Life

Rapper/fashion acolyte Pharrell Williams swapped his Miami sunny environs for something a bit more cool. Williams hopped a flight to Moscow to attend a Dolce & Gabbana and Martini Gold-hosted dinner at the Italian Embassy in Villa Berg last night. The jet set crew, which included the eternally luscious Monica Bellucci clad in black Dolce & Gabbana black lace and satin, followed up with an after-party (of course)  at the city’s buzzy Garage Centre of Contemporary Art, where Pharrell performed a set, the DJ was pumping some serious house and there was a trippy digital art installation. If you weren’t there to nosh on caviar and sip on champagne (or admire Pharrell’s sleek tux), we have the takes on what you missed – think of it like a prep to your undoubtedly glamorous weekend. Continue…

The fashion flock has flown the New York coop and off they go to London, where the runways are replete with imaginative cuts and outlandish styling. Standing out then, are clean American contemporary wear courtesy of Club Monaco. The Ralph Lauren-owned chain threw a fete at The Royal Academy of Arts this past Saturday in conjunction with Browns. Hosted by French cool fille Lou Doillon, the party celebrated CM’s debut in the UK via a special partnership with the British department store that launched Feb. 14: exclusive pieces will be available at Browns both in-store and online and will be up for grabs for the next two months. With the mixed crowd of cool kids and celebrity spawn from both sides of the pond, including performances by Clare McGuire, DJ for the night Andre Saraiva, Kate Sumner, Ruby Stewart, Jacquetta Wheeler, Liberty Ross and Sylvana Durrett of Vogue, you might call it an Anglo affair of sorts, well, with a hint of francais. Continue…

Looks like Brazilian model Jesus Luz isn’t content being known as Madonna’s boy toy. The Dolce & Gabbana house favorite is dabbling in film in the upcoming Spanish movie Not Alone directed by Alejandro Aboli. From the looks of this outtake, Luz may not be the only well-formed man on the scene. But male competition aside, it’s tough to tell this early on whether the flick will be a bust or a well-timed Luz re-characterization. We just hope the soundtrack in the sneak preview doesn’t have any part of it. Watch for the movie to drop in summer 2011. Continue…

Being based in New York, we’re a bit spoiled with our libations. What, you didn’t use a real egg white in that whiskey sour?! Pfffttt.. But if authenticity is the case, then for our own New Year’s Eve recipes, we went straight to the source: Greg Seider’s newly released recipe collection. Seider, who owns Summit Bar in the Lower East Side, has a book out called, aptly, The Cocktail Collection in conjunction with The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts that features a compilation of recipes sourced from over 70 destinations. The drinks sport fun names like The Radiant Maiden, Chili Ristras, Salisbury Sling and of course, holiday appropriate, The Last Cocktail. Here’s a preview of the book and because we know it’s hump day, a few recipes for post-work experimentation too. Continue…

If there ever was a comeback story, actor Stephen Dorff has firmly rebounded onto hallowed Hollywood ground with his latest turn in Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere. The blond actor who in his earlier days was quite the”it” boy went spiraling down the Tinseltown tube later on, which perfectly suits him for the film’s material: the 37-year old actor plays an actor onscreen that lives out of the Chateau Marmont and needs to get his act together (if anything for his 11-year old daughter played by Elle Fanning). In real life, Dorff looked like he completed quite the turnaround at the film’s LA premiere last night. Along with a bevy of notable ladies (including Erin Wasson, Angela Lindvall, Chloe Sevigny and Coppola, herself) all clad in Louis Vuitton, Dorff looked sharp in a simple suit and LV shoes. Who knows, perhaps this bad boy could even turn into a role model. Ahem, Lindsay Lohan, we’re talking to you. Continue…

We were hunting for winter boots online when we came across this street style video by Sally Lauckner on Vimeo. Firstly, don’t expect the perfectly curated shots as in Tommy Ton’s sharp eye for the Jak & Jil blog, but there is something democratic about Lauckner’s clips. Does it make us rethink those “really high” Jessica Simpson wedges? Probably not, but we do like the “slice of life” feel. Continue…

Paris may be known as the City of Light, but in our little blackbook, it might as well be the City of Pastry and all things delectable. Even the devout Atkins-tribe will swoon over a perfectly buttery pain au chocolat or those very famous Laduree macarons. Point is, only in Paris will you find a restaurant, the renowned Cafe de la Paix, collaborating with fashion designers on calorie laden desserts for five years running. After a collaboration with Zuhair Muhad for Fall-Winter 2010-2011 (available until January 15, 2011), the cafe has announced next year’s sweet tooth designers; Brazil’s own enfant terrible Alexandre Herchcovitch (who is planning a French bridgadier lined with Brazilian truffles), Valentin Yudashkin, Manish Arora (tons of metallic and sequins?) and Frankie Xie will all try their hand at a “couture” patisserie. C’est la bonne vie, n’est-ce pas?

Friday evening isn’t usually where you’ll find a gaggle of models doing some charity time, but that was exactly the chiseled cheekbone crowd at the Christie’s Galleries at Rockefeller Center. Designers, models, celebs, editors and journalists brushed shoulders at charity org One Frickin’ Day’s upscale soiree, aptly titled Model Behavior. Founded by Elettra Wiedemann, her fiancé James Marshall and their friend Joey Jalleo, the charity has a simple aim. “We focus on projects where the need is great but the goals are achievable,” Wiedemann told us. “What we ask for from everybody is one frickin’ day. One day of their time or one day of their salary.” OFD kicked off in 2008 through a partnership with The Solar Electric Light Fund and Partners in Health to bring solar health care to remote locations, with a focus on Rwanda and Haiti. The installation of solar panels in clinics, most of which have no access to electricity, will provide lifesaving care after dark, refrigeration for medications, proper sterilization of equipment and an ability to operate medical devices. Continue…

When we think of couture, we think of fantastical fineries and in the world of the ultra-luxe, the stick-thin mannequins that model them. Enter Beth Ditto of the Gossip with all her wonderful curves. The former Love magazine cover star rocked UK’s X Factor stage in a silky, liquid bronze dress with sharp shoulders from Frenchman Alexandre Vauthier’s couture collection. Already a favorite of Rihanna, Vauthier certainly has a way with the vocal talents, but what we love best is that Ditto looks stunning: that is, completely glam and not some bland plus-size only creation. Check out her performance here. Continue…

We’re not usually ones to champion reality TV. It’s a movement surely, but as far as legitimately crossing over to style, design and art, well, it’s just not our typical cup of of tea. One that does have us watching, however compulsively like a possible car wreck, is Olivia Palermo. She had her bitchy, spoiled scenes on Elle magazine’s The City, but now that the news has broke the show has shuttered, what next? We know the Brits love her, but if we’re talking staying power, we’d say Palermo has bought herself some time with these gorgeous pics of her and model beau Johannes Huebl for Mango’s winter catalogue. And as if proof that their relationship is more than a reality TV farce, Olivia stated in the press release, “I love working with Johannes, and the photographers love seeing the chemistry that exists between us.” What say you? A good move or just another star burning its last embers in the spotlight? Continue…