Emmy's 2012 - Best and Worst Dressed

This year the Emmy red carpet didn't lend itself quite easily to a strict best and worst dressed dichotomy. Normally, when I do my red carpet breakdowns its usually quite clear who qualifies for which list but not this time and I'll tell you why.  This year, as I was watching the "LIVE From the Red Carpet on EEE!" I found myself gravitating to some looks and then some looks clearly garnered a "NOT so much"....BUT then this strange thing happened when I started looking at the pictures of the outfits and literally each look had the opposite effect of what it looked like on TV....GAH! Really all this did was confuse me terribly....so amidst this confusion I have compiled multiple lists...lists that consists of some commentary on dresses from an awards show.... Maybe writing this out will help alleviate some of this confusion, here goes nothing:

 The "Looks Better in Pictures then on TV" List:

This sari-inspired Marchesa gown on Hayden Panettiere looks far too subdued for a 23 yr old - but when I saw this pic, I couldn't deny how good she looks, the girl knows her angles!

My first thought when I watched her on the red carpet - SEAFOAM OVERLOAD; with the shoes AND jewelry matching her dress, it was too much! But then she sprinkled her Victoria Secrety Angel-dust on the cameras and...ya she made it here - although I do NOT condone all this matching

The "Looked Better on TV Then Pictures" List:

This Giambattista Valli gown on Julianna Margulies looked amazing on TV! It was stunning: the print, the colours and the pockets really made her stand out in a good way - but then the pictures were so dull and grandma's curtains- looking - if you PVR'd the red carpet coverage like I did, I suggest you go check this one out.

Ginnifer (with a G) Goodwin WOWED in this Monique Lhuillier dress - probably one of my favs of the night! I love her chic hair juxtaposed with the glamourous over-the-top gown, really creates a striking look: this picture although gorgeous, does not do it justice!

Oh Elizabeth Moss, you normally end up on my worst-dressed or most awkward list, but lately you have been improving and this Dolce and Gabanna number really helps! The print is bold and feminine, the fit is sexy and the short blonde hair creates a wonderful contrast - I just wished it photographed better!

Battle of the Yellows: 

 Yellow seemed to be a big trend on the red carpet - I bet this is a sign for Spring 2013, you have been warned ;)

Julie Bowen (who won for her role in Modern Family! yayy!) would have been my favourite yellow if it weren't for her frazzled, half up, moussed-from-the-90's hair! I love the punch of neon, it really is a fun way to wear colour but the bad hair really hurt the whole look

The colour on this Dior couture gown is absolutely stunning on Julianne Moore but I am not a big fan of the fit, it cuts her right under her chest which creates a really strange line - not the most flattering!

Alright so that leaves us with a very pregnant Claire Danes in Lanvin (who won for Homeland, need to watch that show) - I loved how effortlessly she dressed for her changing body, this bold colour was a great way to create drama especially if you're not comfortable wearing bold cuts or fitted dresses when preggers.

And even more yellow!

Canada's very own Hannah Simone from The New Girl- also rocked a canary yellow, not a huge fan of the strap but she is gorgeous regardless!

Kaley Cuoco from Big Bang Theory

My Favourite Looks (other then some of the above):

One of my FAVs of the night: January Jones in Zac Posen, so elegant yet playful and the cut really created some interest!

Kat Dennings is absolutely gorgeous in this ruby J Mendel gown. Add the hair and makeup and of course her natural beauty and you've got a winner!

I love Tina Fey. She wore a fitted Vivienne Westwood and looked amazing it in, the colour, the cut and the fit all worked

Here is a perfect example of what a young person should wear. This Katherine Kidd gown is fun, floral, playful and Ariel Winter from Modern Family looks so pretty in it!

The "NOT So Much" list:

Alright so Zooey Deshcanel has hair issues. She always picks nice dresses and then proceeds to ruin the look with hideous bouffant hair! Enough already Zooey.

Many will like this, because its blingy, bright and fitted. But this Zuhair Murad dress on Sofia Vergara looks like her pageant dress for Mrs. Latin America 2012. No me gusta!

Oh Kristen I love you so but why must you insist on wearing boring neutrals that wash you out to EVERY award show. She even admitted on the red carpet that she told her stylist she wanted to look like a ghost....I think she got what she wanted.

Christina Hendricks in this Cristian Siriano gown is another example of wrong colouring. Its the wrong shade completely for her VERY fair skin.

AND thats a wrap folks! Did I miss anyone you think?

The Big Photoshoot: October in July

I'm truly truly grateful that you all have been checking in regularly, only to find that I've taken a bit of a hiatus....oops, but I promise the break has been all for valid fashion reasons. For the past little while I have been working on conceptualizing, styling and helping to organize and  a major editorial spread for the October issue of SHE Canada magazine (www.shemagazine.ca). I have to say the day of the shoot was THE professional highlight for me thus far, it was a great day that validated all the risks I took to switch careers and turn my life upside down in my late 20s (a story I will surely share with you once the ending is written, right now we're still in the beginning chapters). I worked my butt off along with the rest of the SHE Canada dream team (Priya and Liz) but more importantly we reached out to a talented, hard working team who really made magic happen.

I cannot wait until the images hit the newsstands, but until then I have compiled a few BTS shots (instagram pics I took/stole, obvs) with a bit of my own commentary, to show you what the experience was truly like. The shoot took place on a scorching Tuesday in July, on a rooftop in Toronto, with the incomparable fashion photog Renata Kaveh (check out her work here), it was a true privilege to watch her do her thang', her passion was absolutely contagious! We featured two models: Shaifali from Elite and Delia from Next - both who rocked the ish out of the clothes! Justine Mcknight was the make-up artist, that woman can do wonders with her arsenal of palettes, brushes and q-tips and Danika Cahill did her divine signature hair style, that battled the fierce winds and won each time. Really could not have asked for a better synergy. The creative direction for the shoot was Tim Burtonesque meets Fall 2012 trends meets glamazons (lol I suck at explaining my concepts but I can see it in my head). 

Oh and ofcourse, the CLOTHES- we featured a mix of designers both Canadian and otherwise (including Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant, McQueen, Acne) but my favourite were the VAWK pieces. Another highlight, I got a chance to meet Sunny Fong, the Canadian designer behind the beautiful VAWK clothes and I can only hope we did his clothes justice (me thinks he will likey :)

It was an amazingly fulfilling day, I loved the adrenaline, the dynamism and creativity behind it all, when my head hit the pillow that night I can only describe it as a feeling of happy-tired....and I'm still happy-tired.


Here are a few pics from behind the scenes:

Renata doin' her thanggg

Stunning

Me in the middle in work mode and models off duty

Outfit Post: Yellow Blazin Goodness

Generally speaking, I don't normally spend more then $49.95 on one item at H&M- it's a matter of principle really. But when I saw this cropped bright yellow blazer, all my principles went out the window so quickly that I almost was embarrassed for myself! But no regrets, I am in love! And note the top underneath the blazer is my DIY top :)
Here is the outfit breakdown:
Blazer - H&M $60
Pants - Zara $50
Clutch - French Connection $30 (on sale)

Outfit Post: Resort-Minus the Resort-Wear

Got these new pants from Zara over the weekend, (retail $49) and I couldn't wait to wear them! They are lineny, front-pleated white pants with gold zippers and a whole lot of amazingness. I am in love with this style of pant(s?), and Zara seems to have a large selection in all different colours - however they do sell out fast which I found out the hard way, because I initially went to get the hot pink, more silky ones with gold zippers and they were sold out everywhere. SO get them when you see them! These pants are so versatile, you will definitely be seeing them in future posts
And the top is a STEAL from H&M for $10!The bangles are from Le Chateau from 2 years ago, cost about $40 together.
All in all this outfit makes me feel very resort chic, the weather here in Toronto is SO HOT that it could pass for a resorty city :)
This season's resort wear is quite loose fitting and flowy as it tends to be usually. I absolutely LOVE that about resort collections, the casual chicness of it all. As you can see my other outfits here and here, I love it when comfort and style meet. You could say thats a major fashion goal for me ;)


Anyone else into resort-minus the resort-wear?