Color You’ll Be Seeing At Proms Everywhere

The award goes to… the color red! Continuing the trend from the Golden Globes, if there’s one definitive awards season color trend it’s playing match the carpet. We’re not won over by Anne Hathaway’s red Valentino, but Sandra Bullock was beautiful in Vera Wang, Rhea Durham (Mark Wahlberg’s wife) in Naeem Khan was one of our favorite uses of red, and Jennifer Lawrence’s Calvin Klein dress isn’t the most memorable, but is a choice that would be almost universally flattering. Penelope Cruz is beautiful, but we’re not crazy about her L’Wren Scott dress.

Best Dressed Minimalist

How do we decide this one? Gwyneth Paltrow was a bit flashier in Calvin Klein with Louis Vuitton accessories, but we loved Reese Witherspoon’s white-trimmed Armani Prive black dress as well. There will probably be a bit of disagreement over Witherspoon’s Barbarella-worthy hair, but with an understated shape and colors, we think it’s the perfect pick for a bit of experimentation as far as hair and accessories go.

Best Dressed In a Real Life Transformative Role

Jennifer Hudson’s had a number of transformative life experiences, and they seem to have all given her a level of fashion confidence that she didn’t have when she first walked away with Oscar gold (also made, by the way, in Hudson’s hometown of Chicago). We only have one descriptor for Hudson’s tangerine Versace dress and overall look – wow!

Best Style Newcomer

We’re still not totally sold on her Prada stripes for the red carpet, but overall Hailee Steinfeld has been killing it this awards season. She didn’t disappoint in embellished Marchesa last night, and we sincerely hope Steinfeld continues to get great roles because we’ve become quite attached to seeing (and loving) her style picks.

Best Demonstration of Ageless Style

Helen Mirren in Vivienne Westwood. That is all.

Best Representation of Classic Hollywood Glamour

Hilary Swank’s sequined and feathered Gucci dress and upswept hair were nothing but glamor. The “inspired by” dresses are going to look like a disaster, but the original is pitch perfect.

Best Negative Publicity Deflection

Remember that nasty potential custody battle Halle Berry was gearing up for with model ex Gabriel Aubry? No? Thank that lovely Marchesa dress.

Best Use of Accessories

Amy Adams’ shimmering, dark blue L’Wren Scott dress was a favorite that continued the all over sequin trend, but we couldn’t stop looking at the huge, vibrant green emeralds on her neck and wrist. The Cartier jewels were worth a reported $1.35 million and looked every bit of it.

Best Fashion Risk

Cate Blanchett is sure to end up on the worst dressed list for those who like their red carpet fashion safe, and this is definitely one that takes a strong dose of personal style to pull off. Blanchett has plenty of that though and the circular bodice, beaded accents and architectural sleeves on her Givenchy dress work for her.

Best Dressed, Quaker Edition

Florence Welch in Valentino is a lot more buttoned up than the red carpet looks we’re used to seeing, but in a very (very) classic Little House on the Prairie way it’s a unique look that stands out without the normal glitter and jewels that are the standby way to stand out, and Welch pulls it off.

Best Oscar Impersonator

Valentino Garavani. The only man with a patina that Oscar would be jealous of.

Best Dressed In a Supporting Role

You know who doesn’t always get credit for fashion choices? Oscar dates. Camila Alves (Matthew McConaughey’s wife), Sunrise Coigney (Mark Ruffalo’s wife) and Rhea Durham (see: top of the page) may not have been up for any awards themselves, but Alves and Coigney were every bit the leading style ladies in grand black dresses that deserve an award of their own. Alves wore Kaufman Franco.

We haven’t found a measurable way to tally best and worst dressed just yet, so we’ll just just round up the larger trends and add our favorites to the mix. Click on images to view at a larger size.

Golden Globes 2011 Fashion Trends

Pretty in Pink and Red or Dead

Save: Julianne Moore in Lanvin, Julianna Margulies in vintage Yves Saint Laurent

Skip: January Jones in Versace

Don’t get us wrong, January Jones looks great and men probably got a lot more interested in the red carpet after seeing that dress; but the line between vamp and tramp is thin and we’re not sure how many women would be able to toe the line in this dress or any “inspired by” designs.

What They All Wore

1st row L to R: Julianne Moore (large image) in Lanvin, Claire Danes in Calvin Klein, Megan Fox in Armani Prive, Lea Michele in Oscar de la Renta, Heidi Klum in Marc Jacobs

2nd row L to R: Naya Rivera, Natalie Portman in Viktor & Rolf, Emma Stone in Calvin Klein, January Jones (large image) in Versace

3rd row L to R:  Julianna Margulies in vintage Yves Saint Laurent, Christina Hendricks, Edie Falco in Valentino, Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang

We're not jumping on these trends, but they're still interesting.

5. The Return of the Fanny Pack

Ah, the cyclical nature of fashion can be a fantastic thing when lovable trends are re-invented and made exciting to wear again, but some fads should be left in the past (and by the past, we mean the ‘80s). This year, Rihanna was spotted wearing a fanny pack and Tory Burch even began selling them. Most of the ones we found online carried a hefty price tag, and we never thought Tory Burch would ever be making one, so weâ€ll see if the hip bag catches back on for good. If it does, then boy does whoever markets that thing deserve a pat on the back.

4. iPhone STD Testing

Researchers in the U.K. announced they were in the process of coming up with a way for young adults to test themselves for STDs by essentially inserting their own urine into their iPhones or other mobile devices. The object is to get the STD rate down by allowing for increased testing privacy. We had to put at least one IEJ topic that gives you the willies on the list.

3. Japanese Anti-Aging Goggles

One of our favorite IEJ trends this year involved brands that were essentially attempting to charge consumers for a product that did basically nothing the average person couldnâ€t do themselves for free. We thought weâ€d seen it all in the ant-aging game when British beauty brand Rodial came out with snake bite anti-aging serum, but these goggles claimed to fight wrinkles and lines by holding the skin around your eyes taut. The makers declared that holding the skin in place for an extended amount of time would cause it to stay that way. (Helpful hint: if you believe them, you can hold your skin that way using your own fingers – or a pair of swim goggles that at least you can take to the pool once you realize they donâ€t work like Botox).

2. Teva Stilettos

The Teva stilettos are meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but they are a fantastic oddity nonetheless. This fall, news spread through the blogosphere of Tevaâ€s partnership with Grey Ant to sell hiking sandal meets New Yearâ€s Eve party shoes. That horrible combination was running for more $300. ‘Nuff said.

1. The Snazzy Napper

The informational video for this thing is definitely in the top 10 most entertaining things weâ€ve ever seen. The Snuggieâ€s weird younger sister popped up across the Web this summer, and it is basically a blanket with a hole in it that is supposed to help you sleep in public. A big IEJ trend this year was strange products with huge price tags. The Snazzy Napper (aka the “snazzy way to sleep while you travel”) takes number 1 partly for the fact that it is not insanely expensive. That and itâ€s sheer WTF genius.

The rollout is considered a test case, and if successful, could mean a wider range of sizes in other Saks locations around the country.

The clothes won’t be in a special section, they’ll be included on the same racks as the 0-12 sizes that most items already come in. With any hope, this could be a step towards blurring the line between straight sized and plus sized fashion.

Saks and the labels haven’t rushed to comment, which may be a sign that the labels are still grappling with how to promote the expanded size options to a group of customers who’ve long been ignored. {Jezebel} But a baby step is still a step in the right direction.

Too young for Couture?

Bloggers and editors saw elements of inspiration from Twilight in the most recent collection – which was fittingly opened by the new face of the brand, Freja Beha Erichsen – but no agreement on whether that is a good or bad thing seems to have surfaced. WWD felt the clothes were beautiful but too youthful for a couture line and the Telegraph thought the collection was more confident and signature to the new designers, while Style.com admits the pitch to a younger audience was peculiar but perhaps genius. {The Cut}

Or too Boring?

Style.com may have hit the nail on the head, as luxury fashion labels have attempted to keep their footing of late by reaching out to Generation Y. The looks may also come to symbolize a new era for Valentino.

The youthful slant to the collection is smart, but there are too many dropped waistlines and bows for our taste and the clothes are a bit bland, a kiss of death for haute couture, which we look to for the kind of over the top fantasy that would be out of place in ready to wear collections. The blah-ness of it is ironic considering the collection departs from their more typical Valentino lines, which critics found boring as well. Nothing is terribly wrong with the collection – the sheer hoop dress looks like a toned down take on Lady Gaga’s Grammy dress, but it looks like Chiuri and Piccioli are light years away from wowing like John Gallianoâ€s flower-inspired masterpiece for Dior did earlier in the week.

Appearing in the window of the Valentino boutique on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles last week was a red T-shirt adorned with a strip of lace at the neck, a bouquet of embroidered silk roses and a $790 price tag. {The Wall Street Journal}

Valentino T-shirts, at left $1350, at right $890

Valentino has been famous for creating dressy evening wear for the fabulously wealthy since 1959, but the labelâ€s new design duo, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, who took over for Valentino Garavani in 2008 after creating accessories for the brand for 8 years, are working to move the label into the future by including less stuffy attire. Enter: Valentinoâ€s 10 new T-shirt styles ranging in price from $295-$800 for embellished jersey tees and up to $3,000 for silk versions. {The Cut}

“Before, Valentino was quite untouchable,” Valentino’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Stefano Sassi said. “It’s a reinterpretation of the brand.”

Chiuri and Piccioli were criticized for “trying to hard” with their Spring 2010 collection for the label, which broke away from the established Valentino image. {Harperâ€s Bazaar} Whether Mr. Garavani himself is pleased with the introduction of T-shirts is unclear.

According to multiple reports, Valentino hates the T-shirts and has not liked much of anything the pair has come up with.

Sassi said, “This is the anathema to Valentino,” though he admitted to not actually having spoken to the designer about the matter. {The Wall Street Journal}

Meanwhile, a Harperâ€s Bazaar portrait of Chiuri and Piccioli, who began as handbag designers for Fendi, paints a picture of a playfully stern relationship between Mr. Garavani and the pair. The two discussed how he needled them for being late to shows by threatening not to use their handbags and slipping in comments about how he made more money than they.

“I couldnâ€t say I like everything they design,” Valentino said in the story. “Sometimes I think they try too hard to be cool and lose sight of the heritage they have received. However, their desire of renovation is respectable and acceptable in the world we live in today, and I am very happy that they became the creative and artistic directors of the Maison Valentino.” {Harperâ€s Bazaar}

But nevermind what Valentino thinks: the more obvious question in our minds is of who would buy these T-shirts? Perhaps the same lady who has a place in her closet for the holey $1625 Balmain t-shirt, but are $1000+ t-shirts (easily replicated by DIYers at that) really an effective strategy for expanding a brand? While that much for a t-shirt would be laughable for most, if the $3000 tee drives sales of Valentino’s new $300 shirts, it could prove to be an effective strategy. For Balmain? Well, considering there are no offerings in the aspirational luxury price range, we’ll agree with other feedback calling the pricing fashion foolishness.

What do you think – at $3000, would you buy the emperor’s new clothes?

Nick Snider (not the mugshot), Becca Shumlin and Remy Renzullo, Giancarlo Giammetti and Valentino

The first case of foot in mouth disease: fashion edition, comes courtesy of 21-year-old male model Nick Snider. Arrested in Arkansas for being drunk and disorderly, Snider twice tried to barter his release in exchange for oral sex. The unsuccessful offer resulted in a 3rd charge of attempting to influence a public servant. At least in this case, he can blame it on alcohol.

Moving away from the alcohol and questionable attempts at bail, but staying with the “blame it on youth” theme, Fashionista brings us the stories of two attempted Fashion Week crashers. The first are a team: Becca Shumlin and Remy Renzullo, two teen Vermont fashion fans, stuck their feet in pretty deep. Most high school and college students who want to experience fashion week will scour for internships that allow them to help a few models, haul a few dresses and take in the activity from backstage. At least 10 years ago. Now? It’s much easier to hire someone to hack into the reservations system and add a name or two to the list. We’re all for the chic plus geek thing (see: this site), but not in this way. Shumlin’s Twitter account and blog have disappeared, so we’re guessing any future guest list attempts will be more low-tech.

Our next fashion crasher would do well to take notes. While Shumlin and Renzullo didn’t pull of the guest list additions, they get an E for Effort. Requesting tickets on behalf of French Vogue with editorial clips from Harper’s Bazaar? Not so much. An anonymous fashion lover from Florida, who should probably know the difference if attempting to fake it, tried – and failed with this technique.

Our final case of fashion foot in mouth, which can’t be attributed to youth or drinking, comes courtesy of Giancarlo Giammetti. Giametti, the longtime business partner of Valentino Garavani, called the latest couture collection under the Valentino name a “ridiculous circus” on his Facebook page. So far, there have been no tweets, status updates or other comments from current Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. On a positive note, it looks like people in fashion really are embracing social media.