THE UNREAL D.C. HOUSEWIVES

I was raised, like any proper Southern girl, on Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Guide to Etiquette. Back in its earlier editions, Amy was less concerned with subjects like achieving "family harmony" and instead provided useful information on living the grand life (and when and where to employ those white gloves). I especially loved the section on how to visit the White House, including dress, behavior, and how to appropriately respond to that coveted cream and gold invitation. Miss Amy, naturally, assumed there would BE an invitation, and in that respect failed to anticipate the modern style of "crashing," or, indeed, anything else remotely associated with the TV show the Real Housewives of D.C.

The Real Housewives of D.C. in the Square Office.

Today over at Human Events, I'm writing about the phenomenon of the D.C. Housewives, and how far they are from the "real" D.C. I think Amy would approve.
Please click here to read!

Images, invitation via Custodians of History, Housewives via Bravo network.

THE BLACK SWAN

I've never been terribly fond of Natalie Portman. Or is that Keira Knightly? I can't tell them apart, really, so perhaps it doesn't matter. At any rate, Portman is the evil twin this holiday movie season, starring in the Black Swan, a psychological thriller about a dancer who spins out of control. Though there have been (more than) enough dance movies lately, few have dealt with the "underworld" of intrigue and pressure in the international ballet scene. And, I'll see anything, anywhere, about Swan Lake, truly the most beautiful ballet in the history of dance.

Portman stars as the new prima ballerina, and the recent premier received very positive reviews. But the rest of us mere non-film-fest-attending-mortals will simply have to wait until the December release to get a peak. (Tip: do not confuse this with The Nutcracker and take the kids). 

The trailer has a whiff of Audrey Tautou in "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not," where the audience is unsure who is truly mad - and who is dangerous. 

The real Swan Lake: the Black Swan is the evil opposite of Odette, the Swan Queen. The Black Swan, Odile, lures the prince, who is in love with Odette, away at the crucial moment when he must declare his love for Odette or see her die at the hand of the sorcerer, Odile's father. Here, Yuan Yuan Tan dances as the Black Swan in 1998.  

The ballet theme has been a constant in fashion throughout the years. Here, Vogue does ballet with a touch of Billy Elliot, 2008.

West Side Story!

Vogue cover, 2007 - Sienna Miller as a white swan.

Gisele Bundchen strikes a balletic pose in Vogue.

Lilly Cole as an English swan in British Vogue.

Wear the look!

1. Alice + Olivia Feather Skirt. 2. Manolo Blahnik Leather Feather d'Orsay. 3. Judith Leiber Sunburst Moderne Minaudiere. 4. Stephen Dweck Bone Feather Necklace. 5. TopShop Flower and Feather Clip. 6. Pretty Ballerinas' Rosario Red and Gold Lock and Key Ballet Flats. 7. Memento Mori The Ballet Slippers Necklace. 8. J.Crew Martinete Feather Jacket. 9. Pretty Ballerinas' Marilyn Black Suede Tutu Ballet Flats. 10. Alice + Olivia Feather Shoulders Dress.

Images, Portman: Screencrave.com. Tan as Black Swan, Britannica.com. Billy Elliot Vogue spread, boysballet.wordpress.com. Gisele: csebastian.tumblr.com. 2007 cover: ofthenow.com. Lilly Cole in British Vogue, The Terrier and the Lobster. All product images, companies as attributed. 

DESIGN STAR: THE RECAP

Finalist Emily's room design from a previous episode.

Did you catch tonight's season finale of Design Star?! It's like the WWE of the design world. Except, you know, the sparkle is on wallpaper instead of biceps. For what was shaping up as a lousy season (WAY too many team projects with a lot of people who spelled "team" with an "i"), actually had a pretty exciting ending. Here's the recap:

Alert! Major spoilers ahead!

CLIENT CHOICES. Finalists Emily and Michael each had to choose a former competitor as their "dream" client.
Michael: Chose Nina. WHO WANTS TO WORK WITH NINA AS A CLIENT? This was an insane move. Mostly because she's tried and true - as a horrible client. Remember the first episode when the designers had to design spaces for each other? She completely threw her partner under the bus. True, the room Courtland designed for her wasn't great, but the rest of the designers just settled for pushing their rivals into the street. She dragged him right out to the center line, tied him up, and waited for a big red double decker. Not to mention, she's just really annoying to listen to. Fail.

Emily: Chose Tom, and went for a new look with urban sleek based on his suit. Her vintage mix is a style we all love, but the judges have definitely seen it before. Win.

THE SHOW CONCEPTS FOR HGTV
Michael's show proposal: Younglings in transition (grad students, first job, etc.) and helping them make sense of their first space. A nice twist on the "My First Place" real estate show that HGTV already has - and a welcome change, I think, from a ream of shows that focus on cheap without including style. Win.

Emily's show proposal: Style to lifestyle (outfits as room decor). Can we all say it together please: "Domino's Outfit Into a Room series!!!!" It's an idea that's shown up on and off in magazines, but not in TV shows. It's taking a popular concept, and putting it in a new format in a really successful way. But is it too stylish for HGTV? Win.

Finalist Michael's room design in a previous episode.

SKEEZ FACTOR
What was up with Michael coaching Nina on her reaction to the room? NG, flyboy. It should have been genuine genuine. As in, not faked for the judges. Fail.

UNEXPECTED SURPRISES
Candice Olsen's PLEATED GREY SPLIT SKIRT OUTFIT. Holy knife pleats Batman! What WAS that? Candice is by far one of the best designers on HGTV, which requires having well developed taste in everything - except clothes. Oh well. She made up for it with moxy (and if anyone picks on her, I'll bet Chico will take 'em down). So a draw. Um, is that a Win/Fail? A Wail?

Nina did not kill Michael and bury him in the reno skiff. Who knew? Like a blender, the collaboration with Nina started out rocky and very loud, but by the end, her attitude was smooth puree. Was her inspiration good for the space though? Another Wail.

HOSTING
Michael: killed it. His intro was spot on. I WANTED to watch his show, and his analysis of the space and how he could use materials was very creative. BONUS: acknowledging (and participating in) the "borrowing" of items from the parents. What young design aficionado hasn't done that? Win.

Emily: engaging, great ideas, and a clear story from the outfit to the room. Downside: too much step-by-step. Ironically, the judges have been harassing her about not "showing" how she does her work all season - so this is the result. Darn judges! Over all, still a great job - and several of her ideas were really inspired. Win.

Courtland begs for mercy while Nina prepares for the kill. Toot, Toot! Is that a bus coming?

THE ROOMS
Michael: Great use of varied materials for an ultimately cohesive look. It was a really livable space, despite being incredibly tiny. But what was up with that red wall? I'm looking at you, Nina. Yet, a Win.

Emily: Sleek and chic! She broke out of her feminine box and created a fabulous suite with marvelous details (suiting pinstripes on the wall, a very sophisticated lacquered bar area). Win.

SO... WHO WON?
Emily! And we here at Sanity Fair (me) are thrilled - GREAT choice, HGTV. She really stood out from the pack as a designer. We can't WAIT to see the results - and luckily, we don't have to!!! Unlike past years where HGTV has delayed winner's shows, Emily's first new show will be out on August 29th. AND, it's doing the Hollywood home of one of Glee's co-creators!!! Style AND cultural relevance on HGTV? Now THAT is a show I will be here to see.

MISSED IT? 
You can watch the entire finale episode HERE.

FINAL NOTES
The next series on HGTV is The All American Handyman competition, to find an efficient, honest, creative, talented, handsome handyman. So - Fail. The reality factor is right up there with Lord of the Rings. Next they'll be trying to find honest CONTRACTORS. Or unicorns.

Images, HGTV.

WHY DO WE WATCH?

Americans are mad about Mad Men - it's slick, chic, and darn fun to watch. But as I plowed through episode after episode (yep, I finally watched it!), I began to wonder:  why do we all love this show? As beautiful as it is visually, it can be tough to watch - sexism is alive and well in the imaginary 1960s. I try to answer that question in my latest article here, at Human Events.

BONUS:  the Mad Men website has a special fashion section!

STRIPES AND SPOTS

Project Runway this season hasn't had much "run" in it. In fact, the entire season has been stuck in neutral - neutral colors, neutral designs, neutral characters. Where are the epic screaming matches and hair pulling? The accusations of plagiarism? The whisperings about cheating? Every episode has felt like the TV audience was taken on a trip to Baskin' Robbins with its dozens of ice cream choices - and forced to order vanilla. So it was really a surprise in the final challenge to see this dress below. It is, in a word, FANTASTIC. Michael Kors said it was the best piece of the season, and he's (of course. duh.) right. And it guaranteed designer Emilio a slot at the coveted Bryant Park show. Sadly, the pics don't do it justice. If you get a chance, catch the full episode (and gown close-up) here.

P.S. For some reason, this reminds me of a look Lynn Wyatt might wear. They like stripes big in Texas!

Images, lifetime.com

GRACIOUS KELLEY

The new Vanity Fair is all about her Serene Highness (I used to wonder as a child - did this mean she wasn't allowed to be mad?), Princess Grace. I'd just finished reading a bio of her over my vacation, one short on text and heavy on pictures - as any book about her should be. That was the same week I visited the Princess Diana Exhibit, so it was a few days of heavy princess-ing. The contrast between Grace's bio and Diana's exhibit was that, despite the pressures and restrictions of royal life, Grace's movie-star background stood her in good stead. She was always a hard worker and a quick study, and that famous self-discipline made her much stronger than the younger and inexperienced Diana in the harsh glare of public scrutiny.

Below, one of the best of Grace Kelley's fashionable moments:  the movie Rear Window. The movie is memorable for a number of reasons. It was a wonderful confluence of talent (Hitchcock, Jimmy Stewart, Thelma Ridder, Raymond Burr) filmed almost entirely in a single setting, Stewart's tiny apartment, with its window-with-a-view. But the costumes are the most memorable of all. Designed by the notoriously gifted Edith Head, each one is so breathlessly arresting, they practically steal the scene.

A stunning green three piece suit - note the wrap blouse finally revealed beneath.

Here's the stunning nightgown scene, which drives poor Jimmy into a fluster.

A perfectly proper Grace in florals, watching anxiously with Thelma Ridder.

A very chic black evening gown. Wouldn't it also look lovely without the sheer sleeves?

The most famous dress from the movie:  a black v neck, with a corresponding v back,

cap sleeves, and a gorgeous pouf of a skirt ringed with feathers.

Jimmy appears to be suffering terribly.

Images, the IMBD database. Vanity Fair Cover, vanityfair.com.

Kindle Creativity

This is a funny post for me to do, seeing as how I have no interest - read - zero - interest in electronic readers. I'm a bibliophile. I adore books:  the texture of the paper, the imprint of the type, the smell of leather binding. But of course, the best things about books is where they take you. Which is why I'm willing to overlook these drab little slabs of plastic known as "reading devices" (formerly known as books), and enjoy the Amazon Kindle commercials. They're a wonderful story themselves, full of whimsical imagery, great design, and above all, the magical sense that books can take you anywhere.

Ad One:  This ad isn't done by professionals; using a charming stop-motion technique, it actually won a competition to become the Kindle ad. Transformed by the stories she reads, a woman becomes an aeronaut, a Parisian cyclist, and performs magic with the help of Kindle bunnies.

Ad visible here. 

Ad Two:  a young man transforms into a shipwrecked sailor, a scientist whose potion produces a
beautiful girl (assuredly, the dream of every nerdy scientist), and a robber, who, in a counterintuitive
move against Amazon's bottom line, steals Kindles.

You can view the ad here.
All images, Amazon via youtube.

Ugly Beauty: What's in a Name?

I'm fast developing a Hulu addiction, which has, curiously, mirrored my design addiction. This wonderful world of pausing to look at gorgeous room decor on your computer is fabulous. I've even taken taken a few screen shots and emailed them to friends ("this looks just like your couch! Your couch is on TV!"). Hulu also introduced me to Ugly Betty, a show I just never got around to watching previously. It's entertaining, but what really made me excited were the interiors, designed by the most fabulous Hollywood name ever:  Rich Devine. The sets are so colorful and unique they almost overpower the characters.

Not your typical office space. Where is the office equipment?

The conference room: how much does this remind you of 

Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic? It's in the same shades as those 

zippy blue suits and orange hats.

The fishbowl effect: surround view offices bring even more 

opportunities for critiquing your office mates' clothes. Really, the space is

so fluid, pictures won't capture the feel of it; you need to watch for yourself.

Willie (the Terrorizer in Chief) lives in this octagon-dominated apartment. 

Eat your heart out Thomas Jefferson! And it has Regency style on steroids. 

 A tableau in Willie's apartment.

Another grand interior view, dining room this time. Don't those chairs look familiar?

Ah, yes, Kelly Wearstler for Bergdorf Goodman. Perfect Regency: not being able to see who is sitting nearby is very enigmatic - the perfect setting for a mystery movie! (Note the marvelous paint-detailed trim in the background.)

P.S. Many pieces of furniture featured on Ugly Betty are from Made By Hickory Chair. Check out their blog and products here.

xoxo,Sanity Fair

Images: KW at Bergdorf Goodman, from Paris Hotel Boutique. All other images, Interior Design magazine.

The Chartreuse Tipped Jacket

It's a great week to be a J. Crew fan. If you're in New York, don't miss the fabulous SAMPLE SALE, and for the rest of Crewnation, there's 30 percent off of coats purchased online! As for me, I've gone and given my heart to a blazer. Typical Wednesday.

What does this remind me of? Oddly enough, Project Runway. Specifically: Laura Bennett, finalist, season 3. When this gray and chartreuse gown came out the gate, you could hear the nearly comatose Bryant Park audience perk up, collectively gasp, and then applaud. I still think it's a fantastic (and completely unexpected) color combination.

Images, J.Crew, nymag.com.

Mad Men (And the Couches They Sit On)

Let's start off with true confessions: I have only seen one episode of Mad Men, and by "seen" I mean that I was in the same room as the television playing it. Sorry. Lot'a life to live. But this article on Double X made me reconsider - perhaps I should be watching the show, not as a SHOW, but as a live-feed, Emmy winning, highly dramatic version of House Beautiful. Worth a shot.

Mid-century modern. Hmm. I guess faux wood paneling isn't ALWAYS an executable offense.

Anyway, in the article, "Fainting Couch For Best Supporting Actor," Kate Bolick analyzes the styles of the various rooms and homes and declares them authentic. Authentic not just to the time, but to the individual psychology of the characters who inhabit them. Set designer Amy Wells weighs in on her design choices, and reminds us: "labels were all-important then." Guess times haven't changed!

FABULOUS zebra walls. Chocolate brown zebra walls.

Great hair. And the decor is so Draper (Dorothy Draper, that is).

Geometric patterns and a hint of chinoiserie hovering in the background.

No hints here. Full-on chinoiserie danish modern white men.

And finally (because why should imaginary people have all the fun?) here's where to buy some Mad Men goods. Just don't start wearing pantyhose and drinking 12-martini lunches.

The Club Furniture Mad Men bed.

Here's the CB2 Mad Men couch (not sure if it's still available). But I say thumbs down anyway. The only thing I despise more than burgundy is stripes of it. With GRAY? No thanks.

Pic 1, designbrothers.files.wordpress.com. Pic 2 - 5, pointclickhome.com. Pic 6, L.A. Times, Pic 7, fashionbinge.blogspot.com.