| Fashion, Beauty and Celebrity

Thursday, March 10, 2011

0 Paris Pret-a-Porter Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2011: Louis Vuitton, Chanel--Pics + Full Runway Videos!

More Paris Fall/Winter 2011 Collections Photo & Runway Video Highlights: Hotel Vuitton, SUPERMODELS are BACK...and so is SPENDING Millions on a show + Lagerfeld's "Dark & Foggy" Fashion World...

Naomi Brings Your Luggage Up: Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011

Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011:

May I Take Your Whip? Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011

Paris Pret-a-Porter Fall/Winter 2011 Fashion Week continued this past week and here I highlight two "Biggies": Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Marc Jacobs, Creative Director/Designer for Louis Vuitton was in a "Logo Naughty" kind of mood. As guests arrived for the show, they were greeted by uniformed French maids. Soon people dubbed this the "Louis Vuitton Hotel" collection. For this collection, Jacobs was thinking of a hotel where "things happen", fetishism, the sketchy guests, Couture Chambermaids who see EVERYTHING but say NOTHING: "We were thinking about obsession, fetishism and we thought about an old hotel, with its chambermaids and the affairs that go on there, the crimes and scandals. And we just wanted to reveal all the amazing creatures who passed through there," he said.

Welcome to Hotel Vuitton: Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011

The collection was INCREDIBLE--from the looks of the video and photos. Great clothes featuring COLOR (yeayy!!!) and luxe fabrications and well-tailored fits. Of course, the accessories were TO D.I.E. (scroll below!). Vuitton, Inc. spared no expense on this show: There were old-style elevators which individually brought up all the models, and speaking of models:

Checking In: Supermodel Amber Valletta, Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011

The Supermodel Brigade was out in fine form. Naomi Campbell, Amber Valletta, Carmen Kass, Carolyn Murphy, Stella Tennant, Kate Moss, to name a few. If your keeping a tab, that's about $60,000 (at least!) already spent--and we're not adding the elevators! Whatever happened to those "recessionista" Gallery-style more intimate shows? Not when you're an almost-$20 BILLION dollar brand like Vuitton darling!

You Better Leave a Tip: Supermodel Mariacarla Boscono, Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011

6AM Walk of Shame Ensemble: Supermodel Kate Moss, Louis Vuitton

Luxe Handcuffs: Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011

Le Must Shoe: Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011

I Want That Hat! Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2011

Louis Vuitton by Marc Jacobs Fall/Winter 2011 Full Runway Show:

Chanel Fall/Winter 2011:

Freja Man-Drag: Opening Look from Chanel Fall/Winter 2011

Now, speaking of multi-billion dollar brands, wait until you see the latest Chanel runway show and that opening (full video at the end of posting here) . For the latest Fall/Winter 2011 Chanel Collection, Designer Karl Lagerfeld is said to have been in a dark and somber mood and the runway stage--if you could call it that, reflected it: It was a foggy forest on a bed of still-smoldering scorched earth with rocks and faux coal. It was Fashion post Volcanic Eruption! Who knew clothes could look this chic after a natural Karl Lagerfeld-infused disaster.

Nordic Tweed: Chanel Fall/Winter 2011

Lots of grays, blacks, torn and tattered boucles, with a pop of burnt red here and there. There was again this division of Male-female, common in many a collection this season. It seems for the Chanel girl, Daywear means to bring out your "Inner Fashion Testosterone" and yet for Evening, it's time to be a girl again! Oh and if you are a Chanel Man, well...scroll down and take a look...

Volcanic Hunting Season: Chanel Fall/Winter 2011

Knit Red Carpet: Chanel Fall/Winter 2011

Post Eruption Sequins: Chanel Fall/Winter 2011

I'm So Mad I Have To Wear This Pretty Dress After A Natural Disaster: Chanel Fall/Winter 2011

Man Survives Forest Volcano Eruption: Chanel Fall/Winter 2011

Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld Fall/Winter 2011 Full Runway Show:

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

0 Nick Verreos on NBC-LA , Local Japanese TV UTB Hollywood (KSCI-TV) and Telemundo-LA & CNN International!!

Oscars Red Carpet and Oscars Costumes--The TV Wrap Up...

A Perfect Portrait: KNBC News Anchors Chuck Henry, Colleen Henry and FIDM Spokesperson/Fashion Designer Nick Verreos, KNBC-TV 5 o'clock News

Last week was the 83rd Annual Academy Awards and I was happy to be part of the "Red Carpet Coverage" madness--as the "Fashion Guy" for TV Guide Network's "Academy Award Red Carpet LIVE Show hosted by Chris Harrison" as well as being on the "Fashion Wrap" Panel the following day with Paulina Porizkova, Tabatha Coffey and Miss Daisy Fuentes.

SKYPE Ensemble: Nick Verreos SKYPES from his office for CNN International

In the lead-up to and after I was inundated with requests to go on local TV and even SKYPE (my FIRST TIME!!!) to CNN International's "World Report with Anjali Rao" program!--and give my Nick "Two Cents" on the 2011 Oscars Red Carpet. In addition, as you know, the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM ( the College I teach at and also my Alma Mater) has their fabulous "19Th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design" Exhibition showing the Oscar-nominated costumes plus many more (about 100 costumes in total!).

Grecian God-dess: Nick Verreos at the FIDM "Art of Motion Picture Costume Design" Exhibition

The week before the Awards, the FIDM Museum & Galleries also received A TON of press requests from Local News Services (as well as all over the World) and being that I am their Official Spokesperson, I was happy to be "their guy". You can see what I did for KNBC-LA Sunday Weekend News HERE as well as Fox-LA Channel 11 "Good Day LA" HERE but there was more:

KNBC-LA Channel 4-5 o'clock News with Chuck Henry & Colleen Williams:

Discussing Fashion: Chuck Henry, Colleen Williams and Nick Verreos discussing the 2011 Oscars Red Carpet Fashions

The wonderful people at KNBC-LA invited me over (second time in a row!) to their Burbank Studios to on be on the 5 o'clock News with anchors Chuck Henry and Colleen Williams to talk about my opinions on the "Best " and "Has Room For Improvement" of the 2011 Oscars Red Carpet. I cannot say this enough: Colleen and Chuck are THE BEST! First of all, such pros and second of all, so welcoming, so sweet and may I add, surprisingly insightful with their fashion opinions (Yes, I mean you Chuck!).

The lovely KNBC staff (OK, the amazing make-up artist!), even put me in my own "Green Room" which I heard was "reserved" for bigwigs. I think since there was no Brad Pitt or Donald Trump in sight, at the time, I was the closest thing to a "bigwig" (wink wink!).

KNBC-TV Green Room

I felt so special with my own Vanity Table and mini fridge. Needless to say, I never got use the Vanity Table nor the fridge! But thank you again for having me and for the fun "Oscar Red Carpet Fashion" talk! Can't wait to do it again Colleen and Chuck!

Telemundo-LA "Acceso Total" Entertainment show:

During that week leading up to the Oscars, I did so many TV interviews with local and foreign press at the FIDM "Oscars Costume Exhibition", I lost track. There was Russian, Chinese, Korean, French, British TV interviews which I did. I haven't seen any of them but I am sure they're "out there somewhere".

But I did get a hold of one I did for Spanish-language Telemundo and an entertainment show titled "Acceso Total" where I gave a fun tour (in Spanish) to reporter Edgardo Gazcon. You can Click HERE to watch that segment.

In addition, I also gave a "TV Tour" to Japanese-language UTB (United Television Broadcasting Systems, Inc.) for KSCI-TV Channel 18. UTB is the first Japanese-language TV station based in the United States. The station first began in Los Angeles in 1971. The station covers the 16 million population of Southern California, and UTB is watched by over 3 million people, including Japanese, Japanese Americans, other Asian nationalities, and they wanted to do a TV segment on the Oscar-nominated Costumes as well as the fabulous FIDM "Art of Motion Picture Costume Design" Exhibition.

Click BELOW to watch the UTB Hollywood/Japanese TV: Nick Verreos FIDM Oscars Costume Exhibition:

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

0 Paris Pret-a-Porter Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2011: Mugler, Balenciaga

80's Divas, Lady Gaga, Latex, Stomping Platforms, Flower Power Dressing...

Strike A Pose: Lady Gaga making an entrance on the Mugler Catwalk, Mugler Fall/Winter 2011

Mugler Womenswear Fall/Winter 2011:

The Real Mugler...and His Muse: Designer Thierry Mugler and Jerry Hall

The Mugler Tough 80's Chic Power Diva Legacy Lives On: And for 2011, it's now being headed by Lady Gaga's Stylist/Creative Director, Mr. Nicola Formichetti, and his co-designer Sébastien Peigné. This was the most anticipated show of Paris Fashion Week. The scene was Church-like; columns and long walkway. Models sauntered and struck DIVA almost-Drag-Queen poses. The word "Fierce" would come to mind as much as that word is soooo two years ago. Lots of very TIGHT suiting, shoulder pads that would rival a Quarterback, heels so high MANY a model stumbled (they really should have gotten Drag Queens, they might have done a better job!) and enough Latex to make 1000 Condoms. The B**** is Back. And in the form of Mugler Fall/Winter 2011. Oh, and did I mention Miss Lady Gaga modeled??

Cover The Sisters: Mugler Fall/Winter 2011

Style.com summed it up this way: The collective vibe as Gaga's magic spell dispersed and the crowd shuffled into the night was one of bemused disappointment. Backstage, though, was another story. There, Formichetti was surrounded by the kind of clamoring mosh pit you're more likely to associate with his collaborator. "Fun is making a comeback," he said. "Mugler was a fashion god for me. It was more than fashion, though, it was entertainment." In that regard—and it's not one you can dismiss easily in our wired world—Formichetti and co. nailed it. But will Gaga be available next season? Maybe so. Formichetti also informed us that his biggest fan has already "bought the entire collection in every color."

Stylists Will Gag: Mugler Fall/Winter 2011

Catsuit Fashionanimal: Mugler Fall/Winter 2011

Bra Not Needed: Mugler Fall/Winter 2011

Joan Collins Who? Mugler Fall/Winter 2011

Gaga For Runway: Lady Gaga in Mugler Fall/Winter 2011 Finale Look

Click HERE to watch a Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune interview Lady Gaga and Nicola Formichetti

Mugler Womenswear Fall/Winter 2011 Full Runway Video:

Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2011

My Lunch Appointment Is Late: Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2011

For Fall/Winter 2011, Balenciaga Designer/Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquière softened his muse: There were pretty flower print dresses and skirts folded and architecturally draped. There was knit mesh and leather jackets and a defined sense of playing with proportions. The shot of magenta, orange, and purples were fabulous--amongst the black. Just from seeing the photos and the runway video: I LOVED it! This is modern directional sportswear in a very LUXE high-end way. Ghesquière is way too cool for school--as they say.