Sure, Beyonce is preggers and Gaga is a dude, but let’s talk about the most interesting part of the VMAs: the fashion.
Posts tagged:proenza schouler
The Week in Celebrity Fashion, Part II
2011 CFDA Fashion Awards Red Carpet (NSFW)
The Council of Fashion Designers of America held their annual awards show, honoring Lady Gaga with their Fashion Icon award. So you KNOW this red carpet is going to be ridiculous.
2011 Met Costume Institute Gala, Part II
Welcome to Part II of your Met Gala recap!
The Week in Celebrity Fashion, Part I
A brief return to blogging before a finals-filled hiatus.
The Week in Celebrity Fashion: Oscar Nominees & More!
The Week in Celebrity Fashion
The Busiest Divas in the Business
It looks better sitting than standing, possibly because the top is more beautiful than the bottom, or possibly because Ms. Hayek looks a bit more of a hot mess in the last picture. But definitely a dress worthy of the front row at Paris Fashion Week.
… and then, there’s this. Is she kidding with those pants? How am I supposed to take them seriously? I don’t care how hot you are, you’re not going to be able to pull off giant baggy red-and-black color-blocked pants.
Someone got a fierce new haircut! Definitely loving the bob, and she’s decked out perfectly for the Chanel show, complete with the signature purse and stunning shoes.
Not as impressive as the Chanel getup, and I’m not sure how these two pieces go together, but I like seeing the new bob done wavy. The blouse is nice enough, but the skirt is a little tacky. Again, though, I approve of the shoes.
I remember drooling over this dress months ago, but I never knew what the back of it looked like until I saw this photo. As if I weren’t already obsessed with this dress, the back is simply spectacular. But can Keira actually smile? Her lips are pursed like she just swallowed a lemon in every single picture. Honey, you’re thin as a rail, your haircut is fierce, you’re rich, and you’re wearing Chanel. Smile.
Cute dress, but that hair is the reason pixie cuts are generally a mistake. Because in the interim period between the pixie and when it’s fully grown out, your hair nearly always looks stupid.
Oof. Even worse hair, and a far worse dress. And this bitch won’t smile either? What is wrong with these ladies?
Wow. I never thought I’d say this, but Courtney Love actually looks… classy. Seriously. The dress is mature but still gorgeous, the coat is ridiculously gorgeous, she’s wearing pearls, and the bitch even styled her hair and makeup like a normal person! What is happening to the world when Courtney friggin’ Love looks this good?
Oh, there we go. That’s much better. This is the Courtney we know and Love (pun intended) – Courtney, the hottest mess on the red carpet.
Cute, but perhaps a little too conservative. I know Mormon chic is a thing, but this looks far too covered up. But the shoes are killer.
It looks way cuter on Alexa than it did on Blake Lively in July – further proof that skin-tight dresses don’t necessarily look better than dresses that actually fit. Ms. Chung is absolutely nailing this adorable little dress.
I usually try to forget Sienna Miller is a person, but I must admit she looks mighty fierce here. Good hair, good makeup, a killer skirt, and a sweet blazer. It’s all simple but totally chic, and it reminds me that Ms. Miller can dress like a classy-sassy broad.
And then I see this dress, which screams “I was that drunk topless biddie fucking someone else’s husband on a boat!”
Oh, good lord. This is what you’re wearing to promote yourself as a fashion designer? The world’s largest pants, a weird scarf attached to a shirt, an ill-fitting vest, and the ugliest hat you could find? I mean, I know you’re in Canada, so the rules are different there, but this is an internationally recognized hot disaster.
Adorable. I wish she dressed like this more often instead of always wearing over-sized, over-flowing hippie dresses. She looks so adorable in things that are a little more structured and have more texture to them. I’d wear this fab little sweaterdress every day.
Fashion Dos and Don’ts
Oh hey, Fleur Delacour! You’re looking mighty fierce. The darker hair is working for you and the outfit, like all good French fashion, is minimalist but incredibly fabulous. I hope you’re also planning on donning Chanel at your upcoming wedding to Bill Weasley. Even the Death Eaters would have to stop killing bitches long enough to say “Dayummm, girl! You lookin’ fiiiine!”
I don’t know who this woman is, but I do know that I already blogged about how awful this dress is when Katie Holmes wore it last week. And it doesn’t look any better on this biddie than it did on Joey Potter.
Well, this is perfect. I’d expect nothing less than classy glamour from Dita, but she is really nailing this dress. Love the black-on-black detailing, the sleeves, the neckline, the shoes, the sunglasses – it’s all coming together beautifully.
I honestly did not believe that this was Marion Cotillard when I saw this picture. To me, she’s one of those women who epitomizes simple elegance, and this look is anything but. The hair and makeup are trashy and tacky as can be, the dress is horrible, and WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH HER BREASTS? Why hasn’t Hollywood learned that two beach balls stapled to your chest don’t actually look good? What a disappointment.
See, the problem with white-blonde hair is that sometimes, it just looks white. And when you pair that with a matronly dress and makeup that ages you, you can end up looking approximately 85 years old. But the shoes are awesome – are they half leopard print, half zebra print? Because that is absolutely killer.
Dakota Fanning, you’re not the only fabulous child prodigy on the block! Little Miss Sunshine is looking pretty fierce with her gorgeous auburn hair, brown-and-black striped dress, and fab accessories. I’m looking forward to seeing more like this from Ms. Breslin.
SJP is a new exec at Halston, so don’t expect her to be wearing anything else on the red carpet this year. But this is still pretty darn chic. It’s Carrie Bradshaw-level fabulosity, and those stockings are to die for. Love the hair, and she looks younger than she has in recent years. Keep it up, Sarah Jessica!
You be the Diva! Who’s in and who’s out?
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© Democracy Diva, 2010.
Runway Review: The Week In Fashion
This week had a little too much fashion for just one blog post, so I’ve divided your weekly fashion recap into two parts: runway and red carpet. Here’s the runway edition, as the Resort 2011 collections have exploded this week.
Best Accessory: Vamped-Up Stockings
The gams are getting glamorous on the runway this week! Though the effect feels much more fall than spring, many designers chose vamped-up stockings and ornate tights as accessories. I have always been a fan of the embellished stocking – somehow it always makes an outfit more interesting and way sexier.
Worst Accessory: The Tube Belt
I tend to support eccentric accessories, particularly those that bring an element of grittiness into an otherwise tailored, feminine outfit (or vice versa). But if the fashionistas start wearing these ugly, unflattering belts that look like they belong at a gas pump, I’m going to have to scream. I beg you, ladies. No matter how badly you need a belt, rubber tubing is not the answer.
The Saddest Girl on the Runway
There is a such thing as “so bad it’s good.” Examples include the earlier seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation, “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus, and the entire High School Musical franchise. Unfortunately, Cynthia Rowley’s Resort 2011 collection is not “so bad it’s good.” Because it’s downright fugly. From the white shoes to the shapeless “dress” to the patched, frayed fabric – I understand the point is to make a statement using ugliness, but the only statement this makes is “I’m a little homeless boy in my mommy’s shoes”
The Legend of Oscar
As per usual, I had nearly every look in Oscar de la Renta’s Resort 2011 collection tagged as one of my favorites this week, but I managed to narrow it down to two looks that explain the genius of Mr. de la Renta.
The above look is what designers like Leanne from Project Runway constantly attempt but never quite achieve. She, like Oscar, made full skirts of fabric pieces to make it look like waves, but she limited herself with her desire to stay within a specific structure and color scheme. This blood-red beauty catches like feathers in the wind, moves like waves, possibly could have been made by Elmo’s taxidermist, and is romantic and sweet all at the same time. The rose-looking twist at the center is exquisite.
And this kind of gown is what Christopher from Project Runway always tried, to no avail. But to create something like this is so much more than making a dress. It truly stands as a piece of art, carefully and thoughtfully draped, sewn, and constructed. I personally love the different polka-dot prints, the black sash at her waist, and the ornate bodice.
The Ill-Fitting Crotch Award
These pants were apparently draped intentionally to give the appearance of a giant cameltoe.
The Democracy Diva would like to take this opportunity to remind all designers, not just Givenchy and Marc, that vaginas do not need a square foot of breathing room.
90s Throwbacks
This My So Called Life meets Coco Chanel hybrid has all the modernity of the new millennium with the grittiness of the 90s. The tweed dress is lovely (and such an unusual shape) and those peep-toe combat boots are destined to be in my closet. But the black long-sleeved lace undershirt really amps up the alternative rock sensibility, and the contrast between the tailored and the distressed is incredibly beautiful.
Diva’s Pet Peeve
Now, I KNOW we’ve talked about sweatpants on the runway before. I don’t care if it’s the resort collection – fabulous casual vacation lounge clothing and bright yellow elastic waistband sweatpants are not the same. And this poor soul isn’t helped by that boxy T-shirt, the horrible choker, and the mismatched purse.
Best Bollywood Influence
I love the way Naeem Khan’s entire collection felt like it lay somewhere in between Hollywood and Bollywood. Gowns like this one – perfect red carpet gowns with just whispers of sari influences – simultaneously have old Hollywood glamour and a completely modern, global sensibility.
Costumes by Marc Jacobs
Doesn’t this have Emma Pillsbury from Glee written all over it? If McKinley High has a prom or Emma and Will have an engagement party, I think our neurotic little guidance counselor should wear this chic, flowery ensemble from Marc Jacobs.
If this Diva were Katy Perry’s stylist, this is what I’d put her in for a casual day or hot summer night. This is what Katy should be wearing – zany, revealing costumes that hearken back to the 1940s pinup girls. She should go less wild and more conceptual, and her wardrobe would be intriguing instead of just weird.
The Dragtastic Dress
Since the model above does not appear to be a tennis pro by day / drag queen by night who is addicted to ecstasy, I can’t imagine where she plans on wearing this dress.
My Favorite Mini-Dresses
A girly print with a fascinating belt and truly fabulous straps. And that matching bag? To die for.
I call this look “Little Red Riding Hood Goes Bad.” Youthful, sexy, and fresh.
Because, let’s be honest, it’s not summer until you whip out your wildest neon dress.
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More fashion to come! Check back here soon for the Tonys red carpet and more!
Met Gala Red Carpet: Best and Worst
I hope you’ve had your Sunday afternoon coffee, because we’ve got a LOT of fabulous and even more fugly to get through. Fashion’s most glamorous red carpet event, the Met Gala, was this week, so let’s dive in.
Bitches We Hate in Gowns We Love
Let me preface this by saying: I hate Jennifer Lopez. She’s a decent dancer, an unimpressive singer, and a completely untalented actress, and yet somehow, her name is still occasionally used in the same sentence as “triple threat.” I don’t even think she qualifies as a single threat. I hate almost everything she wears, I think her Peter Pan syndrome and shameless fame-whoring are almost as bad as Mariah Carey’s, and I’m like 80% sure her husband is gay.
Regardless, I think she looks absolutely perfect here. Dramatic and flawless hair and makeup. The gown is near-perfect – I could do without the jewels decorating the bust line, but the color and fit are divine. So, J.Lo, I guess you’re still allowed to exist, much as I loathe you, because at least you know how to wear couture when it counts.
Ladies We Love in Outfits We Loathe
Tina Fey is, above all else, a writer. She may be a hugely successful, hilariously funny and beautiful actress and producer, but when she shows up on the red carpet wearing something this disastrous, I feel the need to remind the universe that she is a writer. She got into this business so she could sit around a table with a bunch of overweight Jewish guys and make the world laugh, not so that she could strut her stuff on a red carpet. So I refuse to hold Tina responsible for this ensemble – it is not her job to look great. It is her job to pay people to make her look great.
The people who have failed miserably are Team Tina – her stylist, and whoever else saw her between the time she got dressed and the time she got out of her limo at this event. Because ANYBODY whose job it is to know fashion should know better than to put Ms. Liz Lemon, or anyone else, in this ensemble, especially at this event. The makeup is too dramatic for her features, SHE’S WEARING A FUCKING JUMPSUIT TO THE MOST FORMAL RED CARPET EVENT OF THE YEAR, and it’s not even a well-made jumpsuit. I’d yell at Rachel Bilson for wearing this to lunch on a Tuesday. Tina’s Gays, you better get your shit together. You are taking one of the most inspirational women alive and making the world laugh at her instead of with her.
Best Dressed Person We’ve Never Heard Of

So I had to wikipedia Maggie Grace to find out that she is an actress from Lost. Well, kudos, Ms. Grace. For you are incredibly well-dressed for someone so irrelevant. Hair and makeup are beautiful and elegant – the headband is cute and doesn’t dress down the look too much. The bottom of the gown is borderline mermaid, and I loathe mermaid gowns with all my soul, but it flares out in a beautiful instead of unnatural and awkward-looking way. Great color, great fit, and a fabulous design. Good work, Maggie.
Mad Men‘s Women Gone Mad
I just recently started watching Mad Men, and already I can tell you with certainty that Joan Holloway is, under normal circumstances, the sexiest woman alive. She, and Ms. Hendricks, who plays her, has red hair I’d kill for, a gorgeous face, and possibly the greatest rack in Hollywood history. But she was the textbook definition of a hot disaster at this event. Let’s start at the top and work our way down.
The hair is sloppy. This event is not the time or place to be lazy when it comes to hair. The makeup was clearly done by a nearly blind prostitute. There is something resembling a beaver resting atop her right shoulder, and her right elbow is apparently camera shy, as it feels the need to be hidden by a giant and unnecessary piece of fabric. I think the length is awkward, the color is terrible, the gown is boring, and the bust is offensive. Are designers and stylists so used to dressing anorexic, size-zero Mary Kates and Ashleys that they can’t correctly fit a bust on a woman with real tits? Sure, Christina is much more boobalicious than the average gal, but it’s not like she wears a size H bra or something. If you can’t deal with real tits, then leave Christina to the real professionals who know how to handle her fabulous figure.
Christina Hendricks may be the sexiest woman alive, but Betty Draper (aka January Jones) is the most classically beautiful. She is the ultimate American woman, so I’d love to know what kind of crack she was smoking when she decided to wear this to the Met Gala. The makeup is truly terrible, as is the hair (you can’t really tell here, but from the side, she looks like an alien). And this dress looks like an old lady’s couch on acid. January, every single thing about your appearance is virtually perfect. You are truly blessed. And it insults us mere mortals to see a woman as goddess-like as yourself dressing up like a fucking idiot. Get your shit together, January.
Most Surprisingly High Fashion
When I hear “Mila Kunis,” I think a few different things. Hot… Dumb… I guess that’s basically it. I certainly don’t think “high fashion” or “risk taker” or “glamorous fashion icon,” but I think she did a damn good job of proving me wrong. A lot of critics hated this gown, but I think it’s simply marvelous. It’s gorgeous and interesting, and it’s definitely risky and difficult to wear. I remember loving this dress in Vera Wang’s collection during New York Fashion Week, and I’m impressed that someone as generally boring as Mila Kunis decided to test the limits and wear something so fierce. Kudos, Kunis. I think you nailed it.
Jessica Szohr is another person I have very little to say about ordinarily, usually because I still have no idea how to pronounce her last name. All I know about her is that she’s racially ambiguous and plays the most boring character ever on Gossip Girl. But I think she really made an effort with this Versace gown. It’s not something I would have chosen, but it’s still beautiful and interesting, and I think it’s quite a step up from the boring/ugly dresses that most young starlets (especially the GG cast) tend to wear. And, holy hell, this bitch can POSE like she’s at the end of the Paris Fashion Week runway! Get it, V. Keep up the good work.
Worst Dressed: Pastel Saloon Edition
As far as I can tell, Ms. Dawson and Ms. Farminga are both currently employed as saloon whores in a barely settled western territory in the 1840s. And they decided to dye their gowns for Easter. I can’t say they look anything other than uber-fugly, but at least they’re dressed for the same event. Also, Rosario? Lay off the spray tan. You’re looking quite orange lately.
Women We Worship in Dresses We Dig
I’ll admit it. I have a total girl crush on Claire Danes. She can do as many bad movies as Jennifer Aniston, but I will always think of My So-Called Life and Romeo + Juliet and be unable to have anything but undying devotion for her. And I think she looks perfectly fabulous here. Not exactly daring, but definitely a beautiful gown worthy of a fabulous woman at a glamorous event.
Gag-Worthy Girls in Loathable Looks
Malin Akerman is one of the least talented actresses in Hollywood. Her most memorable roles are showing her tits in Harold and Kumar and playing Katherine Heigl’s cunty little sister in the dreadful 27 Dresses, a movie so awful that even I can’t watch it without feeling embarrassed. And I watch Spiceworld. She is truly awful to watch and listen to, and though her makeup looks good here, I think she’s very unattractive. This dress looks too casual for this event, and I think it’s cheap and tacky-looking. It’s not helped by her hair, which clearly was peroxided half to death a few weeks ago, and it looks as if she hasn’t washed it since. Malin, I hate your name, your face, your acting “skills,” and now I hate your fashion sense as well. Time for you to disappear.
Completely Gratuitous
In the immortal words of Van Halen, Got it bad, got it bad, got it bad, I’m hot for teacher! Those eyes, that scruff… Mr. Schue was pure deliciousness at the Met Gala.
Victims of Fashion and Botched Botox
I’m fairly certain this is the worst Padma Lakshmi has ever looked. She’s ordinarily stunning, and my roommate Roxie met her once and said she’s just as beautiful in person. Not that you’d ever know it from this picture. This gown is awful – trashy, unoriginal, poorly made, wrinkled, and far too tight. To make matters worse, Padma’s face looks suspiciously awkward. Zoom in on that face – I think it’s more than just a bad moment. I think the new mommy tried to get rid of some new wrinkles and it didn’t go quite as well as she wanted. All in all, this was one of the worst looks of the night.
Fashion Icon Favorites
This is one starlet who never ceases to amaze me. I think Ms. Hermione Granger herself is incredibly beautiful. She’s impeccably stylish, nearly always looks fantastic, and is the role model for intelligent girls who happen to like looking good too. And kudos to her for wearing a white gown (before Memorial Day, no less) and somehow not looking bridal. I love the super-high slit on her petite frame, and although we see draped gowns every day on the red carpet, I think this draping is particularly unique and beautiful. She always manages to look casually fabulous but not under-dressed, glamorous and elegant but never matronly. And now I’m just excited for the next Harry Potter movie to come out.
Our favorite sister-wife got a lot of flack for this outfit, but I think she looks killer. Ms. Sevigny loves to push the fashion envelope and surprise us with her indie-hipster style. And I think this dress says indie-chic gone glam. Of course it’s casual, but she’s not exactly the floor-length glittery Vera Wang kind of girl. Her shoes are epic, the color of the dress is beautiful, and I love the little bit of navy crinoline poking out from under the fabulous teal floral dress. The long sleeves, the sheerness, the high neck, and the open back (which you can’t see here, but trust me, it exists) all keep this look very intriguing and modern. I do wish she’d brush her hair once in a blue moon, but I suppose that’s the pot calling the kettle black.
Worst Dressed of the Night (or possibly of all eternity)
We’re going to have to do this one in bullet points, because I’m afraid my head may explode if I try to tackle this whole thing at once.
- Your Joan Jett film is over. You no longer have an excuse for your hair always looking like shit.
- Let’s be honest, Kristen. You’re not a beautiful girl. Your head is weirdly shaped, you have beady eyes and thin lips, and you’re definitely the most awkward girl in Hollywood. And that makeup is not doing you any favors. You don’t have the face to wear heavy makeup, so you should steer clear from the smoky eyes and the dark lips.
- Honey, you’ve worn Chuck Taylors and denim on the red carpet and still looked uncomfortable in your own skin. How the hell do you expect to be able to pull off haute couture – and CHANEL haute couture at that? Wearing Chanel haute couture requires elegance and an aura of confidence that you simply lack. Leave the crinkled, asymmetrical bodices to the professionals, and go back to shopping at Hot Topic.
- Say it with me: accessorize. A little ugly clutch does not count. No bracelet OR earrings OR necklace? Inexcusable at such a fancy event.
- I love black nail polish just as much as the next girl, but this is the Met Gala, for crying out loud. Show some damn respect.
Best Dressed
I don’t care if people said this gown was too safe, too boring, too princessy, too obvious, whatever. I think Anne Hathaway looked better than every single other person at the Met Gala. Perfect hair, makeup, and jewelry, and that gown is perfect on her. Glam and glitzy, like a true diva should be.

























































