Fashion Week SS09: Oscar de la Renta

A designer who dresses everyone from first ladies to megawatt stars, Oscar de la Renta draws a who's-who list from fashion, New York society, and Hollywood to his shows on Park Avenue. The expensive suit that landed Cindy McCain in so much hot water with the press was Oscar de la Renta.

Anna Wintour in a beautiful white coat. Underneath she cinched her silk dress with a leather belt.
Funky glasses.
Here's what black lipstick looks like off the runway--rather odd. If you took off the headscarf, this might be a good look. The gray dress on her friend is quite chic.
Conservative chic.
Black and white with a purple handbag.
Carolina Herrera in a white suit.
Sarah Rutson in slouchy harem pants and lots of necklaces.
Jamee Gregory proves that conservative does not have to equal boring. Love the Roger Vivier shoes.
Linda Wells looking very young and sophisticated in a LBD.
Winter florals in purple.
Meredith Melling Burke in a gorgeous black floral dress.
Virginia Smith, also of Vogue, accessorizing with an Obama pin on her handbag.
Rachel Zoe and sidekick. She actually looked really good in real life--perfectly put together. Now if only we didn't know what was going on in that head of hers.
Fashion has changed with the climate--there were many more white cotton dresses in September. Call it winter white right now.
Nina Garcia obviously knows how to pick out a dress, but sometimes we think she needs a stylist. Looking at this photo, don't you want to put her hair up? Unless you emphasize a long neck, puffy sleeves can create the football player effect.
There was a rumor about Jennifer Lopez that she uses Creme de la Mer as body moisturizer. Seen up close, her skin gives some credence that rumor--gorgeous!

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Fashion Week SS09: Marc by Marc Jacobs

There were lots of playful daytime looks among the ranks of people attending the Marc by Marc Jacobs show.

Black and white cape and a modified cloche hat.


Her colorful necklaces were echoed by similar looks on the runway.

She wears black wayfarer-type sunglasses and a shorts suit; he wears a collegiate blazer with crest of arms.
White cotton dress for fall and a cardigan with skull detail.

Velvet bow tie.
A beautifully sophisticated look--black satin for day.

Joe Zee in a suit, Kate Lanphear in gray high-waisted trousers.

Purple is popping up everywhere now, but stick to a deep, royal purple like this one or you'll look like a purple people eater.

An elegant suit gets a little edge from sexy sandals.

Black and white.
Ken Downing of Neiman Marcus in a skinny tie. Let's assume he had nothing to do with that Dallas Cowboys "wow gift" in the Christmas Book.

These super skinny jeans are in, but they must be paired with booties or heels, not the flats of years past.

Fuchsia houndstooth dress.
Male models leaving the show.
THE SHOW

Marc by Marc Jacobs is another show to watch for very practical purposes--to see what we'll all be wearing next spring. Here Jacobs took the mismatchy looks of the designer collection and translated them into pale neutral stripes, plaids, and tribal prints for his contemporary line. The hook? There's always a little mischief in a Marc by Marc Jacobs line. In this case it was the ultra short swingy dresses and fanny packs as accessories.

Men's mismatching in gray.
Pale ecru colors offset with strands and strands of Caribbean-esque necklaces.

Full, high-waisted, belted shorts were a theme of the collection.

Note the washed-out denim, which should be everywhere come spring. Lace-up flat booties add a pop of color.

He takes a utility-belt approach to the fanny pack, actually making it look cool. You can attach several colorful purses to this one wide studded belt.

A cute one-shoulder jumpsuit that flirts with the idea of androgyny. Note the layered belts and accessories that characterized this collection.

Beautiful metallic trench for day.

Men's looks included a lot of rumpled trenches and roomy colorful pants like these.

View the whole collection on NYMag.com.

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The Neiman Marcus Christmas Book Is Here!

Let's see, what happened this week? The Dow lost about 1,500 points, The New York Sun and Cosmo Girl both folded, Iceland teetered on the verge of bankruptcy . . . and Neiman Marcus launched its Christmas Book catalog!


Now if you know Neiman Marcus' annual holiday catalog, you know this is the first place to go when you're wondering how to blow all that extra cash you have lying around. Past catalogs have included such necessities as a personal submarine and a his-and-hers chocolate portrait. And the "wow gifts" in this year's catalog do not disappoint, no matter what may be going on in the so-called news.


Bad day at work? No worries. Just blow out of the office on this $110K Limited Edition Fighter Motorcycle. What better way to say "I already made millions before the sh*t hit the fan"?

This football season, why enjoy the game on a regular old TV when you could get this Dallas Cowboys Texas Stadium End Zone package? For a mere $500K, you can go to the game in a luxury suite and get your photo taken with Jerry Jones and cheerleaders. The $500K goes to the Salvation Army, but obviously getting a Dallas Cowboys logo spray-painted on your lawn is a lot better than just giving the money to charity. (Installation costs not included.)


Remember those old records Dad had sitting in the basement? Turns out you should have kept them, because now this Thirty-Five Year Collection of Top 100 45 RPM Records is now worth $275K--probably not what Dad paid for them when he was walking to school in the snow uphill both ways.


You know that awful feeling you get in a museum when you just want to buy stuff but it's not for sale? Well now you can, because these Medieval and Renaissance Era Rings ($25K-35K) can finally be sitting pretty on your finger, not in some stupid glass case at the Met.


This. Costs. One-hundred thousand. Dollars.


Because it's not really art unless it's a portrait of you, acclaimed artist Nathan Sawaya will make these HIS & HERS: Life-Size Replica in LEGO Bricks just for you for $60K. Sure to terrify small children for years to come.


When even the most exclusive golf club is not exclusive enough, turn to Jack Nicklaus to design this Custom Backyard Course Package ($1M). Finally, you can play golf alone. (Construction costs not included.)

One of the best things about basketball is it costs little or no money to play--it requires just cement, a hoop, the ball, and you. Now if only your kid were a decent player. Get some skin in the game for real with an on-court experience with the Harlem Globetrotters ($110K), who won't bitch and moan if you ask for a "do-over."


You always told your kids that marriage was about a lot more than love, it's about money. Show Daddy's little girl how much she's really worth with this $1.3M Luxury Destination Wedding Package at The Resort at Pelican Hill. Guaranteed to make the groom feel inadequate and ruin the young couple's sex life forever.

Ever wake up with that groggy feeling of "how much did I spend at the bar last night"? Well now you'll really wonder what happened when you get this $250K tab for this Authentic Guinness® Home Pub. Drunk friends who run up your bill sold separately.

Don't worry about the kids' college funds--they'll be fine by 2010, right? And besides, you could really use that $160K for a new car.

You know nothing about horses. Or racing. But it would be cool to be that guy on TV whose horse just won that race, what's-it-called. Because when you buy this 10-million-dollar Three Chimneys Farm Thoroughbred Racing Stable Package, "as the owner, you get to name your stable and any unnamed horses, design your own silks, attend races, pose for pictures, give quotes to the media." Because isn't that what it's all about?

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