Paris Fashion Week: Rochas Spring 2011

Rochas' Spring 2010 collection brings back old fashion styles. Designer Marco Zanini showcased Swedish inspired pieces at the first day of Paris Fashion Week. The collection include printed long-sleeve button-down blouses, mid-calf skirts, plain-fronted dresses, printed doo-rags and black knee socks.






Photo Source: InStyle

October 2010 Fashion Magazine Covers

See the most fashionable magazine covers for October.

Harper's Bazaar Australia ~ Gisele Bundchen


Elle Italia ~ Chanel Iman


Vogue Paris ~ Lara Stone


Harper's Bazaar Spain ~ Eniko Mihalik


Vogue Spain ~ Elena Melnik


Elle Korea ~ Hilary Rhoda


Vogue Portugal ~ Pauline van der Cruysse


W Korea ~ Eniko Mihalik


Vogue Germany ~ Anja Rubik


Vogue Russia ~ Natasha Poly


Source: Fabsugar

Retro Scandals: When Eddie Fisher Dumped Debbie Reynolds

Eddie Fisher died last week at the age of 82. As a 1950s teen idol, Fisher was popular with the teeny bopper set and had a crazy amount of chart-topping hits including Any Time, Tell Me Why, Wish You Were Here, and Oh! My Pa-Pa. Yet he is probably going to be best remembered for the train wreck he caused when he dumped his wife Debbie Reynolds for Elizabeth Taylor in the late 50s. In my opinion, the minute he kissed Taylor the first nail had been driven into the coffin of his once lucrative career, and it was the beginning of lifelong strained relationships with his children. When his death was announced last week, a clip of Carrie Fisher giving a speech was shown in which she said, "The best thing Elizabeth Taylor did for us was get Eddie Fisher out of our house." 

Perhaps if Mike Todd, Taylor's third husband, hadn't had died, the fairy tale ending might have turned out differently. Some say that Todd was the love of Taylor's life. When he died in a plane crash after only 13 months of marriage, Fisher - who with Debbie Reynolds often doubled dated with Taylor and Todd - was there to console Taylor. A big mistake. As a couple, Fisher and Reynolds made a cutesy pre-Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee pairing. Reynolds was the original "America's Sweetheart", and America - or at least, Hollywood - did not act kindly when Fisher dumped her for femme fatale Taylor (whom Fisher described as "Sexually she was every man's dream. She had the face of an angel and the morals of a truck driver.")

For Fisher, whose image had always been promoted as squeaky clean, it was a mistake that would haunt him for the rest of his life. RCA dropped him in 1960, and NBC canceled his TV series a year earlier due to the affair. After Taylor left him for Richard Burton in 1962 (after filming Cleopatra), Fisher succombed to drug use and gambling, finally entering The Betty Ford Clinic in 1990 to sober up. He went on to marry three more times, with Connie Stevens being another famous wife, and had a total of four children.

Such was a time when the public and Hollywood held its stars up to higher behavior standards compared to today, but what I find most remarkable about the affair is that Fisher's career tanked while Taylor's continued to rise. Does it not take two people to tango?

Whenever the break-up comes up in an interview, Reynolds has never been anything but classy when speaking about her ex-husband. In fact, she reconciled with Taylor and starred with her in a 2001 TV movie that her daughter Carrie Fisher wrote called These Old Broads, in which the actresses, along with Shirley MacLaine and Joan Collins, play the ex-wives of a man called "Freddie", an intentional nod to Fisher (who complained about the film on Entertainment Tonight, lamenting that the female stars "made fun of my body.") 

A Mad Magazine fake ad, with Reynolds and Taylor lookalikes mocking Fisher

A fitting final tribute, in my opinion.

Rachel Bilson Taylor Swift Debut Roberto Cavalli’s ‘Diva’ Bag

At the 40th anniversary show of Roberto Cavalli in Milan, his "Diva" bag was launched. This new purse is available in three sizes and seven material. Diva comes in denim, python, calfskin leather and others. Rachel Bilson and Taylor Swift sported the bag at the Milan Fashion Week. Roberto's Cavalli Diva bag will be available in November.




Source: InStyle

Milan Fashion Week Spring 2011 Fashion Trends

Paris Fashion Week had started but before we gloat over the Parisian fashion trends, let's review some of the fashion trends from Milan Fashion Week.

Bright Colors ~ Gucci


Exaggerated and Conservative ~ Prada



Long Skirt ~ Fendi


Prints ~ Versus


Linen Wedding Dress ~ Dolce and Gabbana


Light and flowing dress ~ Bottega Veneta


Navy Blue ~ Giorgio Armani


Color Blocking and Printed Maxi Dress~ Jil Sander


Sporty Ruffles ~ Marni


Fringe ~ Versace

Britney Spears Fashion Style on Glee

Tonight's episode of Glee, the cast will be on their own version of Britney Spears' fashion style. I am so excited to watch Glee's second episode. Brittany really looks like Britney.

Brian Atwood Spring 2011 Collection

Check out Brian Atwood’s Spring 2011 Collection that will be presented in Milan.




Photo Source: InStyle

Gossip Girl Season 4 Episode 3 Fashion Style

The Gossip Girl cast will return to New York on September 27 (Season 4 Episode 3). Although they are not in Paris anymore, the cast still wore designer's clothes in the Big Apple. Check the fashion styles of Blair and Serena!

Serena in Jenny Packham dress and Raphael Young shoes.
Blair in Valentino dress, Badgley Mischka necklace and Giuseppe Zanotti shoes.


Juliet in Yigal Azrouel dress, Carlos Falchi bag, Tiffany's necklace, Diana Warner bracelet and Dolce & Gabbana shoes.
Serena in Current Elliot vest, Robert Rodriguez top, Missoni skirt, Jean Michel shoes and Mulberry bag.


Serena in Diane von Furstenberg dress, Siman Tu bracelet, Nancy Gonzalez bag and Pierre Hardy shoes.
Blair in Gucci dress, Mulberry bag, Courtney Crawford shoes and Noir bracelet.


Juliet in Topshop blazer, Fashion's Night Out tank, Zadig and Voltaire shirt, Jimmy Choo shoes, Tiffany's necklace and Subversive necklace.

Source: InStyle.com

Whatever Happened To Watching and Disciplining Your Kids?

The Sh*tty Parents Police was on full patrol at my local mall yesterday, and did I witness a doozy. I was in The Gap, just trying to find a long sleeved white t-shirt, when I saw this boy - no older than 3 or 4 - swinging and whipping around a large leather belt that he apparently had snatched off the wall. His mom, who was probably around 30 years old, remained oblivious as she draped articles of clothing over her second child's baby carriage. As the boy continued to coil the belt around his arm and flag nearby mannequins with it, the most she did to curb his behavior was say "stop it...Lou" in a lame ass voice. When she finally decided to pay for her stuff, the baby in the carriage started wailing at the top of its lungs. The older boy had dropped the belt, but was still meandering around the women's section of clothing on the other side of the store. Customers (including me) and Gap employees glared at the woman and if looks could kill, the whole bunch of them would have spontaneously combusted. I can grant a pass to the poor baby - who probably needed a diaper change and was wondering why his carriage was being draped with mama's new outfit - but it took all of my humanly strength not to blurt out "Watch your f***ing kid!" as I ran out of the store.

I've been wanting to write about the topic of modern society's bratty kids for a long time, but the thought of being pelted with comments from angry parents always stopped me - until now. This latest incident pushed me over the edge. Earlier this summer, I witnessed two others that made my blood boil. The first was when a little girl in Starbucks climbed on top of the glass food case that holds the takeaway food items such as sandwiches and pastries while her father, who was paying for his coffee, ignored her. The second was when I was treated to a boy's peep show at the beach, as his mother allowed him to run around and play in the sand sans clothing (at least the moment briefly inspired me to consider creating a t-shirt that reads, "I should not have to look at your 5 year-old's weenie.")

I just don't get what I like to call The Non-Parenting Epidemic. What makes it so dangerous is that it's being practiced by a society that has a twisted sense of entitlement. These parents are also the most spineless wimps - I firmly believe they'd rather see their kid fall on their head in a supermarket rather than hurt his feelings by telling him that the soda pop display is not a jungle gym. It's the reason why "The Supernanny", Jo Frost (God bless her!), has no shortage of clueless lunkhead parents applying to be on her show. More than once she has heard a mother or father confide in her that they "don't want to be the bad guy" when it comes to disciplining their kid(s).

Isn't parenting about setting limits? It's absolutely baffling to compare the non-parenting of today's kids versus when I was growing up. I NEVER would have been allowed to get away with the things I see kids doing in public. I'm sure that many people from my generation and older remember being reprimanded when we did something wrong. And let's not compare a spank or a slap to child abuse - it's NOT the same thing. I'm talking about being sent to our rooms, being grounded, or having something taken away from us. I have never met a person who experienced any well-deserved discipline as a child who grew up to find themselves curled up in the fetal position in a shrink's office, because mommy and/or daddy hit them. 

What do these idiotic non-parenting parents think will become of their kids when they start school and venture out into the real world? We've already heard reports of Gen Y's sense of entitlement in the workplace; I can just imagine what monsters today's 4 year-olds are going to turn into.


I honestly think that people just don't think about their future when they purposely have a child. How many times have you heard a woman whine, "I want a baby!"? You never hear someone whine, "I want a difficult teenager!" Well guess what, Dumbass? Babies can be cute, but they don't remain babies forever - they grow up! Having a baby is more than just that. Having a baby means eventually having a toddler...who eventually becomes a teen...who will hopefully become an adult with something positive to offer the world. If you're a parent, isn't the goal of having children to leave this world knowing you left behind someone who can make it a better place? Unfortunately the majority of parents just don't think that way - they only think of themselves. 

If I'm a paying customer in a store, restaurant, or other public place (I've seen kids misbehave in hospitals, where they used to be banned as visitors...it might be time to reinstate that rule) I should not have to put up with someone's brat. I worked with someone who said her mother didn't even take her grocery shopping until she understood the rules of behavior in a store. 

I understand that parents are under a lot of pressure today, and even in two-parent homes very often both must work to sustain a household. As a result, they have little time for themselves, let alone their kids. I was extremely lucky in that my mother was able to stay at home and take care of me and my siblings. I realize that this is not the only contributing factor to the Non-Parenting Epidemic, but I do think it's a biggie. One of the overall themes that Jo Frost stresses on Supernanny is routine...kids thrive on having a routine that includes meal time, chores, homework, and playtime with mom and/or dad. Not easy to do in today's overworked world. 


I could go on and on about this subject, so I'm afraid I have to stop for the sake of taking up space. Also, I do know of many awesome parents out there who are definitely going against the norm...you know who you are, so kudos to you! But for the rest of you, in the immortal words of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, "Teach your children well..." for cripe's sake!

Two Forgotten Friday Favorites: Electric Light Orchestra

You may or may not have heard the news a few weeks ago that a former member of ELO died in a freak accident. Mike Edwards (pictured above in the tux), a cellist who played with ELO from 1972 to 1975, happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when a bale of hay weighing over 1,300 pounds fell off a tractor in Devon, England and rolled onto his van, killing him. It's because of this freak accident I wanted to give a little love to ELO today. Their fusion of classical string instruments, horns, and woodwinds along with rock instruments was inspired by the Beatles' sound in the late 60s. The band was formed by Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne and the name is a pun on combining "electric" rock instruments with more traditional "light" ones. 

I'm out of the loop on modern music most of the time, so forgive my ignorance when I say I've never heard another band with ELO's sound. To me they remain - at least on the mainstream pop music charts - unduplicated to this day.

Now the hard part - how the hell do I choose only two ELO songs? I have so many favorites - Evil Woman, Sweet Talking Woman, Mr. Blue Sky, Strange Magic, Hold On Tight, Do Ya...the list goes on and on. The first video includes Edwards - the most epic version ever done of the classic Roll Over Beethoven as performed on Midnight Special in 1973, and the second is a more recent performance of Turn to Stone:

Milan Fashion Week: Gucci

Gucci's Spring 2011 collection that was presented during the Milan Fashion Week can be described as chic, flashy and revealing. You will see silk in gem colors and skin-baring pieces. Frida Giannini also created earth-toned jackets, skinny pants and fringed dresses. The evening wear were embellished with beads and feathers. The Spring 2011 collection were also paired with must-have Gucci bags.





Photo Source: Harper's Bazaar