Art of Elysium Gala

If there was one event that took place in the last week that I would have paid to attend, it would have been the Art of Elysium Gala in Los Angeles. The reason? Take a look at some of the fashions that were present! Talk about a diverse group of styles! I picked out some of my absolute favorites from this event to share.

• Kate Bosworth - not sure who this dress is by; Chloe? Miu Miu? Regardless it is classic, elegant chic in a great color. This is the best she has looked in a long time (in my opinion).


• Rachel Bilson - Chanel. Enough said.


• Nicole Richie - no one does Boho, hippie chick better. She is stunning in this Etro number. I love the long sleeves in particular. I also hope she keeps the dark hair!


• Ashley Olsen - 2 perfectly on point looks this week! This Alexander McQueen dress is to die for. I would love to see it in person; the workmanship has to be amazing.


• Camilla Belle - I have to give this girl props. She constantly wears some of the hardest to wear styles straight from the runways and she pulls them off. I actually enjoy the shoes more than the dress. My only complaint is the hair - a bit old lady-like, no?


• Jessica Alba - does JA have a new stylist? Normally she is only so-so for me but as of late, her choices have been so interesting. This Prada dress is a classic cut but the red is what does it for me.
  
  

Images via people.com

Open Letter to Target

Dear Target-

I feel as though you have committed the ultimate betrayal in our relationship. I have used you for my grocery shopping even though you do not stock DiGiorno Stuffed Crust Pizza. You are my source for shampoo, conditioner, and other must-have beauty supplies. All of my t-shirts - yep they come from you, too.

That is why it is devastating to me that you have decided to sell Ed Hardy. Yes, that Ed Hardy. The uniform of choice for all Axe body spray wearing, chest thumping, Jon Gosselin wanna-be's.

How could you? You are the same store that has been the cool kid on the block with your stellar collaborations including Isaac Mizrahi, Rodarte, Anna Sui, and Proenza Schouler. You are bringing Jean Paul Gaultier to the masses for crying out loud!

So Target; please (I am begging you) get rid of your Ed Hardy selection. I am telling this to you for your own good! Trust me on this one.

Yours truly,
AEB

PS - If you could make a collaboration with 3.1 Phillip Lim happen, that would almost make me forget about this unfortunate choice of merchandise currently on your shelves.

Fashionable Favorites

As you already saw in my Golden Globes post, I love following the fashion of women who take risks. If you look to the right column of my blog, you will see a list (in pictures) on my top style inspirations. In case you aren't familiar with them, here is the list:

Christy Turlington - the ultimate Super Model; favorite since I was a kid

Kristen Stewart - not afraid to wear new designers; exciting young actress

Anja Rubik - my favorite "new" model; very versatile yet recognizable style

Sienna Miller - prefer 2004-2005 Sienna to today's version but still love following her fashion choice

Audrey Tautau - quintessential French style; effortless yet chic

Who are your favorite fashionistas to follow?

Let's Talk Golden Globes

So I have a confession - I did not watch one minute of the Golden Globes. Football will always win over almost anything else on tv; especially during the play-offs. Also, my boyfriend was super pumped about the season premier of "24" and who I am to say no?


Any way, despite not watching, one of my favorite things to do after any awards show is to comb the pictures to see what all the femme fatales wore. I was especially excited to see who was a hit and who was a miss this year because so many of my favorite fashionistas (veterans and up-and-comers) were in attendance - Diane Kruger, Marion Cotillard, Anna Kendrick, January Jones!! And I have to say, the variation of dresses out there was impressive. So who were my favorites?


1. Diane Kruger - 99% of the time I absolutely adore what Diane Kruger wears on the red carpet. I think that she takes the right amount of fashion risk and rarely takes a misstep. (I also may be a bit partial since my high school crush was Pacey) I love the bold, pink tones of her Christian Lacroix Haute Couture. The fact that it wasn't your typical strapless gown was an added bonus.

Pictures by Jason Merritt/Wire Images


2. This pick surprised even me. I love, love, love Ashley Olsen's Erdem dress for the after parties! First of all, the bold blue is especially appealing to me. Also the fact is a short length in a sea of long gowns - awesome! Usually I do not find Ashley's fashion choices gelling with my fashion preferences but in this case, I would wear this dress a million times over.

Picture by Getty

So who was my least favorite of the night? None other than Jennifer Aniston. It isn't that I dislike her dress, per say. I am tired of her wearing black, black, gray, and more black. I am the first to admit - black is probably the color (hue??) I where the most. But at the same time, I don't have a stylist and access to every single designer around. It certainly wouldn't kill her to liven up her closet some. You can still flatter your figure and stay true to your look while taking a risk.

Picture by Wire Images


I believe next up are the Grammy's. Hopefully we will see more color and playful shapes when it comes to dressing at that event. Even though as I mentioned, I prefer wearing black in my daily life, I love to see that a lot of people are moving away from it on the red carpet. Yay!

Shoes, Glorious Shoes!

Shoes. I could talk shoes forever. Of any piece of clothing or accessory in the fashion world, shoes have always been my first love.

Lots of people use songs or smells or landmarks to remember various momentous moments in their life. For me, it is shoes. They can take you away to your best memories as easily as they can lead you to the next great life adventure. There is truly nothing else like that special pair of shoes.

My favorite shoes are a pair of red, platform, high-heeled, suede Tara Subkoff for Easy Spirit. They were BEYOND pricey but worth every penny. These shoes represent so many important and happy times in my life. I fell in love with them right after I ended a terribly abusive long-term relationship. I purchased them with the money I had planned to use for buying a Christmas gift for that boyfriend. They traveled with me to Las Vegas - my first vacation with my current boyfriend. They have seen work functions, play time, and everything in between. 3 years later, they have seen better days but I will never get rid of them. To me, they are magical.

I am always on the look-out for the next pair; the ones that will lead me on my next fantastic voyage. Right now the following shoes are on my wish-list. Of course I won't know if they are "the one" until they are on my feet and taking me to a great adventure, but until then, I will dream.

These are from Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's line Elizabeth and James. I have really liked a lot of the styles they have been putting out recently. The turquiose hue is so awesome. I can imagine wearing these with dress pants for work and my skinny jeans on the weekend. They also come in fushia and bright yellow, but this is still my favorite.

I love wedges. LOVE them. They really are the perfect high-heel. The platform offers your foot the great support of a flat but you still are able to have the extra height. My favorite platforms out right now are these DVFs. I think they are the perfect casual weekend shoe for spring and summer. Speaking of - when will the warmth get here??? I am over boots!

Finally, my favorites. These babies are Marc by Marc Jacobs and I will be saving money from every paycheck until they are mine. The taupe is a great neutral that goes with everything. The heel is high, but not too high. My favorite part - the chain mail around the ankle. Perfect to camoflouge any winter cankle action!

Images via Shopbop.com and Net-a-Porter.com