End of the Road: Annette Funicello

Oh Annette Funicello, I loved you, if for no other reason than you sang a catchy ass song about how tough it is to be a workin' man



 


Rest in peace! 

End of the Road: The One and Only Anna Piaggi

"The world's last great authority on frocks"

-Manolo Blahnik shares his love for Anna Piaggi's wild mix and match sense of fashion

Italian fashion editor, stylist and lover of tiny hats, Anna Piaggi, has died at the age of 81.


One of the great lovers of clothes and eccentrics with her own unique style, this is a sad loss for individualism and true style


                             

Baby Girl, is that You?

In 2002 the world lost the crystal lilt of Aaliyah. A few unreleased tracks accompanied a bitter sweet greatest hits collection the following year, but the world was left to wonder what could have been.

Now Drake has promised to release a whole album of previously unheard tracks he personally produced, but once again is it what's best for everyone involved? Would Aaliyah want people to hear these imperfect pieces and is this ultimately just drawing out the sense of loss of what could have come?



             

End of the Road : Donna Summer

I once had this job where we had an i-pod filled with old queen goes out on the town jams that was on perma shuffle. One of the many faggy faves that looped around was this like 20 minute mega mix of Donna Summer's "Cake in the Rain" nonsense.

In honor of her passing, here's said "McArthur Park", karaoke style


                   

Oh No! Barnabas Collins Bites the Dust!

A personal hero of mine (and one of the best lookin' men in a double breasted suit, might I add) Jonathan Frid, aka Barnabas Collins has died!


The 87 year old actor passed away on Friday the 13th, natch, yet his family just released the news

On the eve of the Tim Burton big movie adaption, Mr Frid's work as the daytime vampire with a conscious was bound to get new fans and recognition. It's a shame he won't be able to witness the new found fandom but we at It Can't All Be Dior tip our baying dog head canes to you fine sir!

        

End of the Road: Stefano Pilati at YSL

Good bye cutie

 I loved your reign at one of the most difficult houses to find an heir and found your magnetism palpable 

Plus I still want that damn sweatshirt!

End of the Road: Davy Jones

Davy Jones death, look what you've done to me. Me and my whole world :(


               

End of the Road: Whitney

                                   


Rest in peace, troubled lady.

The End of the Road: Filene's Basement

When I first moved to New York City I was a broke little fashion editor. I had dreams of fancy fashions but nightmares of rent, laundry money and subway fare.

On a "market appointment" one lazy Summer work day I snuck into the Filene's Basement in Union Square to pinch some free a/c. Upstairs I stumbled across the most amazing Moschino pants with lobsters dancing up and down the legs. You know, the typical Moschino whimsy

(Looked a little something like this pair on Ebay right now)

Anywho, I reminisce as the news has hit that Filene's has filed bankruptcy unable to compete with the proliferation of flash sale sites, resale shops and fast fashion.

Now where will boys on budgets find tacky fashions they'll treasure?

Well, for a Summer at least.

Here's to my favorite basement memory!


                                    

End of the Road: Friendly's!

Umm... a piece of my youth just went to its greasy grave....

(From "The Constant Complainer" blog. No I don't write that.)

My most recent visit to the ice cream and burger joint offered up more options than just my usual grilled cheese since you could now make any sloppy sandwich vegetarian with a Boca. Yup, folks, that's a last dying gasp if I've ever heard one.

-sigh- It's off to the complimentary cone head sundae cemetery in the sky. One day I hope to meet ya' there!



                                           

End of the Road: D+G

Wowza, way to drop a bomb right in the middle of Milan Fashion Week! And after some pretty great showings!


Well it was good knowing ya', D+G. I don't know what those kids on Jersey Shore (or outside my door) are gonna do without your rhinestone t-shirts and sunglasses.

Urban Outfitters Getting a Taste of Karma

According to Womens Wear Daily, profits are down over 20% for Urban Outfitters and I can't say I'm sorry.

What with its designer rip offs overpriced acrylic blend garb "inspired" by the local Goodwill, barely secretive funding of anti-gay organizations and questionable morality I say "you reap what you sow, cheri!"

Nobody wants to support your big business Republican hate machine pretending to be "hip" no more.

Bon chance!

Say It Ain't So

"RuPaul on Drag: 'If I never did it again I'm fine with that'"

-From The New York Times "At Lunch with RuPaul"

This isn't all that surprising as Ru has increasingly shown up in full male look

(RuPaul on The Wendy Williams Show)

But still one can't help but feel an era comes to an end with this declaration. Hopefully one of his "Drag Race" ladies will be ready to carry the torch. 

The End of the Road: Amy Winehouse

This weekend, while visiting my family in Maryland, the sad news came out that Amy Winehouse was found dead at 27. Talented but troubled, it's a sad but unfortunately not surprising loss. Amy helped usher in a 60's retro sound trend followed by Duffy, Adele and many others. Her "Back to Black" was the album of 2007 due to the cultural need for fresh music featuring a real singer.

After winning five Grammy's and topping multiple top 10 lists, the pressure was on to follow up with an equally smashing record. We will never see that fulfilled (although you know demos and unfinished tracks will be leaked) and that is a loss for lovers of music indeed.

We'll miss you, Amy.

End of the Road: Oprah's Last Stand

Oh my Oprah! That crazy old guy got the wrong date: the end of the world wasn't Saturday but TODAY. For today, Oprah signs off into the sunset.

I will be on an airplane bound for Iberia, but have no fear I'll feel it. The moment when the world as we know it tremors into a new world order and 4pm sick days will feel hopeless and barren.


We'll miss you Ops.


I think the video below sums it up with the first lyric: "Grow and go, O"






Love,

It Can't All Be dior

lt's All About the Lighting

It's almost like a Francois Orzon movie, isn't it? Tragic.

The End of the Road: Pop Tarts World

Oh no! I missed my chance to go to Pop Tarts World, the insane and insanely brilliant Pop Tarts restaurant. It officially closed up shop after a successful run that started in August 2010.



Dang! Mr Taurus and I never had our romantic date over Pop Tarts sushi

I must inform him quickly. He will be devastated!

For now, I hold onto the faith that Kellogg's is always looking for new adventures with the tarts and something even better will come to light in 2011. Maybe they'll make the pumpkin pie flavor a year round official part of the troupe!

The End of the Road: Kesner

(was this October window foreshadowing for packing it all up?)

After two years of providing dapper little guys with Kris Van Assche dress shirts, Trovata pants and Alexander Olch ties, men's designer boutique Kesner has closed up its West Village shop.

While the price points kept me at bay most of the year, I loved scavenging the end of season basement sales where I found little winners just ready to sing in my wardrobe.



I will miss you, Kesner, but for now I leave you with this send off

Erin O'Connor Makes a Paris Cameo for Gaultier

Swan necked English rose, Erin O'Connor, returned to the Paris runways this week for her pal, Jean Paul Gaultier's Hermes swan song

Looking unaffectedly refined (in that particularly cold way British women with money mature), Erin represents a perfect mix of hard and punky with a sleek heritage which, coincidentally, was also Gaultier's design mix while at the helm of Hermes

("I may be fabulously wealthy, but I like it a little dirty," she purred)

I'll miss JPG's Hermes tenure but was glad for one last hurrah!

(cutie)

The End of the Road: V Train

My former boss, Miss NW and I,  when we used to run market appointments together, always referred to the V line of the New York City metro as "the luxury line" cuz no one was ever on it.

Turns out: No One was ever on it and the MTA has nixed the V train.

Sadness. Another friend moves on.