Feat! -- Daphne Guinness in Alexander McQueen, 2011 Guinness literally made an event out of her getting ready for the ball and it payed off with a fitting and flawless tribute to the designer whose "Savage Beauty" was just beginning its historic run.

Fail! -- Madonna in Louis Vuitton, 2009 Louis Vuitton had a banner year in 2009 for providing the worst looks per celeb capita than any other brand, but Madonna's woefully mistaken, thigh-highed misstep best represents the entire lot.

Feat! -- Kate Moss in Marc Jacobs, 2009 Marc Jacobs did better by his girl Kate Moss, however, and the two were the clear belles of the ball. Crafty, crafty, crafty.

Fail! -- Katie Holmes in Giorgio Armani, 2008 While everything is wrong with this look -- the makeup, the bob, the dress, the shoes, the necklace, the shoulder purse in the shape of Tom Cruise -- Katie tried to pawn off responsibility on the blue pumps to her daughter Suri, whom she claimed picked them out. Based on Suri's exquisite taste, I highly doubt it.

Feat! -- Anna Wintour in Chanel Haute Couture, 2008 A controversial choice, I know, but hear me out. Anna Wintour so often goes the very safe and classically chic route, but for the Met's "Superheroes" exhibit, the editrix showed a whiff of whimsy by way of Wonder Woman. However, never one to not keep it real, note that she's still in Chanel and it's still haute couture.

Fail! -- Serena Williams in Oscar de la Renta, 2011 I'll preface this by saying the Royal Wedding had recently happened at this point, so fascinators were just beginning their ascent into the pop culture atmosphere. Williams opted for the burgeoning trend, thus sending this outfit into costume, not Costume Institute, territory.

Feat! -- Gisele in Versace, 2008 Gisele came to the ball in 2008 for one reason and one reason alone: to serve sex on a platter and have the world take a good long taste. So what better dressing than Versace and its history of jaw-droppers?

Fail! -- Shalom Harlow in Bob Mackie, 2009 Sure it looks like Shalom Harlow just rolled out of the dumpster and into a mutated Hefty bag, but dammit she's committed to it and for that I say, "Respect."

Feat! -- André Leon Talley being escorted by Alber Elbaz, 2007 I'm assuming this cape was by ALT's go-to haberdasher Chado Ralph Rucci, but if I'm mistaken who cares because this scene is all one needs to know about the Met Gala. Or anything.

Fail! -- Christina Hendricks in L'Wrenn Scott, 2010 Christina Hendricks has the best kind of problem because of her, shall we say, ample assets. You know, her giant cans. Therefore it's hard to find a dress that accentuates without advertising and the girls are on a mutli-season campaign in this number. But at least they serve as a distraction from whatever's happening with the hair and makeup.

Babs will play Mama Rose, a role made legendary in film by Rosalind Russell and on stage by (in chronological order) Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone.

While there’s no director attached yet, Streisand will produce along with Joel Silver.

Fellowes, in addition to winning an Oscar for Gosford Park and a everything else for Downton Abbey, also wrote the book for the Broadway smash Mary Poppins.

Now if they can just announce Lea Michele as Gypsy, we can kick this celebration into high gear. Who brought the body glitter and ecstasy?  [Playbill]

When you think Halle Berry you think “beautiful,” you think “sexy,” you think “boy, that was really a waste of an Oscar.” Gothika, really? The  occasional actress already has her own award-winning — the Fifis are an award — line of fragrances and she’s added a line of shoes with German brand Deichmann, “5 Ave by Halle Berry.”

"Seriously, this? Well, someone's gotta pay for Nahla's baby Bentley. Lights, camera, let's get this over with."

Why a German brand, you ask? This is just a shot in the dark, but: one can assume Deichmann offered beaucoup bucks and, it being a foreign brand, Berry wouldn’t be as blatantly associated with this doesn’t-it-feel-good-to-Payless-quality of shoe as if she had went with an American label. Or a well-known label. Or a known label. Celebrities, after all, are famous for shilling the basest of products overseas, far away from their snobby peers  and prestigious careers.

But why — oh why, Halle — are the shoes…this:

Apparently having never met a boxy wedge she didn’t like, Berry’s collection has all the sexiness of a game of geriatric strip bingo.

Perhaps guided by her claim that her shoes “can easily be worn by every woman,” 5 Ave by Halle Berry retails for less than $50 — that is if you can get them in America. But hopefully, much like her films from the past ten years — I mean, just try to act, it’s all I’m asking for — these shoes will disappear before anyone gets to see them. [Telegraph]

"Seriously, this? Well, someone's gotta pay for Nahla's baby Bentley. Lights, camera, let's get this over with."

- Karl Lagerfeld, because he has a few spare seconds on his hands, will draw political cartoons for French Elle. [WWD]

- Who wants to see drunk celebrities making out in Vanity Fair‘s Oscars Photo Booth? Note that Diddy chose to go it alone since he and his ego have been in a committed relationship for the better part of a decade. [Vanity Fair]

- A recent study proposed that putting laws into effect that would ban images of super thin women might be worthwhile, i.e. monetarily sound. [Styleite]

- Feds in New Jersey uncovered one of the largest counterfeit rings ever to fake its way through America, to the tune of over $300 million. [HuffPo]

- Topshop Unique‘s “Cleopatra” collection, despite being critically-maligned, is the biggest and fastest selling Unique collection ever thanks in large parts to celebrities like Rihanna wearing it out and about town. [Telegraph]

- Suzy Menkes thinks Christopher Kane could be in line to take over Dior. Then again, Stefano Pilati has some free time on his hands these days. [Vogue UK]

- Joan Smalls is the first black model to cover Vogue Italia since the epic “Black Issue” in 2008. And wouldn’t you know it, that bitch stole my look. [Huff Po]

- According to Jennifer Lopez‘s stylist, the nip did not actually slip during the Oscars. Meanwhile, I’m surprised J. Lo let her get out that blatant lie before firing her. [People]

- Proving that a cat eye works wonders, Katy Perry looks very much not like Katy Perry on the cover of Interview. And that’s clearly a good thing. [ONTD!]

- The world came to a stop when it’s most famous baby, Blue Ivy, took her first public stroll with mom Beyoncé. She’ll be flipping off paparazzi by the time she’s teething. [Just Jared]

18k gold plated 20'' chain with resin stones and Swarovski crystals.

In order to qualify to win, you must follow @GerardYosca on twitter and tweet them with your best dressed actress, or actor, of the Oscars with the hashtag #GYOscarGiveaway. Winner will be announced on Friday, 3/2/12

Gerard Yosca has been designing costume jewelry and developing his signature brand for 25 years. A trendsetter, innovator, and genuine style maker, Gerard Yosca embraces a wide range of inspirations, colors and materials.  All jewelry is handmade in New York City. 
Gerard Yosca currently sits on the Board of Directors for the CFDA and has collaborated with Oscar de la Renta, Nanette Lepore, Ralph Lauren, Nicole Miller, Tracy Reese, and Carolyn Roehm. 

- Every time a celebrity butchers a designer’s name, take a drink.

- Every time a starlet is wearing Marchesa, announce “of course she wore Marchesa again” and take a drink

- Every time Angelina Jolie shows her true emotions, take a drink

- Every time a celebrity couple kisses, kiss the person sitting next to you and take a drink

- Every time a celeb crashes another celeb’s interview, scream “interruption!” and drink

- Every time someone is wearing a non-black tuxedo, announce “how fancy!”, drink

- Every time you ask “what is he/she doing there?”, make an over-exaggerated shrugging motion and drink 2 seconds

- Every time a nominee slaps on a fake smile for losing, high five the person across from you, chug

- Every time a speech runs over the play off music, drink until they are officially off the stage

- Every time someone cries, wipe the fake tears from your eyes and drink

Penelope Cruz kisses her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress at the 81st Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, California on February 22, 2009. AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

- Tyra Banks got her degree from Harvard Business School, y’all! And now we’ll never hear the end of it. [Modelinia]

- Beyoncé posed for House of Deréon‘s spring 2012 ads while pregnant, but even the Baby Blue Ivy can save that hot mess of a line. [Huff Po]

- Totes Amazeballs! Say hello to the first cereal made from a tweet. And say goodbye to the majority of your teeth. [Paper]

- Someone scientifically ranked the Oscar nominees according to their star power and unsurprisingly George Clooney got a perfect score. Meryl Streep, somehow, only got a 99/100 but then again style is also a determining factor and you can only get away with so many unflattering Donna Karan sacks, Mer. [WWD]

- Starting next week, Tumblr will no longer have “thinspiration” blogs, meaning you’ll have to feed your body dysmorphia on Google and in chat rooms like the rest of us. [Styleite]

- Zac Efron, class act that he is, dropped a condom on the red carpet for the family-friendly pic The Lorax. Looks like someone couldn’t wait to give Taylor a Swift Seussing. Amirite?Just kidding, he’s a total queen, but good for her for using protection. [MSN]

So what is a great Oscar gown? It’s a dress that is memorable, history-making, scene-stealing or just plain fucking perfect. With that, I just don’t get the fuss over Gwyneth Paltrow’s pink prom dress and refuse to even acknowledge that gown or the fact that she has an Oscar.

Audrey Hepburn (1954) Auds became a star and a fashion icon that night when she wore Givenchy, beginning a lifetime collaboration between the star and designer. Along with America's heart, she took home the Best Actress trophy for her debut performance in Roman Holiday.

Grace Kelly (1956) This was no doubt the look Gwyneth was going for when she strolled the red carpet in that wrinkled princess confection in 1999, but make no bones about it, this is how it's done kids. Kelly beat out some major competition the year before -- including Judy Garland and Dorothy Dandridge -- to nab her Best Actress Oscar for The Country Girl, but she really stole the show in this Helen Rose stunner.

Elizabeth Taylor (1961) In the pantheon of great movie stars, few shone brighter or longer than Liz Taylor, thus a list of the greatest Oscar gowns could barely be considered legitimate without Liz throwing her white diamonds into the mix -- I hear they've always brought her luck. Taylor won her first of two Oscars for BUtterfield 8 and wore this gorgeous Christian Dior number to claim her statuette. It's generally accepted  -- even by Liz herself -- that Taylor won the award through a vote of sympathy after losing her husband Mike Todd in a plane crash -- only to seek comfort with Debbie Reynolds' then-husband Eddie Fisher --  and suffering a life-threatening illness during filming - at one point she was actually pronounced dead. Six years later she took home a well-deserved trophy for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Barbra Streisand (1969) Eschewing tradition and helping to usher in a new generation of movie star, Babs wore a see-through sequined sailor pantsuit by Arnold Scaasi. It was a big gamble but La Streisand came out the winner and made history by tying for Best Actress with Katharine Hepburn when they won for Funny Girl and Lion in Winter, respectively. Kate chose not to attend because, honestly, it was her third (of four) Oscars and she couldn't have been bothered.

Cher (1984) Cher might have proved that she was a serious actress with her Oscar-nominated turn as Meryl Streep's lesbian lover in Silkwood, but she's still fucking Cher. The icon wore Bob Mackie (natch) to the 1984 ceremony but lost only to win three years later for Moonstruck. And that gown was no less show-stopping, but didn't have this amazing headdress.

Nicole Kidman (1997) Nikki Kids was a greenhorn on the red carpet before this Dior gown and became one of its reigning queens thereafter. Though she gave an incredible performance the previous year in To Die For, she was denied a nomination only to finally win once dumping that lilliputian husband of hers for her brilliant portrayal of Virginia Woolf in the saddest movie ever made, otherwise known as The Hours.

Sharon Stone (1998) I usually spell "batshit crazy" S-H-A-R-O-N-S-T-O-N-E, but Stone looked the picture of elegance in a Vera Wang skirt paired with a Gap button down. The marriage of high and low was made in heaven that night, though I still couldn't tell you why she was at the ceremony that year. But like most things with Sharon Stone, I don't question it.

Céline Dion (1999) Was it a stroke of genius that caused Céline Dion to turn her Christian Dior blazer back-to-front or just an actual stroke? Either way, Celine was memorable the year after her heart went on and on to win Best Original Song (though the award itself went to the songwriters, I. Dunno and No-one Cares).

Björk (2001) The dress that launched a thousand jokes, Björk's Marjan Pejoski swan dress was perhaps the last epic thing to stroll down the Oscar red carpet. Nommed for Best Original Song that year, Björk may have left empty-handed but no one will ever forget that she was there.

Halle Berry (2002) Halle Berry not only became the first African American to win a Best Actress Academy Award that night, but she also launched Elie Saab into the sartorial stratosphere. This was Berry's and Saab's shining moment and everything since then has been an enormous letdown. On both their parts.

Commentary: "She looks like she's slithering out of her own skin...and for good reason."

Lose the jacket and you've got yourself a stunner. And I'm talking to you Jessica Chastain

Commentary: "I didn't realize the circus was in town. Tell me, how many clowns can she fit under that tent?"

Perhaps a little too heavy on the beading, but the stars will be out once the cameras start flashing.

Commentary: "Gone with the picnic table. Even Scarlett O'Hara couldn't pull this one off."

Simple and chic but the sheer skirt keeps this from waltzing into comatose couture.

Commentary: "She's going commando! Literally, she skydived onto the red carpet, then wrapped the parachute around her and marched into the show."

It was hard finding anything suitable for the Oscars on Gaultuier's runway, but this scoop-back ditty hit all the right notes.

Commentary: "Looks like she came to her senses a little too late and was only half successful in taking her dress off in the limo ride here."

Pretty much everyone and their mother wants Rooney Mara in Givenchy and this is the closest thing to perfection she'll get.

Commentary: "Tilda you look amazing! Anyone else might receive a public stoning."

When in doubt, always go the ethereal route.

Commentary: "Did a hurricane sweep through every retirement community in Boca Raton and land directly on her?"

Black is always a popular choice on any red carpet so a stunning pale yellow like this will surely have heads turning,

Commentary: "Little ho on the prairie."

All this look needs is a high chignon, a Judith Leiber clutch, and a pair of statement earrings OR a statement necklace...not both.

Commentary: "The dress is wearing her. And it wants off."

It don't get no more chic than this. Give me a two-tone and I'll give you a star.

Commentary: When did the ghost of J.Lo's career show up?"

Miss Havisham knocked a few back and now she's ready to party.

- Rooney Mara, Givenchy’s spring 2012 Haute Couture collection and the Oscars are a match made in heaven. At least that’s the general consensus. [Fashionista, NYT, The Cut]

- Speaking of award-worthy dressing, Leesa Evans, costume designer for Bridesmaids, took inspiration for the characters’ wardrobes from everyone from Forever 21 to Alexander McQueen. [NYT]

- Demi Moore was hospitalized Monday night, allegedly following an epileptic seizure. Moore is — also allegedly — seeking treatment for anorexia and substance abuse. [Huff Po]

- The most expensive T-shirt in the world may be made out of 16 diamonds and cost $400,000, but it still looks like something the Ed Hardy factory threw up in or around New Jersey. [Styleite]

- Jean Paul Gaultier sent models with Amy Winehouse-esque beehives down his spring 2012 haute couture runway. [Style.com]

I always love when a comedic performance gets some recognition and while the film was excluded from the list of NINE Best Picture nominees, Kristen Wiig scored a nod for her brilliant screenplay with Annie Mumolo. Meanwhile, if that trash Diablo Cody can win for Juno, Wiig might want to ready her acceptance speech.

Hugo leads the pack with 11 nominations, including Best Director for Martin Scorsese – his seventh career Best Director nom and ninth overall — and Best Picture. It will compete against The Artist – a close second with 10 nominations — and out of seemingly nowhere, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, which has garnered mixed reviews and has been pretty much absent during awards season. But, c’mon, it’s a 9/11 movie, who’s really surprised?

Other Best Picture contenders include Steven Spielberg’s critically-mixed War Horse, Terrence Malick‘s The Tree of Life — which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes a while back –, The Help, Moneyball, The Descendants and Woody Allen‘s Midnight in Paris.

Allen, it should be noted, snatched his 22nd and 23rd Oscar nods. Take notes, kids.

Also racking up an ungodly amount of Oscar gold this year is (unsurprisingly) Meryl Streep, who scored her 17th Academy Award nomination for her role in The Iron Lady. She will face off against Michelle Williams, Viola Davis, frequent nemesis Glenn Close and surprise nominee Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Tilda Swinton was once again robbed of a nomination — this time for We Need to Talk About Kevin.

The Best Actor category has BFFs George Clooney and Brad Pitt going head-to-head, while relative unknown Demián Bichir snuck in for the little-seen indie film, A Better Life. The Artist‘s Jean Dujardin, fresh off his Golden Globe win, is also nominated and after decades of generally shutting shit down, Gary Oldman scored his first Oscar nomination for the British film, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Check out the full list of nominees below:

BEST PICTURE
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

LEAD ACTOR
Demián Bichir – A Better Life
George Clooney – The Descendants
Jean Dujardin – The Artist
Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt – Moneyball

LEAD ACTRESS
Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis – The Help
Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Alexander Payne – The Descendants
Martin Scorsese – Hugo
Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh – My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill – Moneyball
Nick Nolte – Warrior
Christopher Plummer –  Beginners
Max von Sydow – Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Bérénice Bejo – The Artist
Jessica Chastain – The Help
Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer – The Help

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
The Descendants – Alexander Payne & Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Hugo – John Logan
The Ides of March - George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
Moneyball – Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy –  Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids – Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
Margin Call – J.C. Chandor
Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen
A Separation – Asghar Farhadi

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Bullhead, Belgium
Footnote, Israel
In Darkness, Poland
Monsieur Lazhar, Canada
A Separation, Iran

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

ART DIRECTION
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse

CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

COSTUME DESIGN
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

FILM EDITING
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball

MAKEUP
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Iron Lady

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
The Adventures of Tintin
The Artist
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
“Man or Muppet” from The Muppets
“Real in Rio” from Rio

SOUND EDITING
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

SOUND MIXING
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

VISUAL EFFECTS
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Link Love: LA Times – The Envelope

Since being introduced by Dustin Hoffman on the set of Kramer vs. Kramer — for which both Hoffman and Streep won their first Oscars – Lacombe and Streep have been good friends. And it is because of this relationship that Meryl feels so comfortable and at ease with Brigitte behind the lens.

“Out of all the actors I know she is the most reluctant to be photographed,” Lacombe tells NOWNESS. “I think because it’s me and she trusts me, she sees the photography now as an extension of our friendship…She’s the only actress I know who really has no genuine interest or pleasure in looking at herself. She’s interested in the work she’s doing, and after that she just wants to live her life, unobserved.”

Check out NOWNESS for more images and the rest of the interview with Brigitte Lacombe.

Meryl giving face in 1990

Meryl with Spike Jonze on the set of Adaptation, 2001

Meryl kee-keeing with Amy Adams on the set of Doubt, 2008

Meryl on the set of 1984's Falling in Love

Dustin vs. Meryl in Kramer vs. Kramer, 1979

Chillaxin' on the set of Mamma Mia, 2008

Streep is pretty much a shoe-in for her 17th Academy Award nomination — and that’s no hyperbole — for The Iron Lady, a biopic on English prime minister, Margaret Thatcher.

In the film, Meryl plays Margaret from age 49 to 85, an experience that certainly took its toll both physically — ”We were on a tiny budget, we had very long days and there was no rest. Standing for 12 hours at a time was very painful and all I wanted was a great masseur” — and emotionally –  ”With something like It’s Complicated, I really left it at the set. But this I carried with me more, because it was more personal,” Streep said referring to her 2009 romantic comedy starring noted frequent flier, Alec Baldwin.

Meanwhile, in her Vogue story, Streep puts aside her Lady pains to loll in a few jokes about age. Now 62, Meryl claims that she’s the “oldest person” to land the mag’s cover and reminisces about being offered three roles as witches after turning 40. Taking it to mean that women her age were “grotesque on some level,” she then turned to her husband and said, “It’s over.” That Streep’s done some of her best work in those resulting 22 years proved that not only was it not over, but really just beginning. [Telegraph]

Oh, and check out the trailer for The Iron Lady, out in in wide release January 5th:

1. Paris Is Burning (1990) Set amidst the backdrop of 80s New York ball culture, Paris Is Burning is an exploration of beauty, race, sexuality, capitalism and the American Dream, all wrapped up in a dragtastic homage to the transformative powers of fashion. Also, where do you think Madonna learned to Vogue? See Also: To Wong Foo -- Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1994) Drag queens, yes; acute social commentary, not so much...but how can you argue with this? Oh, that's right, you can't.

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2. The September Issue (2009) Step inside the hallowed halls of the fashion Bible that is U.S. Vogue. We get a rare glimpse of the woman behind the bob and Chanel sunglasses, as Anna Wintour admits with a palpable hint of regret that the distinguished members of her family think what she does is "quite funny." But it's Grace Coddington's bleeding artistic heart that stays with you throughout. See Also: Bill Cunningham New York (2010) Bill Cunningham, legendary streetstyle photographer for the New York Times has a Puritanical simplicity to his life but a couturier's eye for trends and detail that is documented in this tender portrait, featuring the likes of Wintour, Carmen Dell'Orefice, Anna Piaggi and Michael Kors.

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3. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) Though not necessarily a film about fashion, Breakfast at Tiffany's is the quintessential fashion film. Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly continues to teach and inspire girls and certain boys everywhere on how to be chic, how to be urbane and how to live fabulously in New York -- or at least how to pretend. And there has never been a more iconic Little Black Dress ever put on screen. See Also: Darling (1965) Darling's Diana Scott is the British, unapologetically wanton version of Holly Golightly. A morally-suspect fashion model who sleeps her way to the top, Diana still manages to come off as a naïve and sympathetic character -- despite exhibiting behavior to the contrary -- thanks to Julie Christie's Oscar-winning portrayal.

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4. Unzipped (1995) Sure, there are other backstage, behind the curtain, beneath the bustle documentaries of fashion designers, but none are as stylish as Isaac Mizrahi's Unzipped. When Isaac was the new, young It designer on the block; when Naomi, Cindy, Christy and Linda ruled the catwalks; when Eartha Kitt was still alive and purring -- Unzipped documents the height of 90s fashion, right before the balloon went bust. See Also: Valentino: The Last Emperor (2008) Whereas Unzipped follows a designer in the earlier stages of his career, The Last Emperor observes a master -- Valentino Garavani -- as he takes his final bow with his partner of 50 years by his side, Giancarlo Giammetti.

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5. Funny Face (1957) Audrey Hepburn makes a return to the list, but this time she is the unlikely model Jo Stockton, a bookworm with an unconventional look that inspires love in photographer Dick Avery, played by Fred Astaire. A fantastic set of photoshoots and gowns by Hubert de Givenchy are the main attractions, but Kay Thompson as salty editrix Maggie Prescott could give Miranda Priestly a run for her money. See Also: The Women (1939) Though Funny Face features a climactic runway show, The Women spared no expense in shooting its nearly 10-minute fashion show in color, despite the entire film being in black and white. Do not mistake this classic with that awful remake Diane English regurgitated a few years ago.

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6. Mahogany (1975) Arguably Diana Ross's greatest cinematic achievement -- if only for this -- Mahogany chronicles the rise of supermodel Mahogany from the slums of Chicago to the runways of Paris and finally to international acclaim as a designer in her own right, only to give it all up for the man she loves...a move Ms. Ross would openly spit upon, but which she plays with considerable believability. See Also: Gia (1998) While Mahogany is a fictional supermodel who dabbles on the dark side, Gia Carangi was the real thing whose excesses eventually got the best of her. The film is best remembered, however, for launching Angelina Jolie to stardom, thus ensuring Jennifer Aniston's lifelong ire.

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7. Clueless (1995) What can one say about Clueless? The perfect teen movie, it's infinitely quotable -- "You're just a virgin...who can't...DROIVE." -- and is there a character with as enviable a closet as Cher Horowitz? Bonus points for first introducing me and perhaps a majority of the world to Azzedine Alaïa. See Also: The 2nd Season of Gossip Girl (2008-2009) With the possible exception of Mean Girls, there hasn't come along a teen movie as smart or as witty as Clueless. But in terms of style, the second season of Gossip Girl rose to the challenge, making fashion icons of Blair Waldorf and Serena Vanderwoodsen, as well as their real-life counterparts, Leighton Meester and Blake Lively.

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8. Blow-Up (1966) Michelangelo Antonioni captures the mod mood of 60s Swinging London as a hedonistic fashion photographer -- played by David Hemmings -- tries to figure out whether or not he accidentally snapped a murder. In the film's most famous scene, 6'1 supermodel Veruschka writhes around the set of a photoshoot as Hemmings makes love to her with his camera. See Also: La Dolce Vita (1960) If Blow-Up swings, La Dolce Vita sways. Federico Fellini's romantic portrait of Rome is as sleek and stylish as protagonist Marcello Rubini's suits.

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9. The Devil Wears Prada (2006) It's a matter of public record that Lauren Weisberger's roman à clef was based on Anna Wintour -- who famously wore Prada to the film's opening -- but what the film accomplishes (okay, let's be real, what Meryl Streep accomplishes) is creating not only one of the greatest villains, but also one of the greatest fashion icons, in modern cinema. See Also: Sex and the City: The Movie (2008) A completely unnecessary production and by the loosest definitions an actual "movie," Sex and the City also benefited from Pat Field's brilliant styling. But unlike The Devil Wears Prada, there was no Oscar nomination for attiring Carrie and Co.

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10.Zoolander (2001) Everything benefits from a parody -- rather, everything benefits from a good parody, Though Zoolander is far from perfect, it's a fun and funny romp through fashion's ridiculous playground; complete with walk-offs, an evil Galliano-esque designer in Jacobim Mugatu and the introduction of Blue Steel into the cultural lexicon. And lucky for us, there's a sequel in the works thus righting everything with the world. See Also: Brüno (2009) Taking off where Ben Stiller catwalked off, Sacha Baron Cohen's flamboyant character traipsed through America, spreading his questionably fashionable and gratuitously gay, booty-shorted self from sea to shining seaman.

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“It is an idea that I had many years ago,” Giammetti told WWD, “after going through a great museum site and being able to navigate through these rooms full of paintings…I asked myself if it would be possible to recreate a vast computer-generated museum. We started designing and nothing really appealed to me. I wanted to have the light of Rome without looking old. I wanted to show not only the dresses but the history behind them, from the drawing to the women who wore them.”

The resulting museum — comprised of 107,500 virtual square feet of exhibition space – will include some 300 dresses, as well as accompanying anecdotes, photos, sketches, ad campaigns and editorials, with over 5,000 images and 95 fashion show videos.

“I see it as part of my legacy,”  said Valentino. Noting the importance of the past, Garavani wanted “to review the fashion that has shaped our lives,” referring to it as “Future Memory.”  Among the memories mined from the vast Valentino archives are the 1961 haute couture dress Elizabeth Taylor wore to the Roman premiere of Spartacus; Jacqueline Kennedy‘s 1968 couture wedding dress for her marriage to Aristotle Onassis; and the 1992 haute couture gown Julia Roberts wore to collect her Oscar in 2001.

Garavani and Giammetti will be in New York to announce the launch of the Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum — rather appropriately — via a press conference live-streamed on YouTube. Until then, there’s this awesome preview video. [WWD]

On New York:

“I love London and Paris; they’re very sophisticated, but not like New York. If you can’t find it in New York, it doesn’t exist.”

On New York in the 50s:

“It was fabulous then, everyone looked beautiful.”

On New York today:

“Now when I walk down Fifth Avenue in the summertime I just want to throw up. It seems that the fatter and uglier people are, the fewer clothes they wear. The shorts and flip-flops and tight jeans on butts that go from here to Poughkeepsie. I always say they should put people in jail for wearing clothes like that. Especially stretch jeans over size 10 — they should be outlawed. Ten years ago people were starting to look like slobs in New York, now it’s an epidemic.”

On London style:

“I haven’t been in London for some years but the last time I was there they looked fuddy-duddy and school-marmish, yes, but not slobby. And then there are the wonderful eccentrics like the kids on Carnaby Street or the punks or whatever the heck they are.”

On meeting Duke Ellington:

“The Duke couldn’t have been nicer and said he’d introduce me to all the greats in Chicago. My mother was very dubious, so I told her, ‘He’s the most elegant gentleman.’ She said, ‘I don’t give a damn how elegant he is, you’re not going to Chicago.’ But I did.”

On dieting:

“I used to smoke like a fiend. I smoked four packs a day. I never do anything half-arsed, shall we say, but I stopped because I felt I was getting to be an addict. I’ve got very good willpower.”

On being asked to be Lindsay’s style guru:

“I can’t tell people how to have style. No amount of money can buy you style. It’s just instinctive.”

On her 2005 exhibit at The Met:

‘It didn’t start out as a fashion show, but he [Harold Koda, curator of the Costume Institute] decided that to show accessories out of context didn’t make much sense so he asked if I could spare maybe five outfits… I said yes, so they went through all my closets, all the drawers, all the boxes, all the armoires, under the bed, everywhere and they go woowoowoooo [she flaps her arms up and down]. Finally they ended up with 82 outfits. It was insanity but the show was such a big smash.”

On her signature glasses:

“When I needed to wear glasses, I decided I’d wear glasses. All the better to see you with.’”

On kids these days:

“Most of the young people today look dreadful.”

On stars these days:

“And celebrities look even worse. They don’t know what to do with themselves. At the Golden Globes and Oscars they all look alike – it seems like they’re all wearing the same nightgown and this year nobody had any jewellery at all. Only Helen Mirren was wearing a beautiful necklace, but even she got it wrong because the necklace just ruined the dress. I think the designer must have wanted to kill himself when he saw her.”

On throwing shade:

“It’s a free country — if you want to look like a freak, that’s your problem.”

Annie Leibovitz – fresh off a tour in KardashianLand — shot the cover in anticipation of Michelle’s movie, My Week with Marilyn, coming to theaters November 4th. The movie documents the tense relationship between Monroe and co-star Sir Laurence Olivier during the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl. Those two kids did not get along at all, mostly due to Monroe’s boozing, pill-popping and constant lateness, so clearly Anna Wintour heard Oscar’s bells ringing for Michelle this third time around. [Design Scene]

“It was incredibly glamorous and fantastic. I don’t think I’ll experience something like that again in my lifetime,” said the Oscar-winner of filming the commercial, which debuted Sunday night at www.dior.com.

Adding to the surreal glamour are digital recreations of the late Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe. The three movie legends just happen to be hanging out backstage of the Dior show when Theron storms in, every inch the movie star — giant sunglasses and all — throwing her purse at the first person, place or thing she sees. Then she’s stripped, be-gowned and thrown down the runway to Gossip‘s “Heavy Cross.”

In other words, it’s pretty fucking epic. Click through to the next page to take a look at the mini movie and let us know what you think! [WWD, Telegraph]

Start spreading the news as Terry gives Liza a leg up.

VOGUE Fashion Night 2011 dans le monde (version… by VOGUEPARIS

Sadove joins a long and prestigious list of Superstar honorees including Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Giorgio Armani, Donna Karan and Valentino Garavani.

FGI will also honor some Stars who aren’t quite as Super such as Raf Simons, recent haute couture hero Giambattista Valli and Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte in the fashion category and Jules Moore will get her dues in the entertainment category. Guinness, meanwhile, will receive the Fashion Provocateur award.

Loveable mo Simon Doonan will host the event at Cipriani on Wall Street and Ruben Toledo will handle the award artwork. [WWD]

Between May 1, 2010 and May 1, 2011, these were the lauded ladies who laughed all the way to the bank. [Forbes]

1. Angie Joles, $30 million. Drink it in, Jolie, and then eat a sandwich, you’re scaring the kids.

at The 22nd Annual American Cinematheque Award at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 12, 2007 in Beverly Hills, California.

As part of the festivities in the run-up to this yearâ??s Oscar telecast, Laura Ziskin, 79th Annual Academy Awards® producer, has announced â??A Celebration of Oscar Fashionâ? â?? a live event presenting a unique retrospective of Oscar fashion. Pictured here in one of the dresses displayed: Julia Roberts in Vintage Valentino at the 73rd Academy Awards® on March 25, 2001.

The sometime actress and aspiring singer poses in nothing but Louis Vuitton jewelry and a pair of fishnets — also known as my around the house look — for Vanity Fair‘s jewelry supplement.

I wouldn’t have minded a couture gown. [Daily Mail]

Gwyneth Paltrow as she appears in Louis Vuitton jewellery for Vanity Fair on Jewellery, a special issue that comes out with the August issue of Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair on Jewellery hits newsstands with the August issue of Vanity Fair on Friday, July 1st.

- Kate‘s epic wedding guest list also includes Daphne Guinness, Vivienne Westwood, Jude Law, Jade Jagger and reportedly, John Galliano. [Styleite]

- Blogger Rachel Kane of  WTForever21 might have to change the name of her blog to WTorever21 because she clearly doesn’t give an F. [Fashionista]

- Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld is precociously stunning in Miu Miu‘s new Fall 2011 campaign, shot by Bruce Weber. [Fashion Gone Rogue]

- Meanwhile, Raquel Zimmermann is sleekness defined for YSL by Inez and Vinoodh. [Models.com]

- The Huffington Post assembled 21 of Spring 2012 Men’s Fashion Week‘s “zaniest” looks. Some are actually zany, some are pretty fierce and some just need to stop pretending. [HuffPo]

- Jennifer Lopez will be on HSN this weekend, and while her team of handlers explain what an HSN is, J.Lo found her light and showed some gam for new fragrance Love & Light‘s ad campaign. [People]

Photo: Daily Mail

Madonna co-wrote the romantic drama with her Truth or Dare collaborator Alek Keshishian, which stars Abbie Cornish as a woman who becomes enraptured with the early 20th century romance between Britain’s King Edward VIII and American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

Sure, it sounds like a snoozefest, but if Harvey Weinstein likes it — and he does, saying that Madge “has really come into her own as a filmmaker” and that W.E. is ”smart, sexy and thoroughly modern” – the Academy might as well throw an Oscar in Madonna’s freakishly ageless face.

Five words: The King’s Speech , Part II. [L.A. Times]

The never-ending vampire chick flick series also took home Best Movie, Best Female Performance for Kristen Stewart‘s harrowing (?) portrayal of…whoever she plays; Best Male Performance for Robert Pattinson basically showing up on set and taking his shirt off; and Best Fight for the Team Jacob v Team Edward bitch-slapping throwdown outside of the movie’s L.A. premiere.

Other big “winners” of the  night included Emma Stone who won Best Comedic Performance for her tour de force in Easy A and Justin Bieber for Best Jaw-Dropping Moment thanks to a lap dance in his seminal concert film, Never Say Never.

Meanwhile, Ellen Page‘s Oscar nomination for Juno clearly pales in comparison with the honor of the Best Scared as Shit award she took home for Inception. And last but certainly not least, dyed-in-the-wool movie star Reese Witherspoon took home the Generation Award in recognition of her “remarkable career.” Then they showed a bunch of clips from Legally Blonde. [MTV]

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - JUNE 05: Actor Robert Pattinson accepts the Best Male Performance onstage during the 2011 MTV Movie Awards at Universal Studios' Gibson Amphitheatre on June 5, 2011 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

The doc follows Ford through his first womenswear show in six years, his guest editorship at Vogue Paris during the last halcyon days of Carine Roitfeld‘s tenure and the opening of his flagship store in Beverly Hills — in other words, you don’t want to miss this shit.

Ford admits that he’s “never let anyone film [him] like this before,” claiming that “[t]here’s a very squiggly line between Tom Ford the man and Tom Ford the brand.” That line was further squigglied with his feature film debut A Single Man, which he refers to as his “midlife crisis on screen.”

If only all mid-life crises resulted in Oscar nominations as opposed to bad hair plugs, expensive sports cars and cheap hookers.

You — and I — can learn more about Tom Ford the man and the brand when Visionaires: Tom Ford debuts on OWN June 24th at 10 p.m. [Racked]

Technical difficulties — including inappropriate music cues, microphones cutting out, an errant and uninterested audience, empty awards envelopes and even a full-on blackout after generators blew — were the biggest problems of the night.

That is, if you discount some of the winners acceptance speeches.

MJB won two awards for her My Life by Mary J. Blige fragrance, including Fragrance Sales Breakthrough of the Year, and naturally thanked god, with whom “we can do anything.” Like schill perfume on HSN. Praise him.

Josh Duhamel apparently lied to wife Fergie — of Black Eyed Peas not royal wedding snub fame — telling her he was going on a golfing trip. But surprise! There he was presenting her with the totally legitimate-sounding New Fragrance Celebrity of the Year award for Outspoken.

Fergie, always the picture of class, began her speech with “You fuckers” then thanked the 6.5 million Avon ladies around the world.  Sounds like someone missed out on a perfectly good 18 holes.

Elizabeth Taylor, whose White Diamonds is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, was inducted posthumously into the Fragrance Hall of Fame — because that exists — just in time for fellow Oscar winner Halle Berry to pick up the newly named  Elizabeth Taylor Fragrance Celebrity of the Year award.

Halle, an old pro at this speech thing, left the tears and sincerity at home: “Fragrance is a new love for me. I never thought I’d be here four years later. And I’m inspired by Mary J. Blige and Fergie — let’s keep lifting women up.” Lifting women up, turning them upside down and shaking them till their loose change falls out.

All in all, it was a successful night…I mean, we’re actually talking about the FiFi’s. Aim low and never be disappointed, I always say. [WWD]

1. Princess Diana – Diana Spencer

Title: Princess of Wales
Prince Charming: Friend, confidante and designer of choice, Gianni Versace, particularly since Prince Charles proved more frog than prince.

2. Princess Grace – Grace Kelly

Title: Princess of Monaco
Prince Charming: Longtime BFF, Josephine Baker, whom she met in 1951 after standing up for Baker against The Stork Club’s racist practices

3. Princess Jasmine – from Disney‘s Aladdin

Title: Princess of Agrabah
Prince Charming: Street urchin turned Prince Ali, Fabulous He Ali Ababwa

4. Princess Ann – Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday (1953)

Title: N/A
Prince Charming: Co-star Gregory Peck and Hubert de Givenchy whom she wore to accept her Best Actress Oscar for her performance

5. Princess Charlotte – Charlotte Casiraghi

Title: Princess of Monaco (she’s Princess Grace’s granddaughter)
Prince Charming: Gucci’s Frida Giannini who exclusively designs Princess Charlotte’s equestrian wardrobe.

6. Princess Sirivannavari – Sirivannavari Nariratana

Title: Princess of Thailand
Prince Charming: Fashion. She’s designs her own fashion line and is a regular at Jean Paul Gaultier‘s shows.

7. Miss Chi Chi Rodriguez – John Leguizamo in To Wong Foo

Title: Drag Princess, “P to the R to the In to the Cess”
Prince Charming: Julie Newmar, who crowns the princess a queen while wearing a Mugler catsuit.

8. Princess Leila – Leila Pahlavi

Title: Princess of Iran
Prince Charming: Barbiturates. A former Valentino model, Leila had her share of demons including anorexia, depression and drug abuse, which ultimately claimed her life.

9. Mia Thermopolis – Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries

Title: Princess of Genovia
Prince Charming: Julie Andrews, whose spoonful of sugar helped make the royal medicine go down as Mia’s grandmother, Queen Clarisse.

10. Princess Catherine – Kate Middleton

Title: The Duchess of Cambridge, Her Royal Highness Princess William of Wales
Prince Charming: Sarah Burton, whose Alexander McQueen wedding gown propelled Kate from lady to Lady.

Winslet explains:

“They want to keep it looking like me and not have it look like me pretending to be a model wearing these clothes. I’m obviously not a model. I’m not the size of a model. I don’t have the face of a model or the shape of a model.”

This is the film queen’s first stint as the face of a fashion house having shilled for American Express and Lancôme in the past. However when the reporter told Kate that the St. John woman was known more for hot flashes than hot pants, she seemed “surprised”:

“To me, it’s fresher than that. It seems fresher than that because of the fabrics. They’re extremely delicate, extremely wearable and very flattering.”

Then she backhanded the reporter and stormed off the set only to realize it was Jersey at which point she began to hysterically cry. Little did she know someone was filming her with their camera phone and her performance is already being considered a huge Oscar frontrunner.[WWD]

- Congressman Aaron Schock, a Republican from Illinois in the House of Representatives, flings his shirt open for the cover of Men’s Health, and suddenly I care about politics. Kind of…not really.  But I could move to Illinois…no, not really. [Men's Health]

- Prince Harry and Oscar-winner Charlize Theron were spotted possibly  canoodling at a charity polo match in merry ole Eng-land this weekend. Aaah, but who was riding whom? [Refinery29]

1. Paris Is Burning (1990)

Set amidst the backdrop of 80s New York ball culture, Paris Is Burning is an exploration of beauty, race, sexuality, capitalism and the American Dream, all wrapped up in a dragtastic homage to the transformative powers of fashion. Also, where do you think Madonna learned to Vogue?

See Also: To Wong Foo — Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1994) Drag queens, yes; acute social commentary, not so much…but how can you argue with this? Oh, that’s right, you can’t.

- André Leon Talley ranks Beyoncé in Emilio Pucci as his best dressed from the Met Gala last night, though he modestly put himself at the lowly position at #12 when in reality he was the only lady to really turn it out on that carpet. [Vogue]

- Livia Firth, wife of this year’s Best Actor Oscar winner Colin Firth, had a meeting in the ladies room at the Met Ball with Stella McCartney, Lauren Hutton, Yoko Ono, Salma Hayek, Rihanna and Hilary Alexander and was gracious enough to tweet pics of it. [Refinery29]

- Mert & Marcus by Mert & Marcus. [Fashion Gone Rogue]

- John Galliano fired his lawyer, Stephane Zerbib over “apparent irregularities in respect of his firms administration of Galliano’s financial affairs over a number of years.” Sounds like someone had their hand in the couture cookie jar. [Vogue UK]

- Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, also known to commoners as Kate Middleton, wore White Gardenia Petals by Illuminum on her special day, thus ensuring that White Gardenia Petals by Illumnum will sell-out in a matter of minutes. [Grazia]

•Bid on a chance to meet Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour and attend a photo shoot for the magazine
•One full week’s stay at the private home of Diane von Furstenberg in the Bahamas
•Ralph Lauren’s Paris – Two Round Trip Business Class Tickets from NYC to Paris, two nights at the Bristol Hotel in a deluxe room, dinner for two at Ralph’s, the quintessential American restaurant in Paris, a 1,000 euro shopping experience at the Ralph Lauren store on St. Germain, and two tickets to visit “The Art of the Automobile: Masterpieces of the Ralph Lauren Collection,” an exclusive exhibit of Mr. Lauren’s vintage automobiles featured at the Musée des Arts décoratifs.
•Live like a Vanity Fair writer for a day—minus the torture of actually reporting and writing. The winning bidder will take a tour of the Vanity Fair offices, have lunch with one of the editors, sit in on a meeting in Graydon Carter’s office, and then finish off the day with a dinner for four at Mr. Carter’s restaurant, The Monkey Bar.
Night: 2 tickets and backstage passes to Jay-Z and Kanye West’s concert
•Morning, Noon & Night with Tory Burch – Morning: $3,000 shopping spree at Tory Burch with a personal stylist; Noon: Lunch with Tory and the design team;
•Lunch and style consultation with celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe, includes a tour of her offices and additional styling tips from her team
•Go behind the scenes with The Hilfigers at the Spring 2012 Tommy Hilfiger ad campaign shoot. Get prepped out in a full Tommy Hilfiger look at the brand’s Fifth Avenue store before having your photograph taken with the Hilfigers.
•A meet and greet with The Row designers Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen plus an entire wardrobe of Elizabeth and James and The Row Collections
•Two tickets to the Elton John Oscar’s Party
•The opportunity to intern for a day at Elle Magazine along with a personal fashion consultation with Elle Creative Director Joe Zee
•Have a Barbie custom made by Mattel in your likeness, valued at over $10,000
•Courtesy of DKNY, enjoy a “VIP” experience at Yankee Stadium for four guests. Experience includes a private tour of Monument Park followed by watching the Yankees’ batting practice from the field, followed by a meet and greet with Yankees Manager Joe Girardi. Afterwards, watch the Yankees take on the Tampa Bay Rays on July 9th, 2011, from four front row Legends Suite seats
•A lunch and style consultation with TV Personality and Project Runway Judge Tim Gunn
•Two tickets to the Vera Wang Spring Summer 2012 Fashion Show followed by a meet and greet with the designer and a $2000 shopping spree at the Vera Wang flagship store
•The opportunity to personalize a PS1 ‘it’ bag with Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez
•A “Made to Measure Experience” custom suit and fitting from designer Tom Ford.
•Eight tickets to the Metropolitan Opera and dinner with Lincoln Center President Reynold Levy
•Two tickets to a live filming of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” along with private cocktails with host Andy Cohen following the filming
•And many, many more……….

So get bidding on Charity Buzz, and support Japan in the most fashionable way possible (or any way you can).

- Lauren Conrad is launching her own beauty site, The Beauty Department, which purports to help “anyone who’s ever had a beauty question or gotten into a fight with a hair brush and lost.” On my behalf, I will say that I didn’t lose the fight since the hairbrush ended up handle first in my vanity mirror. [Fashionista

- Gianfranco Ferré's new owner, Paris Group, has given the label's creative directors, Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi the proverbial boot, citing sluggish sales. A retailer admitted they bought " a minimal amount of the collection for the sake of carrying the brand" but noted that "[t]here was almost no daywear and eveningwear was fairy tale, like something for the Oscars. It may work for a small, niche brand, but not for such a global brand.” Ferré is expected to skip a season until Paris Group  finds it bearings, though those bearings could also be found in the John Galliano label, which the Group may consider purchasing from LVMH. [WWD]

- American Apparel sleaze, Dov Charney, wants to live the Hugh Hefner lifestyle: hopped up on so many ‘ludes and Viagra he won’t know when he’s coming or on who. [Styleite]

- The world’s most expensive shoe costs nearly $230,000 and is made of solid gold and over 2200 diamonds. That’s nothing, I’ve got the world’s most expensive Crocs:  $250, made of solid plastic and Cubic zirconia. It goes really well with my world’s most expensive velour tracksuit. [Telegraph]

- Noted Jew, Donna Karan, thinks John Galliano‘s anti-Semitic remarks were “”blown up out of proportion.”  Karan goes on to say that Galliano is “a wonderful designer, a brilliant designer, and he probably needs help and support right now.” Well, I already know of someone who’s on the help and support bandwagon. [The Cut]

- Remember when Matthew Williamson said that Kate Middleton “isn’t a fashion bunny” and “I don’t know why everyone in fashion is waiting to see what she wears. I’m, like, thinking: get over it.” Well, turns out he was just “misquoted”: “I was referring to the fact that I’d been asked about her three times previously in the same night so it was more that I was over the fact that I’d been asked repeatedly about her. I’m setting the record straight: I’m a big fan and I’m sure she’ll make an amazing choice [for her wedding dress].” Yeah, that record is about as straight as Elton John‘s Oscar party. [Fashionista]

Update: So, apparently Reese is photographed with her Water for Elephants co-star, Tai…way harsh.

For Vogue‘s May issue, the Oscar-winner, mother of two and recent newlywed was styled by Tonne Goodman and lensed by Peter Lindbergh. Reese was also given a helping trunk by an elephant named Tai who, by the bye, knows how to turn it the fuck out.

That pachyderm is smizing, she’s giving me grace and beauty plus bitch is 42 years old.

And still posing nude. Some girls just got it, though I wouldn’t have minded a tasteful suit.

Link Love/Photos: Vogue

I’m not really a fan of the neckline on the Roland Mouret gown — I’m just gonna say it, her boobs look weird. But then again all boobs look weird to me…

I do, however, enjoy the hair, although it reminds me a bit of Rihanna‘s April cover. Two consecutive face-obstructing dos could be a potential don’t.

What do you think, is Reese’s Vogue cover doing anything for you?

Photo: The Fashion Spot

Carey Mulligan

Starring roles: A Miu Miu, Vionnet and Prada devotee, Carey’s also not afraid to make a bold choice…such as ignoring Anna Wintour‘s advice. Others have died for less, but her gambits more often pay off than not. With one Oscar nomination down — for An Education (2009) – Mulligan’s sure to get another for next year’s The Great Gatsby, playing the ultimate ingénue, Daisy Buchanan.

Elle Fanning

Starring roles: Elle proved such a fave with the Mulleavy sisters, they cast her in a short film for Rodarte. After stealing scenes in the independent Somewhere (2010), Elle’s going for the blockbuster gusto with J.J. Abrams‘s Super 8, out this summer.

Hailee Steinfeld

Starring roles: Along with Fanning, Steinfeld is proving that it’s never too early to be a fashionista by going on a winning streak during awards season…if only on the red carpet. Hailee nabbed an Oscar nom for showing her Grit, but for her next project, she’s going for a softer touch: she’s attached to a retelling of Sleeping Beauty.

Mia Wasikowska

Starring roles: Honestly, I’ve been more inspired by Mia’s stunning editorials as of late than her red carpet style. She first had me with W alongside her Jane Eyre co-star, Michael Fassbender then she channeled another Mia (Farrow) for Blackbook. She’s super talented and naturally beautiful plus with a slew of upcoming roles, she’ll have plenty of time to brush up on her style notes.

Blake Lively

Starring roles: When Karl Lagerfeld handpicks you to be the Chanel Purse Ambassador, you’re officially an icon. Best known for her penchant for Gossip, Blake surprised everyone with a dramatic turn in The Town (2010) and will soon be feeling up Ryan Reynold‘s muscled, latex-clad torso in this summer’s Green Lantern. Some ingenues get all the luck.

Keira Knightley

Starring roles: Another of Karl’s favorites, Keira’s been a red carpet highlight for years — I’m still screaming at her in Vera Wang at the 2006 Oscars.*  Though she was keeping a low profile for a while, Knightley came roaring back in this Chanel Couture stunner at the London premiere of Never Let Me Go. Add to that coup her recent Chanel Coco Mademoiselle short film and the upcoming romantic drama Last Night this May.

Leighton Meester

Starring roles: Though she’s the picture of Upper East Side preppy refinement as Blair Waldorf, Leighton’s personal style falls more in the delightfully quirky category. Along with Carey, Leighton is among the most fun and daring of these youthful beauties. Between gigs on Gossip Girl, Meester will next be seen seducing Dr. House himself in The Oranges out later this year.

Mila Kunis

Starring roles: Black Swan propelled Mila Kunis into a completely different stratosphere, one with awards and critical praise. Mila rose gamely to the challenge of red carpet dressing, peaking with this Alexander McQueen number from the SAG Awards. Next she’ll trade in her toe shoes to shack up with Justin Timberlake before hopping a broom for Oz: The Great and Powerful.

Michelle Williams

Starring roles: Michelle had her best style moment at this year’s Oscars when she took my breath away in this simple Chanel column… although her 2006 canary yellow Vera Wang* still holds a special place in my heart. Once upon a Creek, Michelle Williams was Katie Holmes‘ rival, so it makes poetic sense that while Katie is Jackie O, Michelle will play Marilyn Monroe in next year’s My Week With Marilyn.

Anne Hathaway

Starring roles: Honestly, Hathaway’s days as an ingénue are practically through, but having put in her Princess days, she’s succesfully transitioning to a leading lady. She managed to hold up the weight of the entire Academy Awards telecast this year on her bold, tuxedoed shoulders, so her next challenge Anne will be to claw up the screen as Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises.

*Sidebar: Meanwhile, I forgot how much werq Vera was doing at the Academy Awards that year.

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 12: Actress Elle Fanning attends the New York Screening of "Somewhere" at Tribeca Grand Hotel on December 12, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

What would a Tyra production be without Tyra taking the opportunity to chew so much scenery even Bette Davis would ask her to reign it in a little? Luckily La Banks does not disappoint and gives a very literal interpretation of the LBD’s versatility with an extended multiple personality disorder metaphor, that is until André mercifully puts her down. No one’s ever going to give Tyra an Oscar, but god bless her for tryin’ — although I did say the same thing about the Emmys.…

Next thing you know Tyra’s experiencing what I’ve only dreamed about every night since I was 14 — André Leon Talley screaming in my face in French.

Then she sits on his lap and he tells her a little haute couture bedtime story, which begins thusly: “The Little Black Dress will take you throughout your entiiiiiiire life.” Fasten your seatbelts, we’re going on a sartorial journey! Mama Bear continues,”When you have doubts, you just go back to that Little Black Dress, wear that and you will be safe.” That is unless you encounter a wolf in cheap clothing.

On this magical journey, ALT also imparts some wholesome lessons for the kids:

- how to properly pronounce Givenchy. Not “GA’-VEN-TCH” but “ZHEEvonSHAAAY.”

- Coco Chanel created the little black dress in 1926

- you shouldn’t call her Coco, but Gabrielle, if you’re feeling respectful

- And perhaps the most important lesson, the Word of the Day, dreckitude: The lowest point in the lowest ebb. The lowest of the lows. See also:

And despite this “ultimate little black don’t,” we all lived Happily Ever After.

Link Love: Fa-Fa-Fa Fashion

- Target is apparently offering a Mossimo knock-off of Proenza Schouler‘s PS1 bag and Jack and Lazaro are none too happy about it. Target on the other hand will neither confirm nor deny the allegations but they did say something about being rubber and Proenza being glue. [NYT]

- Noted actress, Tea Leoni…it is 1998, right? Anyway, Tea Leoni will be starring in a new HBO pilot set in the fabulous, fast-paced world of fashion titled Spring/Fall. The show is being written by one of Six Feet Under‘s scribes and produced by the kids who brought you The September Issue, so Tea Leoni might actually have a career again. The 90s really are back! [Deadline]

- The second gal to accuse Dov Charney of…well, being Dov Charney took to the airwaves to speak to Today. My guess, for a company already on the verge of bankruptcy, this isn’t going to help. Just sayin’. [NY Mag]

- Katie Holmes got down with the Real Housewives of New York at a premiere party for her new fashion short film with John Frieda…hey, remember that time Holmes’ Dawson Creek co-star, Michelle Williams, got nominated for an Oscar? Twice? [Daily Front Row]

- View co-host and EGOT-er, Whoopi Goldberg admitted that she was stoned as a Marley on 420 when she accepted her Best Supporting Actress Oscar at the 1991 ceremony: ”So I smoked this wonderful joint that was the last of my home grown. When he [presenter Denzel Washington] said my name and I popped up, I thought, ‘Oh fuck… okay, up the stairs… around to the podium… there’s millions of people, pick up the statue, get the statue.’” Oooh, Whoopi’s got that home grown ish? Can a bitch come over and hold your Oscar in a very similar state of mind? [DListed]

- Speaking of perfumes that stink (kidding), Oscar-winner (kidding) Reese Witherspoon is shilling not one but three new perfumes for Avon. She wants you to live, laugh and love with her. And I want her to learn some better poses that don’t reek of cliché. Hopefully she learned a trick or two for her Vogue cover in May…which — shockingly — coincides with the release of her new movie. Well-played, Tracy Flick. Well-played. [Fashionista]

- Prince Charles might be in some dire financial straits as of late, or he’s just completely without shame…probably the latter, because he’s selling a 250-piece jigsaw puzzle of his son and future daughter-in-law at his official store. A.) He has an official store? and B.) Really, a puzzle? With all of England’s resources, he couldn’t throw together something a little nicer? A commemorative tea set? An Ed Hardy-esque motorcycle jacket with the happy couple emblazoned on the back?   [Daily Mail]

Elizabeth Taylor’s style can probably be summed up with a trio of B’s: Big, Bold and Bling. From her bodacious figure to the epic Taylor-Burton Diamond (a little trinket from husband #5/6, Richard Burton — a pear-shaped 69.42 carat diamond bought for a paltry $1,050,000 in 1969), Liz Taylor was what a movie star should be: glamorous and larger than life.

Best known as a child star from films such as National Velvet (1944) and Lassie Come Home (1943), Liz forever shed that image in the 1951 classic, A Place in the Sun co-starring soon-to-be best friend and confidante, Montgomery Clift. Monty pines away for the unattainable Liz only to have his dream life and love sidetracked by insistent plain Jane, Shelly Winters. The story ends tragically, but not before Liz emerges as a beautiful young thing in an elegant white ball gown that takes not only Monty’s breath away, but the audience’s.

In Giant (1956), Liz shared the screen with two other closet cases, thus ensuring her claim as the world’s foremost fag hag, Rock Hudson and James Dean. She formed lifelong friendships with both men, though they reportedly hated each other. Rock’s old Hollywood studio professionalism clashed with Dean’s reckless Method actor rebelliousness and Liz was often called on to act as mediator. Dean died in a car crash during the production in 1955, but one can see that in their short time together they formed a bond.

In 1956, Taylor would experience another tragedywith one of her friends when Monty Clift crashed his car in the middle of filming Raintree Country. Clift would have died had Liz not dislodged his two front teeth from his throat. Production was halted while Clift underwent surgery and though he continued to act, Clift was visibly and mentally altered, and died in 1966 after a long battle with drug and alcohol addiction.

With 1958′s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Liz set pulses racing as Maggie the Cat, the sexually-frustrated wife of bitter and repressed Paul Newman, who’s too busy mourning his recently deceased friend to pay any heed to Maggie or his ailing family. Though Tennessee Williams‘ play was toned down for film audiences, the most memorable image is that of Liz writhing around in nothing but a white silk slip.

Taylor earned Best Actress Oscar nominations for Raintree and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, but she won her first statuette for 1960′s BUtterfield 8. She wore a stunning Christian Dior gown to accept the prize, though she felt she only won out of sympathy — she had recently lost husband Mike Todd and had nearly died from an illness during filming.

In 1963, Elizabeth Taylor became the first actress to earn $1 million for a movie for Cleopatra and during filming she fell in love with her co-star, the dashing Richard Burton. The costumes in Cleopatra were some of the most opulent ever put to film, but what else would one expect of the most famous woman in the world playing the most famous woman in history. Taylor had 65 costumes in total, including a dress made from 24-carat gold thread and cost a total $194,800 — the most expensive wardrobe for any individual screen actor ever.

Liz would win her second Best Actress Oscar for 1966′s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, as the volatile and alcoholic Martha alongside then-husband Dick Burton’s George. Undeniably her greatest performance, Taylor eschewed her glamorous image to play the aging, plump and slovenly Martha.

The dynamic on screen was similar to real life and the Battling Burtons divorced in 1974, only to give it one more shot a year later. They were divorced for the second and final time in 1976, though their turbulent relationship led Vanity Fair to label theirs the Romance of the Century.

Though film roles dried up later in life, Elizabeth Taylor still dressed every inch the part and her impact on film, fashion, pop culture, as well as her tireless humanitarian efforts will keep her legend shining brighter than any white diamond ever could.

These Have Always Brought Me Luck:

National Velvet (1944)

Father of the Bride (1950)

A Place in the Sun (1951)

Giant (1956)

Raintree Country (1957)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)

Cleopatra (1963)

The V.I.P.s (1963)

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

The Taming of the Shrew (1967)

Beautiful, stylish and always at the ready with a fresh cocktail or a witty remark (often both) Nora  is married to retired detective/functioning alcoholic Nick Charles (the brilliant William Powell).

In town for the holidays, Nick and Nora are ensnared in a murder mystery after the mistress of one of Nick’s old client’s turns up dead. Nick is then beseeched by said client’s willful daughter to help clear her father’s name.

Based on Dashiell Hammett‘s novel of the same name, what follows is a twisty-turny whodunit sharper than anything Hollywood has turned out in decades. In fact, Powell and Loy’s chemistry proved so dynamic they were reunited for five more sequels (they eventually starred in 14 films together), but this was far and away their best outing.

Costume designer Dolly Tree keeps Nora looking every inch the socialite, but for a film almost 80 years old, her wardrobe is surprisingly modern. Nora is prone to fur and dramatic sleeves, but she also sports a silk jumpsuit, a bowtie and an evening gown that passes for revealing even by today’s lax standards.

It’s hard to pick Nora’s best look — she’s in the film for maybe 35 minutes in total but like any lady worth her salt she has no less than 8 wardrobe changes — however the dress she dons for the Charles’ Christmas party ranks high on the list. Asymmetrical…tiers…a study in stripes….it’s like she’s a gorgeous candy cane:

Then there’s this subtle nightgown:

I mean, if you’re going to go to bed, why not throw on a silk negligee with floor-sweeping sleeves and fur trim? It beats a Snuggie any day of the week.

Though originally intended as a B picture and shot in only two weeks, The Thin Man went on to earn four Oscar nominations and remains one of the best — and certainly one of the most stylish — comedies of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

And now, After:

Miraculous the transformation, no?