Britney copies Madonna, right down to the top hat

 

Is history repeating itself or has Britney Spears taken homage too far? The pop diva showed up at the recent Bambi Awards in Germany looking almost identical to the pop divorcee, who has been sporting a top hat with a sheer top, black bra and fishnet stockings on her Sticky & Sweet tour. Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but Spears comes across as downright lazy, right? Especially during a time in which she's cultivating a new, healthy image.  It's like she turned to her stylist and said, "Is it close enough to Halloween for me to dress up as Madonna?"   

-- Monica Corcoran

Photos: Getty Images

Julia Gerard: L.A.'s one-woman peace movement

If this Sunday’s story about the holiday season’s enthusiastic embrace of the peace symbol leaves you looking to load up on peace-adorned pieces without crisscrossing the Southland, the best one-stop peace shop in our time zone might just be Julia Gerard’s Peace Gallery at 8575 Melrose Ave. (near Urth Caffe), which sells jeans, T-shirts, messenger bags, belt buckles and a wide array of accessories and housewares festooned with the counterculture logo (we swear we even saw a pair of peace sign candle sticks in there not so long ago).
Her single-minded focus on the peace symbol came in the aftermath of 9/11, she told me in a recent conversation. “That night I was going out of my brain, I couldn’t sleep at all. By Sept. 12, I had already had shirts made up.” Ever since then, she’s been a kind of one-woman peace movement, dedicated to spreading the message of peace one piece at a time, and her pieces have been worn by Ringo Starr, Prince, Patti Smith, Dave Matthews and Cher.
And it’s not just your run-of-the mill imagery either; Gerard’s designs include peace symbols with wings, shaped into hearts, grafted onto treble clefs and slapped atop the Christian cross, the Star of David and -- perhaps the most incongruous of all –- a swastika.
“I’m a child of a Holocaust survivor,” Gerard said, explaining a design many would find patently offensive. “It’s actually an ancient symbol so this is my way of reclaiming it –- I think people are finally starting to understand the swastika thing.”
Gerard says she’s amused by the recent resurgence of the iconic image as trendware.“I don’t begrudge anybody a peace symbol,” she said. “It’s a matter of it being effective, and anything we see over and over again will be effective because of conditioning if nothing else.”

-- Adam Tschorn
adam.tschorn@latimes.com

Fashion trivia? Game on!

Ever since I profiled Margaret Maldonado, the influential founder of L.A.’s Margaret Maldonado Agency representing wardrobe and hair stylists, I’ve been eager to get my hands on Fashion Rules!, her new Trivial Pursuit-style board game. Now, just in time for the holidays, it’s arrived in stores and online at ronrobinson.com and vivre.com.

The concept came to Maldonado after she and her friends got into their own fashion Q&A game one night over drinks. It was so much fun she thought she could sell it. And she did, with the help of editor Merle Ginsberg.

The object of the game is to answer enough questions correctly to collect all four accessories (shoe, scissors, camera and sunglasses). Instead of positing those accessories into a plastic “pie,” as you do in Trivial Pursuit, the game comes with cheap-looking nylon tote bags, which I hate to say it, but no self-respecting fashionista would be caught dead carrying. The gold and crystal dice are more luxe (they were designed by Pascal Mouawad, a jeweler who works with Maldonado’s clients). Still, with its $98 price tag, you’d think Fashion Rules could be a little more chic.

But what really matters are the questions, all 1,200 of them, and some are better than others.

The good:

1) What do the initials BCBG stand for?
a. Benoit Christian
b. Bernard Gechamp
c. Be Cool Be Good
d. Bon Chic Bon Genre

2) What is the actual name of the Burberry check introduced in 1924?
a. Watch plaid
b. The Nova
c. English Check
d. Herringbone

3) Which Fashion illustrator created early covers of Harper's Bazaar in the Deco style of the 1920s?
a. E. Rattic
b. Erte
c. Romain de Tirtoff
d. Ruben Toledo

4) Annie Leibovitz was the concert tour photographer for what rock band in 1975?
a. The Clash
b. The Rolling Stones
c. The Eagles
d. Queen

5) Which celebrity graced the cover of the September 1991 Vanity Fair nude, holding her pregnant belly?
a. Madonna
b. Kim Basinger
c. Mimi Rogers
d. Demi Moore

6) Which 1980s hair accessory turned your hair into a vertical mane?
a. The Scrunchie
b. The large bobby pin
c. The banana clip
d. The bandanna

Answers: 1D, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5D, 6C.

The not so good:

1) Which cosmetic product has not had a successful version in black?
a. Nailpolish
b. Eyeshadow
c. Hair color
d. Lipstick

The answer is D, lipstick -- though I would argue that YSL’s Black Pur Gloss, in stores now, has been a success.

2) Which one of these celebrities’ weight gain and loss get the most press?
a. Oprah Winfrey
b. Janet Jackson
c. Britney Spears
d. Courtney Love

The answer is D, Courtney Love. But I would have to go with all of the above.

3) Which male star of TV and films is thought to have the absolute best-looking hair?
a. George Clooney
b. Patrick Dempsey
c. Benjamin Bratt
d. Kyle MacLachlan

The answer is B, Patrick Dempsey — but by who's standards?

Still, for people who work in fashion, or just can’t get enough of it, there is more to like about this game than not.

As for those tote bag pawns, well, there’s always next year’s model.

-- Booth Moore

Photo: Fashion Rules! board game Credit: Ringo H.W. Chiu / For The Times.

Red carpet detective: Get Kristen Stewart's hoodie

A reader writes in:

Ms. Corcoran --

At nearly every premiere or press event for Twilight, Kristen Stewart has been photographed wearing a black zip-front leather hoodie with dark blue cuffs. I've searched everywhere for the jacket, though the closest I can find is a faux version at American Apparel.

If you could track down Ms. Stewart's coveted jacket, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you for your time and effort with this matter!

Sincerely,
Kristen Heine

Dear Kristen,

I love a leather hoodie myself and I dig that Stewart wears this jacket over and over again on the red carpet. Very cool. Edith Head -- the famous costume designer -- encouraged actresses to wear an outfit out more than once. And in this crap economy, it's nice to see stars showing some prudence.

Unfortunately, however, her leather hoodie is vintage and so you won't be able to buy the exact style. Don't you just hate that about vintage?

But I found a few leather hoodies that are close -- except for the navy ribbed cuffs and trim. The Theory jacket -- right -- is on sale at Bloomingdales for $525, marked down from $875. It is also ribbed at the waist and cuffs and features front pockets. I also found this Identify jacket, left, that is marked down 40% to $341.35 from $490. I like that the jacket is lined in striped silk, which gives it a flirty edge. Happy shopping!

If you ever want to know every detail -- the gloss, the dress and more -- of a recent red carpet look, e-mail me at monica.corcoran@latimes.com and I'll post the lowdown. As I like to say: It's not magic, it's makeup.

-- Monica Corcoran

 Top photos: Kristen Stewart. Credit: Getty Images; Bottom photos: Credit: Bloomingdales.com

Film fashion: The clothes make the men in 'Frost/Nixon' and 'Revolutionary Road'

It’s that time of year when the studios release all their big Oscar contenders, and the media scramble to see screenings. So far, I’ve seen two — “Revolutionary Road,” the darkly depressing tale of 1955 suburban nothingness with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, based on Richard Yates’ novel and directed by Sam Mendes; and “Frost/Nixon,” the screen adaptation of Peter Morgan’s play about the 1977 David Frost/Richard Nixon TV interviews, starring the incredible Frank Langella and Michael Sheen, and directed by Ron Howard. 

What struck me about both was the tremendous role clothing plays in the stories. And I’m not talking about glittering gowns as eye candy. I’m talking about clothing as a character vehicle. In “Revolutionary Road,” the men’s fedoras are a symbol of the monotony of the punch-the-clock jobs men found themselves in at the time, following in the footsteps of their fathers, only to realize that they never had a chance to dream their own dreams. 

One scene that was particularly stirring was when DiCaprio stepped off a commuter train at Grand Central Station in New York City into a sea of lonely fedoras. He was no one and everyone at the same time.

Undress 'Mad Men's' Joan Holloway, kind of

If you're as much of a "Mad Men" fan as we are over at Rage Central, you're probably feeling like Freddy Rumsen two months out: sitting in an armchair in a darkened office somewhere, sipping a tumbler full of dark liquor, absent-mindedly flicking a limited-edition "Mad Men" Zippo lighter and obsessively checking Peggy Olson's Twitter feed and waiting for the street date for the season DVD box set to be announced.

So it was a sight for sore (and smoke-filled) eyes when we opened an e-mail this morning to find a scantily clad (but totally SFW) Joan Holloway (played by Christina Hendricks who recently appeared on our cover) staring back. In the image, Sterling Cooper's sexpot secretary is rendered as a paper doll: standing proud in her undergarments and garters with one hand on her ample hip, the other holding a cigarette, samples from her Season 1 on-screen wardrobe strewn behind her, all tabbed and ready to wear. Titled "What a Doll!" it's the handiwork of a New York City-based comedian/graphic artist/illustrator who goes by the name Dyna Moe, and it's available as a poster from Zazzle.com. (An earlier version, minus the hot pink, black-belted number and a black satin cocktail dress) can be downloaded for free -- and with the blessing of the artist -- from Flickr. (Just to be clear  -- THIS IS NOT AN ACTUAL PAPER DOLL!  But if you  have drive, determination and a pair of sharp scissors, be our guest.)

Adventures in gift giving: Nordstrom ultimate gift collection

While a lot of retailers are wildly promoting their holiday discounts to bolster sales, Nordstrom is taking a different approach to the kind of gift options it's stocking this season. The department store is offering an “Ultimate Gift Collection” that is perfect for that person for whom a generic sweater just won’t do and who is worth spending $15,000 to $200,000 on. 

Nordstrom has commissioned several artists and designers to create one-of-a kind gift items or experiences. These four gift packages will be available to the few shoppers who can afford them this year. 

The “Ultimate Gift Collection” includes:

• A custom couch designed by Tory Burch, the least-expensive option at $15,000.

• An armoire designed and stocked by Juicy Couture. Two armoires are available at $15,000 each.

• A family portrait session with celebrity photographer Sam Jones.  Two portrait sessions are available at $50,000 each.

• Custom artwork by artist Ruben Toledo. A 12-foot-by-20-foot personalized painting. One available at $200,000.

Such extravagance may not seem relevant in a time when people can’t pay their mortgage, but if you’re looking to spoil someone, might as well go all the way and make it something exclusive and special.

What’ll happen to all those lonely sweaters sitting at Nordstrom this year? Something more exciting has come along.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Top: Tory Burch custom sofa. Bottom: Juicy Couture armoire. Photo credit: Nordstrom

Adventures in gift giving – Akawelle jewelry

I realize that the last post I did on holiday gift giving was about a jewelry line that gives to charity, so I hesitated a bit when I came across a line called Akawelle, because I like to mix it up. But after learning about this line and its creator, I had to share.

Lovetta Conto gives new meaning to the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” The 15-year-old fled from Liberia to Ghana at age 4, living in various refugee camps for nine years. In Ghana, she worked as a volunteer to build schools and advocate for children with special needs. Due to Conto’s humanitarian work, she was given a Strongheart Fellowship, through which she was able to launch her line of jewelry called Akawelle.

Conto collects the bullet casings left from the Liberian civil war and turns them into pendants and charms, many of which are engraved with the word “life.” Profits from the line support the Strongheart House, an organization in Liberia that helps other kids who have been displaced by war or poverty.

Next Thursday, Conto may be recognized for her efforts on a global scale. She is a finalist for the International Children’s Peace Prize. Bishop Desmond Tutu will announce the winner at a ceremony at The Hague.

Lemonade indeed. Akawelle jewelry can be purchased here.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photo: Bullet casings carpet a street in Monrovia, Liberia, in 2003. Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times.

H&M partners with Matthew Williamson

This just in: H&M has announced that it will get in bed with Brit designer Matthew Williamson and a capsule collection for women will debut on April 23rd. In mid-May, a follow-up line for guys and girls will hit the racks.

Williamson, once the creative director at Pucci, loves edible color and Eastern influence, so his looks will make a nice follow-up to Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons' recent chic, funereal line for H&M.

Fun fact: H&M has actually been around in Sweden since 1947 and was originally called Hennes. Twenty years later, the owner acquired the stock of a hunting store that included lots of burly looks for men and expanded accordingly. Weird, huh?

Who should H&M team up with next? Weigh in, people. 

-- Monica Corcoran

Photos: Matthew Williamson's Spring '09 collection. Credit: Getty Images

Saks sale skirmish

I stopped into Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills on Friday and it looked as if the upscale department store was having a fire sale. The shelves in the handbag department, once filled with metallic YSL totes, quilted Marc Jacobs hobos and more, were picked clean, thanks to an aggressive pre-sale that meant some designer items were up to 70% off before Thanksgiving.

Same thing in the shoe department, which looked as if a hurricane had blown through, with stray Louboutins and Choos strewn every which way, and a few straggling shoppers fighting over the scraps. Behind a makeshift screen sat hundreds and hundreds of Saks shopping bags, full of pre-sold shoes and bags available for pickup tomorrow — when the actual sale starts.

The stunt transformed the sleepy store into a storm of shopping commotion, I will give them that. Meanwhile, there wasn't a soul in Barneys New York or Neiman Marcus.

Consider this Saks scene:

“Are you getting those?” one woman said to another standing sentinel in front of a pile of shoe boxes tall enough to graze her thigh.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure, because those are my size,” the woman pleaded.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

I heard rumors of bag thwacking and hair pulling, too. I witnessed none, but don't doubt it could have happened.

I had to wonder what stock is going to be left when the real sale starts. Not to mention the after-Thanksgiving holiday shopping season. But maybe that’s the point. Saks sales fell 16% in October, and no one knows how bad it’s going to get this month or next. So Saks drew first sale blood.

I e-mailed the store’s PR department for an explanation and was told that stock would be replenished on a daily basis to keep up with customer demand. But the more pressing question was about the future of the store that is one-third of Wilshire Boulevard’s luxury department store troika.

“There are no plans to close the Beverly Hills store,” Caroline Dougherty, vice president of public relations for Saks Fifth Avenue, wrote in an e-mail.  “It is one of our top performing locations.”

At least for now.

booth.moore@latimes.com

Photo: A Saks holiday window in December 2007.

Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times