Best Dressed of the Weekend: Michelle in Erdem, Part II
JustJared

This week I am very happy with the mix of women on the BDOWeekend post! So happy, in fact, that I am not ranking them because I can't choose.

Naomi Watts' Stella McCartney look from the Resort 2012 collection is the ultimate example of understated elegance. I love the top white panels, which make the dress super modern. I also love the fact that there's barely any accessories (perhaps a different clutch?) but the hair and the shoes are simply spot-on.

Brooklyn Decker makes a second appearance on this post in a very different look. Her Proenza Schouler dress has all the right vibes for a pre-Superbowl event. It's the perfect time to give the luxury sportswear trend a go! I am not super keen on the bag but the Karl shoes add the perfect touch.

Rooney Mara just can't get it wrong. She's on like her bizillionth red carpet hit, this time in Louis Vuitton  Pre-Fall 2012. It could have been a boring look had the dress been black but the emerald green injects energy into the look and works great with Rooney's skin tone and dark hair.

Michelle Williams has adopted a much more pin-up-ey attitude lately, no? Like she's been hanging out with Dita von Teese. And it works brilliantly with her SS12 Erdem dress. I didn't think she could top her last Erdem moment but I was definitely wrong. She looked stunning.

1. Furla python satchel, 2. Prada python and suede ankle-strap platform pumps, 3. Miu Miu suede chunky ankle boots, 4. Gucci python platform pumps,
5. Chloé crossbody bag, 6. Jimmy Choo suede and snake platform sandals, 7. Gucci small top handle bag

Giulia and I were talking the other day about how we had left accessories on the side lately, which is true. So I endeavoured her to find her favourite bags and shoes from the fall/winter 2011 collections from the Saks.com website. We decided to group them in three of the biggest accessory trends this season –70's, colour blocking and sparkle.

Going through the accessory section of the Saks' website is quite an experience. They have over two thousand shoes and over a thousand bags in stock! You can imagine how long it took us to go through both sections to pick our favourites. But it was sort of fun to see all the range that brands have for this season.
I wanted to start with the 70's because it's my personal favourite. I love the rich colour palette combined with the snakeskin and the suede. I love the colour block items to add a pop of colour during the winter when we all tend to wear so many dark colours. It just looks perfect to put a bright purple shoe with a black trouser! The spark is Giulia's favourite, she really likes her glitter! Miu Miu is obviously the master in that department and I must admit I am really into all these dark glitter that seems a perfectly glamourous choice for an evening look.

Pop of Colour

1. Rochas 'Borsa Rosa', 2. Elizabeth and James strappy leather sandals, 3. Boutique 9 wedge platform pumps, 4. Gucci Huston suede platform pumps,
5. Brian Atwood suede and metal platform pumps, 6. Fendi Silvana top handle bag, 7. Vionnet leather pochette, 8. Bottega Veneta messenger bag

Evening Sparkle

1. Miu Miu crisscross glitter ankle boots, 2. Proenza Schouler glitter pumps, 3. Miu Miu glitter pumps, 4. Anya Hindmarch glitter clutch,
5. Dior glitter and suede t-strap sandals, 6. Halston Heritage Sabrina mesh pouch

* This post is sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue

ProenzaSchouler.com

A year ago around these dates I posted about the best bags to take to fashion week. The first one on my list was Proenza Schouler's PS1. I believe it hadn't been around for too long then and only a year later it's become a staple, something like Mulberry's Bayswater. The PS1's different sizes were excellent for so many occasions. In fact, I am still longing for the big one as a travel bag!
But now, when we all shall be preparing for fashion week once again, Jack & Lazaro have launched a new model of bag –the PS11. You would think that it can't get much better than it's older sibling but, believe me, it can!
The PS11 comes in the classic shoulder bag shape but also as a clutch and a tote. What makes them special and what makes me like them so much is the metallic grid fastening at the front. It's like a chic hardware detail to what is otherwise a classic messenger bag whose size has been reduced and lines have been updated.
You can get yours at the Proenza Schouler website. Net-a-Porter also sells the clutch.

Don't you love it when celebrities really make an effort for their film tours? I do. I can't wait to see the new X-Men film for many reasons. For one, I am a big fan of the saga and, well, January Jones might have something to do with many others.

January, however, is not looking her best these days on the red carpet. And being pregnant is not an excuse as Jessica Alba has proven. Thankfully, Zoe Kravitz is there at every premiere to make up for Jones. She has always had a certain fashion flair but I've never taken much notice. Until now.

I am really into everything that she's worn so far. Specially the super modern Alex Wang silver velvet dress. There is something very 90's Calvin Klein about the silhouette but the fabric and the colour make it super interesting and I love the attitude Zoe wears it with.

And I might just be going to the totally obvious but she strikes me as a very Wang girl. In the same way that I think she would look so cool in many of Phillip Lim's and Proenza Schouler's designs. I didn't think she'd risk going full-length, given her shortness, but I am glad she did because one can only wear so many cute mini-skirts or cocktail dresses.

So I am hoping for plenty of looks as successful as the above. It's not every day that a true New Yorker gets to show off around the world.

[Style.com, JustJared, Net-a-Porter]

Leighton steals the show

First of all, let me just say I don't understand why Fashion's Night Out has different dates all over the world. Maybe because Paris and New York want to go first to make the rest of the world feel bad about theirs. Maybe Anna doesn't want Blake Lively to have a chance to go somewhere else that night. Who knows. The thing is New York's was a big one and the two Gossip Girls (Blake and Leighton) came out to celebrate. And, for the first time, Leighton stole the show. She looked sexy and classy in a metallic blue number by Versus and, even though I would've chosen different shoes, she looked way edgier than Blake, who decided to wear a not cool enough Marchesa also with a questionable shoe choice.

Leighton was seen in an awesome Proenza Schouler outfit the same day for another event. This time, with unbelievable shoes. I think she's finally broke through in terms of style and will now be dazzling us with her beauty and style, non?

Who's your favourite GG?

I'm off.

[Pictures: JustJated.buzznet.com]

Take me to fashion week

With fashion month around the corner it is time to sort out the most important item a woman ever wears —the bag. The essential question to find out whether a bag is fashion-week-proof or not is something close to 'Can I fit a notebook, a Nikon Reflex, an extra jacket and scarf, the make-up box, phone, wallet, keys, a packet of nuts and a bottle of Fiji in it?'. Unless you're Anna dello Russo, clutches are out of the question and one of the bags below will most definitely do it for you.

Which one would you go for?

I'm off.

P.S. Today's the last day to vote for us at the Cosmo Blog Awards. Click here and make us happy!

P.P.S. I forgot to mention is doesn't matter how practical or not, Giulia will be wearing her Chanel jumbo to LFW despite the fact that she has an amazing blue YSL like the one above...

[Pictures: Net-a-Porter.com, MatchesFashion.com, Lochers.com, LouisVuitton.com]

Giulia's SS10 musts

I have gone through my favourite e-tail spots and chosen my season's must-haves. For me, it's all about muted colours (loving the nude this season), a bit of black (always!) and a dash of gold and pink without going too crazy. Enjoy!

Clockwise from top right: Alexander Wang bomber jacket, Vanessa Kandiyoti necklace, Camilla and Marc grey dress, Aurelie Biederman black cuff, Christian Louboutin studded pumps, Giambatistta Valli fringed dress, Daisy Knights studded gold rings, Current/Elliot ripped jeans, Philippe Ferrandis turquoise necklace, Bess fringed shoes.

Clockwise from top right: Madeleine Thompson jumper, Missoni bikini, Marie Helene de Taillac earrings, Isabel Marant pink tunic, Stella McCartney one-shoulder dress, pink Chanel Le Vernis, Jason Wu feather skirt, Proenza Shouler shoes, dark beige Chanel Le Vernis.

Giuls xx

[Pictures: Style.com, Net-a-Porter, MatchesFashion.com, HarveyNichols.com]

Met Gala 2010: The great, the bland and the fugly

Last night Anna Wintour, Oprah Winfrey and Patrick Robinson hosted the Costume Institute's Met Gala, "American Woman: Fashioning A National Identity". Celebrities queued to show how they could pull off designer dresses with personality, which seemed very refreshing after last year's blandness. However, I missed the Olsens and the Roitfelds this year.

The great

It just feels natural when you see Jude and Sienna together. The picture looks kind of retro because Sienna has long hair again like she did back then when her and Jude were together for the first time.

Chloe Sevigny in Proenza Schouler, January Jones in Yves Saint-Laurent and Carey Mulligan in Miu Miu prove how short dresses with the right colours and details can be edgy.

Restrained is usually elegant, Diane Kruger proves it in her white Calvin Klein. Less successful at it were Maggie Gyllenhall in Louis Vuitton (could do without the tacky bow and a dash of colour) and Kirsten Dunst in Rodarte for Gap, who could have gone for a different choice in shoes not to be so Rodarte matchy-matchy.

Anna Wintour in Chanel Haute Couture, Margherita Missoni in Missoni and Chanel Iman in Michael Kors.

These all look a lot like Rachel Zoe choices... I doubt she dressed Marion Cottilard, though. Thandie Newton in Vivienne Westwood, Marion Cotillard in Christian Dior and Anne Hathaway in Valentino all look beautifully apt for the gala but there is a bit of a yawn factor in all three. And too many sequins... I guess Rach "died".

The bland

Sarah Jessica Parker in Halston was so disappointment. Pretty, yeah, but we expect much more from a woman with such a fashion-forward education. Rachel Weisz wore a custom made Oscar the la Renta, which colour looked amazing against her skin but which a cut that was borderline tacky. And Eva Mendes just doesn't learn. She wore a Dolce & Gabbana that totally overshadowed her.

Carolyn Murphy (in ?), Eva Longoria in Marchesa (synonym for not trying) and Jessica Stam in Rachel Roy all looked boring and sloppy in every possible way.

The fugly

It is upsetting that Jessica Alba looked that bad in Sophie Theallet for Gap because she had been getting it so right so often lately. I really hate the colour of the satin dress. Malin Akerman looked as if she got ready for another dress and not the Temperly London that she wore. And the dress was a completely wrong choice for this kind of event. Rosario Dawson tried to pull a Saldana and failed tragically. Her Giambattista Valli was as disappointing as the bow on it was ugly.

Kristen Stewart needs to either deal with the fact that people want her picture or find a new career. She wore a more than decent Chanel Haute Couture that, had it been combined with the right hair and make up and a nice smile, would have looked amazing. Vera Farmiga wore a Sophie Theallet for Gap dress that looked like a bad cross between a flamenco dress and a Mexican dancer. Bless Jessica Biel, she never has the slightest idea of what's going on. She wore Ralph Lauren Collection. And Justin looked way better.

And, to top it all off, these three catastrophe's (I bet Anna pursed her lips a couple of times last night). Rachel Roy in her own design, Joy Bryant in Marchesa (if Rachel is still working with her this might be her worst job ever) and orange trannie Lisa Marie Falcone in a God-only-knows-what.

I'm off.

[Pictures: JustJared.buzznet.com, Zimbio.com]

let the sunshine in

On Wednesday night I attended the opening of the musical Hair in London. I came intrigued and left excited, astonished and utterly inspired. It seems shocking how the hippies, a sociological movement that happened so many years ago can feel so current and still inspire fashion nowadays. The Broadway cast, which showed the reason why the show is still so popular, strolled around stage in the most fun combination of flared and patched-up denim, tasseled suede and tie-dye colours.

Clockwise from top left: Chloé SS10 poncho, Vanessa Bruno Athé denim dungarees, Sass & Bide crochet vest, Chloé SS10 patched-up double denim, Jimmy Choo tasseled suede bag, Citizens of Humanity sleeveless denim jacket, Proenza Shouler sandals, Catherine Malandrino fringed dress, Halston Heritage slouchy bag, Acne fringed suede jacket, Lover cotton shirt.

[Pictures: Style.com, Net-a-Porter, Hairthemusical.co.uk]

I left the show as happy as can be and waiting for the moment to get home and put together a collage like the above that, to be fair, doesn't so much justice to the theatrical experience. I encourage you to get yourself tickets for the show asap and, in the meantime, to enjoy the soundtrack. I will be surprised if you can stop singing "Let the sunshine in" for even a minute. I know my flatmate can't.

I'm off.

clothes around the clock

Chloe Sevigny has always irritated me a little. There is something gimmicky about her face that I never quite liked. However, even I can't argue that she can put together her fashion a and b. Her last outfit (I won't rant about celebrities wearing FW10 looks anymore) was one of my favourite looks from the last Proenza Shouler collection. I love how the graphics can work with any other prints but still work with basics. And I am in awe of the perfectly thought-out pleats and leather pockets on the sides.

Looking back at the Proenza Shouler collection I loved the fact that any of the pieces can work for any occasion in the same way that this season's Miu Miu does. Their pieces, though, are not for the faint-hearted. But someone like Chloe can easily pull them off anytime either for a fashion event (bff Derek Blasberg's genius new book launch) or for one of her strolls around town.

[Pictures: Style.com, RDuJour.com]

I'm off.

NY highlights

This New York Fashion Week gave the feeling to be more aware of the times we live in. It was interesting seeing designers tackling with the issue of being practical while having their ideas remain on the garments. As usual, the coat took over the catwalks in its many forms —fur and leather still made an appearance but most designers went for the more unexpensive wool and tweed or the ever-classic cashmere. FW10 trends will be monopolised by layers more than ever. Some combinations that might have seemed nonsensical in the past become the protagonists of this season (see Rag & Bone). Velvet, which is a constant in menswear, made a big-time comeback in the shape of dresses (see Altuzarra) that looked somehow like shabby medieval gowns. However, if I were to choose my favourite trend it would be, by far, the maxi skirt and oversized cardigan combo. I have never been much of a boho chic fan but there is something mysteriously sensual about a woman that's not so keen on showing off her curves (see Richard Chai).

[Picture credit: Style.com]

Which one was your favourite collection from NYFW?

I'm off.

now and then

Just like I did with the celebrity style moments of the decade, I have looked back at the last ten years to remember what some fashion houses were like then and how they're now. Since I couldn't possibly pick every single designer and brand I selected soVIPzone's favourites and the industry's loved children —added Thakoon to the cocktail just in case Anna stops by. I also included my all-time favourite Balenciaga collections and Luella's greatest hit as well as their last collection that never went into production. I believe I have covered the essentials (Valentino during and post Garavani himself), the birth of Rodarte and YSL's change of hands from Tom to Stefano.
[Credit: Style.com]

I'm off.