New York Fashion Week- Oscar De La Renta

New York Fashion Week is in full swing, and with the Oscars quickly approaching this Sunday, we have our eye on what might hit the red carpet.

With the new Creative Director, Peter Copping for Oscar De La Renta, all eyes were on him as we wondered whether he’d stay true to the legacy of ODLR, if he’d change it completely and birth a brand new ODLR or, if it was a mix of both. The results?

ODLR2Super chic and classic, wearable cocktail garments that any woman would love. But, we wanted to see the showstoppers. The gowns, the red carpet pieces we’d be sure to see at the Oscars.

ODLR4Perfection. Peter, we’ve got to hand it to you— if this is how you continue to reign at ODLR, we’d say you’ve got quite the bright future ahead of you. Oscar would be very, very proud.

 

Jim Verraros for Bridal Expo Chicago Luxury

Elie Saab Couture Spring 2014 Review

I have been a huge fan of Elie Saab for quite some time and first saw a gown from his collection on the Red Carpet about 5 years ago. Every season seems better than the last. The decadent, rich beading and embroideries always have me thinking “royalty.” His newest collection ranged from beaded lace sheaths to full skirted ombre ball gowns, and once again, Elie Saab left us breathless as models walked down the runway.

Elie1The show opened with gowns in a soft blush color, all intricately detailed with pearls, lace and crystal which gave you a taste of the theme behind the entire show and what might come next.

Elie2Then, Elie transitioned us into a white evening collection; any of which could have easily been slightly tweaked into a modern and spectacular bridal gown. Sleeves, one-shouldered gowns, peplums and his signature skinny belts brought definition and life to each piece.

Elie3Next, gowns in a magnificent and vivid shade of red waltzed down the runway, exuding a kind of sophistication and polish Elie’s always been well known for.  Many of the pieces had a two-toned effect with the use of red crystals and embellishments which harnessed the light in a most lovely way.

Elie4Transitioning from red to a citrine, these silhouettes were given the signature Elie treatment of embroidery, beading and floral details that were unexpected and playful.

Elie5The next color story was told in Hydrangea Blue and Lilac, this time using soft tulle and multiple layers of beading and hand-cut floral details in each gown that took us into a soft and dreamy state of evening looks. Then…

Elie6…I went into anaphylactic shock. Taking a departure from his still gorgeous monochromatic looks, we saw colors starting with black fading into an ombré pattern of blush, violet, lilac, blue and white. These gowns were utter perfection, and when the Oscars are presented this March, I fully expect SOMEONE (Sandra Bullock, are you listening?) to don one of these superbly craft gowns on the red carpet.

Elie7Continuing with his ombre´ scheme, we were given black fading into grey and then white. Any of these magnificent creations would make for a stellar awards show gown.

Elie8These ombre´ chiffon gowns literally floated down the runway. The photos truly don’t do these gowns the justice they deserve. (another anaphylactic shock moment for me)

Elie9Staying true to an Elie Saab tradition, he ended the runway show with a spectacular veiled bridal ball gown and was the perfect finish to an overall breathtaking collection. By far, Elie delivered one of his most sensational collections.  It was perhaps, also one of his most “out-of-the-box,” presentations.  In essence, this collection was one I was truly most looking forward to seeing and I was left unconscious by the end of it.

{All runway photos courtesy Yannnis Vlamos/Indigitalimages.com for Style.com}

If you’re dying to see these gowns in actual movement, I urge you to stop whatever it is you’re doing, lock yourself in a room and click here:

 

Jim Verraros for Bridal Expo Chicago Luxury

2012 Red Carpet Fashion Fails

No ‘End of Year’ blog would be complete without a fashion roundup. There were so many fabulous red carpet moments that it is hard to find a top five or even ten to highlight. However, the really, really hideous ones are not only less in number but, also really standout this year!

First, let me state for the record that bad red carpet fashion does not include outfits that are intentionally designed to shock or be a costume. Any Halloween outfit even for a charity ball is automatically excluded, any outfit by Lady Gaga or Niki Minaj or Madonna or Elton John is automatically excluded. This helps to level the playing field. Seriously – if you are trying to look ridiculous, it shoudln’t count.

My pick for the 5 Worst Red Carpet Fasions of 2012:

 

Stella McCartney in Stella McCartney. Really? There is really nothing nice to say about this puckered, weird, ill-fitting jumpsuit, so I won’t even try.

 

 

Florence Welch in Alexander McQueen. I get that she is an artsy actress and very intense and all….. but, yikes! Somebody buy this woman a full length mirror.

 Fantasia Barrino in a hot, sequined, mess. I wonder why I couldn’t find any name associated with the designer of this gown. Hmmm… Maybe nobody would admit they had anything to do with it?

Fergie in Jean Paul Gaultier. At home this may have seemed risky, edgy and really avant garde. On the red carpet it was absolutely hideous. The worst part is that she is really a total knockout. 

 

Beyonce in Givenchy Haute Couture. #1 – this is the Met Gala. #2 – the inner part is like a bodysuit made of sheer nude fabric that is puckered and bunched up in places. This is perfect for a Halloween gala but nothing else.

 

 

 

 

Make your 2013 New Years Resolution to read Bridal Expo’s blog every day and like us on facebook for up-to-date tips, trends and specials on all things bridal and wedding related!

Happy New Year

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

2012 Emmy Awards – Red Carpet Fashion!

The award ceremony is over, the gowns and tuxedos either sent off to the cleaners, returned to the designers or draped over the back of a chair. But, the fun has just begun, because the “What were they thinking?” portion of the program has taken over and it’s time for us to take a peek at the hits and misses at last night’s Emmy Awards.

I have broken it down into three categories; Belts, Boobs and Breathtaking

BELTS :

Julia Loius Dreyfus in Vera Wang; ditch the belt and you have a winner. Love the neckline.

64th Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals

Jessica Pare nailed it with this Grecian inspired gown by Jason Wu featuring a tiny black belt.

64th Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals

 

Michelle Dockery looks as if she suffered a dramatic weight loss since her last fitting. The belt does nothing for this Loius Vuitton gown and the gown does nothing for her.

64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals

Sarah Paulsen’s Reem Acra gown was jaw-dropping on her. The belt broke up some of the details in the shimmering lace appliques and made the dress more interesting.

Sarah Paulson

Boobs:

Actually Christina Hendricks falls into the Boobs and Belts categories. Can you guess why? The belt is too big and her bust is too enormous for this not-so-flattering Christian Siriano gown. When she said it was “Old Hollywood” I am assuming she meant Mae West.

64th Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals

Morena Baccarin need some more tape to keep things in check. In reality this gown would look best on someone who has a nearly flat chest, otherwise you appear to have “pancake boob”.

64th Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals

Kat Dennings posture was the most important accessory she wore last night. One false move and either one of ( or both) of her knockers would have come flying out. Not the right dress or maybe just a bad fit?

64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals

Sofia Vergara was positively shimmery in her gown by Zuhair Murad. The problem? Aside from the fact that she looked like a Miss Universe contestant, there was too much side-boob. Plus, did she just jump out of the shower and throw on a beaded gown? Spend some time on your hair! You are gorgeous and you can wear anything but, you have been around long enough to know that you need to step it up. Next year- we all expect you to  bring it!

Sofia Vergara

Breathtaking:

Jane Fallon,  longtime girlfriend of host Ricky Gervais had the right gown for her figure, in the right color for her skin and a perfect fit. Love everything about it.

64th Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals

Julianna Hough was showstopping in a seafoam green beaded gown by Georges Hobeika. This gown was simply gorgeous; the cut, the detail, the color – LOVE IT!

Julianne Hough

January Jones took a serious fashion risk with the Zac Posen gown. Looking as if it was made entirely of horsehair braid, this gown is a work of art. Not like one of those  Lady Gaga ‘artsy’ gowns made of meat  but, a gown that is so well constructed and so well thought out that it almost has the opposite effect: to appear to be thrown together. Look at it again. Look at it again. It is a work of art and it fits magnificently. She dropped the ball by not accessorizing, wear clunky shoes and not doing something a little more deserving with her hair. When you wear a piece like this you have to go the extra mile.

64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Arrivals

Who were you favorites from the 2012 Emmy awards?

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

People’s Choice Awards – Winners and Losers

Was it just me or was the fashion at the People’s Choice Awards all over the map? Someone should define whether it is formal, semi-formal, black tie or what! I don’t mind seeing a more casual awards ceremony but, I hate seeing some women in very formal gowns while others dress for a PTA meeting. People…. get this in order before I  blow a fuse,  its too confusing to me!

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I will let you be the judge and keep the commentary to a minimum. Here are my top winners and losers from the 2012 People’s Choice Awards.

WINNERS:
Host Kaley Cuoco in a peach Badgley Mischka. Gorgeous!

Neil Patrick Harris – Just because he always looks great and is perfectly dressed for an ambiguous dress code.

 

 

Lea Michele in MARCHESA. Strands and strands of tiny white beads draped and sewn into a fringe. The only word is MAGNIFICENT!

Nina Dobrev in head-to-toe green Elie Saab. Beautiful dress, although she lost me with her shoe choice.

LOSERS:

Miley Cyrus wore a white halter dress by David Koma. Looks like she bought this off the sale rack at the mall, next to the place that sells lava lamps and incense.

 

 

 

Chloe Moretz is in a Proenza Schouler black and green ruched knee-length sleeveless shift. Lifeless.

Lucy Hale in a black asymmetrical Cengiz Abazoglu dress with a beaded bodice. Busy.

 

 

Demi Lovato wearing  very formal Marchesa gown in a tangerine sorbet hue. A bit much, maybe. I still don’t know the dress code.

 

 

 

Last but not least – the worst look of the night (in my opinion) was Sharon Osbourne wearing what appears to be a futuristic tube of toothpaste. Actually it is just a shapeless floor length gown made of either sequins or aluminum foil. BLAH.

 

What were your best and worst picks from the People’s Choice Awards?

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

Crimes of Fashion – 2011 Red Carpet Faux Pas

The E! Fashion Police headed by the always irreverent Joan Rivers have released their top ‘Fashion Felons of  2011’ and I have to say I can’t agree more. For crimes of fashion so severe it will take a  phone call  from the governor to be pardoned, these  women have 12 months to reclaim their fashion status and endless walks down the red carpet to erase the memory of their 2011 faux pas.  Without further adieu, the envelope please:

7. Jennifer Lopez consistently makes the best dressed list but, not in this white beaded cape getup. The problem is that there is no reason for this cape. The beads make the sheer fabric look heavy and begs the question, “Why would anyone would wear a sheer tablecloth with heavy beading?”

6. Rihanna choice for the Grammys this year was Jean Paul Gaultier. Gaultier is best known for his bustier look and outfitting Madonna so, I’m not sure at what point this gown seemed like a good idea. I sincerely doubt if event he Material Girl herself would attempt to pull off this ruffled tragedy. But, I’m talking about it so I guess that is the whole point.

 

 

5. Nicole Kidman  wore a gown to the Oscars that was out of this world… and not in a good way. Futuristic, yet reminiscent of a bad 1980’s  gown, this Christian Dior peplum gown was not red carpet worthy. Someone please explain to me why she wore red shoes.

4. Cierra Wilson wore an Emilio Pucci to the VMAs. In addition to wearing the wrong shoes, this gown is probably the worst representation of an iconic design house that I have ever seen.

3. Nicki Minaj showed up to the Grammys in a head-to-toe leopard outfit she described as “a masterpiece by Givenchy, a miraculous piece of lioness meets her cub meets fierce-ocity meets fabulosity meets fashionista meets everything.” She was dead wrong.

2.  Helena Bonham Carter loves to dress up, or is it play dress up? Her appearance at the Golden Globes in a Vivenne Westwood tulle, print, draped bodice monstrosity was nothing compared to her mismatched shoes. Interestingly enough she has another pair at home just like them.

1. Princess Beatrice wore a fairly ordinary outfit to her cousin, Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton last April. What was not ordinary was her fascinator (hat) created by milliner-to the stars Phillip Treacy.  Compared to everything from a part of the female anatomy to an octopus, this hat even launched it’s own facebook page. The outcome- someone paid $131,648  when the hat was auctioned on eBay, all proceeds going to UNICEF. It seems she redeemed herself in the end.

Who were your choices for the worst offenders of 2011?

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

 

VMA Red Carpet – Who Wore What and Why?

Awards ceremonies are one of my guilty pleasures. I love seeing what celebrities will show up wearing and seriously… I love the ‘don’ts’ as much as the ‘dos’, the hits, misses and the inconceivable. This is actually one of my favorite of the awards ceremoinies since the performers almost always dress like creative artists and not Miss America contestants. Although I adore  gorgeous gowns, I also crave the unusual and I cannot imagine an awards ceremony where someone doesn’t look like a circus performer. Last night’s Video Music Awards was no disappointment.

Breaking News: Britney Spears either fired her stylist immediately before or should have done so immediately after the awards last night. She looked great: fit, blonde and perky. Her outfit – boring and taseteless. Great accessories and shoes could have saved this adorable dress but there was nothing, nothing, nothing glam or fab about the overall look.

Lady Gaga /Jo Calderone – I don’t get it. If you are going to dress like a man, at least wear something worthy of your caliber of creativity.

Beyonce – Congratulations on your pregnancy. Now, go back to Lanvin and tell them you don’t want something that looks like it came out of the Golden Girls wardrobe closet… or the Commodores.

Jessie J – Love her bedazzled crutches,  hair and makeup were flawless but, the rest of the outfit is lacking in continuity. Forget the fact that it is a Vegas showgirl-on-a budget costume ( not even a  good one)  but, what is with  the super opaque support pantyhose?

Kim Kardashian’s gown was a disaster… on her. This is not a good dress  for a short, voluptuous woman and I can’t get past the wrinkled nude portion of the back of the dress.

Nicki Minaj? There is not one single part of this that made sense. Is the mask part of a tribute to Michael Jackson or was she recently exposed to SARS? None of this makes any sense. If you can’t do ‘Lady Gaga’ right, don’t do it at all. All I know is that if she walked past my dogs with that ‘train’ of what appears to be squeaky toys,  she might have a fight on her hands.

Justin Beiber has a really cute face. So cute he could easily look feminine…. but not if he is carrying a mini-snake and wearing a brooch, right? I don’t think his attempt at wearing gold chains was a huge success, either. The only thing missing is his mother’s gold charm bracelet. Wait….. never mind.

Miley Cyrus’ gown was way too old for her and did not fit properly. I did liek the dress, just not on her.

Last but not least (GOD FORBID) the cast of Jersey Shore was on hand to prove that less is not more. Whether it is bronzer, bruises, sequins, profanity or alcohol, the women of this reality show prove that you can take the girl out of inappropriate situations but you can’t take the inappropriate response out of the girl.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

The Oscars 2011 – Best Dressed

No, it wasn’t just you, the Oscars were little odd this year. It was as if there was a huge inside joke that everyone knew and as everyone waited for the punch line with great anticipation ……. it never came. However, this years fashions did not disappoint. 

 I loved seeing Tim Gunn on the red carpet. This is exactly where he belongs. He asks all the right questions  and he saves the acting talk for the interviewers with bigger chops.  I have been tuning in since I was a small girl merely to see what the stars will be wearing so,  the red carpet is my favorite part of the show!

Penny’s Picks for  best dressed:

Mila Kunis – The biggest shocker of the night for me was how much I loved this Elie Saab couture gown. The only reason so many design elements (lace, ruffles, draped chiffon, blouson top) work on this gown is because it was constructed impeccably, like a work of art. Every fold, every drape, every small lace ruffle is sewn to perfection.  Mila made every one’s top ten list in this designer gown, and the top of my top ten list. Surprised? Me, too!

Natalie Portman – Although I feel she lost it in the accessory department (hello, beaded tassels?), the purple Rodarte gown looked magnificent and comfortable enough for the mom-to-be to carry home a  small statuette and a  bun in the oven. 

Anne Hathaway – Most critics were all over her red Valentino gown, accusing the star of wearing her window treatments, etc. I disagree for two reasons – the fit was perfect and it was pure Valentino couture.  In addition, each and every gown that she wore during her multiple costume changes was A+ with the exception of the midnight blue Versace. I thought it fell flat.

Gyyneth Paltrow – Again, I disagree with most critics. Her gown was sleek, cool and totally retro. She was not nominated and was there to look good. She did!

Sharon Stone – Carried off  the Black Swan theme to perfection in this one-shouldered Christian Dior gown, regardless off how the critics slammed her smoky eyes. I thought she looked magnificent for a woman of any age.

Jennifer Hudson -Was a vision in Versace. The tangerine color looked marvelous with her skintone and the fit was unbelievable. The side drape and fitted bodice showed off her stunning slim physique.  In all fairness, she was stunning when she won her own Oscar and was much heavier. *Memo to her stylist – “make sure the cleavage is the same color as the chest.”

Mandy Moore – Her Monique Lhullier gown was breathtaking. The fit and the detail  of this champagne/nude gown reminds us that this little girl is all grown up and also that Monique Lhullier can do no wrong. Her bridal gowns are equally as impressive.

Hailee Stanfield – Also wow’d the crowd in her champagne/ nude creation by Marchesa. She opted for a fuller, ballerina-length skirt which is extremely flattering and appropriate for a young woman at the age of 14.

Sandra Bullock – America’s sweetheart proves once again that she can  look red hot on the red carpet with this  amazing red Vera Wang gown. But, we already knew that. Her makeup and accessories were  toned down leading me to believe that she and her stylist agreed -when you look this good in this gown, you don’t need any extra help.

 Hilary Swank – This Gucci Premiere couture gown is pure Hollywood glamour. Hand sewn crystals,  ostrich feathers – who knew this much detail could be so sexy?  Grey is not an easy color to wear but,  Ms. Swank pulls it off effortlessly.

Celine Dion – She had twins? In this simple, fitted Armani Prive gown it is hard to imagine she has given birth to one child, much less three.  The slim fitting gown had an absolutely perfect fit for her, the horizontal darts accentuated her toned physique and the only detail on the gown (other than the silk shantung fabric) was a small band that seemed to help the gown curve perfectly over her bust-line.  Was it just me or did this necklace remind anyone else of the gargantuan blue diamond stunner she wore when she sang the theme from Titanic?

Tune in tomorrow for my picks for the Worst Dressed at the 2011 Oscars. In the mean time, you can click  on this link  to view Bridal Expo’s very own red carpet couture runway show!  https://www.bridalshowexpo.com/fos_video_bride.html?PHPSESSID=c2893cac5707631701337f218a200fd2

 – Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago