bLavish

SJP Leaves Halston

July 14, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as Apparel, celebrities at 10:48 pm | Comments off

Sarah Jessica Parker is a woman who wears many, many hats. Wife, mother, actress, fashion plate, and designer. Except that she’s just removed one of those hats, and no one seems to know why. She took on the job as President of Halston Heritage in 2009. Bonnie Takhar, who was in charge of training her, left after less than a year. SJP admitted at the time that she didn’t really know how to do the job, but as a person who follows fashion, I’d say she did just fine.

Heritage is Halston’s lower-priced diffusion line, and since SJP took over it has enjoyed a lot of success. She totally didn’t exploit her celebrity for the line, like everyone expected her to, and instead relied on her intuitive design savvy. Which is why everyone is a little surprised that she will no longer be working with the company. The other mystery is that neither SJP nor Halston has actually made a statement about what happened.

John Galliano Suspended By Christian Dior For Anti-Semitic Remarks

March 1, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as celebrities at 12:12 pm | Comments off

It’s a big week in fashion. First, there’s all this red carpet coverage of the Oscars. And, it’s also Fashion Week in Paris, the time of year when designers show off their fall wares. A motley array of designers, editors, and celebrities have descended upon gay Paris, including brit designer, John Galliano, who was arrested this weekend at La Perle, a cafe in the Marais. He reportedly (and on video) made anti-semitic remarks to a fellow patron. Galliano told a Jewish woman, “I love hitler,” and went on to tell her that people “like her” wouldn’t be alive today. Frankly, the diatribe doesn’t make much sense, and is clearly the rambling of a drunken idiot.

Galliano has been placed on suspension as the creative head of Christian Dior, which is set to show in Paris on Friday. He is not expected to attend the event. His eponymous line is also set to show this weekend, and no one is certain as to whether he will be in attendance there, either. While both shows may suffer from the lack of Galliano’s infamous showmanship, it’s clear that his over-the-top behavior has definitely crossed the line of acceptability this time.

The current face of Christian Dior, Natalie Portman, released a statement about the incident. She says, “I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano’s comments that surfaced today. In light of this video, and as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be associated with Mr. Galliano in any way. I hope at the very least, these terrible comments remind us to reflect and act upon combating these still-existing prejudices that are the opposite of all that is beautiful.” Portman had planned to wear Dior to the Academy Awards, but switched to a gown by Rodarte at the last minute.

Three Oscars Night Red Carpet Winners

February 28, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as celebrities at 11:51 pm | Comments off

These three women are some of Oscar night’s favorites. They are Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, and Helen Mirren, and they are all wearing such dramatically different styles that it’s kind of hard to see why they were so popular. Halle Berry’s froth nude gown is the epitome of red carpet glamour. It has all the right elements: sparkle, tulle, a low cut neckline, and a flirty asymmetrical hem. Personally, I’m not crazy about it. Although the subtle color sets off Berry’s skin tone nicely, it looks to me like something Barbie would wear.

Bullock’s gown is a total classic. With her dark her and popping red lips, she couldn’t look any more the part of movie star. Mirren’s dress is elegant and beautiful, but not as daring as those of the younger women. I do like that she chose a grey gown with a nice sheen, as it really sets off her shiny do.

Mila Kunis’s Elie Saab Oscars Gown

February 28, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as Apparel, celebrities at 1:27 am | Comments off

Mila Kunis wasn’t nominated for an award this year for her role in Black Swan, but she sure looked the part of a winner on the red carpet. Her head-turning pale lilac gown by Elie Saab has red carpet commentators all abuzz. E! called the dress “romantic”, but some critics have accused her of showing too much skin. Honestly, I don’t see what the fuss is about. Her dress is low cut, sure, but many were. I think that the pale lacy fabric’s lingerie-like look is what actually makes the dress controversial. You don’t actually see that much skin, but since it’s so filmy and translucent, it’s easy to imagine that you might.

Personally, I think the gown is a stroke of genius. It sets off Ms. Kunis’s color and figure perfectly. The dainty layers drop into a dramatic, but manageable train. It’s actually quite Victorian, if you ask me, and the actress’s smoky eyes and smoldering looks bring out the best of the dress, which was featured in Saab’s 2011 Couture Collection.

Courtney Love’s New New York Townhouse?

February 27, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as celebrities, Estate of the Day at 10:47 pm | Comments off

Okay, I should admit straight off that it is not confirmed that Courtney Love has officially leased this West Village townhome, but it’s so spectacularly gorgeous that I can’t help but spread this rumor around. The Tenth Street townhouse is done in the Greek Revival style of the 1800′s. The 25 foot wide, 4 story home has been on the market since 2009 with an asking price of $28,000 per month.

The home contains a staggering six fireplaces, including one in the reception room, which opens onto a stunning black laquer spiral staircase. The home is fully furnished in a posh contemporary style that showcases the building’s inherent design characteristics, like exposed brick walls and heavy moldings. Unfortunately for the fashion-loving Love, the house is, like so many NYC abodes, light on closet space. Fortunately, a full-sized dressing room has been added to make up for this inadequacy.

Images via S.R. Gambrel

Scottie Pippen’s Ft. Lauderdale Mansion

February 23, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as celebrities, Estate of the Day at 11:57 pm | Comments off

Okay, so I’ll be honest. When I wrote about Clay Aiken’s enormous North Carolina estate, I wondered who could possibly need so much space. But Scottie Pippen’s giant Ft. Lauderdale mansion is even bigger. And since it’s located in a more coveted located (not North Carolina), it’s worth significantly more. Say, almost $13 million more. That’s right, Pippen’s Florida home is yours for only $16 million. At 9,782 square feet, that’s $1,635  square foot. So, what’s in all those cubic inches that make them so special?

First of all, there’s six bedroom and 7.5 baths. No big deal. There’s also a state-of-the-art audio-visual system, and some sort of automatic vacuuming system. It also has a private putting green and a lagoon-style swimming pool. Something interesting, and somewhat unusual about the estate is the confusion about the size. The state has the home listed at 9,782 square feet and 4 bedrooms, but some online listings say the size of the home is more like 13,500 square feet. Either way, it’s giant.

Clay Aiken’s Enormous North Carolina Estate Up For Sale

February 22, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as celebrities, Estate of the Day at 8:42 pm | Comments off

American Idol star Clay Aiken has moved quite a few times in the past few years, as celebrities do. In the past 8 years, Aiken moved from Charlotte, North Carolina (where he was in college) to Los Angeles, and then back to North Carolina. I don’t know where he’s headed to, next, but the singer’s giant estate outside Raleigh is currently on the market.

The 9,392 square foot home has six bedrooms, six full bathrooms, and three half bathrooms. It’s situated on 6.98 acres and includes a private pond with a fountain. Unlike many homes of this magnitude, it does not have a swimming pool or tennis courts. The architectural style of the home is described as “transitional”. I’m not sure what that means, but it looks like sort of a hodge podge of American design.

The home is listed at $2.7 million, a little less than $700,000 more than Aiken paid for the home in 2003.

amfAR’s Fashion Week Gala

February 12, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as celebrities at 1:39 am | Comments off

It’s that time of year again in major metropolitan cities. No, I’m not talking about Valentine’s Day. I’m talking about Fashion Week. New York kicked off Fashion Week this week with a hose of fabulous parties attended by a host of fabulous people. The American Foundation For AIDS Research was a star-studded affair at Cipriani on Wall Street, with some of the most beautiful stars from around the country gracing their red carpet.

At the gala, awards were presented to former President Bill Clinton, actress Elizabeth Taylor, and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg for their efforts to further research into AIDS and HIV. In attendance were Gossip Girl’s Blake Lively, looking spectacular in Alexander McQueen, Australian actress Rose Byrne, and the excessively stylish editor of French Vogue, Carine Roitfeld. Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, and Elton John entertained the crowd by performing their song “That’s What Friends Are For” together for the first time in 25 years.

Photo by Miles Ladin, via WWD

Rose McGowan’s Los Feliz Home For Sale

February 3, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as celebrities, Estate of the Day at 7:00 pm | Comments off

Rose McGowan, infamous Hollywood starlet and star of the 90′s TV hit, Charmed, has recently put her gorgeous Los Feliz home up for sale. The Art Deco decorated home has a retro modern elegance that is comfortable and beautiful. There’s that, and the fact that the neighborhood ain’t bad either. Ms. McGowan’s notable neighbors include January Jones and John Hamm (who aren’t a married couple, but play one on Mad Men), director David Fincher, and Laura Prepon from That 70′s Show.

The house is listed for $1,849,000, which is $1000 less than the actress paid for the home in 2004. The market was different then, but the home is still totally gorgeous. At 4,278 square feet, it has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The estate isn’t particularly large, but there are several outdoor patios and terraces that are great for entertaining. The villa, which is designed in a combination of styles, opens onto an impressive tiled entrance hall with cavernous ceilings. It’s not the most enormous mansion on the block, but one of the bedrooms might have been converted into a giant walk-in closet, so it might be just the right place for another hot, young actress with a penchant for designer clothes.

Diane Kruger In Jason Wu At The SAG Awards

January 31, 2011 | Posted by bLavish as Apparel, celebrities at 1:15 pm | Comments off

Diane Kruger, star of Inglorious Bastards, was railed a few weeks ago when she wore an explosion of ombre pink tafetta to the Golden Globes. Sure, it was Christian Lacroix, but no designer name makes up for the confectionery madness that was her gown. She widely made some of the worst dressed lists, and it was clear that she was going to have something to prove at the SAG awards last week.

But prove herself she did, in a beautiful gold gown by Jason Wu. This is the kind of dress that Hollywood dreams are made of, complete with artfully draped shoulders, a mermaid silhouette, and a short train. This gown is one of the most classically beautiful I saw on the SAG red carpet, and it really speaks to Wu’s reputation as a designer. On this dress, he has combined Grecian draping with a soft fabric and a gorgeously flattering feminine cut to make Ms. Kruger look her best. For her part, (or her stylist’s) her classic jewels in ruby and gold were the perfect accent.

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