Cute, Not Cute - 2006 MTV VMA's

I'd like to start this edition of "Cute, Not Cute" off on a super happy note, because, believe me when I tell you, it goes downhill REAL FAST, so let's get started, shall we? The MTV Video Music Awards went down in New York City earlier today... Shakira wowed on the red carpet as I thought she looked quite lovely...

She's so much more polished than when she first arrived on the scene. Remember that extra frizzy blonde/black hair she had? She did good to rid herself of that... Final answer here? CUTE.

Lauren Conrad (LC) of "The Hills". I must say, I don't think I've ever seen her mess up badly. I think the dress is super cute, fun and flirty, a very appropriate look for the MTV VMA's. LC's whole look? CUTE.

Christina is rockin' this throwback look... and rockin' it, and rockin' it, and rockin' it some more. I don't think that I'm alone in thinking that maybe it's time to... oh, I don't know... change it up a bit? Try a different flavor? I mean, she's such a pretty girl, with the cutest little shape, there's so many looks that would work on her. Her vintage styling is all becoming a bit rote to me... Final answer here? Meh..

Ok, this is where it all starts to go downhill... WHAT IN THE SISTER EVE, MOTHER GENEVA WEARING MESS DOES JENNIFER LOPEZ HAVE ON??? What in the world does she think she's doing here? STYLIN'??? NOT! And she need not look so pleased with herself in that top shot, because this outfit is one of the weirdest messes I've seen in a while. From that "head wrap" to the ridiculous sleeves on that "dress" to those hooker boots... wrong, wrong, WRONG. Sooo NOT CUTE.

Jessica showed up to the VMA's with a new short do. But new do aside, is it just me, or does Jessica Simpson look a bit hefty in the shoulder area here? She looks like a FULLBACK to me... NOT CUTE. Particularly on a girl...

There's something about the fit of this dress on Vanessa Minnillo that's not right... or maybe it's just the way she's posing? I don't know, it looks off a bit to me, which is making me think it's just NOT CUTE.

I need something here. You wanna know what I need? I desperately need for Tina Knowles to go and sit down somewhere and let professionals completely handle the styling of her daughter. Now if Tina didn't make this, I'll take back everything that I'm saying right here. But that's doubtful, as this dress REEKS of Tina Knowles' uber-tacky taste. When has Tina EVER done a dress or outfit [for Beyonce] that wasn't garish and completely over the top? This dress is just too much for me. Less is more Tina, less is more... NOT CUTE.
until next time ya'll...

SIDE NOTE CORRECTION: Staying true to my word, I said I would take back everything I said about Tina Knowles making the dress that Beyonce is wearing, as it was in fact, VERSACE. This inaccurate assumption on my part in no way excuses Tina from future futile fashion attempts.

Catherine Malandrino Guest Judges This Weeks PR Challenge

Ok, this recap is going to be my fastest ever, so follow along with me, will you, as I recap last night's Project Runway episode in about 5 seconds...
Challenge: Design an outfit for a "Jet-setter", a "World Traveler".
Free Trip to Paris for the Designers! Woo-hoo!
The Winner of this challenge: Jeffrey. Boo! *super disappointed face*
Should have won: Who else? Mike. And might I add, his runway walk? KILLED IT. Loved it.
Auf'd: Angela. Those crazy "rosettes" ultimately did her in. Judges sent her packing from Paris as soon as she got there. That was just wrong.
Highlight of this week's show: Catherine Malandrino was the surprise guest judge! Ok, LOVE HER! LOVE HER STUFF! What? You didn't already KNOW that about me??? Until next time ya'll!

CHANEL I Like...

I was never really a huge fan of the iconic fashion institution that is CHANEL. And yes, that is my name and all (my mother was a fan of No. 5) but it was just never my "go to" style choice. I love the handbags, sunglasses and the fragrances, I have a bottle of Chance and Mademoiselle in my collection right now. I had just always thought of the CHANEL clothing brand to be a bit "stuffy" and more suited to much older women, who wore pantyhose, and "lunched" with friends, and carried little dogs with poufy ears and tails. And that is sooo not me, I'm more bohemian chic with a downtown urban twist. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised to see this ad for CHANEL in my September issue of Elle Magazine. When I flipped the page, I was like, Wow, I'd TOTALLY wear that whole outfit! I actually thought the whole ensemble was styled together quite nicely. Seeing this ad made me want to actually check CHANEL out more. Maybe my image of CHANEL was ancient. Maybe CHANEL had evolved into a brand I might actually care about, and yes, even WEAR. Am I getting older, or is CHANEL targeting a younger market? I was intrigued. I would love to LOVE the fashion brand whose name I carry. Now, after seeing this ad, I think I might be on my way to having a brand new "go to" style choice. Because the CHANEL in that ad, is finally, CHANEL I like.

1 Year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina...

It was one year ago today that Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Region here. Now I know I run a style and entertainment blog, but I am also a lifelong Louisiana resident, so this anniversary hits pretty close to home for me. Katrina was a devastating disaster for so many people.  Some people lost everything.  That's something that I can't even begin to wrap my mind around.  We weren't directly affected as we live an hour outside of New Orleans and a couple hours away from the Biloxi, Gulfport Mississippi regions, but we were still affected nonetheless. Because Baton Rouge (the capital of Louisiana where I live) was so close to the more devastated areas, we, as a city, experienced a population swell of 100,000 to 125,000 people in the span of 2 days. The cities infrastructure almost cracked from the total influx of people.  In my household, we also experienced a "population swell" of 8 family members (bringing the total in our household to 10 people) who lost homes in the 9th Ward, New Orleans East and Gentilly areas. We literally had a family in each bedroom. Looking back on everything, it was truly a blessing to have had the space to invite people in.  To offer refuge at a time when people needed it most. Our family members stayed with us literally up until a couple months ago, and their rebuilding process, like so many other New Orleans residents who are returning, is still ongoing.

I think its just important to not forget the events of a year ago that devastated so many. It's sad when I think about it sometimes, but New Orleans won't ever be the way it was, and in some ways, that's a good thing, but in others... not so much. New Orleans is such a rich, historic and cultural city.  The architecture, the food, and the people are all a part of the fabric that make New Orleans, New Orleans.  From the musicians outside of the Cafe du Monde, to the breakdancers in Jackson Square, to the neighborhood lady who sold pecan pralines, a lot of people would argue that it was not the architecture and the food, but the actual people that made the city so great.  But out of those things, most of the people, the actual residents that colored the city, won't be returning, and that is truly one of the saddest commentaries of this disaster. But the Gulf Region will still re-emerge. New Orleans will still re-emerge. So that's all I have to say about it. I hope ya'll don't mind me "turning the channel" for a minute. I just wanted to take a moment to remember...

Style Verdict - Steve Madden or Payless?

When I saw these two almost identical shoes in two separate ads, I immediately thought, what's the difference? One is the Steve Madden "Cristan" (bottom) and the other is Payless "Knotty" Stacked Wedge. Both peep toe with a stacked heel. Steve's "upper" is made of actual suede, and the Payless one is faux. The Steve stack is almost 4.5 inches, and the Payless one is 3". The Payless shoe comes in the color shown, the Steve Madden's come in an array of colors (navy suede, red suede, grey suede, green suede, black suede, black patent, brown suede and leopard). Payless retails for $22.99, the Steve Madden's $69.95. Who has the better deal? Would you buy either one? Which one? Why? I wanna know your style verdict.

Brand New Jeans by WHO??? WHAT!!!

This one right here totally through me for a loop... I swear I almost choked on a piece of ice when I got this in my inbox. That's right... it's WRANGLER! Wrangler has hot, right now "it girl" jeans! They have bootcut, low-rise, and shocker! Even skinny jeans! They also come with an "A-list" price tag of $125! Who woulda thought? I mean it's WRANGLER! I'm still wondering why I didn't know about this...



Check out the description:
Contemporary wear goes real old school with the original rough-rider of jeans. With a name like Wrangler, fashion just got the ultimate denim cred.
Wash - Resin Dark Abrasion
7.5" Rise
98% cotton 2% spandex
12" in the knee and 12" at the leg opening


All I have to say is, WOW. Wanna browse a little more or think you'd look good in a pair? Go right here to take a look see.
Until next time ya'll!

The Very Unexciting 2006 Emmy Awards Red Carpet...

The 2006 Emmy Awards taped tonight in Los Angeles, and I gotta tell you, I wasn't moved by the red carpet style this year. I mean the whole red carpet scene was literally a great big yawn.
Or maybe I needed a nap...

I guess Tyra looked ok enough... she looks a little plastic in her close up shot though...

I thought Shaun Robinson looked nice....

Cheryl Hines looks fine from the front, but when she turns around...

my first thought was, ewww. I understand the look she was going for (remember the dress by designer Elie Saab that Halle Berry wore when she won the Oscar for Monster's Ball? Yeah it was a horrible movie, but that dress she wore was fabulous), the back of Cheryl's dress just looks like a bad skin condition.

Ok, listen to me, I'm about to be very serious here. Under NO circumstances are RACING STRIPES EVER an appropriate accent on a formal gown. Ever.

Vanessa Manillo looks ok here, but I think that the dress would have been cuter if there wasn't so much going on with it. All of the embellished gold accents make it seem more suited for a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars". Or for a belly dancer.

Eva Longoria. People see her as this style star, but I gotta tell you, she misses more than she hits in my opinion. You can let me know what you think, but her dresses don't always fit her correctly. Now that could be because she's like a size 0, but that's what tailors are for. But again, that's just my humble opinion. I think I'll go and take that nap now... until next time.

Project Runway Quickie Recap

What fun! This week designers had to design for the "everyday woman". Little did they know that the show would bring in their very own Mother's and Sister's! But ya'll know there was a twist. Designers could NOT choose their own relatives! *bummer* But as you know of course, designers had to "Make it Work", follow along with me, will you, as I recap the episode in about 15 seconds...

Vincent designed for Uli's Mom (Heidi) Not bad. Vincent wins? WHY!!!
Jeffery designed for Angela's Mom (Darlene) Jeffrey spews poisonous venom all over Angela's mom. He then proceeds to design the ugliest dress EVER for her. Horrifying.
Kayne designed for Michael's Mom (Pamela) What was going on with that top???
Laura designed for Jeffrey's Mom (Pam) The sailor dress idea was a nice idea in theory but the finished product wasn't tailored well at all.
Michael designed for Robert's sister (Theresa) A reversible shirt dress? Genius! Another fabulous creation from the superstar designer!
Uli designed for Kayne's Mom (Judy) The print queen chose a wonderful print that actually worked on a larger woman. Nice.
Angela designed for Laura's Mom (Lorraine) Tiered fringe? Didn't like it. At all.
Robert designed for Vincent's Sister (Patricia) And to me, Robert just draped red and black fabric over Vincent's sister and called it a day. So unflattering. I didn't like it. Judges didn't like it. Robert had no more chances. He was auf'd.

That's it for now! Until next time!

Cute, Not Cute: Weekend Edition

Dancing with the Stars Cheryl Burke attended the 58th Annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on yesterday. Now, anyone who has watched Dancing with the Stars knows Cheryl, and those people that know her, KNOWS that she is nowhere near as plump as she appears to be in this dress. It's that blasted satin fabric! Such an unforgiving fabric on even the most petite frames. Like I told you guys before, satin is NOT your friend. Final answer? While Cheryl is cute, the fit of the dress is NOT.

Oh boy. Aiesha Tyler. *sigh* But wait a minute... is that.. VELVETEEN??? No flippin' way! Aiesha, for such a tall and beautiful girl, you can show up to people's red carpet rocking some of the fugliest attire. If your stylist picked this, she needs to be popped in the head. Hard. If YOU picked it, well you just need to call me, STAT! Final answer? This velveteen (it's summer!), schoolgirl, puritanical, pilgrim bowed frock is definitely NOT CUTE.

Idlewild Soundtrack listening party, Aug. 19
Shaun Robinson, Malinda Williams and Omarosa.
Cute... cute... let's just keep it moving, K?...

Kim @ BFF Paris Hilton's Record Release Party on Aug. 18

Kim Kardashian. I must say, I'm not the biggest fan of hers, but I do think she's a pretty girl, and she's also usually well put together on the red carpet. But I must say, the REAL stars of this particular photo are the Christian Louboutin heels - hands down! Those glossy nail-varnish red soles have become a Louboutin trademark, so they are the obvious giveaway. I mean, do you SEE these shoes! If only they weren't $600 a pair... Sooo, my final answer here? Even though she's not one of my fave's, I can give credit where it's due. From head to toe. Especially toe. CUTE.

Nikki Hilton. OK, I don't know what's up with Nikki, but the last couple hundred pictures I've seen of her have been truly awful and just oozing with fug. And unfortunately, she does nothing AT ALL to improve that right here. NOT CUTE.

That's it for now, until next time ya'll!

Style Verdict - VS Coveralls?

I know, I haven't really done a style verdict in a while, so when I got my new CURRENT Victoria's Secret catalogue last weekend and saw these cropped coveralls by Level 99 inside, I was speechless. It was time.

I usually try to refrain from being overly opinionated, particularly so in my style verdict entries because I truly want to hear YOUR opinions on the trend. But this... this is just.. not right. First of all, what is something like this even doing in the Victoria's Secret Catalogue? Cropped coveralls? And please, don't EVEN get me started on the back of these things *shudder*. But wait, it gets better, peep the description of the "cropped coveralls":

Country girl chic hits the street. Adjustable twill suspenders with leather detail. Relaxed fit. Slim leg opening. Contrast stitching. Imported cotton denim/spandex. 25" inseam, uncuffed. Sizes XS-L. #201-704 $148.

Country girl chic hits the street? $148??? Are you kidding me? Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against coveralls, I own a pair of REGULAR ones, difference is, I'm not trying to style, pose and vogue in 'em, then wear 'em with heels to go out on the town. Uh-uh. Nope. If that's what's "in" and what's "now", then I'm sorry, but I haven't reached that level of chicness yet, and I'm pretty chic... most of the time. Now that I've spewed my opinion all over it, I wanna know what YOU think. Do you love it? Hate it? Don't care? Would YOU wear it? I wanna know YOUR style verdict.

Janet's Promotional Thing Continues...

Janet Jackson continues to promote for her upcoming album, "20 Years Old" as she makes the cover of the August 21 issue of Life & Style magazine on newstands tomorrow...

More promotional pics...

the long belted black trench with the black pants... fabulous.
Until next time!

Project Runway Quickie Recap...

That Michael is on a roll isn't he! 2 in a row! I said that he would be the one to watch didn't I? Anyhoo, this weeks challenge was to create designs from recycled paper and garbage and other crap that people throw away, follow along with me, will you, as I recap this weeks episode in about 10 seconds...
Michael won ANOTHER CHALLENGE, he's clearly gonna take it all the way...
Laura flips out uncontrollably on Kayne and Vincent, a sign that she was maybe off her meds...
Jeffrey is a SORE LOSER... he THOUGHT he would be the clear winner, but he THOUGHT WRONG...
Kayne and Vincent's creations barely made the cut because they were both misguided messes...
Poor Alison had a hard time this week, the judges thought she made her model look like an overweight cartoon mouse, which is probably NOT the look she was going for... Alison was auf'd, and I must say, I felt bad for her.
I am soooo gunning to take over guest judge Rachel Zoe's job, stylist to the stars... she better stay on top of it! Until next time ya'll!

Fashion No No...

Oh boy...

seen at Juicy News

Happy Birthday Halle!!!

I almost completely forgot that today was Halle Berry's birthday... her 40th! I am going to be just like her when I grow up!!!
Happy Birthday Halle!

FANBLOG CONTEST WINNER IS ANNOUNCED!

Is it ME! Am I the WINNER??? no. But I'm not mad, and I'm not sad, can't say that I'm GLAD (sorry, couldn't resist that one) as I was honored to even be chosen as a finalist. I am going to just keep on keepin' on... air kisses and hugs to everyone who threw their support my way... I sincerely felt the love... no time to dwell, as I am already looking forward to what's next... until next time ya'll!

See who did win the Project Runway Fan Blog Contest here.

Michael Wins One For Foxy Brown...

It's about time!!! The Project Runway judges finally woke up from their naps (because they have SERIOUSLY been sleeping on Michael...) as Michael wins this week's Icon challenge! His first individual win! And it was a big one! The winner of this weeks challenge would receive a spread in ELLE Magazine with the styling done by Tresemme. Michael should have won a few more of the previous non-team challenges as well, but I'm over that now, so I'll just move on... Designers were hit hard with not being able to choose their models this week, as the models were asked to choose the designers. And if that didn't scare them (the designers) enough, the models were also asked to pick the style icons that the designers would have to use as inspiration for their designs. Follow along with me, will you, as I run down the rest of the Project Runway style icon episode...
Michael's model chose Pam Grier *WINNER* The tailoring and the fit of Michael's hot pants... FLAWLESS. And let me just add that Michael masterfully cranked those shorts out in the 11th hour as he changed his mind and had to redo the whole bottom half of his look. If you watched it, you witnessed a professional at work right there... Angela's model chose Audrey Hepburn - Angela's dress made a surprisingly close 2nd place finish IMO... Kayne's model chose Marilyn Monroe - I thought the dress was a sort of Modern take on a Marilyn dress, but something about the back of it wasn't quite right to me... Jeffrey's model chose Madonna - but I have to say, Jeffrey's Madonna dress looked like something you'd pull out of a dumpster... horrible. Will the judges just eliminate him already! Aside from him being a flippin' know-it-all, those unsightly neck tattoos creep me out... Uli's model chose Diana Ross - Uli's dress was nice, but her stuff is beginning to look all the same to me... Robert's model chose Jackie O. - Such high expectations for Robert doing Jackie O., unfortunately he failed to deliver, his outfit was boring and ill-fitting, putting him in the bottom 2 for the 2nd week in a row. Robert will really have to bring it next week if he plans on staying... Alison's model chose Farrah Fawcett, and I have to say, I wasn't at all excited about what she turned out either, it was pretty *blah* to me... Laura's model chose Katherine Hepburn, and though she pretty much hit Katherine's style spot on, the styling of her outfit was ho hum as well... Vincent's model chose Twiggy, and before I go on, is it just me, or does Vincent remind you of Woody Allen? Maybe that's just me... Anyway, Vincent's plaid patch dress looked like bad upholstery. And finally, Bradley... sweet Bradley. Bradley's model chose Cher. Somehow you knew this would be Bradley's final week in the competition when he announced to the camera's that he knew NOTHING about Cher. I liked Bradley, I thought he was sweet and quirky, almost never in a foul mood... should he have even been in this competition? Probably not. He just seemed perplexed by every design task since the season started... anyway, he was eliminated this week basically for creating an outfit that looked like foil and white styrofoam. So there you have it, super designer Michael finally wins a challenge and it was soooo well deserved. And listen to me when I tell you this, Michael is definitely the one to watch, the rest of 'em have some serious catching up to do. Until next time ya'll!

Heidi Klum - Pregnancy Perfection...

Heidi shows the world that you can be knocked up (for the 3rd time) and still fabulous as ever! Do what you do Heidi!

Heidi promoting the new Victoria's Secret Bra "The Body" today (Aug. 9) in New York City (left photo, headed to CBS The Early Show & right photo at NYC Victoria's Secret Store in Herald's Square)

Silly Candy...

This Snickers commercial is HILARIOUS everytime I watch it! If you haven't seen it before, prepare to be amazed at the silliness of it all. And if you have seen it before, laugh at it again and again like I do. Classic stuff indeed. And the voting is finally closed on the Project Runway fanblog contest, thanks to everybody who voted for me... I'll let you know what happens!
(commercial may take a second to load...)

Last Chance to VOTE + Brandy, Lauryn & Kim...

Thanks to everybody who already cast their votes for me in the Project Runway Fan Blog Contest! I appreciate it! And if you haven't yet had the chance to cast your vote, guess what? THERE'S STILL TIME!!! You can vote for me today! Thank bunches!
Chanel W.

Now back to Hip Candy business, and NO, I'm not gonna talk about events that transpired on Flavor of Love last night, it was TOO ridiculous... I'll still watch it though... moving along...
Brandy appeared at the 2006 Bronner Brothers Hair Show in Atlanta on yesterday (Aug. 6) and I must say, she is looking more and more polished...




Lauryn Hill performed at the Rock the Bells IV Event in San Bernadino, California on Saturday...


She always rocks her own quirky style, good or bad... still luv her...

Finally Diddy and girlfriend Kim Porter shot a campaign for the new Sean John fragrance in Monaco on Saturday (Aug. 5)...


Now, I really shouldn't EVEN have to say this... but the blonde hair? NOT for everybody. Period.

Don't forget to vote for me! Until next time ya'll!

Casual Friday...

Hey ya'll, it's Friday! And it's a mellow Friday (for me anyway, for a change) which is why I am not going to post today. Why? It's Casual Friday!!!

To everyone who has already voted for me in the Project Runway Fan Blog Contest, THANKS SO MUCH! And if you haven't voted, or even if you have, there's still time to vote and vote and vote again... Have a great weekend!
Chanel

BREAKING NEWS!!! THIS JUST IN!!!

I have been informed on last evening via email from NBC Universal that I have been chosen as a top 10 FINALIST FOR THE PROJECT RUNWAY FAN BLOG!!! Honestly, I feel like I've won already! Because you know, it's truly an honor just to be nominated... But seriously to anybody reading my blog, I need your vote. The winner will get to blog PROJECT RUNWAY for the rest of the season on the official site, and yes, I would sincerely like to do that, I really would. To vote for me, click here and vote for "Project Runway Crushes Dreams" by Chanel W. And I thank you.

Now for the Project Runway Season 3 Episode 4 recap...
Ok, so on last nights episode, the big mystery was solved what with the week of teasers making everyone wonder who Tim was going to ask to leave the show and all... Sorry Keith fans... but Keith had to go, and he had to take his illegal pattern books with him. I was like, Nooooo... Keith had hidden pattern books? In a fashion design competition? Are you kidding me? I knew that whoever was leaving the show had done something really bad and totally against the show rules, but something like that had never even crossed my mind. Sooo not cool Keith. And he acted totally busted, and humble when he was "found out", well actually, he wasn't "found out" Kayne was actually responsible for putting him on blast, and might I add was very pleased with himself for exposing the fraud. Kayne you need to remember too, nobody likes a snitch...

Now, I am a design school graduate. A fashion design grad to be exact and I still have my pattern books, and let me tell you, they are pretty graphic. You could probably give one to a non-sewer and they could completely figure out from the step-by-step guides how to do a straight tapered dart. So one person having an illegal pattern book in a fashion design competition while the others don't is like one person having a book of recipes in a cooking competition while the others are struggling to complete a chocolate souffle on their own with no guide at all. Not fair.

So now that we have the mystery expulsion exposed, follow along with me, will you, as I recap the rest of the show in about 10 seconds...
This was another "team" competiton where the teams had to design 3 looks for the Macy's Inc. Ready to wear line.
COMPLETE SHOCKER! ANGELA'S TEAM WINS! Or maybe it wasn't a shocker (considering who Angela had on her team-Laura and HELLO! Super designer Michael) Winners design would be mass produced for the ready-to-wear line and showcased in a Macy's window.
Judges completely disliked Bonnie's and Robert's designs. They disliked Bonnie's more, Bonnie was auf'd.
That's it! Until next time! Don't forget to vote for me! Thanks ya'll!
Chanel W.

Hair Etiquette...

I first learned of this clip on Anovelista.com of Barbara Walters clearly crossing the line of personal space during 2 separate tapings of "The View". In the first part of the clip, she is touching guest host Brandy's hair, without permission, and tugging and pulling Tanika Ray's hair in the 2nd part! Why does Barbara feel entitled to do this? Nichelle over at Anovelista does a whole PSA on the subject of Not touching a Black Woman's hair Ever, and I must say I agree with her wholeheartedly, you really shouldn't put your hands in anybody's hair, unless you already know them really well. But watch the clip and judge it for yourself, I want to know what you think...