Fashion Hookup

Keeping You Up On The Latest Fashions

The MAN show on the Catwalk

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The men finally had their day in the sun in the show MAN, during London Fashion Week which took place last week. The show featured Topman (the fashion-forward Brit label Topshop‘s male side), and three other up-and-coming designers, JW Anderson, James Long and Christopher Shannon.

To get on the MAN show is a real coup as it pretty much dictates what the hip young men will be wearing that year.  However, I’m not so sure about things like JW Anderson’s man skirt pictured below:

All I can say is that a man has to have major confidence (in his masculinity or femininity) to pull that one off.

James Long also showed off more trends that were usually reserved for the ladies, like his red patent “man” bag and leggings (shredded). Christopher Shannon saw a lot of color banding, mixing thick bands of salmon and orange with neutrals in sand and greys for his jumpers and track suits (very 90’s raves)

Topman’s collection was obviously the most wearable, being the most commercialized of the three. Jersey was a big influence here, and the overall feel was that of the 50’s, the Spring collection reminiscent of childhood seaside holidays – check shirts, deck shoes and shorts in bright hues. Watch the video here.

The Oscars 2009 Reviews: The World Dissects The Outfits

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By now, nearly every publication in the world would have discussed the red carpet’s offerings on Sunday night, and perhaps as a nod to the state of the world economy, the consensus was that this was definitely a somber night for Hollywood fashion.

Blacks, white and neutrals were the prevailing tones of the evening, with very few eye-catching colours stealing the scene. Heidi Klum‘s Roland Mouret gown in a startling red had the colour, but was a dissapointing choice as it just looked like it was chopped off rather akwardly in all the wrong places. Her hair also looked like it was having a bad day, limp and greasy. Slumdog Millionaire‘s Frieda Pinto was another one of the few who dared more colour in a blue John Galliano dazzler paired with Jimmy Choos.  I’m not a huge of of one-armed designs, but I have to say the Freida looked very stylish.

Here’s the London Times 20 Best and Worst:

The Best

1. Marisa Tomei – She looked toned, tousled and terrific in her white Versace gown with more folds than an accordion. Its one-shoulder design showed off her perfectly refined deltoids, it clung sexily and its intricate pleats were interesting not fussy.

2. Viola Davis – While she didn’t win best supporting actress, the veteran actress channeled old Hollywood style and made sophistication look easy in a dusky gold Reem Acra.

3. Heidi Klum – The supermodel displayed her credentials with an architectural asymmetrical red gown, split to the thigh (she revealed on one pre-Oscar show that she’d had to ride over balanced on one bum cheek to accommodate her dress)

4. Taraji P Henson – Her strapless Roberto Cavalli off-white gown had irregular layers that gave it texture, set off brilliantly with a statement Fred Leighton necklace and a sleek hairdo.

5. Sarah Jessica Parker – We would expect no less from the era’s most high profile fashion plate: a Dior Haute Couture gown in “barely mint”. Plus, we had no idea her breasts were so big, or high.

6. Evan Rachel Wood – Her Art Deco-style gown in pale satin and chiffon was lovely and romantic, if a bit white-on-white against her pale skin and blonde hair.

7. Meryl Streep – With her bespoke Alberta Ferretti dress, the actress proves that you don’t need a hardbody and a skintight corset to look sexy. Just do way off the shoulder, upswept hair and a smile.

8. The Slumdog Millionaire children – The boys in dinner jackets, the girls in party dresses, all strike just the right note. Not too fancy, not too uncomfortable. And – it turns out – perfect for an appearance onstage.

The Worst

11. Beyonce Knowles – She was smokin’ once she changed into her red fringed and sequined leotard for her singing performance where she put Hugh Jackman to shame. But on the red carpet, her black gown with swathes of brassy gold flowers was off key.

12. Natalie Portman – Purple-pink Rodarte, with criss-crossing straps on the bodice interspersed with what looks like hundreds and thousands. Colourful yet somehow boring.

13. Melissa Leo – The actress, nominated for her role in Frozen River, wore a Badgley Mischka gown in a glum shade of brown and in a style that announced “my dad took me to prom”.

14. Marion Cotillard – Last year she won the Oscar for her role in La Vie en Rose and won accolades for her Jean Paul Gaultier “mermaid” dress. This year she looked ill at ease in her Dior dark blue and black gown – a mashup of sequins, tiered net and regret.

15. Angelica Huston – Angelica, why oh why? You have the cheekbones to pull off almost anything. Almost. But a grape gown with shoulder pads and something growing up from the hem? You deserve so much more.

16. Queen Latifah – A voice like honey, a dress like a Quality Street chocolate – shiny, unflattering and wrapped round with some kind of dark ribbon.

The Oscars 2009 Reviews: The Scary and The Saintly

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Oscar-winner, fashion-loser Kate
Oscar-winner, fashion-loser Kate

With the red carpet still warm after the biggest night in Hollywood (and gowns, after inaguration night) , the first reports by the fashion police have come in and the verdict has not been a good one for Hollywood glamour.

We can agree that it was Kate Winslet‘s big night, after the English rose won her first Oscar for Best Actress.  Her YSL off-the-shoulder gown and uptight hairstyle, however, failed to win awards, and she was dubbed the “dominatrix” of the night.

Angelina de Vil
Angelina de Vil

They were also spot-on, in my opinion, with describing Angelina as downright scary in her Cruella-esque Eli Saab.  What is it with Angelina these days? In spite of having the hottest boyfriend around, an assortment of lovely, healthy kids and a kicking career, the Changeling star is rarely ever seen smiling, and is definitely going south in terms of weight. Sorry to be cliched, but I have to compare to Jen Anniston, who, was overheard backstage whispering adoring words of love to her man, John Meyer, “I really love you, every part of you”

On the lighter side, other stars donned white, cream and other saintly shaded gowns, some hitting and others missing in terms of fashion wins.  Penelope Cruz was definitely a winner in my book in her gorgeously embellished Vintage Balmain, as was Anne Hathaway in her elegant shimmering dress by Armani Prive.

New Trends: Harem Pants are Back!

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MC Hammer, Aladdin….yes, “those” pants, also known as genie pants made famous by the 80’s rapper and magic carpet enthusiast.  While they were seen as early as last fall, most notably on the rather scary Naomi Campbell in her sparkly YSL’s, the Spring collections have definitely been awash by the poufy pairs- tapered at the bottom and seen in a variety of fabrics and lengths.

In the photo are some made by Ralph Lauren, who has managed to pull off a combination that I can’t see anyone else doing – Indiana Jones meets MC Hammer in Vegas? But hey, it works and looks incredibly chic to me even if I just don’t see myself wearing these harem pants however “IT” their status is.

If you do decide to take the plunge, shorter lengths tend to be more flattering when paired with a fitted top. Cropped tops also go really well with Harem pants if you are daring, or if you have killer abs to show off!

Galliano Shines as Haute Couture Week Kicks Off In Paris

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Yes, the world’s finances are in turmoil, so it’s a bit of a welcome escape that Paris Haute Couture week has begun. Instead of the usual Bois de Boulogne, it was lavishly held at Versailles no less, in the Orangerie. Which is, by the way, a sort of fancier conservatory or greenhouse, called so by the fashionable folk from the 17th to 19th century.

As it was Dior’s 60th anniversary, Galliano, resplendent in his Matador-inspired ensemble, went all out to express, or rather, show off his creative genius by a collection that was a tribute to his art collection – where the silhouette and embellishments echoed the inspiration and technique of history’s great artists. People expected him perhaps pay homage to Dior’s beginnings – the full skirted look of 1947, but instead he surprised and delighted the audience with his clever choice of theme.

“...A black-gloved Gisele Bundchen, with arched eyebrows and exquisitely judged beauty spot, represented Irving Penn; a model in a jacquard suit and black venetian mask referred to Picasso’s blue period. Angela Lindvall wore a Monet-inspired gown on which pale green leaves and pinkish white petals were stitched as lilies on a pond, while Degas was referenced in a simple ballet-slipper toned dress with tiny block shoes woven into the model’s hair….“