The Red Carpet is Too Safe

Remember the days when Cher wore sparkling Bob Mackie jumpsuits to the Oscars? Yeah, me neither. But it's been documented, and I swear, I'd rather see an atrocity like that then the boring dresses we've seen on the red carpet these last few years. Now that everyone has a stylist, there's less room for screw-ups. I usually love whatever Maggie Gyllenhaal or Kirsten Dunst wear, but both were absent.

There was lots of navy, lots of red and lots of strapless or one-shoulder numbers. My favorites? Rosamund Pike in a lemon yellow Roland Mouret (shown), Julie Christie because she looked classy without looking dowdy and Diablo Cody because she looked ridiculous in leopard print. Hats off to the few who added a little flare to the carpet this year.

Design Savvy

My friend Emme -- often mentioned in this blog -- is an incredible artist. I already own one of her paintings and now I'm commissioning her to design a print for my apartment. It's really great having friends who are creative and talented -- it keeps me curious about new and emerging artists. It also keeps my personal aesthetic fresh.

Want Emme to design something for you? I'm not sure how much she charges -- I get a special discount -- but email me and I will put you in touch with her.

Good Night

A friend of mine always says that you spend more time in your bed than you do anywhere else, so it's important to invest in a good mattress. At this moment in my life, I tend to favor wardrobe upgrades over home improvements, but that hasn't stopped me from pining after Hastens' Classic Continental bed. This $4,000 sucker is stuffed with natural materials like cotton, flax and pure new wool and covered in an appealing silver and grey check. I want. I want. I want.

Why is it that...

When I'm desperate to get work done, the only music that aids in productivity is Elliot Smith?

Hmm...I wonder what this says about me....

Feel free to ponder.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The New York Shows

I've enjoyed fashion week this year, but I must admit, I feel that most collections have lacked the coherence I yearn for. Typical favorites -- Phillip Lim, Brian Reyes -- had standout pieces but there were also bits I would consider downright unattractive and that's unusual. Here are a few designers I feel shined:

Proenza Schouler -- colorful, creative, coherent -- an overall beautiful collection

Jeremy Laing -- not sure if he showed in New York, but I've seen the looks from the collection online and it was great; lots of color blocks, greys, silks and even a bit of shimmer

Alexander Herchovitch -- the dress with cut-out shoulders killed me! Amazing.

Shipley and Halmos -- the beauty of a small collection (14 looks) is that you cut out all of the flab. Everything was perfect in this collection -- particularly the yellow sheath

Rodnik -- inventive and fun

Rodarte -- never my favorite aesthetically, but I appreciate their creativity

Alexander Wang -- more of the same, but I would wear every piece

BOY by Band of Outsiders -- ditto

So Far....

Neon Makeup
Purple
Magenta
Mustard
Taupe!
'70s
maxi skirts
slimmer shapes
menswear, again (not that I'm complaining)
Keds!

Can We Call It the iBag?

The It bag is dead, so many have said. But I've noticed that in replace of the Chloe or the Balenciaga or the Marc, fashion's elite have embraced the iPhone. Never have I lusted after a gadget like this phone -- especially after going to shows this weekend and realizing I'm about the only fashion girl not to own one.

However, I've been told by the experts (aka my techie bf) that I need to wait until it's available with 3G technology -- the internet is much speedier. "It's the difference between dial up and DSL," he says. I suppose I'll wait until the summer to buy my iPhone -- just as long as I have it before September's fashion week!