Posts tagged Vera Wang
FashioniSTA File: Emmys 2011
Sep 21st
It seemed like this year at the Emmys the stars all shopped and got ready together. Should you be headed to a clone event of this year’s Emmys? Follow the memos below and you’ll fit in like a pro!
1. Wear red. Red satin, red silk, red bed sheets cut as an asymmetrical evening gown. If you happen to be color blind, you might have missed the fact that a good half of the stars showed up wearing red. Although if we can make a suggestion, red satin dresses are coming across a little like a PromGirl photoshoot, so maybe next time opt for something matte.
2. No red? Wear black, or metallic, or some sort of geometric, sequin structured dress. (Did you try to find someone not wearing these color/pattern schemes? A nearly impossible feat.) With the right selection of celebs, you could put together a really nice classic Hollywood photo montage, however, some of the stars were in need desperate of tweaking
3. Straight hair is for no-shows. Waves, curls and up-do’s were on the docket this awards show, giving pin straight locks a night off. Possibly a mass attempt to conserve straight-iron electricity, or possibly a mass realization that the smell of burning hair puts a slight damper on the glamorous atmosphere.
Got the trends, now get our takes on the stars who wore them! The FashioniSTAs round up the style stars and suspects to bring you the picks of the night.
Ashley 
Best Dressed: Nina Dobrev in Donna Karan (pictured above) was absolutely stunning, this was hands-down my favorite look of the night. The Vampire Diaries starlet not only blew away her young Hollywood competition, she also beat out every red carpet veteran. There were about a billion celebs in red on Sunday, but she blew them all away. Every detail of her outfit was perfectly tailored to her body, from her form-fitted dress to even the shade of red that complemented her skin tone. The whole look was a modern version of old Hollywood done right, I’m so sick of stars wearing frizzy waves and calling it retro glamour.
Worst Dressed: Taraji P. Henson in Blumarine (right), which is disappointing because she usually looks great. She’s got everything going for her, but this dress was so incredibly unflattering, the only thing that could’ve made it look worse was putting a weird hairpiece on the side of her head. Oh look…a style apocalypse.
Honorable Mention (Best Dressed): Maria Bello in Kaufmanfranco. She’s got a new primetime show and she’s not afraid to show a little life enthusiasm with sparkles (which I can totally appreciate). The sunburst, mosaic print was a risk, but it paid off since the silver was a subtle accent to the white, one-shoulder backdrop. The loose waves were a nice effect, but I think a sleek chignon would have made this look a home run.
Honorable Mention (Worst Dressed): I love Eva La Rue, but her peach, bedazzled dress did her such a disservice. Now I’m all about sparkle, and if I could bedazzle my lunch I probably would, but even I think the sparkle on Eva’s dress looks a little cheap. I get that she’s on CSI: Miami, but South Beach style shouldn’t be allowed on the red carpet.
Leslie 
Best Dressed: Nina Dobrev. The Bulgarian beauty queen wore a Donna Karan red body hugging dress. Leave it to DK (yes, we’re on that level) to keep it sultry sexy and simple. She looked marvelous, sophisticated but you couldn’t ignore those curves! Her wavy hair, diamond necklace and clutch (with a hint of red) complimented every aspect of the dress. It was a sure fire way to make a show stopping red carpet impression. BRAVO.
Worst Dressed: Paz de la Huerta wearing…I don’t even care to know who! Last time I checked this wasn’t a horror scene from the Pretty in Pink prom scene and even then, her dress was better! She looked cheap enough with the dress and rhinestone heels but she took it to another level with that Airhead Blue lipstick, WOOF.
Honorable Mention (Best Dressed): Claire Danes in a beautiful Oscar de la Renta. I’ve always thought Claire played it safe and normally sticks to the color pallets of the celebratory night but she really out did herself. The strapless blue/black sequin embroidered gown with a defined black eye liner enhanced her beautiful blue eyes. I think it was a great choice and I can’t wait to see more!
Honorable Mention (Worst Dressed): Heidi Klum in Christian Siriano (right). Trust me when I say I’m a huge fan of this woman but I can’t seem to love this dress. It looks like a huge coral reef. I do like the idea of showing off her legs because next to her stomach it’s her best attribute but this color choice washes her out as well. You can’t get any more Supermodel than Heidi; I’ve just seen her in the best of the best and this is not it.
Best Dressed: Kaley Cuoco in Romona Keveza (shown, right). Perhaps I’m just a sucker for anything vintage-inspired, but I thought that this tea-length one-shoulder gathered tulle ensemble looked just elegant enough for an awards show but had enough whimsical fun to bring it to an Emmy-worthy level. In a sea of colorful simple classics, this piece was a standout. Loved the pops of red in her accessories, as well.
Worst Dressed: Phoebe Price in her own creation. As the British crooner Mika lovingly sings, “big girl, you are beautiful”… just NOT in that dress. Waaaaaaaaaaaay too much fabric in bizarre band-aid like patterns just works to enhance the fact that you are not a size 2. Size doesn’t have to be an issue on the red carpet… unless you make it one.
Honorable Mention (Best Dressed): TIE! 1) Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang — the dress itself was nothing all that spectacular, but the way that it fit her curves was jaw-dropping perfection. Va-Va-Voom! 2) Evan Rachel Wood in Elie Saab — while Maria Menounos wore an almost identical dress, Wood wins in this glamathon race. Why go for cheap sequins when you can get an even better effect with gorgeous beadwork and an up-do? Welcome back from the dead, Wood.
Honorable Mention (Worst Dressed): So many. I always feel like it’s easier to find the flubs than the fantastic, and this ceremony was no exception. 1) Christina Hendricks in Johanna Johnson? I know you have boobs, honey, but can you even breathe with them so tightly bandaged up against your body?? Plus, the color just washes her out and the beading pattern just made her look wider than normal. 2) Jayma Mays in Zuhair Murad looked like a cupcake, and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen better versions of that dress on Toddlers & Tiaras.
Best Dressed: Jennifer Carpenter in Tony Ward Couture – LOVED! She looked like a knockout (hello, that slit!) and it was so nice to see her outside of the pant suits she wears on Dexter.
Worst Dressed: Gwyneth Paltrow in Pucci. I wanted to love it, but could not get past that upper mid-section cut out (ugh!). Without that I think it would have been a great dress, but with the midriff-bearing piece it became an instant disaster. I’m all for her trying to push the envelope, but crop tops on the red carpet are not the way to go.
Honorable Mention (Best Dressed): Julie Bowen in Oscar de la Renta – the plunging v-neck and the sparkle accents worked so perfectly together. It was a great silhouette with her body, and the whole ensemble was clean and modern, with just the right amount of shine. This dress definitely made her an Emmy style winner in addition to the gold statues she went home with.
Honorable Mention (Worst Dressed): Katie Holmes in Calvin Klein – this was so boring! And between the belt, the fit and the bird nest on top of her head, the whole look was really not flattering. I can understand her wanting to be slightly understated since she wasn’t a nominee, but this is still a red carpet event. It might be her bazillionth trip down the carpet, but that this look was more suited for the beach.
FashioniSTA File: Oscars 2011
Mar 5th
The biggest awards show is without a doubt the Oscars, and this ceremony brought out some of the best outfits of the year! In comparison to last year’s gala, we noticed a lot more poise and polish. Last year was a mixed bag of prints and ruffles and experimental fashion, and this year was a definite return to the glitz and glamour that is expected at such a show. We break it down from the gowns to the jewels, FashioniSTA style!
Big Time Jewels
We know that the first thing that catches your eye is the dress, but this year’s show brought out such a wide variety of shiny accessories, that we just can’t ignore them. Hailee Steinfeld’s Fred Leighton’s diamond headband was an adorable addition to her youthful, ballerina-esque ensemble. Céline Dion’s Bulgari pendant was stunning, and an exquisite addition to her streamlined gown. These jewels saved some of the outfit disasters that hit the red carpet, such as Nicole Kidman’s gorgeous Fred Leighton necklace (right) that offset her poor Dior gown choice.
But some jewelry choices were just plain distracting. Amy Adams in Cartier should fire her stylist, that necklace is not meant for that neckline, and the cuff is jewel overkill. And wait until we get to Reese Witherspoon, her emerald earrings are just the tip of the iceberg.
Mismatched Hair Choices
One bizarre trend this season was horribly underdone hairstyles paired with fabulous dresses. Sharon Stone looked great in John Galliano for Christian Dior, but what was going on on top of her head? She had a serious bubble with out of control wisps. Amy Adams tried hard to channel Veronica Lake, but she was in some serious need of conditioner and the choice was all wrong for that L’Wren Scott dress of hers. And poor Sandra Bullock just can’t seem to get a break at the salon – her Vera Wang dress was out of sight, but it looked like someone just grabbed chunks of her hair and pinned them at random. I feel like this is how my hair looks when I’m at the spa. But for Reese Witherspoon (right), she had the exact opposite problem – wonderful ponytail fall, but paired with the earrings and the outdated dress, it was too much. If she lost the earrings and paired the hair with a different dress, like Hailee Steinfeld’s Marchesa, for example, and Witherspoon would have been too adorable for words.
The FashioniSTA Picks
Marisa
Best Dressed: Cate Blanchett (right) in Givenchy Couture was breathtaking. It was 
everything that a red-carpet gown should be - unique and on the cutting edge of fashion yet wearable so that the actress was still the focus. Her earrings were small so as not to distract from the beautiful beading on her shoulders and chest and her hair was soft and simple - a perfect match. I loved everything about this dress - the color, the beading, the cut-out, the draping - but what really made it a show-stopper was the way in which Cate wore it. She can handle an edgy dress with ease - an Oscar-worthy red carpet moment indeed!
Worst Dressed: Thank God Melissa Leo won the Oscar for best Actress in a Supporting Role so that there was something to focus on other than that atrocious Marc Bouwer dress. The heavy-handed lace, the gold foil lining, the high collar, the structured shoulder, the spider-beetle necklace (what in the world??!!)…there was WAY too much going on and none of it was flattering. I loved her in the Fighter, but I hated her in that dress.
On the Fence: Gwyneth Paltrow looked absolutely stunning in the metallic column dress by Calvin Klein Collection. It fit her to a T, her hair matched it perfectly and the way it moved…incredible. However, I was totally put off by the jeweled brooch at her hip and matching earrings. The brooch at her hip totally distracted from the clean, statuesque lines of the dress and I thought that the multi-colored stones on the jewelry were too much. Her stylist could have definitely introduced an additional color to the ensemble, but just one color would have been best. I am thinking big emeralds…
Rookie of the Year: Hailey Steinfeld’s tea-length Marchesa dress was the perfect choice for this young star. It was appropriate for the occasion and most importantly, it was appropriate for her age. She looked like a princess and I am sure that she felt like one too. The makeup was clean and simple - subtle liner and mascara and a pink lip - and the silver headband and ballerina bun kept it youthful and fun. I hope that she had a fabulous time!
Biggest Comeback: Sharon Stone has ended up on Worst-Dressed Lists more often than Best-Dressed Lists of late. However, she redeemed herself last night. The form-fitting black dress with feather embellishments was both classic and of-the-moment all at the same time. But, the feathers and the asymmetrical neckline placed Stone directly in line with the current trends. Her clutch was simple and added some additional texture and her hair was in a classic French twist, but with some added height for drama. I may have preferred if her makeup artist didn’t have such a heavy hand with the eyeliner (it makes her look a little crazy and, let’s be honest, Sharon Stone doesn’t need any help looking crazy…), but other than that, it was a red-carpet A+!!
Ashley
Best Dressed: Anne Hathaway in Valentino Couture, before the flash photography got a hold of her. It was the epitome of timeless elegance when I saw it on the red carpet coverage, and it makes me very sad that the photographs ruin it. Cate Blanchett’s allusion to my fave holiday - Easter - was also a breath of fresh air. Fashion-foward that works. 
Worst Dressed: Florence Welch (right). Looking like what I’d imagine the wife in the attic in Jane Eyre, I’m borderline shocked that Valentino would let this loose on the red carpet. But then again, they also designed that daisy disaster that Michelle Williams wore to the Golden Globes.
On the Fence: Mandy Moore in Monique Lhuillier. I loved the gold sparkles with the illusion detail, but something about this felt wrong. Between the color of the dress, her skin tone, her makeup, and her hair, she just looked washed out, and a little old.
Biggest Comeback: Celine Dion in Armani Privé. Although she’s never been a worst-dressed offender, I can’t recall the last time I saw her on a red carpet. She made her big comeback in the best way possible, by wearing a killer dress (she had twins recently?!) and paying homage to her last Oscar appearance with her “Heart of the Ocean”-esque pendant.
Rookie of the Year: My girl crush on Selena Gomez grows every time I see her on the red carpet. Although she wasn’t part of the Oscars until the Vanity Fair after party, she looked AMAZING in a red Dolce and Gabbana gown. Her hair, makeup and accessories were the perfect complements to the dress, her overall look was just stunning.
Leslie 
Best Dressed: Halle Berry (right) in Marchesa. She looked radiant in a nude strapless crystal corset gown. It had has silk tulle ruffles that made it look like she was floating on a cloud. Halle Berry never disappoints me and this dress proves it.
Worst Dressed: Scarlett Johansson in Dolce and Gabbana. The purple doily looking ensemble was terrible, I personally think she’s beautiful all the time but that gown did nothing for her and her figure.
On the Fence: Amy Adams in L’Wren Scott. The royal blue sequin gown was to dieeeeeeee for but the accessories through me for a loop. Granted they were Cartier but the emerald green necklace and bracelet on blue??? No idea what she was thinking but none the less she was wearing a spectacular dress.
Rookie of the Year: Hailee Steinfeld in Marchesa. Truly a pretty little ballerina moment. I thought it worked really well for being that she’s fourteen, it was modest and a great approach to the Oscars. I’m sure we’ll see more of her in the future.
Best Dressed: Matthew McConaughey’s better half Camila Alves (right) in Kaufman Franco… I know, I know, not exactly who you would expect, but that dress was JUST TOO GOOD. The Oscars are all about polish, and that Camila was the essence of sleek. Same could be said for Jennifer Hudson in Atelier Versace. Execution? FLAWLESS.
Worst Dressed: My biggest “ugh” of the night went to Mark Ruffalo’s wife, Sunrise Coigney in Jean Paul Gaultier. What…was…that?! Oh, and Reese Witherspoon? I think I saw your dress when I was perusing the Cosmo Prom Issue back in 1996…only then it was made by Zum Zum and not Armani Privé.
On the Fence: Cate Blanchett in Givenchy…in the end, I liked it, but it just seemed a little too “walking art” for me. Jennifer Lawrence donned a Calvin Klein sheath, and she looked jaw-dropping sexy. But for the Oscars? It felt a little too casual.
Biggest Comeback: Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang. That dress was so gorgeous on her, and if you recall the walking nightmare that was her Golden Globes outift, I think we can all agree that Bullock is back on track.
Rookie of the Year: Hailee Steinfeld — at 14 years old, she drew that design, brought it to Marchesa, and they made it for her. Rookie? Welcome to the Big Leagues!
Stay tuned for bigger and better things from the FashioniSTAs!!
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.