in fact already has- with the amount of experience she's had at this point.

Journal de Mode- Terry Richardson’s Signature Touch On Candice Swanepoel

Terry Richardson and bad taste go together like wine and cheese a fact evidenced by his various displays of clichéd sleazy fashion photographer douchebaggery and all those pesky allegations young models have brought against him.

In this month’s Vogue China, shooting South African model and Victoria’s Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel, Terry does what he does best. While we love Candace, this shoot is a hot mess full of bubbles, over-sized props, way too much metallic spandex and a truly atrocious blonde wig.

Fashion Files- Ads Featuring Same-sex Couples Keep Rolling Out, Melting Our Heart

We have been seeing an array of same-sex ladies and gents in ad campaigns lately. From H&M to J.Crew, Urban Outfitters, Ray-Ban, Kenneth Cole, Chanel, Givenchy, Gap and even JCPenney everyone is is seemingly trying to break out of the cookie-cutter mold and speak to today’s generation which obviously includes millions of gay and lesbian consumers. Some are a bit more tame and some are fantastically bold but regardless it is worth noting the companies who take steps in a positive direction.

Scandalous- Linda Evangelista Faces Off With Her Baby-daddy in Court

How big a village and exactly how much money does it take to raise a 5-year-old these days? If you ask Linda Evangelista, $46,000- per month. The family courts in NYC have gotten themselves a large dose of supermodel glamour and the strong scent of mucho dinero from her estranged baby daddy Francois-Henry Pinault for the next four days.

Fashion In Film- “This Is Poo Poo”, Behold Ashton Kutcher As Karl Lagerfeld

In a hilarious video involving a fictional website called worldwidelovers.com and Pop Chips, Ashton does his best Uncle K complete with the awful accent and over blown ego we have all come to expect from the eccentric Chanel and Fendi designer.

Seen & Heard- 14-year-old Leads Protest Against Seventeen Magazine

Image VIA Jenna Sauers
With the power of 25,000 signatures in a petition to get Seventeen Magazine to stop photoshopping the heck out of the young women on their covers, 14-year-old Julia Bluhm braved the impenetrable Hearst HQ offices this morning.

Breaking News- Naomi Campbell Will Soon Be Launching A Model Search On TV

Tyra Banks just got herself some competition in the “supermodel looks for up and coming new models on a television show” arena. “The Face” will be headed by the catwalk legend along with two other yet to be named judges who will be guiding girls through weekly challenges. Sound familiar? We have to wonder what this will do to the truce called between the two divas in 2005 after 14-years of name calling and other catty behavior.