People's Choice Awards - What They Wore

As we ramp up for my favorite time of the year- awards and fashion week season, the People's Choice Awards brought out celebrities who were ready to show off their first red-carpet looks of the new year. Here are some of the prominent trends I noticed last night.

Winter white hues were big at the People's Choice Awards.  Newcomer Adelaide Kane chose a lacy Rhea Costa frock with an emerald clutch for a pop of color. Humanitarian Award recipient Jennifer Hudson dazzled in a long-sleeved Kaufman Franco sheath.  Jason Wu's form-fitting zippered dress looked fresh on Jessica Alba, however her solid white Casadei pumps weighed down the ensemble.  A strappy, open toed sandal is usually a better choice for this monochromatic look.

The freezing temperatures throughout much of the U.S. seems to have left some stars yearning for Spring, as floral prints were also prominent.  Unfortunately most of the looks fell flat.  Florals can be tricky and are best kept simple. Sandra Bullock looked polished in her dress by Peter Pilotto, whose highly-anticipated collaboration with Target will be in stores on February 9th.  Kat Dennings chose the vampy route with a David Meister gown.  With a shoulder embellishment, low-cut neckline and busy floral pattern, Heidi Klum's Armani gown seemed to have a bit too much going on.

Colorblocking was out in full force- mostly kept in neutral tones on this red carpet.  Newly-engaged Naya Rivera looked stunning in a Michael Kors dress.  Co-host Beth Behrs showed off her first look of the evening in a flowing Rene Caovilla gown, showing that black and white are always a good pair.  Emily Deschanel matched her Max Azria gown to her colorblocked clutch.

What did you think of these trends at the People's Choice Awards? Do you think we'll see similar trends on the Golden Globes red carpet on Sunday?  Be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram for live fashion updates all award season long!

Emmys Best Dressed: Turning Heads

This year's Emmys were full of beautiful fashion- we saw trends in the form of colors (blue was the big hit of the evening) and shapes (many stars opted for mermaid gowns).  However, my best dressed were the women whose looks had that special something: a stunning detail that stood out when they turned their heads.

In an elegant Prada gown, Michelle Dockery proved that bright hues and deep colors can play beautifully together.  The low-cut back and her sleek bob perfectly highlighted the oversized avant-garde bow-like detail.

Kate Mara again confirmed her place as a star who really 'gets' fashion in this gorgeous long-sleeved J. Mendel column. It's truly impressive how a dress with embroidered textures of varying patterns, and a skirt with high slit layers provided a look that was arguably the most modern and chic of the entire red carpet.  The side cutouts in the top were an unexpected construction detail.

Katrina Bowden made a lovely statement in a perennial red-carpet favorite, Badgley Mischka.  The navy gown looked simple from the front, however the back showed off the gorgeous art-deco embellishments that took her look to another level.  Styled perfectly with a clean bun and sparkling topaz earrings by David Yurman, she looked young and fresh.

What were your favorite looks at the Emmys?

Cream of the Crop

Sometimes not all fashion trends are ones that we can see working for us, however the frequency of the top trend at New York Fashion Week's Spring/Summer ready to wear collections was unmistakable and refuses to be overlooked: the crop top.  Initial reactions to this midriff-bearing style are often that there is no way the average woman would be able to work this into her wardrobe.  I've seen countless iterations of this style on the runway, and I guarantee that there are ways to make this trend classy, and to make it work for different figures.

First, let's explore some of the daytime looks that can be achieved.  Rebecca Taylor showed the crop top's sporty side with a low-slung skirt and long Varsity jacket.  At Narciso Rodriguez, the look was chic yet casual with three-quarter length sleeves and a monochrome colorway.  Tracy Reese gave the crop a ladylike turn, pairing it with a lace peplum skirt.  The key to these daytime looks is to not go overboard with various colors or accessories- keep it simple to keep it stunning.

Perhaps the most intriguing way that this trend was displayed was how it was worked into evening looks.  Christian Siriano showed a spectacular chartreuse crop top that was balanced by it's own flowing train and matching ankle pants.  Oscar de la Renta's collection included a way that the crop top can work for those of us who don't actually want to bear our bellies: match a shorter top with high-waisted skirt or pants in a complementary silhouette.  And Monique L'huillier brought us what was previously thought impossible: a red-carpet ready crop top look!  She paired a bandeau with a high-waisted skirt in beautiful flowing silk that showed just a sliver of stomach, and created a gorgeous, modern and elegant style, appropriate enough for a black-tie affair.  So consider my mind changed: there are ways to make this trend work beyond the super-slim and super-casual looks we've seen in the past.  

Will you be working crop tops into your wardrobe for the coming seasons?  If so, what will you pair it with?

Programming note: don't forget that the Emmy's are this Sunday, so be sure to follow me on Instagram and Twitter @AngelHowlett for all of the major fashion moments as they happen!

Flower Power

Floral patterns dominated the runways at Paris Fashion Week, proving that this trend isn't going anywhere for the upcoming seasons. While flowers often evoke a girlie visual, designers showed that the size of the pattern, colors used and silhouette can give this pattern a power boost.

At Giambattista Valli, an air of modern romance was achieved with a spray of red flowers on a beautifully draped gown.  Accessorized with a dark cinched belt, the look was kept from being overly sweet.  Ulyana Sergeenko used a floral trim on the straps and bustline of a velvet frock to balance the flounce of the hemline.  With exaggerated sleeves and a gauzy floor length skirt, Alexis Mabille used flowers to drive the romantic neo-Victorian feel of her couture collection.  Sexy cutouts and sheer panels laced with floral appliques donned the gowns at Tony Yaacoub, who designs for a woman who wants all eyes on her.  Maison Martin Margiela never fails to entertain, taking the quirky factor up a notch with full floral headdresses on many of his models.  His pastel swing coats lined with large blooms were countered with brown knee-high boots, proposing that come Fall/Winter, we will all be yearning for sunny Spring days and floral motifs.  

As with all Couture collections, these looks are meant to be a rarefied vision of the overall direction that fashion is taking.  For everyday ensembles, don't be afraid to mix floral with other patterns for a fresh look (for example, a floral top and striped skirt).  The general rule of thumb is to keep the size of the pattern varied- so if you use a wide stripe, keep the florals at micro-level.  Also, it pays off to have a 'base color', which is a color that is found in both patterns. 

Making Me Blush

Couture Fashion Week is a really exciting time to get a glimpse into the most decadent and gorgeous designs that will soon emerge as some of the hottest trends in every day fashion. One of the trends that really stood out at last week's Fall/Winter 2013 Couture fashion week in Paris was the dominance of nude colors.  On the runways at numerous shows, pale blush and light beige tones were showcased in various silhouettes and styles.

At Alexandre Vauthier, expert draping and a carefully corseted silk piece in nude showed that this color can still make a bold statement.  Elie Saab's long-sleeved gown with plunging neckline and embellished details was red carpet ready.  At Giorgio Armani Privé, one of my favorite collections from Fall/Winter Couture, all of the designs were based on this color story, showing the true multitude of neutral options. The chic tie-belt pants in this look were perfectly complimented by a sheer camisole and delicately bejeweled open blouse.  Zuhair Murad's romantic lace dress balanced a high slit and one gauzy shoulder strap.  At Jitrois, you can see how monochromatic nude separates work together for a look of modern elegance.

One of the great things about this trend is that it can flatter all skin tones- it's just a matter of finding the right spectrum for you! Add a dramatic smoky eye or bold lip color for some fun contrast.  Will you be working some nude and blush colors into your wardrobe for the coming seasons?

Cannes-piration: Keeping it Très Chic at Any Event

Every Spring, filmmakers, actors, models, designers and dignitaries flock to the French Riviera for the annual Cannes Film Festival.  This twelve day extravaganza not only celebrates the best in current and upcoming movies, but it also showcases the crème de la crème of fashion.  One of the greatest things about this festival is seeing the many different looks that celebrities have to pull together for all the varying types of events that they will attend.  Everyone can relate to having to pack for a trip that will require numerous wardrobe changes, which can be very challenging.  While these stars have stylists to help pull together their looks, we can still take a cue from how they chose smart-looking outfits that meet a plethora of functions.

Carey Mulligan wore a black jumpsuit by Alexander Wang for Balenciaga for the photocall for The Great Gatsby.  The modern, rounded neckline, beaded detailing and t-strap heels added a special touch to this decidedly more casual look.  Rosie Huntington Whiteley chose a creme Dior corset top and high-low hemmed skirt with pockets for the amfAR Benefit.  Her matching ivory pumps balanced the look with a prim yet not overly-done feel.  Olivia Palermo showed her innate sense of style in a short black Roberto Cavalli frock with varying textures and long sleeves.  The feather accents on her heel straps and her cobalt purse shows that it's all in the details for an evening out.  Also in Cavalli, Princess Charlene of Monaco proves that a pant suit can be sexy and sharp at the boat party celebrating the designer.  Her robin's-egg blue clutch is the perfect counterpoint to her dark ensemble.  You'll also notice that each of these women has chosen to forego jewelry or stick with very simple pieces - keeping in line with the "less is more" theory - especially when considering precious luggage space!

Yet there are those nights when you just know you want to pull out all the stops.  This was the case at the 'All Is Lost' Cannes premiere.  As Milla Jovovich shows, the red carpet was made for drama, and her sweeping Armani gown with a jewel-encrusted bodice and navy  silk skirt is a showstopper. Her dark nails, sideswept bangs, smoky eye makeup, matching clutch and sparkling cuff are perfect accessories for this glamorous yet French-chic look.

What did you think of this year's Cannes fashion?  Checking out the quick and varied ensemble changes that the attendees have to make, I definitely feel the need to keep my style quotient 'en pointe' while on business or personal trips! 

Rock // Stars

The Costume Institute's Metropolitan Museum of Art Ball is regarded as 'the biggest night in fashion'.  The very essence of the event is centered around all that is couture: the goal is to raise funds and celebrate the Institute's latest fashion-as-art exhibit, and it is tradition for designers to bring their current muse (see: model or starlet) as their guest.  The theme of this year's event was Punk Rock: Chaos to Couture and it was with high expectation that fashionophones awaited what designers, stylists and celebrities would come up with for this seemingly odd pairing of punk and haute couture.

Rooney Mara was co-chair of the event along with Anna Wintour (naturally!) and Riccardo Tisci.  She donned an on-trend white lace dress by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy.  While you'd expect this to be a more demure and ladylike look, what gave this ensemble the rock-star treatment were the structured shoulders, exposed zippers, plunging neckline, high center slit and dark lip color.  Anne Hathaway stunned in sheer and shredded black Valentino column with cut out panels.  Her brand-new platinum hair color added a bit of surprising yet balancing glam.  Model Rosie Huntington Whitely made a grand entrance in an olive-hued Gucci gown of silk, see-through fishnet and feathers.  

My favorite look of the night was Cara Delevigne, arguably the most sought-after model in the business right now.  Her custom-designed studded Burberry gown had a low neckline that showcased her layered and dripping necklaces.  She accented her look with her signature heavy eyebrows, smoky eye makeup and tousled hair.  Perhaps it has something to do with the precarious personality that she's known for, but for me she encapsulated exactly what this night called for: model cool and devil-may-care punk.

Who was your best dressed at the Met Gala?  Do these looks make you reconsider the juxtaposition of  unconventional punk and high fashion?