Michelle Obama's DNC floral dress was Thakoon

The whole wide world is officially a red carpet. The dress worn by Michelle Obama at last night's convention is no secret because publicists are alerting press to the designer: Thakoon.  The aspiring first lady smartly opted to wear a sophisticated and fierce print -- red signifies strength and confidence -- with a retro lady-like cut. (The look on the right is from Thakoon's fall 2008 collection. Obama wore the Radzimir Kimono dress from the pre-spring 2009 collection.)

The Obama dress, as it will probably be forever known, also showed off her muscular build. (When Biden's wife Jill stepped out, I thought, "Michelle could whup that woman in 5 seconds flat.") I like that Obama picked a designer like Thakoon Panichgul -- pronounced Tie-koon -- who's an up and comer with a textured past. He moved from northern Thailand to Omaha with his family when he was 11.  Also, he has been tapped to design for Target, so expect his collection to arrive there in December.

Want to own a Thakoon and campaign for yourself? Right now, this similar Thakoon floral "Inside-Out" dress on the right is available at eLuxury.com for $1,250.

Do you think Michelle Obama wore the right dress at the DNC?  Do you think the focus on fashion in politics is utterly inane? (Then, go soak your head.)

photos: Getty Images; eLuxury.com 

Hot ticket: Tom Ford and CAA host Obama fete

Never mind the Emmys, people.

The hottest ticket in town right now is for the fundraiser for Barack Obama--hosted by CAA talent titan Bryan Lourd, Tom Ford (left), Ann Philbin of the Hammer Museum and agent Kevin Huvane. WWD reports that Michelle Obama is slated to attend and you can just imagine how many Priuses are going to be lined up at the valet.

I suspect that this shindig will be one that causes back-door deals all over town. Right about now, someone is trying to trade his Vanity Fair Oscar party ticket for a seat at Obama's table. Or using her pull on the invite list to secure a slot for her kid at Crossroads.

Photos: Getty Images

You oughta know: Daisy Fairbanks vintage boutique

Who: Daisy Fairbanks, a vintage boutique in Santa Cruz with an excellent website. The shop is named after a charm school teacher, who taught the owner's mom proper etiquette back in the day.

What: A great selection of jackets, suits, dresses, handbags and shoes categorized according to decade. I think shopping by era is one way to figure out your own style. It's almost as easy as painting by numbers. If your figure could be described as va-va-voom and you love the attention, go with a fitted 1960s dress a la "Mad Men." Bohemian and prone to losing your keys? Opt for peasant dresses and Indian prints from the 1970s, such as this vintage Halston peasant dress, right, ($125). I am also wild for this 1960s yellow and black striped dress and jacket set with a bateau collar ($79). So Julie Christie in "Darling."

What else: There are hidden treasures, if you take a moment to trawl the site. Check out this 1970s Whiting & Davis black metal mesh tie, left, ($79). Add to a simple white tee shirt and jeans and then go grab a drink -- even if it is only noon. Or these two-tone leather boots in a size 7.5 ($345).  These are so  Chloe -- but only about $700 less.

Why:  Finding quality vintage is key and Daisy Fairbanks stands behind its merch. You can return an item, as long as you alert them within three days of receiving it. (I have been burned on EBay countless times by unscrupulous sellers. Don't even ask me about the "authentic" YSL purse or the Oscar de la Renta dress that was missing elastic in the waist.) Also, designers constantly filch from previous decades and so buying  by the era ensures that you're "on trend"-- if you care about that sort of thing. 

Photos: Daisy Fairbanks Vintage

Kiss of death: Black lipstick is the new red

The Yves Saint Laurent fall show in Paris showcased Stefano Pilati's designs and a pout of death, (see left). Now, black lip gloss -- most recently spotted on Rachel McAdam's on the cover of the New York Times T magazine -- has become all the rage and made kissing a rather messy affair.

YSL's Pur Black gloss is already out of stock and it hasn't even shipped yet. The pure plum-ebony veneer sells for $28 and is on pre-order. Lancome has its own version, called Piha Black, which is a limited edition offering and will be available at Bloomingdale's and on the beauty behemoth's  website. 

My thoughts? If you're prone to dark humor and find oil spills sexy, go for it. Otherwise, let the trendbots rush in and just spectate.

photos: YSL show, AFP; dog, nps.gov; gloss, yslbeautyus.com

Asphalt runway: The look of Sunset Junction

Guest blogger Emili Vesilind reports from Sunset Junction with a new recurring feature on All the Rage called "Asphalt Runway." Look sharp, people. You could be appearing here next.

There's been lots of chatter around the 'hood about Sunset Junction not being what it used to be. It's true, the annual music and arts festival -- held in the hub of Silver Lake last weekend -- used to pack in a more artsy crowd of gay and Latino East Siders, and now it feels vaguely bridge-and-tunnel (Case in point: Two people asked us for directions to Hollywood Boulevard).

It also used to showcase more local-hero bands instead of global groups like Canada's Broken Social Scene. And this year it cost a "whaaat?!"-inducing $20 at the gate -- when it used to be free, free, free.

But it's not all bad news. The two-day fest is still one of the best places to spot fab street fashion in L.A. This year, we saw girlies in '80s-style short-shorts and colorful, baggy tops worn off the shoulder, Flashdance-style (flat, scrunched-down boots were big, too).

There were cute boys in sweater vests, slim T-shirts and skinny jeans, about a zillion fedoras (on both guys and gals), a trio of rocker dudes in studded denim get-ups -- affecting a cool, Swedish-metal-band vibe -- and assorted S&M types in leather harnesses and masks (a holdover from the fest's early gay days). Sunset Junction's days as the ultimate block party may be over, but its eclectic style motors on.

-- Emili Vesilind

photos: Emili Vesilind

Gwyneth's mom bob and boots for comic geek girls

Now that there's money to be made in comics, everyone in Hollywood is obsessed with them—“The Spirit” (starring Eva Mendes and Scarlett Johansson) and “Watchmen” are due out in the fall. If you’re a comic geek girl at heart, show your support with MIA Paddington rain boots—all in rubber with comic strips emblazoned across them from toe to top-- $70; shopintuition.com.

Both Liv Tyler and Gwyneth Paltrow have traded in their signature, long locks for a more textured bob cut that falls just above the shoulder. An alternative to the pin-straight coif is to tousle the layered mane to fall in cascades. To get that effect, add a dab of Jonathan Silky Dirt Shine & Define Creme ($28; sephora.com) to hair when still damp and then create ringlets by twisting one-inch sections of hair around your index finger and holding for 30 seconds for each piece. The, let those ringlet dry naturally and then shake out hair.
 Now, go pick up the kids at peewee yoga.

Stars have always loved, well, the stars.  Now, Donna Karan has taken the astro-craze one step farther with her new constellation purses. Nicole Richie and Chloe Sevigny have been spotted carrying the Modern Leo bag -- even though that’s not their sign. Um, is that a bad sign? If you want one that aligns with your stars, check out the collection--including Aries, Virgo, Libra (see right) and Pisces, ($1,895 to $2,295; neimanmarcus.com).



photos: Shopintuition.com; Getty Images; Neimanmarcus.com

Kim Kardashian re-creates Brooke Shields' Calvin Klein ads

Radar magazine has ripped the seams -- and soiled the knees -- of the 1980s iconic Calvin Klein jeans ads by re-creating it for a photo shoot with Kim Kardashian in its September issue. (Gavin Bond took the shots.) Perhaps on the heels of Lindsay Lohan doing her Marilyn Monroe for New York magazine? In this shot, far left, Kardashian is actually wearing J Brand jeans.

When these "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins" ads came out, Brooke Shields was 15, and Klein was criticized for exploiting a teen. Kardashian is 27 and exploits her own assets. Wikipedia notes that her recognition is mostly due to the leak of a sex tape.
We've come a looong way, baby.

Photos: Kim Kardashian. Credit: Gavin Bond /For Radar; Brooke Shields. Credit: Calvin Klein

For the record: An earlier version of this post gave an incorrect age for Kim Kardashian.

Martinis in the morning? You may be a retrosexual

Meet the retrosexual. You've seen this guy. Maybe even married him? He shaves with Barbasol, quotes Steve McQueen whenever possible and thinks a stiff drink before noon is his kind of triple latte. He also never apologizes for checking out a hot broad. Instead, he winks at you afterward and says, "She's no you, baby."

A new book, "The Retrosexual Manual," explores yet another species of male. Think macho to the nth degree. Black Book has listed the Retrosexual Ten Commandments. Here are the top five:

1. A retrosexual always pays for the date. If she tries to insist, so much the better. He still pays.

2. A retrosexual deals with it. Flat car batteries, house break-ins, cable TV malfunction, earthquake damage -- he just gets on with it.

3. A retrosexual never acknowledges he is in a relationship.

4. A retrosexual always carves the Sunday roast. Make sure you know what you're doing -- practise on the cat, spend an hour taking notes at the kebab shop.

5. A retrosexual is never seen in the passenger seat, unless it is a minicab, in which case he asks the driver if he can sit in the front.

Care to add one to the list?

Photos: AMC's "Mad Men." Credit: amctv.com; Cover of "The Retrosexual Manual." Credit: Amazon.com

If CAA plays matchmaker for Jennifer Aniston, do they get 10% of her wedding gifts?

Jennifer Aniston -- the woman who launched a million haircuts -- needs a new man, according to Rush & Molloy. Her high-profile romance with singer-sheepdog John Mayer ended with Mayer publicly announcing that he did the dumping. Nice.
I guess that being on the wrong end of a break-up is not good press for a leading lady. The NY Daily News gossip hounds report:

"Meanwhile, whether she knew it or not, Aniston's agents at CAA were calling around L.A. asking available men if they'd be interested in taking the beauty out. One was our flabbergasted friend -- a tall, dark and handsome writer -- who said, "Of course!" Word is Jen has asked them to cool the matchmaking, for now."

The alleged backdoor setups by her agents are some sort of spin control to make Aniston seem desirable. The whole idea of fighting over who dumped whom is so high school. Then again, Aniston endured the most ballyhooed romantic rejection of all when she and Brad Pitt split and then he took up with Angelina Jolie. Pitt and Aniston announced their separation in January 2005. But did the break-up hinder her image as a leading lady? ("Derailed" and "Rumor Has It" were hardly hits, but "The Break-Up" -- hint, hint -- was a box office success.)

The whole issue begs the question: Does being dumped make you less desirable?

Photo: Getty Images

At 50, is Madonna middle-aged? Are you?

Middle age. For me, the term does not evoke images of lithe women with blond highlights and perfect Pilates-sculpted asses that refuse to fall to half-mast. I typically associate middle age with naps and osteoporosis.

But Madonna turned the big 5-0 recently and Michelle Pfeiffer, right, Sharon Stone, left at right, and Holly Hunter, below, could all help her blow out a candle or two. (Their bones look mighty strong. ) Yes, we've all heard that 50 is the new 40 or even 30. In Pfeiffer's case, I might say that 50 is the new 28, but who's counting? But then, what the hell is middle-aged these days?

At what age, do you hit the middle? The Oxford English Dictionary defines "middle age" as "the period between youth and old age, about 45 to 60." In his psychosocial stages, the famed developmental psychologist Erik Erikson nailed the middle as 35 to 55 or 65 and felt that middle-aged people had to focus on creative stimulation and productivity to thwart stagnation. He also deemed self-absorption during these years as a quick path to a crisis. Narcissism in Hollywood? Never! But Erikson probably never saw a woman look this damn hot at 50, so, of course, he figured that vanity had to go.

Personally, I can't imagine living another 60 years -- that sounds exhausting. So I would like to think that at 40, I have passed middle age and I am now in the "nearing the end age." And if Hollywood actresses don't start aging, perhaps they're in the "just try and make me age age."

How do you define middle-aged?

Photos: Getty Images