Farewell Oscar de la Renta

With sadness, I say good bye to one of fashion’s greatest designers. Oscar de la Renta passed away tonight after a long fight with cancer. He was an American icon, dressing First Ladies and Hollywood legends alike.

My personal recollection of him began in high school with me discovering we shared a birthday. I poured over the glamorous coverage of his fashion shows, hoping to experience his world when I got to New York to work in fashion.

That ambition came true in 1997 when I started working as an embellishment designer. He designed not only his own collection but the Balmain Haute Couture collection as well. He used one of my first embroidery designs of a vine-like sequin and bead pattern on a sheath in his show. He later used another one of my designs, where I had experimented with spray-painting gold fleur-de-lis patterns across sheets of copper sequins. I was overjoyed to see my work as a part of my idol’s runway. 

Visiting his studio at 550 7th Avenue was a treat. He and his close staff always looked impeccable. I would have been intimidated if it were not for his warm demeanor. One appointment I had there was cut short unexpectedly. I was shooed out for security clearance as then First Lady Hillary Clinton was coming in for a fitting.

  I remember one instance where his son Moises was doing homework in his office. Everyone knew that whenever Oscar had his family there, he would be in a great mood.  Oscar was in the middle of fitting a gown on a model a few weeks before his runway show in the studio. He came back to the office to ask his son if he wanted to watch the fitting. Adolescent boys generally don’t jump at watching their fathers pin clothing.  However, Moises could see the enthusiasm in his Dad’s eyes and reluctantly joined him to make him happy. Love trumped the need for teenage cool.

In recent years, Oscar de la Renta created memorable looks for pop divas like Beyonce Knowles and sartorial fantasies for Sarah Jessica Parker and Sex and the City. I hope he is surrounded by love and beautiful things like what he himself gave to this world.

 portrait by DAVID LORD DE LA RENTA, magazine clipping from officiel magazine 1998

Read more >>

Met Gala 2014 - Red Carpet Trends

The Met Gala (or Prom for the fashion set) had a glorious red carpet procession last night.  The invitation's dress code was  “White Tie and Decorations.”  The marquee exhibit for the Metropolitan Museum's ball was Charles James, Beyond Fashion.  I guess Anna Wintour wanted guests to dress in classic glamour for the 2014 Met Ball.

The best looks came from guests paying tribute to Charles James in ball gowns echoing his silhouettes. Sarah Jessica Parker wore a black and white dress that was reminiscent of the black and white clover gown in the exhibit.  Sarah Silverman wore dark red Zac Posen similar to the scarlet creation in the museum.  Karolina Kurkova wore a sculptured work via Marchesa.  Anna Wintour's daughter Bee Schaffer wore a pale blue Alexander McQueen gown that paid tribute to the red and tulle gown by Charles James.

The irony of this event? In high school, the unpopular girls went to prom with their gay best friends.  For the Met Gala, the A-list celebrity girls attend "fashion prom" with their gay designer BFF's.  Yes, for this social event, it is much more likely to see top fashion designers bring their most popular celebrity muse as their date in lieu of their mates.  It's mutually beneficial as the designer secures the celebrity and the celebrity has designer cred.  I would love to see a designer give their date a jeweled corsage.

Worse trends?  Celebrities obviously paid to schill a mass market/high street clothing brand for press (I'm looking at you Topshop and Jenner family...) The other are celebrities dressing up as Disney princesses.  This is an unpopular opinion, at least where my niece is concerned.  She thinks this look is fabulous.  Last (AND least) the grotesque, wannabe streaker in pink mankini and Jersey Shore-worthy gold chain who tried to crash.  I am not even dignifying this clown with a photo.

Photos by Josh Haner/The New York Times, Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images, Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Read more >>

Best Embroidery on the Golden Globes Red Carpet

The Golden Globes are considered Hollywood's biggest party.  It's no surprise the biggest party frocks are out on display.  As always, in my love for embroidery, here are my picks for best beading and embellishment on the Golden Globes red carpet. 

 I love the dark bordeaux colors of the J. Mendel dress worn by award winner Elizabeth Moss.  Semi-sheer with the beaded, sequined motifs tracing flattering lines on the body.  American Horror Story's Lily Rabe wore a Georges Hobeika gown with a crystal and bead embroidery that shot out like a sunburst neckline.  This looked great and framed her face beautifully.

The platinum queens came in the pair of Mila Kunis in a soft Emilio Pucci gown.  The bodice was layered with silver sequins topped with crystal flowers and beads leading to a neckline embellished with a large dimensional sequin flower.  Kate Beckinsale was stunning in and art deco crystal beaded fishtail gown by Zuhair Murad.

Graphic black and white is one of spring 2014's best trends.  Jenna Dewan Tatum and Zosia Mamet wore it beautifully with romantic embroidered black motifs on white.  Jenna was in a sweeping mermaid gown by Roberto Cavalli.  Girl's Zosia Mamet wore a dress by Reem Acra.
Photos by Getty/Jason Merritt, JustJared

Read more >>

The Fashion Milestones of Ms. Fabulous

What was the milestone moments that brought me here today?

The definitive moment that made me choose the fashion industry as my career path was after watching a charity runway show of Canadian designer Alfred Sung in 1991.  This was before Toronto had a fashion week, and was just a trade show.  It was also where M.A.C. cosmetics were first introduced to the Canadian fashion crowd before taking over the world.  It was my junior year in high school and I had loved every part of the atmosphere there.  While there was a lot of pitching from marketing people, I loved listening to all of it, just to learn about how the industry people talked about their product and try to learn the lingo.

When you feel that “A-ha” moment, embrace it.  Explore it, learn about it, and then find a way to make it happen.

After that, I set out to explore who the top players were in the industry and what the top schools were.  I made it a goal to get into Parsons School of Design as it had the best alumni.  I didn’t really have a plan B.  I always knew I wanted to live in New York City and am really grateful my parents were so supportive.

My first job after graduating from Parsons was to work as a designer for a lingerie company. I got to see my first solo project hanging in Bloomingdale’s six months later.  This was a milestone moment for me to see a major store carrying something I put my stamp on.  It was the scared look of a customer trying on the robe and seeing me jump and down that finally snapped me back to reality.

There’s nothing like a moment of validation that your chosen path in life was the right one. 

One of my first projects in embroidery design, and what would become my passion, was a project for Oscar de la Renta. I was creating Baroque motif “graffiti” by spray painting stenciled shapes onto sheets of sequins.  The design made it into his collection and I called my mother when I saw the runway photos in a magazine. 

In the apparel industry, it often is not as artistic as one might hope.  I soon learned that merchandising and margins get in the way of creativity quite a bit.  Embroidery design turned out to be one small segment of the industry where one really could branch out and take chances in design, and where your fashion design heroes actually take notice.  Also, Oscar de la Renta happens to have the same birthday as me today of July 22^nd.  Perhaps that’s why we understood each other.

The most important fashion design I ever created was my own wedding gown.  Yes, that’s cliché, and I was sternly instructed not to attempt making it myself by my mother.  I wasn’t sure if that was a superstition or her knowing me well enough that I shouldn’t stress myself out.  What made this an important gown was not just the symbolic purpose of it, but the fact that it was a collaborative project with several good friends.  I designed it, but my good friend Regina constructed it and another friend Rekha did the embroidery.  My entire family and friends collaborated on many other aspects of the event, from running an assembly line for programs or my Mother running the planning down like a military operation (really, she had spreadsheets and charted images of all vendors on CDs!). 

You may have terrific milestones in your career; you might have amazing accomplishments of your own.  However, I realized the longer I live life, the ones that are the most satisfying are the ones you achieve with the people you love. 

In today’s busy world, don’t let your period slow you down. At the end of the day, Always Infinity is the pad that’s still going strong. It’s made from a revolutionary material called Infincel, so it’s super flexible and totally molds to your shape. Plus, it absorbs up to 55% more.* So spend more time with your friends and family, and less time worrying about leaks. Try Always Infinity today. Share your tips to achieve a better balance: Facebook.com/always.               *versus the leading Regular Ultra pad with wings.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Always via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Always

Read more >>

CFDA Award Winners - 2013

Last night at Lincoln Center, the fashion industry's elite came out with the celebrities who love them.  The occasion was to honor the achievements of their peers across multiple categories at the CFDA Awards.

Thom Browne won the award for Menswear Designer of the Year.  He was recently honored at the Pratt fashion design graduate show and Michelle Obama wore his coat on the day of the last inauguration.  I guess this win should not have been much of a surprise.

Philip Lim won the award for Accessories Designer of the Year.

Swarovski awarded honors in emerging talent to Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty for Suno for women’s wear, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne for Public School for men’s wear, and Pamela Love for accessory design.

The most coveted category, Women’s Designer of the Year went to Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler for their fifth win in the history of these awards.  It’s a wonder that we aren’t all issued the PS 1 handbag when we step onto 7^th avenue at this point.

The non-competitive awards that honored established figures in fashion included Oscar de la Renta for the Founder’s Award in Honor of Eleanor Lambert.  The award was presented to him by longtime friend/fan Hillary Clinton.

The CFDA Board of Directors’s tribute honored my favorite costume designer, Colleen Atwood (Snow White & the Huntsman, Chicago, etc.)

The committee awarded Vera Wang the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award to bridal/lifestyle/eveningwear juggernaut, Vera Wang. 

While I believe every major designer is “International”, the CFDA gave their International Award to Richardo Tisci of Givenchy.

I grew up following “Toronto Life Fashion” on local television.  I was very proud to hear that the host I watched for years, Tim Blanks receive the Media Award in Honor of Eugenia Sheppard.  Canadian in ‘da house!

Photo collage from cfda.com instagram round-up

Read more >>

SAG Awards Beading

Night and day, the gowns were at last night's Screen Actor's Guild awards.  As always, I pick my favorite embellished gowns for embroidery and beading.

Jenny Packham scored a lot of red carpet time with beading like a night sky on Jenna Fischer and edgy studded embellishments on Kelly Osbourne.  Nicole Kidman was elegant in a floral applique navy gown from Vivienne Westwood.

There were some terrific bridal alternatives to be found in the white dresses that came down the carpet.  Mad Men's Kiernan Shipka wore an off-white Oscar de la Renta dress.  Jayma Mays from Glee wore a flowering dress from  Georges Hobeika.  Kerry Washington continues to stun by wearing a Rodarte dress with a fantastic bodice that was a mix of hard studs and delicate lace.

Photos from Fashionista.com

Read more >>

Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style

Yes Bond, James Bond has always been a showcase for gadgetry and high end style.  A lot of design talent went into crafting the many iconic scenes over the years.  The Barbican Center in London is hosting the Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style exhibit until September 5, 2012. 
Many top fashion designers have contributed to the exquisitely tailored look of this spy and his cohorts.  Along with Hollywood costumers Lindy Hemming, Bumble Dawson, Donfeld and Julie Harris, the exhibit includes looks from  Giorgio Armani, Brioni, Roberto Cavalli, Tom Ford, Hubert de Givenchy, Gucci's Frida Giannini, Douglas Hayward, Rifat Ozbek, Jenny Packham, Miuccia Prada, Oscar de la Renta, Anthony Sinclair, Philip Treacy, Emanuel Ungaro and Donatella Versace.  
See the evolution of sexy swimwear from Ursula Andress' famous white bikini from Dr. No, to Halle Berry's modern update in Die Another Day to Daniel Craig being the male version of eye candy in skimpy blue shorts in Casino Royale.
As for the famous tech and weapons, special effects experts John Stears and Chris Corbould are on hand along with artwork for sets and storyboards by production designers Sir Ken Adam, Peter Lamont and Syd Cain.
I wonder if the opening night party served up martinis...


Images from Daily Mail UK/Getty/AP/Rex

Read more >>

Huffington Post Game Changers of Style

Huffington Post and AOL honored individuals they considered "Game Changers" last night at the Skylight Studio in Soho.  These were people who were innovators or accomplished notable feats in their respective disciplines that ranged from categories like education, environment, culture to style.  

In the style categories, style icon and self described "geriatric starlet" Iris Apfel won an award for her influential taste.  Four guys who met at Wharton school were honored for their company, Warby Parker.  They mixed fashion eyewear, technology and a goal to provide eyeglasses to those more needy with every pair sold in collaboration with a non profit agency.  

Gayle King presented a style award to the 1973 Models of Versailles.  A bunch of models in France may not seem significant at first, but this was a group of African-American models who brought international attention to their look with the help of American designers Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass and Stephen Burrows.  At the time, African-American models were not being taken seriously, if at all.  American designers were also not being considered top tier fashion players as well.  Together, they showed the world that they were an influential force to be reckoned with, and as a result, African-American models were in demand for years to come.

So are you properly inspired? What will you do to change the game today?

Read more >>

NY FASHION WEEK: Diane Von Furstenburg Spring 2012

 The iconic designer and head of CFDA, Diane Von Furstenburg presented one of the most talked about fashion shows so far.  She sent lots of brightly printed large florals down the runway. The designer also showed sold separates in beige, lemon yellow and pops of turquoise blue.  The prettiest pieces were the shimmering pastel day to evening looks.  There was a iridescent print used in 1960's silhouette dresses, embroidered sweaters, tops and sheaths.  The rolled neck on many looks were also quite retro.

The beauty styling was reminiscent of vintage Hitchcock leading ladies with elegant bouffant hair and ladylike pink lips.

Handbags were multiple variations of the envelope clutch.  Some were solid, some were color-blocked.  A few were produced to match the prints of the clothes. 

Fabulous four, Rachel Zoe, husband Rodger Berman, PR maven Lorenzo Martone, model

In a touching finale, Diane Von Furstenburg acknowledged the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by handing out American flags to guests along the runway.  I love the hug and kiss she gave designer Valentino when she saw him (below).

Read more >>