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The Clotheshorse (2.26.10): Johnny Weir Wants To Design Clothes
Friday February 26th 2010, 4:33 pm
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Johnny Weir

Fashionista by Ashley David - Click for more from The ClotheshorseYou've probably figured out by now that we're Team Johnny Weir. Evan Lysacek has nothing on the oh-so-fabulous Weir, Vera Wang costume or no Vera Wang costume. The Olympic skater has announced he plans to attend F.I.T. and develop a clothing line of his own! Given that his costume designer claimed Johnny going without Fashion Week coverage is like him going without water, I'm not surprised. Not to mention, I nearly melted when I saw him in the custom made Rodarte unitard pictured above. As Rachel Zoe would say, Johnny Weir in Rodarte is DIE BANANAS WITCH VIBES amazing.

Fashion Week here in New York has come and gone. If you missed any of my Fashion Week coverage, check it out here. To follow the London shows and Milan shows, head here

Kell on Earth's AndrewSteve Madden thinks his company is “as creative as Prada.” There are so many things wrong with that sentence. 

I hope you've been following Kelly Cutrone's new show, Kell on Earth. On Monday night's episode, two girls got fired in the course of two days. The first, the insanely incompetent Stephanie Vorhees, didn't want to “be a quitter” — so she asked the head honchos to off her. The second, some brunette whose friends stole alcohol at a company party, didn't stand a chance. The highlight of the episode? Intern Andrew showing off his Britney Spears tattoo. A man after my own heart! 

Terry Richardson shot the Jersey Shore cast for Interview magazine, resulting in this hilarious photo shoot.  God help us all if the Jersey Shore kids actually get their feet in the door of the industry.

Ada ZanditionTuesday marked eco-designer Ada Zanditon's first-ever solo runway show! The sustainably minded seamstress sent her collection down the catwalk at London Fashion Week. Zanditon is listed as one of Vogue's “Ones to Watch”, quite an honor for a young designer, especially one who works with green fabrics.  

Alexander McQueen's private funeral was held Thursday morning in London. It was an intimate affair, attended by close friends Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Stella McCartney. Many of McQueen's family members sported the McQueen tartan made famous by his “Highland Rape” runway show in 2006.  It is expected that there will be a public service later in the year, but there are no details at this time. 

Zac Posen launched his lower priced line, Z Spoke, at Saks on Wednesday night, and the designer revealed that he's always wanted to dress a size 16. In stores, his namesake line goes up to a size 12; the Z Spoke collection goes up to a size 14 for spring/summer; come fall, it will go up to a size 16. Said Posen, “This is about dressing America.”

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Citizen Beanstockd (2.25.10): Natalee Holloway Suspect Joran van der Sloot Confession A Publicity Stunt Again
Thursday February 25th 2010, 10:23 pm
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Joran van der Sloot

Jason Lee as Brodie Bruce in MallratsIt’s Thirsty Thursday, Acorns, which means the Baron of Beanstockd (That’s me. Self-proclaimed.) is back to whine, opine and miss my deadline. So you guys are pretty crazy aboot figure skating’s Johnny Weir, eh? Johnny may have only placed sixth, but let’s be honest, he won. He has his own reality show, was clearly the fan favorite in Vancouver and is headed for stardom…unlike gold medalist Evan Lysacek, who appears to be headed for a brand of ho-hum anonymity known as Dancing With The Stars.

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Natalee Holloway, the Alabama teen who disappeared in Aruba in 2005, is back in the news today. The chief suspect in the case, Joran van der Sloot, told a Dutch TV station he killed Holloway and hid her body in a swamp. This wasn’t the first time the now 22-year old van der Sloot confessed to the crime. In 2007, he was taped saying he and Holloway had sex on a beach where she had a seizure, died and he put her in a boat and dumped her in the ocean. Like with that confession, Aruban authorities investigated van der Sloot’s admission and declared it was nothing more than a publicity stunt. My question: Why not just process him? A full-fledged trial has never occurred and van der Sloot continues to taunt Holloway’s family and Dutch authorities. A former colony of The Netherlands still under its rule, Aruba does not have the death penalty, but they do have perjury. He’s either guilty and stupid or he’s a jaded young buck who brazenly wears his defiance on his sleeve. He's definitely proud, but how far will he let his pride—and mouth—take him?

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Finally, because I live and die by the three Rs—reduce, reuse and recycle—I’ve been watching a lot of old movies lately. The way I see it, if I alter my movie watching patterns towards older movies, I’m at least reusing something old and reducing my dependence on anything new, in this case, the production of a new film. This week I watched Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, the “groundbreaking” 1967 dramedy about interracial marriage starring Sidney Poitier, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. An enjoyable movie, were it not set three years after the passing of the Civil Rights Act, you’d think it was the cheesiest film ever made. It’s the story of a white girl who brings home her black fiancé to meet her family and tell them they’re getting married. The plot revolves around convincing the girl’s father (Tracy) that marrying her fiancé (Poitier) is a good idea. Obviously hijinx ensue and her father relents, but not after some serious thought and super corny lines like: It was wrong to believe that white people were somehow essentially superior to black people; our color difference doesn't matter to her; and last but not least, it never occurred to me that I might fall in love with a negro.

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Andrew Koenig aka Kirk Cameron’s Best Friend “Boner” Stabone on Growing Pains Still Missing
Wednesday February 24th 2010, 3:39 pm
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This is getting quite tragic. Outspoken environmentalist, animal lover, and star of the nineties sitcom Growing Pains, Andrew Koenig has been missing for at least ten days. There are currently no leads on his whereabouts, and his parents have officially asked the public to start looking for their son. Koenig was set to arrive back in California on February 14th, following a short trip to Canada. He has yet to be seen at his Venice Beach home. His father, Walter Koenig, says he doesn’t believe there is anything specific that prompted Andrew’s disappearance; he doubts that drugs are involved. However, as the days go on, those close to Andrew are praying that the former child star did not take his own life. Andrew, if you’re out there, everyone wants you to come back!

Sarah

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Hilary Duff Gets Engaged to Hockey Beau Mike Comrie (He’s Canadian)
Monday February 22nd 2010, 6:10 pm
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Hilary Duff

As every good man knows, if you like it then you gotta put a ring on it – and that’s what Hilary Duff’s longtime boyfriend Mike Comrie did this past weekend. Hil and her man of two years were vacationing in Maui when he popped the question, and according to Hil’s fuglier sister Haylie, Duff was totally surprised! Now, we’d love to say that Comrie purchased a conflict-free, eco-friendly diamond ring for his lady, but truth be told, we haven’t yet gotten any details about the rock, other than the fact that it’s enormous. Seriously, did he model that baby after a hockey puck or something? We suppose those athletes apply the “go big or go home” mentality to every aspect of their lives.

Speaking of Hilary, we’re sad that her run on Gossip Girl ended with the season break. Long live Olivia Burke! It seems that now all we’ve got to look forward to is her search for the perfect wedding gown. Paging Vera Wang – any chance you could go green for Hilary?

Sarah

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The Clotheshorse (2.19.10): New York Fashion Week Finale, Bye Bye Bryant Park!
Friday February 19th 2010, 7:36 pm
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Kelly Osbourne hugs designer Nanette Lepore

Fashionista by Ashley David - Click for more from The ClotheshorseWell, Beanies, another Fashion Week has come and gone; and while this one wasn’t as celebrity-filled as last season’s, we did have our share of oh-so-fabulous moments. Our last shows were Nanette Lepore, Milly and Leifsdottir, and since Leifsdottir was a not-so-great/kind of odd presentation with castanets and fugly clothing, we’ll focus on Lepore first.

Velvet from Nanette LeporeYou guys know how much I love Nanette. She always brings the wearable pretty clothes, and she isn’t afraid of color. For Fall 2009, she showed leopard prints and sequins, and for Fall 2010, Lepore dabbled in velvet and lace, focusing on autumn hues like burnt orange, deep reds and purples. She also showed army detailing, plenty of plaid, and tons of sequins. I fell in love with a long copper metallic sherling jacket, as well as the Gryson for Nanette Lepore bags. Towards the end of the show, a few velvet maxi dresses came down the runway, and for once, I was disappointed in Lepore. Velvet is going to be EVERYWHERE come fall, but it’s just not meant for maxi-dresses. It’s a heavy and visibly obtrusive fabric, which means it’s suitable for mini dresses and mini-dresses only! Too much of it just swims on the body and overwhelms even the tiniest of figures.

Milly by Michelle SmithSitting front row at Nanette were Little Miss Sunshine actress Abigail Breslin and British it-girl Kelly Osbourne. Though I didn’t spot teeny tiny Breslin anywhere, I get about two inches away from Osbourne, who, it must be noted, is absolutely TINY in person. All that bull about her being a big girl? Please! Her waist is practically non-existent. Kelly happily posed for photogs and with fans until she turned to her friend and whispered, “I HAVE to wee!” The friend ushered her towards the backstage exit, and Kelly promised her adoring minions that she’d be back, she just “had to wee!” Those Brits are so cute.

Following Nanette, we took a break before heading back to the tents for Milly by Michelle Smith. Last season, though I didn’t adore Milly’s clothes, I loved the high side ponytails and big mesh bows. This season, I didn’t love anything. In fact, I was positively anti pretty much everything that came down the runway. The show notes claimed that Smith was inspired by Godard girls, but what actually showed was an outdated Gossip Girl collection.

Julia StilesBrightly colored tights and clothes that screamed, “Look! I’m French!” were neither inspired nor modern. Many of the models wore berets (of course), and most of the pieces looked like clothes I could buy at Forever21. Julia Stiles sat front row, and didn’t crack a smile once. Here’s hoping Smith shows something better next season.

Speaking of next season, come September, New York Fashion Week will move to Lincoln Center. I’m not sure how I feel about this move, though the feeling in the fashion community is overall a positive one. Many have spouted the old, “on to bigger and better” phrase — but given that fashion folk are more of the downtown type, it’ll be interesting to see how the event translates when moved even further uptown. Will more designers chose to show offsite or at other fashion week venues such as Milk Studios? Or will the migration to Lincoln Center breathe new life into the trade show? Only one way to find out. See you in September!

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Tiger Woods Apology is Cold and Unrehearsed
Friday February 19th 2010, 6:58 pm
Filed under: Beanstockd

Famed golfer and now infamous adulterer Tiger Woods made his first public statement regarding his many infidelities this morning. In case you missed it, you can watch the not-so-touching moment above. Tiger’s sex therapist says he’s on the right track. Tiger says he’s “deeply sorry.” We’d really like to believe him. However, the man really needs to work on his public speaking. Sure, we all know Tiger didn’t write the speech, but seriously, couldn’t he at least attempt to look like he was saying the words from his heart instead of glancing at his printed page every two seconds? His public image is teetering on the edge of infamy, and we’d love to see Tiger recover – but man, was that a horribly spoken speech! In thinking of ways to appreciate Tiger’s “effort”, the only thing we come up with was to hope the speech had been printed on recycled paper. That, and that following Woods’ rehab, there will be a lot less condom waste in the world.

Rumor has it that Tiger’s wife Elin will stick by him – after he heads back to rehab and completes a full course of therapy. Don’t know about you, but we’re a bit curious as to what happens in sex addiction therapy – maybe it’s the reason Tiger looked like a robot at the press conference. Maybe it’s time someone called in Dr. Drew. Celebrity rehab, anyone?

Sarah

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Citizen Beanstockd (2.18.10): NBC’s Subtle Bias Against Johnny Weir; Tiger Woods To Make Statement Friday
Thursday February 18th 2010, 8:10 pm
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Tiger Woods and Johnny Weir

Jason Lee as Brodie Bruce in MallratsLots of news, Boys and Girls! Fashion Week is generating headlines here in New York, but for the rest of the world the Olympics are serving up plenty of fodder…and not in a good way. With one athlete dead, a torch-lighting ceremony botched and a February feeling more like April, Vancouver—and Canadians—are feeling the pressure to save their beloved Whiter, I mean, Winter Olympics. We also have the return of Tiger Woods.

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Tiger Woods will make his first public appearance on Friday at a press conference in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL at PGA headquarters. He won’t be taking any questions, but don’t worry, I’ll answer questions for him right now.

Ye olde bunker rakeDid you give Joslyn James your seed? Twice?
That’s outrageous. Twice? I gave her my seed like fifteen times. I’m Tiger Woods, baby. Raincoats are for losers. I don’t get rained on; I MAKE IT RAIN! I also keep a personal Vera Drake on retainer.

Which golf club did Elin smack you with on Thanksgiving night?
Golf club? A golf club can’t do that kind of damage. That crazy Swede got me with the bunker rake.

How’s Elin doing through all of this? Will you be getting a divorce?
Are you seriously asking a black man personal questions about his wife? *Is restrained by PGA officials as he starts to get out of his seat to attack reporter.* Next question!

Tiger, how do you feel about the United Nations’ global warming chief resigning after four years on the job?
Yvo de Boer is a great man. We all have goals in life, but unfortunately we often run into forces greater than we can control. His experience in Copenhagen must have been frustrating to say the least. As world citizens we are all at fault for his failings and owe him our deepest gratitude for fighting a battle that was ultimately unwinnable.

Thanks, Tiger, that was surprisingly eloquent and well thought out. Last question, can you talk about some of your favorite chickenheads?
Sure, Steve, no problem. Well, it should be no surprise to you that Mindy Lawton, the old ass waitress I used to bang in the Perkins parking lot isn’t one I particularly care for.

I said favorite, Tiger.
I know. That was just a dumb question Have you seen Rachel Uchitel?

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Johnny Weir performs in VancouverBack to Vancouver! With so much bad press surrounding the Olympics, I say screw it and just throw Johnny Weir out there. Sure, the Lady Gaga on ice isn’t exactly the best figure skater, but at this point does it really matter? With over the top flamboyance, his sixth-place short-program on Tuesday was arguably the most entertaining performance of the night. What made Weir’s performance even more interesting, however, was NBC’s blatant disdain for him, specifically from analysts Scott Hamilton and Sandra Bezic. With passive aggressive comments criticizing his work ethic (“He needs to focus on training”) and backhanded compliments about his form (“As controversial as he is…his technique is fine.”) they’re clearly offended by him. Whether it’s about his tiff with PETA, his subversive attitude or something we don’t even know about, NBC obviously left Weir out of many of the promos and human interest stories featuring American figure skaters on purpose. So, just like when everybody was hating on Octo-mom, I now have to wholeheartedly support Johnny Weir.

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Finally, yesterday was Ash Wednesday and because I’m neither Christian nor god-fearing, I gave up nothing. In fact, I’m going to add vices and more of the finer things in life. For the next forty days, I will pick up smoking, start drinking whiskey, and bathe with bottled water heated on my stove top. Don’t worry, half the people in my life are Christian and crazy about Jesus, so they’re giving up all kinds of eco-unfriendly goodies; me adding these vices still has a negative net impact…which is positive. I love Lent!

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The Clotheshorse (NYFW Days 5 & 6): Tadashi Shoji Likes Lace & Sequins; Kardashian for Bebe Brings Out JWOWW
Wednesday February 17th 2010, 2:26 pm
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Tadashi Shoji

Fashionista by Ashley David - Click for more from The Clotheshorse

Beanies, I hate to say it, but we’re getting tired. We went to one event post-tents (the Bebe Soho store opening — don’t judge us), and this morning, I could barely get out of bed. In fact, I was so tired that I missed the Kardashian for Bebe “fashion show” (I use those words lightly), which featured not only the bootylicious sisters but Jersey Shore star Jenni JWOWW Farley. Anywho, I took the day off to recharge my batteries, and headed back to the tents for the 5PM Tadashi Shoji show. Shoji might just be the most adorable little man ever — and his clothes for autumn/winter were gorgeous. I sat across from Cheetah Girl Adrienne Ballon and ANTM’s Miss Jay Alexander (note: his legs are MILES long). Like many of the other shows we’ve seen so far, Shoji showed lots of lace, mesh cutouts and (wait for it)…SEQUINS. Mini pailettes in bronze, to be exact. My tweet for the moment the bronze sequins came to the runway reads, “BRONZE SEQUINS. IS THIS HEAVEN?”

The funny thing is, I think I may have found heaven yesterday — in a wardrobe composed of Thuy Diep and Amy Smilovic’s fall offerings. But we’ll get to that later.

DiepThe day began at Max Azria’s namesake show. A 2PM call time sounded so much better than the 10AM call time for the Kardashian show, and so I made my way to the tents, Starbucks in hand, prepared to take in my third Azria-designed show of Fashion Week. For fall, Max showed leather pants, monochromatic colors (think grey, black and nudes), asymmetric cutouts and mesh paneling. Last season, Azria went for understated chic (think early 90s Calvin Klein), and he stuck with this theme for fall. Boxy shoulders and structured dresses were paired with incredible leather platform wedge boots; models donned sleek ponytails and coral lips. Would I wear it? No — but many a New York power woman would.

Post Azria, I popped into Zara to browse the sale rack (no, Mom, I didn’t buy anything), then downed a Chipotle burrito while waiting to get back in line for Thuy. Designer Thuy Diep has showed above average, but not amazing collections for the past few seasons, and for fall, she hit it out of the park. Each piece that came down the runway had a serious wow factor — and my mouth actually dropped when I saw the dress at right. Diep’s sure to have PETA knocking on her door; she sent models down the runway with fur sleeves and fur scarves, and upped the ante with oversized jewel embellishments. Her prints were colorful, vibrant, and best of all, totally one of a kind — and she mixed and matched patterns in every outfit, making for looks that were individualistic and totally drool-worthy. Many a New York Real Housewife (Ramona? Kelly? Who cares) sat front row, but it was Diep who got a loud round of applause when she took to the runway. Here’s to many more seasons just like this one!

TibiAfter Thuy, it was back into line for Amy Smilovic’s Tibi line. You may recall that last season, we went backstage pre-Tibi — and I wasn’t all that impressed. The clothes were cute and colorful, but not amazing. Fast forward to fall and I’d wear every single thing that came down the runway. Smilovic put bright maroon tights on every girl, tying the looks together, and models rocked giant corkscrew curls that mimicked the hair at Ports1961. It’s official — my natural hair texture is in! Hallelujah, and bye bye straightening iron. Tibi’s look for fall included luxe army green velvet, maxi skirts, lots of sequins, blush pinks and purples (eggplant was everywhere!) and…drumroll please…FANNY PACKS. Well, more like belts with coin purses attached. Why? Just why? Tibi’s version of autumn is full of sparkles and color, and I want it all. Seriously, please bury me in my sequins. Put that in my will: “Here lies Clotheshorse, may she rest in sequins.”

Now, it’s back to the tents for Tory Burch, Nanette Lepore and more. Stay tuned to my Twitter for up-to-the-minute Fashion Week details!

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Miley Cyrus Trades Up: Prius for Mercedes Hybrid SUV
Tuesday February 16th 2010, 6:52 pm
Filed under: Beanstockd

Miley Cyrus

We now interrupt your fashion week coverage to bring you this juicy celebrity tidbit: Disney queen Miley Cyrus has traded up (and no, we’re not talking about her new hunkalicious boyfriend Liam Hemsworth). Cyrus, who up until the other day, tooled around town in a totally eco-friendly Toyota Prius, has moved on to bigger and better things. She’s purchased the new celebrity toy of the week: a Mercedes Benz Hybrid SUV. You may recall we reported the other week that Molly Sims (who we spotted yesterday at the Bryant Park tents looking just a tid bit wrinkly and old) also drives the green vehicle. Miley, knowing how influential she is with her young fans, took to her blog to let them know that even though the Prius is gone, she’s still a green gal all the way.

She wrote, “Hey guys! Yesterday I got photographed in my new car and I want everyone to know I still haven’t given up hybrids! Mercedes came out with a new hybrid suv and I love it! Its blueish/ blackish/ purplish. Haha! I got a new dog named Mate who’s a German Shepard so like I said in a previous blog he is kinda out growing my prius! Anyways I love yall! Xox.”

Isn’t she just darling? We always buy new cars when our pets outgrow our current ones. Don’t you?

Sarah

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The Clotheshorse (Fashion Week Days 3 & 4): Twinkle, ARISE, Rebecca Taylor, Herve Leger by Max Azria
Monday February 15th 2010, 8:32 pm
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Fashionista by Ashley David - Click for more from The Clotheshorse

There’s something about chunky knit pieces that just makes you want to fast forward through spring and summer and head straight back into autumn. No? That’s just me? Well, it’s not you because you didn’t see the incredibly amazing knit dresses and oversized sweaters at Twinkle by Wenlan Saturday night. Designer Wenlan Chia sent an array of “not so chunky” knits and extremely wearable dresses down the runway, and while the colors weren’t exactly warm autumn tones, Chia’s journey into Hansel and Gretel’s woods yielded lace, patterned frocks that could easily transition from office to evening, and many a pop of purple. Many could argue that Twinkle doesn’t do anything spectacular ‐ but then again, those many probably don’t know a good knit when it slaps them in the face.

After Twinkle, it was off to the farm. Oops, did I say farm? I meant the bar — I must have confused my being herded and corralled like a farm animal with actually being a farm animal. Anywho, I can accept being a sheep for a few minutes if it means triple fisting Velvet Elvis drinks (Jack Daniels, Chambord and cranberry juice). Drinks in hand, we made our way into the line for the ARISE African Collective show — which, after being herded once again into the largest venue at Bryant Park, was a bit much. The clothes, I must say, were incredible — but the show was simply too long. 48 looks came down the runway from three different designers, and while it was great to get a triple whammy, being packed into the venue for that long just wasn’t enjoyable. Photos to come.

Once again, we headed home like the grandmas we are, ditching the fashion folk for onetime fashionista Lauren Conrad and her cohorts on The Hills. Hey, can you blame us? Reality TV and my couch were calling.

~

Photographer Caroline and I both happen to hate Valentine’s Day, so it was perfectly acceptable for us to spend our entire day at the tents. However, we decided sleep wasn’t for the weak; but for us, and skipped our 10AM Lela Rose show to languish in bed and eat giant New York bagels with lox. We arrived at the tents in time for the 2PM Rebecca Taylor show, which was, in short, absolute chaos. Taylor, who clearly can bring the crowd, chose not to book the biggest venue and instead, severely overbooked her spot in the tents, cramming about 200 too many people into a small space. Last time I took in a Rebecca Taylor show, I chatted with television stylista Stacy London; this time, I chatted up the NYPD while they watched over the crowd and took pictures for their wives. The designer showed her signature feminine prints with a few downtown touches: leopard coats and stylish knit sweaters reigned, as did lots and lots of layers — but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the sparkly tights! Here’s hoping Taylor has already told her PR people she wants a bigger space when Fashion Week moves to Lincoln Center next fall.

Speaking of Lincoln Center, while Caroline oogled Sophia Bush and snapped photos inside the also overly packed Herve Leger show, I headed backstage to play paparazzi and caught Sex and the City stylist Pat Field complaining that they’d better find a place for her to smoke her cigarettes next fall. There’s been a serious lack of star power at the shows this season, but I knew if anyone could bring the PYTs, it would be Azria and the show that followed his, Diane von Furstenberg. Sure enough, while eavesdropping on Field’s convo and eyeing her witch hat, I caught model Molly Sims (looking old) and Gossip Girl Jessica Szhor (so pretty in person!).

For Leger, Max Azria stuck with his signature bandage dresses; models wore low ponytails and cherry-red lips a la Suri Cruise post-popsicle. Last season, Leger featured prominent shoulders; this season, Azria took his detailing to the hips. While the final looks were colorful (bright pink!), most of the clothes were nude, charcoal, black and ivory, livened up with velvet and lace (two materials that are turning out to be frontrunners in the fall collections). Just to prove he could, Azria also showed bandage pants. Super Spanx, anyone? I’d love a pair…