Tag Archives: Variety

Best of 2017 – Out of the Box: Look of the Week (Part 1)

22 Dec

Welcome to the TV Ate My Wardrobe Best of 2017 coverage! As with”Out of the Box” highlights from previous years everything that features here has already appeared in “Look of the Week.”

There have been a lot of amazing magazine covers this year featured on “Out of the Box.” The first part of this 2017 rundown is dedicated to these striking images. Twelve covers from twelve different magazines. Ruth Negga was a constant fixture this year on “Out of the Box,” particularly during award season. Another Magazine delivered the first stunning issue of the year back in February. Ten months later and it is still on my coffee table. Pride of place. Mahershala Ali was another star of award season, so when GQ unveiled this cover in June it was met with much joy. Considering how grey and miserable it is right now, it is also the boost December needs.Vanity Fair celebrates Serena Williams and motherhood in a beautifully stripped down manner. A nod to Demi Moore’s VF cover from fifteen years ago, while being completely about Serena.
The heritage print revival of 2017 has been one of my fashion highlights. Lena Headey’s walk through the highlands for The Edit was just the way to showcase this sartorial spin. I have strong positive feelings about Kirsten Dunst and polka dots. The two combined on this Nylon cover is the dream. Plus this profile is by glass brick aficionado and one of my culture writer faves, Molly Lambert. Another ‘still on the coffee table’ issue. Best use of millennial pink goes to The Hollywood Reporter with their profile of multi-hyphenate Donald Glover.Everything about Sterling K. Brown’s Emmy win makes me happy. Including Variety’s celebration of this. And Brown’s fabulous socks. Usually the clothes worn on covers cost at least a few months rent, not so with Samira Wiley’s Stylist shot. Here she wears Urban Outfitters and Uniqlo in the most autumnal colors. This is another magazine that is still on my coffee table. Sometimes all you need to make you stop and stare at a magazine cover is a simple beauty shot. The November issue of Allure does just this; Kerry Washington looks like is staring into your soul.What a fun, striking cover from Entertainment Weekly featuring Constance Wu and Henry Golding. And I am already super excited to see Crazy Rich Asians. The costuming is extravagant, plus that velvet suit is bang on trend. The last couple of months has been dominated by Lady Bird chat, the woman of the hour Greta Gerwig deservedly getting a lot of attention. This black and white Bust cover is giving me a lot of Frances Ha feelings. My favorite kind.This is how to do a debut issue. New British Vogue Editor-In-Chief, Edward Enniful made a huge splash with a striking cover starring Model of the Year, Adwoa Aboah. Evoking classic ’80s cover shots without feeling derivative.

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Out of the Box: Look of the Week

22 Sep

The Emmys red carpet delivered a number of standout looks including Tessa Thompson’s swishy rainbow dream and Lena Waithe’s gold-leaf jacket; the perfect style complement to go with her gold statue.

This is a pattern heavy time of year, much to my delight. So get ready for more fashion week looks, premieres, magazine editorials and one final 2017 Emmy Awards stunner.Alison Brie co-hosted Glamour x Tory Burch Women to Watch event and this entire Tory Burch look is the perfect look for a lunchtime shindig. Also, I need that bag in my life.More Tory Burch and a good week for pleats; if I worked in a fancy office, I would definitely want to borrow this outfit from America Ferrera. Dear White People’s Logan Browning gets the most ’70s of the Tory Burch looks and of course I love everything about this metallic floral number with a strong collar. Fabulous gold wedge sandals too. Kerry Washington was feted at the Women Making History Awards and gives great ’80s polka dot—see also this Zoë Kravitz in Vogue— wearing Carolina Herrera. For more in wacky fun outfits look no further than Zendaya in a Christian Siraino jumpsuit, serving up full flares. Love that she is wearing her specs to this event too. Gucci at Milan Fashion Week showcased so many wild patterns that continue to lean into my fave style decade—yep, the ’70s—and Dakota Johnson is in a dream of a dress. Continuing the theme of more out there dress choices and as with a lot of Louis Vuitton ensembles, I should probably hate this, but don’t. And I can’t even claim Michelle Williams blindness here. It kind of looks like a shirt/blazer hybrid giving me more reasons to scrunch my nose up and yet I find it charming. Also to be filed under charming is Domhnall Gleeson at the Goodbye Christopher Robin London premiere. He is everywhere at the moment and one of my favorite things about Gleeson is he plays so many different kinds of characters—last week I did a Domhnall double with mother! and American Made.

Of course he is in Burberry and of course he looks great. I do miss the beard though.Following on from the pink sheer socks Keri Russell wore and Kirsten Dunst is trying this style out in black as she promotes Woodshock. After all the fancy pants looks from the Emmys, this has been a great time for daytime sartorial delights and talk show outfits.

And because you know I have strong feelings about this relationship. Plus, Kirsten Dunst’s mother also sounds amazing.Another week, another fabulous Maggie Gyllenhaal editorial as she talks The Deuce with Harper’s Bazaar. An office themed photoshoot and I definitely raised an eyebrow at their choice of headline. But the piece talks about the research Gyllenhaal did for The Deuce in a way that continues to show how much thought she put into her performance as Candy and her role as producer:

“What is the story you’re telling, and how can this be fit into it, and how does she shift and change? How is she empowered and disempowered? How do those affect each other? We talked about all of that. I think it was important to me—because it is such a delicate subject matter in 2017—to be a part of the storytelling, and to have a guarantee that I would be a part of the storytelling.”For Variety, Sterling K. Brown crushes his sock color choice and how to pose when you’ve won Emmys two years in a row.

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Out of the Box: Look of the Week

11 Aug

Florals are here to stay — much to my delight — and this is the final week of the summer TCA press tour, which means more panel attire and some fancy awards threads. TCA is not the only celebration this week as there is also Black Girls Rock! and Variety’s ‘Power of Young Hollywood’ event.

Plus the excellent magazine covers continue. It is September (in magazine terms) after all.

Unrelated, but check out my interview with Defenders costume designer Stephanie Maslansky here.At the American Horror Story: Cult panel, Sarah Paulson looks stunning in a watercolor adjacent lace Monique Lhuillier frock (as always tipping my hat to Karla Welch) and I’m happy to kick off this week’s “Out of the Box” with something this bold.

As always I am intrigued by the new season of AHS, but I tend to lose interest halfway through a season and the only one I have made it to the end of was Coven. And that isn’t even the best one. So there is a high chance this will happen once again. But the cast is always very good and I am here for all the promotional time with Sarah Paulson. One of my best makeup purchases last year came courtesy of Aya Cash (also at TCA) and once again Cash is the lipstick queen of TCA. Yes I have shamelessly asked her on Instagram what shade it is (as she is sadly no longer on Twitter).

This Christine Alcalay top is also another fabulous take on the floral trend and I cannot wait for You’re the Worst to come back. Even if that season 3 ender was a full on heartbreak.Sterling K. Brown is a man of many talents — and surprise cameos — and at the TCA Awards he sang “For Good” from Wicked with former Wicked star and host of the TCA Awards, Kristin Chenoweth. So many swoons. Also a great sparkly mini frock from Chenoweth.

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Not quite the usual hotel corridor pose from Elisabeth Moss, but just as fabulous pre-TCA Awards and another amazing Vampire’s Wife pick from Karla Welch. This color is stunning.Issa Rae was honored at Black Girls Rock – airing on Tuesday, August 22 on BET — and I am digging this whole ’70s vibe. Oh hey, Jay Ellis. Loving the choice of pants/jacket.

The video for Jay-Z’s “Moonlight” — directed by Master of None’s Alan Yang — is now available for non-TIDAL subscribers to watch, so that portion of pop culture FOMO is over and it is just as good (if not better) than the clips suggested it would be. Yara Shahidi once again proving she is a Magical Fashion Unicorn in a very hard to pull off Philosophy peplum floral jumpsuit at the ‘Power of Young Hollywood’ Variety celebration.If you know how I feel about ’70s styling — strongly positive — you will not be surprised to hear that I yelped with joy when I first saw this Zendaya cover for Variety, which leans hard into the whole disco vibe.

As with her recent Vogue profile, I read most of it pretty much nodding along and saying “fuck yeah” out loud. She’s great and I’m so glad she continues to get a large platform to speak out to fans both old and new.

She articulates why her Spider-Man character was so interesting and I hope this continues in the second movie “It was nice to play a character who wasn’t a damsel in distress but actually very smart, quirky, different and outspoken.” And on her fashion line she notes the importance of not having specific plus size sections “I don’t think thicker, curvier women should have to shop on a different section on my page or feel excluded.” Zendaya is the best and a solid choice from Variety for their ‘Power of Young Hollywood’ issue. Donald Glover wasn’t there to pick up the Atlanta TCA Award on Saturday as he is still shooting the new Han Solo movie, but it is clear he is having a very good year. And as this Hollywood Reporter cover notes he is quite the multi-hyphenate. A good use of millennial pink, aviators and the Gucci tiger collar here and inside the issue.

In the piece Glover discusses the success of Atlanta — which I’m gonna do a rewatch of soon —and what it is like starring in an iconic franchise as the younger version of an iconic character (and some of the behind the scenes bumps that have occurred). There’s some great additional quotes from Tina Fey, Dan Harmon and his brother Stephen (who is also a writer on Atlanta) and the whole profile is a fascinating insight into Glover’s process while also remaining enigmatic when it comes to his personal life.The September issue of Nylon used to be their TV special and there is still that element, but I’m not gonna be too mad about the lack of TV star cover when forever fave Kirsten Dunst is here. And she is wearing the same amazing polka dot Alessandra Rich number — minus the black belt — that Beguiled co-star Nicole Kidman wore to the Veuve Clicquot Polo event.

I haven’t bought Nylon in ages, but I will definitely pick up this issue as both the shoot and interview are great. This profile is written by one of my favorite culture writers, Molly Lambert and while this piece is about Woodshock, it also acts as a great career retrospective of an actress who has been around for what feels like forever and has done a number of very different projects. Plus what she looks for now as “A lot of the choices I make are director-driven. I’d rather do a tiny little whatever in a good film.”

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A Non-Big Little Lies Season 2 Update and More from Variety’s Drama Discussion

21 Jun

Variety’s ‘A Night in the Writer’s Room’ is more of the kind of pre-Emmy nomination events that I get very excited about and this panel includes a lot of interesting shows (and one that doesn’t quite fit the pattern) covering network, cable and streaming. This in itself brings about the subject of the differences of working across these various platforms as several of these writers have experienced both the more traditional model and recent developments.

Also this is a good time to point out that the excellent Queen Sugar returned last night and Ava DuVernay talks about how this project came about. It includes a trip to Maui and I could listen to DuVernay chatting about this show for a long time.

A potential season 2 of Big Little Lies has been coming up a lot during these Emmy campaigning chats – I’m in agreement with Caroline Framke about why it should be a one and done series – and David E. Kelly is unsurprisingly non-committal saying it is all in the hands of author Liane Moriarty. He does have nothing but love for this entire project and set of characters. He also tells an amusing anecdote about how many pages director Jean-Marc Vallée likes to write with.

Both Mr Robot and Westworld had fans theorizing (and guessing correctly early on) so the question of fans guessing major twists is something that is addressed and whether streaming has an advantage here with how quick it gets consumed.

Watch the panel below.

Emmy nominations will be announced Thursday, July 13.

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Out of the Box: Look of the Week – Best of 2016 Part 1

21 Dec

Taking a TV costuming break for this installment of our Best of 2016 series for a midweek “Out of the Box” special focusing on the best magazine covers of the year.

Each of the covers below has appeared on “Out of the Box” and while publications like Teen Vogue, Bust and Variety have featured on multiple occasions we have picked only one cover per magazine. The twelve chosen don’t quite work on a one per actual month, but it is a good snapshot of what was on offer throughout 2016 and this is the order they were published in.

In fact three of them were from the same “Out of the Box” column in October; this was a very good week for magazines and made the disappointing September issues a distant memory.

A study by Fashionista shows that diversity of cover stars is much improved in 2016 and this is evident from the entries below, although there is always room for improvement especially from certain publications who still lean heavily towards a certain look (oh hey Harper’s Bazaar).

Composition and color that standout were important in how each one was picked and styling was also an influence; I would be more than happy to have any of these issues on my coffee table (and quite a few of them have).Amandla Stenberg Teen VogueTeen Vogue has had a very influential year and they kickstarted 2016 with this stunning Amandla Stenberg cover; this one appeared on the first “Out of the Box” of the year and the direct look to camera is full of self-assured confidence.

Almost 12 months later and I am still mesmerized.bust-jessica-williamsBetween the bold lip color, the super expressive smile, the backdrop and the lip hair clip this Bust cover featuring Jessica Williams is enough to make anyone feel happy.Kirsten DunstPairing a bright yellow with black and white is instant cover catnip and Kirsten Dunst is giving me a look as if to say she knows this. I’m not normally a fan of the wet look hair trend, but here it works with the casual denim jacket number.

My one magazine purchasing regret this year is I didn’t find an outlet that sold this issue of The Gentlewoman.oscar-isaacWhen this cover of Rolling Stone was unleashed on to Twitter it very much distracted from the work I was in the middle of because, well you can see.

Oscar Isaac hugging a dog in his coat is very much in my wheelhouse.A #LadySuitWatch2016 entry and Elle is very good (with certain beauty shot caveats) at these multi-cover celebrations; this one looking to women in comedy with the Ghostbusters cast getting their own covers.Nylon WinonaThis has been the year of the Winona Ryder comeback with several publications featuring Ryder front and center. Nylon goes old school with a ‘zine like shot and Winona Forever indeed (she definitely has a portrait in her attic). Gina Rodriguez Latina magThe haircut of the year is showcased on Latina Magazine with Gina Rodriguez’s Annihilation half buzz cut; this is another case of staring directly at the reader, which is both disarming and enticing. The accompanying editorial is just as stunning. Thankful for wigs on Jane the Virgin so she could do this during its hiatus.variety-laverne-coxA super ethereal image of Laverne Cox for Variety and this is how to do striking pastels beyond the Hollywood Reporter’s stagnant drama actress roundtable sartorial choices (see also the seriousness of putting everyone in black/white or blush tones). So dreamy.

michelle-obamaIt is no surprise that Michelle Obama has appeared on a vast array of magazines this year and The New York Times gives the most original with an incredible beauty shot rather than sharing the focus with a fabulous outfit at the same time. emma-stoneNovember issues were so full of hope and this Emma Stone Vogue entry is bittersweet now. I still love it though and the whole composition coupled with the pixie cut, stripes and color palette is so good that the crop top is something I can get on board with.thr-ruth-neggaRuth Negga has had a very good 2016 and the “Out of the Box” column this Hollywood Reporter cover was part of also featured Negga’s Vogue editorial and she is also the first face of Vogue’s 2017 issues.

This is a great shot with Negga commanding the focus and the Saint Laurent floral pussy bow dress is something I covet in both this and blouse form (as seen on Keri Russell).

michelle-williamsEnding the year with something sparkly and my forever fave Michelle Williams wearing Michael Kors for Porter. The photo shoot inside is just as fabulous and something in the interview caused me to go full klaxon on Twitter. Someone make this happen.

Stay tuned for more “Out of the Box” 2016 highlights next week and for the regular column on Friday.

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Out of the Box: Look of the Week

2 Dec

Happy December! And as it is this busy end of year awards period we once again have a fun mix of “Out of the Box” entries this week.

We have already covered the Gotham Awards and got a taste of TV roundtable so this week’s column is kicking off with magazine covers, editorials and Variety’s Actors on Actors series. Plus there are some red carpet moments and an array of sartorial treats.michelle-williamsMichelle Williams covers Porter magazine and this shot is reminiscent of the 2013 Louis Vuitton campaign thanks to the choice of dark lip color and because Williams has gone with her classic signature haircut after a few years of growing it out. This cut is a classic for a reason and I’m not just saying that because she is my hair icon.  Normally when Williams covers a magazine she’s in Louis Vuitton, but Porter mixes things up with sequin Michael Kors and it is feeling all kinds of festive party outfit.

In the interview Williams talks about bestie Busy Philipps – which ticks so many boxes – and the all too real dating situation she is currently in

“My friend Busy and her husband Marc [Silverstein] said, ‘Michelle, you’re in like a blackout zone, everybody is now partnered up and you have to wait for people to start getting divorced.’ Oh my f*cking God. Are you kidding me? I’m just sitting around and waiting for marriages to crumble? Oh wow! No!”

The issue hits newsstands today and I’m sure you won’t be shocked to hear I will be picking up a copy.tom-hanks-and-viola-davisAward season brings the joy of roundtables and the Variety “Actors on Actors” series, in which actors interview each other and once again the choice of pairings is a dream dinner situation.

You can watch these interviews on Variety’s YouTube channel and this one between Viola Davis and Tom Hanks is incredibly charming and informative.

This red dress looks incredible on Davis and as Alanna Bennett said on Twitter “rom com it, please, I beg of you.” I fully concur.adam-driver-and-michael-shannon

Also from this round of Actors on Actors and this conversation is as fun as the above photo implies. First up Michael Shannon gets Adam Driver to discuss his non-profit Arts in the Armed Forces – which is just a really lovely move – before they get down to the awards chat and everything else that follows is just as wonderful and unfiltered.

They discuss theater, blockbusters, how their TV work has helped and whether Kylo Ren will make an appearance on Girls.

I’d also recommend Taraji P. Henson/Ryan Reynolds, Annette Bening/Naomie Harris and Michelle Williams/Natalie Portman.alia-shawkatInterview Magazine continues its domination on the editorial and interview subject front and at the moment I am obsessed with Alia Shawkat’s Search Party (and she was also fantastic in Drunk History this week as Alexander Hamilton). This shot of Shawkat in profile wearing a Sportmax coat against a black backdrop is incredibly striking and her gaze to camera is disarming in the best way.

In the piece Shawkat talks about Search Party including what it was like to produce as well as act and how certain people were cast:

“I wasn’t necessarily, but when the Ron Livingston part was getting cast, there were a lot of names that were up and, I don’t want to take full credit for it, but I think I suggested Ron Livingston. I always had a crush on him and I just thought he was perfect for Keith. He’s such a great comedic actor without being hammy. He’s very realistic.”

I maybe yelped when Ron Livingston showed up.kate-maraNot quite hitting the heights of the space themed Valentino from last year, but Kate Mara is still crushing it in dresses with whimsical embellishments; this time opting for Dior at a screening of Man Down. The bold lip color is definitely the right direction and those shoes are also fabulous. felicity-jones-and-diego-lunaThe Rogue One press tour is here; at SiriusXM Felicity Jones and Diego Luna are serving up ‘couple hosting a dinner party’ vibes and I love Jones’ seventies adjacent Valentino floor length frock and metallic pumps combination.naomie-harris#LadySuitWatch2016 is going to end strong if this week’s last two entries are anything to go by; first up Naomie Harris in Dolce & Gabbana at a Moonlight Times Talks event. This is stunning and the houndstooth clutch is the perfect finishing touch.

I would be very scared to go anywhere near this with a glass of red wine though (as I am with all white clothing). emma-stoneAnd for something in tweed here’s Emma Stone on The Tonight Show and this is a great late night look/can I please get one? Thanks.

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Out of the Box: Look of the Week

14 Oct

This is the last part of the regular column catch up train (see also “Behind the Insta-Scenes“) and so this is a sort of “Look of the Last Three Weeks.”

In this post-Emmys time – I have been writing about Emmys fashion for so long it feels odd now we’re past it – there are still plenty of fancy pants events, premieres, film festivals and magazine covers.
matthew-rhys-and-keri-russell-operaKeri Russell and Matthew Rhys attended the Met Opera in style a couple of weeks ago with Russell opting for Stephane Rolland for the third time in recent months (see also the Emmys and the White House state dinner).

This caped jumpsuit might be my favorite of the three and it brings all the elegant drama. It is also fun watching the reduction of Matthew Rhys’ hiatus beard from the White House through to the Emmys and then this. After all they have started shooting season 5 now.

It was a tossup between this appearance and the fantastic lady suit/pussy bow blouse combination Keri Russell wore to another recent event, but the cape won out this time.emily-blunt-and-john-krasinskiKeeping with the couple faves and a lipstick/dress color delight from Emily Blunt in Prada at the New York premiere for The Girl on the Train last week. Also this live reading of Good Will Hunting pretty much sounds like the best thing ever.sjp-and-cynthia-nixonAs regular readers will know, I am a big fan of former co-stars who come out to support each other with their new projects so Cynthia Nixon at the Divorce premiere is a big tick in this box. Plus the Miranda/Carrie friendship always hit me in the feelings department (“My Motherboard, My Self” is my favorite SATC episode) so this appearance gets a double tick. There is so much joy in this photo and I also think they both look great.

Oh and one episode into Divorce (which I really liked) and I am already obsessed with SJP’s coat collection – so thankful this show is set during winter – and her bedspread.yara-shahidi-and-michelle-obamaThis week has been a shitty one politically, but I am so thankful for Michelle Obama for this speech and for taking part in events like Glamour’s “A Brighter Future: A Global Conversation on Girls’ Education.” Here she is with Black-ish star Yara Shahidi and both are crushing it on the pattern front. High fives for all.naomie-harrisNow for the London Film Festival and at the Moonlight premiere Naomie Harris wears a beautiful Valentino in the rare category of “sheer that I like.” Pairing it with a colorful pair of pumps really sets the look off. lupita-nyongo-elleElle’s annual “Women in Hollywood” issue is here and Lupita Nyong’o scores another fantastic cover shot while also discussing the importance of seeing people who look like you on screen and in magazines:

“I grew up with a very limited mirror of myself. I watched a lot of TV, but the people on it were always light skinned. And now I have a platform that takes me into people’s houses and onto the pages of their magazines.”variety-laverne-cox“Power of Women” is Variety’s annual celebration of women in Hollywood who are making a difference with their philanthropic work. One of those women is Laverne Cox and she is being honored for “changing the narrative around LGBTQ communities.”

Cox has been on many magazine covers (this is her second for Variety) with visibility being an important factor and Cox explains that “So many people have been inspired to live their truth as trans people, and so many people have begun to think differently about who transgender people are.”

This is another stunning image and the color of the dress and the way this shot is lit gives off a feeling of hope.jon-hammWinter is coming and that means all the knitwear and coat editorials; Mr Porter scores an early win with Jon Hamm serving up so much charisma in this week’s profile and accompanying photoshoot. The whole piece is good, but this passage/description of Hamm really stood out to me:

“Even in his baseball cap, at 45, Mr Hamm is as comely as you’d expect from a man whose first credit was “Gorgeous Guy at Bar” in an episode of Ally McBeal. One women’s magazine described him as “astronaut handsome”, not that astronauts are selected on looks, duh, but it does capture his capable, reassuring, 1950s air and captain-like quality. His voice really does insinuate that everything’s going to be OK, but there’s something soulful about him, something indefinable that makes you hope he’s going to be OK, too.”

It is part of the reason why a Don Draper pitch worked so well; the voice and face combined. Also there are photos of him hiding in the sweaters if you really need another reason to click.

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Best of the Pre-Emmy Parties

17 Sep

The pre-Emmy events really kicked off last night at the Variety and Women in Film’s celebration and we have some of the best looks of the night. Expect more to be added before the main event tomorrow. tatiana-maslany-and-tom-cullenLots of super sparkly detail on nominee Tatiana Maslany’s frock and strappy sandals satisfying my inner magpie and boyfriend Tom Cullen crushes both the beard and suit game.laura-carmichaelThat time of year for actresses from Downton Abbey to grace these pages and this is their final Emmys; Laura Carmichael gives great print dress which kinda looks like it has a dolphin on it, but I suspect that is actually a rock by a river image. Regardless it is rather serene and different from the usual patterned affairs.michelle-dockeryA jumpsuit with pockets and a jacket giving a caped effect is always going to please me. All Michelle Dockery needs is a bold red lip to really set this Elie Saab ensemble off.laverne-coxLooking radiant in white Yusef Sanchez and Laverne Cox has gone for classic simplicity with just the right amount of sparkly accessories to complete this party outfit.constance-zimmerShowing off her naughty side with a clutch that also reads nice in a super chic look and Constance Zimmer is also wearing with the best lipstick of the night.sarah-hylandSarah Hyland’s leaning a little figure skater in Elisabetta Franchi, but the combination of sparkles, feathers and sheer works as a party frock.donald-gloverDouble breasted suit perfection for Donald Glover and the no tie thing is working like a smart/casual charm.

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Out of the Box: Look of the Week

26 Aug

A really fun mix this week from “Out of the Box” with a makeup campaign, magazine covers and red carpet events delivering the sartorial goods. And we are about to enter the very busy September period – both professionally and personally for me as I’m also getting married next month – and I cannot wait.Taraji P HensonThis week MAC announced a forthcoming collaboration with Taraji P. Henson and sign me up already. The first image of Henson for MAC is super sexy and is giving me flashbacks to her W editorial, which also happened to be my favorite magazine cover from 2015 (and yes it is still on my coffee table).Mary Elizabeth WinsteadMary Elizabeth Winstead is currently top of the character style crush list on BrainDead and now the IRL one after this appearance at the premiere for The Hollars in a divine Victoria Beckham frock. As if I need another reason to be lipstick obsessed. Sarah PaulsonJust looking at Sarah Paulson’s Marc Jacobs ensemble in this heat is enough to make me sweat, but despite the August temps Paulson is totally crushing this outfit while on the pre-Emmy trail at this Television Academy event. I am still head over heels in love with her haircut. Rami MalekContinuing his patterned shirt domination is Rami Malek also at the same Television Academy event and the top button done up look continues to work like a charm. Switching things up in a double breasted jacket and Malek is definitely high on the Emmy red carpet most anticipated list. This was also the week he took his first Instagram photo. Big things are happening.Michelle ObamaI wasn’t entirely bowled over by most September issue efforts this year and it has been left to some of the weekly/bi-monthly magazines to pick up the slack including this fantastic shot of Michelle Obama wearing Jonathan Simkhai on the cover of Variety.

In the piece Obama talks about the range of shows she has guest starred on (Billy on the Street, Carpool Karaoke on the Late, Late Show, iCarly) to the shows she loves right now (The Americans, OITNB) and what she watched when she was growing up (The Mary Tyler Moore Show).

The whole piece is really great in how it explores the decisions Obama has made about which shows to appear on:

“While I am first lady, I wasn’t first lady my whole life. I’m a product of pop culture. I’m a consumer of pop culture, and I know what resonates with people. I know what they’ll get a chuckle out of and what they think is kind of silly. And whenever my team approaches me with ideas and concepts, we’re usually like, ‘Is this really funny? Are people going to understand it?'”

And and there is also an A+ thread about why pop culture is so important “So it becomes very important for the world to see different images of each other, so that, again, we can develop empathy and understanding.” To read the whole thing head here.Gina Rodriguez Latina magSomehow it is time for October editions of magazines and we have a contender for magazine cover of the year with Gina Rodriguez giving so much engaging fierce face for Latina. This haircut really is spectacular and I love how confrontational and disarming this look to camera is.

In the piece Rodriguez discusses the Alex Garland project she was shooting over the summer and Annihilation is very high on the movies I can’t wait for list (and not just for Oscar Isaac reasons – the whole cast is fantastic). Luckily Jane the Virgin doesn’t have Rodriguez tied to a Kit Harington no haircut contract clause and while commenting about her Annihilation hair chop she remarks “I am not my beauty. Who I am is not my fucking hair, and to be an actor is to transform.”Gina RodriguezThe whole shoot is spectacular and this is just one of many incredible shots of Rodriguez doing her fashion thing. For more head here.

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Out of the Box: Look of the Week

10 Jun

After a brief period of minimal red carpet events it is suddenly all happening again including the CFDA Awards and plenty of Emmy related events with roundtables, screenings and general awards chat. Plus, magazine covers!

Some shows in contention are also promoting their upcoming seasons – that really is some A+ plus timing – and there are lots of super summery looks for you to enjoy this week including a whole array of patterned frocks, sunglasses and light suits. Kerry Washington, Aziz AnsariEverything about this cover is pure delight and Kerry Washington’s Dolce & Gabbana frock is giving off so many European summer vacation vibes; so much so that I’m writing this in the morning and yet I’m hankering for a patio, the biggest selection of bread and cheeses and an Olivia Pope size glass of wine.

Aziz Ansari as ever looks great in a suit and you can watch their whole Actors on Actors chat here.Kate McKinnonLadysuit Alert! The cast of the new Ghostbusters get their own covers for the Elle ‘Women in Comedy’ issue and they are all pure joy with Kate McKinnon just edging out in the front as my favorite.

My one caveat (and it is something Elle has previously been guilty of) is the Melissa McCarthy choice as her full body shot is so great and I don’t know why they opted for the close up (well I do know why *sighs*). As Samantha Powell points out the black dress photo looks like it was part of the cover set.Lauren LapkusLauren Lapkus crushing it in Alice + Olivia at the Elle ‘Women in Comedy’ celebration and if I had any more weddings to go to this summer (other than my own) then this would be ideal guest attire. Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Elisabeth Olsen, Michael B. JordanFollowing the Fug Girls mantra that ‘everybody looks hotter in sunglasses’ and also in a week where I took a deep dive into this accessory choice in my TV and Style column over at The Observer; this group shot at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic is most welcome.

This event always brings out excellent summer style and from Elizabeth Olsen’s shorts take on a ladysuit to Michael B. Jordan’s no tie polka dot look they are oozing sunshine cool. TV Ate My Wardrobe couple fave Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale also deliver on the polo watching front in summer frocks and a pink shirt seems like a ubiquitous choice for an occasion like this.Mr RobotMr Robot isn’t back until next month (Wednesday, July 13) so I think we can expect to see a lot more of this cast in the coming weeks and this is only a good thing.

Rami Malek and Christian Slater have shown on numerous occasions that they can mix their red carpet style up from casual to fancy pants with Rami throwing his hat into the floral trend at the Television Academy 70th Anniversary celebration. We’ve seen a version of Portia Doubleday’s Philosophy dress on Sarah Paulson a couple of months ago and I much prefer this plunging neckline take and Carly Chaikin’s giving lots of chill vibes in RVNNYC.Shiri ApplebyAny regular readers will know how happy I am to have UnREAL back and this has been a super fun press tour (although the premiere viewing numbers are less than encouraging).

The premiere took a deep dive back into the dark and twisted world of reality TV and I can’t see Rachel wearing anything as cute as Shiri Appleby’s Kayat floral mini with super poofy sleeves any time soon. Hot pink Stuart Weitzman sandals really set the whole look off.Scott SpeedmanWelcome back to TV Scott Speedman and to the promo train with Animal Kingdom (premieres Tuesday, June 14 on TNT). Okay so this suit is a little on the crinkled front, but I’m willing to forgive that for Ben Covington related reasons and it is very much keeping with the summer vibe.

Also here is Speedman on The Late Show being totally charming.

Happy Friday!

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