GeekSugar

Tech Fashion: Light Emitting Diode Dress

GeekSugar — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 07:00:47 PDT

This dress gives Madonna's "Ray of Light" and the statement "she's glowing" a whole new meaning. This glow in the dark dress is full of light emitting diodes. I can't decide where I'd wear a dress like this, but all I can say is it's way more chic than the racy Glowfur bikini top or the LED Puss In Boots. These dresses will be available in the Japanese market toward the end of the year, so don't expect to see people glowing up till then.
Source: Spluch and Zjol

Kristen Stewart Talks Badass Fairy Tales, Bella Swan, and Her New Leading Man on Snow White Set Visit

Molly Goodson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:01:00 PST

Last October, we were so excited to pay a visit to the set of Snow White and the Huntsman outside London. We got a sneak peek into the amazing world Kristen Stewart and her costars, including Chris Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Charlize Theron, and more, inhabited while shooting the action-packed fairy-tale movie. We have tons to come from our day poking around the remarkable set and learning about everything from the costumes to the fight scenes. While we were there, we even got to see the aftermath of Kristen accidentally actually punching Chris Hemsworth in the face filming a scene. Check out our chat with Kristen and stay tuned for lots from the set:

Is there something you admire about Snow White?

Yes. It’s strange playing a character that you actually could never truly embody. Her spirit affects people. . . I can’t have Snow White’s effect on people. I can’t actually be completely selfless because nobody is. You can only really play a character like that in a fairy tale and play it with an awful load of integrity. She’s very fully formed, but very farfetched-from-the-reality-that-we-live-in type of person. She also is strong in a very different way than you’d expect. Strength, yeah, but also gusto. I mean, she’s strong. She can kick ass. It hurts very much to do so and so it’s not like you’re watching her go take down a kingdom. You’re not watching going, "Yeah! Kill him!" Really it’s more like you’re watching someone having to do something that doesn’t just go against your sensibilities or that you agree with. It’s gutting. It’s physically gutting, literally. A million reasons, but she’s special.

Do you like that she’s not like your prissy fairy tale?

Yeah, because that’s just a very surface, though she is prissy sometimes. That’s the other thing. It takes her the whole movie basically to become who I’m talking about now. I’m really sort of talking in retrospect. It’s strange. It’s a total identity movie. It’s all about not finding yourself, but actually just being OK with who you always have been and not being ashamed of being the only one who sees the light. It’s an enormous burden and she’s so stunted. She was put away when she was 7 years old and your mother and your father were killed basically right in front of you. We’re not doing the version of a fairy tale that wouldn’t deal with all of those things, where you just sort of skim over all those things, and it's like all of these things are actually really important to the characters. She literally bleeds for her land and her people, and that’s just such a cool concept for me because it’s other people caring about people. It’s very simple, but it’s so common. Every day all the time you see people not caring about each other, and this is just about that.

She learns to be a leader or she’s born a leader inside, do you think?

She’s definitely a born leader. I mean, it’s literally pumping through those veins, but it’s been taken from her. She’s been so stolen from.

To read the rest of the interview, including her thoughts on Bella vs. Snow White and what it was like to punch Chris just

read more. Is it helping you get into the character's mindset to wear those cool costumes? Absolutely. If you look down and something doesn’t feel like you would definitely be wearing it, or if you go to grab your knife and it flops around or - basically [Colleen Atwood] thinks about every detail. It’s so wearable. I also have puffy sleeves. Somehow she manages to make puffy sleeves look butch. I was always expecting to personally wind up in a - basically what I’m wearing underneath it, like that little blue dress, which is just thin and wispy. I was really happy that she’s got something heavy on - a bit of armor before she actually finds her own armor. How did you feel the first time you put on the armor? Did you feel more badass? Yeah. That’s the first thing you want to [pound your chest]. Also, my armor doesn’t have a huge top on it. All the guys, unfortunately, they [raise their arms] and they hit themselves in the head. I can run around in mine. Somehow the armor on the men - unless they’re on horseback and they look amazing, but there’s also something kind of dainty about it, too, like pointy toes. It fits a woman’s body better, I feel. I don’t know, the guys running around suddenly look like little toys - slightly feminine little toys. Both Snow White and Bella had traumatizing experiences in the woods - being led out to die or have her heart broken - compare those two experiences? Well, it’s funny. I think [Snow White] genuinely lacks that innate fear of death that we all have. She’s got a serious, fierce survival - not skills, but insights. But she isn’t afraid of anything. What’s harder is to have dreams and hopes that you lived your whole life sort of be just shattered in front of you. So I think probably it’s totally impossible to compare the two. And I know that doesn’t make sense, but I kind of can’t compare. Can you compare the movies in general? Are there similarities at all? Bella and Snow White both come to find that they’re leaders. I mean, that’s definitely a similarity. They’re different. They’re very, very, very, different people. Also, I guess in a very sort of righteous way as well it’s all very like - everyone’s telling them “no” and both of them I guess see the light. Both of them are sort of a little more intuitive and spiritually, for whatever reason, connected and their gut is always sort of dead right. What about working with Chris surprised you? Did you have any preconceptions of him? Before I met him, I was like, "gosh, so charming." You know what I mean? Like he’s so ridiculously, seemingly nice. Movie-star caliber nice. But he really actually just is. But then again, it’s strange working - cause I mean it’s not a secret. It was completely different part before. It was totally like a rethought. So when he came in it was like "Wow! This is f*cking interesting!" I mean, it was like they really elevated it. Chris is an amazing, nice guy and also [has] great instincts and he can roll with everything on set. He’s really relaxed, whereas I’m always like, "oh my god!" I use my anxiety to do this and he’s always sort of like - he’s a good energy for me. I really like working with him. You actually punched Chris filming a scene and gave him a black eye? It’s actually a very confidence building experience. I don’t like punching anyone. So, you know, when you dream and your hand just slides right down their face, it doesn’t do that in real life. It really works. God, that really made me feel horrible, though. I mean, like instantly hot tears and I was like "oops!" We were watching it. It looks - it’ll be in the movie. Favorite fairy tale as a kid? I honestly don’t - somebody asked this the other day. I wasn’t here til the end of fairy tales. I really liked The Jungle Book. I was obsessed with The Jungle Book. Chris said Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. He is obsessed with Lord of the Rings and he was always like humming Enya as we were trudging up the mountain. I was saying basically, "You should make a remake of Lord of the Rings. Why are you doing this? . . . We’re doing Snow White and the Huntsman, Chris!" Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Angelina, Michelle, Zoe, Viola, and More Bring Glamour to the SAG Awards Red Carpet

Lauren Turner — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:41:40 PST

Award season saw another glamorous night with the Screen Actors Guild Awards in LA this evening. Stars from both the big and small screens brought even more great looks with plenty of ladies stepping out in neutrals. Presenter Zoe Saldana glowed in a white Givenchy Couture gown straight from the Paris runways while Bridesmaids' Kristen Wiig chose a Balenciaga halter. Viola Davis, who won best actress and best picture for The Help, got gorgeous in a strapless Marchesa and her winning costar Octavia Spencer donned Tadashi Shoji. The Good Wife's Julianna Margulies wore a custom beaded Calvin Klein Collection as she arrived on the arm of her husband Keith Lieberthal.

There were a few fun pops of color this evening, including a group that matched the carpet in red. Best actress nominee Michelle Williams looked sweet in a lace Valentino gown and Lanvin clutch and Kyra Sedgwick showed skin in a cutout Pucci that displayed her rib tattoo of her family's initials. Modern Family's Sofia Vergara continued her sexy streak in a strapless pink Marchesa dress and Lorraine Schwartz jewels, which were front and center when she took the stage with her costars to accept the best TV comedy ensemble statue. Emily Blunt got bright in a green Oscar de la Renta next to husband John Krasinski, and The Help's Jessica Chastain went with a bold blue Calvin Klein.

Angelina Jolie led the pack of black looks in a slinky Jenny Packham gown and Ashlee Simpson followed suit in a sequin number by the same designer when she arrived with boyfriend and Boardwalk Empire nominee Vincent Piazza. Emma Stone mixed things up with a short McQueen and 30 Rock's Tina Fey went strapless in Versace. Melissa McCarthy, who was nominated for Bridesmaids, joined the dark-hued dresses in navy Badgley Mischka. There was so much exciting fashion and beauty on tonight's red carpet so be sure to vote on all of Fab and Bella's SAG Awards polls here!

To see ALL the gorgeous red carpet gowns just read more!

Charlize Is All Grown Up in Ravishing Red at Young Adult Premiere

Molly Goodson — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:23:15 PST

Charlize Theron led the way in a sexy little red dress at the NYC screening of Young Adult last night. While there was no date on her arm, Charlize looked happy to be in the company of costars including Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, and Elizabeth Reaser. Young Adult screenwriter Diablo Cody was also decked out for the event while Jason Reitman was in his usual attire. Charlize's character in the movie seems a long way from her stunning and strong self, though in the age of Facebook even Charlize admitted to checking in on her high school crush. Charlize is also getting great reviews for her part in the movie and with award season around the corner, we'll hopefully see a lot more daring and impressive red-carpet looks from the actress.

Talking Imperfect Perfection With Deborah Needleman

Elka Karl — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:00:51 PDT

This year at High Point Market I was thrilled to finally meet Deborah Needleman, one of my all-time design heroines. The lovely Ms. Needleman led a design luncheon at High Point where she talked about her new book, The Perfectly Imperfect Home. It has risen to the rank of my favorite home decor book of the past year, and it sits atop my slant-top desk next to a small box filled with antique German coins, one of the "smalls" that Deborah talks about that make my home personal, happy, and perfectly imperfect.

The former editor of Domino magazine and the current editor of WSJ. Magazine, Deborah recently answered some of my questions about her book, decorating philosophy, and personal favorite decorating ideas and quirky pieces. Keep reading for the first half of my interview with Deborah Needleman!
CasaSugar: What inspired The Perfectly Imperfect Home?
Deborah Needleman: It was inspired by how uncomfortable I feel in overly decorated, everything-just-so houses, and how inspired and comfortable and happy I feel in houses that are stylish and real. I love houses that are portraits of their owners.

CS: How do you think the concept of designing imperfectly can spark creativity and growth in decorating?
DN: You can’t be creative if you are constantly just trying to keep everything neat and perfect. If the evolution of your life is reflected in your decorating, that means your decoration will not remain static. It changes as you change; it grows and morphs with you. I’ve never liked or believed in the idea of decorating as something that can be finished. Like life, it is a work in progress.

CS: Can you describe one of the stylish, welcoming, and imperfect homes you’ve visited and found particularly inspiring?
DN: The decorator and design writer Rita Konig is my patron saint(ess) of stylish imperfection. She was raised by a fancy decorator (Nina Campbell), has lived in and visited beautiful houses her whole life, and knows all the rules of decorating, but she is never hampered by rules or fussiness. She is inspired by the kind of life she wants to go on inside her house. It is always inspiring, exciting, and completely comforting to be in her home. Her home always smells fantastic. It has a lot of personality, quirk, and color. There are soft pillows on the sofas and chairs, lots of books you want to read, and interesting things on the walls. Plus, she’s a doting host, always ready to make you something nice to drink and eat.

All the top editors at Domino had homes like you describe - stylish, welcoming, and imperfect - and they inspired me enormously. I hired them so they could inspire others like they did me. The brilliant Sara Ruffin Costello (who now writes the best and cheekiest decorating column out there for the Off Duty section of the Wall Street Journal), Tom Delavan (who is now editorial director of the recently launched GiltHome), Dara Caponigro (editor in chief of Veranda magazine), and the aforementioned Rita Konig (who is European editor of WSJ. Magazine magazine)

Keep reading for more of our conversation with Deborah Needleman!

Balenciaga Spring 2012

Chi Diem Chau — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:26:32 PDT

Most shows wouldn't be able to top collapsing benches, which in turn led to collapsing editors, but such a small snafu couldn't deter the magnificence seen on Balenciaga's Spring runway showing. Staying true to the brand's signature style, Nicolas Ghesquière showed dramatic structure, volume, and space-age fabrics. “I don’t know if oversize is the right term for that type of construction,” Ghesquière told WWD. “But this famous, and for me, a very functional, concept of Cristobal is the idea of the space between the body and the fabric. The clothes float away from the body. It’s one of the big iconic things of Balenciaga. The fluidity of floating is beautiful, but it is something else. . . I think it’s something that Balenciaga invented." Shiny jewel-toned structured jackets, short shorts, graphic tops, fringe-like cellophane skirts, and pleated and folded trousers all rendered the cool, ultra-modern aesthetic the designer is known for. The dresses, ranging from oversize tunics to midi-length patchwork creations, were impossibly chic and innovative. Ghesquière, who is also famous for his covetable accessories, showed sharp and angular cutout booties and gorgeous leather oversize clutch bags. More details from the collection below, and check out our retrospective on Balenciaga.

Trends: Structure, high shine, short shorts, patchwork, pleats, folds.
Colors: Purple, dark gold, black, lavender, yellow, peach, red, sage.
Key Look: All of the round-shouldered structured jackets.
Accessories: Oversize visor hats, statement cuff bracelets, large leather clutches, sharp and angular cutout booties.
Who Would Wear It: Women who crave ultra-modern statement pieces.

Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise Step Out in Heels For a Fun NYC Day

Lauren Turner — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:16:59 PDT

Suri Cruise led the way for Katie Holmes to Chelsea Piers in NYC today. Suri was dressed up in heels while Katie opted for a more casual look in jeans and a sweater, much like the outfit she wore when she stepped out of her apartment solo yesterday. She was back out this morning for a workout before joining Suri for their mother-daughter outing, which included some gymnastics fun for Suri. Katie and Suri are on the East Coast following a stint in LA, where Katie attended the MTV VMAs and visited a dance studio with husband Tom Cruise. Katie's in town just in time for Fashion Week in case she wants to check out shows or promote her own Holmes & Yang line.

8 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Preworn Wedding Dress

Emily Co — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 03:05:55 PDT

Buying a wedding dress that someone has only worn once will help you save plenty of bucks, and although it sounds like a great deal, you need to be aware that there are some risks involved. To reduce the chances of a purchase gone wrong, make sure you ask the seller these questions before whipping out your credit card.

Dress Care: Ask the seller what her method of cleaning and preservation is. It’s better if she took it to a professional cleaner who specializes in wedding dresses to lower the risks of “invisible stains” that may show up when you take the dress to the cleaners. You can also ask whether the wedding was held (outdoors or on a beach) so you’ll have a better idea of the condition of the dress was put through. Reader Vanonymous suggested asking if the dress was kept in a smoke-free environment. It might be a good idea to ask if the dress was kept in a house with pets.
Legitimacy: Make sure you trust the seller before you make a purchase - you don’t want to be swindled. Ask for personal references if you feel that you need it or talk to the admin of the site if you're suspicious.
The Measurements: You and the seller might be using different measurement systems, so it’s very important to ask for the specific measurements instead of just the sizes. The bride may also have altered the dress, so you need to know what the measurements are post alternations.
Location and Return Policy: Where is the dress being shipped from and is delivery costs included? Will the seller pay for the mailing fee if you want to return the dress? There are very important things to consider when you’re buying a dress off the Internet.
The History: Find out when the wedding was to have a better gauge on the condition the dress is in. If it’s important to you to find out the story behind the dress, you might want to consider asking if the wedding led to a fairy-tale marriage or an unhappy divorce. If you’re the superstitious kind, you might want check with the seller about that.

For more tips, read after the jump.

Kate Moss Hangs in London and Finalizes Her Summer Wedding Plans

Allie Merriam — Thu, 26 May 2011 12:46:23 PDT

Kate Moss was in head-to-toe black this morning as she headed out to seize the day in London. She was more dressed down than her errand-running session yesterday, when she wore a chic LBD around town with her fiancé, Jamie Hince. Kate left her house and met up with Jamie for an afternoon of furniture shopping - they are now the official new owners of a $12.6 million mansion in London's Highgate Hill neighborhood. She and Jamie are just two months away from their rumored wedding date in July, and they're putting the finishing touches on the big party. Snoop Dogg says he was asked to perform at Kate and Jamie's reception, which adds him to a wish list that also includes The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Those are pretty tough bands to nail down, even for a supermodel, but Kate always has her favorite hobby, karaoke, to fall back on if those musical acts are booked on her big day.

Hot-As-Hell Style: What to Wear When Nudity Isn't an Option

OnSugar Blog — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:42:26 PDT

With most of us enduring the dog days of Summer, OnSugar blogger Temple of Glam decided to provide some sweet relief via the coolest, yet chicest clothes she could find. Read on to see her fabulous tips on how to stay cool without sacrificing style.

I felt a wave of sweat pour down my back; I was standing still.

I contemplated articles of clothing I could remove without getting arrested.

When the thought of donning clothes led to major heat anxiety (literally walking around my apartment disavowing every sartorial option that came to mind, "no-no-no, you will burst into flames!"), I knew it was time to take action (i.e. create a quick list of summer-proof clothes and find a good therapist):

Lemlem Adama Dress ($245)

When I longingly ogled an older woman's moo-moo, I vowed to find a chic (and age-appropriate) alternative. This handmade caftan-inspired dress is called a beach cover up, but its lightweight fabric and light color are ideal for this little heatwave we're having. Plus, it was designed by supermodel Liya Kebede.

Keep reading for the rest of Temple of Glam's picks. . .