Мониторинг СМИ: All The Rage (6 сообщений)

На что подписаться? | Управление подпиской

All The Rage
The Image staff muses on the culture of keeping up appearances
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/
рекомендовать друзьям >>

Madeleine Albright broaches Michelle Obama's and Hillary Clinton's style at St. John
Madeleine Albright dropped by the St. John flagship in Beverly Hills on Wednesday to chat about one of her favorite hobbies besides foreign policy -- brooches.

The former Madame Secretary has penned a book "Read My Pins: Stories From a Diplomat's Jewel Box" (Melcher Media), in which Albright expresses her life journey as mother, public servant and diplomat through jewelry.

Albright, who was in L.A. for Maria Shriver's women's conference, said that when matters got heated during her tenure as President Clinton's secretary of State, she was prone to practice retail therapy -- and her favorite prescription was pins, the more elaborate the better.
Over the years, Albright has amassed boxes and boxes of brooches from family, friends, fellow politicos and foreign dignitaries. Her collection is now part of a touring exhibition organized by New York's Museum of Arts and Design, also called "Read My Pins."

Albright broke the ice with the mostly ladies-who-lunch audience by telling them she had told Hillary Clinton that being secretary of State is better than being president: "Because you don't have to deal with healthcare." Clinton responded, "But I like heathcare."

Albright, who was wearing a black St. John dress and a ginormous brooch that looked like a gold Maltese cross featuring an American bald eagle, sat down to chat with All the Rage.
All the Rage: Did you wear mainly St. John suits when you were secretary of State?
Madeleine Albright: I started wearing them before that.

Because they convey ...

No, because they are very practical for somebody who travels and has to look good.

Do you pack just one suit?

If it's black [laughs].

You started collecting pins as a young girl?

A few. This is something that developed later, and it's a lot of fun.

Which pins are your favorites -- any of those given to you while you were secretary of State?

I got a pin that I liked very much given to me by [former] British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, the British lion.

Which one are you wearing today?

This is a new pin; it's called 'America.' It was given to me by former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili -- he was a very good friend.

What do you think of First Lady Michelle Obama's style?

What she has managed to do is adapt her style to her life and vice-versa. And she gives a good image of what a young American mother and someone who is on the road a lot wears. She has her own flair. She is a great model for young American women.

Has Hillary Clinton asked you for any style advice?

We don't talk about style; we talk about diplomacy.

I was ambassador to the U.N. Jeane Kirkpatrick, who had the job before me, said, 'You need to go out and get some elegant clothes.'

Secretary Clinton has been first lady and after that a senator. She has been in public life a long time.

Jeane Kirkpatrick's style seemed kind of business-like?

I do have more fun. I try to mix business-like with a little bit of fun.

I decided my niche is explaining foreign policy to people with making it less foreign. The book is a great vehicle to talk about foreign policy with a spoonful of sugar.

Were the pins really a cue to leaders about your moods?

It started when Saddam Hussein called me an unparalleled serpent at the U.N. So I wore a snake pin, and that started the whole thing. When I was negotiating the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the Russians, I had a pin that looked like an arrow that also looked like a small missile. The Russian foreign minister said, 'Is that one of your missile interceptors?' I said, 'Yes, we make them very small.'

--Max Padilla

Photos: Crowd at St. John, Beverly Hills (top); St. John Chief Executive Glenn McMahon, co-founder Marie Gray, Madeleine Albright and Bruce Fetter, St. John president. Credit: Courtesy St. John

Переслать
'This Is It' movie showcases Michael Jackson's fashion comeback
At "Michael Jackson This Is It," moviegoers will not see the elaborate costumes created for the tour that never was, bedazzled with 4 million Swarovski crystals and lighted up using LED technology. Those are on display at the O2 Arena in London, where the tour had been scheduled to begin in July, and will go on to New York and Tokyo.

But what they will see, in addition to tough and tender moments that humanize the pop singer and one hell of a music and dance show, is an amazing array of designer outfits Jackson wore to rehearsals.

A black leather pagoda-sleeve jacket and a crystal-trimmed tuxedo designed by the likes of Christophe Decarnin for Balmain, Kris Van Assche for Dior Homme and Tom Ford speak to Jackson's renewed relevance in fashion circles, and the changing relationship between music and fashion.

Jackson became a style icon in the 1980s because of his individual, often theatrical styling choices for the stage -- the single sequined glove, the white socks, the fedora. But his recent comeback was engineered with the help of fashion designers, with Balmain's Decarnin recognizing the retro appeal of tennis-ball-shaped shoulders and over-the-top embroidery, and Jackson appearing in his designs. We had been used to seeing Jackson show up for courtroom appearances in scrubs, surgical masks, arm bands and other kooky attire, some of it designed by his longtime L.A.-based costume designers, Michael Bush and Dennis Tompkins, who have a Michael mannequin in their Los Feliz studio.

But his look changed with an introduction to fashion stylist Rushka Bergman, and it is her work that is mostly front and center in the film, because Jackson's everyday clothes end up as his de facto costumes.

A pint-sized powerhouse from Serbia who says things like "forever daaahling," Bergman first met Jackson when she styled him in Dior Homme for the October 2007 issue of Italian Vogue L'Uomo.

Some might say it was the beginning of his comeback when she put him in Hedi Slimane's slim-line suits, fashionable at the time with Mick Jagger, Beck, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand and nearly every other credible male rocker.

The morning of the film's premiere, Bergman pulled out snapshots of Jackson trying on clothes at his house, and called him her "supermodel" because he fit into anything, including women's clothes. She emphasized his sex appeal ("He's sooooooo sexxxy!"), which comes into focus in the film for the first time in a long time, despite Jackson's surgerized face.

"When he wears Balmain on-screen, you say, 'Wow!'," she said.

In the film, Jackson looks fabulous much of the time, save for a few unfortunate print shirts and patched sweat pants that could well be the influence of L.A. fashion impresario Christian Audigier, who had approached Jackson about collaborating on a line.

But more often, you notice sharp tailoring and light-reflecting color. In a Tom Ford tuxedo worn during dancer auditions, skinny orange Dior Homme jeans, a red leather Balmain motorcycle jacket with crystal studded shoulders worn during the "Thriller" rehearsal and a Balmain suede military jacket worn with Alessandro Dell'Acqua gold sequin pants, Jackson looks powerful and contemporary.

"Seeing the clothing Rushka had selected, you could see Michael's influence," said Travis Paine, assistant director and choreographer for the This Is It Tour.

In recent years, pop stars have turned to fashion designers for costumes with increasing regularity, with Kylie Minogue choosing Jean Paul Gaultier for her recent North American tour, and Beyonce enlisting Thierry Mugler.

Paine wanted to bring fashion relevance to Jackson's on-stage persona too, so he solicited sketches from several designers, including John Galliano and Alexander McQueen.

Ultimately, New York-based fashion and costume designer Zaldy was tapped. Having worked with the Scissor Sisters and Gwen Stefani, while producing his own clothing line, he bridged the worlds of music and fashion.

Jackson was to have 10 costumes by Zaldy and six by Bush and Tompkins. Bush also helped dress the dancers and singers, as did Jennifer Rade, a Hollywood stylist whose star client is Angelina Jolie. The tour costumes will be featured in a "This Is It" DVD to be released in time for Christmas.

"Zaldy is the new cool thing and working with him gave Michael credibility. But Michael Bush is near and dear to his heart. So I wanted them to collaborate," Paine said.

Bush's "Smooth Criminal" costume is a white, 1940s-inspired pinstripe suit. Zaldy's updated "Thriller" jacket is hand-embroidered to look like it has blood dripping from the shoulders.

"That was probably the hardest piece to do because it was so iconic," Zaldy said.

But his "Billy Jean" costume was the piece de resistance, with a jacket, tuxedo pants, ankle socks and a single glove that would light up using remote control, thanks to new Lumalive LED textile technology rushed through development by Philips Research in the Netherlands.

Zaldy remembers, "In the fitting, when Michael tried it on, his mouth literally dropped and he said, 'It's everything I always wanted.'"

-- Booth Moore

RELATED:

Fashion Diary: Remembering Michael Jackson, forever the King of Pop

Fans pay tribute to Michael Jackson in style at Staples Center memorial

Celebrities' somber style at Michael Jackson tribute

Pictures: Celebrities pay respect at Michael Jackson's memorial

Pictures: Michael Jackson's fans turn out in style

Follow the Image section on Twitter

Top photo: A scene from "This Is It." Credit: Kevin Mazur. Bottom photos: A sketch, middle, and costumes made for the Michael Jackson tour that never was. Both credits: Zaldy

Переслать
Shepard Fairey's Obey collaboration with Levi's debuts today
Shepard Fairey has had a roller-coaster year. The Echo Park-based street artist reached a career apex when his Obama "Hope" poster was inducted in the Smithsonian, followed by a survey of his work at Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art, but lately Fairey has been dealing with the fallout over a public battle with the Associated Press regarding propriety of the "Hope" image.

Overshadowed by all the hoopla, Fairey has headed a clothing label called Obey for eight years. And Obey has partnered with Levi's for a collaboration of affordable jeanswear debuting today at Levi's flagship store on Santa Monica's 3rd Street Promenade (select pieces are available online on both Levi's and Obey websites).

Items range from a skinny black 511 jeans ($128) to a distressed denim jacket (left, $148) with a built-in black terry hood, both come festooned with Obey patches.

The Obey x Levi's graphic T-shirts combine Fairey's trademark Andre the Giant logo fused with Levi's batwing ($34.50).

If you ever had fantasies of tagging public property, you can stoke your inner graffiti artist with a flannel shirt (right, $118) from the collection that features "spray-paint drip" details.

The collection runs from $34.50 to $148.00 and a custom Obey bandanna comes with each item except the T-shirts.

Four Fairey posters will be given out at the Santa Monica Levi's store as a limited-time gift with purchase while supplies last.

Tonight in New York, Fairey is also staging a live art installation outside the Times Square Levi's Store.
-- Max Padilla

Levi's store, 1409 3rd St. Promenade, Santa Monica. (310) 393-4899. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Photo credits: Levi's

Переслать
It's Kobe time(pieces): the Black Mamba MVP watch can be yours for $285K
Over the years, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has had endorsement deals for all sorts of brands from foodstuffs like Nutella, Coca-Cola and McDonald's to sports labels like Nike and Spalding.

And now it's Kobe time -- as in a blinged out limited-edition line of luxury timepieces from Basel-based Nubeo now available for pre-order as long as you've got at least a cool $20,900 to spare.

And to hear Bryant tell it, as he did to a select group of reporters recently, holding court in a private dining room at the newly opened Phillipe West Hollywood, he's not just lending his likeness. "It's a full-on partnership in every step of the way."

Bryant, who says he's constantly pitched all kinds of offers, told me he and the company (which, I have to admit, I'd never heard of before) "shared a similar vision" for the watch and "had the same attention to detail." He agreed to collaborate on a watch "only if we could work together as a team," he said.

But don't think that means the NBA Finals MVP was exercising his gemological expertise in hand-selecting the 48 baguette-cut, trapezium-shaped sapphires for each MVP-style watch, or sourcing the titanium, ceramic and rubber materials that compose the 131 parts of the skull-cracking case.

While he had a hand in deciding the overall look and function of the watches, Bryant served mainly as inspiration for the Black Mamba collection. "It's named after my alter-ego, the Black Mamba," he said. "We kind of envisioned as a super-hero kind of thing." And looking at the Black Mamba MVP on his wrist, the black rubber strap did have a certain serpent-like vibe to it.

Beyond drawing on Bryant's self-bestowed nickname and reputation as a quick and deadly opponent, the collaboration symbolically incorporates the basketball player by the numbers: only 810 watches of the basic model will be sold (a reference to the 81 points he scored in January 2006 game against the Toronto Raptors); versions of the Black Mamba Ultimate (available with diamonds, whiskey sapphires, orange sapphires and black sapphires set in the dial's outer ring) are limited to 240 pieces; and the mostly highly-prized edition of them all, the Black Mamba MVP (with 168 gems, 10.98 carats) limited to 24 pieces each -- all references to Bryant's jersey number.

Since I'm not a status watch guy, I'll leave judgment of the more technical details (the assorted chronograph push buttons, "bracelet fixation turbines," and "infinity-head titanium screws") to others. But I will point out that any wristwatch that requires a 63-page media kit, is a complicated piece of machinery.

It's anybody's guess if there's an appetite for watches with an entry-level price tag that approaches that of a Toyota Prius and tops out at $285,000 -- no one's giving official numbers (though my sources tell me a handful of orders have already been placed), since the watches won't be out until January and can currently only be pre-ordered. (Locally, orders can be placed at the Westime luxury watch boutiques in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills.)

In the meantime, here's another symbolic number: 114. That's how many Laker games you could watch from a $2,500 courtside seat at Staples Center for the cost of a single top-of-the-line Black Mamba MVP timepiece.

-- Adam Tschorn

Follow the Image section on Twitter

Photos: (top) Nubeo's Black Mamba collection includes this MVP model, which has a bezel set with 48 baguette-cut, trapezium-shaped whiskey sapphires, an outer ring dial set with another 48 whiskey sapphires and a dial counter set with 72 round, brilliant-cut natural black sapphires. It contains a total of 168 gems, at 10.98 carats. The retail price is $285,000. Credit: Nubeo. (Bottom) Kobe Bryant at the Oct. 12 unveiling of the Black Mamba watch collection he created in partnership with Basel-based Nubeo. Credit: Jason Merritt / Getty Images.

Переслать
Calling all 'Fresh Faces': Clinique's Mobile Beauty Studio is coming to L.A.

The Clinique and Teen Vogue "Fresh Faces" beauty truck is making its last stop of a 10-city tour in Westwood Village from Nov. 4 to 6. So if you can take a break between biology and comparative lit, stop by the beauty truck to learn about makeup application and hair styling from a team of experts. A photographer will be on hand to snap the results of your model makeover.

You could also be one of three women chosen from across the country to win a trip to New York for a tour of the Teen Vogue and Clinique offices, plus a feature in the pages of Teen Vogue. Winners will be announced Nov. 6.

Hey, even if you don't win, the mini photo session could result in a really good Facebook profile pic.

The Clinique mobile beauty studio, Nov. 4 to 6, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., 1031 Broxton Ave. (between Weyburn and Kinross avenues), Westwood.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Image of Clinique Fresh Faces Beauty truck/Clinique

Переслать
Shopping: Gimme Albert Maysles' eyeglasses!
Albert Maysles, along with his late brother David, directed documentaries such as "Gimme Shelter" and "Grey Gardens" that captured the 1970s-era zeitgeist and set the bar for documentary filmmaking.

"Grey Gardens," which revealed the squalid surroundings of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' cousin Edith "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale, set fashion trends in recent years. The film unsparingly depicts former socialite Beale's ingenuity as she crafts outfits and her trademark turbans out of old swimsuits, flags, aprons and tablecloths. Maysles appears in the film with his signature eyeglasses interviewing Little Edie.
Barton Perreira, based in Irvine, teamed with Barneys New York to honor the legendary documentarian with an Albert Maysles frame sold exclusively through the department store.

Maysles, egged on by Judy Collinson, Barneys' general merchandise manager, mailed in his own eyeglass frames that he's worn since the 1960s to Patty Perreira, Barton Perreira's designer. She reproduced the spectacles in new lighter materials and colors, including black, cloud and white.

The limited-quantity Albert Maysles frame sells for $350 and a percent of sales benefits the Maysles Institute, which operates a documentary film theater in Manhattan and a summer youth film program.

9570 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 276-4400. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
-- Max Padilla

Photo credit: Barton Perreira

Переслать