Fashion Icon and Beyond: Elizabeth Taylor

Its not everyday that one personality, one actress, seems to have broken all the rules, and gone her own way, like Elizabeth Taylor.  Her life was a reflection of an era, a century, in which women who were beautiful, wilful, talented and extraordinary, had to fight their way to freedom.  Elizabeth had many lives, many incarnations.  But, in watching her on CLEOPATRA, it was clear that this film and it two stars, were unique on the planet at that moment in time.  Her portrayal of Cleopatra was more than just a women with a plan. No one, could hold a candle to Liz. She and Burton literally, played out their relationship on the screen like two great comets, they collided in a fiery and passionate  explosion.  Elizabeth had over 65 costumes changes,
designed by our favorite film designer of that period, Irene Sharaff, who was a master at it.  For the first time, the portrayal of a strong women, a historical character was aligned with the emerging roles of women in the 1960s.  We see her as an icon in a different way from Audrey or Grace, both of whom were more delicate in their approach.  Liz was elegant, warm and had an earthy sense of humor that belied her earth shattering beauty.  When dressed in her jewels she could play the part as well as anyone and so Fashion Icon doesn't really describe how she influenced a generation of women.  In the final speech in Cleopatra,  nearing her death, tells her servants to dress her in gold, so that she can be seen from far away, by Antony, who will recognize her as she enters the kingdom of the afterlife.  Indeed, she is there, now, dressed in that extraordinary gold gown that astonished the world and keeps her in our memory, forever.

Los Angeles FASHION WEEK: Its Raining Men

The Los Angeles Fashion Week end at the Gower Studios was a wonderful mix of brands, fashion and artists from LA's urban landscape.

The men's fashion was our favorite, and, we adored the companies "Z-BRAND" and "CIVIL SOCIETY" which paraded down the runway just the type of men we adore:  stylish, masculine, utilitarian but with a dash of luxury in the fabrics and cuts.

We saw period inspired clothes that were mixed up with great shirts, t-shirts and pulls.  Also, the sheer number of pants styles was mind boggling making the "weekend guy" quite happy.  They were finished off with work boots  making them very appealing to the man who likes both style and comfort.

This "new man" for the season it effortlessly put together without much fuss and bother.  He  knows how to mix the fabrics, shapes and colors.   So,  with a few purchases, this look was easily achieved.  Clearly, the mind behind the clothes had thought of everything which was evident in the studied casualness of the outfits.

I am looking forward to more from these men's lines, which really put the sportswear vibe back into the California fashion scene which has been a bit anemic of late.  The women's lines, though entertaining to the eye,  were not that original nor surprising.


STYLIST PRIVEE  Confessions of a BOHEMIAN shopper.



CIVIL SOCIETY look below. Don't look now, but, your boyfriend just became Brad Pitt.

DEL RIO SANDALS - THE LUXURY SANDAL THAT IS ECO FRIENDLY

Its not every day we can talk about luxury in the same breath as  eco-friendly . This is the exception to the rule, as this sandal is not only designed  with hand-made quality and  luxury materials its also planet friendly.  The Del Rio London Sandal, is, in fact, an interesting mixture of chic, luxe and ECO sensitive attributes that make it perfect for now.

Linda Del Rio, the designer, has thought of everything.  Its a luxury brand  because the sandal, itself, goes back centuries to ancient Spain.  The artisans make each sandal  by hand. The materials are re-cycled leathers, and, get this:  the soles are made of re-cycled rubber tires.  Yup. you heard it right, tires.  How does this all hang together?
At STYLIST PRIVEE we are always on the look-out for a shoe that is not only chic but comfortable. It comes with the  job, as we're on our feet for hours and hours.  Imagine our delight when we discovered a sandal that not only had a comfort factor, but, was such a simple concept done in a LUXE style that we were thrilled.  These sandals are not available in the US quite yet, so if you want to see them in person, you'll have a wait a bit.  We're happy to play our part for the good of the planet, our feet, and, in the name of  STYLE, so, we're spreading the news about the DEL RIO LONDON SANDAL right here, right now.   You'll thank us later.

STYLIST PRIVEE

Galliano: The end of a Mad Genius

It i
Officially,  STYLIST PRIVEE will no longer report on John Galliano,  formerly at Christian Dior, due to his regretful and offensive commentary that has recently been reported in the media.

Therefore, we will not be reporting on the recent collections due to be released this week.


STYLIST PRIVEE

Los Angeles or Paris Collections: The Trends Start Here

Let's Party, like its 1799.

To be clear, the Paris collections arriving in two weeks will be spectacular, surprising and groundbreaking. Well, maybe.

Great fashion comes from many places, but, in the end, Paris leads the way with London and New York,  following.

Let's re-think Los Angeles.


First of all, what is it we do best here?   Well, we do swimwear, surf, skate, and other sportswear that New Yorkers can only dream of here in LA LA land.   And, there's Hollywood, of course.

I would like to propose that Los Angeles get its groove back by showing only resort, swim, skate, surf and all the clothes that made us great as a market.  Evening wear, because of Awards seasons, is also a key item we can do very well here.

I don't want to forget the denim market, it stands in for the dark pin stripe suits of Wall Street.  Power meetings,  happen in denim here so its part of our "beach and casual" lifestyle vibe that will always depend on a great pair of jeans worn effortlessly.

We can't do it all. Let's keep it simple and do what we do best, and, focus on an industry revival.

Let's be, what Los Angeles is known for. Nationwide Trends. Worldwide Entertainment. Thinking outside the Paris box.


Just a thought.


STYLISTE  PRIVEE



















French Art Of The 18th Century (French Edition)

Mick Jagger: The King of Style

At the Grammys, all eyes were on Mick, and, his fantastic and stylish jacket and matching shirt which rocked the stage.  Of course, his performance really shows the kids how to do it right, and, as he leaped around the stage at age 67 its true, that, age,  music, and great style have no age.

GRAMMY's RED CARPET REPORT: THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE EGG

THE REPORT:  Can we still be surprised?

From the entrance of LADY GAGA's egg and the sexy Kim Kardashian wearing the spin-off of James Bond's Gold Finger Girl, the fashion scene was really soup to nuts...yes, we mean nuts.

But, then, what would the Grammy's be without some moments where we wished the artists hadn't left their houses, but, when they did, it was either tragic or comic.  Nicole Kidman, who was flawless at the Golden Globes, had a huge miss here at the Grammy's. We noticed that the dress had some technical problems and the color was a huge miss. We'll leave the gritty details to the FASHION POLICE and Joan, who won't mince words.

We can hardly wait, for that egg, to open.





STYLIST PRIVEE
GRAMMYS 2011

LOS ANGELES