Project Runway Season 8 Premiere

DAHLINGS –

It began. not with a whimper, but bangs. Meaning Heidi Klum’s terrible new pixie cut.

Believe me, it doesn’t look this good on the show.

The new opening style was truly execrable. First, Tim Gunn (my BFF forever) and Heidi driveled about the 17 designers, or at least some of them. At this stage in the game, who knows? Who cares? It reminded me of the staged “chats” backstage on that awful Isaac Mizrahi program.

It went precipitously downhill from there. Designer contestants were forced to “meet” each other on camera, saying their names and parroting their biographies. It reminded me uncomfortably of “The Bachelor.” “Hi, I’m April, I’m a designer and I love Goth!”

Speaking of April, she is a 21-year old airhead who is a completely newcomer to fashion—we all remember how well that worked out last season, don’t we? Like the vast majority of people her age, her fashion interests are “Goth, decay and destruction.” Yawn.

However, two designers instantly captured my heart. A.J., a nervous young man who said, “Anyone who says they’re gonna win, they’re gone.” Since this was followed by a parade of contestants bragging that they would win, I found his honesty refreshing. My second favorite is Peach, an older blonde who announces she’s 50, “Hell to this yes!” Oh God, I hope she sticks around for a while.

Peach yelling “Hell to the yes!” Or something.

A.J. (left) and Jason (right), hump firmly on head.

Most of the designers blended into a mass, save for an idiot named Jason wearing a bowler, which he called “a hump on my head.” I could not have said it better. And Casanova, whose accent was so thick he said “(?) take New Chork by de ballz.” There was Valerie, who wore an odd hat-shaped black wig.

Casanova, ignoring Tim Gunn and reality at the same time!

Valerie (right) and some other designer vying for worst hair. *

They met at Lincoln Center, soon to be the home to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, and one of my favorite spots in New York. For one thing, it is close to my fabulous apartment.

Tim and Heidi waited (that haircut looked even worse outdoors), and announced that this challenge was actually an audition for the show. Which was why there were 17 designers, not 16. Heidi warned that more than one might go home. One member of my viewing party thought this was a great idea for a challenge, but seeing the designers gape in disbelief and dismay, I found it sadistic. Especially after forcing them all to go through that ludicrous “meet and greet.”

Heidi certainly thought it up. I swear to God, that woman has been watching too much True Blood. Probably went out and had prosthetic fangs made, with which she intends to tear out designers’s jugulars and feast on their blood when the cameras are off.

However, the challenge was excellent and actually novel: Heidi asked them to take their favorite piece of clothing out of their suitcases—and hand it to the contestant to their left. Who had to make a different garment out of it in 5 hours.

*Another contestant for “worst hair” was McKell, a young mother with blonde dreadlocks. I gather the way to keep dreadlocks dreaded is not to wash them, an instruction she followed faithfully. (Ugh)

More to come later!!

Ciao,

Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog

This Sunday in the NY Times: Plus-Size Wars

DAHLINGS –

New York Times reporter Ginia Bellafante will be publishing a provocative article on the rise of plus-size images in fashion and the media, titled “Plus Size Wars.”

Some morons insist that photographing women who are–gasp—size 16 is fetishizing fat. It mentions the plus-size model who posed nude for Glamour. At 5’11” and 180 pounds, she is hardly representative of most plus-size women, but whatever.

Overall, this article provides a relatively balanced look at the issues involved. And when you first see the picture, you’ll groan, “Great. Obesity represented by yet another faceless stomach.” But it is actually the photographer’s self-portrait!

If you don’t want to wait until Sunday to read the article, you can find it online here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/magazine/01plussize-t.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Until later. After I’ve downed some coffee, I shall be penning my thoughts on the season premiere of Project Runway.

Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog

Contest: Win A Trip To Fashion’s Night Out in NYC

DAHLINGS –

The kind folks at Conde’ Nast asked moi to spread the word about this special contest, and how could I say no? Well, obviously, I could, but it’s an excellent contest (so much more high-end than winning, say, a year’s supply of Hamburger Helper. Not that I have ever eaten Hamburger Helper. One has to have standards.). Details below.

Nationwide contest brings “Fashion’s Number One Fan” to New York City for Fashion’s Night Out

Beginning Tuesday, July 27, fashionistas nationwide are invited to upload a 30- to 90-second video of themselves explaining why they love fashion for the chance to be chosen as Fashion’s Number One Fan and win a trip to New York City for Fashion’s Night Out.

CBS will choose the Top 10 video entries to be posted on CBS.com for one week – from August 24 to August 31 – during which people can log on to vote for their favorite and help determine the five finalists that will be in contention for the grand prize. On September 3, a panel of experts from CBS, Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and New York City & Company will select one of the five finalists as Fashion’s Number One Fan. The lucky winner will win a trip to New York City in September to be a part of the biggest fashion party in history: Fashion’s Night Out 2010! The deadline for submissions is August 20. Go to http://www.cbs.com/fno to enter and for more information.

The winner of the Fashion’s Number One Fan contest will receive the following prizes:

Two round-trip airline tickets to New York City
A five-night stay for two at the five-star Mandarin Oriental, New York
Two exclusive seats to Fashion’s Night Out: The Show at Lincoln Center on Sept 7, 2010
The lucky winner will be driven in the all new 2011 Volkswagen Jetta for Fashion’s Night Out
Two tickets to a Fashion Week show
Exclusive Fashion’s Night Out merchandise
Two tickets to Green Day’s American Idiot on Broadway
One year’s worth of Maybelline New York cosmetics in a signature makeup artist kit
A $500 Macy’s electronic gift card, plus an appointment with a Macy’s by Appointment (MBA) personal shopper

So grab those webcams and have at it!

(Personally, “Number One Fan” always makes me think of Misery, but that probably means nothing to the younger generation.

Ciao,

Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog

Justice for Dunkin’ Dog, Part Two

DAHLINGS –

You may remember my post last year about the tragic death of Dunkin’ Dog. Here is the first paragraph from that entry:

A horrible tragedy occurred last month, when a woman’s service dog, a miniature pinscher (the same as my beloved Bucky The Wonderdog) died as the not-so-indirect result of police brutality. Please help get the word out about Rosa’s story. She is pursuing a Master’s Degree here in New York City, but has been permanently traumatized by what happened to her and her dog.

You can find the rest at: http://diaryofamadfashionista.blogspot.com/2009/08/please-help-dunkin-dog-get-justice.html

I recently received the following communication from the bereaved owner, and decided to print it to get the word out. Our beloved pets deserve to be treated as such, and not as soulless creatures to be hurt for other people’s pleasure!

I remember last year you were supportive of my tragic event. Well, emotionally, nothing has changed except I am a numb creature who is great at “playing it off” in terms of my loss. In terms of spreading the news and awareness of the tragedy, a lot has occurred.

Please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4M2luaVbtQ and listen to my interview on the globally viewed Alex Jones radio show. It went from 0 to over 10,000 in less than one week.

You can support the cause at http://www.facebook.com/JusticeForDunkin
People want to support and send donations to cover my legal expenses. The FB page has a NOTES tab which explains how to donate.

Please post this, as my new mission in life is to spread awareness of what happens on our roads to our American citizens and to change the law to protect us from this happening to another valuable life, my own and Dunkin’s, who was sacrificed to make this all happen. I greatly appreciate your time and your support.

Kind Regards,

-Rosamaria

I urge all of my readers to donate to this worthy cause, as I shall be doing. What Rosamaria was put through was unconscionable. And what Dunkin’ was put through was tragic and unnecessary.

Resort 2011’s Newest? Trend

DAHLINGS –

It’s a hot, rainy day in New York City. To amuse myself, I glanced over the collections for Resort 2011. Most of the clothes are quite nice, if not exactly inspired, but I simply had to comment on one of the “new trends”:

Cropped cardigans.

Seriously? Cropped cardigans? If I recall correctly, every item of clothing that can be cropped, has been cropped. If it reaches the waist, you’re buying your clothes from Lands End. Even the most low-end catalogues feature cropped cardigans. The only difference your faithful correspondent can see is the richness of the materials. Some examples from the runways and the Chadwicks catalog:

(photo courtesy of Rag & Bone)

(Photo courtesy of Chadwicks)

(Photo courtesy of Chloe Sevigny)

(photo courtesy of Chadwicks)

(Photo courtesy of A.1 Philip Lim)

What’s next? Seersucker? Gingham? Sunscreen?

Your faithful correspondent is looking forward to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. There should be some real originality under the newly relocated tents.

Ciao,

Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog

Meet "Real Housewife" Teresa Guidice and Buy A Bag

DAHLINGS–

This event seems like it would be quite enjoyable, and it’s happening TOMORROW.

A new handbag designer, Chez by Cheryl, is hosting a trunk show at the accessories boutique, Marmi at 519 Madison Avenue, New York, on Thursday, July 22nd. It will take place between 7 PM and 9 PM. The boutique is located between 53rd and 54th Street on Madison.

As Chez is a favorite of The Real Housewives of NJ, one of her most loyal fans and Housewives favorite, Teresa Guidice, will be signing copies of her new book, Skinny Italian. *

A Real Housewive with a Chez by Cheryl handbag

Shoppers will have the opportunity to meet both the designer and TV star and shop the newest styles from Chez while enjoying cocktails and (presumably dietetic) snacks and catching a sneak peak at what’s to come from both.

Chez will be previewing her brand new Fall styles as well as taking pre-orders (with new leather bags retailing for under $100!) and Teresa will be discussing some of her best kept secrets–at least the ones you haven’t seen in US Weekly.

Ciao,

Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog

*Skinny Italian seems like cognitive dissonance, doesn’t it?

My Interview With Daily Venus Diva, Part Two

DAHLINGS –

The second part of my interview with Cassandra Jones of Daily Venus Diva is up! In this part we discuss fat advocate blogs, the economy, and how to bring black and white together (not to mention other portions of the population*).

As mentioned in the first entry, we met at the last night of Full Figured Fashion Week and fell into a discussion which led to this possibly ground-breaking interview.

http://dailyvenusdiva.com/2010/07/cultural-differences-in-the-plus-community-part-2/

Fabulous moi at the Full Figured Fashion Week finale!

Dress by Torrid; vintage pearls; shoes by Ros Hommerson

You can follow Ms. Jones on Twitter @CassyJ and @dailyvenusdiva!

Enjoy, and feel free to discuss this in the comments section.

Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog

* Except for the unfashionable ones!

Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture 2010

DAHLINGS –

Jean Paul Gaultier, of all people, won my heart during Haute Couture Week 2010 in Paris. He was heavily influenced by old Hollywood, which of course is one of my favorite influences (you all know how much J’ai tout simplement adorer vintage clothing!). I can almost forgive him Madonna. But not quite.

Je dois avouer I do not look well in turbans, but the turbans in this show were both amusing and slightly dangerous. One could accidentally sever a limb if one took a bow.

(photos courtesy of wireimage.net)

Most of the silhouettes were classic, womanly and sophisticated. Not amazingly original, but an enjoyable collection nonetheless. Perfect for the would-be Joan Crawfords out there–and I don’t mean the drag queens, sorry.

Except this one, which looks like a cheap gold foil fabric worn upside down.

This one I would snap up in a second! Sans bizarre headcovering. A tad too Carmen Miranda for my taste, even without all of the fruit.

The lady on Mr. Gaultier’s arm is none other than Dita Von Teese; note that her thighs rub together. If only more of the ladies on the runway looked like that.

All in all, a most satisfying collection, derivative but delicous.

Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky The Wonderdog

Christian Dior Haute Couture Fall 2010

DAHLINGS –

Mes chers lecteurs, je suis envahi de joie à la nouvelle collection Dior! Ci-joint le sublime (et un peu du ridicule) de la collection de John Galliano.

Oh. My. I think you get my drift. John Galliano’s collection for Dior was sublime, although now and again it got a trifle…er…ridiculous. When I espied the wrapped cellophane on the models’ heads, all I could think was “hot, sweaty.” Perhaps because it has been 1,000 degrees F here in New York, where I am trapped until they fix the sewage problems at my fabulous (featured in Architectural Digest) oceanfront mansion in the Hamptons. It takes work to be fabulous in this heat!

But back to Dior. Galliano’s inspiration was Dior’s “tulip line” in the early 1950s. One of the great tragedies of my collecting life was to come upon a three-piece Dior tulip dress made out of silk tissue linen in yellow, which had been nearly hacked to death by some misguided maniac–the tulle petticoat ripped out, the silk underdress neckline cut low with gardening shears…oh, the humanity!

IN ANY EVENT (too many mojitos tonight to cool off, one thinks), the lines of the dresses were, as I said, sublime. Many were as fresh, floating and delicate as newly-cut flowers.

Except for some curious frocks that appear to be made out of dyed toilet paper. Would the material stick to your shoes if it came off?

And this silhouette makes me think: Lacroix on top. Foghorn Leghorn on the bottom.

But I want these. NOW. Such exquisite dressmaking, such high style, such drama! What else would one expect from Dior?

(photos courtesy of wireimage.net)

What say you, mes cher lecteurs? Yay or nay?

And I PROMISE to finish writing up Full Figured Fashion Week.

Seriously. Soon.

Ciao,

Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog

Daily Venus Diva Interviews Moi on Plus Sizes & Racial Attitudes

DAHLINGS –

It is 101 degrees outside as I write this! This heat is downright insulting, if you ask moi. Naturally I am sending my assistant out to do all of my errands…he’s so much fun to watch when he’s suffering from heat stroke.

During Full Figured Fashion Week, it did not escape your faithful correspondent’s notice that there was a, how shall I say, racial imbalance in the attendees. For instance, I was the only Caucasian in the Curvy Collective, which, I was told, was one more than last year.

Throughout that wonderful, life-changing experience, I wondered where were all of the Caucasian fat bloggers, the plus-size activists? Most of the Caucasian women that I met were either buyers for large stores such as T.J. Maxx or designers (not counting the beauteous Emme, host of the finale).

I remarked as such to the lovely Cassandra Jones, a plus size advocate, organizer of The Fuller Woman Expo-Detroit Edition, and a contributor to http://www.dailyvenusdiva.com/, a website for all things big and beautiful. We decided to continue the conversation at a later date.

The divine Ms. Cassandra Jones, photo courtesy of www.fullfigureplus.com

And so it was, that through the miracle of Google Talk, we chatted for more than two hours. Ms. Jones is a wonderful interviewer, and the talk ranged from economics to self-esteem to the overwhelming whiteness of Jenny Craig commercials.

http://dailyvenusdiva.com/2010/07/cultural-differences-in-the-plus-community/_

I recommend it. It’s a marvelous read! Of course it is. It’s moi.

Ciao,
Elisa & Bucky the Wonderdog