Speaking of awesome shoes, we don’t have to wait for next season to adorn ourselves with some. There are some fantastic ones available right here, right now like these wooden wedge pumps from Stella McCartney. OK, at $1,145 these do not come cheap BUT they are so cool in so many ways and yes, despite the five inch heels, very wearable.

These shoes are first rate from every angle. First of all, the wooden platform with the silver trim and sculpted silver inset add a very unique touch. Second, the swooping, scooped out heel almost gives the impression that they are heel-less, but without the necessary awkward stepping. Third, there’s the chartreuse/taupe color. It is a bit of color, so it gets you away from black and brown for the fall. But, it is a color which goes with everything. You could wear it with black, brown, grey, navy, whatever! Also, I like the pointed toe. Most platforms have a rounded toe and if you’ve been following my blog, you know I think a pointed toe is much more flattering. However, this isn’t one of those excruciating points. It’s softer, so less painful on your toes. And, the shoes look awesome when seen straight on from the front too. The platform is a bit narrower than the sole. They make me think of geisha shoes. Lastly, you will tower 5 inches above the ground in these, but the platform is like two inches, so in reality, it’s only a three-inch heel! Very wearable indeed. Normally I would balk at paying this much for a pair of leather (non-exotic) shoes, but in this case, I believe they are worth it!

Once again, I have to give honorable mention to Alexander McQueen. I’m not sure I would be able to wear these shoes, particularly the black ones which look nothing less than excruciating, but they sure are cool to gaze at!

The most notable accessories from the Paris runways were the shoes. Shoes are the IT item these days for sure. With their vertiginous heights, they were pure flights of fancy. They did look like medieval torture devices, but in a good way! What’s a little (OK - a lot of) pain when everyone in the room will take notice? YSL, Loewe and Louis Vuitton are above from left to right. The Louis Vuitton ones are too much for me. It’s as if the designer (how much of a hand does Marc Jacobs have in coming up with the shoes?) couldn’t decide exactly how they should be, so he threw everyhting into the pot. Still, they are somethin’.

Givenchy and Giambattista Valli are above from left to right respectively.

I was waiting with great anticipation for Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2009 RTW collection because the collection he turned out last season blew me away. I have to admit that I did not feel the same way about his clothes this time around, but there was one accessory he had which I MUST OWN. His leather corsets are just to die for. No attention to detail was spared in the back either as you can see. He showed three: a plain (if you can call it that) leather one, an alligator one and my favorite - one with floral cutouts. You can put one on with a lovely silk dress as he did or with a white button down shirt or even a T-shirt and that outfit will become unforgettable.

As the week wore on in Paris, a few bright spots came to light in my opinion. I just love the long gold skirt (above left) by Dries Van Noten, especially in the way it’s paired with a simple, masculine white button down shirt. The elephant grey suede suit (above right) from Spanish house Loewe (with Brit Stuart Vevers at the design helm) looks so desirably sumptuous. The suede is very thin, like velvet, not bulky at all.

I pretty much liked everything of Giambattista Valli’s (who will be the new designer at Valentino too). His clothes, like this cream dress (above left) are always quiet but impeccable in their tailoring and materials. For this reason, for me, he embodies true luxury. You can never go wrong with his things and they will serve you well time and again while maintaining their modernity. Martin Grant too executed elegant, timeless designs, like this navy column dress (above right). This season he did something which I think is very chic: he accessorized his dresses with long heavy chains which he acquired from a shop next door to his which sells them by the yard. I love this irreverent mix of high and low.

A statue of Kate Moss, made entirely of 18 kt gold, will be on view at the British Museum beginning this weekend where it will be on display until January 25. It is actually the largest gold statue made by man since ancient Egyptian times. It cost about $3 million to make, of which $2 million was the price of gold. The artist, Mark Quinn, who calls the scultpture “Siren” expects it will fetch at least $20 million. Considering the financial times we’re in, this might be a canny investment.

“Siren” is on display among statues of classical Greek goddesses. You may have noticed, however, that Kate Moss’ yoga pose is less than classic. According to the artist, in the day or two that Kate modelled for him, she did not actually pose like that. Whew! I think only Madonna can hold that position for the time required to capture it.

In any case, the hollow statue weighs 110 lbs, about the same as its famous model. I think the whole thing is gimmicky - a (successful) grab at the spotlight in a Jeff Koons meets Damien Hirst sort of way - but Kate can now truly claim that she is worth her weight in gold!

Paris is always the last fashion week (the last of the biggies anyway - it seems like there’s a new fashion week springing up every, er week - LA, Mumbai, etc.) because the best is saved for last. It shows the most established and sophisticated of designers. Derivative or secondary lines are not shown there and one must have international distribution including Asia to be considered. So, am I missing something this season? There are always outrageous outfits going down the catwalks because this is theater, after all, and there’s no such thing as bad publicity, right? But, most of the clothes I’ve seen so far this week go from downright ugly to completely unwearable. Can you see store buyers placing orders for any of these little numbers? I know that when clothes hit stores, they have been tweaked, that is, made more wearable than on the runways. But even so, how can one make something sellable out of these? I know times are bad, but let’s not throw in the towel yet. Everything is cyclical.

I much prefer fall/winter clothes to spring/summer ones because I favor darker colors and more tailored looks. Still, there were a few outfits on the Milan runways last week which grabbed my attention. Although the opening of the Dsquared show with three models posing Charlie’s Angels style was a bit cheesy, I liked their collection best of all. I found the clothes to be chic, flattering for various body types and appropriate for a wide age range. The three-piece denim ensemble (above left) is so cool. Who wouldn’t look just so “au courant”, not to mention thinner, in that? I have a white suit of theirs which I bought two years ago and still wear in the summer time. I find the tailoring to be very good as the pants which have a tuxedo-style satin stripe and the fitted, wide-lapelled jacked are flattering.

The white Versace dress (middle) would also be flattering with the zippers set on the bias. I like that the top is sexy, but the length is more demure. And last, but not least, there’s the outfit from Pollini (above right)? Pollini in an old Italian shoe label which has just placed a British duo at the design helm. Jonathan Saunders is responsible for the clothes while Nicholas Kirkwood is in charge of the shoes. I think the match up is a success! How great is the grey jacket? I love verything about it from the fitted waist and pleated flounce, to the combination of grey, black and white to the black-bordered bottom and the mismatched buttons. Paired with the white shorts, it makes for a fresh, crisp, sophisticated outfit that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Of course, it would look great with a pencil skirt or with jeans. The two-tone shoes are fab too, as is the bag. Nicholas Kirkwood must have designed the bag as well.

Posh and Becks (aka Victoria and David Beckham) unveiled their twin perfumes over the weekend at Macy’s in Manhattan’s Herald Square. (Another celebrity perfume launch. What a shock!) With all the ruckus caused by hundreds of screaming fans and photographers from around the world, it seems that the attention was focused on Victoria’s thigh-high PVC boots which had 5 1/2 er … heels.

As you can see though, there are no heels. Designed by London-based FOB (Friend of Beckham) Antonio Berardi, these boots are not made for walkin’. That’s because the foot can’t land on the heel. One walks by setting the toes down first. So, you’re not going to stand or walk in them for long. According to Berardi, the absence of a heel actually makes the wearer look dainty, ballerina-like. I guess if a ballerina were to become a dominatrix, this is what she would wear. Celebrity fans include Uma Thurman and Gwyneth Paltrow. His shoes can be ordered from Brown’s in London. And they’re not cheap. The snakeskin sandals below, also owned by Victoria, cost $3,600. What do you guys thing: love ‘em or hate ‘em? I’m actually leaning towards the “love ‘em” camp. Although heel-less shoes are nothing new, they’re still different, still uncommon.

I LOVE these looks from Todd Lynn. The twist here is that the shorts and skirt outfits are actually onesies. How cool is that! As for the feathered ombre jacket, I just have two words: DEE VINE.

I’m going away for a few days and will not be bringing my laptop with me. I may suffer some withdrawal symptoms as a result, but sometimes, one must leave work at home. So, have a great weekend everyone and I will catch up with you on Monday!

Yesterday, I posted what I consider to be a great dress from Temperley - a really cool way of wearing silvery chain mail. Above, is a silvery DON’T - as in DO NOT, under any circumstances, even if your life depended on it, go there! I ran across this picture and just had to put it up because only seeing is believing here and even then, it’s difficult to truly understand the … image. This is Bobby Trendy, an interior decorator based in Los Angeles (where else?).

The photo is recent so no, it was not taken at a Holloween party. How could anyone, ever, EVER trust Bobby to decorate their homes? Let’s hope that this is a not trend Mr. Trendy will inspire.

London fashion week is always squeezed in between the biggies: New York, Milan, Paris. A magazine editor once told me it’s because some of the press might be tempted to skip it if it were either at the beginning or the end of the schedule. Perhaps. The London designers might not be as established as many of the ones showing in the other fashion capitals, but London fashion week is my favorite because in my opinion, it is the most creative. I’ve always like Alice Temperley’s things (above). The long black dress is sexy elegance and the contrast between the chain mail tunic over the floaty chiffon dress is so fresh. The outfit is totally wearable, but unique.

The romantic ruffles floating down the front the Graeme Black’s fitted grey dress (above left) make the dress alluring and sophisticated, not sickly sweet. And the white shirt with the black vest detail by Peter Jensen is just so cool. What a great twist to a wardrobe workhorse.

… that Giorgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, the subject of a new movie starring Kiera Knightly and Raph Fiennes which opens today, was arguably as big a style setter in her day (the 2nd half of the 18th century) as one of her direct descendants, Princess Diana, was in ours? Just as with Diana, the public took a mad interest not just in the clothes she wore, but in her hair styles too.

Aside from her sartorial sense, Georgiana was renown for many things including her illustruous but unhappy marriage, the brilliant salon of literary and political figures she had gathered around her and for her active political campaigning during a time in which female participation in politics was virtually non-existent. Georgiana, in other words, was quite a celebrity. In addition to the celebrity status, family tree and marital woes (there were “three people” in her marriage too), she shared something else with Diana - an eating disorder. For years, she had followed a destructive cycle of bingeing and starving.

But, I digress. What I would like to focus on here are not the many scintillating details of her life or even her clothes. For more information on this, you can go the biography by Amanda Foreman which the movie is based on and which I read and recommend. What I would like to highlight here is the 18th century hair, an endless source of fascination for me.

Undeniably, it was big. Very big. To quote from Amanda Foreman’s book (p. 36), “Women’s hair was already arranged high above the head, but Giorgiana took the fashion a step further by creating the three-foot hair tower. She stuck pads of horse hair to her own hair using scented pomade and decorated the top with miniature ornaments. Sometimes she carried a ship in full sail, or an exotic arrangement of stuffed birds and waxed fruit, or even a pastoral tableau with little wooden trees and sheep. Even though the towers required the help of at least two hairdressers and took several hours to arrange, Georgiana’s designs inspired others to imitate her. ‘The Duchess of Devonshire is the most envied woman of the day in the Ton,’ newspapers reported. It was true; women competed with each other to construct the tallest head, ignoring the fact that it made quick movements impossible and the only way to ride in a carriage was to sit on the floor.”

After some reasearch, I discovered that these high hairstyles had become so prevalent in England that in 1776, the main entrance to St. Paul’s cathedral was raised by 4 feet to accommodate them! It should come as no surprise perhaps that the duchess was a close friend of Marie Antoinette’s.

It seems that no discomfort was great enough to discourage women from being fashionably tressed. Aside from the time, expense and physical limitations imposed by these coiffurers, there was the issue of … vermin. That’s right. Women slept with a protective covering over their heads, a cage-like sort of structure. This wasn’t just to preserve the do’s, but also to keep mice and other creepy, crawly things away. These styles made for enticing nests you see, because lard was often used to set them. Special head scratchers were devised for the purpose of offering some relief from the inevitable itching. Ew!

Big necklaces continue to preside over the Spring/Summer 2009 RTW runways and I was just going to put up one necklace I like, but I couldn’t decide between these two - I want them both - so there you are, I included them both.

The lily pad necklace is by Robert Goossens who designed fine and costume jewelry for Chanel, Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, so he knows a thing or two about fashionable finery. He actually designed this necklace in 1962 when he was working for Madame Gres. It has a clean, dramatically chic look. I can picture Diana Vreeland wearing it. I like how it just simply wraps around the neck. Made of gilt brass, it comes in 2 sizes, large and small, priced $1,500 and $1,100 respectively. Pictured is the large.

In a similar vein, for evening, I find this serpent necklace by Vera Wang very sexy and posh. (Don’t we all want to be like that?) The large stones are swanky and as with the lily pad necklace, it coils around the neck. It does not have a clasp. You can cross the head and tail as pictured, or you could leave them apart so it looks like the snake is just dangling from your neck. This necklace makes the outfit and that’s not bad for $550.

This outfit above is ridiculous, no? After this past spring, I was really hoping never to see these low-crotch pants again, but lo and behold, they make an appearance on next season’s runways again. They are extremely ugly and unflattering on women and that goes doubly so for men. I mean, what is up with that?

The designer here is Phillip Lim whom I like quite a lot. He makes very stylish clothes at very reasonable prices. His clothes often receive the media attention of much pricier designers. So, I was surprised to see these pants (or are they shorts?) in his collection. The maharajah look should be limited to the cropped “I Dream Of Jeannie” tops. And, indeed, he has a very cute one (see above). So please, designers, let’s stay away from things that are not quirky or different, but just plain ugly.

Speaking of celebrity clothing lines, Justin Timberlake has also jumped on the bandwagon and debuted his collection during New York Fashion Week. Teaming up with his best friend, Trace Ayala, Justin is marketing a clothing line called William Rast (named after their respective grandfathers.) I ask you, would you buy something from someone who dresses like this?

So, New York Fashion Week. After reviewing all the shows, I have to agree with Kathy Horyn of The New York Times who described the spring collections as “unusually murky, like fishing through the hamper for something to wear when you have a hangover.” There was a whole mish mash of things out of New York this past week. But, for me, there were two collections that stood out. By that I mean that I coveted and would buy the clothes of: L’Wren Scott and … Victoria Beckham. Gasp!

These relative newcomers to the ranks of designers (though not to the world of fashion) presented the sort of things I love - simple, clean, sharp tailoring which will not date. Former model and stylist and current girlfriend of Mick Jagger, L’Wren Scott, designs very feminine clothes with a rock ‘n roll edge (above left). Her fitted Victorian jackets are very flattering. Former Spice Girl and current wife of David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, debuted a collection of dresses which are fantastically feminine, demure and sexy at the same time (above right). For those of you following my blog, you know that I stay far away from any clothes designed by celebrities. I do this for several reasons, the main one being that just because you’re an actress/singer/whatever, does not mean you can design clothes or even have the sense to know which fashion company to license your name to. BUT, I have to admit that I loved Posh’s dresses, which will retail for $1,500 to $ 3,600.

Still, can I actually bring myself to buy a Victoria Beckham dress? I know it’s shallow to think this way but even though I really like her sense of style (except for the too-dark tan and perennial pout) and admire the fact that unlike many of her sweatpant-wearing peers, she makes an effort to look her best every time she steps out of her front door, there is something a bit … cheesy there. I suspect I will make up my mind about buying one of her dresses after I try them on. I expect they will be carried in stores like Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. What do you guys think? Would you buy something you like and looks good on you but is designed by someone who has often been ridiculed?

In London, I love the Mayfair neighborhood for its beautiful architecture. The terracotta buildings, especially, are so striking. This is one of my favorite - no, my favorite - pub in London. It’s called the Audley. The picture does not do it justice. It’s as beautiful on the inside with its polished wood, gleaming brass and dark, rich colors, as on the outside. And of course, what’s more iconic than the London black cabs? Unfortunately, while I was there, there was a story in one of the papers about how even those are slowly, but surely being replaced by modern-looking Mercedes sedans. How can they do that? They’ve already done away with the red phone booths (everyone has cell phones, or mobiles as the Brits call them) and the old double-decker buses (the open platform at the back was deemed unsafe). What will go next - those tall furry black hats worn by the straight-faced Buckingham Palace Guardsmen?

Well, actually, there is a plan afoot to replace the bearskin hats worn for the last 200 years by the palace guards and snapped by millions of tourists. Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood are among several designers commissioned to come up with a more humane alternative. You see, the Queen’s five regiments need between 50 to 100 new hats every year. Each hat is 18 inches tall and requires the entire skin of a North American black bear to make, at a cost of about $1,200 per hat. That’s a lot of bears and that’s a lot of money. The main challenge is to find a material that will hold up in all sort of weather as well as the bear skin does.

The department responsible for defense procurement will pick a final design sometime this month, I believe. It will be interesting to see their choice.

I went to the Victoria & Albert Museum today to look at the jewelry collection at the William and Judith Bollinger Jewellry Gallery. It is amazing! With about 3,500 pieces on display, it is one of the best and most comprehensive jewelry collections, filled with jaw-dropping pieces, mostly European and mostly from the the last 500 years. It’s a must see.

The V&A is one of my favorite museums, displaying the world’s largest collection of decorative arts, spanning 5,000 years. It has a permanent collection of 4.5 million objects including ceramics, glass, textiles, silver, furniture, sculpture, photography and fashion. But my favorite aspect of the museum has to be the architecture. Above is a photo of its interior courtyard.

I’m back in London where it’s considerably cooler than the south of France. We left 80 degree temperatures for 60 degree weather. I suppose we are easing back into reality. At least it isn’t raining as it has here all weekend apparently. Anyway, I still have the Mediterranean on the brain - the sights, the sounds and smells.

I had to show you these photos I took which over the weekend at a weekly market in Nice. It’s called the Marche du Cours Saleya and on offer are all sorts of vegetables, fruit, breads, meats, cheeses (unpasteurized and so delicious!) and sweets. Everything is grown locally and women head there with their shopping baskets which they fill with all these savory things. There are also many flowers and fragrant soaps, oils and sachets. I loaded up on the lavender.

I love marzipan and nougat and I loaded up on this too. One specialty of the region seems to be candied fruit, but this, I refrained from. Despite all the high fat foods that are part of the French diet, there seems to be little or no obesity here. I have to say that the only obese people I saw were tourists - American ones at that (see below - this group was also touring the market). It’s really a shame. I hope that this is not an American trend that will be exported overseas. Other American trends that thankfully, I saw NO trace of, are Crocs and Tory Burch flats. Thank goodness for the little things.