Fashion Overload

PUMA LIFT Commercial

PUMA created this new ad which is reminiscent of the work of one of my favorite artists, Tony Oursler clashed with a piece by Michel Gondry. 

Coco Avant Chanel

Sartorialists everywhere will be lining up like Star Wars fans for the forth coming release of  Coco Avant Chanel (Coco, Before Chanel) on April 22, 2009. Audrey Tautou (Alemie, The Da Vinci Code) plays fashion icon Coco Chanel as the film explores the early days of a name synonymous with style and her rise to fame in Paris.

Trashy Lingerie With Mira Sorvino

The absolute worst red carpet appearance I caught at the Palm Springs International Film Festival this week goes to Mira Sorvino. Her dress was pretty unflattering and moreover it just looked like a dirty nightgown. Then you throw on a silver wrap that looks like a holiday packaging after thought that is completely disconnected to the Trashy Lingerie look shes pushing so hard. Don't even get me started on the hair.

Amy Adams Looking Puffy and Pouty

This week I attended the awards gala for the Palm Springs International Film Festival where many a celebrity walked the red carpet. One of my least favorites had to be Amy Adams. Adams has lovely skin and is for the most part a beautiful girl who typically looks pretty snooze worthy. She's never in anything particularly interesting or especially bad but at the same time in that merit she is often wearing items that don't do her figure or skin tone justice. This who ensemble is a perfect example. Not only does the tie look out of place and awkward on her (seriously, could have been fixed very easily by covering the closure with an interesting brooch) but the whole thing makes her look pale, bloated and lumpy. Now I think she is just a stunning beauty so I find it such a shame that things had to go down the way they did. Her clown-like make-up isn't helping the situation any either. Additionally.. this is a season of stunning heels when her shoes are a serious bore. Ultimately there isn't anything remarkable about this ensemble that screams "I am a super star!" and gives you the sort of drama or sparkle that it takes to really own a red carpet... and I really, REALLY hate her eye makeup.

Silent Chanel

I haven't been remotely subtle about my love for Karl Lagerfeld. The man's work is prolific, varied, and produced with a level of skill and craftsmanship that is unparalleled... and he just keeps going with a gusto that screams, “I’ll Retire When I’m Good and Dead DAMMIT!”

So ever since Kaiser Karl mentioned that he was creating a silent film tribute to Coco Chanel I've been anxious. The film chronicles the love affair between a young Coco (played by model Edita Vikeviciute) and Duke Dimitri Pavlovich, in authentic 20s style. The full short was shown in Paris this past week alongside Chanel's Paris-Moscow pre-fall 2009 collection. You can see it online HERE.

First Looks: David David

From the UK David David brings out their latest playfully fun and optimistic of collections filled with bright colors and geometrics to a retooled LL Cool J tune. LOVE!

Art Royal T: Yayoi Kusama

Yayoi Kusama is an artist best known for her paintings and installations who exploded on the New York art scene alongside Yoko Ono, Claes Oldenburg and Warhol. Her obsessive compulsive patterns and sketches are awe inspiring meditations on color and texture. Having disappeared from the scene I had always wondered what ever happened to the artist, rumors of suicide or insanity abound. Turns out the latter is true, she now resides in a mental institution. Royal/T in Culver City (I LOVE THEM) will be holding a fundraiser to finish up a documentary about Kusama where they will be selling pictures of the artist and sharing cookies and tea. Taking place Sunday, October 19th starting at 2pm. Put on your brightly colored wigs and head over to support this creative legend. The world really needs to hear this story. Directions to the spot can be found HERE.

Winslet As Westwood

It's official. Kate Winslet has accepted the role of Vivienne Westwood in the British designer's upcoming biopic. Kate plans to prepare fro the role by spending a great deal of time with the legendarily eccentric designer. The film by Universal is a part of a growing list of fashion designer centered cinematic outings based on Karl Lagerfeld,  Valentino, and Coco Chanel (she has two, actually).

Channeling Chanel

More and more cast members are being secured for the Coco Chanel biopic. Alessandro Nivola was just signed to play  a dashing Arthur "Boy" Capel. Audrey Tatou will be taking up the lead portraying the  legendary designer in  "Coco Avant Chanel". Nivola is reportedly learning French for the role, despite playing one of the few American characters in the film. The story is about Chanel's early life, before her design house achieved worldwide fame. Capel funded her fashion business in its initial stages, and also influenced her masculine aesthetic. His death in a car accident was thought to be the most devastating event in the designer's life.

Hey McFly!

Nike has created a Back To The Future Inspired sneaker, based on a pair that Michael J. Fox sports in the film series. The McFly sneaker is limited edition with Nike only producing 300 pairs. They were released at UNDFTD in Santa Monica to an anxious crowd of sneaker freaks. The first 10 in line got a pair autographed by Kobe Bryant, and it seems that dozens of folks camped out for over 24 hours for the honor. Kobe arrived in a DeLorean, greeted guests and took a few pictures while folks enjoyed the hip hop heavy soundtrack and checked out the rest of the store.

Nike had the sneakers created in response to a grass roots campaign and petition by internet users to produce the infamous kicks. The website (seen HERE) logged millions of visitors and gathered over a hundred thousand signatures. The sneakers are already all over Ebay, one pair has a reserve price of over $2000. (click to enlarge pics of the Nike McFly, and the opening festivities)