Auntie Fashion

Project Runway

Of all the things that make living in Canada a chore (the weather, Winnipeg, the NDP, Rita MacNeil), the worst has to be waiting for “Project Runway” to premiere.  With every single episode being blogged about incessantly, it’s difficult to avoid spoilers.  Still, I’d rather watch the show knowing what’s going to happen next than not watch it at all.  It’s that good!

Anyway, the wait is almost over.  Season 7 premieres Saturday, February 6 on Slice.  Let’s hope that there’s another Kenley Collins in the mix . . .

Portia de Rossi

Happy birthday, Portia de Rossi.  This look is classic Christina Aguilera ca. 2000.  That reminds me: “RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 2” premieres tomorrow!

Cover: March 1993

Context: Janet Reno is confirmed by the US Senate on March 11, becoming the first female Attorney General of the United States.  Intel ships the first Pentium chips on March 22.  On March 29, “Unforgiven” wins for Best Picture at the 65th Academy Awards.  While filming “The Crow,” actor Brandon Lee is accidentally shot and killed on March 31.

Points of Interest: Featured designer Susie Tompkins was a founding member of Esprit.  Her San Francisco apartment served as an early headquarters for the company.

What Tyra Would Say: “The point of this photo shoot was to smize.  Unfortunately, Agnes took the bait when I had our production team leave a case of wine beside the hot tub in the Top Model house, and she didn’t get much sleep last night.  Hence, the sunglasses . . .”.

What Auntie Fashion Says: This cover says “1993″ in so many ways.  I can remember owning the same sunglasses about this time and listening to “The Chronic” by Dr. Dre, although those two events are not necessarily related.

Grade: B+.

Christian Bale

Happy birthday, Christian Bale.  Remember the good old days, before everyone was scared of you?

Diane Kruger

You know, I thought that I was going to notice the absence of Christian Lacroix at the couture shows, but I really didn’t.  I had to remind myself that he didn’t show a collection since his company went belly up.  That got me thinking about previous collections and the label in general.  I tried to recall a famous “red carpet moment” featuring a signature look from Lacroix, but I couldn’t come up with anything in particular.  In fact, the only thing that came to mind was this dress that I saw only days ago.

I can name dozens of dresses by dozens of designers, from the relatively obscure to those gowns that live in our collective consciousness, but I can’t remember a single iconic Lacroix look.  In twenty years when a naive, yet earnest journalist rediscovers the Lacroix archive and starts to tell us stories of the legend of Lacroix, I’ll have to bring that up.   I sense that the history of this label is going to be revised.

Frankly, I’ve already forgotten it.

Adam Lambert

Happy birthday, Adam Lambert.  Hey, you know what would be funny?  If you stopped in the middle of ”The Star-Spangled Banner” to kiss your guitar player.  Or maybe not . . .

Gaultier Couture

If I never had to watch another ready-to-wear show again, I’d be happy because I’d still have couture.  Every season I’m amazed that I can still be dazzled by designers when I believe that I’ve already seen everything there is to be seen.  Yesterday I gushed over Giorgio Armani’s moon maidens, and today I’m going loco over Jean Paul Gaultier’s senoritas.

The entire collection was signature Gaultier, but what surprised me the most was the inclusion of the basket woven dresses that appeared to be on the verge of unravelling.  They reminded me of my favorite Gaultier dresses ever: A select group of  fabrics that disintegrated into fuzzy, frothy confections.  I understand why reviewers point out the technical specs of every single piece on the spectacular Chanel Couture runway, yet they never seem to have the impact of Gaultier’s best individual pieces.  I’ll remember this dress forever.  It doesn’t hurt that Kim Noorda’s wearing, either.  Jeez, she’s pretty . . .

Nicole Fox

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that ANTM Cycle 13 winner Nicole Fox has landed the 2011 S/S Alexander McQueen campaign.  Just a couple of days ago I blogged that the current McQueen campaign starring Raquel Zimmermann and a pile of snakes is one of the most beautiful and most memorable fashion images I’ve ever seen.

Now I’m waiting to wake up, or to hear that this news story has been discredited as a hoax.  A real high-fashion campaign for an ANTM winner?  Tyra’s going to be telling us stories about this one for another thirteen cycles!  “When Nicole was eighteen and trying out for Top Model . . .”.

Elijah Wood & Shirley Manson

Happy birthday, Elijah Wood.  I’m sure that you’re sick of hearing it, but that fashion shoot with Shirley Manson must have been the highlight of your career — even bigger than those hobbit movies.  I mean she’s Shirley Manson.  Shirley Manson!

Armani Privé

Just the other day I wrote a post accusing Giorgio Armani of being perennially crabby.  He always seems to be complaining about something.  Well, maybe it’s because his zodiac sign is Cancer, the crab.

In my friend Greg Polkosnik’s book, “Cosmically Chic: Discovering Your Fashion Style through Astrology,” Greg desiginates Armani as the designer who exemplifies the qualities of sign of Cancer through his runway creations.  Greg should be feeling good about his ten-year-old title today now that Armani has presented a couture collection inspired by Cancer’s ruling planet, the moon.

Once again, I was awestruck by the dazzling modernity of the show.  That gown!  Last year at this time, Armani Privé had me gushing about the clothes and posting photos for an entire month afterward.  As sure as the moon wanes and waxes, I know I’ll do the same again.  Giorgio Armani might indeed be a crab, but as relatively recent addition to the world of couture, he certainly isn’t a fish out of water.