Seeing Red on the Red Carpet

I admit, one of my guilty pleasures is watching the red carpet fashions at awards shows. Sunday night's 63rd Emmy Awards was no exception. This year, the red carpet was ablaze with red gowns galore. The ladies who did it right, in my opinion were:

Kate Winslet in Elie Saab

With a color as bold as blood red, a simple design can often be the best choice. Since the color calls so much attention already, if the design is intricate or over-the-top, it will very easily start to look costume-y. This Elie Saab creation is the epitome of bold and classic. 

Sarah Hyland in Christian Siriano

Soft pleats and a sheer fabric help tone down the color of Sarah Hyland's gown. In a more opaque fabric, this dress would have worn her, not the other way around. The contrasting belt at the waist helps break up the color, too. 

Lea Michele in Marchesa

Again, a simple silhouette and well-placed details are all the design needed when the color is the show-stopper. This backless Marchesa is simply stunning. Lea Michele can't seem to hit a wrong note on the red carpet these days. 

Nina Dobrev in Donna Karan

Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang

While understated is typically the way to go with such a bold color, there are exceptions to every rule. Nina Dobrev and Sofia Vergara are two women who can not only pull off such a bold color, but they can do it in a gown that would be dramatic in black or navy. Of course, their rockin' bodies don't hurt the cause, either. 

Who was your favorite on the red carpet last night? Did you love seeing so much of one bold color? What about the other colors? Leave a comment and tell me what you think!

Rachel Zoe- SPOILER!

Do you guys love the Rachel Zoe Project? I've said before I'm a huge fan- I love seeing her work. The episode tonight focused on New York Fashion Week and Rachel's gown choices for the Oscar's. The cool thing about that is that we know who wore what to the Oscar's. Cameron wore the Oscar de la Renta:

This gown was in my "Best dressed" when I blogged about the Oscars so long ago. I did not, however, blog about the Marchesa gown that we saw at the end of tonight's episode. Bravo has set us up for some drama surrounding the gown. Does Rachel get it? Does it go to someone else's client? In the end, we know Sandra Bullock ended up wearing it, but is she one of Rachel's clients? I'm not sure, but I am looking forward to next weeks episode when I find out!

In the end, I don't really care who styled her- they did a flawless job because she was in a spectacular gown the year it mattered- remember? She took home the Oscar for Best Actress this year for her role in "The Blind Side."

It looked great on her, too! I love awards shows! (And Rachel Zoe!)

Inspiration for ME!

In my line of work, I sometimes find myself so immersed in dressing other people and considering the many criteria each outfit must meet that I lose myself in the hundreds of actual pieces that I come across- particularly with my work in theatre. Every now and then I'll try to go shopping for myself and find that I'm in a rut. It's suddenly hard to turn off "work" shopping mode when looking for myself and it's those days that I come home empty handed. Other times I'll find myself at the end of a rack of dresses without really comprehending what I just looked at- it's like my brain gets overloaded with fashion ideas and then shuts off completely! It's times like these that I really need to get inspired.

Right now I'm exactly one week away from the opening of another show, so my brain is on overdrive and it feels like it might explode some days. There are literally hundreds of costume pieces to keep track of- every performer and the many different looks I've put together for each ofthem- it keeps my brain buzzing all day and into the night. The costume concept of the show is that there are actually very few "costumes." The show is more of a concert, so instead of costumes, there are a lot of beautiful gowns, tuxedos, suits, cocktail dresses, etc. It's all very formal and luxurious. At fittings with the performers it's important to listen to how they feel in a gown or outfit and of course be sympathetic to that, while at the same time maintaining the perspective the director has asked for. At times the two are in conflict and I have to find a compromise. Other times, the performer may have to wear something they don't really like. It's a delicate balance.

Today I started thinking about what it would be like to be on the other side- to have someone choosing my wardrobe for me. I admit, it could be very difficult. It could also be really interesting to see how someone else views my body and how they would dress me. What would they accentuate? What would they try to hide? What shoes would they pick to complement the outfit? One of the perks of my job is seeing a performer or client really excited about an outfit I've chosen for them- it really makes me happy. If the situation ever presents itself where I have someone else dressing me, I hope it's for something really special- like a fancy party at some celebrity's house or an awards ceremony like... the Tonys. Yes, I can definitely see myself with a Tony nom! That's rich! Anyway, if that situation ever arises, I hope that whomever dresses me chooses something like this:

This gorgeous pink rosette dress would be ideal for me for a fancy dinner party. I don't always like strapless, but it seems so hard to find decent formalwear that isn't strapless these days! Anyway, I love love love the color of this dress, but I especially love all the rosettes all over the skirt. It might not be the most flattering dress I'd ever wear, but there's something about the femininity of all those flowers that just gets me! Ok, now for my Tony nom red carpet gown:

This Marchesa DREAM of a gown is a little over the top, but at the Tony's you HAVE to dress over-the-top! We're talking STAGE performers here! Of course, if it was the Oscar's, I'd go a little more subdued. Maybe this drapey red ditty:

Ok, enough with the award shows! I think it would be really fun to have a personal stylist do for me what I do for my clients. My first challenge would be to build an outfit around these Louboutins:

I love to make a statement with my footwear and I think these Louboutin's would be a great statement to make. The key would be to create an outfit that rises to their level without competing. Or maybe it would be fun to take the whole outfit as over the top as the shoes are! I dunno! It's fun to think about anyway!