"At 88, having worked with Richard Avedon, Diana Vreeland, Carmel Snow and Helmut Newton, what's on your bucket list now, Polly Mellen?"

"Christmas" 

- Fern Mallis gets Ms. Mellen's insight (and loud laughter) at the 92Y last nite 

Gettin' It: Eugene McGuinness 'Shotgun'

Moving in to a new home with a partner that shares my vintage aesthetic has me in a romantic, mid-century mood. Fresh air strolls in from windows left open and stirs up the sounds of Aretha and Frank filling the rooms.

I lounge on my hardwood floors, imagining Alexey Bodovitch, tie slightly undone, and Carmel Snow in her grey skirt suit pressed on the Hearst office floors debating the arrangement of the pages of the latest Bazaar while cooly nursing mid-day martinis.

Eugene McGuinness is sharing my daydreams right now with the Moffitt motif video for his song, "Shotgun"




Man, I want that arm chair in the opening shot.

Harper's Bazaar Wants to Party Like it's 1999

Cuz their much touted "re-design" resulted in not so fresh looking images like this subscriber only cover featuring 90's golden girl, Gwyneth (How fresh! how NOW!)

Doin' her best Toni Braxton at The Grammy's 

(Ok, it was 2001. So sue me.)

Ugh, Harper's ANOTHER missed opportunity! When will Hearst put real change into a once storied fashion publication. Diana, Polly, Carmel, Alexey, Liz, Kate.. they all made valuable contributions to make the magazine VOGUE's rightful rival.

This is no way to compete. Ugh.

Dior Does Dovima

What does a house with a revered fashion reputation do after its new head designer's debut "Melancholy Mimes from Mars" couture collection was ripped to shreds? 

Revert to what you know works, and for Dior and Bill Gaytten, that fool proof course is "The New Look"

The nipped waist and dramatic skirt flourish shocked Carmel Snow (who famously coined the style's fashion forward moniker) post World War II and this level of sophistication is even more startling now when juxtaposed against so much bunk!

Personally each of these black and white wonders gives me visions of the one and only supermodel den mother and Avedon muse, Dovima

This retro refinement speaks to the well heeled and celebutante alike (that first dress should be top pick for Rooney Mara's Oscar look. You heard it hear first!) and the critics are already applauding. Go ahead Gaytten! Just furthering the mumblings that there's no need to rush replacing Galliano.

It Can't All Be DIOR... Still

In the wake of Galliano-Gate, people keep asking me if I'm going to change the name of my blog ("I guess it can't all be Chanel, now, huh?") but like Tammy Wynette I'm gonna stand by my man.

Monsieur Dior, that is

Afterall, the house is named for the great couturier who changed fashion and emphasized shape and an hourglass silhouette

Dior was interested in the beauty and femininity of women creating "flower women" with his radical use of yards of rich, decadent fabric and sharp, wasp waists, both were in stark contrast to the austere ideas of the time and shocked people at first

Legendary eye for design talent, Carmel Snow was an early champion of the "New Look", a term she coined and used to promote his designs to Harper's Bazaar readers

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So while John Galliano's words may have been Pure Poison, and I may be in a Dune all my own, J'adore Dior and am still an Addict for that Dior-essence. Forever and Ever.

Harper's Bazaar Needs a New Year's Makeover

It's no secret that magazines and fashion haven't exactly been having a stellar time lately, but Harper's Bazaar seems to have had yet another particularly rough year.

At a time when they should be publishing flashy, attention grabbers, these are some of Bazaar's offerings in the last 12 months

Dismal

 And then 2010 ended with this

Fun to sparkle it up with Swarovski Crystals (the fashion instant picker upper) but the audacity of Bazaar copying an old VOGUE cover. Can't you just hear poor old Carmel Snow spinning?

("I am not amused")

And now 2011 doesn't seem to be starting off very well with this white on white cover

*****Now just let me preface this with I very much like the choice of Julianna Margulies*****

Having had the pleasure of working with her in real life I can vouch for Ms. Margulies being a very sweet, classy and smart woman (plus this spares us yet another month of Kate Hudson's bankable blankness)

It's a major strike against Bazaar that they don't showcase Julianna's strong, toned physique and striking beauty and comfort in her own skin in some formidable way. The whole thing is dull, uninspired and a waste of a different cover subject. 

So now, with a new year ahead of us, I have to put into words what we're all thinking

Bazaar: you've gotten soft. You're resting on your former glories and aren't living up to your star potential. You're out of touch and flabby and need to shed some dead weight. I suggest you resolve in the new year a complete make over, but not just visually. Yes, no one would argue that your house is in need of a fresh new coat of paint, but inside is where you're really hurting. If you don't work on you from within, you'll never reclaim and improve yourself. 

with much love and best wishes for 2011,

It Can't All Be Dior

Read You Like A Book

Today's Read Across America Day. What's on your night stand?

Currently reading "A Dash of Daring" a biography on Harper's Bazaar editor in chief Carmel Snow. Debating re-reading "A Brave New World" after that.