Confessions of a Shopaholic

When I began studying film, I discovered more than a few lessons translated nicely from the English literature degree. Beginning classes in both disciplines emphasized the “educate, enlighten and entertain” mantra of “art.”

And although savvier teachers hung bolder missions/verbs on art later in my education, the three E’s still aren’t a bad place to start, especially when you’re dealing with something as fluffy as “Confessions of a Shopaholic.”

I learned all kinds of things from P.J. Hogan’s mashup of Sophie Kinsella’s books “Confessions of a Shopaholic” and “Shopaholic Takes Manhattan.” I learned America’s economy is in the toilet! I learned Scandinavian men enjoy being slapped! And I learned the Cinderella story will always be marketable as long as pretty people, pretty clothes and pretty endings give us what we really want — escapism. (The fourth E-word you learn after you graduate!) Read more from he Source  (more…)

Oscar fashion preview

Charcoal gray, platinum and white gowns paired with diamonds dominated a preview of red carpet Oscar fashions on Tuesday, recalling the glamour and understated elegance of old Hollywood stars like Grace Kelly.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organizes the Oscars, focused its annual preview on seven up-and-coming designers who are vying to have their original gowns worn onstage at the Academy Awards on February 22.

The contestants were not instructed to use particular colors, but Oscar fashion coordinator Patty Fox said a palette emerged from the group that she called “Hollywood Silver.”

“Maybe it’s like silver screen. We’ve got a lot of platinums, we’ve got charcoal grays, light grays, ice colors, some black touches for definition,” Fox said.

Fox declined, however, to link the muted colors to the economic recession that has many Americans pinching pennies.

“I hope the economy does not reflect on Oscar night because it is just one night to feel great,” she said. (more…)

Hello Kitty and Barbie

Hello Kitty is taking on Barbie for the title of most fashionable plaything. There is not a designer worth his polyester who hasn’t spent a little too much time obsessing over dolls, so it is perhaps less surprising than tasteless to find fashion folk falling all over themselves to dress Barbie and Ms. Kitty for Fashion Week events.

Barbie, who turns 50 next month, is having a runway show on Feb. 14 in Bryant Park, with Barbie-inspired clothes by one group of designers.

Hello Kitty was set to show off looks by another group at a party Thursday night given by MAC, which has also created a new Hello Kitty cosmetics collection.

Marketing ploys, indeed, but they do raise the question: Who’s the bigger fashionista? (more…)