marie steiss’ “anonymity”

The whole idea of taking a stage name or a nom de plume is to have anonymity, right? So it’s a little perplexing that Marie de Villepin (daughter of French PM Dominique de Villepin) would agree to be interviewed by the Times just to talk about… her fake name. “Nobody knows my real name,” she says. Right. Nobody but anybody who can read a newspaper. Marie Steiss, you are the Tori Spelling of modeling!

top model awesomeness

America’s Next Top Model is such a fun, stupid show. It’s alternately hilarious and sad to see how these girls–all too old to begin a career in modeling–seem to believe that participating in reality TV will launch their stardom. Part of my job involves hiring models, and these girls? Would not work for my shoots.

But just when I thought ANTM was amazing enough, I discover this: Livejournal’s Next Top Model. How meta. For LJNTM, would-be models have to do a photo shoot each week, submit it to the judges, and then survive the critique. And then they win fabulous prizes such as jpeg banners.
My favorite part of all of this is not the photographs, which are sometimes creative and generally kind of endearing/sad. No, I love the judges, who clearly take their duties seriously:

• “Before your shoot, I’d never heard of breast cancer detecting dogs.”
• “Show some emotion, and losen up a bit. This is all in fun, right? Also, please get off that bed.”
• “Remember to be mindfull of your nostrils.”
• “It’s not flattering when your mouth is hanging wide open.”
• “These are supposed to be beauty shots, not emo shots.”

So much fun!

how not to look like lindsay lohan

I received my office copy of In Style the other day, and all I could think was, “Gee, I didn’t know Rue McClanahan got hair extensions.” Then I realized that I was looking at Lindsay Lohan.

Lindsay Lohan is a person who I wish I didn’t know of, but because I somehow do, I have to mention that homegirl looks ancient. Not in the “she looks a little older” way, but in the “she looks like a haggard homemaker who, now that the kids are in school for the day, spends most of her time smoking Merit Lights at Harrah’s casino” way.

I know there are countless stories about how to mimic Lindsay’s look, but I am here to tell you how to avoid looking like her. I’d say that I’m sure she’s a nice person and all, but I don’t think she is, so here you go:

manoush

In Paris, the department store brands are more creative than what you’ll generally find in their American counterparts. We have Tommy Hilfiger and DKNY; Printemps has Vanessa Bruno and Zadig et Voltaire. No contest.

One of the lines I found during my last trip to gay Paree is Manoush. It’s got this great girly-gypsy thing working for it, with themes of Africa, adolescence and nature. And even though Paris Hilton is a fan, you don’t need to be a trend victim to pull off the looks. (You probably shouldn’t be over 35, either, but that’s just my opinion).

retail markups

I love receiving look books that list wholesale prices, because it’s a healthy reminder that retail is for suckers. If you buy something for full price, you are doing a very kind thing for the shopkeep (listen to me, “shopkeep,” like I’m in Merry Olde England) but it’s a dunce move for your finances.

Retailers don’t have a very fancy plan in place for marking up their merchandise. Usually they “keystone” the items, which is French for “make a large markup.” Essentially, the retailer doubles the wholesale price, and that’s what shoppers pay. Occasionally, though, retailers will do more than that; for instance, the handbag line that sent its lookbook suggests a markup of 110 to 120 percent.

What this means is that boutiques are unlikely to mark anything down below 50% unless it’s completely cluttering up their backstock or they think it won’t sell. It also means that in some cases, especially if you pay with cash, you can ask for 10 or 20% off the marked price. I don’t do this unless there’s a snag in the fabric or something like that, but some people do. They may be cheap, but at least they’re not paying retail…

hayden-harnett sample sale

If you’ve got an extra Benjy or so lying around, the Hayden-Harnett sample sale may be worth a browse. The deals are on for only three days, so hop to it.

smashbox photo finish is great

I am the kind of person who insists that flawless skin is not only possible, it’s imperative. I am also the kind of person who doesn’t like wearing obvious makeup. You can see the problem, then.

So that is why I like Smashbox’s Photo Finish, which is a primer to wear underneath foundation. One pump of this gel is enough to cover my face and make it feel like silk–not the cheapy Ann Taylor silk that feels like polyester, but the really soft and good silk. From there, I just put on my regular Becca stick and maybe a little concealer; they slick on smoothly and blend perfectly, without any skin-tugging trouble. Forty-two dollars might seem like a lot to spend for yet another beauty product, and had I not received it as a gift, I wouldn’t have thought to try it. But now it’s part of my daily ritual, which is good because, you know, it’s not like I already have to use a dozen other creams and gels and what-have-you just to look presentable.

esther franklin

Why isn’t the fashion world abuzz over Esther Franklin? I know she sounds like a rickety old dame who once had a fantastic love affair with Willa Cather, but in actuality she’s a London designer who does some seriously lovely stuff with silk.

Her spring collection has a few hits, such as this champagne-colored dress. I love the detailing at the shoulders, and the V neckline means that you could look smashing in this whether you’re rinky-dink or giant in the boob department. Even though some of the patterned dresses were a bit of a misstep, the solids were fresh classics that you could wear for at least five or ten years into the future. >> picture source

perfect polka dots from lyell

Polka dots, like rick-rack, tend to look a little too Hee Haw for my usual tastes, but this Lyell top looks wonderfully sophisticated. ($298, yikes, at Ron Herman)

la petite salope

British RTW label La Petite Salope says that its name translates from the French as “the little strumpet.” Actually, it’s the little bitch/slut, but in a French way that does indeed have strumpetish connotations. It’s not nice to call ladies salopes in France.

What is nice is how effortlessly the clothes use corsetry and lingerie detailing to create dresses that are simultaneously diaphanous and strong. The colors are deep and moody, the detailed beading and pleating is fantastic, and each piece is something likely to make the other ladies at a soiree think you’re a bitch for being the best-dressed one there.

I’ve seen the line in London, but in the States it’s harder to find; eBay usually has a bargain or two. Browse it all online at lapetitesalope.com.