Frocks That People Wore in Cannes That I Liked

Zoe Saldana in Armani Prive; Le Seydoux in Louis Vuitton; Sarah-Jessica Parker in Elie Saab; Milla Jovovich in custom-made Prada; Alexa Chung in vintage 60s Balenciaga; Fan Bing Bing in Oscar de la Renta and a custom-made evening gown from her own stylist (stunning!). What were some of your favourites from the Film Festival?

Something Old, Something New

The Oscars just ain't what they used to be. Sure, the ceremony has got shorter, the awards are more diverse and my TIVO means I can fast forward through the dull songs, but it seems that actresses these days are too wary of the more mainstream fashion pundits to make a real statement in their dress. Personality is definitely missing and after this year I'm more convinced than ever that the Costume Institute Ball and Cannes are where it is really at for red-carpet fashion.

Having said all that, Anne Hathaway was totally gorgeous in each of her eight costume changes. I think these were my faves: Armani Prive, Givenchy and Vivienne Westwood.

The only person who really blew me away was, unsurprisingly, my aspirational friend Cate B. I remember marvelling at this Givenchy gown when this couture collection was first showcased. Comprised of only ten gowns, each of them is a work-of-art from a truly gifted designer. Riccardo Tisci really is working at the height of his powers and funnily enough this dress was one of my favourites (who doesn't love lavender?). The hours that would have gone into all the intricate beading on this dress boggles the mind and Tisci could not have hoped for a better fashion plate than Cate. She has such a regal air and her hair and make-up were perfection too.

Another star who isn't afraid to take risks is Marisa Tomei. She regularly wears vintage to big events and as I was blown away to see her wearing Charles James, the father of American high fashion. I don't think I've ever seen a real-life human being in this century wearing a James couture gown; usually they are found on mannequins in museums. Marisa sourced her James from Lily et Cie in Los Angeles, which is the same store where Renee Zellweger found her Oscar Jean Desses a decade ago. I've got to admit though that while this dress is AMAZING, I don't think it fits Marisa that well, particularly around the bust. The catch-22 is that it would be sacrilegious to alter a piece of design history like this, so I've got to give Marisa credit for wearing it and thus raising the profile of this oft forgotten great designer in the process. You can read more about him at an old post of mine here.

Am seriously loving ...

this Vogue Italia cover from last month. Very retro looking but with a modern twist (great shorts!), you can't really go wrong with Mariacarla Boscono, oodles of red and a beautiful Armani couture jacket.
So refreshing to see a cover of a fashion magazine where you can actually see a complete outfit. It still is meant to be all about the clothes, right? I definitely took a second glance at this cover as opposed to all the heavily photo shopped smiley celebrity ones that usually line the racks at my local newsagent.
Do you like too? It was shot by Steven Meisel.

Purple-tastic Frocks of the Week

Each time Cate B steps onto the red-carpet, I'm convinced the world becomes a bit nicer. Okay, maybe not the world, but certainly the blogosphere, as followers of fashion across the globe gush over her beauty and sartorial perfection. Cate's outing this week in this Armani Prive gown is certainly no exception. The Sydney Theatre Company's production of A Streetcar Named Desire, in which Cate plays Blanche, is about to premiere in New York after a sell-out season here in Sydney. One day it looked like I was about to get my hands on tickets and then just as quickly they slipped through my fingers. That was a sad day.
Cate has the figure and the innate grace that is just made for couture, and this deceptively simple dress couldn't be more flattering. The colour looks fab against her porcelain skin.

Runner up for this week is the always delightfully dressed English actress Thandie Newton, who is looking super chic in a lilac strapless Vivienne Westwood Red Label dress. This look makes me think of 1950's Balenciaga; I love the tapered and ruched skirt and the sexy deep decollatage. Great necklace too.

I don't think I've posted much Thandie Newton before, but she is one of a handful of actresses that I consistently admire in the style stakes. She is always feminine but bold and isn't afraid of colour (or vintage). Thanks to Red Carpet Fashion Awards for the pic.

The best of the rest of Cannes

Zhang Ziyi was as pretty as a picture in this dusty pink one-shouldered dress.

This Christian Dior dress looks like lollies i.e. good enough to eat. The embellished bodice is gorgeous. This is Chinese actress 'Vicky' Zhao Wei .

Beautiful Taiwanese actress Qi Shu was all over the red-carpet at Cannes generally looking gorgeous, but this is my favourite of all her outfits. Another dress that works the lolly look, I could eat this one up too. The big bow on the side just adds to the overdose of pretty. It looks like Qi is just about to break in to Hollywood (according to IMDB she is 33, who would have thunk it!) so we should be seeing a whole lot more of her.

Rachel Weisz was voted Best Dressed of the Week over at RedCarpet-Fashion Awards as a result of this chic and sexy Valentino number that has fashion commentators the world over claiming that green is the new black. Rachel's appearance at the Met Ball proved that despite her beauty she can look bad (hard to believe, I know), but she is most definitely back on form in this number. The 2009 Valentino Haute Couture collection is thus far translating really well off the runway.

Michelle Yeoh was another star to opt for green and her Versace dress screams Hollywood glamour (or South of France glamour, as the case may be).

My Marion Cotillard looked as pretty as ever at the AMFAR Ball in Dior (of course). Love the cute clutch too and her bob suits her so well. I deliberately included a photo of her with her boyfriend Giulliame as they make such a cute couple.

Love Kerry Washington in this black and white vintage inspired dress. Along with her hairstyle and clutch, this look is very early 60's evening-wear.

Dita von Teese seems to be on virtually ever red-carpet these days (why was she at Cannes anyone?). Unlike Paris Hilton, who also shows up to the opening of an envelope, Dita actually has style and clearly either a lot of money or big fans amongst the world's top fashion designers. Dita is one of the only people I know who can get away with wearing a completely see-through Jean Paul Gaultier dress on the red-carpet and manage to still look chic. I was also very pleased to see her wearing a Dior Haute Couture dress from the S/S 2009 collection. I LOVE the stiffened rippled skirts from this collection and I'm so happy to see somewhere wearing one in the "real world".

The strapless blue dress with the bows on the pockets is cute too.

And finally my favourite Diane capped off an awesome week by wearing a white Chanel dress to the AMFAR Ball. This dress is distinctly inspired by the classic Chanel suit and up close the sequin bodice on this dress is divine.

Also included is a lovely vintage Chanel that Diane wore to a photo-call.

Will I go see the new Quention Tarantino flick she is in? Probably not. If I could even let myself get past the atrocious grammar contained in the title (according to Christian Lander - see previous post - white people love grammar), I honestly believe Quentin's best work is well and truly behind him. For Diane's sake, I hope I'm wrong.

The best of Cannes so far

After Natalie Portman and Cate B wowed me with their red-carpet outfits at Cannes last year, I had been enthusiastic to see the ensembles that 2009 would produce. Thankfully I haven't been disappointed.

The great thing about Cannes is that it isn't just Hollywood actresses in attendance but stylish (and stylishly rich) ladies from all over Asia, Europe and beyond (including Australia ... but more on that later). These actresses - like Isabelle Huppert and Asia Argento, above - are more willing to take risks with their dress and the result is a stimulating parade of the best of current haute couture.

I loved this Armani Prive dress when I saw it on the runway and I was so hoping I'd see someone wearing it this year. The print is wild and I love a bell shape and - how useful - it has pockets too! The only thing is I think this dress is a little too long for Asia and it might have suited a more dramatic hairstyle. Thoughts?

Isabelle Huppert is wearing Armani too and looks ravishing. Featuring two of my current fancies - lace and scalloping - what is there not to love about this frock?

You know how there are some celebrities who, even though you've never met them and barely know anything about them, just grate on you? Well Eva Longoria is one of those for me. Could it be because she is friends with Posh and Katie Holmes and her style is usually yawnworthy? Quite possibly. But despite my completely unfounded dislike, I'm including Eva this time around because her Atelier Versace gown is that amazing. I'd love to see this one up close and touch it. And that silvery blue is such a flattering colour.

Elizabeth Banks has been wowing the crowds and funnily I don't really remember her red-carpet appearances ever making an impression on me previously. The girl must have hired a new stylist or something or perhaps she's just about to hit the big-time. The black Andrew Gn is va va voom sexy and and the red Armani Prive (Armani has been super popular thus far) is outstanding.

Robin Wright Penn is stunning in Elie Saab. This dress is from 2007 and some sites are referring to it as "vintage" which grates on me no-end. Since when is a two-year old dress vintage? I abide by the old adage that anything older than 25 years (which is up to the early 80's) is "vintage" and anything post that is "second-hand". However, as far as I'm concerned, a dress from 2007 is just something I've still got in my closet that I bought a litle while ago. I'm still wearing some pieces I bought eight or nine years ago and I certainly wouldn't consider them vintage.

Grumble grumble and groan.

Anyway enough of my ranting and lets get back to the beautiful frocks. Model/actress Devon Aoki hasn't put a foot wrong so far. The blue dress is Alberta Ferretti and the yellow is Cavalli and they are both superbly elegant. Love the draping on the Ferretti.

And lastly I couldn't not mention Aussie actress Abbie Cornish who is - snaps to her - wearing Aussie designer Toni Maticevski. I love the colour on this dress and although there is a bit too much going on for my liking - hard to believe, coming from me - she does look beautiful. It is a bit of a pity she got slightly upstaged at her own premiere by Eva's arresting Versace vision.

I had to include her with her co-star Ben Whishaw as I thought he was fab as Sebastian in the latest adaptation of Brideshead Revisited. I was a big fan of the book and the original series with Anthony Andrews and went to watch the new flick with some hesitation, but I absolutely loved it, and was particularly blown away by Ben and Emma Thompson.

Ben and Abbie's new film is called Bright Star and is about John Keats' romance with a woman called Fanny (Cornish) prior to his early death and is directed by Jane Campion. The planets are all aligning there for me, so I can't wait to see it.

WOW

Check out this amazing Vanity Fair shoot with very pretty & talented British actress Emily Blunt in A/W couture dresses. I buy it every month anyway, but I am particularly looking forward to this issue now. I appreciate a bit of 18Th Century aristocratic styling, and young boys wearing the hell out of military jackets.

I'm feeling particularly glum about the recession today. I just spoke to one of my neighbours and he is out of work & a lot of people I know, particularly those in the building trade, have been struggling of late as well. In the face of such drab realities, some might ask why should we bother drooling over clothes that no-one - not even most celebrities, who are generally too conservative to wear gowns that are more artistic masterpieces than anything else - can possibly afford to buy or would ever have any place to wear. But I draw us much enjoyment from looking at beautiful things as I do from owning them (because frankly I can't afford to own many). Watching the waves roll into my own beautiful Bondi Beach today brings me joy, as does marvelling at the divine fabrics and expert construction in these frocks. And a little bit of joy is always a good thing.

And speaking of Emily Blunt, don't you reckon she and Meryl were the highlights of The Devil Wears Prada?Most chick flicks these days are rubbish - Sex and the City The Movie just about ruined one of my favourite shows and I'm gutted they are making another one - but The Devil Wears Prada was thoroughly enjoyable, and didn't treat its audience like a bunch of screaming wedding obsessed bimbos. And Meryl was - as always - brilliant and completely embodied her character, and Emily was seriously hilarious.

I cannot wait to see Emily's new movie The Young Victoria. Check out the trailer below ...

I love a good romantic period drama and this one will have political intrigue thrown in for good measure too. Plus it is Martin Scorsese, so it is a no brainer really.

Oh, and the dresses are Dior, Givenchy, Dior and Armani Prive.

Wouldn't Cate B looking stunning in the Armani?