Je Suis Henri

Sex and the City Movie Premiere

So why does the whole rest of the damn world get to see the Sex and the City movie before the US? Sheesh. Anyway, it finally premiered in New York last night at Radio City and the stars were in attendance.

Sarah Jessica Parker wore a stunning Nina Ricci gown and her long hair loose, like some bad-girl princess. She's doing something right these days, because she looked really lovely.


Kim Cattrall wore Vivienne Westwood. I dunno. Don't like the color on her, don't like the shape, don't like the ruffly things, and I don't like the weird shape it forms on her ass (which of course can't be seen in this photo).


Kristin Davis in a rather frumpy and ugly Donna Karan.


Cynthia Nixon (who has also been looking quite wonderful recently) wore Narciso Rodriguez. Luckily, she didn't get the memo about metallics.


Jennifer Hudson looking sweet and girly. Not the dress though, which makes her look like a robotic baked potato (even if the shape compliments her figure nicely). She's a pretty girl and I don't know why stylist Andre Leon Talley chooses to dress her so badly. And why she pays him to do it.


Jill Hennessy vamps it up in a dress made from an old curtain. Actually, the dress is nice and has an interesting racer back detail; I just don't much like the fabric.


Ashley Olsen actually smiled. News at 11.


Betcha nobody would have invited Eli Manning had he not led the NY Giants to a Superbowl victory. And I can't decide if his wife is cute, or just another a trashy-looking bleached blonde. (Where was nemesis Tom Brady and Gisele?)


Edie Falco, God love her, looks like the before photo in an advertisement for sun damage prevention. Sunscreen, baby, sunscreen!!

Tejani Jewelry

Tejani creates contemporary Indian-style jewelry hand crafted by artisans in Mumbai. It's beautiful, sparkly stuff, and I particularly like the sets of bangles. Oh, and the earrings.

New for Tejani is a jewelry travel kit - complete with jewelry: two pairs of earrings, thin and wide bangles, and a necklace. The jewelry is available in either silver or gold vermeil, in an orange or black case, for $299. It's not on their site quite yet, but if you must have it now, you can order direct by calling 212.354.3144.

Unzipped

Mr Minx and I got a copy of the Isaac Mizrahi documentary, Unzipped, from Netflix the other day. It chronicles his experience getting his Fall '94 show together, including his inspiration ("'50s cheesecake meets Eskimo fake fur") and his seeming inability to get his assistants to think his idea of using a scrim on stage is as fabulous as he thinks it is (and it is). Project Runway's Robert Best is his right-hand man and it's amusing to see him as a skinny 20-something. Polly Mellen, then the creative director of Allure, features largely in the movie as well as Mizrahi bud, Sandra Bernhard, and his own mama, Sarah.

Although youngsters will think of Target or daytime TV when they see the name Isaac Mizrahi, he was once really hot stuff (and he still has a couture collection available at Bergdorf Goodman). For the runway show featured in the movie, he used all the big name models of the day: Cindy Crawford, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Veronica Webb, Amber Valletta, Shalom Harlow, Yasmeen Ghauri, et. al. And let's not forget the extremely annoying Linda Evangelista:

Bitch and moan. And what a horrible voice! If she's always like this, how does the bitch get work? (I always thought she was funny-looking.) Cindy Crawford seems like a regular gal though.

Despite the whining, we enjoyed the brief (76 minutes) glimpse into the world of fashion. Mizrahi is certainly a likable character, smart and funny. His impressions, particularly that of Eartha Kitt, are highly amusing. And I love that the film includes clips from the movies that he mentions so we can see more clearly how his brain works.

There's a good review of the film on the NY Times site.

Mizrahi is set to leave Target and take the reins as creative director of Liz Claiborne at the end of the year. I wish him great success at his new endeavor.

Washington Tremlett Black Tie

Notes: saffron, walnut, galbanum, salvia, rose, geranium, tuberose, sandalwood, patchouli, vanilla, musk

A lovely little saffron scent  from the official supplier to the Duke of Windsor, Black Tie starts off with the somewhat medicinal fragrance that comes from the anthers of the saffron crocus over a base of roses.  This saffron note reminds me very much of a softer oud and Black Tie makes me think of oud and rose scents from the Montale line.  It also bears a little similarity to my favorite saffron scent, L'Artisan's Safran Troublant, but without that scent's rich warmth.  Black Tie is a brighter, lighter fragrance with a fresher-seeming rose note.  A bit sexier too, particularly in the drydown when the sandalwood and musk come out to play.

Black Tie is more than a little pricey, at $160 for 100ml, and available at Luckyscent.com.

Two Funnies

more cat pictures

Chopard at Cannes

Luxury watch and jewelry manufacturer Chopard has been a partner to the Cannes Film Festival for eleven years, including a redesign of the Palm d'Or in 1998. Every year Chopard presents their own Chopard Trophy to one actor and one actress. This year's winners were Chinese actress Tang Wei and American actor Omar Metwally.

Fashions were somewhat subdued for the event, but there was lots of gorgeous jewelry to be seen.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Spike Lee presented the awards. I suppose she didn't have the chance to get dressed before the ceremony and was forced to run out of the house wearing a bedsheet. And some pretty ugly gladiator sandals. (Ok, it's a Lanvin dress, somehow worn better by Katie Holmes some months ago.)


French actress Vahina Giocante's dress looked like re-purposed bridesmaid-wear, but she enjoyed playing with her Chopard jewelry.


What on earth is Argentine singer Lola Ponce wearing? Old newspapers wrapped around her bottom, shiny bra, with sheer black fabric over all? I thought Cannes was a classy event?


Still not understanding Dita von Teese, or what the hell she was doing at Cannes. Her Dior dress looks like it's being taken over by huge moths who have already eaten part of the skirt. Deets, I know you're a burlesque performer, but leave the stage makeup for the stage, honey, you look ridiculous. Nice jewelry though.


That dress does nothing for Salma Hayek. Ok, it does - it makes her look stumpy and thick. Not sure about the juxtaposition of the somewhat Southwestern-looking silver brooch on her skirt and the pretty gold Tahitian pearls either.


Christina Ricci and Salma Hayek have quite different facial shapes, don't they? It almost looks like they've been Photoshopped to achieve the vast difference in chin structure, but rest assured it's all natural. Well, un-Photoshopped. :)

Christina's black dress was rather plain, but her diamond and emerald lariat necklace is gorgeous.

Gwyneth at Cannes

Although in my last post I noted that the navy blue Chanel Cruise '09 gown made me think of Keira Knightley, Gwyneth Paltrow wears it very well.

Here she is at the premier of Two Lovers at the Cannes Film Festival, accompanied by designer Valentino. He looks like he's eaten a boatload of carrots, doesn't he? And the hand around the arm seems a little possessive. "You should be wearing MY dress, not Lagerfeld's" he may have hissed.

Those Roger Vivier pumps are gorgeous, aren't they?

Chanel Resortwear 2009 Collection

Karl Lagerfeld put together a little bit of everything - good, bad, and ugly - for his 2009 Resortwear Collection.

The first outfit reminds me of a Picasso pierrot painting. The suit is gorgeously graphic and very Chanel. And the third dress reminded me of Coco Mademoiselle spokesmodel Keira Knightley. Must be the plunging neckline revealing bony chest....


The matching girl and boy outfits look more like something from Target. Or Tar-jay. And is the third model wrapped in a baby blanket?


The one-shouldered look is still popular and Lagerfeld offers a few streamlined versions. Plus some interesting pattern blocked whites. The third look is clean and polished, yet busy at the same time.


I'm not feeling the menswear in this collection. The dress, however, is terrific.


Love the first dress. She looks like a very fancy little cupcake. The silver jacket is fine for both sexes I suppose (Karl wore one himself to the Costume Institute Gala) but I think it looks better on the woman. And a shirt might be nice. ;)


There were lots of feathers in the collection as well, and these are three of my favorites. Although I wish the center jacket were sheer mesh rather than what appears to be tinted plastic. Wouldn't the first dress be dynamite on Gwyneth Paltrow?

Ellen to Wed

Congrats Ellen and Portia - may you have many happy years together.

And...does anyone else think Ellen is doing a salute to Captain Kangaroo in her outfit?

By Killian

At the Sniffapalooza Fall Ball last October, we were introduced to a new line of fragrances produced by an heir to the Hennessey cognac family.  By Killian had six scents to start, the L’Oeuvre Noirecollection: A Taste of Heaven, Beyond Love, Cruel Intentions, Liaisons Dangereuses, Love, andStraight to Heaven.  I gave each of them a sniff and dismissed the lot and their charismatic creator pretty quickly.

I gave them another cursory sniff at Spring Sniffa this year and still wasn't impressed.  The only one I like at all is Cruel Intentions, but 10 Corso Como does the oud/sandalwood thing better, and for considerably less money.

I have samples of the above as well as Liaisons Dangereueses and the humorously misnamed Straight to Heaven. Liaisons, despite containing over a dozen other notes (coconut flesh, prune absolute, plum, blackcurrant buds absolute, crystallized peach, cinnamon bark oil, ambrette seed absolute, rose Damascus, geranium bourbon, sandalwood Australian oil, oakmoss extract, vetiver java oil, clear woods, vanilla extract, white musks) smells merely of rose, one that's been picked a day before and has partially dried. It's pleasant enough but nothing special.

Straight to Heaven is nearly as noisome as Ralph Lauren's Polo, surely scented with the emetic ipecac.  It's both harsh and shrill with a thin patchouli note that cuts through anything that might give the scent some interest (notes: Martinican rum absolute, dried fruits accord, Javanese nutmeg oil, hedione, cedarwood, Indonesian patchouli oil, ambergris, vanilla absolute, white musk).  If rum smelled like this, nobody but the most strident alcoholic would drink it.

I think my biggest problem with the line is the overly-fancy packaging which drives the price point to an astronomical level. $225 for 50ml? When there's nothing that unique about the scents? Ridiculous.  Of course people who fall in love with the cute little box and tassel might feel like they're getting something for their money, and that's fine.  It's just that I could use that money to buy several bottles of fragrance...or a big ole 200ml bottle of one of the Chanel Les Exclusives. But that's just me.

Who owns something By Killian?  Why do you love it?  Do you think it was a worthwhile purchase?  Inquiring minds need to know!

Nina Garcia and Elle

Have you wondered what will happen with season five of Project Runway if Elle is a major sponsor but Nina Garcia works for Marie Claire? Never fear - Nina has accepted the short-term editor position offered by Elle. It runs through September 1, so she can still do PR before heading off to her new gig.

No word on what will happen with season six on Lifetime. Hopefully Marie Claire will assume sponsorship so we don't lose Miss Nina!

Dior Resortwear 2009 Collection

This week John Galliano for Dior kicked off the Resortwear season with a dazzling collection in hues of lime green, orange, and pink accessorized with oversized baubles in coral and turquoise. There were 60s looks aplenty, from Hollywood glamor to beach blanket bingo. Here are some of my favorites from the collection.

Love, love, love. Especially the shiny striped capris.


Love, love, love. But only young women with perfect midriffs should attempt the third look. Please, no aging socialites!


I want to drink margaritas in the first look, a gin and tonic in the second, and a glass of champagne in the third.


Now that's how to wear leopard! And doesn't Stam look so glam in lime chiffon?


The orange dress is perfect. The other outfit is very bed jacket and nightgown, but somehow it works.

Russian Fashion Week 2008

Geez - everyone has a Fashion Week these days! Russia's was held in Moscow in March (sounds poetic, but I'm sure it's just...cold). Here are some of the highlights.

Antonia Sharpovalova (say that five times fast) has a thing for whimsy and her collection featured images of Matryoshka, those clever nesting dolls. All those pompoms are a bit much, particularly when worn with shorts and a t.


Olga Shilova's and Anastasia Sergeeva's designs are a wee bit old fashioned.


Masha Kravtzova's are a little ugly, although give the model credit for trying to have a little fun while wearing a black plastic garbage bag for a skirt.


Ludmila Narsoyan of Kusso is bringing sexy back to babushkas. :::cue Kate Bush:::


And Max Chernitsov's undies are just...Klassy.

SJP at SATC Premiere

What a great pic of Sarah Jessica Parker at the London premiere of the Sex and the City movie! She's definitely channeling Carrie Bradshaw in that quirky Philip Treacy hat (love the acorn top) and frothy Alexander McQueen dress. She looks happy and that makes her attractive.

Bush Nuptials

Jenna Bush got married this weekend and wore this simply-shaped but elaborately-beaded Oscar de la Renta dress. It's pretty but doesn't look very comfortable for sitting, and it's probably quite heavy. I like the simplicity of both her hair and her bouquet - not very Texas of her, is it?

How is it that she looks exactly like both parents but is somehow still the better-looking twin?

And...why does she have to live in my town now? Isn't it miserable enough in Baltimore?

It's Prom Time!

I admit that when I first saw this photo, I thought, "Huh? That dress looks fine to me. But who's that tranny on the left?" Welp, that's no tranny, it's 17-year-old Marché Taylor in her "custom made" prom dress, deemed so skimpy she wasn't allowed past the lobby of Houston's Sugarland Marriott where her prom was being held. She raised a ruckus and was led out in handcuffs.

I know I'm old and impossibly unhip, but...her parents let her out of the house in that thing? Oh...wait...she's Billy Ray Cyrus' adopted daughter?

There's video here.

Washington Tremelett My Fair Lady

Notes: mandarin, orange, rose, violet, amber

My Fair Lady starts out with a powdery yet frothy violet note that's reminiscent of the aerosol deodorant opening of Insolence, but far more pleasant and less-chemical. And almost boozy, as if the mandarin and orange are really a shot of Grand Marnier.

This is quite the girly scent, with roses giggling about with the violet.  It's almost like a lite version of FMLipstick Rose, but note quite as unabashedly joyful...maybe slightly more refined.  I wish the citrus notes were a little sharper to cut through all the powderiness, as that can get to be too much for me sometimes.

The amber in the drydown is faint at first, adding a bit of a different sort of sweetness that's slightly creamy, but even there the violet and rose are still the stars of this one.  But, hours later, the combination of floral notes and amber soften into a lovely skin scent that is well worth the wait.  Pretty and feminine.

Tim Gunn's Guide To Style

Tim Gunn's Guide to Style will be back for season two missing one element: Veronica Webb. I'm sure Veronica is a nice person and all, but I doubt she'll be seriously missed by the viewers. Her dress sense was pretty frightening, and her face always looked suspiciously matte, as if it were a papier maché mask.

Bravo has just announced the hiring of Gretta Monahan as Tim's new "Fashion Accomplice." Yeah, I never heard of her either.

Bravo's search was long and arduous (I was going to say "hard" but I know how some of you think) and several other choices were contemplated before making the decision. Here are some of the contenders, with Bravo's official reasons for not hiring them:

"Gisele Bundchen is the highest paid model in the world. Plus she's dating Tom Brady. We are embarrassed to report that Ms. Bundchen laughed at us when we offered her the job."


"While Ms Kate Moss had great potential, her other 'interests' are not condoned by the NBC family of television networks."


"Contrary to her belief, Janice Dickinson wasn't really ever considered for the position."


"Ms. Campbell was banned from Bravo after threatening Padma Lakshmi while brandishing a leg of proscuitto and a bottle of SoBe during filming of a recent episode of Top Chef. Ms Lakshmi has generously decided not to press charges at this time."


Ms. Hilton appeared dazed at her audition, repeatedly mumbling "That's hot" while looking at her own reflection in the camera lens."


"While Ms. Winehouse has an iconic style of her own, it was suggested that the subjects of our make-overs would not want her hands rummaging through their underwear drawers."

Trumped

Hey, Ivanka - if you unhook the clasp, the necklace will fit over your big head better. Oh, and...nice boob veins. Bodice too tight maybe?