As hectic as our schedule was with all the award shows, parties and gift lounges the week leading up to the Academy Awards, we made sure to make time for QVC’s Red Carpet Style party at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. At the annual event, we caught up with several celebs who have new lines for the shopping channel and other stars eager to check out the items.
While we’re always curious to see who takes home an Academy Award, this year’s big winners were fairly predictable — or so we thought when we filled out our annual Oscars pool sheet. The parade of fashions was the best reason to tune in, and by and large the stars walking the red carpet did not disappoint.
When the third season of Project Runway aired, we were pulling for designer Laura Bennett to win the reality TV fashion design competition. Though she lost to edgy L.A. designer Jeffrey Sebelia, we preferred Bennett’s elegant designs and twists on the classic silhouette, and we admired the seemingly effortless style and cool poise always exuded by the mother of six (during the taping, she discovered she was pregnant with child No. 6).
With a rainbow of vibrant color, dramatic silhouettes and a blinding array of megawatt gems, the 69th Annual Golden Globes red carpet was a feast for our fashion-hungry eyes.
We’re big believers in second chances, so we’re thrilled that some of our favorite Project Runway designers who were eliminated from the show are getting another shot on Project Runway All Stars, premiering on Lifetime tonight at 9 p.m. ET. Mondo Guerra, Austin Scarlett, Rami Kashou, Anthony Williams, Kara Janx and eight other returning favorites will vie for the title and prizes including $100,000 cash, $100,000 in technology and office space, a feature and yearlong guest editorship in Marie Claire, and a showcase boutique at Neiman Marcus stores and online.
Every now and then, when we have 15 or so browser windows open at the same time, we feel a bit overwhelmed, like we’re in the technology loop skit in Portlandia. But ’tis the season for giveaways, and Twitter, Facebook and our email inbox yielded some opportunities we want to share — all on one handy page.
When selecting holiday gifts this year, we found that some of the best were those that benefit good causes. Some of our favorites are featured in “A Gift for Giving” in the latest issue of VIVmag, but we wanted to call your attention to a few more worthy picks.
A few years ago, we noticed an ongoing trend of high-end designers creating lower-priced lines for budget stores, such as Target and Kohl’s. Since the start of this fashion-for-all movement, there have been many high-profile collaborations with H&M, the Swedish retailer that prides itself on offering fashionable items at affordable prices; Jimmy Choo, Sonia Rykiel, Stella McCartney, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons and Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz have all created collections for the store. The next H&M designer collection is with Italian label Versace, released in the U.S. on Nov. 19 in select stores.
Tired of our iPod’s shuffle mode, we decided to listen to our songs alphabetically, A-Z. For this undertaking, we need just the right headphones that provide both great sound and comfort, with earbuds that stay nicely in place. (We don’t want one falling out on an inopportune track, lest the stray strains of Winger or the Spice Girls suddenly embarrass us on the train.) Thankfully, we discovered HerPhones ($24.99), petite earphones designed to stay securely in place. And 10 lucky winners will receive HerPhones of their own!
We’re looking forward to not only seeing how the ninth season of Project Runway wraps up tonight on Lifetime, but also watching the debut of Project Accessory, a competition for designers of shoes, handbags, jewelry and other accessories. The spinoff, which airs after the Runway finale, is hosted by actor/model Molly Sims, who is joined at the judges’ table by Kenneth Cole, In Style editor Ariel Foxman and, for the premiere episode, guest judge Debra Messing.
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