Month: January 2018

The Best of the Red Carpet from the Grammy Awards 2018

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

In the annals of red carpet awards show fashion, the Grammys has generally not gotten a lot of love. The fashion press and high-glamour elites have traditionally tended to categorize the tastes of the music world as a bit garish, louche and lacking in refinement. The Grammy red carpet was considered to be “fun” – which was a very polite way of saying that it was not to be taken seriously, and perhaps even to be mocked. That began to change a few years ago, when artists like Rihanna crossed over into fashion as heads of their own collections, with stellar results. Street style infiltrated the highest echelons of the old-world fashion houses and the looks flew out the door. Perhaps the music world had a thing or two teach the fashion world, after all.

TWIST: This Week in Sports Talk January 28, 2018

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

You don’t love professional sports, but your livelihood and/or personal happiness depends upon your being able to converse intelligently about it. It’s a common dilemma with a simple solution: you need to learn a new language. You need to learn how to talk sports. And we’re here to help! The TWIST is our weekly Dandelion Chandelier guide to what’s happened on the field, on the court and on the ice. Every weekend you’ll find the three (and only three) things you need to know this coming week to speak cogently about professional sports with the boss, the gang at the office, your barber, your barista, your secret crush, or your in-laws. Do the TWIST every week and we promise you’ll know how to talk about sports like a champion.

The Best of the Paris High Jewelry Shows January 2018

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

Twice a year in Paris, as the haute couture apparel collections are being revealed, there’s a great deal of jewelry also being quietly unveiled in the haute joallarie presentations. In various venues across the city, from the opulent flagships of the Place Vendôme to grande dame hotels and small museums, spectacular new collections are shared discreetly with a global clientele. Each piece is one-of-a-kind, and can take up to 12 months to create. They’re brilliant examples of craftsmanship, on par with the fabulous gowns emerging from designer ateliers. As with the clothes, some of these will soon be seen on the Oscar red carpet or at the Met Gala. To dream a little dream, we decided to investigate the newest offerings from the world of high jewelry.

Which of the Elite Guidebooks is Best for Luxury Travel?

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

Planning an important luxury trip? Which of the ultra-sophisticated guidebooks will you use to help curate your stay? We’re not talking about the Fodor’s and Frommer’s of the world. We’re talking about the guide books that are written by refined, design-oriented brands that are luxurious in their own right. There are more to choose from than you might think. Our intrepid team of far-flung correspondents offered their top picks, and then we set about assessing which guide is right for which traveler (and for what kind of trip). Unless otherwise noted, all of these are available in both hard copy and digital versions that can be downloaded onto your smartphone or tablet. The good news? There’s a luxury travel guide out there for everyone.

The Best of the Paris Haute Couture Shows Spring 2018

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

The semi-annual haute couture shows in Paris – held each January and July – are at their core a study in contradictions. Clients and their stylists simultaneously demand clothes that are ethereal and fantastical, but also sufficiently functional to be worn by actual women, often on the red carpet. This year, the global mood is somber, and yet the essence of haute couture is escape, beauty and pleasure. Dreams meet reality, and art meets commerce, and it’s the rare designer who can satisfy the needs of both. This year, that’s further complicated by The Reckoning: #MeToo fashion is a fluid idea at the moment, sometimes requiring the color black, other times being expressed through powerful colors and silhouettes – and every now then, the flash of a slogan or a statement tee. Oh, and did we mention that haute couture prices are stratospheric? So while the designs must flatter, they must also represent the highest possible craftsmanship from the atelier. A $200,000+ dress has to be a truly unique work of art.