All posts tagged: FASHION

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.

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.

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.

The Best of the Red Carpet from the SAG Awards 2018

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

The SAG Awards on Sunday saw the return to color on the red carpet after the all-black attire at the Golden Globes. What style lessons can we learn from the evening’s standout looks? Our first observation is that #MeToo fashion can take many forms, in many colors. What seemed to unite the sartorial choices for the evening was a sense of ease and confidence, and a lack of coquettishness. Women of all ages, sizes, ethnicities and colors radiated a cool, assured and sometimes regal presence, and very few seemed to be concerned with pleasing the male eye. These women collectively looked elegant, interesting, graceful, fierce, smart, fresh and happy, and that said it all. Circa 2018, the way to own the red carpet is by owning your own space.

The Best of the Spring 2018 Designer Collaborations

Published by Pamela Thomas-Graham

If designer fashion collaborations are any guide, the fate of the world may not be as dire as current headlines indicate. Listening to the constant drumbeat of conflict and trash-talking on the global stage, one might assume that building camaraderie across disparate cultures is a tragically lost art. But take hope, dear reader. Just this month, all kinds of mash-ups and collaborations are happening in the worlds of fashion, music and art. If cultures can collide and create such fantastic outcomes in these spheres, perhaps the diplomats and world leaders can learn a thing or two. Consider these unlikely pairings and cool connections in just the first few months of 2018: