Thursday, July 22, 2010

Show and Tell

Alexa Brazilian

Photo: Mike Hemy

I'm sure it’s unusual for Big Love, HBO’s series about a polygamist clan living in Utah, to spark a fashion identity crisis. But watching the scene when Chloë Sevigny’s character, Nicki, trades in floor-length denim skirts, turtlenecks, and button-downs for Tiffany-blue (the pop star, not the brand) eye shadow, a slutty miniskirt, a tube top, and a high side-pony, I thought of my own wardrobe: I love French braids, turtlenecks, men’s button-downs, fisherman sweaters, and wool slacks from the little boys’ department at Brooks Brothers. Thing is, Nicki’s sexless shroud was the result of being raised on a Warren Jeffs–style compound. I’m an unmarried atheist from Boston who had a relatively blissful childhood. What’s my excuse?

As bizarre as it may seem for a fashion writer, my philosophy on clothes stems from generations of New England puritan guilt. Don’t stand out, don’t show off, and dress for the terrain and the weather (not the trends). My maternal grandmother once made my grandfather return an incredible fox coat he’d bought her, lest it draw too much attention in town. He came back with a dark chestnut mink, which has hung in her closet gathering dust ever since. I could see myself doing the same. The last thing I’d want is to have all eyes on me. It’s why I had to stop playing tennis in college. Fans in the bleachers!

Considering the current obsession with reality TV, spray tans, boob jobs, hair extensions, Facebook, and YouTube, it’s an especially odd time to be someone whose only fashion fantasy involves being an undercover spy (ahem, Leon Panetta) slipping invisibly through crowds in a trench coat, Borsalino hat, and penny loafers. I asked Judy Norsigian, executive director of the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective and coauthor of the classic Our Bodies, Ourselves, what she made of my dressing phobias. “It’s been planted in a lot of women’s heads—as well as men’s, unfortunately—that if you dress provocatively you’re asking for trouble from the opposite sex,” she said. “But ultimately, it comes down to what each of us is comfortable in.” Tight dresses, high heels, and makeup don’t feel empowering to me (as they do for many women)—they leave me feeling naked, objectified, and tacky. And definitely uncomfortable.

That said, I’ve always admired—from afar, of course—more rebellious, less eager-to-please demonstrations of feminine power. Anne Bancroft stripping down to a black lace bra and slip in front of a stunned Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate. Doris Duke swimming in an unlined bathing suit at the conservative Bailey’s Beach Club. Lara Stone opening a Christopher Kane show wearing a dangerously tight pencil skirt, walking that amazing wobbly walk, maxing out those talked-about curves. Peggy Lipton, leaning against a fence wearing nothing but a men’s sweater and cowboy boots in a snapshot that’s been tacked to my fridge for years. These women—playing characters or not—were cool, a characteristic I can look up to. Cool enough to not give a damn whether all eyes were on them.

Earlier this year, a gift arrived from Alexander Wang: his take on men’s tighty-whities, in black, for girls. Nestled within a crisp sheet of tissue paper, they whispered, “Do it, wear it, dare to be great.” Panicked, I e-mailed Wang for instructions. “I love the toughness of a wide band peeking above the tops of pants,” he wrote. “Girls feel sexier and a little more mischievous wearing boy underwear.” Huh. Come to think of it, my usual striped cotton panties from the Gap weren’t inspiring much of anything. And every nice bra I’ve ever owned has ended up deboned by utility dryers at the wash-and-fold. Was Wang onto something? Perhaps the route to my inner exhibitionist should start from the inside, with the kind of underpinnings that would be worth showing off.

So, on a cold winter weekend, I traveled to Paris, the city where sexy (in my humble opinion) was born, to meet Valérie Delafosse, the artistic director for Eres, purveyor of some of the most beautiful underpinnings in the world. In the company’s design studios in the Eleventh Arrondissement, Delafosse—picture a raven-haired Catherine Deneuve—showed me her personal collection of vintage skivvies from the ’20s and ’30s, which serve as her design inspiration. “Her boyfriend is a lucky man,” whispered Delafosse’s assistant. I thought of the man in my life. Poor guy. Growing up in Texas and Washington, DC, he’d always had a slightly Southern idea of what a woman should look like, including round-the-clock heels and an overall polish I’d never even attempted to achieve. “Owning beautiful lingerie is the best way to increase your self-worth,” Delafosse said, as if reading my mind. As we admired pale silk garter belts, daffodil-color cone bras, and tissue-thin lace nighties, I vowed to try harder both for myself and my guy.

At the Eres flagship on rue Tronchet in Place de la Madeleine, I climbed the sun-drenched store’s mahogany spiral staircase, thinking of all the lovely, old-fashioned accoutrements of womanhood I’d looked forward to when I was younger. Back then, it was all powder rooms, Cole Porter, silk stockings, and champagne to me—courtesy of one too many screenings of Jean Negulesco’s How to Marry a Millionaire. I spotted a boxy camisole and low-riding bloomers hanging from the sparse brass racks. Bathed in Parisian afternoon light, they were the color of the Atlantic, trimmed in off-white cotton lace. When I slipped them on, just the feeling of silk on my skin made me want to wear something slinky.

Admittedly, these were a far cry from the teddy I thought I’d come here to find. But let’s be honest—I was never going to achieve “va-va-voom.” And I didn’t want to. I could only be myself. “Character always makes a better impression than a plunging neckline in the long run,” Delafosse quipped as she stood behind me, adjusting the thin silk straps to my shoulders, approving of my modest choice. It was then that I realized, I haven’t missed my time to be sexy. I am just beginning it— finally, on my own terms. The minute I came home to my apartment in New York City, I threw away the entire contents of my top drawer and filled it with my ocean blue bloomers and camisole. Lying there, elegantly alone, they looked like the small start to something big.

Drew Barrymore

On taking stock of where she is now: “For three years straight, I’ve been burning the candle at both ends, and as of last December, I just didn’t have anything left. I’ve been so aggressive about living life to the fullest and being plugged into everything, but now I’ve ripped the plug out of the wall and put it on the floor for a while. I’m thinking about the same things as when I was 15, about spirituality and who I am, who I want to be. It’s cocoon, pupa, larva, and fuck, I’m reborn!”

On the media’s misconceptions of her: “I make movies. I have a passion. Puppies and daisies don’t accomplish anything. That’s not me at all.”

On being single: “If you’re 35 and single and it’s a choice, it feels fine. So I didn’t settle with the wrong person yet. Big deal!”

On her upcoming role in Going the Distance: “I like that it’s not a traditional romantic comedy, with the story line of, ‘Oh, I slept with this guy, but when I woke up, I found out he’s the CEO of my company, and we’re going to live happily ever after once we go through all these crazy perils. I talk shit with my girlfriends. And it can get dirty.”

On why she’s not afraid to get older: “I don’t want to be vain or fearful, and I don’t think I’ll do anything [in terms of plastic surgery], but if I want to do something, I will. From my perspective, there’s no reason to be afraid of aging, because if you age, you’re lucky! The alternative is death.”

On child stardom: “I was raised in unique and trying environments, but they were also amazing platforms for me to have an extraordinary life. Going through hell as a kid made me sensitive to what others in this world go through too.”

Street Chic: New York

Street-chic-daily-annarose-blog

Find a flirty sundress for a retro summer look.

Alexander Wang Will Sign Your Gum Wrapper

Alex wang gum wrapper At Barneys successful (and fun) Trunk-a-palooza a couple of months ago, Alexander Wang set up his own tent on the seventh floor and spent just as much time selling his fall collection as he did meeting fans.

This week, he dragged the tent up north to Canada's Barneys equivalent — Holt Renfrew — and greeted a whole new set of fans, girls who asked him to sign Chloé sunglasses and a group of three with just one gum wrapper. So naturally, they split it into three and he happily signed each piece.

While that's kind of like asking Cameron Diaz to autograph a picture of Drew Barrymore, Wang's gotten just as far from being nice as he has from being a great designer. But here's a tip, next time you buy a piece from T (which given its stellar fall outing will probably be soon) stick the tag in your wallet just in case you run into him next time you're downtown.

Katy Perry's Launching a Fragrance (Without Coty!)

Katy perry california gurls fragranceKaty Perry's new scent is one of the first celebrity fragrances not coming courtesy of Coty.

Instead, the popstar's partnering with Firmenich on a Japanese inspired fragrance that sounds super fruity. It's called Purr, and according to WWD "has top notes of peach nectar, forbidden apple and green bamboo; a heart of jasmine blossom, pink freesia and Bulgarian rose, and a drydown of vanilla orchid, white amber, creamy sandalwood and musk."

The fragrance was inspired by her favorite catwoman costume and it launches at Nordstrom in November.

Meanwhile, yesterday afternoon, Columbia Records released the artwork for Katy's new album, Teenage Dream, and there's a lot less going on in the image than there is in her new perfume. She's appears to be just barely wrapped in cotton candy floating through the sky.

Accessories News: Cartier Launches New Trinity Collection

CARTIER trinity new kdh

Cartier perfected the delivery of elegant simplicity with the celebrated Trinity collection in 1924. The series of polished rolling bangles and rings have, until now, been offered in a classic selection of golds, with or without diamonds. For the first time in nearly a century, Trinity is getting a new look: black and white. The collection, slated to hit Cartier boutiques in December, presents a refreshingly modern update on a to die for classic. Get on the waiting list now!

News Bites: Kelly Cutrone's Writing A New Book & Adrian Grenier's Selling Drugs

Camerondiaz Cameron Diaz wowed in Bottega Veneta last night at the German premiere of Knight and Day. {RedCarpet Fashion}

Baggu’s teamed up with Shabd Simon-Alexander — their limited edition line of tie-dye backpacks and totes are lightweight and eco-friendly. {NYMag}

Adrian Grenier’s working with 50 Cent and Eminem on a new documentary called How To Make Money Selling Drugs. {WonderWall}

Christina Aguilera’s newest video, You Lost Me, premieres today on Vevo. She attributes its almost guaranteed success to Sia. {JustJared}

Kelly Cutrone’s writing another book, but she wants it sold in a new section of the bookstore. {PeopleStyle}

Could you live in six items or less for six weeks? These people did. {FocusOnStyle}

Uni K Wax: A Greener Waxing Experience

Uni k wax green natasha It only takes one bad waxing experience to turn you off the whole thing, but the Uni K Wax Center is enough to turn you right back around.

Uni K founder Noemi Grupenmager and an Argentinean chemist spent two years perfecting their wax formula, and since 1993 she's single-handedly revolutionized waxing in Miami – a.k.a. the bikini capital of the world.

A specific species of Argentinean pine trees grows in Grupenmager’s homeland and their sap's the main (and secret) ingredient in her concoction — there's also beeswax and aloe vera. The sap's collected in “its most purest state,” which means the trunks of the trees are cut open and pulled back instead of being cut down. The trees look like they're “crying or weeping” as their sap drips into bags below, but, like a minor cut on human skin, the trees heal.

Grupenmager says her refreshingly scented, bright green wax won't “shock your skin” because it “never exceeds one degree above normal body temperature” when applied and it doesn’t harden like typical salon wax—it stays soft and warm.

On top of all of that, the wax is 100% biodegradable, but each Uni K Wax center has what Grupenmager calls a “laboratory” where a lab technician is on site and works exclusively with the wax. Every client receives their own canister of wax that's been prepared upon arrival, and, so as to avoid excessive waste, each canister contains precisely enough wax for their services. She also offers her own line of face and body products including an amazing Body Perfect Dry Oil Spray. The apricot, peach and squalene oils really hydrate the skin.

Florida’s once best-kept secret is officially out, and they're excited to announce the fall opening of their new boutique in New York's Flat Iron district and 50 more openings planned across the US before the end of this year!

Capitol Hill Class

Psg-capitolhill

First Lady Michelle Obama's certainly injected a long-missed sense of style into the White House. In her two years in D.C. she's spotlighted young designers like Jason Wu and Thakoon, shown an edge with Ann Demeulemeester and Rick Owens, and appealed to the generally stylish public by advocating J.Crew. At the end of the day, the fact that there's a daily "Michelle Obama Watch" for every outfit she sports is quite a departure from the stereotype of frumpy office dress on Capitol Hill. Far from an ill-fitting pencil skirt or chunky-heel pumps, these styles are sophisticated, trim and still work-appropriate. Shop your favorite D.C.