THE HOSTESS WARDROBE DILEMMA

When it comes to parties, for me the planning's a breeze.  What to wear when I'm the hostesss, though, that's the dilemma. My outfits of choice for attending a party--dolman sleeve tunic + high-heeled boots in the winter; mini or maxi dress + flats in the summer--don't work well at home when you're cooking, fetching drinks, walking up and down stairs, and still wanting to look chic, calm, cool and collected.  This season I thought the pajama-trend-as-evening-wear held promise--think glamorous satiny palazzos or bold retro print wide leg pants with a simple black top.  Yet, I could not find an example online or in stores worthy of showing here.

So, dear readers, tell me:  what do you wear when hosting your own soiree, and where oh where can we find it? (And if you have great photos of your favorite outfit or a store source, please also post on the Style Maniac Facebook Page.)

Vogue photo via Found In Mom's Basement

MY KIND OF EASTER BONNET

"Bardot" hat sculpted by Tino Fonzarelli.  
(Spaceageguy@yahoo.com)

Happy Easter.

Photo by Tino Fonzarelli, lighting effects by Doreen Creede. 

HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, Trina

This week I had the treat of enjoying the most spectacular book launch I'll likely ever attend ... and which I'll share with you in an upcoming post.  It was held in New York City, and my path from Philadelphia to New York's Penn Station to the event site at Gotham Hall on Broadway led me straight through Macy's Herald Square ... and then somehow meandered up eight flights into the swimsuit department and deposited me right smack in front of the Trina Turk coverup I've been eying online since November. (Funny how Trina and I seem to meet over and over again.) If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you'll know that swimsuit coverups morph into the majority of my summer streetwear.  Turns out they work for spring, too.  This baby rocked with black tights and boots now, and will work equally well with strappy flat sandals when warmer weather comes (if it ever does).  Unlike most of the things I try on, it fit perfect.  And those bright colors and insouciant style create the instant effect of a mini-vacation no matter where you are.  Now, really, given all that, how could I not bring this Casablanca tunic home with me?

Macy's doesn't offer Trina Turk's Casablanca tunic online, but Nordstrom's does.

SPLASHES OF CITRUS

 

 

My craving for sunshine and Vitamin C has expanded to all things citrus in fashion, decorating and art.  Lemon, lime, orange, pummelo--bring it on.  (What's pummelo?  I'd never heard of this "sweeter, milder cousin of grapefruit" with yellow skin and orangey-red inside until it appeared in a Google search.  Has anyone ever tried it?)

PHOTOS: (1) Designer's Guild from my print files.  (2) Vintage Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress via Dorothea's Closet Vintage.  (3) The citrus striped floor of Faire Frou Frou boutique.  (4) Monet's Water-Lilies at Twilight pictured in The Impressionists:  A Retrospective edited by Martha Kapos, from my library.

COUTURE FOR REAL LIFE: Nino Brand by Bela Shehu

It's fun to dish about Oscar dresses and swoon over couture confections.  But the true holy grail in fashion is finding clothes that fit well, function better, look good all day, don't cost a fortune--and wont' be seen on every other woman walking down the street.  What I'm looking for is just what Bela Shehu's created with her new Nino Brand.

On the rack, Bela's collection has the simple, unadorned lines that have always appealed to me.  Pockets hide in seams, plackets cover buttons, nothing interferes with the clean line.  On the body, these deceptively simple cuts flatter in a way you would think required all kinds of fancy tricks.  But no.  "In my clothes, there's no ruching, no gathering," says Bela.  "It's all in the cut.  Fabric--whether wool, silk, jersey--has a certain way it wants to drape. We'll take a trapezoid shape--looks like nothing when it's flat.  By shifting the neckline we redistribute the weight.  When you put it on, it comes to life."

The dress fits, it flatters, it moves with you.  And then, you forget about it and go on with your life.

For years Bela has ghost designed for top names in the wardrobe world.  One morning in bed she started writing out ideas for this new kind of look, based on flat pattern making.  And she's launching it in a new kind of way.  No boutique, as she did in the past.  No mainstream advertising. She's approaching a few exclusive stores, showing at trunk shows, growing through word of mouth. And best of all, Style Maniac readers, she's offering the line through Private Appointments in her studio or a Private Event in your home, for a significant discount off the retail price.  Which means this is actually couture you can put in your closet.

"What I'm building here is a heritage brand.  Forward thinking, but classic.  Timeless, well-constructed pieces that you can wear years from now," says Bela.

Clothes so well done, "they make you forget what you're wearing."

To schedule Private Appointments in the South Philadelphia studio or Trunk Shows in your home contact  
Nino Brand at 267-496-5208.  
More on the Nino Brand Facebook Page.



Top photo by Patrick Ibanez.  Bottom photo via Nino Brand Facebook Page.  All other photos by Doreen Creede.

THE RED LIST: From Cute to Clever to Couture

From couture to clever to cute, here are a few more delights on my hot list this month:  

The Spring 2011 collection from Christian Dior.  Inspired by the drawings of Rene Gruau, stunning, sublime and yet wearable, too.  The New Look in a whole New Way.  (See the runway show, here.) .... Someone at Swanson Vineyards has a delightful sense of humor, adding clever names and bold, witty packaging to tasty wines.  The series includes choices for various holidays, but the "Expensive" Christmas Wine remains my fave .... When my 10-year-old niece, who devours books like candy, spied Henley: A New York Tail by Julie Muszynski amongst a stack of review titles in my office she immediately snatched it up.  We both agreed:  thumbs up for the cute tale of a prince of a pup living the good life in New York City.  With charming illustrations and interactive elements.  Yes, you could call it Puppy Love.

Christian Dior collection first spied on Nicolette Mason.  "Expensive" wine bottle image by John McJunkin courtesy Swanson Vineyards.  Henley: A New York Tail available through Glitterati Incorporated and Amazon.

RED LEOPARD

Red + Leopard = Love

Need I say more?

Vogue cover discovered on The Pursuit of Style.

HAUTE LEGS

When it comes to stockings I'm spectacularly boring: it's black, nude or nothing.  But after peeking at an advance copy of the new book Emilio Cavallini, I'm thinking of legwear in a whole new way.  Since his start with Mary Quant in the 1960s to this very moment, Cavallini has produced decades of stunning designs--daring die-cuts, complex prints, sweet polka-dots, fluorescent florals, vivid color mixes--that can only be described as haute couture hosiery.  It's wearable art.  And then it's actual art as well:  Cavallini uses his stockings as though strings to weave complex spiralgrams and geometrics you can hang on your wall.  (Those are stockings in photos 3 and 4, above.)  And then there's the art of the book itself, with its lavish photos and silver foil cover sheathed in sexy black cut-out tights.  It's all an over-the-top treat--with prices to match (stockings in the Emilio Cavallini online boutique average about $25, the book lists for $100, although Amazon offers pre-orders for under $60).  A splurge for a book or pair of pantyhose; not so much for art to put on your coffee table and couture to sheathe your legs. Before indulging in the latter, though, I'd have to learn the art of putting on a pair of hose ... without getting a run in them.

Photos by Nicola Ciona from Emilio Cavallini.  Edited by Benedetta Barzini. With 250 photos of both the stocking collections and the artwork created from them.  Coming March 2011 from Skira, distributed by Rizzoli.

Black Eyed Peas Shakira at French music awards

Hips don't lie: Shakira dons stunning tight black dress to join Usher, Black Eyed Peas and more at French music awards

She-wolf Shakira was the belle of the ball as she stalked the red carpet at the 12th annual NRJ Music Awards in Cannes last night.
The 33-year-old singer looked stunning in a tight black frock as she waved to the hundreds of fans from the red carpet at the glitzy bash.
The star also played live at the event, belting out songs Loca, from her album of last year Sale El Sol, and her World Cup anthem of last summer, Waka Waka, while hypnotising the crowds with her trademark slinky hip moves.

She also ended up one of the big winners at the ceremony, picking up gongs for International Female Artist of the Year and International Song of the Year for her World Cup hit.
It's the first time the star has been seen out in public since she announced the break-up with her Argentinian boyfriend of 11 years - who is also her manager - earlier this month.

The couple revealed in a joint message on Shakira's website that they actually broke up last August, but had kept it private until their announcement.
Shakira and Antonio de la Rua said they viewed their separation as temporary, and de la Rua will continue to oversee Shakira's business and career interests.
Also at the do were Jermaine Jackson, Usher, apl.de.ap and Will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas and David Guetta.
Model Victoria Silvstedt had also donned a short black dress for the black tie event, run by French radio station NRJ.

It's the first big event of the Midem, the world's music music industry trade fair, which takes over Cannes in the south of France every January.
Other winners at the event included Justin Bieber, who won International Revelation Of The Year, Black Eyed Peas who won Best International Group and Concert Of The Year and Usher won International Male Artist Of The Year.
David Guetta equalled Shakira's two awards with Hit Of The Year for Club Can't Handle Me and the Award Of Honour.

Black Eyed Peas - The Time NRJ Music Awards 2011

Video From: www.youtube.com
News From: www.dailymail.co.uk

WHAT WILL YOU BE WEARING NEW YEAR's EVE?

Peacock plumes ... blue ball gowns ... slinky black ... snow white spangles ... glittery gold. A dusting of fantasy, a sparkling of glamour.  Whether heading out or celebrating in, I say let's dress up for New Year's Eve.  How about you?  What will you be wearing?

credits:

{blue velvet} Rachel McAdams photographed by Michelangelo DiBattista via Peacocks Garden
{black} Jean Patou gown illustrated by Rene Gruau via hprints

{gold} mini photographed by Benjamin Kanarek for Harper's Bazaar China via Fashion Copious
{peacock plumes} on avatar created by Cajsa Lillihook via Flickr

{tunic & leggings} Chanel pre-fall 2011 via Style.com

{ombre}Kate Hudson, Harper's Bazaar 2007 from Style Maniac's files
{frothy blue} Arthur Banks ballgown illustrated by Ruth Freeman and
{white spangle} dress by David Downton from 100 Years of Fashion Illustration

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS {part 1}

The first of my Christmas wishes:  Lipstick that doesn't come off on my teeth.  After all, if we can send a man to the moon, we should be able to formulate such a cosmetic for those of us less fastidious than the glamorous girl above, who probably never once had such a problem.


Vogue image via Found In Mom's Basement

GLITTER, GLAMOUR, GIFTS ... with a twist

Suddenly I'm in the mood for glitter, glamour, gifts  ... all with a twist.  So, this month, take a break from the mad mad rush of the season and stop in to enjoy all kinds holiday treats, tips and finds assembled just for you, dear smart, fun, stylish readers.

FIRST TREAT: One of the prettiest pics I've seen all year (which is saying a lot). By stylist Nancy Queller as discovered on French Frosting.  (A snippet of this image also appears in the masthead this month.) Doesn't this just make you want to dress up and celebrate?

BEHIND THE SCENES: Kevin O'Brien Studio

Have you ever looked at a drop-dead gorgeous fabric and wondered how it came to be? From the moment I met the burnt-out silk artistry of a Kevin O'Brien Studio scarf I tried to imagine how that complex pattern and iridescent shimmer could possibly be achieved.  Ten years later, I still delight in the lush texture and ever-changing color of the scarves I've snagged over the years at KOB Studio's holiday sales in their Old City, Philadelphia workroom.  So when I came upon their booth at last month's High Point Market, I felt like I was meeting an old friend, now grown up and expanded into pillows, bedding, rugs and very soon upholstery.  And it occured to me:  why not ask if I could take Style Maniac readers (and myself!) on a behind-the-scenes tour of the studio that supplies luxury goods to Neiman-Marcus, ABC Carpet & Home and Antrhropologie?

"Sure," was the quick and easy answer.  And despite it being Thanksgiving week--and the heart of the retail season--Kevin O'Brien personally greeted me, chatted over coffee at a table piled with luscious velvets and then gave me a tour of the studio.  A trained architect, accomplished painter and successful entrepreneur in a tough retail niche, Kevin's so talented the words "Renaissance man" come to mind--except that he's so easy-going and down to earth that would give you the wrong impression.  When asked how his studio has survived and thrived, he gives the credit to his staff, a tight and loyal group of mostly women, who chimed in often during our tour.  "The best parts of this job," Kevin told me, "are designing ... and being their 'boss.'"

The designs--medallions, twirling vines, snakeskin, woodgrain--begin in Kevin's head.  They are then transferred to a computer for refinement and to work out various colorways.  Despite the kaleidoscope of finished colors, fabrics all start out the same way:  as solid white velvet.  A screen print and acid process erases away parts of the velvet to create the various patterns.  Color comes from non-toxic dyes sprayed on one at a time using a myriad of recipes and techniques developed over the years.  A steamer sets the dye, fabrics are rinsed in a large sink and then put in a regular old washing machine for a final rinse (the part of the process that surprised me the most).

From there the glimmering fabrics take on life as pillows, duvet covers, throws (and still some scarves) destined for high-end retail stores, custom designer projects ... and lucky homes. (This year select items will also be sold at holiday pop-up stores and sample sales in Philadelphia and New York.)  Pillows retail for $100 to $400.  Pricey for a pillow, perhaps ... but not for a work of art.

Kevin O'Brien Studio
www.kevinobrienstudio.com   215-923-6378
Year-round boutique at ABC Carpet & Home, New York City.   
Pop-up holiday shops & sample sales at these locations:

Kevin O'Brien Studio Shop 
Annual Holiday Sample Sale offering scarves, pillows, robes, bedding, fabric, stuffed animals and more. Up to 75% off retail.  Through December.  8428 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118  215-923-6378

 
Echo Of The Dreamer Holiday Sample Sale 
Handmade jewelry plus Kevin O'Brien wares.  Through December 18, 2010.
242 West 30th St., 14th Floor, NYC 10001  212-594-8022  www.echoofthedreamer.com

Kevin O’Brien Collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Store 
Up to 30% off retail.  Through January 3, 2010.  215-684-7960  www.philamuseum.org

Stacked bedding, closet and blue pillow collection images courtesy Kevin O'Brien Studio.  All other photos by Doreen Creede.

GUESS WHO's COMING TO DINNER

Fashion, meet Decor.  These designers have you covered from your tabletop to your toes.  See if you can guess who's coming to dance and dine.  {Answers will be posted in the Comments on Friday.}  Have a lovely Thanksgiving holiday!