You may have seen our article on the ten best celebrity clothing lines, but here’s some items from these lines, among others, that we might actually buy:

1. Elizabeth and James trouser pants- MKA actually know what they’re doing. I see more trouser pants for women in the near future…aka fall.

2. L.A.M.B ‘King’ booties- Killer.

3. Kate Moss for Topshop beaded flapper dress- Fun for a night out, or dressed down for any day.

4. Whitney Eve zipper motorcycle jacket- This is a 100% wool jacket, so it might be a bit much for summer, but come fall, it will be a good break from the leather motorcycles that everyone owns.

5. 6126 Leggings with lace inset- LL’s actually doing something not completely reckless! These are pretty cool, great if you’re sick of plain black or the leather look.

Celebrity clothing lines are a dime a dozen nowadays, having become so unreasonably commonplace that it might be safe to say you’re not a real star unless you manage to churn out one (though you couldn’t even dress yourself without the help of a professional). I’ll be the first to say leave it the ones who know what they’re doing, but I will also say that there have been a few, very few that not only have managed to stay relevant as far as fashion is concerned, but exemplifies the true spirit of design: originality, creativity and quality–a rarity amongst the famous. Here are the exceptions:

1. Elizabeth and James by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen- because they don’t try so hard.

2. L.A.M.B by Gwen Stefani- the shoes are beyond dope.

3. J.Lo, Sweetface by Jennifer Lopez- even though Sweetface went belly up, she’s the one that started it all, and don’t act like you’ve never owned (or wanted to own) at least one pair of her jeans or one of those ghetto fabulous velour sweatsuits. Guilty.

4. Kate Moss for Topshop- a fashionista’s wet dream

5. House of Harlow by Nicole Richie- hate the girl, love the jewelry.

6. Benjamin Bixby by Andre 3000- gettin his grown man on.

7. Twenty8Twelve by Sienna Miller- Does she still qualify as a celebrity? Nonetheless spring/summer 09 is looking pretty good…

8. Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony- hipster chic at its finest.

9. The Victoria Beckham Collection- this shameless clotheshorse knows her shit.

10. William Rast by Justin Timberlake- I think we were all surprised that this didn’t turn out as bad as we had assumed.

WHERE

145 West 18th Street

New York, NY 10011

(6th – 7th Aves)

WHEN

Tuesday, June 2nd 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Wednesday, June 3rd 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Thursday, June 4th 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Examples of the hundreds of extraordinary sale items:

L.A.M.B.

* Signature Collection, Cambridge Satchel in pebble grain coated canvas. Originally $495, at sale $150
* Signature Collection, Moneague Tote in pebble grain coated canvas. Originally $525, at sale $195
* Darjeeling Leather Collection, Orissa Clutch Wallet in shiny smooth cowhide leather. Originally $275, at sale $75
* Darjeeling Henna Collection, Jaipur Tote in printed cotton canvas with smooth cowhide trim. Originally $ 395, at sale $125

HARAJUKU LOVERS

* Poppin school bag in printed nylon twill with jacquard web.
* Originally $128, at sale $40

KIDROBOT

* Slinger crossbody made in cotton canvas printed with the iconic Kidrobot head, with nylon jacquard webbing and metal logo hardware. Comes with a collectible Kidrobot toy. Originally $98, at sale $30.

It’s hard to believe that L.A.M.B., Gwen Stefani’s line with her stylist, Andrea Lieberman, and designer Zaldy Gogo,  is in its fifth year already.

But it’s still going strong, dressing Gwen for tours and music videos, and outfitting fans with clothes and accessories.   And staying true to form, L.A.M.B’s Fall/Winter 2009/2010 is unabashedly Vivienne Westwood-inspired, and in line with Gwen’s off-stage image.

Full of leather, plaid, fitted jackets, and oversize collars, the collection has just enough of a rock n roll flavor to keep it from being costumey.  

GALLERY: L.A.M.B. F/W 2009/2010.

The recent Jezebel article asks the question, “Why won’t sexist advertising go away?” Some very strong points are made, and I agree that women are 10 times more likely to be the subjects of sexually charged advertisements. But the view I kept questioning myself on as I looked at these photos was this- why do four of these five advertisements not phase me one bit?

As my 4.5 years of fashion/journalism school come to a close this week, I can’t help but wonder if the industry I’ve been trained in has made me numb to provocative advertising. Working in the world of fashion, many times it’s difficult to look past the art value in something to the political argument. In the L.A.M.B. fragrance ad, for example, I don’t see a cum shot, I see perfume. Gwen Stefani has been breaking media boundaries for years now, showing up at red carpet events with pink hair and a bare midriff. Especially for a young, edgy brand like L.A.M.B, an ad like this comes across to me as playful and fun, not demoralizing.

I can see why many women would take offense to the Dolce & Gabbana ad. Yes, the female model in the photo is being held down by a male. Is it bad I find this sexy? For decades, Dolce & Gabbana has produced sexually charged campaigns to reflect its brand and design philosophy. Maybe it’s a cultural barrier between America and Italy as the latter’s culture is more open sexually. Nudity is common in magazine spreads and advertisements, so no one blinks an eye. To be completely honest, when I saw this ad, my thoughts went directly to how the garments and accessories were portrayed rather than what the models were doing.

The Remy Martin ad is interesting to me because it’s two women acting in a playfully sexual manner towards each other. I have to laugh because does anyone look at this photo and assume these women are lesbians? Probably not. If it were two men, however, most people would be quick to assume they were gay. It’s a very strange, long-running stereotype that straight women can act sexually towards each other, but straight men can’t.

The Nikon ad shocked me. I can’t believe they are actually running this. First off, the models need a sandwich, or six, stat. Secondly, I am so sick of seeing young women, in real life or the media world, posing half naked for some douche just because he has a camera. I missed the memo awhile back telling me I could become famous by modeling for an amateur photographer who has a trendy Web site.

And the BMW ad makes no sense to me visually. I wouldn’t even look twice if I saw it in a magazine. Fail.

Am I a bad feminist for looking at the art of fashion many times instead of the social taboo? I don’t know if there’s a right answer. But my attraction to provocative fashion advertising tells me it has something to do with the industry I work in. And I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing.

Yesterday I posed my 10 favorite Little Black Dresses, essential for any woman around holiday time. But don’t think I left you hanging with just a dress! Here are my top favorite little black heels, the perfect compliment to your little black dress. Here are some heels to fit every price range and keep you look fabulous, no matter how long the holiday season may last: 

Bakers Cutie: $50 (Availabe at Bakers.com)

BCBGirls Koala: $100 (Avaliable at Bakers.com)

Boutique 9 Jolie Suede Oxford Shoe: $100 (Available at Bloomingdales.com)

Aldo Pawelk: $110 (Available at Aldo.com)

Diesel Abyzip Black Shoes: $209 (Available at Ssense.com)

Coach Claudine Pumps: $318 (Available at Coach.com)

L.A.M.B Hip Lace-Up Peeptoe Pumps: $400 (Available at Bloomingdales.com)

Paul & Joe Faken Peep-toe Black Suede Heels: $488 (Available at Ssense.com)

Bally Guniga Platform Shoes: $595 (Available at Net-a-Porter.com)

Oscar de la Renta Leather Mary Janes: $725 (Available at Net-a-Porter.com)

W Hotels has recruited Gwen Stefani, Renaissance woman, to design a new uniform for the hotel’s Gerber Bar staff.

Stefani explained the exclusive L.A.M.B. black jersey look: “I wanted to design a super cute dress that I would be excited to have in my own closet and approached it in the same way I think about my clothing for a tour. We’ve designed a sexy and comfortable outfit for these women to wear out on their own stage every night.”

Image from People.

Earlier this month Rebecca talked about how Warner Brother’s had assembled a list of top designers to redesign Dorothy’s famed ruby red slipper. After much teasing here are some of the shoes that will be featured in Saks and later auctioned.

Betsey Johnson

A Testoni

L.A.M.B (the most porn-star like version of the slippers!)

Oscar de la Renta

(note: Oscar De la Renta kind of cheated, his ‘ruby red slippers’ are just reissues)

Tibi (the ugliest version of the ’slippers’ in the bunch)

Tuleh (the best interpretation of the slippers)

Botkier

Jimmy Choo

Diane von Furstenburg (the most wearable version of the shoe)

Try a nautical look for Independence Day with these three chic sailor pieces

L.A.M.B Roman Mini Dress FREE SHIPPING at shopbop.com. Sexy in that sophisticated, modern way we adore. One-shoulder silk-jersey dress with contrast trim at layers. Ruching at shoulder. Sleeveless. 35″ long, measured from shoulder. 100% silk. Dry clean. Imported. – Deep Navy

Ray-Ban Tonal Wayfarer Sunglasses FREE SHIPPING at shopbop.com. Ray-Ban puts a modern spin on a classic style. Two-tone sunglasses with plastic frame. Logo lettering at right lens and temples. 100% UV protection. Case and cleaning cloth included. Made in Italy. – Black/Red

Citizens of Humanity Cropped Kelly Jean FREE SHIPPING at shopbop.com. Citizens’ signature Kelly in a shorter length that’s perfect for spring. Denim crop with 5-pocket styling and single-button closure. Tonal ‘h’ stitching at back pockets. Straight leg. 7.5″ rise. 23″ inseam. 98% cotton/2% elastane. Wash cold. Made in the U.S.A. Fit note: These jeans fit true to size compared to standard designer sizing. – Santorini White

Like these Louboutin’s? Try these identical heels from Gwen Stefani’s label L.A.M.B

L.A.M.B Patent Shauna Platform Zip Sandal FREE SHIPPING at shopbop.com. Glamorous styles with a downtown attitude have become L.A.M.B.’s signature. Patent leather sandal with crisscross strap detail and zipper trim at upper. 2″ zipper closure behind heel. 1.25″ stacked platform and 5″ stacked heel. Leather sole. Made in Spain. This item cannot be gift-boxed. – Black

Spotted this photo of Liv Tyler looking effortlessly stylish. Here is how you Inder’s at home can get this same casual look in just four easy pieces. 

The Dress:

Vince Funnel Elastic Scoop Dress  FREE SHIPPING at shopbop.com. Vince puts a feminine spin on minimalism. Slinky jersey dress with smocked banding at bust and back. Short sleeves. Lined. 36″ long, measured from shoulder. 76% acetate/18% polyamide/6% elastane. Dry clean or hand wash cold. Imported. – Coastal

The Glasses:

Dita Targa Aviators  FREE SHIPPING at shopbop.com. Dita brings a certain glamour to the classic aviator. Contour aviator sunglasses with plastic frame and metal temples. Gradient lenses. Metal logo detail at top. Storage pouch and case included. Imported. This item cannot be shipped outside the U.S.A. – Black

The Bag:

L.A.M.B Handbags Kathy Bag  FREE SHIPPING at shopbop.com. Street cool meets uptown sophistication in classic L.A.M.B. fashion. Canvas-jacquard handbag with leather trim and contrast piping throughout. Logo lock detail and magnetic-snap closure at front flap. Leather patch at chain strap. Print-lined interior features 7″ zipper pocket. 8″H x 10″L x 2″D. 8″ strap drop. Imported. – Black/Natural

The Shoes:

KORS Michael Kors Merge Thong Sandal  FREE SHIPPING at shopbop.com. The classic flip-flop gets all glammed up. Metallic-leather thong sandal with 7-strand straps and ring detail at vamp. Leather-lined, flexible foam footbed. Rubber sole. Made in Brazil. This item cannot be gift-boxed. – Gunmetal