Memorial Day Weekend

I’m tempted to start packing my LL Bean monogrammed Boat and Tote RIGHT NOW for this coming Saturday night’s adventure. My friends Lizzie, Katie and I (and respective gentlemen) are heading to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery for a screening of Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. Lizzie has a great post over at DESIGNwatcher.com about what she’s packing for our picnic. In addition to Lizzie’s thermos of whiskey sours, Katie is bringing rosé, and we’re all cooking up a storm. Mr. Foodinista will be grilling Bourbon-Molasses Chicken Drumsticks (perfect companion to the whiskey sours) and I’ll be making The Foodinista’s Orzo Salad with artichokes and prosciutto. Here’s a shot of the salad from last summer:

It’s like it was MADE to go with rosé. Katie is bringing a lentil salad with herbs and feta, as well as some grilled veggies. And Lizzie is threatening to make some super delicious caramel oat bars for desert. Now, what to wear. I mean beyond the requisite pearls in a nod to the ever spectacular Eva Marie Saint…

Klute to Kill

This weekend, our dance cards are full with Halloween bashes. Tomorrow afternoon, Tiny G has been invited to his girlfriend Hazel’s for a costume party. He is going as a bumble bee. Then tomorrow night, our friends Booth and Adam are hosting a spooky soirée to which my husband and I are going as Donald Sutherland and Jane Fonda, respectively, from Klute (1971). I was so inspired by a Uniqlo corduroy jacket my husband wears in heavy rotation, which, when teamed with a cashmere turtleneck, makes him look either like John Updike or Donald Sutherland. The latter seemed to give yours truly more wardrobe choices. Today I need to hunt down a cheap belt and a mullet wig to complete the look, though frankly my own ‘do is looking a little shaggy these days. I got this turtleneck mini at American Apparel, and PS, it doesn’t look QUITE like that on me:

…and will throw a Viktor & Rolf trench over the affair with some knee-high pleather boots picked up on the cheap in Paris about a decade ago. Here are some other fashionable turns from the movie, but were too much of a wardrobe investment (what? you ask, i don’t have a red leather corset with fringe kicking about in my closet?):

Early 80s Tennis Fashion = Love All

My very first crush in the first grade was John McEnroe, and I will stand by that to this day. (My husband and I recently saw him at a Lakers game and I was as giddy as a schoolgirl all over again.) True, McEnroe had a wicked leftie slice serve, but it was his Sergio Tacchini that really gave him the edge. I mean…HOT.

Bjorn Borg certainly gave McEnroe a run for his money in Fila, pictured below. Sorry to say it Johnny Mac, but in this particular shot, advantage Borg:

It’s a look much copied, most famously in one of my favorite fashion flicks, The Royal Tenenbaums:

But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Ellesse—and who rocks it better than Chris Lewis, circa 1982? 

Around that time, The Foodinista had convinced her mother to part with a white Ellesse tennis jacket and I just thought I was the greatest thing since, well, McEnroe on grass. I would kill to still have that in my closet. Interestingly, I stumbled upon this shot of Guillermo Vilas decked out in Ellesse, despite the fact that for much of his career he was a Fila guy:

Of course where is Lacoste in all of this? I certainly remember wearing a lot of it as a kid, but I’m drawing a blank on who was wearing it on the court then. Anyone remember? In the meantime, let’s salute its creator, French tennis great René Lacoste, who founded the brand in 1929 at the height of his legendary career. Here is the man, the myth, the legend:

And finally, a shout out to Brit Fred Perry, whose superb contribution to the sport was inventing the sweatband!

Friday Follies: Seeing Valentino Red

Friday Follies [n., pl.] postings on Fridays about fashion and food in film from guest bloggers with impeccable taste.

Woman on Top might be a movie about a woman scorned, but to me this movie is all about red dresses. Awash in blandness, Isabella (Penélope Cruz) leaves her cheating husband, dressed in an array of pasty white flour sacks. As Isabella simmers up some red chile peppers, her mojo returns and her wardrobe gravitates towards a vibrant hue of red. 

She sashays through the streets wearing red dress #1 (a spaghetti-strapped swingy sundress) enticing what must be the entire straight male population of San Francisco to follow behind her in a Dr. Pepper-meets-Verizon Wireless parade through the city streets. 

She saunters out on the set of her new cooking show, “Passion Food Live,” in red dress #2 (a skin-tight, cap-sleeve number).

She goes on a date with the show’s producer in red dress #3 (a floor-length mandarin) and continues her self-resurrection with red skirts, sashes and lipstick accenting her every scene. 

Isabella—with her scarlet lips and tight, red top—looms over the city as a giant billboard for her TV show.  When her husband arrives in town to win her back he declares, “How can you dress like this? It’s not proper, in your condition, married to me!”

Isabella is red: Valentino Red, to be more precise. And ultimately she becomes the color.

Do I want to wear the exact wardrobe from this film? The actual garments chosen for Isabella’s wardrobe are themselves forgettable and at some points laughable, but it’s the abundant use of red that makes this movie memorable. Watching it, I am overwhelmed with a need to wear red immediately. Hell, I can trace the most regretted non-purchase of my shopping history to Woman On Top’s homage to Valentino Red, and not to the fact that the atelier had only two of the simple modern chiffon dresses remaining on the rack.  One that was red, in my size, and one in white…one size too small, both Valentino. Interestingly, Valentino was initially known for his white wedding dresses, but it is for his signature color of crimson that we will always remember him.

Looking back, my husband wasn’t familiar with Ms. Cruz’ Isabella; he perhaps was not aware that red is the color of love, prosperity, passion and good fortune.  Or that red wards off evil spirits and brings good luck to brides across the far east, and well…he just didn’t realize that this dress I was eyeing for my wedding day was VALENTINO RED….and damn it, it fit!  Much to my own consternation, I acquiesced to my fiancé’s request to stick with a more traditional tone for my wedding dress purchase, and I went with the smaller-sized, white chiffon dress instead. I added a gym membership to the receipt in my Valentino Red shopping bag. But we did serve a mean red chile sauce at the wedding…and by the way, the film’s Bossa Nova soundtrack is awesome too, but that’s a story for another day.—Jill Burnham

[The Foodinista's Note: As a bridesmaid in said wedding, I can attest that no bride has ever looked lovelier in Valentino...white!]

For the previous FRIDAY FOLLIES, click HERE.

Friday Follies in Film: Fringe Benefits

Friday Follies [n., pl.] postings on Fridays about fashion and food in film from guest bloggers with impeccable taste.

Much has been made of the vivid, pop art-inspired color palette and collage-like cutting in Godard’s 1965 film, Pierrot Le Fou. But really, the film (like Alphaville and A Woman Is a Woman, and, well hell, really all of the Danish-born French actress Anna Karina’s films), is a movie about heavy bangs and kohl-lined eyes. Long after you’ve forgotten all about that Brechtian breaking of the fourth wall business, or that film critics consider the film a paradigm of postmodernism, you’ll remember how helplessly charmed Jean-Paul Belmondo looked as Karina batted those thick lashes at him from underneath her schoolgirl-sexy brown fringe. The first time I saw Pierrot Le Fou at the Nuart, I booked a haircut and lash extension appointment while driving home on the 10. (Should you also find yourself seized with an immediate and uncontrollable need for falsies after viewing, trust me: Beverly Hills aesthetician Daniel Dinh.)—Robyn Brown

Robyn Brown has written and edited for several women’s magazines including Glamour and Allure. Currently she works as a freelance writer in Los Angeles, and is nearing the completion of her first novel. 

Friday Follies: Isn’t She?

Friday Follies [n., pl.] postings on Fridays about fashion and food in film from guest bloggers with impeccable taste.

While there have been some amazing films out over the past year, when the world is going a little bit crazy and I’m feeling the need for comfort, I turn to the golden years of movies – the eighties!

I was a “Jersey Girl” with an Aqua Net frosted perm, tooling around in my beloved periwinkle blue Firebird—sad but true. Back then my fashion inspirations leaned more towards Madonna and Downtown Julie Brown (wubba wubba my friends!) than my favored Rick Owens and Ann Demeulemeester of today. Modern media enthralled and inspired me, and Reaganomics (plus, in my case, a part-time job at Contempo Casuals) offered the possibility to buy it all.

My first pair of pricy sunglasses for example, were Ray-Ban Wayfarers ala Risky Business. For my “Best Dressed” picture in the yearbook, I sported drop-crotch harem pants ala Can’t Buy me Love, and my previously mentioned hairstyle was a dead ringer for SJP in Girls Just Want to Have Fun. But the film that undoubtedly had the most influence on me style-wise was the oh-so-classic Pretty in Pink.

The 1986 drama was the story of Andie, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks and her “richie” love interest Blane. Andie was magical in her style, taking thrift store frocks and altering or layering them into these wonderfully inventive looks. Her boss and mentor Iona on the other hand was fearless in her style, be it punk, priestess or 1950′s-housewife-on-a-hot-date, while her best friend Duckie worked a ratty beatnik kind of look that I find as charming today as I did back then.

Funny enough, many of the trends from that film are still relevant in fashion today. For example, I just bought this Alexander Wang oversize black blazer, $625 at La Garçonne, that reminds me of the one Andie wears in this picture.

I also scooped up a bunch of Kain’s fantastic modal and cashmere blend T-shirts and tank tops, this one, a dead ringer for Iona’s dress was a mere $85 at Madison Los Angeles.

On my wish list are the genius pointy-toe boots from Yohji Yamamoto’s collaboration with Dr. Martens that lovingly remind me of Duckie’s favorite creepers.

At a whopping $860, they are a bit steep, but like another movie heroine of seasons past said, “I always rely on the kindness of strangers!”—Kim Friday, Senior Fashion Editor, WWD

Queens of Green

Oscar fashion this year was a serious snooze. Red, black, white—we get it. Natalie Portman looked incredible in Rodarte because she’s incapable of making a fashion misstep, but in general, no great hits and no great misses (with the possible exception of Miley Cyrus’s clam gown, but she’s a kid so who cares). But I was sort of obsessed with Angelina Jolie’s Lorraine Schwartz emeralds. It got me thinking about other great emerald Oscar moments. Last year, it was Jacqueline Durran’s Oscar win for Costume Design in Atonement based, let’s face it, on this dress alone:

Also, last year, a gorgeous pregnant Cate Blanchett rocked some serious emeralds from Lorraine Schwartz:

And then who has ever worn the color better than Angelica Huston for her 1985 Oscar win for Prizzi’s Honor?

Julianne Moore took a turn in an amazing Tom Ford for YSL emerald frock at the Academy Awards in 2003 when she was nominated for both Far From Heaven and The Hours:

I guess I’ve been fixated on emerald green for the past few weeks since Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly wore that INSANE dress from Balmain at the He’s Just Not That Into You premiere:

Update 1/23/09: I am begrudgingly addressing my friend Jill’s comment about Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow’s turn in emerald in Great Expectations. I didn’t initially include it because TheFoodinista.com is a Gwyneth-free zone. But I’ll make an exception, since Donna Karan deserves a nod for this:

Friday Follies in Film: And the Oscar Goes to…

Friday Follies [n., pl.] postings on Fridays about fashion and food in film from guest bloggers with impeccable taste.

In this edition, our fashion insiders’ picks for Best Costume Design:

 

Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman / Australia

THE CRITIC’S PICK: AUSTRALIA

Catherine Martin’s clothes for Nicole Kidman were exquisite, from the suit she wore when she landed on the shores of Australia to the Chinoiserie gown she wore to the ball. And they served the epic story.—Booth Moore, fashion critic, Los Angeles Times

THE FASHION EDITOR’S PICK: AUSTRALIA

The purist in me says film costumes shouldn’t necessarily take center stage; their main purpose is to make you believe in the story. But screw realism this year. I loved the costumes that stole the show. For me, that was Australia.—Kristin Young, fashion editor

 

Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet / Revolutionary Road

THE FASHION EDITOR’S PICK: REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

While I think the costumes were breathtaking for Australia—I’m a huge fan of Catherine Martin—I think it’s often more challenging to work with more modern-day costumes. Creating a balance between being historically correct as well as modern, all the while adding to the film is unbelievably difficult and I think Albert Wolsky was pitch perfect. He used the clothes in Revolutionary Road in creating palpable tension for the characters, so much so they truly enhanced the scenes, most notably the argument outside the car between Kate and Leo.—Kim Friday, Senior Fashion Editor, WWD

 

Sean Penn / MILK

 

THE STYLIST’S PICK: MILK

While 70s movies are usually way over the top, the costumes were wonderfully evocative and individually powerful.

—Vincent Boucher, fashion stylist

 

Keira Knightly / The Duchess

THE FASHION DESIGNER’S PICK: THE DUCHESS

The best costume should go to The Duchess, though I admit to be heavily influenced by other elements of the movie, ie: Hair and Make-up and Art Direction. It was a gorgeous movie and I really enjoyed the beautiful interpretations of that era – I’m a sucker for a costume drama.—Magda Berliner, Designer

 

THE SHOE DESIGNER’S PICK: THE DUCHESS

I love the period costumes but I was especially struck by how beautifully accessorized Keira Knightley’s character was in every scene. The hats, hair accessories, jewelry, pins, fur muffs, and did I mention the hats?? All of them were inspiring and transported us to another era where fashion played an important role in defining the position and character of a person.—Mark Buettell, Creative Director, MaxStudio Footwear

THE AGENT’S PICK: THE DUCHESS

Keira Knightly in all those fab period costumes and corsets!—Julie Kramer, ArtMix Beauty

 

Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt / Benjamin Button

THE TASTEMAKER’S PICK: BENJAMIN BUTTON

It’s tough not to appreciate all that goes into a period film and all of this year’s candidates take place in an another time, from 1770s England to 1970s San Francisco and the costume designers of each of these films really outdid themselves. Of course, audiences have generally become so much more savvy about period authenticity–while also expecting a thrill from the fashion as much as anything else in the film. Much has been made about the red dress designer Jacqueline West created for Cate Blanchett’s character in “Benjamin Button,” and for good reason. The frock is as key to that moment in the story as Daisy’s words and expression. West has said that Blanchett pushed for the dress to be red, and director David Fincher has admitted to amping up the color even more to highlight the scene’s emotion. A single costume can mean so much to a story’s arc. It can do so much, too, to imprint a character’ effect on the mind, the collective conscience, on movie history. Think Elizabeth Taylor in that white slip in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” Or, just last year, Kiera Knightly in that deep emerald sheath in “Atonement.” It’s the stuff that elevates a movie and movie star to icon.—Rose Apodaca, L.A. Vie en Rose

For what to drink on Oscar Sunday, check out Tasting Table L.A.’s picks by clicking here!

Friday Follies in Film: Pearls of Wisdom in Rear Window

Friday Follies is usually reserved for guest bloggers, but after reading Billy’s “Postcard” yesterday about packing the right clothes I couldn’t stop thinking about Grace Kelly’s chic Mark Cross overnight bag in Rear Window. “You said I’ll have to live out of one suitcase,” she says to Jimmy Stewart as the expandable black valise pops open to reveal a diaphanous nightgown and matching slippers, one of the many fabulous wardrobe changes designed by the late great Edith Head. In an earlier argument, she tells him “If there’s one thing I know it’s how to wear the proper clothes.” To say nothing of jewelry! There are pearls—single strands, triple strands, a multi-strand pearl bracelet with dangling gold charms, pearl studs…pearls, pearls, pearls. In fact, Kelly’s character cracks the case by wisely noting that “a woman going anywhere but the hospital would always take makeup, perfume, and jewelry…That’s basic equipment.”

Beyond the obvious eye candy in the wardrobe department, I do love her idea of ordering in—a bottle of Montrachet on ice and lobster from 21 delivered to Stewart’s apartment since he’s housebound in a cast. Break a leg indeed.

 

For previous Friday Follies, click here.

What’s your damage, Gossip Girl?

Okay, so I’m revealing a lot about myself with this post. First. I watch Gossip Girl, and I’m not exactly the demographic. Second, I am (was?) the demographic for Heathers, the “mean girls” genre prototype that paved the way for subsequent high school high-fashion flicks. (It is notable that Mean Girls director Mark Waters is brother of Heathers screenwriter Daniel Waters.) Heathers remains one of my all-time faves. Which is why I couldn’t help but be a little miffed by Blair’s blatant rip off last week of Heather #1′s personal style from her signature red accessories to the plaid jacket right down to the white tights from 20 years ago. How very.