THE KIPSTAR

Queen of Beautiful Morals

2009-07-27T23:33:00.000-07:00

An 18-year-old Saudi girl has bee crowned “Queen of Beautiful Morals” Aya Ali Al Mulla beat 274 contestants to win a crown, SR5,000 ($1,333), a pearl necklace, a diamond watch and necklace and a free trip to Malaysia.

Nobody saw her face. She was judged by her morals, her commitment to her family and her religious values.

“The real winner in this competition is the society. The winners represent the culture of the society and its high Islamic morals,” said Khadra Al Mubarak, Miss Moral Beauty pageant organizer.

2009-07-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

Merce Cunningham the legendary and truly superb dancer and choreographer has died in new York. He was 90.

Merce Cunningham Dance Company

2009-07-27T19:27:00.001-07:00

Merce Cunningham has died in new York, aged 90. True genius!

Art? Offensive? It's Barneys!

2009-07-24T00:40:00.000-07:00

It's hard to imagine the New Yorkers are so sensitive that they couldn't abide seeing a Helmut Lang window display in Barneys.

One minute it was up. Next minute it was down.

Barney's creative director - who is very forward thinking and rather an artistic soul, said that he was away when the display went up but that he ordered it removed because the display crossed the line between creativity and ...... well, he didn't say actually. He just said it "clearly crossed the line."

I don't know, doesn't bother me. And even if it did, it sure wouldn't stop me shopping at Barneys.

Oooh that's too short a story, Tyra!

2009-07-23T01:32:00.000-07:00

Miss Tyra Banks, what you doing to us? I have watched all cycles of America's next Top Model, reeled at some of the eliminations (sooooo many of my favorites went home), wondered why some were named ANTM, and then waited eagerly for the next cycle.

Now we have Cycle 13 premiering in September with --- wait, hold on ----- only girl 5 foot 7 and under?

Hello? I love looking at those willowy girls. That's part of the fantasy. I don't want to see stumpy girls thumping down a catwalk. Give me the lofty ones. That's why I watch.

Who will these short girls model for anyway? Like, um, no one. Janice Dickinson and Miss J may be the biggest bitches in the business but they are right when they say those girls have to be tall and lean. It's what modelling is about.

Go tall Tyra, stop this equal opportunity nonsense!

Is Ryan grieving? Who can tell?

2009-07-22T21:17:00.001-07:00

Did you see that interview with Ryan O'Neal about Farah? I hardly heard a word he said because I was mesmerized by the face job.

Does no one want to be natural any more?

America is becoming a nation of freaks. It is true. We are becoming well know for our over commitment to the knife. How embarrassing is that?

Kate Moss catwalk video

2009-07-22T21:06:00.001-07:00

I have just finished reading a book all about Kate Moss' style and was fiercely reminded yet again why she became so iconic. So I looked on youtube and found this great wee compilation. Isn't she DIVINE? And reminds you why this short unlikely model took over the scene.

The BEST cheek color I have ever ever ever used.

2009-07-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

I have long long long tried to use rouge/blush on my cheeks. I LOVE the look of a colored cheek - all rosy and fresh and sunny and feminine.

And I could never do it. My drawer started stacking up with colors and palettes that I used and discarded. I would try anything...... and always be sorely disappointed.

I found this product in a little convenience store in my neighborhood. It's from the the Philippines (yep, go figure) and it's a brand called Ever Bilena and the product is called "Kiss Me Lip and Cheek Gel".

Well I'm telling you, as a lip gel it don't add up to much, but it is the best cheek color I have ever used, or am ever likely to find. You need the tiniest amount (less than the size of a match head for two cheeks) and it goes on quite brightly. Work it into your cheeks and voila! -- the best cheek color I have ever used.

I searched the internet so I could tell you where to get it, but there's no information. I do see, however, that you can buy it on eBay.

By the way - the best bit? It cost $2.75.

WANTED - FOR CRIMES AGAINST PARENTING.

2009-07-21T18:58:00.001-07:00

This man has no style.

This man has no class.

This man deserves no sympathy.

Those Williams Sisters!

2009-07-21T00:27:00.000-07:00

I once saw Venus Williams in a bookstore. I was on my way out - she was walking in. She filled up the entire doorway with her magnificent physique and looked like a goddess. Truly. I was just completely over whelmed by how extraordinary her body was - the perfect machine.

Venus and Serena are not style icons. Nor are they regarded as being particularly stylish. But they are young women who love fashion and excel at their sport. Their bodies are truly really just beautiful and brilliant.

Viva la Williams fille!

Susan Boyle's makeover

2009-07-21T00:05:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I must have been the only person on earth who was screaming at Susan Boyle on the TV - "Get yourself a make up job, have your hair done, get yourself some flattering clothes!"

I was bemused by all those people who thrive on make over shows who suddenly started saying that Susan Boyle looked lovely just as she was and that she shouldn't change a thing.

Trouble was, she WAS a prime candidate for a makeover and just looking at her made my eyes hurt. Why shouldn't she have a makeover? She deserved one!

And now she has. And doesn't she look great? Good on you Susan! Make yourself beautiful and womanly and age appropriate - that will make you happy.

Mischa Barton, style icon. Excuse Me?

2009-07-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

Now I don't want to kick someone while they are down and it seems Mischa Barton has her fair share of problems these days. And I won't joke about mental illness because jokes like that are just not funny. Ever.

But ..... I can joke about fashion. And I ask you - how in the hell did Mischa Barton ever become christened as a style icon? I actually have never ever seen her look good. She doesn't have it and if she is using a stylist, my god she should sack them and ask for her money back.

Oh dear Mischa, not very lovely at all.

Oh Madonna!

2009-07-18T19:20:00.000-07:00

Remember the Louise Vuitton ad that I posted? Madonna looked kinda weird. And you can see why. This is what she REALLY looks like. Oh Madonna! Stop with the surgery now, please.

Happy 91 Nelson Mandela

2009-07-18T01:03:00.000-07:00

Very few people can make me burst into tears merely be looking at them.

When I see Nelson Mandela walking hand-in-hand with the love his life, his wife Graca Machel, my heart sings.

On a personal note, I am so glad that after years of jail and a vicious and celebrity chasing former wife, this extraordinary man found happiness with this feisty, intelligent, loving woman.

Happy 91 years Nelson. The world loves you.

How to make a turban in 90 seconds

2009-07-17T16:08:00.001-07:00

True style comes in many forms.

Fonda Iconography

2009-07-16T19:14:00.001-07:00

Many many MANY people have never forgiven Jane Fonda for her 1970s activism. If you read her memoirs, you will see it from a different perspective.

This complex, intelligent stylish woman has never lived life half heartedly, and boy should we all embrace that idea!

I love her for her honesty, for her continuing search for meaning, for being the first to make me understand that - in her words - "you don't want to get to the end of your life and suddenly realise that it wasn't a dress rehearsal".

And look at what she has on here! That's toooooo cute and ironic.

In memory of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy

2009-07-16T18:10:00.001-07:00

She has been dead ten years now. But her style and elegance live on. She was never able to blossom into the woman she should have - and would have - become, but she will also be remembered for her beauty and her style. That's all we knew about her really. Killed before her time.

Carolyn Bessette Kennedy

January 7, 1966 – July 16, 1999

Christy is SO fabulous!

2009-07-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

From the new Vogue. J'adore Christy!

Shoe fetishist caught red footed!

2009-07-13T02:00:00.001-07:00

In Germany, police have arrested a man who held up women and forced them to remove their shoes to satisfy his shoe fetish.

The 27-year-old man is accused of stealing the shoes of nine women while they were still wearing them.

His modus operandi was simple and sometimes somewhat painful for his victims - he would spy on women and then find one high heels, sneak up behind her, shove her to the ground, then snatch the shoes off her feet before running off with them. His victims, suffering from shock and grazed hands and knees as well as having been left bare-footed, were in no position to give chase.

The man has apparently admitted to a shoe fetish. Now I say, buster do what other shoe fetishists (like myself) do. Save up your money and buy them when you can afford them.

Christian Lacroix: Spring 2009

2009-07-08T22:52:00.001-07:00

A reminder of the art and beauty of Christian Lacroix.

Au revoir Christian!

2009-07-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

I always felt that Christian Lacroix was far too ostentatious and bling for me - and really, for just about anyone I know, to be honest. And it seems that screeching over the top style has not survived the recession and Lacroix has run his final show - for now.

The Paris' winter 2010 haute couture sessions closed yesterday, one day after Christian's emotional last show. And of course the great irony is that the final collection got rave reviews. Put together by end of bolts of fabric left in the show room, and relying in donated time and love from those who adore Christian, the show - predictably ended in tears.

Christian is hoping that his show will make people see he should not disappear over the horizon - and that some generous soul will come to his rescue. Who knows? His over the top bling will be missed.

Project Runway is running back....and I am SO HAPPY.

2009-07-08T18:08:00.001-07:00

I am not a gay man, but I LOVE Project Runway and I have missed it SO MUCH. (Especially Tim Gunn, who I adore for his gentlemanly kindness).

So ...... after all the legal battles, the handbags at 20 paces and the claws out in courts of law, we now know that Tim, Heidi and the wonderful Michael Kors will be back on August 20th.

Christina Aguilera and Lindsay Lohan will make appearances in the show - which this season will apparently be filmed partly in Los Angeles.

The show has already been filmed and completed - the final three showed at Bryant Park in February, and the winner was decided then. To preserve the mystique, the designers did not appear at their shows, so no word of who are the finalists would be leaked.

A new reality show Models of the Runway, which looks at the reality competition from the models' perspective is apparently going debut following the new Runway premiere. It will show the competition from the models perspective. (This could be interesting - there's some good stories to be told with those models - do you remember the flaky Morgan from Series 1?)

2009-07-08T01:29:00.000-07:00

I love the madness and frippery of runway shows. People can say what they like but I love the fantasy. Here is Eric Tibusch's latest head wear. Bring a whole new meaning to the phrase "If the shoe fits wear it."

Michelle - you are wonderful but enough already....

2009-07-07T17:50:00.000-07:00

I love Michelle, truly I do, but could we dial down the adoration just a little?

If she walks out in a pair of pants and sneakers people go ape. "Look Michelle wearing PANTS! And SNEAKERS! How stylish is that?"

I have seen her wearing ill fitting unflattering dresses and people have gushed. "Look at her! Isn’t she just the most stylish woman you have ever seen?"

Like calling Michael Jackson "the greatest performer in the history of the world" we seem to have all gotten a little carried away with Michelle. Yes, she's lovely, and yes, it's nice to see joi de vivre back in the White House and in American life, but we need to back off from Michelle and over stating her style.

Michelle Obama is a an attractive, nearing middle aged mom, with a utility body (and c'mon it's not that great – she’s pear shaped!), who loves showing off her best assets - her lovely arms - and sometimes turns out looking quite nice in clothes that are given to her. If we can just acknowledge that without trying to gild the lily, it would be so much better. She would probably feel a whole lot less pressure too.

Jackie Loves Bobby!!!!!!

2009-07-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

Well well well. Last week we heard that Jackie Kennedy was hoofing around the town with Marlon Brando. Today we hear was MADLY DEEPLY in love with Bobby Kennedy.

Now now now. I think everyone is in a twitter because Jackie was considered the Ice Queen, the Princess of Camelot who was forever in mourning. Never mind that she married Aristotle Onassis. The American public always thought that she belonged to them and they could dictate an image that suited them.

But many books in the past have pointed out that Jackie was indeed very lonely after Jack's death and several years after his passing, she enjoyed several lovely little affairs, purely for pleasure.

Given what she put up with Jack and his insensitivity, who can blame her.
In a new book on Jackie, Franklin Roosevelt Jr is quoted as saying of the alleged Bobby and Jackie affair -

"Everybody knew about the affair. The two of them carried on like a pair of lovesick teenagers. I suspect Bobby would've liked to dump Ethel and marry Jackie, but, of course, that wasn't possible."

Speculation about Jackie and her love life is not going to go away any time soon.

Madonna the Mad Hatter

2009-07-06T01:10:00.000-07:00

Doesn't Johnny Depp* look just like Madonna?

*as the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

Brand Moss

2009-07-05T22:56:00.000-07:00

Kate Moss and Simon Cowell? Nope they are not a couple, just partners in plotting a reality TV show.

Sir Philip Green - the billionaire owner of Top Shop, who Kate calls Uncle Philip - wants to expand his TV empire worldwide. And why wouldn't he want Kate included in his expansion plans?

Kate is 35 now so her catwalk days are allegedly numbered, though I think she could go on and on and on. But Cowell is allegedly talking billion dollar deals with her so she may be tempted.

I'm a sucker for all those model shows, so maybe Kate could do a model reality show a la America's Next Top Model? Mind you, I have heard her in interviews over the years, and she is no nuclear physicist. Still, she will have people watching, so it's a another wise move from Simon Cowell.

Why was Kate Moss censored?

2009-07-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

A rather elegant Kate Moss photograph on the cover of a magazine called Monster Children is causing problems. Not just problems, but CENSORSHIP.

News stands and news agents are refusing to stock the magazine because of Kate's (gasp!) nipple! (I think smoking is more damaging than seeing a nipple, but then I don't think the cover is offensive at all).

Eventually, the distributor of the magazine joined the fray and refused to distribute the magazine.

This is not Hustler magazine, this is not offensive.

Why are people so upset about this lovely photo of Kate Moss?

Japanese video game character or .... Madonna?

2009-06-30T16:35:00.001-07:00

Madonna's new advert for Louis Vuitton (by Marc Jacobs) is about to hit the printed page. Some shots of the campaign are above.

Now forgive me for casting a critical eye over the whole affair but seriously? Are we supposed to be seduced by these pictures of a woman who resembles nothing so much as a Japanese virtual sweetie or a video game character?

That's just plain weird. Air brushed to within a whisker of existence. To me that's not selling a bag. That's an invitation to have people go "OH MY GOD!"

Twiggy - you are so lovely!

2009-06-29T23:56:00.000-07:00

The UK National Portrait Gallery is to publish a new large photographic book of the original super model, Twiggy.

To coincide with Twiggy's 60th birthday there's also a big exhibition of Twiggy pictures to be shown at the same time.

The photos of Ms Twig are taken by super star photographers Cecil Beaton, Bert Stern, Steven Meisel and Annie Liebovitz.

I love Twiggs! She was so nice on America's Next Top Model, so great in the 1960s (that cor-blimey voice and those knobbly knees), and I love the adverts for Marks and Sparks which feature her. And she is so lovely now.

Happy Birthday our Twiggy! Still a supermodel at age 60.

Coco avant Chanel

2009-06-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

I saw Coco Avant Chanel over the weekend and was terribly terribly disappointed. the direction was so conventional and so leaden, and the story uninspiringly told.

There were many wonderful things about Coco: she was in many ways a plain woman who created a true style for herself and turned herself into a great icon, she had an eye for the unusual. Her distrust and dislike for the idle moneyed classes made her long for a more structured and less frou-frou style. She created iconic costumes and pieces. She constantly reinvented herself. She was enigmatic and told fabulously large lies. She was a one of a kind.

Oh dear, the film is so pedestrian I could have wept tears of frustration!

If you want to find out about Coco I suggest that you grab a beautifully large coffee table book and luxuriate in the images of all the style she created.

Have you seen it? What did you think?

Thinking About Michael

2009-06-25T22:42:00.001-07:00

The following article from Andrew Sullivan at the atlantic online, about Michael Jackson really says it all. In the rush to lionise him let us not forget the tragedy of his life that led to very deep flaws.

There are two things to say about him. He was a musical genius; and he was an abused child. By abuse, I do not mean sexual abuse; I mean he was used brutally and callously for money, and clearly imprisoned by a tyrannical father. He had no real childhood and spent much of his later life struggling to get one. He was spiritually and psychologically raped at a very early age - and never recovered.

Watching him change his race, his age, and almost his gender, you saw a tortured soul seeking what the rest of us take for granted: a normal life.

But he had no compass to find one; no real friends to support and advise him; and money and fame imprisoned him in the delusions of narcissism and self-indulgence. Of course, he bears responsibility for his bizarre life. But the damage done to him by his own family and then by all those motivated more by money and power than by faith and love was irreparable in the end. He died a while ago. He remained for so long a walking human shell.

I loved his music. His young voice was almost a miracle, his poise in retrospect eery, his joy, tempered by pain, often unbearably uplifting. He made the greatest music video of all time; and he made some of the greatest records of all time. He was everything our culture worships; and yet he was obviously desperately unhappy, tortured, afraid and alone.

I grieve for him; but I also grieve for the culture that created and destroyed him. That culture is ours' and it is a lethal and brutal one: with fame and celebrity as its core values, with money as its sole motive, it chewed this child up and spat him out.

I hope he has the peace now he never had in his life. And I pray that such genius will not be so abused again.

Shame on you l'Oreal - because you are not worth it.

2009-06-24T23:48:00.000-07:00

L’Oréal, the French cosmetics giant, has been found guilty of racial discrimination in a French court.

The court proved that L'Oreal deliberately sought all-white sales teams to sell it's Fructis Style shampoo (in the Garnier range). for considering black, Arab and Asian women unworthy of selling its shampoo.

Memos and internal notes were admitted in court which proved that L'Oreal only wanted to employ "white French people" whose mother and fathers were white and French.

What a blow to the image of the world’s biggest cosmetics group! And aren't we glad we found out about it.

Remember last year when Beyonce Knowles did a big L'Oreal campaign and the company were accused of photo shopping her skin to make it look lighter (see picture above)? They rubbished the suggestions then, but looks to me like this company may have some serious issues with race.

Victoria's make under (thank god!)

2009-06-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

Has anyone noticed that Victoria Beckham seems to have been taking a few Audrey Hepburn pills and has started being a little more on the stylish side recently?

Now, to be honest, I don't think Victoria has much of a chance of ever reaching the heights of Audrey or Jacqueline Kennedy or even Kate Moss, but she seems to have had her boobs reduced, stepped out of the tanning booth, lengthened a few hems, committed to a decent hair cut and basically classed up her act.

For which we should all be most thankful. Seriously. Look at the before and after pics (above). If I have to read my trashy magazines and see Mrs Beckham at least I am no longer blinded, because honestly, when she was channeling Cher and Pamela Anderson she just never got it right.

Style it down Victoria, the make under is fabulous!

Possibly the world's worst haircut?

2009-06-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

Leaving aside the terrible exploitation that Kate Gosselin has put her children through, can I just say, that I do believe that she may be in possession of the world's worst haircut.

What can she be thinking????

Out fake spot!

2009-06-23T07:28:00.001-07:00

I have just been reading about a huge haul in Sydney, Australia of over half a million dollars worth of fake designer clothes and accessories. The copies were of including Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Tiffany among others.

I don't know about you but fake just doesn't cut it with me. I mean, I am hardly going to spend $1000 every year for a new 'it' bag but I don't want to spend $25 on a knock off either.

I know there are some fabulous knockoffs in a higher price range - a friend bought a really really good red fake Chloe bag in leather, with lining and expensive looking trimmings that cost her $125. But she said it felt tawdry and she felt like a tart when she carried it - so she hardly ever used it.

What is the psychology behind this do you think? Why can't we have a $125 bag that pretends its more expensive and feel happy? Are we really snobs, or do we just crave authenticity?

Size Zero?

2009-06-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

The size zero model controversy has been firing up this month after British Vogue editor batted the blame for the craze away from her door back at the designers. She claims samples sent for fashion shoots have become so small that even the skinniest models can't fit into the clothes.

So really really skinny girls get hired, we see the pictures and if we are gullible we think that a body that looks like it is wasting away from a terminal disease is actually beautiful.

Models also agree that getting jobs is getting harder because you have to be minute to get a gig. A friend of mine - a very successful model in NYC - has been on a permanent diet for the past 2 years because the current demand is for her to look like a stick. Truly. She is all jutting bones and looks like a gust of wind will blow her away. But that's what designers are demanding.

“The problem lies at the heart of the catwalk modeling industry, which traditionally demands a girl of a very specific shape and proportion. Only about 10-12% of working models have the right look for this type of modeling, and of these 85% are either eastern European or Brazilian. Nobody in this world is perfect. Who needs this kind of pressure?” Sarah Doukas, chief executive of Storm Management recently told The Guardian online.

I resent all of this. Truly I do. If the designers made clothes that were a size two, then bigger models would be hired. Can someone explain to me why they have a problem with size two? Or even size four?

What do you think?

Picture this: Irina!

2009-06-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

It's super model Irina Lazareanu's 27th birthday today! Happy birthday girl friend. (Also it means your career is nearly over, better start looking at the job ads).

I love this model because she is so fiercely unconventional looking. Someone spotted it obviously, because you see her on the runway and it's poetry.

Irina features in a new film about the modeling world called PICTURE ME which follows one models rise into the supermodeling stratosphere. I haven't seen it yet, but you know me - an absolute sucker for documentaries about fashion. It apparently is quite revealing - and not in a kind way - about the predatory nature of the fashion world.

Ah! the sweet smell of soap

2009-06-21T21:49:00.000-07:00

I really don't like to use this blog to plug anything...... but recently a friend bought me the most delicious soap I have EVER EVER used and there's a fabulous story behind it worth sharing.

Arghand soap can be bought in the US but is made in Afghanistan and is being made as substitute industry for poppy farming. Make no mistake - this soap isn't some poor, welfare, charity soap, it is beautifully luxurious with a wonderful lather and a variety of perfumes that last for ages. Apricot sweet almond, cumin and anise. Pomegranate, coconut, pistachio, rose ....... wonderful! The soaps are made to resemble pebbles.

The story behind Arghand is so inspiring that I had to post all about it on my blog. Find the website here. When I was looking up Arghand I came upon this article written by the founder of the enterprise. It is a fascinating look into making the soap business work. I tell you if you don't want to buy some soap after reading this article you have ice in your veins.

I have always always loved soap, and now I love Arghand soap.

Is SJP boring?

2009-06-21T17:39:00.001-07:00

I have this sneaking suspicion that style maven Sarah Jessica Parker is actually very boring. And be boring is kind of unforgivable really.

I loved her as Carrie Bradshaw (as consumerist and self absorbed as she was) and I adored Sex and City (except for the movie which was awful) ..... but every time I see her interviewed she just sends me to sleep.

Now don't get me wrong. I don't think she is being private and protective and not too giving. I also don't think she is dumb, or stupid. But every time I see her speak I have to get a blanket and cushion and lay myself out for a snooze.

She is wonderful to look at - that classic jolie laide that I adore but what else is in there? It seems there isn't.

Any thoughts?

Audrey Hepburn Speaks Words of Beauty

2009-06-19T17:09:00.001-07:00

I was very taken by the new Audrey Hepburn photos released this week (see below). It reminded me of one of my favorite quotes of all time, which in fact comes from Audrey.

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

So I looked for other words of beauty from Audrey and these are the best ones I found :

On failed love : “Your heart just breaks, that's all. But you can't judge, or point fingers. You just have to be lucky enough to find someone who appreciates you.”

On friendship : “People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.”

On life : It's that wonderful old-fashioned idea that others come first and you come second. This was the whole ethic by which I was brought up. Others matter more than you do, so 'don't fuss, dear; get on with it.'

Audrey - at her rarest

2009-06-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

Please see below four very rare photos of Audrey Hepburn that have just been released.

Audrey, oh Audrey!

This week a rare German stamp of her with a long cigarette holder was sold at auction for $50,000. The stamp, part of a celebrity series from 2001 was never released as Sean Ferrer, Audrey's son objected to the photo depicting and glamorizing smoking.

Seems we still cannot get enough of Audrey.

Audrey.

2009-06-17T16:40:00.001-07:00

Heidi, ready for cooking

2009-06-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

I love Heidi Klum. She is stylish and seems like a lovely person. But yesterday she looked like she was ready to put her bun in the oven in this roasting foil dress by Michael Kors.

Seriously, I felt like pouring olive oil over her. (Love you Heidi).

Imelda, you are shameful

2009-06-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

Imelda Marcos has just had over 300 million dollars worth of jewellery returned to her from the Philippines courts. Not because she actually deserves the jewels but because they had no legal ability to keep them.

The Marcos family are alleged to have stolen over 10 billion dollars from the Philippines people.

Now you know I am all for style. I think I can safely say you love style too. But when you are so deluded that you actually say "Filipinos want beauty. I have to look beautiful so that the poor Filipinos will have a star to look at from their slums" you absolutely, unequivocally, without debate, have no style.

Anna Wintour on The September Issue

2009-06-13T18:46:00.001-07:00

Obsessed by Anna

2009-06-13T18:41:00.001-07:00

Does it seem that my blog has become a little Anna Wintour obsessed lately?

I vehemently disagree with Anna Wintour about wearing fur. But then I am a vegetarian and I don't believe people should kill animals for food. It doesn't mean that I cannot live side by side with them and admire and respect them. And boy do I respect Anna.

She has been editor at Vogue for 20 years - an outstanding achievement. And although many other glossies outsell Vogue (yes, it's true!) there's nothing as serious, elegant or essential as buying it, reading it or better still being in Vogue.

I saw a documentary on Anna about 10 years ago and I so admired her style. Always prompt, always on time, always gracious, turns up when she's supposed to, leaves discreetly (the documentary showed her leaving via a kitchen side door to avoid attention), and a work ethic that makes me pale.

And look at her! She's natural. Her teeth are dodgy and British and her face seems never to have seen a botox injection. Oh Anna, gotta love that.

So I am very excited about the new film, "The September Issue". The director says that once Anna was board, she was impeccably professional and accommodating. Apparently Vogue's creative director, Grace Coddington was not so gracious about being filmed and the best scenes are when Ms. Coddington has creative summits with Ms Wintour and speaks her mind. (Go Gracie!).

I LOVED The Devil Wears Prada, because I LOVED Miranda Priestly (though I would have emptied the contents of one of her huge bags all over her head and lasted less than a day as her assistant).

Can't wait to see The September Issue.

Miss Fleur Cowles - a true classic.

2009-06-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

There's nothing more chic than having Cary Grant as best man at you wedding - and that's exactly what Fleur Cowles did. She was style personified, in a way we just don't see anymore.

She always wore well-tailored suits, loved large dark-rimmed glasses and an air of mystique. Her signature were large cocktail rings and fresh roses.

In the great traditions of reinvention Ms Cowles was an absolute artiste. She was named Florence Freidman when she was born. Her birth records said 1908, Ms Cowles (or should we call her Flo?) said 1917.

She started as a copywriter in a department store then in advertising in Boston. By 1931 she was writing a daily fashion column in New York which was considered witty, amusing and irreverent.

She launched the fashion magazine Flair in 1950. It was the first of the new wave of magazines for women - featuring art, travel, ideas, fiction, discussion. It failed after a year - losing millions.

By 1953 she was back at the top again - attending the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth as an official US ambassador and doing good works for famine relief - traveling the world meeting the leaders of the times.

In 1996 Cowles wrote her memoirs - She Made Friends And Kept Them. The English Daily Telegraph said of the book, "names were not so much dropped as hurled in a barrage."

Ms Cowles was a new age woman before we could come to terms with what that meant. A gifted art historian, tireless charity worker, stylish woman and terrible gossip - what more could you want? Rest in peace Fleur.

The classic white shirt

2009-06-10T18:05:00.000-07:00

My dear friends, you may recall me banging on in the past about "wardrobe classics" and how I am not a fan of all those things one is supposedly obliged to have (eg: classic beige trench and the leopard print shoe).

However, the same cannot be said for my love affair with the classic white button down. It is a wardrobe staple and throughout every look I have ever had, it always has been.

I am very much on the side of "the plainer the better". I don't like fancy add ons, frou-frou, dress ups and novelties added to my white shirt. I like it plain and timeless.

That being said, I will spend money on it. Not big bucks, but not bargain basement either. You need a generous and sensible fit, a good length (too cheap and they skimp on length, I find from bitter experience), and good quality cotton.

And I can wear it with pearls (inside the shirt or out), colored beads, jacket, cardigan, coat, waist coat, scarf. But most of all I like it plain, plain, plain.

What do you look for in your white shirt?

Anna tells Oprah - you're too fat!

2009-06-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

Anna Wintour once told Oprah Winfrey that she was too fat to appear on the cover of Vogue and that she "had to drop a few pounds" before the photo shoot.

In un-aired segments of Wintour's recent interview on 60 Minutes, Ms Wintour admits to telling Oprah that she was too fat for Vogue.

She said :

“It was a very gentle suggestion. I went to Chicago to visit Oprah, and I suggested that it might be an idea that she lose a little bit of weight. I said simply that you might feel more comfortable. She was a trooper! She totally welcomed the idea, and she went on a very stringent diet. And it was one of our most successful covers ever.”

I doubt that it was a successful cover because Oprah was skinny. It was successful because it was Oprah. I am so glad that Oprah was happy and receptive to Wintour's suggestion. But you know, Oprah is Oprah and that's the reason we love her. I don't need her to be 100 pounds or 250 pounds, I just need her to be Oprah.

And you know I look at the cover and she looks kind of ....starved, and unhappy.

What do you think?

Jackie OH!

2009-06-04T01:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we learned so much from Carine Roitfeld about how to have sex appeal.

Today, we reveal marriage advice from Jackie Kennedy Onassis as told to a group of advice young girls at a literary event held at Boston’s Kennedy Library.

And isn't it loaded?

‘I like to share what I’ve learned with all young women I meet, because I wished I’d have known it at your age — never marry, never mix your money,” she said.

Lacroix darling, Lacroix!

2009-06-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

French fashion house Christian Lacroix was finally placed under administration this week after filing for bankruptcy protection last week. The global financial crisis hits again!

But Christian himself feels confident that his house will remain open and operating. He wrote a letter to his staff - "I don't know what tomorrow will be made of, if indeed there is a tomorrow, but I will do everything to ensure we remain a couture house 200 percent."

Christian was always one of those mega high end fashion brands that made luxury priced clothes that always looked highly disposable. I never bought any Lacroix but it always struck me as the kind of attire that you definitely could not wear season after season after season. It always was too quirky, too now, too in-your-face for sustainability.

Perhaps in these times, when people are prepared to fork out for luxury brands, the 'of the moment' feel of most Lacroix outfits just made them fall right off the shopping list?

Carine oh Carine!

2009-06-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

I am reprinting here a Q and A by Carine Roitfeld done for the Guardian UK. J'adore Point 6!!!!!!

Lessons in Sex Appeal, by Carine Roitfeld.

1. Don't work too hard when you're young.
"It's like when you squeeze a lemon too hard, you run out of juice. Me, I have plenty of juice."

2. If you have figure flaws, move around a lot so people don't notice them.

"If you don't have perfect ankles, still you can move your legs in a certain way and look very sexy."

3. Don't do drugs or hit people.
"I don't want pictures with violence, I don't want drugs, I don't want horrible things like that."

4. Also, cigarettes are so last year.
"Me, I don't smoke. Smoking can be a beautiful gesture for a picture. But it's easy — it's too easy — to make a beautiful picture with a beautiful girl smoking a cigarette. And what is the picture saying, when you have a beautiful girl and she has a beautiful outfit and a beautiful handbag, and a cigarette? No. We have to find a new gesture, I think. Because smoking, it is not good for you. Or for your teeth."

5. Take your clothes off.

"I like to have something every month that is — how you say? — not politically correct. A little bit at the limit. Sex, nudity, a bit rock 'n' roll, a sense of humour. That is very French Vogue."

6. Draw style inspiration from ugly outfits you see in airports.
"Sometimes, when you go to airport and look at the people, you see the worst looks — but the worst looks can give you more ideas than the best looks."

7. Above all else, please the young people.
"When you get older, you have to stay a bit rock 'n' roll so that young people will still be interested in you. The way you move, the way you talk, maybe the way you have your hair in your face a little bit — this keeps you interesting."

How to wear red lipstick?

2009-06-01T23:10:00.001-07:00

Yet again, concern about lead content in lipstick has hit the headlines, with the FDA outing several brands as being potentially toxic*.

I would love to be able to carry off red lippie but have never - NEVER been able to. All that advise about plum shades for pink skin and red shades for amber skin makes no sense with my coloring - NOTHING works.

Someone once said that the only time to really get away with wearing red lipstick is after the age of 70 - because you can get away with anything when you are old. I fear this means that people will think that you are a nutty old bag and titter behind their hands.

Anyone have great suggestions for a fool proof totally red lipstick?

*Worst offenders: - L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red” lipstick (with a lead content of 0.65 parts per million) and Cover Girl’s Incredifull Lipcolor “Maximum Red” (0.56 p.p.m.). Price had nothing to do with lead levels: less expensive brands, like a $1.99 tube of Wet and Wild Mega Colors “Cherry Blossom,” contained no lead, whereas a $24 tube of Dior Addict “Positive Red” contained 0.21 p.p.m.

I am addicted to my Chuck Traynors .... but.....really?

2009-06-01T22:56:00.001-07:00

Isabelle Mon Amour.............

2009-06-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

Can you believe Isabelle Huppert? I was watching the coverage from Cannes, where Ms Huppert she was this years jury president and fell in love all over again with the stunning 55 year old actor who again proves that certain something about the French.

In an interview she was dressed in a plain white frock, face apparently void of make up except for a matt slash of lipstick and totally without pretense.

Isabelle has often been called the 'anti-star' - she ignored the call of Hollywood and has maintained a very French dedication to art house films and cinema. She is political, intellectual, stays up late talking, drinks wine, eats cheese and bread and sausage.

For that alone I love her. But look. The bone structure! The hair! The smile! The intelligence! The face covered with incredibly sexy freckles!

Isabelle - encroyable!

Apologies for short silence

2009-06-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

I have been away from the blog - changing continents, clothes and attending to various non-blog activities. I am back! And happy to be here.

The September Issue

2009-06-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

The much anticipated documentary about our the fashionista to end all fashionistas, Ms Anna Wintour has been much heralded. But the producers have kept it under very tight wraps. We all wonder why? There are rumors that people who have seen it have been forbidden to talk about it. It all sounds so terribly terribly Wintour!

I can't wait to see it! I am a sucker for fashion and movies about fashion. But so far there aren't even any trailers on youtube.

Ooooh the anticipation is building .... I'll keep you updated here.

Jackie - I didn't know you!

2009-05-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

I am too young to recall anything about Jackie Kennedy Onassis' halcyon days as a fashion icon. I do remember though as I grew up being somewhat bemused by the constant touting of her as a fashion icon. I just could not see it.

It is really only within the last year that the scales have fallen from my eyes and I realise what an extraordinary stylish woman she was. I now can't get enough of her.

I settled in to watch a two hour documentary on her life the other night and was astounded that within the many many MANY outfits that we saw Jackie in - sports wear, riding gear, shopping frock, formal wear, at home wear, walking down the road outfits ....there was not one single moment - not a minute - when she did not look exquisite.

I have talked about French chic before on the blog and I saw that French style all through Jackie in this documentary. She had a Euro sensibility that was so becoming.

Jackie - I am sorry I dissed you - now I totally get you!

Anna Wintour

2009-05-19T22:18:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the few day absence - I have been crossing continents.

But here is Anna Wintour on 60 Minutes. Now I admire her lack of cosmetic surgery, but not so sure about the dodgy teeth.

And despite her support of fur and her nonsensical utterances in its defence ----- I admire her steeliness. As they used to say about Margaret Thatcher - you may not like her but you have to respect her.

Michelle Obama is not a great beauty: model

2009-05-15T19:10:00.000-07:00

Could someone please explain to me why there has been a mini-furore about Iman saying that Michelle Obama is not a "great beauty," but will "just get better with age,".

Iman spoke with Parade magazine and spoke at length about how wonderful Michelle Obama is but the only thing that seems to have been picked up is that Iman - undoubtedly and indisputably beautiful - dared to pass comment on Michelle's looks.

And she tells the truth. Anyone who thinks Michelle Obama IS a great beauty better get themselves to the optometrist. She ain't. But that is the wonderful and exhilarating part of Michelle Obama - her brains, her style, her smile, the way she carries herself and obviously loves her husband and children and sincerely likes herself - WOW!

What Iman said was not rude, bitchy or inappropriate. Women are allowed to be honest commentators without being attacked. I doubt Michelle Obama is losing sleep over it. She will get better with age and she will always have true style.

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Cher, please! Cover it up!

2009-05-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

Yes yes, I know that none of the rules........ NONE OF THE RULES ...... apply to 62 year old Cher, and thank god. You don't get to be a major gay icon by laying it safe and slipping into comfortable shoes at age 50.

But seriously you can do more favors for yourself by being er, judicious in your choice of showgirl costume than Cher is being in this getup - which she wore this week in Las Vegas.

But it truth I am torn. In a way she thrills me, in a way I think she should reconsider.

But whateverher choices, she is still undeniably Cher - a major gay and Kipstar icon!

Michelle and the Queen - just a couple of gossip girls!

2009-05-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

Ah! The truth is out!

On The View, Barbara Walters has revealed what was said during that controversial moment when Michelle Obama touched the Queen of England (and yes, it caused a controversy and rules are silly, but truly she should have known better and I bet in her briefing she was told "do not touch the royal personage" .... and Michelle should have thought twice about that hairstyle as well) .....

....but we can forgive Michelle everything, because Barbara said (and Barbara knows everything!) that Michelle and the Queen were discussing ..... SHOES!

What more needs to be said ..... you gotta love a girl who cares about shoes.

CHANEL: Coco Chanel parle de la mode

2009-05-15T01:23:00.001-07:00

Do you think that the darling and elegant Coco may have died from lung cancer?

The secret of the Cost Per Wear Ratio

2009-05-14T23:16:00.000-07:00

Sometime, back in the days of my youth (sigh) I was told by a very savvy fashionista that one should always use the CPW ratio. That is Cost Per Wear Ratio. You buy a dress for $250 wear it twice, it cost you $125 per wear. You buy an expensive dress for $500 and wear it 100 times it costs $5 per wear. That's your value judgement right there.

This is an excellent little calculation you can do in your head. I wished I did it more often, because there is no doubt that the things I have paid a little bit more for (okay, A LOT MORE for) I generally love more, cherish more and yes, wear more.

I have a Bally handbag that I bought - on sale I hasten to add - for $550. It was reduced from $1250. I cannot for the life of me explain what possessed me to buy it because it put a serious dent on my budget and a burden on my credit card.

It is plain, cream and beautifully lined. I have had it for nearly 9 years and it looks brand new. It is a clever piece of work, because although it's cream I use it summer and winter. It never fails to get at least one compliment every time I take it out (which sadly, is more than can be said for me).

So as far as CPW calculations go, that bag must have cost me ....um, let's see: Initial outlay $550, divided by 9 (years) = 61. That's $61 a year. Divided by 12 months a year = $5 a month.

$5 a month or less that $2 a week! Can't be happier than that now can we?

Any suggestions about investment dressing, or observations about Cost Per Wear?

Shoes and Elephants: what's not to like?

2009-05-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

Now we know The Kipstar and all her friends (that means you, dear reader) LOVES shoes.

And The Kipstar also knows that you are good people who will be delighted to celebrate Christian Louboutin’s foray into saving the planet, one high heeled footstep at a time.

Christian (god bless his red soles) has created a special pink zippered Rodita sandal (price – eeek - $895). Only 50 pairs have been made and all proceeds go to the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation which helps stop the cruel practice of using elephants as tourist attractions on the urban streets of Thailand.

Now I am not suggesting you rush out to actually buy these special edition shoes, (but you can if you want) but some people will only think about other living creatures when they also get something for themselves.

Of course if you don’t have $895 lying around the house, or the ability to carry off a pink zippered platform sandal, you can always gather a few pennies and give them as a donation to the Golden Triangle Elephant Foundation.

The most handsome man in the world - Nelson Mandela

2009-05-14T19:35:00.001-07:00

Second post today - when The Kipstar pays tribute to true beauty through forgiveness and commitment.

Ladies and gentleman - Nelson Mandela!

Look at his face. Has there ever been a more beautiful expression of love and dignity and true belief in human rights?

That again is style.

This is TRUE style.

2009-05-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's blog about Anna Wintour sparked a lot of twitter traffic and a few comments here ..... so today I thought we might concentrate on a couple of people who show the true essence of style.

First up. Aung San Suu Kyi. In Burma, she is simply known as The Lady, and you can see why. She has put up with the most extraordinary pressure, punishment and violation of her rights, for the sake of her country and her people.

Through it all she has maintained a dignity, poise and grace that many of us would find hard to maintain if we broke a nail.

Now she has been taken from her home (where she has been under house arrest for decades) and incarcerated for the flimsiest of excuses. And yet, she never ever is anything other than dignified and elegant.

True style.

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On the Town: Anna Wintour

2009-05-13T20:18:00.001-07:00

Funny how these Vogue women just do not ever justify themselves and rarely grant interviews (see previous post about Carine Roitfeld).

But last night in NYC Anna Wintour stepped out for a public “conversation” with Jonathan Tisch. Anna spoke about how to “look good without spending a lot of money.” (I am wiping the tears of mirth away from my eyes, because quite frankly, I think Anna would know squat about this subject).

PETA - who stalk Anna and have a fury against US Vogue - were present having rallied troops before hand. "This woman skins animals alive!" they shouted from the audience. A groupie yelled out “I love you Anna.” In her crisp British cut glass accent Anna said “"Fur is still a part of fashion, so Vogue will continue to report on it…..fashion means different things to different people”, which is a widley disingenuous answer, given that Anna famously picks and chooses what she reports and has her favorite designers, models and stylists and a blacklist that sends shivers down the spines of the fashion mavens.

Your Honor, I submit for your consideration

2009-05-13T00:17:00.000-07:00

And while we are the subject of fabulous designers, terrible hair........

Please see Sonia Rykiel.

No more need to be said.

Le francais je ne sais quoi

2009-05-12T21:03:00.000-07:00

I once worked with a French woman who was, it has to be said, very plain. I know, because I used to sit opposite her and just stare. She was plain. Not ugly, just plain. But I had a big girly-crush on her, because she was oh so chic. I tortured myself trying to figure this out. How did she have that style? Why did ooze from every pore?

Was it her understated style, an offhanded French arrogance about her dress? Was she undone or under done.?What what WHAT was going on with Mme Plain Francais that had me tossing and turning during sleepless nights?

Well, the phrase je ne sais quoi was invited by the French for a reason. Stylists and commentators can bang on and on about the French loving elegant, expensive pieces, understated and beautifully styled, creating the perfect silhouette but it seems so much more than that. I mean, it obviously helps that the accent is a killer.

I still haven’t cracked the code. Is it about proportion, tailoring, attention to detail? Sophistication and appropriateness? Lack of bling? (oh yes, we might be onto something there!!)

Do you think the French are stylish? No? Yes? Couldn’t care less?

Viva Catherine!

2009-05-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

Inspired by writing Carine Roitfeld yesterday I seem to have gotten in a very Francais mood. This may have to do with wanting to eat a huge plate of French fries but maybe it has more to do with me coveting that French je ne sais quoi.

My next few blogs are going to be en francais. Well, not en francais but more like francais sur la chic.

Let me start with Catherine Deneuve. That woman is 66 years old! That woman has just gotten better with age!

Better yet – she doesn’t hide her age; she doesn’t deny have surgery (see previous post about Nicole Kidman). She says she eats a lot (and she sure ain’t no waif), she smokes (oh Catherine!), but she does love walking.

But you know, if I walked forever I would not have the chic style of la Deneuve.

Nicole, your pants are on fire!

2009-05-12T18:26:00.001-07:00

Like Joan Rivers, I find people who lie about their cosmetic surgery just ...well, liars! At least Madonna has said "I may have, I may not have, but I am hardly going to call a press conference about it."

So why oh why (she says, yowling at the moon) does Nicole Kidman insistently demand that we actually are idiots enough to believe her when she says - not once, but repeatedly, "I have had nothing done, what you see is 100% natural".

Some of us with longer memories (and the google search engine) will recall what a younger Nicole looked like. No nose job Nic? No lip surgery? And no botox?

If what you have is "100% natural" Nicole, then your cellular regeneration abilities are so astounding, that you should be used for atomic research and the eventual curing of cancer.

Ooh la la Carine, j'adore!

2009-05-12T00:10:00.001-07:00

One of my absolute style icons is Carine Roitfeld, editor of French Vogue. The French edition of Vogue is so different from any other edition – highly stylized, and so fanciful that it hardly ever bothers to do anything about makeovers, or editing your look……that would be far too déclassé.

Carine has that jolie laid look much loved by the fashion elite, and ahem, much loved by moi. Yes, she looks like Iggy Pop but so what, this woman rocks.

For someone who rarely gives interviews, this year, we’ve seen Carine at her most vocal, pronouncing on all manner of essentials. Carine would not be seen dead in jeans. Or mini skirts. She always wears heels in Paris. Always. She likes people rail thin but she doesn’t have a weight policy at Vogue.

In this months Acne paper, Carine said she is “quite classic with an edge.” Oooh j’adore her definition of classic. “It’s more the way you mix the clothes and how you move, how you open your bag, how you cross your legs – just little things that make a difference.”

Oh Carine, you speak the truth, you speak with the essence of Francais.

Excuse me, but what's with the hair?

2009-05-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

I love Diane von Furstenberg, I really do. That wrap dress (created almost 40 years ago) never goes out of style and can be worn by ANYONE. Seriously, anyone. And she gives the best advice to ladies of a certain age (I look forward to being a lady of a certain age so I can follow her advice).

She is a star and we love her. But...(and there had to be a but....) what is with the hair?

I'm sorry but if anyone else turned up with that bull's wool we would deem them too much like Susan Boyle and ship them off to Kim Vo for a makeover. (You know Kim Vo. He's always turning up on Oprah letting women live their best lives by cutting their hair and turning them into cougars).

Why why why Diane, are you hanging onto the hair? it looks like it needs a good conditioning pack, a serious trim, a color retouch (and rethink) and a serious session under the lawn mower.

PS : I love you regardless.

Some Trends for the Fall: I'm Not Buying

2009-05-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

New York magazine has let us know that they have just divined the essential trends for fall and I tell you, some of them are just plain scary.

Velvet (the fabric) for everything, especially evening wear.
80’s disco garishness
The boyfriend jacket
Thigh high boots
Brick red
Leather
Leggings
A highly defined waist

Velvet always reminds me of Agatha Christie novels – grand dames with two much face powder and very old velvet frocks. And seriously, much of the other hardly screams “recession investment pieces” because girls, I am telling you, you wear thigh high boots for one season and you are sick sick sick of them. Not to mention sick sick sick of getting them on your legs every day. And those babies are not cheap. (Not that we are about cheap but you get where I am going with this ????)

What are your fall trends? I’m sticking with classics this year (and a few new pairs of shoes).

Natalia - All Class, All the Time

2009-05-10T18:49:00.001-07:00

CNN is currently running, on rotation, a wonderful little documentary about Natalia Vodianova and Moscow.

Natalia - who was discovered selling fruit and vegetables in a Moscow market - has become the favorite of Anna Wintour who adores her, and many designers. In this documentary you can see why. She is classy, sweet, sooooooo photogenic and passionate. What's not to love?

You can see Part One of the Natalia special here. Watch Part Two here.

Help! I have a leopard print issue.

2009-05-09T06:44:00.001-07:00

Call me old fashioned, call me muddle headed but I need your help.

What’s with the leopard print pump? Like the 'classic trench’ (see previous post) the leopard print pump appears on so many must have lists that we are all in danger of looking like a guerrilla (gorilla?) army if we all ran out and bought a pair and wore them at once. Isaac Mizrahi in ‘How to Have Style’ says the leopard print pump is as essential as the black pump and the Mary Jane.

Now I don’t wish to offend, but to me they kinda look cheap. Not exactly street-walking cheap, but sheesh, not a good look. I just don’t wanna look like Pamela Anderson (god love her and I do too) when I step out the door in the morning to go to work.

And what do you wear your leopard print pumps with? If you wear all black, surely a black shoe would be better? A all white pant suit? Head to toe animal prints? I am soooo confused. And in the winter months, what tights? Surely not black?

But I am lost. Help me here. I'm all ears!!!!! Are they really attractive? Or do you really look like a hooker when you wear them?

An It Girl to the last!

2009-05-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

Ah, how often we forget that we didn’t invent the ‘it’ girl. Maxime de La Falaise who has died at age 87 was an “it” girl 1950s. Even the name oozes cool (actually she was born plain old Maxine Birley – give this girl credit for reinvention).

She was Cecil Beaton's muse – the star photographer of his day. He called her the “only truly chic Englishwoman” of her generation.

She was a model, a food writer and stared in an Andy Warhol film. She was born in London but lived in Paris and New York. She designed exquisite clothes, furniture, rugs and bags.

She had wonderful affairs, often with ‘playboys’ as they called the idle rich in the 1940s and 1950s. She also had serious romances -with Louis Malle and the surrealist painter Max Ernst and later, John Paul Getty III. She was married to John McKendry, curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

And of course she was the mother of the exquisite model Loulou de la Falaise who was an “it” girl of the 1980’s.

Vale Maxime! What a wonderful life!
Maxime De La Falaise, 1922-2009

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Slumdog blingionnaire .....

2009-05-08T18:30:00.001-07:00

This week the first Versace accessory boutique opened in Mumbai India. There’s something so fitting about Versace opening in Mumbai. The brand is crass, ugly, full of bling and so nouveau-riche. It lacks taste and class. Subtlety? Forget it. The point of buying Versace is so that people know you are wearing Versace. It is to show off your wealth. It is not for the discreet or the elegant.

The Versace boutique is within spitting distance of the Mumbai slums – so shockingly and starkly portrayed in Slumdog Millionaire. I am not the sort who believes that we only have one choice in our lives and we all must wear hair shirts because others are living in penury. But I do know that when India’s elite spend $250 on a tee shirt and that money could school ten children for a year, then something is surely wrong.

Versace International announced “our strong commitment to the Indian market.” Substitute “our strong commitment to donating part of our profits to alleviate poverty in Mumbai” and I might start listening.

She speaks! She walks! She er, writes!

2009-05-08T01:04:00.001-07:00

Kate Moss is writing her autobiography. I can’t imagine that Kate is ACTUALLY writing it, but she no doubt will be telling someone what happened and they’ll be writing it for her. Kate has been paid a million quid for the book, and I bet many people will want to read it.

There’s been a few Kate books released – mainly coffee table photo books but Fred Vermerol did an unauthorized biography few years back – Addicted to Love - which was pretty good. Vermerol – a veteran celebrity writer – was a little perplexed by cries of “genius!” “brilliant” “gifted!”

She shows up, has her picture taken, and knows her job, writes Fred. That makes her professional doesn’t it, not Albert Einstein?

I can’t imagine how Kate will explain her life, but you can bet that the book will be a best seller.

Patti Smith: She Put the Rock in Chic

2009-05-07T22:31:00.000-07:00

This week came the announcement that Patti Smith’s son, Jackson is going to marry White Stripes drummer Meg White on May 22.

Now this just gives me the ideal platform to discuss Patti. Ah Patti! The woman with the girl-next-door name and the stunning androgynous looks. Her album Horse – with photography by Robert Mapplethorpe – set a very high bar for musical high priestesses.

I stared at her photo for hours and yes, I wanted to be her.

But hello, excuse me? Has Patti had botox? A makeover? Recently she’s been stepping out in NYC looking well…….coiffured and er, glamorous.

You know I’m not a big one for telling people they have to keep to my idea of what they should look like, and Horses was released over 30 years ago. Salut Patti, whatever you choose to do!

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Afghanistan's President Karzai - elegant and ethnic.

2009-05-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

This week I seem to have Washington on my mind (see previous post about Mr. Gunn going to Washington). Also in DC this week was the man once labeled by Tom Ford as "the most chic man in the world.”

While trying to figure out how to bring peace to Afghanistan, Mr. Karzai generally disappointed with his attire – going for what suspiciously looked like a turtle neck-and-blazer effect, rather than his usual ethnic chic.

Usually he does turn out in good style. Single-breasted suits, accessorized with ethnic emblems of his country, layered on shawls and scarves. Tajik, Hazara and Pashtun fabrics all get a look in; in Afghanistan it would cause a headache but when worn on the international stage – with that terribly chic Afghan wool hat – it just looks stunning and terribly elegant.

Now, ahem. Back to business. What is your game plan for ridding your country of the Taliban, Mr. Karzai?

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Vote 1 Tim Gunn!

2009-05-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

What’s not to love about Tim Gunn? He reminds me of a kinder gentler age, and the idea of a gentleman. Tim has been in DC this week, lobbying Congress about intellectual property rights legislation.

Apparently, when he met with Rep Lamar Smith on the issue, Smith asked him to give fashion critique for his staff. Who knew that the Republican from Texas with the very bad hair would plump for a private session with Tim?

According to Ann Schroeder on Politico:

The staff fared pretty well. "Small tweaks" were made -- a shorter skirt was one -- and the congressman replied, "Two inches?!" in shock. Gunn replied, "no just one." Another lucky female staffer was complimented on her grey skirt and sweater paired with a light brown belt. Gunn said, "This outfit is all about the belt and it works."

However, not everyone could receive high marks. One female staffer, sadly, was wearing capris and was told they are out of style. A male staffer was scolded and told to buy a properly fitting suit jacket. (Tsk!)

Tim also spoke with Politics Daily about (zzzzz) Michelle Obama's fashion sense among other things. You can see the video here.

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Yes doctor, I would like to look cheap and fake please.

2009-05-07T06:02:00.000-07:00

Now I never think of my self as an old fashioned girl, even though I am fond of washing my bras (please see previous post, but do it on an empty stomach)….but it seems I am old fashioned when it comes matters orthodontic.

I wore braces quite late in life because I wanted good straight teeth; it makes you face better and generally gives you a better bite and less jaw ache.

But can we stop with the freshly painted picket fences that people are going for? I can no longer watch the Tyra show without wearing dark glasses and dimming the lights and a night watching American Idol inspires a migraine and a touch of the vapors.

ALL of the judges seem to have gone to the same fake teeth school. I remember Kara DioGuardi never looked so, er white clean and straight as she did before joining the panel. Simon Cowell probably had some very bad teeth (well, he is British and it’s almost illegal there to have good teeth) and needed work but did he have to end up looking so – well, so much like a freshly erected picket fence?

It’s not a good look. It looks fake, it looks bought and it looks kind of cheap.

Ewww Viv, that is SO gross!

2009-05-07T00:30:00.000-07:00

This week’s most revolting news comes from England where it seems, they are not at all keen on getting rid of the less that attractive reputation of being dirty buggers.

Vivienne Westwood (that would be Dame Vivienne Westwood to you) has admitted that she never, ever, ever washes her bras. Occasionally she says, she slightly dusts them with talcum powder.

Now if you’re like me and feel like reaching for the barf bowl…… wait there’s more! This revelation sent researchers off on a quest to find out how often British women washed their bras.

It seems that British women like to wear them on average seven times, over an eight-week period, before washing them.

That is so gross. I am now ready for a full-blown stomach evacuation.

Imelda Marcos calling Rhianna ... I need my clothes back!

2009-05-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that some people are interpreting the Rihanna tuxedo from this week’s Met Ball as a “provocative fashion statement of female empowerment.”
More like a provocative fashion statement of “I Have no clue, but one day I could become President of the Philippines.”
Looking horribly like Imelda Marcos, Rhianna wore a Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo with gi-normous puffed sleeves and short cigarette pants.
She apparently sang up a storm. Good for her. Now could you send that tux to Manila? Someone must be missing it.

Beauty is in the eyebrow of the beholder

2009-05-06T20:33:00.000-07:00

Sukaina al-Zayer is Saudi Arabia's current pageant queen – she holds the tile of the "Miss Beautiful Morals.” Qualifications? “Devotion and respect for her parents and commitment to Islamic morals.”

You can scoff at the Middle Eastern modesty but look at this girl. I imagine that by saying she is incredibly sexy, I am mortally offending her, but look at those eyebrows, look at those eyes! Now that’s sexy.

Whenever I see those women in complete hijab I always look closely – a peep of beautifully pedicured toe here, and exquisitely made up eye there, beautifully kept nails. It can be just a delight looking at the glimpses of skin.

Within the confines of what Ms al-Zayer is allowed to do – and granted, that’s hardly very much at all – she looks absolutely fabulous. And truly, I don’t give a damn about her morals.

The classic trench - are you kidding me?

2009-05-05T23:52:00.000-07:00

Why is that every fashion guru - from Tim Gunn to Isaac Mizrahi (and I do love both those gentlemen to bits) always say, "Ladies, your wardrobe needs a classic trench!" ?

Now firstly, there's the very obvious point that if we all put on our classic trenches we would look like something out of Children of the Corn or a sci-fi plot set in the not-to-distant future when we all wear uniforms and bad bowl hair cuts.

White shirts? Yes. Black trousers? Sure. Black skirt? Got it. LBD? Couldn't live without it. Classic trench? Give me a break.

This trench does not suit everyone and beige can positively be deathly to people of a certain coloring. Pale with dark hair - forget it. Pale with blond hair - not so great either.

And the trench might look divine of Kate, Christy, Agyness or Irina (by the way doncha love Irina?). For someone not like a tent pole there are no favors at all. Can we drop the charade of the classic trench? Please?

Tyra - what is that on your head?

2009-05-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

Tyra Banks stopped talking for long enough to turn up at NY's Met Ball on Monday night. Looked like she had a pile of manure pinned to her head.

She's a great looking woman though in the flesh her head is very out of proportion to her body which is a little disconcerting.

My bet is that it looks great when Tyra is striking a pose, but about an hour later - ewww! Hair disaster emergency?

But what do you think? Did she pull this look off?

Christiane, Christiane .... let the scissors be with you!

2009-05-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

What's not to love about Chrisitiane Amanpour? She is such a respected presence on CNN, such a steady hand at reporting. Love her love her love her.

Christiane could do with a serious makeover in the hair department - peer closely at that woman and she is BEAUTIFUL. Maybe she thinks the shag-and-bangs look is a good wash-and-wear look for war zones. No fuss, no muss, works anywhere anytime, nothing but a bar of soap needed to get it clean. She may well be right.

But the color - oh, the color. Beauty 101 - the older we get the lighter our hair should get. That dark all one color look is no good for anyone and for Christiane it is doing her no favors at all.

Am I shallow for suggesting Christiane needs some hair advice? No, I just would like to see this wonderful woman make the absolute best of what she has.

Hideous hair alert!!!!!!! Warning! Warning!

2009-05-05T00:04:00.000-07:00

Tom Hanks, Nicholas Cage, Christian Slater, John Travolta. All of them have very bad hair made worse by very bad transplants.

It’s that holding steady transplant that looks just awful. Like nothing is ever moving on the head but that it is sort of stuck, semi-balding, semi-receding in a no-man’s land of hideousness.

Tom is currently on a film tour and looks alarmed at himself. Nicholas Cage hasn’t looked good for years and Christian Slater is definitely in hair hell. John Travolta I cannot even talk about (and only some of that have got to do with his hair).

Lads! Close cut, shaved and bald – all very sexy looks that you might want to consider.

That friggin' fatty...KATE MOSS

2009-05-04T22:19:00.000-07:00

Kate's been carrying a few extra pounds of late. Is she pregnant or is she just 35 and fed up with eating like gerbil and feeling kind of faint all the time? Around 35 it gets soooooooo hard to keep the weight off. You might have eaten deep fried Mars bars all the way through your 20s but there does come a time when it doesn't disappear into thin air anymore.

Has Kate got a recession body? We are all supposed to whack of a few pounds when the economy sucks. Belt tightening doesn't just mean watching the wallet, it also means expanding waistlines.

She is gorgeous. She really is. She looks fabulous from any angle (bad British teeth and all). And even though there doesn't seem to be a lot of personality going on, she is definitely an icon.

So the jury is out - but you can be the jury too. Kate Moss? Too fat to remain an icon? You decide.

Michelle Obama's shoe bumble

2009-05-04T00:41:00.000-07:00

Michelle Obama got a touch defensive about her shoes this week. When asked about her foot wear by an eagle-eyed reporter, she grumpily replied "They're shoes".

No Michelle, they are not "shoes". They are especially not "shoes" when you are wearing them to a volunteer D.C. food bank, and they cost $540.

Much has been made about the humble suede sneakers ; they were finessed with grosgrain ribbon laces and had metallic pink toe caps. They are as ugly as sin, look utterly Eurotrash tasteless . I wouldn't be caught dead in them - and neither should she - but that's beside the point.

What in the hell was she thinking strolling into a food bank in such shoes? Surely she knew that someone would do the usual fashion forensics on her and realise that he clodhoppers were wildly over-priced and wildly inappropriate? Yes, wear a nice frock to your state ocassions, your international hob nobbing and your important meet-and-greets. But Michelle. Please also realise who you are dealing with and where you are doing it and have a little more class.

A portrait in selfishness - SJP and Matthew Broderick

2009-05-04T00:02:00.000-07:00

Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband Matthew Broderick are "delighted" that they have a surrogate delivering twin girls for them. SJP is now 44 and no doubt, fertility was - and is - an issue in this decision.

But I ask you? What makes people so sure they have a RIGHT to have a baby merely because they desire one?

This seems to be a classic sense of western entitlement to have what you desire, be it a new house, gas guzzling car, freshly killed animal to eat or a baby.

When can we practice some discipline, some sense of context, some sense of global outlook so that we realize that the world does not have to deliver what we want, merely because we want it, that because we are obscenely wealthy (and that means you SJP) we can have what ever we want. When will learn that enough is enough?

Shoes????? It's all in the length!

2009-05-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, an American breakfast show did a road test. Christian Louboutin black leather 4" heel pumps ($600) vs. Payless black leather 4" heel pumps ($20). There were three tests applied -

1. Did people see the difference when looking at both pairs? (answer - nope).
2. Were they comfortable on a one mile walk round Central Park? (nope - both new pairs hurt)
3. What were there insides made of. (Payless - cardboard and plastic. Laboutin's leather, leather, leather).

All shoes look pretty neat when they are new. But the issue is that after one month, one year, ten years they are gonna look at lot different. If indeed the Payless shoes survive that long. It's true, the Payless are going to look cheap and nasty, and are going to be falling apart. The CL's on the other hand will look good, and have a dignified worn in look. In short, they will still look cool.

I love shoes. I like a mid price range shoe and they are mostly comfortable. I do like to splurge and have some lovely, eye wateringly expensive shoes. And I do honestly believe that a pricier shoe just does look better.

BUT - here's the thing. The three most expensive pairs of shoes I ever bought - a simple but elegant Bally sandal, a classic black Gucci pump and a Prada black sandal - were also the three most uncomfortable pairs I have ever owned. They hurt like hell and make me miserable. They have never stopped hurting and I have never stopped perservering.

How in the hell do you explain that?