Fairwell Mr. Worst Dressed

It is my sad duty to tell you that one of fashion's greatest critics Mr. Blackwell passed away at the age of 86 yesterday from an intestinal infection. Born as Richard Selzer but fondly known as Mr. Blackwell, he started off as an ordinary actor but quickly turned into a what not to wear guru. He started "The List" in January of 1960 and has made one every year since. In this list he names all of the worst dressed fashionistas of the year, much to their chagrin.

His witty comments and unique put-downs, often times in the form of a rhyming couplet, created a buzz the like of which has never been matched in the what not to wear category. One of his most famous quotes was when he was referring to Mary-Kate Olsen and said she resembled a, ""YIKES! In layers of cut-rate kitsch, Mary Kate's look is hard to explain…she resembles a tattered toothpick-trapped in a hurricane!" He has also said that one time Cameron Diaz looked as if she were, "Dressed by a color blind circus clown."

"The List" was primarily comprised of women, but there were a few men in drag, Howard Stern, and Dennis Rodman, were among them. Mr. Blackwell also compiled a best-dressed list but he tends to only be remembered for those he criticized. So farewell to the pioneer of thinking out loud! We will always love your sharp tongue.

Photo from: www.stuff.co.nz

Coming up Daisies!

As mentioned before costumes are a large part of my life, thus, I am constantly watching new shows and movies and plays to see what the characters are wearing. Last year a new show hit the television airways and it continues to grow on me. The show is called Pushing Daisies and it comes on ABC at 8 o'clock on Wednesday nights.

The show is about a pie maker named Ned who, from childhood, has had the ability to bring anything back to life after it has died, with a single touch. However, the catch is, once he has brought it back to life he has only one minute to touch it again, or else something else within proximity dies. When Ned finds out from his detective friend Emerson Cod, who has created a business out of having Ned touch murder victims finding out who killed them and collecting the reward, that his childhood sweetheart (Chuck) has been killed he decides to bring her back to life. However, considering if they touch again Chuck will die their relationship is a bit complicated. Any touching they do is through bee suits or a kiss through plastic wrap.

This season the series continues with their adventures in finding the killers of others and bringing them to justice. New secrets also emerge about the pie maker and Chuck's past. While the comedic relief, excellent acting, and cleverishly outlandish writing make this show amazing enough, it is the wonderfully creative costumes which keep me tuned in week after week.
Costume Designer Mary Vogt is a woman after my own heart. She has set the time period in a mix of the 1950s and current day. The dresses that Chuck wears are beautiful in every episode. They evoke a sense of elegance and at the same time whimsy. The suits and shirts and ties Ned wears make him the perfect gentleman at the same time creating another layer with in his character as a shy young boy.

This season in particular the costumes have been amazingly creative. In the first episode of the season, "Bzzzzzzzzz," Ned and Chucks costumes matched perfectly. The episode was about them working in a honey factory because they were trying to find the killer of one of the girls who advertised for them. Chuck wore a 1950s inspired dress which had a pattern that looked as if her dress was a honeycomb and she had yellow and black shoes to match. Her hair was ingeniously made into a bee hive hair do and her eyelashes were fixed into what the pedals of a flower might look like from a bee's perspective. Ned's suit was a nice honey color with yellow and black detailing and a yellow and black striped tie. The costumes not only fit who the characters are but made the whole show's impact that much better for the viewer.

Pushing Daisies has to be one of my all time favorite shows as it is the most rewarding and visually exciting shows I've seen. So check it out!



Photos from: thepiemaker.com

Fired and not know it?

Imagine drinking your morning coffee and reading the daily newspaper and suddenly you see your name! Could they be writing about your amazing new clothing line? What about being named best dressed at a party you attended? For designer Alessandra Facchinetti the news was not so positive. Facchinetti was one of the head designers for Valentino, and let's just say her idea of what was fashionable did not match that of the Valentino name. She was severely judged by the fashion critics and after only two seasons of designs she was fired. The horrible part was not that she was fired but how she was fired. According to the Washington Post, Facchinetti had to learn about her unfortunate fate with Valentino in a newspaper. So what was her reaction to the whole situation? She "Accused the company of being unprofessional for announcing her departure in the press before bothering to mention it to her." I'm sure if that had happened to me I would have a few more choice words. I guess it just goes to show you never know what you'll read in the paper.