Faye Dunaway's look in 'Bonnie and Clyde' never ceases to inspire me as autumn approaches. Those knit sweaters and that rakish beret with her impeccable blond bob. Her hair gets more unkempt and wild as she and Clyde come closer to getting caught. I adore this trailer from the 1967 film for its sweet, romantic opening, the chic credits, and the deadpan
narration. "With the giggles still in their ears, they had bloodied up four states," says the voice over.
Bonnie sticks mostly with great sweaters, v-neck blouses, and dresses throughout the film. This pullover ($88) -- in pumpkin -- from Anthropologie reminds me of her simple style. Same goes for this Catherine Maladrino black merino wool top ($395; net-a-porter.com) on the left that looks great over a short sleeved white blouse or even on its own. Add a pencil skirt and you're set. I also love these
crocheted berets from Urban Outfitters ($14.99), because they are perfectly suited for steamy L.A. nights. Gun, never included.
photos: berets, UrbanOutfitters.com; pumpkin sweater, Athropologie.com; black sweater, Net-a-porter.com; trailer, Warner Brothers (1967).
Last night, at the 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' premiere in Los Angeles, A-list stood for "awkward." Back when the Woody Allen comedy was being filmed, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem were a blissful couple. The story went that they originally met in 1992 in their native Spain and had always been friends. But when the movie premiered at Cannes this past May, Bardem was no where to be seen.
Last night, Bardem clearly kept his distance
from Cruz on the red carpet. That has to suck for both of them--not to mention the fact that it's hard to promote a movie when your ex is just five yards away. And in this case, both of them look awesome. But what I love is that fiery Salma Hayek--BFF of Cruz--showed up and clearly, lent support. It looks like Bardem could have used a pal too.
I recently rewatched 'Valley Girl' and this movie totally holds up. The Shakesperian love story between Randy and Julie still makes me sigh and
the montage set to "I Melt With You" -- with great shots of Hollywood in 1983 -- is cool, not corny.
But check out the clothes and tell me this isn't an American Apparel catalog come to life-- with the neon colors, head bands, jersey tops and mirrored Ray Bans. And I love that Nick Cage's hair looks like a woodchuck.
MGM recently announced that they will remake this classic as a musical. Grody.
photo: poster, courtesy of MGM, dress and headband by American Apparel; trailer, MGM.
The Los Angeles Daily News has banned jeans and tennis shoes in the workplace. Tennis shoes? Do they mean sneakers? Hmm. Maybe newspapers really are out of touch.
But the paper isn't alone. CNN reports that 64% of employers surveyed have banned flip-flops, 28% have outlawed jeans, and 49% have forbidden miniskirts. More than one-third (35%) of companies have gone as far as to send employees home for unsuitable work garb. Is getting sent home early a bad thing?
Lastly, 41% of bosses said that they would be more apt to promote someone professionally dressed over the colleague in the denim miniskirt, flip-flops and "Baby Mama Seeks Drama" T-shirt. Anyone else remember Julia Robert's response when questioned about her inappropriate work attire in "Erin Brockovich"? She said: "Ed, I think I look nice."
Does someone in your office dress like she's going to give her dog a bath? Do you think the clothes make the manager?
photo: Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich by Bob Marshak for Universal Studios.
The dude selling these Converse "Joker" sneakers--issued for the 1989 Tim Burton Batman
movie--is so glad that he didn't let his Mom chuck them.
Right now, there are four pairs available for bidding on eBay--click here--for anywhere from $10 to $140--the first auction ends at 3:30 pm tomorrow, Saturday. One pair is brand new, with tags attached. Others are slightly worn and scuffed.
A quick search of "Batman" on eBay revealed lots of Bat crap. These kicks, however, stand out for their cool nod to comic geekdom. Plus, you can run away really fast if some big bully goes in for the "Ka-Pow!"
Pint-sized, petulant "Project Runway" victor Christian Siriano begins his fierce Hollywood takeover with "Eloise in Paris." The designer will create a couture collection, which will be unveiled in the Paris Fashion Week scenes at the movie's finish. Uma Thurman stars, alongside Aussie newcomer Jordana Beatty as the precocious tot. And three-time Oscar-winning costume designer Milena Canonero ("A Clockwork Orange"; "Marie Antoinette") will act as visual consultant. Imdb.com reports:
"Based on the classic 1950s children's book by Kay Thompson, Eloise jets off to Paris for Fashion Week and, along with one of Europe's top designers, finds herself chasing after a stolen dress."
But WHO will play one of Europe's top designers? Please, make it Karl Lagerfeld. Who needs Eloise? Call it "The Kaiser and the Kid."
The tights, mask and cape may make the superhero, but even Batman likes to look good out of costume. In "The Dark Knight," opening this weekend, Christian Bale wears this sleek Belstaff leather blouson jacket ($1,250) while he's off duty.
And the legendary motorcycle-gear outfitter has presold 6,000 of the jackets on its website,
www.belstaff.net. Talk about product placement.
But you, a mere mortal, can also find one at Barneys New York, 9570 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 276-4400. www.barneys.com
Just back from single-digit weather in Park City -- I am more congested than the 405 at rush hour, thank you very much. But I managed to see a few great movies at Sundance and my favorite film was a documentary called "American Teen."
The filmmaker -- Nanette Burstein -- spent a year in Warsaw, Ind., and shot 1,000 hours of footage at a high school. The results are priceless and as of yesterday, there was talk that Paramount Vantage might buy the film. (Left is Jake, the band geek, who broke my heart.) I wrote about "American Teen" and interviewed the director for our Calendar section and so, I will post my story here: High school doc a hot property
PARK CITY, Utah -- So far, the buyer's market at Sundance has proved to be as frigid as the temperatures in Park City. There's been some buzz here and there but no direct heat surrounding any one film.
All that changed when a documentary called "American Teen" screened on Saturday. It was clear that the film had generated interest by the flashes of blue light in the audience, as acquisition folks frantically texted their business affairs departments to start negotiations.
In a phone interview Sunday morning, the director, Nanette Burstein, said that she had been "in talks" until 4 that morning with potential buyers. "It's been surreal in a good way," she said. "I just want it to find the right home."
Miramax and Fox Searchlight were among those in the early bidding, but they dropped out as the sales price for North American rights climbed toward $2 million. No deal had been closed by Sunday afternoon, but a potential sale (other parties included Paramount Vantage) was expected before today.
This isn't Burstein's first successful foray at Sundance. Her last documentary, "The Kid Stays in the Picture," premiered at Sundance in 2002 and went on to be a commercial and critical success.
To make "American Teen," she spent the 2005-06 school year shooting footage of four seniors at Warsaw Community High School in Indiana. She scouted 10 different schools in three states before setting up camp in the Midwest.
"I wanted a town, with just one high school, that was economically mixed," says Burstein, who then interviewed all of Warsaw's incoming seniors for 20 minutes before selecting her stars. "I just picked people that I really liked."
In the end, she chose quintessential archetypes that used to collide in every John Hughes film. There's the band geek named Jake whose acne flares with each romantic rejection and the jock, Colin, who is as affable as a golden Lab. Hannah is the quirky Molly Ringwald-esque misfit with dreams of becoming a film director, while the rich, blond queen bee named Megan wages psychological warfare on anyone who threatens her power.
For the 37-year-old Burstein, gaining the teens' trust took a few months. "They're very protective of their lives and suspicious of adults," she says. Working with one camera crew, she maintained daily contact with the four students to stay abreast of their lives. "I was constantly on call, texting and i-chatting. "
In "The Kid Stays in the Picture," Burstein used photo animation to flesh out the life of Hollywood producer Robert Evans. This time around, she worked with Blacklist to create vivid animation sequences that convey the fantasy lives of each teen. The results are poignant, though predictable: The geek gets the girl; the jock scores the winning shot.
"You don't get that wish-fulfillment in real life," says Burstein of the animated vignettes. The most haunting sketch -- which feels like a macabre take on "Alice in Wonderland" -- reveals Hannah's fear that she will inherit her mother's mental illness. "I spent a lot of time talking to them about their secret fears and fantasies."
In some ways, the film feels as choreographed as an episode of "The Hills." The popular girl predictably reigns like a despot and turns on her best friend. The jock's father, an Elvis impersonator who hoped to play pro ball back in the day, pressures his son to make 12 rebounds at the big game. Around Park City, there have been whispers that Burstein may have scripted the doc.
"It's not scripted and I didn't make any arrangements with the kids to act a certain way," says Burstein, who shot 1,000 hours of footage. "I don't want to sound arrogant, but it plays like fiction because it's so moving. Maybe it speaks to the polish of the film."
Or to the fact that Hollywood truly is like high school.
When Paris Hilton -- dressed in a pink Paris Hilton ski cap and a T-shirt bearing her image -- causes more of a manic panic than Robert Redford at Sundance, you know this film festival needs an overhaul. The fact that she had a movie to promote, "The Hottie and the Nottie," is utterly irrelevant. (The film was not officially part of the festival, but merely piggybacking on the vast exposure of the annual event in Park City.)
Paris, wearing her frothy Paris togs, represents everything that is now wrong with Sundance. The festival has become a hot bed of branding for everything and anything. (Even Sundance itself teamed up with designer Paul Frank to hawk its own festival branded merch this year, but, hey, they deserve to make a buck.)
Movie parties are sponsored by vodka brands and speaker companies. Magazines like Bon Appetit open ad hoc eateries to host catered luncheons for visiting talent. (Full disclosure: I attended a lunch for the cast of "The Wackness" at this venue and watched Sir Ben Kingsley chew his beef tenderloin from across the room.) When an agent approached to introduce me to a film director but got waylaid by a PR rep who was touting a Napa Valley Chardonnay, it was clear to me that there's too much heat in the kitchen.
Photo credits: Paris Hilton, Wire Image; 'Sundance Woman,' 20th Century Fox
Off to Park City to cover the Sundance Film Festival. According to weather.com, it's 21 degrees there, with a slight chance of flurries. Makes me wonder how all those swizzle-stick-sized actresses will stay warm.
Me? Parka, black tights under wide-leg Joe's jeans, equestrian boots with a sturdy heel, and thin black turtlenecks beneath vivid peasant blouses. I am aiming for the look of a bohemian yeti.
Readers & ranters: I cordially invite you to come and check out a spirited chat about the importance of style in film. Do the clothes make the characters? How does production design affect the tone of a film? I will open the floor to questions too.
AFI FILMMAKER'S PANEL ON PRODUCTION / COSTUME DESIGN Saturday, Nov. 3, 2007 10:30am – 11:30 a.m.
WHO: MANUELA Y MANUEL production & costume designer, Rafi Mercado & THE LIVING WAKE costume designer, Negar Ali. WHAT: The Independent Style: A discussion about how innovative production and costume design impact filmmaking today. WHERE: AFI FEST Audi Pavilion, Rooftop Village, ArcLight Hollywood, 6360 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028.
Between the latest poster for the annual blood drive sponsored by horror movie "Saw IV" and the naughty logo medics at Louis Vuitton's Paris show, nurses are getting a sexy shot in the arm. FYI: The "Saw" nurses -- this is the fourth annual blood drive and past posters are collectibles -- all work at Lionsgate, the studio behind the "Saw" franchise. I must say that the vampy lips and crimson nail polish are a genius touch. To find out how to donate your own Type O at a "Saw IV" blood drive, go here.
Meanwhile, the nurses that Marc Jacobs sent down the runway for Louis Vuitton were also outfitted in retro uniforms, with a twist. Models wore a sensual face mask--a dainty black, lace kerchief that barely concealed their red pouts -- and the vintage winged caps that resembled meringues. In this case, the fetishized homage had more to do with artist Richard Prince than Jacobs' own recent decamp to rehab. Prince, who did his own nurse series based on pulp fiction book covers in 2003, collaborated with Jacobs on the Louis Vuitton handbags.
Clearly, nurses get tired of the image of a sexed-up, pulse-quickening Florence Nightingale. When W magazine published a photo of Kate Moss (styled by Richard Prince) in a tight, white pleather nurses uniform, readers wrote in to refute the practicality of a vinyl get-up. Never mind the fact that Moss' tiny uniform would have become X-rated as soon as she bent over to pick up a bed pan.
Oh and don't forget Ursula Andress as "The Sensuous Nurse" in the 1979 lusty, ludicrous romp. Andress -- perhaps best known as Bond gal Honey Ryder -- wears a short, skimpy uniform that she can't seem to keep buttoned. It's bloody bad.
Photo credits: Saw IV, Lionsgate; Louis Vuitton, Vogue; Kate Moss, W.
The color pink -- and I'm not talking about dainty, pale cupcake frosting pink - -has been deemed a statement shade for fall. Milly, Christian Lacroix and Oscar de la Renta are all showing flouncy mini frocks in look-at-me-now shades of fuchsia.
But can you pull it off if you're not a 24-year-old party girl carrying a flute of Champers? Or Holly Golightly? Heck, yes. Fuchsia is actually an extremely flattering color and it warms pale skin tones and contrasts well with darker complexions. The key to making this vibrant color work for you is to pair a hot pink dress with decidedly adult shoes like sophisticated black pumps or strappy nude stilettos. A simple, black or metallic clutch works best too.
I love how Cate Blanchett electrified the stage at a screening recently in a classic fuchsia blouse. She paired the shirt with a black pencil skirt and so the pop on top didn't extend to her lower half. Blanchett also opted for muted lips and minimal eye make up.
If the idea of drawing a lot of attention to yourself makes you quiver, you can access the trend with an accessory. Right now, I love this studded, pink suede evening bag from Temperley London ($720 at netaporter.com). It comes with a detachable gold chain and can double as a shoulder bag or a clutch. Hey, clutches are hot for fall too. That's like killing two trends with one credit card statement.
Oh, and keep in mind that a woman in hot pink can't be a bore. You had better have some zingers if you plan to swan around in fuchsia. Crib from Ms. Golightly -- or rather, Truman Capote, who wrote Breakfast at Tiffany's:
Holly: "It should take you exactly four seconds to cross from here to that door. I'll give you two."
Holly: "I'm not hotfooting it after Jose, if that's what you think. Oh no. As far as I'm concerned he's the future president of nowhere."
Holly: "Ah... Do I detect a look of disapproval in your eye? Tough beans buddy, 'cause that's the way it's gonna be."
What will Carrie Bradshaw wear in her upcoming leap to the big screen? This first image from the set reveals that the face that launched a thousand pairs of Manolos has opted for Dior sandals, a vintage dress -- I'm guessing circa late '50s, early '60s -- and gold bracelets from Verdu. Her bag, most interestingly, comes from designer Timmy Woods.
Timmy Woods? This Beverly Hills designer specializes in handcrafted wooden purses in shapes like horse heads, dice, and dachshunds. These are the types of bags that women like Liz Taylor or Nancy Reagan collect. The Eiffel Tower purse is available now on her website, ($338), and comes with a silk cord.
The designer carves her purses from fallen acacia trees and for each one that she uses, two more are planted. I prefer the equestrian-inspired "Horsy" bust ($320).
I like that Carrie has eschewed the $2,000 clutch that seems to be all the rage for fall. Burberry now offers a $3,000 "Knight" bag and I can only wonder when the purse market -- like our housing market here in Los Angeles -- will be due for a correction. That bubble needs to burst before we all go broke.
Aging is a bitch? Not when you happen to be a movie like "The Graduate," which debuted 40 years ago in 1967 and quite frankly, looks even better and resonates even louder today.
Take the famous line from Benjamin Braddock's neighbor, who may have been as much of a visionary as Frank Lloyd Wright. He says, "I just want to say one word to you -- one word: Plastics." Plastics, indeed. Who would have dreamed that Americans would spend $8.4 billion on synthetic fillers for furrows, collagen, liposuction and other cosmetic surgery four decades later?
Mrs. Robinson's style -- leopard coat, black, seamed stockings, and a head scarf -- holds up too. Clearly, she dressed like the predator she played. Feeling hungry? I wouldn't suggest that you molest the paperboy, but a stitch or two of animal print is always sexy. This season, designers are crazy for exotic prints and the stampede of fabrics and leathers include big cat, zebra, giraffe and a preponderance of ostrich.
Personally, I like these simple low-heeled pumps by Christian Louboutin ($770, Saks.com) because they show some toe decollete and look comfortable. (Cats should never stumble because their stilettos hurt.) Pricey? Yes, but these shoes -- much like the film -- are a bona fide classic. You could even slip them on in 40 years and take long, languorous strides.
For over 10 years, Monica Corcoran has reported on L.A. style and the city's ever increasing power as a trend setting mecca. In her past working lives, she has interviewed almost every A-list actress for InStyle magazine and covered the busy intersection of Hollywood and style for Variety. She also regularly wrote on L.A. nightlife and culture for the New York Times. Corcoran lives in West Hollywood with her husband and loathes marzipan, air kisses and bad manners.
Faye Dunaway's look in 'Bonnie and Clyde' never ceases to inspire me as autumn approaches. Those knit sweaters and that rakish beret
with her impeccable blond bob. Her hair gets more unkempt and wild as she and Clyde come closer to getting caught. I adore this trailer from the 1967 film for its sweet, romantic opening, the chic credits, and the deadpan
narration. "With the giggles still in their ears, they had bloodied up four states," says the voice over. 
Bonnie sticks mostly with great sweaters, v-neck blouses, and dresses throughout the film. This pullover ($88) -- in pumpkin -- from Anthropologie reminds me of her simple style. Same goes for this Catherine Maladrino black merino wool top ($395; net-a-porter.com) on the left that looks great over a short sleeved white blouse or even on its own. Add a pencil skirt and you're set. I also love these
crocheted berets from Urban Outfitters ($14.99), because they are perfectly suited for steamy L.A. nights.
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