On stereotypes:  I love stereotypes, sweeping generalizations and everything that is un-PC. Stereotypes are fun to goof around with and, in a way, you sort of diffuse them if you throw them around.

On gay food versus straight food:  People have the silly notion that there are four food groups. There is really only gay food and straight food. I’m advocating a balance of the two. An oversized beef burrito is basically a phallic symbol, it’s obviously so straight. The gayest food has got to be macaroons, in all pastels and shades. If you lived on them you would explode into a nuclear cloud of gayness. Sushi is also a gay food. You’re taking a big sloppy fish and making it into little bon bons. That seems really gay to me.

On bringing the word “naff” to America:  The word naff is a very useful term, you use it to describe something that is just really tragic and dreary and doesn’t have any style, a lack of panache. There is no American word for that.

On female inspiration:  Suzanne Bartsch was a woman I found to be really inspirational and funny.

On his message to the masses:  I want everyone to be less self-critical and feel less self-conscious, that’s my mission in life.

On his favorite designers:  Alexander Wang – he’s incredible, has such energy, he’s really groovy. Azzedine Alaia – it’s fun to go into his boutique and turn the dresses inside out, the construction and level of design is amazing. Paul Poiret – who did all the exotic stuff at the early turn of the 20th century. Also Christian Lacroix, Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto.

On International Gays: The gays in London tend to be very mod, they wear their Fred Perry’s.  In Japan its crazy, the level of flamboyance, style, and experimentation is incredible. In Paris people are so dressed up its great. There are lots of cocktail hats, lots of transgendered things but not in a drag way, more like a tweed cape and Birkin bag, but in a man way.

On Straight Man Fashion:  If you’re in America and you put a lot of attention on how you look and dress, in US context you’re going to be perceived as gay. If you do that elsewhere it may not. I have a chapter on men’s style and what I’m advocating is that gay men and straight men should dress the same but they have to pick from three looks: the perverse prep (Thom Browne, Band of Outsiders, comes from workwear) or the heritage henry (Carhartt, Levis, heritage brands) or the douchebag look (Jersey Shore, Ed Hardy, Abercrombie) it works. It’s all about juxtapositions in the world of fashion, it’s a jigsaw puzzle. It doesn’t work individually, it works as a whole.

On Fads:  There’s absolutely nothing in the fashion scene I would like to see go. I love all of it. I don’t have the ability to say “oh yes she looks terrible” because it’s all subjective — as long as she’s happy and having a good time I don’t have that need to kick her to the curb.  Probably because I’ve been so involved in fashion history I see it as a landscape. It is not about you, it is about fitting into the social landscape.

On Having Your Own Look:
You’ve got to have your own look, it’s all about self expression. Even if that is objectively kind of demented. Marc Jacobs once said fashion isn’t about trends any more, but it is about having your own look. Self expression is the key to everything. Even if you have a mullet at least you look like yourself. Good. Go buy two mullets.

In the first auction, items from McClanahan’s apartment on East 56th St in New York will go up on the block, including furniture, artwork, costume jewelry, personal letters and most excitingly, several of her Golden Girls outfits, as well as a couple of scripts from the classic sitcom bearing signatures from the cast and Rue’s “doodles.”

“She was so artistic. She would doodle, and I mean really artistic work… and detailed,” said sole surviving Golden Girl Betty White. “And I kept telling her: you’ve got to do something with those. That is more than doodling, that is artwork.” Among the doodles, though not available in this particular auction,  is a self-portrait by a young George Clooney, who guest starred on the show years before slipping into his E.R. scrubs or robbing a casino with Brad Pitt. “Isn’t that something? He didn’t flatter himself,” White waxed. And my guess is, neither did Bea Arthur.

McClana-heads can bid online at liveauctioneers.com or in-person at Hutter Auction Galleries. There’s a Christian Lacroix jacket I’ve got my eye on, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my preference for this number. [Fox News]

“I remember getting quite a bit of criticism for my first Madonna cover,” Wintour said of the May 1989 issue. “And you know, ‘She’ll never sell.’ And it was a little bit risky. And it was up something extraordinary, like 40 percent on newsstands. So that was an eye-opener to all of us.”

This was just a year after Wintour had taken over at Vogue, and her word was not yet law. There was even some doubt surrounding her first cover from November 1988, featuring model Michaela Bercu in (a stunning Christian Lacroix top and) a pair of regular old blue jeans, of all things: “To me, it just said, ‘This is something new. This is something different.’ And I remember the printers called us up because they thought we’d made a mistake. Just wanting to check that that actually was the cover.”

Wintour  has always followed her instincts, for better or worse, and claims she doesn’t care much for market research. “Sometimes they’re successful and obviously sometimes they’re not. But you have to, I think, remain true to what you believe in.” Not a bad philosophy to live by. [WWD]

To learn more about Desigual, check out the brand’s website.

Fashion Indie loves Chivas Regal and their 18 year-old scotch! Our Indie editorial team received a history lesson in Chivas Regal scotch, and more importantly, scotch samples. A. Mazing.

Here’s the breakdown on Chivas Regal’s Lacroix bottle (and its printed-Jacquard fabric, mirrored home):

• Only 100 bottles were issued to the U.S.; 40 to New York; one stopped by Fashion Indie’s office.

• Retails for $495.

• The bottle is designed using laser etching.

• The bottle label hosts 9 crystals.

• 20 people were involved in the box’s manufacturing.

• And of course, Chivas Regal’s scotch was a legit favorite of the Queen of England back in the day.

Step up your liquor game and buy some scotch!

- Geez, they’ll let anyone teach at Columbia these days. James Franco will teach “Master Class: Editing James Franco… with James Franco.” I can’t wait til his students take to task re-editing Pineapple Express into a serious drama about drug addiction and gun violence. [Gawker]

- Halle Berry is ready to take her ex, Aussie hunk Gabriel Aubry, to court over custody of their daughter Nahla. How ready is she? So ready she dropped out of a Garry Marshall film. Remember him, the guy who did Pretty Woman and then nothing ever again? [Just Jared]

- Well, Berry’s loss is Katherine Heigl‘s gain. And everyone else’s loss. [Gawker]

- W claims that Kim’s “tearful” accusations of being “exploited” were unfounded as her editorial was meant to “document the career and power of Kim Kardashian as a work of art.”  All I have to say about that is the Mona Lisa never made a sex tape. [NY Mag]

- Speaking of sex tape, Indonesian singer Ariel was sentenced to 3 and 1/2 years for a sex tape that leaked with him and two women. I’d like to suggest we implement this rule here in the states. ASAP. [Gawker]

- J. Crew shareholder claim their $3 billion settlement is insufficient. In other news, Haiti is still happening. [NY Mag]

- Once upon a time, there was a prince named Lacroix who saved the beautiful princess from looking like a cheap starlet recovering from meth. And they all lived happily ever after. Until the prince declared bankruptcy and his atelier was closed. The End. [T Magazine]

Cate Blanchett was named Best Dressed for her vintage Christian Lacroix from the SK-II’s “Clear for Life” event; followed by Zoe Saldana in her controversial Givenchy Haute Couture gown from this year’s Oscars; and relative unknown Fan Bing Bing in Dragon Robe by Laurence Hsu that she wore at the Robin Hood Cannes Film Festival premiere rounds out the top 3.

Sarah Jessica Parker got especial kudos for her tireless efforts promoting that giant, turbaned flop Sex and the City 2: The Menopause Strikes Back and earned the ungainly title of “Promotional Tour Star” of the year.

And my future BFF, Leighton Meester was honored for apparently getting her shit together with the “Stella’s Got Her Groove Back”…award, I guess. The RCFA also named Peter Dundas for Emilio Pucci as the “Designer of the Year” and Gucci Première as “Couturier of the Year.”

Overall, interesting choices, but this is the red carpet after all where it’s not just about the clothes, but the celebrity who’s wearing them, and where high fashion isn’t always translated to great effect. As matter of course, there are only a handful of actresses who can truly pull off haute couture, and Cate Blanchett is at the forefront.

Other notables include the always stunning Tilda Swinton, the statuesque Nicole Kidman and former model Charlize Theron. SJP is also up there because she’s got the balls to pull off anything.

Even a bird on her head.

LINK LOVE: Red Carpet Fashion Awards

Guess I’ll have to stick with Forever 21 for all my trashy mini-dress and club top purchases. Le sigh.

Madonna might have campaigns with Dolce & Gabbana and Louis Vuitton under her belt, but the original Jesus lover has been influencing fashion for decades. We check out some of fashion’s best tributes to the virgin Mary after the jump.

Also: Bensoni, Jewelry by Coralia Leets. All sales start at noon, click here to join.

In no particular order, here is our list of the best dressed celebrities from last nights Golden Globes.

1. Olivia Wilde in Gucci

My second fave look of the evening, a perfectly fitted dress to go with a perfect face!

2. Diane Kruger in Christian Lacroix

Love her and everything she wears, how can you not love this dress? The color is amazing and the white bow is perfect.

3. Kate Hudson in Marchesa

Kate wears white soo well, I love everything about this look, including the perfectly matched shoes!

4. Drew Barrimore in Atelier Versace

Was not loving the hair, but the dress is pretty amazing! Glad she (or her stylist) picked something so distinct!

5. Tina Fey in Zac Posen

Perfect perfect perfect! The length is great, the shoes are adorable, and it fits her like it was made for her!

6. Chloe Sevigny in Valentino

Amazing, gorgeous, fabulous, stunning, perfect! My favorite look of the evening hands down!

7.  Zoe Saldana in Louis Vuitton

At first I didn’t like it, but the more I look at it the more I like it, especially the color.

8. Cameron Diaz  in Alexander McQueen

Cameron looks stunning in red, and she’s probably the only person who can pull off shoulder pads on the red carpet.

9. January Jones in Lanvin

Even though she wore all black, the satin accents, including the headband are fabulous!

10. Maggie Gyllenhall in RM by Roland Mouret

Love the color, and the cut is perfect on her figure!

ALL PHOTOS VIA JUST JARED

Chloe Sevigny looks amazing at the Golden Globe after party wearing Christian Lacroix Haute Couture. So glad she won!!!

Image via Just Jared

All sales start at noon, so hurry cuz all this stuff goes so fast! Click here to join.

“Christian Lacroix, the celebrated French designer whose fantastical creations and luxurious image captured the decadence of its age, was told today that the fashion house he founded over two decades ago is to cease making haute couture.”

LINK LOVE: End of a fairytale: Christian Lacroix fashion house to strip down (Guardian)

Today’s tutorial features a look from Christian Lacroix’s Fall Couture show, which we felt would get the praise of Justin Tranter…totally want to see him rock this!

Tutorial:
-Start with a blank canvas or very light make-up, this look is all about the elaborate eyes so you don’t want to distract from them with bright lipstick or heavy blush
-With a black eyeliner, lightly line the bottom and top creases and go over it again with liquid eye liner for a bold look

-Next, trace your eyes with green eyeliner and sweep out at both corners

-Lastly, use shadow to darken the creases, highlight the green with a lighter color or shimmery shadow and complete the look with a quick swipe of mascara over top lashes

*Also, instead of green you can try other colors.  Purple usually brings out brown eyes, Gold illuminates hazel eyes and for Blue or Green eyes blues and greens are best!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

After Christian Lacroix’s last couture show, everyone was sure that was the end for the designer. With financial issue and debts pilling up it seemed to be a sure thing; however, news has it Bernard Krief Consultants have put in a bid to save Lacroix. Maybe there’s hope!

LINKAGE: Fashionista

Plus Christian Lacroix, Diamonds by Erickson Beamon, Mosely Tribes and more.

Head to Gilt Groupe for at 12:00 for the sale.

The 37th Annual Lighthouse International sale starts a week from today and will feature designers like Jason Wu, Christian Lacroix, Alexander McQueen, Burberry, DVF, Hermes, Lanvin, Marc Jacobs, Prada, YSL, Zac Posen, and others who donated to the sale. There’s a Chanel tweed jacket for $150, a wool Stella coat for $350, a $300 Marchesa gown and even a Dior wedding dress.

There are samples, vintage and slightly worn pieces from more recent runways – including Kim Cattrall’s green Jimmy Choos or her gold Valentino’s (above).

The sale takes place at 110 East 60th Street between Park and Lex from Thursday, May 14 to Saturday, May 16, 11am to 7pm and Sunday May 17th from 11am to 5pm. A one day pass is only $10, four days is $30 and you can buy tickets here.

LINKAGE: Fashionista

Flamboyant designer Manish Arora has produced a vibrant range of six Swatch watches which are now on sale. He follows the likes of Christian Lacroix and Vivienne Westwood in designing for Swatch.

The Manish Arora collection for Swatch is on sale exclusively at Selfridges and Swatch stores now and will be on sale from 1st of June at selected retailers around the UK.

LINKAGE: Dazed Digital

As Barbie continues to celebrate her 50th birthday, WWD reports that there will be a Paris exhibition of new barbie-size designer looks for the plastic doll set to be unveiled at Galeries Lafayette on Monday and ending April 25th. Around 50 designers will be designing signature looks for the “Barbie Fashion Show 2009? event including  Karl Lagerfeld, Maison Martin Margiela, Christian Lacroix, Jean Paul Gaultier and Sonia Rykiel.

LINKAGE: Nitrolicious

Eek.

If Katie Holmes had gone for more of a nude lip color instead of matching it to her vintage Christian Lacroix dress, I think this look would have gone over a lot better.  There’s just too much going on.

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were in Brazil Tuesday for a Valkyrie premiere.

Photo from Just Jared.

If you are on the market for a $2.6 million Parisian bachelor pad, Christian Lacroix’s “old” apartment may be the haven for you. Cross your fingers that the furniture and awesome chandelier are included! 

Linkage: Lacroix Sells a Piece of Paris (Fashionologie)

Ukraine-born Yelena Yemchuk got involved in photography as a teenager and an American transplant.  She studied fine art and graphic design at Parsons, and at the Art Center in Pasadena, California.

She worked for a while in the music industry, directing videos and photographing recording artists.  Most notably, she worked extensively with the Smashing Pumpkins (art direction for albums, music videos, etc.) and was even involved with frontman Billy Corgan for several years.

Yemchuk steadily exhibited her own photography and paintings in California.  Now based in New York, she shoots mostly ad campaigns for fashion designers.  Past clients include Vera Wang, Christian Lacroix, V Magazine, The New Yorker, international editions of Vogue, and many more.

The figures in Yemchuk’s shots are typically kinetic and dramatic.  The settings are intentional and balanced.  Her portfolio is incredible, and there were so many images to choose from.  But these are some of my favorites from Yemchuk’s official website.

Karl Lagerfeld has applied his design talent to the 2009 edition of the lauded French illustrated dictionary Le Petit Larousse Illustré (Larousse Small Illustrated Dictionary) – joining the ranks of Christian Lacroix and comic book artist Moebius as designers who have lent their aesthetic vision to the tome in the past.

The black case is adorned with a photo-realistic sketch of the man himself accompanied by the words “Habillé par Karl Lagerfeld” (“dressed by Karl Lagerfeld”).  Lagerfeld has joined Brad Pitt  in the dictionary’s proper noun section. The book is due for release on November 9.

Thanks Vogue UK

So my question is where did the innovation go?

Classic

Creepy

Remember those creepy porcelain dolls your grandma used to keep behind protected glass in her home. The ones that would get dusted once a week an she insisted we’re “collectibles” that would one day pay for your college education. We do. And so do Gareth Pugh (pictured above), Christian Lacroix and Viktor & Rolf. The designers we’re asked to create costumes for the glass clowns that once used to hold the keys to your education. Of course their batch of clowns are worth a lot more than the ones your granny loved.

25 limited edition clowns were made and are valued at about $252,000 bucks. Sounds like Harvard education to me.

Source WWD

Julia Frakes is officially our favorite little bloggette. She wore an amazing $8000 Balenciaga dress to the front row of Christian Lacroix and it’s officially the only time I’ve seen the now iconic dress without hating it. (The mags have a tendency of making it look more like armor than it needs to be, Julia tones it down).  The 18-year-old whiz has been making a few headlines in fashion (me jealous, you better believe it) after landing a covetted position as Paper mags fashion blogger.  The recent Wyoming Seminary graduate wore the dress to her Senior Prom and made a connection to Paper mag after budding up with co-publisher Kim Hastreiter on Facebook. Officially on the list of ones to watch and a trendsetter with the smile of an angel.

Image source: WWD

Clockwise, from top left, President Sarkozy and Carla Bruni front row at the service, Catherine Deneuve, John Galliano, the crowd outside the church, the Marrakesh garden where Saint Laurent’s ashes will rest, Valentino, Pierre Bergé with Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer. Center, Pierre Bergé.

Over 1,000 people gathered in Paris today to bid adieu to Yves Saint Laurent at his funeral at the Eglise Saint-Roche. Front-row guests included French President Nicolas Sarkozy, First Lady Carla Bruni, Saint Laurent’s mother, Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe, and Madame Chirac. Also seated in the front row was Saint Laurent’s longtime business partner and lover, Pierre Bergé, who gave a tearful speech:

The 90-minute Mass was broadcast on giant screens outside the church, where throngs filled the streets around the Louvre. When Saint Laurent’s casket was carried in, thunderous applause erupted but the crowd was silent during the service.

Other notable designers in attendance included Christian Lacroix, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Valentino, Hubert de Givenchy, Sonia Rykiel, Kenzo Takada, Alber Elbaz. Many women in attendance wore trouser suits in homage to Saint Laurent’s revolutionary design.

Saint Laurent will be cremated before close friends and family, and his ashes sent to a garden in Marrakesh at a house he bought with Bergé.

Source: NY Mag