Friday Timewaster: Getting Mad(Men) with myself

What do you do when it's almost quitting time on a Friday afternoon, and your editor's on vacation? I dream of stepping into the cool environs of Don Draper's office at Sterling & Cooper and mixing myself a martini. This afternoon it was a little more vivid than most, thanks to the MadMen Yourself avatar generator my sister-in-law recently e-mailed me about.

Though you can't upload a photo (the way you can if you want to be, say, Simpsonized), you can achieve a pretty good approximation of your cartoon self by choosing from the menu of body types, hair, nose and other distinguishing characteristics (I particularly appreciated the wardrobe choices -- which for guys included tennis whites, a tuxedo, a suit and casual wear).

You can save the results as a Twitter-appropriate head shot, a slightly larger size for Facebook or a full-size (complete with Joan or Peggy in the background) suitable for your desktop wallpaper.

The above portrait is my four minutes of procrastinating -- compared to the bio photo over on the right rail, I think you could probably pick me out of a police line up.

And I'll spare you the full body shot, let's just day I'm more of a Freddy Rumsen than a Don Draper.

-- Adam Tschorn

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Designer/director Tom Ford's first film to premiere at Venice Film Festival

Designer Tom Ford's directorial debut "A Single Man" will have its world premiere at the 66th annual Venice Film Festival, it was announced this week.

The movie, set in 1962 Los Angeles, is about a college professor who struggles to find meaning in his life after the death of his partner. It stars Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode and Nicholas Hoult.

Ford, whose eponymous menswear line has found favor with the Hollywood set both onscreen (dressing James Bond in "Quantum of Solace") and off  (Brad Pitt and Daniel Craig were among those wearing his wares to the 81st Academy Awards earlier this year), not only directed the screen adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's novel of the same name, he co-wrote the screenplay (with David Scearce) and it was produced  through Ford's Los Angeles-based production company Fade to Back.

He didn't, however, serve as the film's costume designer, instead tapping the Oscar-nominated Arianne Phillips (who received a nod for "Walk the Line") for that role.

The movie is scheduled to be screened Sept. 11, 2009, closing out the Italian festival's main competition.

-- Adam Tschorn

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Photo: In a  February 2008 file photo, Tom Ford (second from left) with (L-R) Rita Wilson, Maria Shriver and Richard Buckley attend the opening of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum at LACMA. Credit: Stefano Paltera / For The Times.

 

Swatch synchronizes with the times

If you were a teenager in the 1980s, you probably wore a Swatch or two or five. And since this decade's designers have been rehashing '80s fashion trends (shoulder-padded blazers, baggy "boyfriend" jeans and wide belts), the timing is right for the Swiss watchmaker to make its resurgence.

Swatch, which made the late graffiti artist Keith Haring a household name, again looks to the street for its latest artistic collaboration this summer. The watchmaker enlisted New York's Billy the Artist and Matthew Langille, along with Europeans Ted Scapa and Grems, to channel the decade's mix of street and sleek for its Artist Collection, which debuted in 1985 and has featured work by Yoko Ono, Annie Leibovitz and Robert Altman.

"Swatch, although iconic, it kind of lost its edge," says Patricia Higgins, brand president of Swatch USA. "With this [collaboration] we're really going back to our roots -- it reeks Swatch, it's what we were known for."

Langille, 27, who also does T-shirt graphics for Marc Jacobs, drafted three designs for Swatch -- Snuggle Bunch, Floating Away and Germaholic -- featuring Haring-esque graphics, teddy bears and primary colors.

Langille says the funniest is the Germaholic "because I'm a bit of a hypochondriac. It's a hypochondriac germ screaming at the top of his lungs because he's surrounded by other germs and having a panic attack." Although the design looks retro, it suits our swine/avian flu pandemic times.

Of course, what made teenage girls able to stack Swatches on wrists like bangles was their price. And the watches are still affordable. The Artist Collection runs $55 to $95 and the timepieces are still made in Switzerland, same as a Rolex.

swatch.com

-- Max Padilla

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Photo: Floating Away watch by Swatch. Credit: Swatch

Even cars get their own fragrance: Cadillac, the new fragrance for men

Self-titled fragrances are no longer only for towering billionaires and chart-topping pop stars (even Barbie has one) -- they also seem to be for auto companies cruising on government bailouts as well.

At least that’s what General Motors seems to be telling us with its “Cadillac, the new fragrance for men,” part of its celebration of GM purchasing Cadillac 100 short years ago.  

The smell of new car isn’t really enticing, in my humble opinion, so it’s good to hear that the anniversary Cadillac fragrance will steer away from any notes of upholstery or oil, and instead have hints of grapefruit, chamomile, geraniums, tarragon, cinnamon, sweet spice and incense.

Dubai-based cosmetic company Beauty Contact Inc. is producing the male-only cosmetic line, which will also include aftershave, deodorant, and hair and body wash in the signature scent.

"Cadillac, the new fragrance for men, is part of the recent Cadillac renaissance: Hot new products and redesigns that capture the mantra of life, liberty and the pursuit," said Alwyn Stephen, a Beauty Contact director.

But the cost of celebrating this life and liberty might cause you to slam on the brakes: the retail price for a 3.4 ounce bottle of the eau de toilette fragrance is a mere $73.

Even Donald Trump doesn’t expect male fragrance shoppers to pay more than $60 to smell like a million (or billion) bucks, so why they think someone would pay so much for cologne by a company owned primarily by taxpayers (the fragrance buyers themselves), I’m not sure.

Maybe GM is hoping the fragrance’s chamomile notes will calm everyone down and persuade them to boost the company economically, one eau de toilette bottle at a time.

Or how about a Cash for Clunkers fragrance program? Then you could trade in your half-empty bottle of Mustang Blue or Cadillac and get a new one – perhaps an environmentally friendly Prius fragrance?

-- Kelsey Ramos

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Photo credit: Cadillac

Fashion Diary: Cashing in on the red carpet

 

Gossip, first impressions, trends in the making, celebrities and style setters. A regular feature by fashion critic Booth Moore.

When it comes right down to it, designers are hard-pressed to quantify how much red carpet dressing is really worth. "It's brand exposure," they say. "It's advertising money can't buy" (though it is often paid for) ... yada, yada, yada. But with so many red carpets, so many designers playing the game and so many stars demanding one-of-a-kind styles, is it really? 

Well now Giorgio Armani, who has been at the game longer than almost any designer, is turning the red carpet into gold.  After he designed a one-of-a-kind pink beaded dress for Victoria Beckham to wear to his New York store opening in February, the store received so many inquiries that Armani put the style into production for the Emporio Armani line.  The one-shoulder dress is $1,695 and available now at Armani/5th Avenue in New York, (212) 339-5950, and at Emporio Armani in Beverly Hills, (310) 271-7790.

Call it fashion on demand.

Photo: Victoria Beckham and Giorgio Armani at the designer's store opening in New York. Credit: David McKnight. 

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Fashion Diary: Berzerk for Cirque

Gossip, first impressions, trends in the making, celebrities and style setters. A regular feature by fashion critic Booth Moore.

If you haven't gone to see Cirque Berzerk's "Beneath," do it now! The production, which runs through Aug. 9 at Los Angeles State Historic Park, is a collision of subcultures, a visual feast of cabaret-burlesque-neo-Goth under a big top in the menacing shadow of the downtown skyline. It wasn't only the acts that were impressive (the vert ramp-inspired trampoline guys are unforgettable), or the subte political message, it was the style. "Beneath" had the feel of a John Galliano runway show. 

First performed at Burning Man in 2004, the production was conceived by producer and co-creator Suzanne Bernel; her husband, composer/co-creator Kevin Bourque; and choreographer Neal Everett. Costume designer Heather Goodman, who lives in Long Beach, only had a couple of months to outfit the 25 players. Kevin Bourque plays the ringmaster. "I took the shirt and full-front pants Kevin was wearing in years past and turned it up," Goodman said on the phone this week. "I designed a kooky jacket with mismatched gold brass buttons."

Ring tones! Get your 'September Issue' ring tones!

 

We've all had superiors who've taken pride in putting us in our place with menial tasks: Bosses. Teachers. Mom. But, if legends hold true, no one does it better than Vogue editrix Anna Wintour. Want to relive those moments of spine-tingling horror? Gawker points out that the marketing geniuses behind R.J. Cutler's "The September Issue" -- the documentary that goes beyond the garment bags of Vogue magazine -- are offering downloadable ring tones.

Yes, that's right. Now everyone at Starbucks can watch your PTSD in action when your cellphone chirps the sound of an assistant's crushed dreams with "Anna Wintour's office." Or, better yet, dash thoughts of eating that bagel away with Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley: "It's a famine of beauty, honey -- my eyes are starving for beauty."

-- Whitney Friedlander

Fashion Diary: 'The September Issue'

Fashion Diary: Magazines' September issues

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Photo: Anna and André plot ways to torture you during Oscar de la Renta's fall 2007 runway show. Or they're just hungry. Your call. Credit: Diane Bondareff / Associated Press

Events: Pasadena Bead and Design Show, Martin + Osa, more

Pasadena Bead and Design Show Thursday through Sunday:The expo, showcasing jewelry and bead-makers, returns to Pasadena for the fourth time. Jewelers and handcrafters will exhibit their wares, featuring glasswork, lapidary and precious metals. Workshops include sessions on setting cabochons in silver, silk painting and making gemstone pendants. On Friday, Suzi Click will moderate "How to Develop Style With Artwear," featuring a panel, fashion show and raffle with complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres ($35 admission for the event, which runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m, includes four-day entry to the show). Pre-registration is available online.

168 S. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. (530) 274-2222. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. $10 admission good for all four days.www.pasadenabeadanddesignshow.com

Martin + Osa Guaranteed Fit Sessions Saturday: Martin + Osa denim designer Paul Dillinger reveals his denim secrets at the Westfield Century City and Americana at Brand. Learn how to get a perfect fit and customize jeans at home with a customization kit that includes a deck of cards, tea, needle and thread. The first 30 guests who purchase a pair of denim ($79.50 to $110), will receive a Dillinger custom kit.

10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 785-7924. 1 to 3 p.m.

867 Americana Way, Glendale. (818) 243-1885. 5 to 7 p.m. www.martinandosa.com

Hollywood Fest Saturday Lisa Moffie inaugurates a fashion, art and music bazaar under a giant tent in the parking lot of Ca'Brea restaurant. Moffie's booth will stock new off-price designer clothing ($50 to $700) from Valentino, Luisa Beccaria, Lotta Stenson and Tory Burch. Other vendors will be offering knitwear, jewelry and artwork. Shoppers are encouraged to drop into neighboring Ca'Brea for a Champagne brunch.

346 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (213) 840-1664. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. moff15@hotmail.com

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Oh baby! Now you can knock-off your favorite celebrity's designer genes

Instead of simply wearing a pair of jeans designed by your favorite singer/actor/celebrity/designer, now you can decorate your whole womb! That's basically the idea behind Los Angeles-based California Cryobank's newest innovation in donor choosing, sister station KTLA reported Tuesday.

Because the No. 1 question the company gets is "Who does this donor look like?" it started posting the names (and links to Google image searches, though not photos, as some have reported) of celebrities California Cryobank staffers think resemble their donors.

It may sound a bit crass, yes, but according to a company representative we spoke to this morning, website traffic has been up 50% since the end of last week, when the Look-A-Likes feature was introduced.

A quick look at the list reveals donors that apparently resemble Adam Sandler (the baby will look funny, no doubt), Andrei Kirilenko (this choice would be a slam dunk for NBA fans) and Antonio Banderas (what are the odds that "Zorro" appears on the list of baby names in that household?) And that's barely scratching the surface of the A's.

New celebrity fashion statement: Bald is beautiful

Everyone’s lived through at least one bad haircut — a lopsided bob or too-severe shag that made you think, “I’d look better if I shaved my head.” But horrific haircuts don’t seem to be what’s behind one of the edgiest tress trends in ages: the shaved skull.

A handful of fashion-forward female celebs — even Beyoncé's sister Solange isn't immune — have recently popped up on red carpets with freshly shorn noggins. A few are mowing it all off, while others are shaving the sides or doing a sides-and-back combo, leaving some length on top.

It all started with Alice Dellal, the British socialite, model and “it” girl who buzzed the left side of her long, cascading coif down to the skin. Then Amber Rose, Kanye’s West’s girlfriend (another model), started making the scene with her bleached-out buzz cut.

But you knew the trend was really taking shape a couple of weeks ago when Rihanna transitioned her sleek, boyish crop into a punk-rock masterpiece by shaving the back and sides of her delicate cranium.