My Fashion Resolutions for 2011

Fashion is all about evolution. How can one go into a new decade of the Millennium without a few resolutions for her closet? Here are a few that I plan to implement in 2011

I will wear more color. The spring runways were full of bright vivid hues and though I am not sure I will go so far as to wear neon, I will make an honest attempt to upgrade my closet with colors other than black, grey, fatigue, navy, oat, bone and nude. I resolve to purchase pieces whose hues can be described as scarlet, citrus or aqua.

Fruit Punch from Cacharel.

I will try and limit my wearing of skinny jeans and leggings. I seriously might need to go to fashion rehab to rid my attachment of these pieces. Sigh. And as much as I love my skinny black Earnest Sewn jeans, fashion is moving in another direction. Wide leg trousers and men’s suiting is back. So I resolve to do as Dior and get myself into this lady-like silhouette.

Looking dapper at Dior

I will wear heels on the daily.  I know; throw me out to the fashion wolves for admitting that I really don’t wear heels all the time, but living in Boston where the cobblestones don’t care that you’re wearing Prada and neither does that guy at the pub you frequent has turned me into a girl who opts for boots and ballet flats. Thankfully the spring collections have brought back platforms and espadrilles and with that I vow to be three inches taller for the duration of 2011.

Sky High Heels from Prada

Desire - Girl's Got Champagne Taste

Hard to believe its the end of a decade but New Years Eve is just around the corner. Invitations have arrived in the mail enticing you for a night out on the town begging the question, "What am I going to wear?" 


In a season full of gorgeous cocktail dresses why not be inspired by a bottle of champagne? Channel the luxury found in that heavy green bottle this New Years Eve. It may still be a Recession, but some girls just have Champagne taste.

Emilio Pucci
Get covered head to toe with gold sequins in this gorgeous Pucci ensemble. 
Long sleeves and a key hole neckline create a sexy silhouette that channels the 1970's vibe.

  

Alberta Ferretti
A Imagine dancing the night away in this blush tone tasseled cocktail 
dress that takes you back to the era that was the Jazz Age. 

Naeem Khan
March into the new decade with this futuristic one shoulder 
piece that is adorned with gold discs and embroidery. 

  

 Wishing all my readers a fabulous and fashionable New Year!

Want it - Fashion Worship

Do you worship all things fabulous in fashion?  Attend the Church of Chanel?  Sing hallelujah to Azzedine Alaia? Recite the gospel of Anna Wintour? Well the fashion gods have heard you!

Pay homage to your industry favorite with a collection of necklaces created by Defilies from Paris. Each piece is individually handcrafted from silver plated tin and detailed with enamel to resemble some of the most influential people in fashion.

Get religious with one of these great pieces that instantly add an element of cool to any look. 

Karl Langerfeld of Chanel 

Azzedine Alaia 

Anna Wintour of Vogue

Want it - The Fashion Almanac

The Fashion Almanac by Ruben Toledo has been created exclusively for Nordstrom. The limited edition hardcover coffee table book illustrates the ten year collaborative efforts between the artist and the retailer.

Born in Havana Cuba in 1961, Toledo is an artistic maven- sculptor, painter, art critic, fashion chronicler, and surrealist. Toledo has designed everything; mannequins, scarves, fabrics, dishes and carpets. Married to fashion designer Isabel Toledo whose designs have been worn by First Lady Michelle Obama, Ruben is no stranger to the fashion scene.

Known mainly for his fashion illustrations created with ink and watercolor, Toledo has created some of the most exquisite renditions of current fashion that has been featured each season in Nordstrom catalogues. Now available in select Nordstrom stores, The Fashion Almanac is a feast for the eyes and a must have for any fashionista or book collector. 

Desire - Thou Shalt Covet

The Seven Deadly Sins; listed out for us since humanity has a tendency to commit such unholy acts. But what better way to show the world your objectionable vice than to wear it as a bauble?

Jewelry designer Stephen Webster creates a line of cocktail rings that did just that. Using stones such as tanzanite, peridot, fire opal, aquamarine, amethyst, red garnet, and diamonds Webster has captured each sin in all its glory. 

Lust
 Tanzanite is trimmed with diamonds and flanked by arms and legs 
that embrace the beauty of this bauble. 

Gluttony
Red garnet flanked with four diamonds sit atop small amethysts 
fashioned into lips that bear teeth that will take a bite out of your finger.

Greed

You’ll have diamonds to the knuckles with this ring as 
eight dazzling gems sit atop the piles of stacked coins.

Sloth

Desire to lie around and do nothing?

Aquamarine lays upon a bed of amethyst in this ottoman shaped ring

Wrath

Red Garnet lays in diamond accented setting grasped 

by a pair of  menacing jewelry clad hands      

Envy

Everyone will feign this bauble with its feline shaped eye

created from peridot and diamonds.

Pride

 Proud as a peacock, this ring screams “look at me!” with its bold amethyst 
and feather textured base of the stunning cocktail ring.

I'd think it be a sin not to have one on your finger....

Get it - Versace Bright Crystal

They say scent is the closest thing tied to memory and a woman's perfume is her signature, so why be boring? If you are in the market for a new scent you have to check out Versace's limited edition Bright Crystal. Hardly a brand for shrinking violets, Versace's woman is know for her sex appeal and uncompromising glamour.

Versace Bright Crystal smells of sweet floral but has a modern twist. Contemporary, radiant and sensual; this scent is not for wallflowers. Get your hands on this delicious new limited edition perfume before its gone for good. 

Wear It - Smells Like Teen Spirit

The best thing about fashion is that every trend comes full circle. It gives you a chance to revisit a decade, modern it up and take it out for another run. I have to say that I am pretty excited to see a bit of grunge making its way back into the fold.


From Peter Som to Alexander Wang to Rag & Bone many designers are reaching back into the early 90's and pulling some great fabrics and silhouettes. Long skirts, skull caps, a great leather jacket, combat boots; wear them all!

Peter Som
FW2010

Alexander Wang
FW2010

Rag&Bone
FW2010

Layering is nothing new but layer your look with a mix of fabrics and lengths. Keep it fashion forward; wear a long skirt with a pair suede wedges. Don't want to invest too heavily in a trend? Accessories are the quickest way to attain the look you want. Pair your LBD with a pair of aggressive boots to give your look the kick it needs or ditch the classic tote for a cross body canvas bag. 


Steal your boyfriends favorite waffle Henley and wear it under a leather jacket. Dig through your closet for that long forgotten now almost vintage concert t-shirt. Have a little fun! It's only fashion, just lose the mini backpack. 

Ohh So 90's
Kate Moss and Johnny Depp

The ultimate grunge couple Kurt and Courtney
Sassy Magazine, April 1992

Read It - "The Secret of Chanel No. 5"

Have you ever wondered how the little gold bottle marked with a simple No. 5 came to be the worlds most popular and coveted scents? Author Tilar J. Mazzeo goes back in time to discover how this celebrated scent came to be. Inside its pages, you discover Coco Chanel's history from her childhood spent in an orphanage in rural France, to her coming of age as a Cabaret dancer and kept woman until she reached high society status. The Secret of Chanel No. 5 gives you an inside look into one of Chanel's heavily guarded secrets as well as the mystery and fantasy surrounding it.

Coco Chanel

A new wave was sweeping post war Paris. The bustling economy created a new standard of luxury and elegance that could be attained by everyone. The onset of the bourgeois and leisure time led society in search of all things fun and fabulous; the Jazz Age had arrived. An original Flapper, Coco was not deterred by the standards of society. She established the house of Chanel out of her lovers apartment; 31, Rue Cambon where the Chanel boutique stands today. Learn about how she solidified her celebrity among the elite, found inspiration by drawing from her past, and created the alluring fragrance of Chanel No. 5.

Marilyn Monroe once said that the only thing
she wore to bed was a few drops of Chanel No. 5

Pick up your copy of The Secret of Chanel No. 5
by Tilar J. Mazzeo
Available in bookstores now.

Get It - Vogue's Best Dressed List

For the first time ever, Vogue has released a limited edition Best Dressed List for 2010. From the All American starlet who took Paris by storm to the modern day Garconne Girl, this glossy compiled the years most  influential women in fashion. 

Documented in their most fabulous ensembles and accompanied with narrative from Vogue editors and contributors, this little gem will give you insight to the movers and shakers in the fashion industry. It won't be on newsstands forever, so get your copy and immerse yourself in the beauty that is fashion.

Available until February 14, 2011

See It - Art of the Americas Wing

MFA Boston

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts has completed their expansion. The Art of the Americas wing opened this week and allowed members a first look at the galleries. I walked into the MFA through the Fenway Entrance armed with updated maps, visitor information and my commemorative Member Preview Days ticket. The museum was packed, I dropped my jacket at coat check and skipped through crowds into the Sharf Visitor Center. There I got my first glimpse of the beautiful new structure.

The new Art of the Americas Wing
Photo Courtesy of MFA

Once past the velvet rope I entered the Shapiro Family Courtyard, a 63 foot tall glass encased courtyard. A far cry from the marble staircase and pillars that you find in the Rotunda; the new wing oozes simplicity. It was minimalist and modern from head to toe. As I passed the New American Cafe I noticed its modular set up and thought how easy it would be to disassemble the restaurant and throw a party; which if they do, I would love an invitation, with a plus one. The cafe was packed, and as I breezed by I noticed fashion photographer Mario Testino having lunch. I couldn't resist taking a pic. 

Fashion Photographer Mario Testino having lunch
at the New American Cafe at the
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Massachusetts

Satisfied with my celebrity sighting, I walked through the courtyard and climbed the slate staircase to enter the American Arts gallery. It is set up in chronological order allowing you to travel through time with each floor you visit. See portrait paintings of Samuel Adams, Paul Revere and George Washington on Level One, experience the work of American Impressionist John Singer Sargent on Level Two, and get lost in the Abstract Expressionism with the likes of Jackson Pollock on Level Three. The galleries are intimate and narrative, this is a must see. 

The gallery is open to the public on November 20, 2010. 

For more information visit http://www.mfa.org/

Wear It - Mad About Mongolian

Mad About Mongolian

Love it or hate it, fur is back for this Fall Winter. As one of the top trends on the runway,  it seems that all the designers have been working fur pieces to their collections from everyday essentials to full on investment pieces. So whether it be faux or real, work a little bit of fur into your look this season.


Fall Winter is all about rich and luxurious textures. Of my favorites, I have to say that I am a huge fan of Mongolian Lamb. Each piece is unique due to the light and shaggy texture of the material. The soft curls create a great movement on the clothes and adds a dramatic edge to your look. Here are a few different ways to incorporate some Mongolian Lamb accents into your wardrobe.

Thakoon Mongolian Fur Gilet
This amazing little vest can be dressed up or down,
trimmed with velvet and cotton piping gives the shaggy number a structured feel

Lanvin Noir Python Pump with Mongolian Fur Puff
These beauties channel the sophistication of the French. The classic pump is sexed up with gorgeous texture of snake and soft curls of fur adorning the heel of the shoe. The curve of the matchstick heel creates an elegant silhouette.

Foley + Corinna Mongolian Square Bag
This fun piece embraces two major trends of the season; cross body bags and of course; fur. Crafted out of pebbled black leather, it channels bohemian chic with its antiqued gold hardware and tassel zip closure.

Though fur remains to be a hot topic of opposition in fashion; 
it is still undeniably chic. 

Read it - Blow by Blow

The late Isabella Blow 

muse & legend to fashionistas everywhere



Isabella Blow in a hat
by Philip Treacy

Born in Marylebone, London England in 1958. Isabella Blow grew up fond of fashion, often reminiscing about playing with her mothers pink hat as a child had propelled her to pursue a life and career in the fashion industry.


She moved to New York City in 1979 to study Art History at Columbia University. She worked and played in the New York scene; befriending filmmaker Andy Warhol and graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Ms. Blow was briefly employed as assistant to Editor and Chief of American Vogue Anna Wintour and Andre Leon Talley (before his career at American Vogue). Determined to establish herself in the fashion world Isabella returned to London in 1986 and began working for the Tatler. 


Always modern and forward thinking, Ms. Blow is credited with discovering and nurturing some of the most influential designers of our generation. Isabella discovered the late Alexander McQueen in London; purchasing his entire graduate collection for £5,000 and paying it off in £100 payments a week. She met hat designer Philip Treacy during a brief meeting for the Tatler and later commissioned him to create a hat that she would wear at the wedding of her second husband; Demar Blow. Treacy's hats soon became Blow's exclamation point on her signature flamboyant look. With her ability to spot trends and love for unconventional beauty, Blow is responsible for launching the modeling careers of  of the androgynous Stella Tennant and  full-figured beauty Sophie Dahl.


Isabella Blow's life was not without anxiety - Disinherited from her fathers massive estate, unable to bear a child to continue the lineage of her husbands name (he was son of the late 20th century architect Demar Blow) and the waning of her celebrity; she felt she could not find a home in a world she influenced. Suffering from depression, Blow attempted suicide on several occasions.
She succeeded May 7, 2007.

The biography Blow by Blow  penned by Demar Blow and Tom Sykes is available in bookstores now.

Alexander McQueen in his own design

with Sophia Blow in McQueen and hat by Philip Treacy

Photo Courtesy of Assouline

Isabella Blow with Philip Treacy
Photo courtesy of New York Times

Isabella Blow wearing a Philip Treacy creation

Photo Courtesy of Steven Meisel

See it - Avedon, The Definitive Collection 1944-2000

Richard Avedon (1923-2004) is the man who revolutionized the image of the Modern American woman. His photographs captured images of beauty, fashion, and the good life propelling readers of glossy magazines such as Harpers Bazaar and Vogue to acknowledge change that was happening around them.




Avedon captured the ever changing landscape of daily life; from Post War Paris in the 1950's, the Civil Rights Movement and Sexual Revolution of the 1960's, to the glamour of 1970 and beyond.


A true visionary, Richard Avedon believed in unconventional beauty. Straying from the classic clean-cut images of women, he used models such as Veruschka, Penelope Tree, Twiggy, Angelica Huston, and Laura Hutton. He was one of the first in the industry to break racial bounderies in the 1960's when he featured model Donyale Luna.

Post War Paris

Photo by Richard Avedon

Veruschka

Photo by Richard Avedon

Donyale Luna

Photo by Richard Avedon

Lauren Hutton

Photo by Richard Avedon

Avedon Fashion 1944 - 2000 is currently on view at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts in the Foster Gallery until January 11, 2011.
For tickets and information visit www.mfa.org