Bravo photos From left are some Season 5 “Project Runway” contestants, from left, Kenley, Jerry and Wesley.
Season 5 of “Project Runway,” the last with Bravo before it moves to Lifetime, starts up tonight. You can go to www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway to check out the latest crop of designers.
My sister emails from New York that she helped one of the contestants, Kenley, with her application last year and though she didn’t make it at that time, the judges liked her and welcomed her back this year.
Don’t know if she’ll make it though. Right now, all I can look at are their influences, and hers — Coco Chanel, Betsey Johnson and Edith Head — are all across the map. There’s no coherence to the mix.
Other designers had the usual suspect list of influences, veering toward the theatrical: Thierry Mugler, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, John Galliano. With these candidates, I picture bombast and a lack of taste and sophistication.
I’m curious to see what Jerry from Montana (influences: Martin Margiela, Rick Owens and Calvin Klein) and Wesley from Massachusetts (influences: Jeanne Lanvin, Marc Jacobs and Cristobal Balenciaga) will do.
It’s been noted on Twitter that no one from Hawaii has made it onto the show. Sorry, I’m not surprised.
I enjoy Fashion Indie’s “Before They Had Stylists” feature, like these pictures of Kanye. Need I say which is the before and after? THAT’S entertainment!
You can go to http://fashionindie.com/category/style/before-they-had-stylists/
Sorry I couldn’t light it up for you, the Wordpress link function isn’t working right now.
Joker T-shirts are featured in the window at Hot Topic. (Sorry about the reflections but they were behind glass.)
With the long-awaited debut of the latest Batman film, “The Dark Knight,” this weekend, Hot Topic is offering a promotion in which those who spend $20 on any Dark Knight merchandise from the store will receive a voucher good for $8 off your ticket to see the movie. That would be pretty close to seeing the movie free if you were planning to pick up some merch anyway.
They say the voucher will be accepted at Consolidated and Regal Cinemas here.I was walking by the store and of course the image of Heath Ledger as the Joker caught my eye. I had been waiting to see this movie since it was announced that he would play the Joker. It makes me sad now. If he were alive today, the T-shirts would be great marketing; now such things feel a little macabre and exploitive. I’m know I’m going to miss him forever.
OK you fabulous costume lovers, Lesa Griffith, over at the Honolulu Academy of Arts sends word that the academy will be hosting a Classic American Musical Costume Contest extravaganza at the end of the month in celebration of the film series, “Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance: Classic American Movie Musicals.”
How many other times will you have a legitimate reason to dress like Carmen Miranda?
The series starts July 27 with Busby Berkeley’s Carmen Miranda romp “The Gang’s All Here.” Channel your inner Ethel or Carmen and bust out your fruity, frou-frou Technicolor get ups for the 7:30 p.m. screening in the Doris Duke Theatre. The contest winner will receive four free passes to the theater.
Otherwise, non-members will pay $7; $6 seniors, students, military; $5 museum members; $3 for children under 12.
I tell you now so you can get a head start on those costumes. Happening a little closer are screenings of four classic films by Japanese animation genius Hayao Miyazaki. Starts July 12 with “My Neighbor Totoro.” The other animated films are “Porco Rosso,” “Spirited Away” and “Howl’s Moving Castle.”
Call 532-3033 for more info. See the full film schedules here.
ABC photo The happy couple, DeAnna Pappas and Jesse Csincsak.
I wasn’t going to post anything on “The Bachelorette,” but you know how after the finales people sometimes just want to talk about it, and some people were snooping around doing searches for the show, so I thought I’d add my 2 cents.
I started watching the series after Andy Baldwin’s turn, so I’ve been keeping up with poor DeAnna’s story since she was ditched by her bachelor Brad.
What’s funny is how the audience can get so involved and feel like we’re getting to know the bachelors as well, though I think the premise is a little weird. It’s like sending a person into an office of 30 people and saying, “OK, fall in love with one person.” It’s kind of eww-y, not to mention limiting. I’m so thankful to be in a relationship. I think in the past 10 years I’ve only met two people I’ve been attracted to. One was gay; one was like Ashton to my Demi and as cool as it may be to find a guy who’s not ageist. I don’t think a big age difference works for most women. As smart, creative, gorgeous and interesting as this guy was, when he talked about stuff it was all the sort of thing I’d already been through. Having been there, done that, I have no need of repeating any stage of my life. In Hollywood, freedom and financial stability can be great equalizers. In the real world, you really want to be in the same place. Or at least I do.
So DeAnna’s choosing snowboarder Jesse over stable Jason made sense to me. Both seem like such great guys. With Jason I could see her settling into comfortable, happy routine. With Jesse, there was more of a sense that, at 26, they are both in the same place and that life would be an adventure in terms of personal growth and building a life together.
Of course we hate unrequited love and lack of closure to our stories, so one poster has already suggested that ABC make Jason the next bachelor. That would be great. He deserves a second chance like DeAnna.
A few months ago I put a notice of a toilet-paper wedding gown contest in the paper and it’s paying off for finalist Ann Kagawa Lee, who already won a trip to New York for final judging of her creation at the Ripley’s Believe it or Not! museum.
That’s so great! It was an oddball kind of item, but having been inspired by a T-paper gown game at The Wedding Cafe and The Bridal Boutique at the time, I figured that creating toilet-paper wedding gowns is just one more of our citizenry’s many talents.
Putting things in the paper involves some guesswork as to what people will want to read/what they should read, but it’s worthwhile if an item does get the right person to respond.
Go Ann!
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Russell Tanoue is putting out the call to vote for dancer Mark Kanemura.
Speaking of talent, a more traditional kind involves the Fox reality competition, “So You Think You Can Dance?” Photographer Russell Tanoue has launched the campaign to vote for local dancer Mark Kanemura, who’s made it into the top 18 so far.
The program airs at 7 p.m. today, the 18th, with the voting period following the show, and elimination tomorrow at 8 p.m. It’s one of my favorite shows because the dancers are so talented and the choreography is amazing.
The girls have taken a back seat to the guys in past years, but look really strong this year. The guys are more technically trained than ever, but better watch out!
www.junkoyoshioka.com Junko Yoshioka designs wedding gowns and evening wear and we’ll be seeing her creation for Loretta Ables Sayre Sunday night.
There’s a lot of downsides to fame, but one of the perks is being dressed by designers in garments made just for you.
Loretta Ables Sayre, nominated for a Tony for her role as Bloody Mary in Broadway’s “South Pacific,” will be attending the Sunday awards ceremony in a full-sweep gown by Junko Yoshioka, made of chiffon and silk faille, in teal. The awards telecast will be at 7 p.m. on KGMB/CBS.
Don’t have a picture of it, but you know how stars love to keep us surprised.
Junko has also dressed Jessica Alba, Helen Hunt, Claire Forlani, and Courtney Ford for her wedding to “Superman” Brandon Routh.
Nadine Kam photos Clinton Kelly, of TV’s “What Not to Wear,” received a warm welcome from petites and non-petites alike at Macy’s.
Petite women had a lot of their style questions answered by Clinton Kelly at Macy’s Ala Moana June 7 when the co-host of TLC’s “What Not to Wear” presented a brief fashion show and style workshop.
Poor thing, he’s from New York City where walking 20 to 40 blocks is no big deal and quite pleasurable given all the sights and wonderful places to stop along the way, whether you want to shop or eat. So he thought he could walk from Waikiki to the mall. Well, he didn’t count on Hawaii’s intense sun and lack of shady, inviting sidewalks. So he was hot and exhausted when he got there, but did his showman’s best in entertaining the crowd, just like the show!
Kelly asked for volunteers to be critiqued. So he asked this woman why she would come to see him in athletic shoes, when they so obviously bring her ensemble down. He recommended she try ballet flats instead. He said her skirt also could have been narrower.
Questions from the audience were pretty basic, like “do you have to match a black bag with black shoes.” I believe the last time that was done may have been in the 1940s/50s. Do these women who want advice not notice the explosion of color and pattern featured in every newspaper, magazine and TV show? Kelly said that combining color, pattern, texture and shine is what creates interest in an outfit.
Empire seaming just under boobs and above the natural waistline creates the illusion of length, camouflaging a thick waist, bottom-heavy figure, and making legs appear longer.
Like learning any skill, from swimming to playing poker, dressing well takes paying attention and practice. Kelly reiterated that it takes WORK and trying on A LOT of clothes, and not just whining after trying on one item and complaining manufacturers don’t make anything that fits. (more…)
Here’s the Skaffs vid you asked for from last night’s event at Split Obsession, where, because Luke dropped in rather suddenly, fans were unprepared. They actually had to ask him for paper, and then people resorted to passing him dollar bills to sign.
Split Obsession owner Bruce Chin really dug deep when he whipped out a crispy $10 bill. Whoo-hoo!
Geez I’m supposed to be writing a story now, but I turned once again to Animoto.com, which is like Hamburger Helper for your photos and video stills, mashing them together with music and special effects the average person just doesn’t have access to, and coming up with something worth serving.
Try it on fashion, girl’s night out photos, whatever!
Photo by Nadine Kam Skaffs’ Luke Feldman at work. Check out his site at http://skaffs.com/
One of my favorite outfits in the “Sex and the City” movie was Carrie’s floral coat that looked like this, though with a stronger line and touch of chartreuse and purple. I liked this outfit, too, which she wore to go apartment hunting with Big.
Went to see “Sex and the City” Sunday morning and again last night to help Crystal Pancipanci and her fashionable friends celebrate her SATC victory.
The woman is on a roll having also won a Theory-sponsored drawing for a Theory bag last week. This time around, she won a pair of exclusive crystal-studded — how appropriate is that? — Manolo Blahniks valued at nearly $800.
I showed up late to the Skyy Vodka “Sex And The City ” private screening and cocktail party so didn’t get a pink feather boa like the other girls, but I did get to see her sparkling sandals before the lights went out. I wanted to take a photo but had left my camera on my desk at work, so borrowed Julie Ann Aragaki’s crystal-studded iPhone. Standing between those two I might have been blinded if the lights weren’t going down!
There was some drama queen action in the crowd after a group of friends didn’t appreciate comments made by a woman, and cast a drink at her. I was in between the two rows and hoped no more drinks were coming flew through the air while I tried to watch the previews. After much posturing, various parties left or moved seats after threats of removal by security.
I was going to write something after seeing it the first time, but felt emotionally drained by the experience. That was surprising considering I had a “Yeah, yeah, been there” attitude about the whole thing. I was never a rabid SATC fan and just from watching previews of the movie I had the whole story arc plotted out, so there were no surprises for me, but I thought the heartbreak scenes were realistic and painful to watch.
Carrie in Vivienne Westwood. The bridesmaids wore Zac Posen.
Of course the clothes were pure eye candy. I tried to count up the 81 outfits Carrie allegedly wore in the film (the story takes place over 6 months, which means she could wear each outfit two times, or double that if you count nights), but only counted 65. I didn’t count times when she just threw a fur or coat over something, and I may have missed a couple of wedding gowns, just because I was enthralled. I think I forgot to breathe between the Christian Lacroix and the Lanvin.
My favorite outfits were a trapeze floral coat Carrie wore with trousers and a blue jacket while shopping for furniture with Charlotte, and a blue tunic she wore with over-the-knee socks while strolling in a park with Miranda. Dunno who made those, but you can bet every piece of clothing in the movie cost plenty. I imagine it only bothers fashion followers that a real-life Carrie — a freelance writer not backed by a trust fund or sugar daddy — would never be able to afford such a wardrobe. And it was rather unrealistic that Carrie wore a string of pearls to bed several times, though of course, they weren’t going for an Academy Award here. Just a good-lookin’ reunion.
The only thing missing was subtitles for the fashion. Only the wedding gowns were accompanied by a recitation of the designer’s names: Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Lacroix, Lanvin, Dior and Vivienne Westwood.
