Posts tagged Jennifer Lopez
Spotlight On: Emilio Pucci
Oct 20th
Nothing says “mod” more than the kaleidoscope-like prints of Emilio Pucci. From the first jewel-colored prints (inspired by motifs from the Italian Renaissance) to the ultimate simplicity of little silk jerseys shifts, Pucci was one of the hottest looks of the early ’60s. Pucci fans included some of the decade’s most photographed women—Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis—which helped bring the brand into the public eye and gave it its jet-setting reputation. Monroe’s estate alone held enough vintage Pucci for its own display via Christie’s Auction House.
Pucci History The evolution of the Pucci label is tale of innovation with roots steeped in regality: the brand’s founder, the Marchese Emilio Pucci di Barsento, was a charismatic aristocrat whose lineage extended back to the 14th century. His foresight into fashion, however, was anything but traditional. Pucci was one of the pioneer brands to bear a logo, and the label was one of the first to diversify into interiors, athletic wear and accessories. It introduced free-moving, lightweight fabrics, pop art prints, and new color palettes into womenswear. Looking at the early designs of Pucci today, it is astonishing how contemporary it seems; the featherlight dresses cut as simply as t-shirts and the silk shirts in brilliantly colored jewel prints (designed to be worn with simple white pants or jean) are of today, not yesterday.
A Skiing Start The first clothes designed by Pucci were for the Reed College skiing team — hardly surprising as he was a member of the Italian Olympic ski team. However, his designs came to wider attention in 1947 on the slopes of Switzerland when skiwear that he had designed was photographed by a reporter working for Harper’s Bazaar. He was quickly asked by the magazine’s editor to design more ski ensembles for a story on European Winter Fashion, which ran in the winter 1948 issue.
Jet-Setting Style After his published Bazaar exposure, Pucci used his newfound recognition to set up a haute couture house on the beautiful Italian resort isle of Capri. By the 1950s, his boutique was catering to wealthy sophisticates, heiresses and movie stars buying his “Capri pants,” silk scarves and lightweight separates. By the mid-60s, the label was synonymous with the gilded lifestyle of an international jet-set. To further strengthen his image with the excursionist elite, Pucci was hired by the Braniff International Airways to help update their image — Braniff was seeking to create, as their ad cleverly stated, an “End of the Plain Plane.” Pucci would end up designing seven complete outfits for Braniff hostesses and pilots between 1965 and 1977. These uniforms (examples seen below) became so iconic that by 1968 even Barbie had versions of his first four uniforms. These avant-garde creations were designed as individual components to be added or removed as weather dictated; among the more unusual innovations was a “bubble helmet” – a clear plastic hood worn by flight attendants on the tarmac to protect their hairdos from rain and the blast of jet engines. 
What began with ski garb has expanded into an international empire, with almost every piece carrying the brightly colored, often swirly prints of his original 20th-century style. Today, more than sixty years later, the house remains as vibrant as ever — celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Kylie Minogue, Isabella Rossellini, Elizabeth Hurley, and Jennifer Lopez wear Pucci creations. Although Pucci’s fabulous prints defined a jet-setting generation in the ’50s and ’60s, his influence on textiles and prints is still very relevant in today’s couture. Want some Pucci in your life? Check out these picks from STA:
Terrycloth Tunics, size 6 — $179 apiece at STA HVD SQ
Pucci Pumps, size 7.5 — $79 at STA Charles St.
Pucci Canvas Bag — $179 at STA Charles St.
~Kim, FashioniSTA/Store Manager Harvard Square
Ring Leader: The FashioniSTA Guide to Engagement Bling
Jun 7th
Even if you couldn’t care less about celebrity nuptials, everyone cares about the engagement ring. I know I’m not the only one who Facebook-stalks for ring photos as soon as I see someone’s status change to “Engaged.” But other than the ability to distinguish Tiffany from Crack Jack, sometimes the diamond details can allude even the best fashioniSTA. So we’re breaking down the dish on the left-handed bling.
Color
Unless your ring is a J. Lo-inspired pink diamond or a canary stone, the color difference is generally unnoticeable to the untrained eye. The general rule is the clearer, the better, with the whitest stone reflecting the most light. Diamonds are rated on an alphabetical scale from D through Z, with D being colorless and Z having a light yellow hue. However, unless you have a trained eye, a single spectrum difference – like that between a D rating and an E rating – will not make a big impact.
Cut
Although the diamond experts refer to cut as how someone cuts the stone to reflect the light, I think I speak for us all when I say that the cut we all care about is the shape. I don’t have a light reflector instrument on me at all times, but I have eyes, so you can guess what I’m focusing on. The eleven general shapes you have to choose from are: round, princess (square), emerald, radiant, oval, pear, marquise, heart, trilliant, cushion and asscher. Round is the most popular, making up more than half of all engagement ring selections, with the newer princess cut coming in second. Going for a solitaire is always a classic choice, and many engagement rings now consist of a solitaire with a pave band. Should you be a more ornate bride, you can also go with a floral theme, constructing a diamond flower from a center stone with a ring of smaller diamonds around it.
Clarity
Much like color, clarity is something you can only distinguish when there is a vast difference. Diamonds are rated on a scale from Flawless (FI), to Internally Flawless (IF), to Very, Very Small Inclusions (VVS), to Very Small Inclusions (VS), to Small Inclusions (SI), to Imperfect (I). While it’s great to go flawless, it will exponentially increase the price of the ring. You can always pass off the imperfections as a trendy “leopard” diamond.
Carat
This is the biggie. Let’s be honest, the clarity of Kim Kardashian’s ring never made headlines, it was the fact that it was 20.5 carats and covered her entire lower finger. Rings that big are even expensive at Forever 21. While all categories increase the price as you get fancier, upping the carat weight is the quickest way to drain your future children’s college fund on a piece of jewelry. Worth it? Probably, but the average size of an engagement ring is 1.18 carats, worth anywhere from around $1,500 and up depending on other bling factors. So don’t be afraid to be understated, you don’t want people to think your ring is fake.
Engagement Ring Hall of Fame
When you live the life of the rich and fabulous, some men ask their significant others to marry them in the most extravagant way possible.
Jennifer Lopez – cleaning up in both of her high-profile (recent) engagements, J. Lo first scored a $1.2 million, 6.1-carat pink diamond from Ben Affleck in 2002, then received an 8.5-carat, $1 million sparkler from hubby Marc Anthony.
Kim Kardashian – in true keeping-up form, Kim was able to outshine her sister’s impressive Cartier engagement ring with a $2 million, 20.5-carat emerald shape stunner (photo above).
Beyonce – this diva turned up the heat when she received an 18-carat emerald-cut flawless diamond set in platinum from Jay-Z, coming in at an astounding $5 million.
Kate Middleton – making her the envy of every young woman on the planet, Kate sealed the deal with her prince with Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring.
Heidi Klum – the woman who has it all also struck gold (literally) with her engagement ring from Seal: a 12-carat canary yellow diamond from Lorraine Schwartz.
~Ashley, FashioniSTA
FashioniSTA File: Grammy Awards 2011
Feb 17th
The FashioniSTAs are taking on the Grammy Awards! For the most extreme awards show of the season, we don’t expect anything less than rock star perfection. Ride along with us as we break down who we thought rocked the red carpet like a catwalk, and who looked like a cat attacked her outfit.
Double Take 
Showing up on the red carpet in the same dress as someone else is a fashion nightmare. But showing up in practically something that someone else has worn is almost as bad. Julianne Hough – who may or may not be the most gorgeous girl on the face of this planet – wore a printed Catherine Malandrino dress, the exact one that Lea Michele wore to last year’s SAG Awards. The resemblance wasn’t crystal clear at first, since Lea’s was an emerald green and Julianne’s was a pastel print. However, this cut of this dress is so stunning, that we’re not surprised that more than one person wanted to get in on it. Who wore it better? This is a toss-up, Julianne looked like a breath of summertime air in February, but in photos, the solid color of Lea Michele’s seemed to work better.
We also had déjà vu when we saw Kim Kardashian in a bronze, draped Kaufman Franco. Flashback to Jennifer Lopez at the Golden Globes in 2009, and you’d swear that they were both wearing that Marchesa dress. While Kim’s hair and makeup were bombshell-worthy, the chunky heel didn’t work well with the dress – which may or may not have been a little tight. Who wore it better? That better be hypothetical, because in this race, J. Lo is queen.
Speaking of metallic numbers, is it just us or did everyone and their mother wear a gold, sparkly dress? Between Kim Kardashian, Leanne Rimes in Reem Acra, and Heidi Klum in Julien McDonald, there was enough gold to stimulate the US economy. Throw in Selena Gomez in J. Mendel, and you almost need sunglasses. Putting Leann’s personal life aside, Heidi Klum still trumps the country singer with her ‘70s-inspired gown, which looked like it flowed against her body. But Selena puts up quite the fight, making her almost unanimously the best-dressed rookie at this show.
We Sound Off on the Outrageous
The Grammys wouldn’t be complete without a couple of looks that could double as Halloween costumes (and we all thought Julie Bowen’s SAG pantsuit was a fashion risk). Here are the top four ladies that brought the bizarre, and our fashion verdicts:
1. Nicki Minaj – There is so much going on here, between the head-to-toe Givenchy leopard and the Bride of Frankenstein wig, we’ll say this, she’s never boring. But at an awards show where anything can happen, this is the place to work the extreme.
Verdict: Fierce, meow! But next time, lose the wig.
2. Katy Perry – Her Armani Privé ensemble, which apparently featured some of the most expensive material money can buy, gave us Katy on fashion steroids. Known for her sequined sweetheart busts, the angel wings really brought it to the edge.
Verdict: You are not a Victoria’s Secret Angel, save this for your next costume party.
3. Rihanna – This white Jean Paul Gaultier made her look alarmingly sweet for being practically naked.
Verdict: Hung jury. Half of us think she looked fashion forward and fab, the other half want to flush her toilet-paper-inspired dress.
4. Lady Gaga – The most outrageous entrance award definitely goes to her. But when the egg opened, the outfit underneath was a little…blah. You know Lady Gaga’s running out of ensembles when she has to resort to a cocoon entrance.
Verdict: Keep the whole embryo entrance if you want, but birth yourself a new outfit idea.
The FashioniSTA Picks
Marisa
Best Dressed: This was a tough one for me because – to be honest – I wasn’t blown away by anyone. At least not in a good way… However, if you were to twist my arm, I will give “Best Dressed” to Ciara. Her Emilio Pucci dress was a gorgeous combination of colors for her skin tone – royal blue and shocking white – and the fit was perfection even though it had an intricate cut-out top. Additionally, her accessories and make-up were spot on.
Worst Dressed: Rihanna – hands down. I was really excited to see what she would wear because her fashion choices are always bold and exciting. But then she showed up wrapped in white tinsel… The dress was allegedly by Jean Paul Gaultier, but I am pretty sure there is a picture of my sister and I decorating the Christmas tree from when I was 6, where I am dressed in the same attire. Only I looked better because I was wearing clothes underneath it. Yikes.
On the Fence: I really wanted to like Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine’s Givenchy dress, but the fit was atrocious. The dress was incredibly unique and the pale nude tones complimented her pale skin and red hair perfectly, but the bust was too big and – as a result – the look was incredibly unflattering. I give her ( and her stylist) an A+ for effort, but an F for execution. All that it needed was a trip to the tailor! And I bet Givenchy would have been happy to do it for free since it would have made their dress look a million times better…
Rookie of the Year: Selena Gomez looked beautiful! The J. Mendel dress was simple; yet elegant, the metallic silver-ish, gold color was perfect for an awards show, the cut was sexy, but not vulgar (perfect for her age) and the accessories were right on. Well done! If she dresses like that every time she walks a red carpet, then she has a bright future ahead of her!
Ashley
Best Dressed: Katy Perry’s grandmother in Armani Privée. Age-appropriate and bedazzled? Nailed it! If pressed, Heidi Klum in Julien McDonald could be considered a runner-up (the gold, ’70s draping was incredible on her), but this supermodel has nothing on 90-year-old fabulous.
Worst Dressed: Miley Cyrus in Roberto Cavalli. Not only is this dress too old for her, but it didn’t fit her properly, which was evident when viewing her top region from the side. The hair is also completely inappropriate, but at least it covered up the potential wardrobe malfunction in the chest area.
On the Fence: Nicole Kidman in Jean Paul Gaultier. If she had worn this to any of the other award shows that she attended this year, it would have looked fantastic. But it’s a little too Hollywood glamorous, which doesn’t necessarily work at the Grammys. However, her hair made me want to be a better person.
Rookie of the Year: I have the biggest girl crush on Selena Gomez, so I was over the moon that she showed up looking amazing. Everything about this look is perfect, and I thought I couldn’t love her any more.
Leslie
Best Dressed: Justin Beiber, DIBS! Sorry ladies I’m the youngest one out of the bunch he’s all mine. I wasn’t impressed with anyone at the Grammys, once I saw Justin Beiber he reminded me Justin Timberlake, looks aside, fashion wise. I loved the white Dolce and Gabbana suit with a black bow tie and handkerchief and fresh pair of white sneakers. I thought it was trendy, chic, and a right choice for the youngster. Now only if he would marry me in a few years…sigh.
Worst Dressed: Paramore’s Hayley Williams in a Jeremy Scott black sheer pink tutu ensemble, Epic fail. Her fire engine red hair doesn’t help either. It was sheer on her belly which made it look trashy and I could see her ugly tattoo through the opaque tights.
On the Fence: Florence Welch in Givenchy Haute Couture swan gown. She brought back Bjork infamous dress back from the dead on a lighter note it looked a lot better on Florence than Bjork. I thought it was pretty but it through me off a little. I wasn’t sure if the swan print is really needed maybe if it was a white print be rather than a swan maybe it would appeal to me better. Again, on the fence.
Rookie Winner: Selena Gomez in a gold metallic J. Mendel Dress. It fit her to a T, I thought she looked fantastic I’ve always been 50-50 with her and the choices she makes at shows but she wowed me, and I think it’s also age appropriate.
Kim
Best Dressed: Julianne Hough in Maladrino — the textures were so complimentary (the print, the cut, the ruffles, the colors) and she looked absolutely radiant. I also really liked Nicole Kidman in Jean Paul Gaul Gaultier — she was widely panned for this ensemble, but I think the colors were incredible on her and it was a really nice change to see her this year in something soft rather than severe. I was also taken aback by Margaret Cho — the cut was actually flattering, and the color allowed her tattoos to be her accessories, and she ended up looking classy rather than trashy.
Worst Dressed: Aleesia — you know it’s bad when the Jersey Shore stars are better dressed than you. Lea Michele also fumbled in Emilio Pucci — so fierce, and I don’t mean that in a Tyra Banks kind of way. Runners-Up include Bonnie McKee, Hayley Williams, Willow Smith, and Ricky Martin. Red Carpet Cringes!
On the Fence: Jenna Ushkowitz in Pamela Dennis. This could have gone so very wrong, and I can’t decide if this is one of those times or if it actually works. Esperanza Spalding also took a huge risk with an outfit that had waaaaaaay too much going on… but it definitely grew on me! Same for Eva Longoria in Ashi — a lotta ruffle, a lotta leg. But in the end… not too shabby??
Rookie of the Year: I don’t even know who this Paz lady is (I had to look her up) but I haven’t seen her in any standout red carpet galleries before this. I thought perhaps the color was a bit too washout for all that white going on below (i.e. her legs), but I love love love this dress, and those shoes! Such a nice contrast against her long locks, too. I give you a B for “Breakout Attire.”
Check back with us as we go crazy for Oscar fashion! We’ll be bringing you our style predictions, so stay tuned!
Golden Globes Fashion Trends Breakdown
Jan 19th
The Golden Globes marks the first big award show of the new year, making it part of the season of fashion holiness. This year a plethora of celebs graced the red carpet, some in outfits that made me want to be a better fashionista, others in ones that looked like a child put it together…in the dark. Check out the hot trends that were on hand that evening, and then stay tuned for our FashioniSTA Police Files as we break it out down who we think wore it best and who needs a fashion detox in a confined style boot camp.
Sunrise, Sunset
A big theme of the Golden Globes fashion parade was an array of orange, pink and red shades. From Emma Stone looking very California girl in a sherbet-colored Calvin Klein t-shirt dress to Sofia Vergara in a red/fuchsia Vera Wang corset gown, the spectrum was bright with stars who at least tried to push the envelope. January Jones was also a lady in red, wearing a fringed and very revealing Versace number, who ended up bearing a striking resemblence to Wonder Woman in some of her photos. On the pink side of things, Lea Michele donned a cotton candy pink, ruffled Oscar de la Renta – which bore a striking resemblance to the other ruffle dresses she wears, Julianne Moore attempted a one-shoulder look in and Natalie Portman styled her baby bump with a Viktor & Rolf pink silk draped gown, with a large, red rose protruding from her chest as a bonus – did anyone else think of Beauty and Beast? I mean, who doesn’t love a good Disney allusion?
Emerald City
Having four big-name actresses wear a usually absent color makes people go gaga for green, which would explain why pretty much every media outlet is making us believe that every dress down the red carpet was this shade. Catherine Zeta-Jones (in Monique Lhuillier), Angelina Jolie (in Versace), Mila Kunis (in Vera Wang), and Elizabeth Moss (in Donna Karan) all showed up wearing this emerald jewel-tone, which is a nice change from the usually-muted tones that make it down the carpet. This was a great way to bring a little holiday spirit into the new year, and while I had been missing my Christmas tree, I think I can safely say I’ve gotten my evergreen fix. Big stars in gorgeous gowns? Sounds like a pretty fabulous Christmas gift to me.
Vintage Frocks
Going vintage is always a great way to stay classic on the red carpet, but go too far, and it can look like an old-school nightmare. From Scarlett Johansson in Elie Saab to Sandra Bullock in Jenny Packham to Leighton Meester in Burberry, there was no shortage of flowy, embellished dresses, with the occasional retro-print thrown in there - see Michelle Williams in Valentino or Heidi Klum in Marc Jacobs. Maybe it’s just fashionista delirium, but some of these looked like they belonged in the back of a closet at a retirement home. There’s nothing FashioniSTAs love more than a good vintage (or vintage-looking) find, but we could be on the fence about some of these looks, whether or not it’s just the styling that went awry.
Glitteratti
No awards show would be complete without celebs in sequins. Olivia Wilde wore a Marchesa black tulle number that looked like it could single-handedly restore the American economy with all that gold sprinkled on it, combined with the serious sparkle she had on her shoes. Amber Riley (in Oliver Tolentino), Anne Hathaway (in Armani), and Carrie Underwood (in Badgley Mischka) also went with sequined gowns, providing a little extra sparkle on the red carpet. Jennifer Lopez pushed the glitter envelope with a Zuhair Murad encrusted capelet over his white, demure, yet body-skimming gown, and while different from her sexy style that we know and love, this can be considered the style of “Mommy J.Lo.”
Hungry for more Golden Globes fashion? Who isn’t?! Stay tuned as the FashioniSTAs give you their insider opinions on who walked the walk in the right dress, and who needs fashion rehab.