Wagner Carrilho, X Factor's accidental fashion hero

So, the new series of The X Factor is in full swing, and while everyone else in the fashion world gets in a lather over Cheryl and Dannii's weekly fashion wars, I think I may have spotted another, rather more unlikely, fashion icon in the ranks.

Has anyone else noticed how the rather fabulous Wagner Carrilho (fabulous here means 10 types of bonkers), seems to be channeling none other than eccentric fashion designer and creative director of Christian Dior, John Galliano?
The softly waved mane, pencil-moustache, love of dress-up - this avant-garde pair are surely separated at birth? As Louis Walsh would say, Wagner really brings the 'fun-factor' and just as everyone holds their breath in anticipation of which character John Galliano will emerge as at the climax of his fashion shows, I will be on the edge of my sofa every Saturday night, ready for Wagner's grand entrance. If head X-Factor stylist Grace Woodward needs any inspiration, she need look no further than the archive of John Galliano's of out-of-this-world costumes , some of which I have selected for your viewing pleasure here .
Meanwhile, I implore you all to vote Wagner. He's unlikely to win the coveted record contract, but with his crazy fashion sense, he's got a better shot at being the new Lady Gaga than wannabe Katie Waissel.

Paris Fashion Week: Accessories round-up

From the tiny little gold studs and detachable coat collar-necklaces in Perspex and metal, at Chloé ; the "lei" necklaces in beads, shells and feathers at Dior ; the confections of feathers, gold and lace which clasped the models' ponytails (don't dare call them scrunchies!), and the metal-filigree booties and gloves at Chanel ; to the vast gold, tribal hoops and disc chokers at Yves Saint Laurent ; the clumpy, multicoloured "ski boot" sandals at Balenciaga ; the leopard-print wedges at Lanvin ; the copper lace-ups at Vivienne Westwood ; and The Row's "Turkish"-look, alligator slipper-shoes by Manolo Blahnik - the Paris prêt-à-porter designers are in the mood for standout accessories.

Sarah Burton, in her first collection as creative director for the Alexander McQueen label, continued his legacy of exquisite, handcrafted detail, with gold toecap hobnail boots, raffia anklet-sandals, and high-heels, hand-carved like irises.
Bruno Frisoni at Roger Vivier, taking inspiration from "Le Sud", decorated sandals with ladybirds, carved a new, "box" "cubist" heel, and put crabs, lobsters and fish on little evening pouches, in raffia and crystal.
Delfina Delettrez, a fourth-generation Fendi, meanwhile, is echoing the tradition of her great-grandmother, Adele, grandmother, Anna, and mother, Silvia, with inspired collections of jewellery. For next season, she is in step with the masculine-feminine interplay and took her inspiration from strong women, such as Virginia Woolf and Amantine Aurore Lucile Dupin, otherwise known as George Sand, and the photographs of Helmut Newton, for cuffs, necklaces and chokers in silver and handwoven, silver thread - mother, Silvia premiered one of the modernist metal chokers at Duran Duran's gig for Fendi, earlier this week.

Beach Patrol

See how Adriana Lima, Sienna Miller, Audrina Patridge and more are heating up the sand this summer!

Ru Paul: Fashion people are "nasty" and "rot-ten"

The second season of the Logo network's RuPaul's Drag Race is nearly upon us. For the uninitiated, the show is a cross-dressing cross between Top Model and Project Runway, complete with its own elimination catchphrase ("Shanté, you stay, and Sashay away"), in which 12 contestants compete for the title of America's Next Drag Superstar. This season, lovely ladies including Jujubee from Boston and Pandora's Boxx from Rochester, NY will lipsynch for their lives while RuPaul lays on the power of positivity as thick as her Viva Glam full-coverage foundation. And as if the show weren't enough, Ru's also got a new book, titled, what else, Workin' It! RuPaul's Guide to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Style (Harper Collins).

New York Fashion Week is coming up. Will you be participating in anything fashion-related?
I don't. I cannot stand the people. I think the fashion people are so nasty and so pretentious. One thing that I am not is pretentious and I cannot stand pretentious people. I love fashion, love color, love texture, love all of that. But all of the people who surround that are rot-ten.

What do you like to wear when you're out of drag — in other words, menswear?
Today I'm wearing jodhpurs with these beautiful Ann Demeulemeester boots that actually almost come up to my knee. And I have long legs. These are hard to find. And a black motorcycle jacket with a YSL little scarf and a beret. I look like a 1920s director.
In your book, you reveal all the tricks to create an illusion, such as taping your face. But what do you think about plastic surgery?
I love it. I love it. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. The human experience part of our journey is very short. It's not to be taken that seriously. So if you want to snatch that face and yank it, right on, mama. You rotate the tires on your car, don't you? So why not?

And so, about the show. Last season was a break out hit. Were you surprised?
I think that winds of change are upon us. After the Bush Administration people were tired of living under this sort of cloud of fear — self-imposed, I might add. I'm not blaming anyone. But I think people are ready for color and experimentation.

What can we expect from the upcoming season?
It is outrageous. The kids this season have had the advantage of having seen the first season and getting the lay of the land. They came with premeditated strategies. They're actually kind of ruthless — as ruthless as an LA driver.

Contestants Pandora's Boxx (left) and Jujubee

Portions of the show seem to parody Tyra Banks and America's Next Top Model. Were you inspired by her?
I don't think we parody her. But we do have a contestant on our show whose name is Tyra — all the young drags use the names that are popular in pop culture. There's always a Britney or a Whitney. The Tyra on our show is heavily into Beyonce. At one point she gets frustrated and says, "I have not listened to Beyonce in 14 days!"

Joan Crawford, Barbra Streisand and Cher are some of the top classic drag icons. Who are some modern women who are potential drag icons?
Beyonce, Britney, Angelina Jolie. Women who embody both male and female characteristics. Angelina Jolie clearly wears her masculinity very well. Little boys who grow up to be drag queens identify with that duality.

What other projects are you working on?
I'm actually working on another record. But we also got a greenlight for a show on Logo called "DragU," which is RuPaul's Drag University. We're going to take women from the middle of America who have basically given up on themselves and really make them over from the inside out.


Read More http://www.wmagazine.com/

The Influentials: Fashion

Anna Wintour, Peter Marino, and Kim France.  

Anna Wintour
Editor-in-chief, Vogue
Vogue, c’est moi. No fashion figure has ever played her power as strongly and cannily as the feared, respected, sharply intelligent Wintour. She can make a fledgling’s career in a single phone call (designers from John Galliano to Zac Posen owe her a debt of gratitude), anoint the next society muse (Lauren duPont, Jessica Joffe), and raise millions for her favorite causes ($26 million for the Met’s Costume Institute in the past eleven years, $14 million for various AIDS charities). And let’s not forget her burgeoning empire (Teen Vogue, Men’s Vogue, Vogue Living). Even paint-wielding peta activists and a whiny roman à clef can’t touch her. In fact, she’s been an inadvertent boon to the publishing industry, since The Devil Wears Prada spawned its own subgenre of chick lit.

Peter Marino
Architect
The premier set designer for the luxury-shopping experience, ever since he did Barneys’ uptown flagship back in 1992. His style—clean lines, neutral colors, a careful balance of textures to keep the eye interested—has worked for names like Giorgio Armani, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Fendi (for whom he oversaw a $25 million rebuilding of its Rome store), and Chanel, all of which have used him to design their New York flagships. For many, he’s created the worldwide retail template, which is why that pale pickled oak you see in Chanel’s 57th Street store is precisely the same shade of pickled oak in Chanel’s Tokyo tower.

Kim France
Editor-in-chief, Lucky
With Lucky, France has broken the wall between magazine and catalogue—and thus changed how clothes are bought and sold, all the way to the factory floor. And it works; if it’s in Lucky, it moves.

Ralph Lauren
CEO, Polo Ralph Lauren
We’ve been in so deep for so long that it can be hard to get perspective, but Ralph Lauren’s depiction of an immaculately groomed, mouthwateringly merchandised America (with strong British overtones) has altered the way we see our own culture. He made it irresistible in the stores, too, to the tune of $3.3 billion last year in categories as diverse as paint, perfume, and bespoke suits. He’s even managed to sell the vision back to its roots: Starting this summer, Polo is the official wardrober for all of Wimbledon’s on-court personnel.

Marc Jacobs
Head designer, Marc Jacobs International
Quietly, modestly, totally, Marc Jacobs has taken over. You see him everywhere, from the army jackets (even if yours is from H&M, it is, in a sense, by Marc) to the ubiquitous slouchy leather bags to the transformation of that once-sleepy stretch of Bleecker Street. In his other gig, as creative director of Louis Vuitton, he’s single-handedly made that brand the most profitable of parent company LVMH’s fashion stable. You may not immediately swoon for what he shows on the runway (ballooning volumes and bulky layering for fall, for example), but by the time the season changes, you will.

From: http://nymag.com/

Last Night's Look: Hit or Miss?

Vote on this week's styles including Angelina Jolie, Katie Holmes and more stars! You decide – are they fashionistas or flops?

From: http://www.peoplestylewatch.com

Demi Lovato Names Kim Kardashian As Her Style Icon!

Reality star Kim Kardashian is apparently very "flattered" that teen starlet Demi Lovato named the socialite as her style icon.

VIDEO: Demi Lovato - 'Don't Forget'

The 17-year-old Disney actress/singer has started to develop curves as she grows up and she's been looking to the voluptuous reality TV star for inspiration on how to dress for her shape.

Earlier this month Lovato said, "I just love the way that she dresses. She wears clothes that fit her body... I'm starting to have curves and I'm embracing it and kind of looking to her style to help me out with that."

The Raunchiest Playlist Of All Time!

And Kardashian is pleased the young star is embracing her figure.

In a post on her official blog, Kardashian writes, "I love that Demi is embracing her curves and I'm so flattered that she is looking to me for style inspiration. Demi is one of the few young stars who manages to show off her own unique style and sense of self while still keeping her looks age-appropriate."

Geeez, talk about a Demi Lovato and Kim Kardashian love fest!!

From: http://www.thehothits.com/

Daily Diversion: A Porcupine Who Thinks It's A Dog

Some videos don't need much explaining. Here is a porcupine who's in the middle of one interspecies identity crises. (Buzzfeed)

A Boost for Beer-Can Chicken

A FEW years ago, I tried to make beer-can chicken. The recipe called for balancing a whole chicken on a half-empty can of beer, then grilling it over indirect heat. The steam generated from the beer was supposed to keep the chicken moist, while the indirect heat bronzed the skin without turning it black.


I’m an ardent fan of roast chickens, and this seemed like the perfect way to cook a chicken on a hot day when I didn’t want to turn on the oven and heat up the house. The bird could cook outside with the mosquitoes while I stayed inside with the air-conditioner.

But my grilling skills back then were sorely lacking. My chicken ended up a pale, rubbery mess, probably a result of not adding enough coals as they burned down.

It was so disappointing that I might never have tried beer-can chicken again. But then I got a gas grill, which can provide consistent heat, making the recipe less prone to human error.

So I picked up a can of beer and a chicken, game for another round.

One of the other problems I had last time was a very dry bird. I tried to think of a way to avoid relying on the steam from the beer to keep the chicken moist. I decided to bring out the big guns — a tub of mayonnaise, perfect for preventing the flesh from drying out. It could also act as a vehicle for adding spices (and color).

I could have used any spice mix, either purchased or homemade, but chose Madras curry because I love its earthy, intense flavor. A squirt of hot sauce gave the mixture a happy jolt. I slathered it all over the bird, including inside the cavity, and plopped it on the grill.

That wasn’t all I did. Usually, when I roast a chicken, I add potatoes and carrots to the pan, creating a one-pot meal. So I coated some fingerling potatoes with the spiced mayo, adding them to the grill about halfway through the cooking. Instead of carrots, I sliced up some orange bell peppers to grill over direct heat while the chicken was resting.

When I brought everything inside, the chicken was steaming, golden and succulent while the kitchen was pleasantly cool — and so was the cook.

From: http://www.nytimes.com/

Ashlee Simpson: Lovely Louis Vuitton!

Ashlee Simpson totes around a stylish Louis Vuitton handbag as she arrives at LAX airport with her mom Tina Simpson in Los Angeles on Wednesday (July 7).

The 25-year-old Texas-born singer has recently been spending time with her son, Bronx, while big sis Jessica has been in the headlines for her new boy, ex-NFL player Eric Johnson. Jess even hung out with Just Jared last month showing off her new fashion line!

10+ pictures inside of Ashlee Simpson and her lovely Louis Vuitton bag…

More Louis Vuitton handbag info....

Creative, fanciful couture at Franck Sorbier

PARIS – Franck Sorbier proved that in couture, it's creativity and technical savoir faire — and not deep pockets — that really count. The veteran Frenchman's fall-winter 2011 show in a tiny hall lent to him by Sotheby's auction house, was at the opposite end of the spectrum from the big-budget megaproductions put on by luxury conglomerates. But the collection didn't suffer for it — au contraire.

Sorbier has gone trough hard financial times of late, and Wednesday's collection — full of his trademark inventive, almost surrealist, looks in a rainbow of buoyant colors — represented a return to happier times.

A bustier in papier mache from old newspaper clippings had faux nipples made from wine corks. A baroque mirror with an ornate gilded frame was strapped to the model's chest, like a bustier. Woven raffia insaturated jewel tones became a ravishing, African-themed sheath dress. A Plane Indian coat in leather hung with dangling fringe was paired with a ballerina's skirt worn low around the model's ankle.

An off-the-shoulder dress vibrated in bubblegum pink, while a long, lean, lacy evening gown smoldered in fiery red lace.

As Paris' three-day-long haute couture collections wind down Wednesday, Sorbier's show was a much-needed reminder that couture need not be smothered in sequins or dripping with rhinestones to be desirable.

From: www.yahoo.com