I stared morosely at my TV as I watched the stars arrive at the 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.  Despite the sameness we’ve seen over the past few award seasons, I’ve remained optimistic.  But as I saw the sea of sweetheart necklines, washes of white and the sorry looking boat-neck gowns make their way down the red carpet, I couldn’t help but cringe.  For me, this was by far the most boring red carpet I have seen in years! What was with the abundance of all things non-interesting?!?!

A major problem with Hollywood is that all the stars go running to their stylists.  What happened to good old fashioned dressing – wearing something that shows your personality? I tried to fish out the more unique looking gowns for some of the better trends we saw from the night.

Mega-wattage embellishments

It was really all about what was on the dresses! Opting for minimal or no jewellery, stars chose eye-catching, glitzy gowns that were heavily embellished with crystals, paillettes, beading and sequins.

Claire Danes in Armani Prive; Heather Morris in Ina Soltani; Maria Menounos in Ralph & Russo

Manic for Midnight

We saw a huge variety of gowns in this beautiful midnight blue.  The navy was a great option to bring some drama to the daytime arrivals and worked as a great alternative for the usual go-to colour, black.

Julie Bowen in J. Mendel; Jane Krakowski in Escada; Julianna Margulies in L'Wren Scott

Spanish Affair

Adding a bit of dramatic flair, we saw these flamenco-inspired ruffles at the last awards as well.  It’s a great way to jazz up a simple silhouette.

Jayma Mays in Burberry; Lea Michele in Oscar de la Renta; Emily Deschanel in Max Azria Atelier

From Periwinkle to Purple

Whether it was a bright pop of purple or a more muted pastel version of the colour, this hue was plentiful and a popular choice amongst the crowd.

Jane Lynch in Ali Rahimi; Katrina Bowden in BCBG Max Azria; Christina Hendricks in Zac Posen; Emily Blunt in Dior

Baring One Arm

One-shoulder dresses are still a big hit on the red carpet.  The simple shapes are always a chic and classic look but it’s also nice to see interesting draping, gathers, and shoulder details – it adds an element of surprise.

Cheryl Hines in Zac Posen; Julie Benz in Pamella Roland; Joan Allen in Michael Kors; Elisabeth Moss in Donna Karan

Black with a Twist

Black is a great go-to colour but can sometimes result in safe and boring pieces.  These stars took it up a notch playing with contrasting fabric and adding texture to give their gowns a more three-dimensional look.

Eva Longoria in Robert Rodriguez; Heidi Klum in Marchesa; Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Narcisco Rodriguez; Kelly Osborne in Tony Ward

Greek Goddess

Playing up the summer heat, celebrities took to soft draping and twisting in their modern takes on the Grecian trend.

Rose Byrne in Gucci; Edie Falco in Bottega Veneta; Kim Kardashian in Marchesa

Red on Red

It’s interesting to have seen so much of this shade as it’s not quite common, given the colour of the carpet but at the Emmys, we saw an array of actors in sultry shades of red.

Jessalyn Gilsig in Nicole Miller; Kyra Sedgwick in Monique Lhuillier; Olivia Munn in Zac Posen

Luscious Lace

Taking this trend directly from the runways, this favourite fabric was a hit amongst the stars of Hollywood.

Tina Fey in Oscar de la Renta; Jennifer Westfeldt in Armani; Dianna Agron in Carolina Herrera

Lace was used as an all over fabric adding a light shimmer to some gowns or as a peekaboo detail giving some gowns an interesting layer.

Jewel in Zuhair Murad; Nina Dobrev in Zuhair Murad

Of course, there are always the risk-taking stars who aren’t afraid to express themselves (in an appropriate way of course!) These darers added an element of fun and intrigue to the red carpet.

January Jones in Atelier Versace

This interesting shape, unusual texture and attention-grabbing shade of blue gives January Jones a fashion-forward edge.  She somehow always manages to do something interesting on the red carpet!

Anna Pacquin in Alexander McQueen

This is not the first time Anna Paquin has gone gladiator on us.  The young belle looked powerful in sharp shoulders and completed her look with strong, statement cuffs and bangles.  She seems to be a loyal fan of this silhouette from McQueen.

Keri Russell in Vintage Jean-Louis Scherrer Haute Couture

Everything from the sweet, different colour (it’s not easy to wear this bubblegum pink) to the soft silhouette, to the loose hair, I loved Keri Russell’s “I-don’t-need-to-try-too-hard” mindset.  Her easy going, minimalistic attitude just stands out.

Toni Collette in Valentino

I’m always a fan of prints on the red carpet and I always feel like I never see enough of them.  It is risky to go with a print because you can end up looking like you’re wearing a tablecloth or curtain.  It’s just important to be smart about it and not let the print overpower the design and shape of the garment, like Toni Collette did and her gown, keeping the prints to the bottom.

Image Source: InStyle.com, JustJared.com, Style.com

I’ve always known her as the headstrong ballet dancer in Center Stage.  But with her recent success on Avatar (which I still haven’t seen btw), Zoe Saldana has gone from worrying about her turn out and pirouettes to becoming a true Hollywood A-lister.

With many celebrities come poor wardrobe choices and fashion faux pas.  Not for Zoe.  Whether it’s a movie premier, the red carpet, or even if it’s a random shot of her that the paparazzi snapped, she just never seems to fail.  I very much appreciate the way Zoe steers clear of the mundane.  The actress seems to know what shapes work for her and is never afraid to sport a bold silhouette.  Her clever use of colour and prints sets her apart from the crowd.

What a great style icon!

Image Sources: FabSugar.com, Zimbio.com

Season 3 of Gossip Girl started off a little rocky.  With all the characters off in college, I felt the concept of the show becoming a bit blurry and the OMG factor just wasn’t there anymore.  But before the holidays, the season just got good for me…and now, we’re being kept on our toes till March!

One of my top reasons for still keeping up with all the drama on the Upper East Side is Serena van der Woodsen’s style.  Having put off Brown for one year, Serena is spending her time “finding” herself and trying out a new career in public relations.  Her wardrobe this season says exactly that.

Case in point:

Tight fitting clothes and longer hemlines with a dash of accessories

Serena’s unique look, which is probably the reason why we all fell in love with her in the first place, still consumes her character but it’s just gone up a notch.  Gone are the days when she paraded down the streets of New York in cute vintage dresses and over the top uniforms.  Now we see her in more sophisticated Upper East Side attire, ready to take the corporate world head on.

Here are some of my favourite Serena looks of the season.

If you’re interested in rocking any of the Gossip Girl characters’ looks, check out Gossip Girl Fashion.

Image Sources: CWtv.com, GossipGirlFashion.net, GossipGirlInsider.com

I finally had a chance to see The September Issue and I have to say, whether you are a die hard Fashionista or if you are just intrigued by the fashion industry, the documentary is definitely a must see! While the camera spends much of its attention on Anna Wintour, the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue magazine.  It also features other decision makers in Vogue, designers, photographers and the many outfits of Andre Leon Talley.

R.J. Cutler does a wonderful job giving a closer look at the woman behind the shades and the things she oversees at Vogue, but it was more interesting to see just how much influence Anna Wintour and Vogue have on so many different aspects of the industry!!! Very very eye-opening.

One of my favourite things about The September Issue was the focus put on Grace Coddington.  I have always enjoyed her work and she is truly a masterful stylist.  Many argue that she is the true hero of The September Issue.  She is amazing and there is no doubt about that.  But for the most part, creativity can’t be appreciated unless it’s put in front of your face…in other words, it has to be marketed well.  Vogue does just that, it takes the ingenuity that designers put forth and offers to the public in just the right way, in just the right doses.

Hues of Blues

As I saw more and more stars in this colour, I was surprised I wasn’t bored with the different shades of blue.  From the teals to the midnight blues, each dress in this shade had a very different shape and silhouette which kept it interesting.

Christina Hendricks in L'Wren Scott; Vanessa Williams in Rafael Cennamo

Katrina Bowden in Christian Siriano; Christina Applegate in Basil Soda; Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Vera Wang

One Shoulder Wonders

I was a bit disappointed to see so many one-shouldered dresses since it’s a bit over and done with.

Debra Messing in Michael Kors; Chloe Sevigny in Isaac Mizrahi; Carrie Preston in Mako Takada

Royally Purple

Purple seemed to be the runner-up for choice of colour.

Dana Delany in Basil Soda; Padma Lakshmi in Badgley Mischka; Elizabeth Perkins in Reem Acra

Greek Goddess

These gowns were extremely flattering on the shape and very intricately draped.  This was one of my favourite trends.

Mindy Kaling in Temperley London; Kate Walsh in J. Mendel

Cat Deeley in Alberta Ferretti; Alicia Witt in Rafael Cennamo;Jennifer Love Hewitt in Max Azria

Classically Black

Black will always be a classic, go-to colour for any occasion.  Some stars were able to make themselves stand out with an edgier black dress, others just resorted to yet another black strapless gown.

Sally Field in Temperley London; Glenn Close in Zac Posen; Tina Fey in Gucci

Alyson Hannigan in Vera Wang; Heidi Klum in Marchesa; Jenna Fischer in Reem Acra

Heavy Metal

There were a lot of metallics on the red carpet this year.  I thought these three did it best – not overdone or blinding in anyway.

Kaley Cuoco in David Meister; Mariska Hargitay in Carolina Herrera; Sandra Oh in Marchesa

Very Berry

In an attempt to stay away from the more common purples and reds, stars wore those colours with a clever twist.

Ginnifer Goodwin in Yves Saint Laurent; Mila Kunis in Monique Lhuillier; Lindsay Price in J. Mendel

Fairytale Fantasy

You can never escape the big, prom-style dresses at award shows but I thought all three actresses here looked incredibly elegant.

Toni Collette in Monique Lhuillier; Rose Byrne in Valentino; Drew Barrymore in Monique Lhuillier

Ra Ra Red

Red was definitely the biggest colour on the carpet this year.  Some pulled it off with unique dresses.  Others just looked like they belonged on a fire engine..

Blake Lively in Versace; Hayden Panettiere in J. Mendel

Angela Kinsey in Nicole Miller; Sigourney Weaver in David Meister

Beautiful Bows

Definitely staying in tune with what’s hot this fall, it was nice to see some architectural bows on some gowns.

Jessica Lowndes in Dolce & Gabbana; Jennifer Morrison in Calvin Klein; Mary Louise Parker in Zac Posen

Pretty in White

Stars who wore white looked fresh and classic.

Perrey Reeves in Naeem Khan; Kara DioGuardi in Badgley Mischka Couture; Leighton Meester in Bottega Veneta

Of course, I’m always able to find my stand outs, even in the busiest of all crowds.  I love the work on Jennifer’s dress and just adore the sculpture-like bodice on January’s dress.  They are definitely winning looks in my book!

Jennifer Carpenter in a black and white Zuhair Murad design

January Jones in mint green Versace couture

Image Source: EW.com, Film.com, StarPulse.com, Style.com, TheInsider.com, TVGuide.com, UsMagazine.com

I finally had some time to catch up on the first few episodes of Season 6 of Project Runway, the long awaited season that made its debut on Lifetime.  I dozed up on all four episodes at once! I was a bit apprehensive about the switch in stations at first (Lifetime is a bit blah compared to Bravo)…but alas the changes are definitely well worth it! Yes, the Bluefly accessories wall is now the Macy’s accessories wall, but hey, Macy’s is finally getting some real help.  If prominent designers banning together for an ad campaign and sponsoring guest performances on Dancing with the Stars hasn’t helped, Lord knows Project Runway will give the department store a little boost!

The spread in Elle magazine is now the spread in Marie Claire (with Nina Garcia’s departure from Elle, are you really that surprised?) And of course, the car that the winner gets is now a trip to Paris.  Hmm, car or Paris, car or Paris…I think it’s pretty safe to say, P-A-R-I-S!!!

I’m not sure how I feel about the show moving to LA (we’ll see how that helps the season progress) and of course, the show not being at Parsons and filmed at the Atlas just means my chances of running into Tim Gunn again are well…slim to none.  I was also pretty surprised by the young age of most of the desingers.  The last thing I wanted was for one of the few shows I consider to be “good reality tv” turn into a fashion nightmare (remember that sad excuse of a show about working in the fashion industry that Tyra’s network produced???) Watching the first four episodes however definitely proved that there is an immense amount of talent on the show this season and most of it came from the younger designers.  I am already a fan of a few of them and secretly hoping for a woman to win the season!

My favourite part of the show so far has definitely been some of the prestigious names on the judging panel (okay, I’ll excuse Lindsay Lohan and I’m still wondering why Michael Kors has gone AWOL) – Rachel Bilson, Max Azria, Monique Lhuillier and Marc Bouwer, are only a few of the wonderful people who have given their opinions on the designers’ looks.  Eva Longoria is set to be a guest judge this season as well! So far, I’ve agreed with the people the show has let go but only time will tell if that continues to be the case because as we all know that in fashion, “one day you’re in, the next day you’re out”.

Here are the winning looks from the first four episodes…Auf Wiedersehen!

Episode 1 - Challenge: Create a look for a red carpet event that represents your point of view as a designer; Winning Designer: Christopher, Model: Katie Sticksel

Episode 2 – Challenge: Design a pregnancy chic look for Rebecca Romijn; Winning Designer: Shirin, Model: Matar Cohen

Episode 3 – Challenge: Create a fun and fashionable surf wear look (Additional Challenge: Create a second avante garde design that corresponds to the surf wear look); Designer: Ra’mon, Model: Vanessa Fitzgerald

Episode 4 – Challenge: Create an eye-catching look for models to wear at an industry event; Winning Designer: Althea, Model: Tanisha

Image Source: MyLifetime.com

I watched The Ugly Truth a while ago and I can’t seem to get Abby Richter’s (Katherine Heigl’s character) outfits out of my head.  The RomCom started off with one or two typical outfits that an executive would wear but the fashion took a turn about 15 minutes into the movie.  Take a look at some of Abby Richter’s key looks and how to create them for yourself.

This sexy and curve-hugging little black dress by Armani was the hit of the movie.

For a similar look, try…

Wrap dresses suited Abby as an executive producer.  It was professional enough for work, easy enough to be on-the-go yet still sexy enough for a date.

For a similar look, try…

Though it looked simple, this beige bandage dress was probably my favourite.  The zipper on the back gave the dress a little edge.

For a similar look, try…

The vest here adds some variety to a plain T-shirt over jeans.

I absolutely adore this locket Richter had on with almost every look.  It opens up as a watch; not surprising for the super in-control, organized exec that she is.

For something similar, try…

Image source: Ew.com, TheTruthIsntPretty.com

As the world mourned the King of Pop today, many remember him as an icon that played a crucial role in music and dance.  Growing up watching Michael Jackson reinvent his style for every album, he not only became a fashion icon of my generation but for the generations that have followed.  During his lengthy career, MJ ushered in an array of trends that still show up on runways today.

The Military Look

Bad Boy Jackson

And finally, The Moonwalk.  You seriously have to be in your own bubble if you didn’t recognize these legendary white socks paired with black loafers!

The King of Pop will stay with us forever, through his music, his dance and most definitely through his unique style.

On Sunday night, 60 Minutes’ Morley Safer chatted it up with fashion’s most powerful woman, Anna Wintour.  In the rare interview sans sunglasses, Anna gave some insight to fashion in the current state of our economy, her role as Editor-in-Chief for US Vogue and the perks that come along with it.  Yes ladies, daily hair and make up and a 6-digit clothing allowance was mentioned…but then again, she is pretty much God, so why not? Queen Anna also addressed the most lingering question of all…what’s with the shades???

To read more about this interview, click here.

With the emergence of social networks, online shops, blogs and so much more on the Internet, companies have to work their tails off to market their brands.  I for one, really appreciate it when a brand is seen on more than just a pretty banner and is marketed with creativity to its target audience.

Here’s a brand you’ll remember the next time you go grocery shopping – Frito-Lay.  Following the adventurous lives of four animated women, the “Only in a Woman’s World” campaign features webisodes bringing humour to the reasons why women snack and how “better for her” snacks can be incorporated into their lives.  Now who said marketing can’t be done with style?