Oscars 2011

fI love the Oscars! I remember I used to stay up late (East Coast time) just to watch the Oscars in my parents' room. Since my parents didn't encourage TV-watching, we didn't have cable. In order to catch even a runny static still of the Hollywood stars, I would stand a foot away from the TV while holding up the antenna throughout the entire three-plus-hours of programming.

I have cable now. I can sit on my couch, hands-free, and even magically rewind, pause and fast-forward my TV programming. I suppose that's a happy ending -though I still believe no-TV-watching was the best childhood experience my parents ever gave me- but, back to the Oscars.

Was anyone else slightly let-down by the Oscars last night?  Result wise, I was extremely excited Natalie Portman and Colin Firth won. It would have been a huge upset if they hadn't!  I was also very happy Social Network didn't steal the night (sorry, J). After all, the Oscars has -for a few years now- inspired great upset by awarding the golden statue to underdogs, newcomers and outliers alike. This year, although the hosts were "young and hip", the show was... well, to be expected.

Fashion wise, it was also to be expected. Yawn.

Top Three Fashionistas

Anne Hathaway looked amazing in all of her changes.  She also looked like she was trying so much harder as hostess than teleprompter-reading James Franco (I still heart you James-from-Palo-Alto). But, if I had to choose, my favorite of her eight amazing dresses was the Givenchy dress she wore during the opening:

Second place is Cate Blanchett. I've been a huge fan of Cate ever since she lost the Oscar for Best Actress to Gywneth Paltrow in 1998 (huge upset, I tell ya). Fast-forward twelve years, Cate's still fierce (and Givenchy for the win!). The flow of her dress is ethereal and the splash of yellow beading on the shoulder criss-crossing at the back gives it a modern twist and makes the dress truly one-of-a-kind. Fashion wise, this would be number one, but personally, I'm making this my number two because I'm easily woo'ed by sparkles. 

Third place was challenging to place because no one really stood out. I mean, how does Anne put on eight stunning dresses and others fail to impress in even one? Does anyone else feel this way or am I just spoiled by the Lady Gaga's and Katy Perry's of today (I guess they wear "costumes" by definition)?

Hilary Swank and Halle Berry almost clinched third until I decided both silhouettes (dramatic mermaid trains) were "last year."  Mila Kunis was adorable in lavender, but I get so nervous about her having a wardrobe malfunction, I can't bear to post photos. So, finally, I decided to award my personal third place to Sandra Bullock. She gave an altogether different look than what she usually gives us; and, her look channeled the classiness to convey "hey, I'm A-list" and "Best actress coming through!"  You go, Sandy!

You didn't ask, but cutest couple of the night?  Javier and Penelope. 
This is their first public appearance together and she's still sporting the new-mommy glow! 

(Second place: Selena and Justin being uber cute at the Vanity Fair party)

What did you think of the Oscars? Who is your fashion pick for first, second and third?

Hello, Pretty Kitty

 

Sephora launched an exclusive Hello Kitty collection and it is adorable! The collection is sophisticatedly packaged with a more "grown up" Kitty feel. The pricing is also grown up, ranging up to $55 for the Hello Kitty perfume.


I'm always a little skeptical of the quality of Hello Kitty products since its appeal is almost always more due to the character's popularity (and, trust me, I've tried a few products that have come back to bite me in the buttocks). So, although I'm truly excited about how the collection sparkles, I'm slightly dubious about taking the plunge.

But, oh, how I do love this cute brush set with the reusable brush holder! I love the idea of having this with me on business trips. It'd add an extra dose of sweetness to an otherwise standard hotel counter.

Included in this set:
- Face Brush
- Eyeshadow Brush
- Shader/Blending Brush
- Angled Eyeliner Brush
- Lip Brush
- Collectible Hello Kitty brush container

I also love how the Hello Kitty eau de parfum comes in this vintage spray bottle. Priced at $55, the bottle is made of glass and the crystalline bow and a pink atomizer that can be removed for travel. I hope this bottle is reusable too - it's simply too cute!

And, lastly, the convenient perfume roller ball -- don't you wish they made this for all of your favorite perfume? It fits easily into your favorite clutch, and with the cute design, we'll be eagerly reapplying throughout the day!

Would you buy the Hello Kitty collection?

Mini Me's

It seems like fashion is always moving from one extreme to the other and back. As much as I love my carry-all supersized hobo, I'm so excited about switching to petite crossbody bags for the summer.  Goodbye winter and my kitchen sink. Hello flirty skirts, shimmery chapstick and... yep, I think that's all that would fit in my new summer bag!

Check out all the "mini me" versions of last season's it bags:

Lanvin's Happy Mini Pop Bag $1,390

Mulberry's Postman's Lock All In One Clutch $495

Proenza Schouler's PS1 Mini Crossbody Pouch $1,225

Britney Spears Auctions Dress

Britney Spears is auctioning off the gorgeous dress she wore for her Radiance fragrance campaign to help raise funds for the Matthew Van Daff Special Needs Trust. Britney is a friend of the Van Daff family who set up the charity to help raise money for little Mattrew's treatment. Mattrew suffers from a brain injury after he was starved of oxygen during the last days of being in utero. 

Matthew is a two year old boy born with a brain injury. Due to a lack of oxygen incident during the last days of pregnancy, labor or delivery, he suffered severe brain damage. ... Because of this brain damage, Matthew has been diagnosed with Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Lung Disease, and seizures.

Britney's Facebook page announced the news today, "Such a great cause. Brit donated her dress from the Radiance ad to our friend David, who started a trust for his son with a brain injury. He put the dress up for auction & all proceeds will go to his son's cause."  The dress is currently bidding at $7,300 dollars. 

Interested in bidding for the dress?

Hermès by Leïla Menchari

Hermès gave us a peek at their flagship's window display via Facebook and it is amazing!

Each year, Leïla Menchari creates intricate window displays for Hermès' flagship store in Paris. 

How many Hermès bags do you see?

Culture Chanel at MOCA Shanghai

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai is currently showing a "Culture Chanel" exhibition from now until March 14th, 2011.  The collection holds over four-hundred pieces including Chanel designs, artwork, manuscripts and films.

This exhibition is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai with the support of the House of CHANEL and is curated by Jean-Louis Froment, a well-known figure in the contemporary art and design worlds.

"CULTURE CHANEL" highlights the historical and creative dimensions of the House of CHANEL.

The exhibition interprets Mademoiselle Chanel's universe through her designs, her iconic pieces and her literary and artistic inspirations. Throughout her life Mademoiselle Chanel was close to the greatest artists of her time, including poets Jean Cocteau and Pierre Reverdy, painters Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali and composer
Igor Stravinsky.

The creative heritage of the House of CHANEL is perpetuated, from Mademoiselle Chanel to Karl Lagerfeld, in the form of a dialogue established between authors and between artists.

The Museum of Contemporary Art, 231 Nanjing Road (West), Huangpu, Shanghai, China

 The coolest part is that the exhibition is sorted by themes (Imagery, Liberty, Abstraction, Invisibility and Origin) instead of in chronological order; and for those of us unable to make it to Shanghai, you can explore the virtual layout on the MoCA site here.