I sure hope Vogue staffers like to act...

It began with a few small cameos in "Sex and the City: The Movie" with Vogue staffers like Plum Sykes, Andre Leon Talley, and Lawren Howell sitting in on Carrie's phenomenal bridal shoot for Vogue, photographed by Patrick Demarchelier, of course. Then Hamish Bowles and ALT had tiny cameos in "Valentino: The Last Emperor," with Hamish serving as a consultant for the spectacular 45-year anniversary extravaganza ("Hamish. How do you do?") and ALT gushing over a lavish kimono designed just for him by Valentino himself . And then there was the documentary that put every staffer from the top of the masthead (Anna! Grace! ALT! Sally!) down to the bottom on the big screen. Of course, I'm referring to "The September Issue." And now two more Vogue staffers will be testing out their acting chops for the season premier of "Gossip Girl" this September.

Which Vogue staffers will be lighting up our television sets this fall? Why, Hamish Bowles (Vogue's resident actor-extraordinaire, apparently) and real-life Manhattan socialite Lauren Santo Domingo. They will be playing themselves as a tie-in to promote Anna's second annual fashion event, Fashion's Night Out. I haven't watched "Gossip Girl" since the end of the first season, but you can bet that I'll be tuning in for the chance to see Hamish on-screen once again. Something tells me that LSD will be a natural at acting. We shall see!

Retro Revival

The above photo is of my mother, grandmother, and grandfather. As soon as my mom showed me this picture, I knew that I wanted to share it on my blog. I love how their clothes are quintessentially seventies, but still "modern," a word that is so over-used today. I could picture myself wearing the print dress that my mom has on, maybe with tights and grommeted flats to give the dress a contemporary feel. The pants that my grandfather is wearing are a complete riot. I dare you to walk into any J.Crew store and not find a similar pair! And my grandmother, even though I have only met her three times, always exudes style, as she is in this photograph. In fact, I first learned about Chanel from her when I spotted her carrying a quilted bag at a family wedding. "What kind of bag is that?" I remember asking my mother. "That's a Chanel bag," she told me. I've been hooked on Chanel ever since.

What to do with that old wedding dress?

Vogue Fashion Writer, Esther Adams, solved the age-old dilemma for brides this week in the Vogue.com column "Five Days, Five Looks, One Girl." After spending a fortune on a dress one loves, wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to wear that dress again? It can be done, as Adams demonstrated.

For her civil ceremony in London (Working for Vogue and being married in London?! Lucky girl!), Adams wore a dress from Maison Martin Margiela. The white frock came to the knee and had a delicate embellishment down the center of the dress that I couldn't quite make out from the photo. Post-civil ceremony, she turned the white dress into the perfect day dress, pairing it with a black blazer from DKNY and those fabulous Swiss dot tights from Gerbe that I was obsessed with back in November. Ankle booties from Zara completed the look.

I love the contrast of a white dress with black tights, or black tights worn with white shoes. It always adds an interesting graphic element to any look. The fact that she created this elegant, yet practical look from a wedding dress proves that you can always breathe new life into old pieces, even if that item is a statement piece like a wedding dress.

Brides, take note!

(**photo by Veronica Gledhill is from vogue.com**)

W Abandons High-Fashion Roots Under New Editor

The masthead mayhem that has been sweeping the nation's magazines this summer has not excluded the very top of the chain. W has a new editor-in-chief, Stefano Tonchi, who has already made the executive call to take W away from its high fashion roots and lead it in the direction, much to its readers chagrin, of the more mainstream fashion publications.

This disappoints me for many reasons. W (along with V and international editions) used to be one of the rare magazines I could count on for truly high-fashion, avant-garde editorials and coverage. When the publication started putting celebrities on the cover, I merely overlooked the cover article and focused on the rest of the magazine. No problem. But now, Tonchi has said that he wants the magazine to be "more of a general-interest style magazine." Oh, so another In Style? Fan-tastic.

I fear that too much mainstream interest in fashion over the past five-six years has indelibly changed the industry. Fashion is no longer a niche interest for the truly obsessed, like it was when I was in high school and college (none of the girls on my freshman hall had ever seen an issue of W before, for instance). It now includes celebrity designers, reality television shows, and teenage-blogging sensations. This is definitely not the industry I fell in love with.

With W abandoning its ethos so quickly, I wonder if other magazines will as well. Harper's Bazaar has already pandered to mainstream interests by featuring the Twilight stars, the cast of Jersey Shore, and, of course, a column by Tavi. What would Alexey Brodovitch say? Would he even recognize Bazaar were he to see a present-day issue? Anna Wintour says that fashion is about looking forward, not at the past. Can fashion look forward without abandoning its past? W no longer seems to suggest so....

Gisele on a 2007 cover

A fashion and art-centric cover from 2006

A controversial cover and accompanying editorial from 2004

(** August 2010 cover photo provided by nymag.com, older W covers courtesy of W archives**)

Fashion in Full Bloom at Christian Dior Fall 2010 Couture

"I perhaps owe becoming a painter to flowers," Monet once remarked. The same might be said by John Galliano, who owed the beauty of his fall 2010 couture collection for Christian Dior to one of nature's most precious gifts: flowers.

Galliano, who researches all of his subjects with the painstaking detail of a PhD candidate, clearly spent hours studying the many variations, colors, shapes, and sizes of flowers in order to recreate them on the runway. I've never seen such a collection bursting with so many vibrant colors, textures, and details before. According to Style.com's Tim Blanks, "the fronding, the feathering, the rouching, the ruffling- all duplicated the extraordinary intricacies of flowers." Galliano left no detail undeveloped or untouched. Everything from the models' hair to their makeup was perfectly synchronized with the recreation of the flower. The collection was also cheerful; I couldn't help smile but while viewing the thirty-some looks. Saturated royal blues, fuchsia, and canary yellow lit the runway, creating a dazzling spectacle for the eyes. The backdrop of luscious orange flowers perfectly suited the mood of the clothing.

My favorite looks were the mismatched suits, dainty dresses, and floor-sweeping ball gowns that Galliano has always executed so well. They were wearable, yet imaginative and fantastical at the same time. Here are a few of my favorite looks:

Model-of-the-moment Karlie Kloss opened the show in a spectacular purple coat with Edwardian collar details. I love this coat.

For couture, I find this look remarkably wearable. Sans headpiece and bright lips, that is.

This is another look that I find wearable from head-to-toe.

What a stunning suit! Lengthen the skirt a bit and you have an ensemble that is a bona fide show-stopper.

This might just be the most perfect party dress ever created.

This ball gown is so outrageous that it strikes me as the sort of dress Marie Antoinette might have fancied.

And the stunning closing look, worn by one of my favorite models (and countrywoman!), Magdalena Frackowiak. I somehow picture this look on a Disney villain.

John Galliano created nothing short of perfection for Dior fall 2010 couture. I might never be able to look at a flower again without thinking of this stunning collection.

(** images from style.com**)

Samantha Brown to Take on Asia

Somewhere in her youth or childhood, Samantha Brown must have done something good. Something really, really, really good. She arguably has the best job on the planet, a job that has her on the road traveling to some of the most exciting destinations in the world, and- here's the best part- getting paid to do it.

I've been a fan of hers since one of her earliest television shows, "Great Hotels," was on the air. At that time, I was a high schooler with wanderlust and an unyielding desire to see the world. Her show, "Passport to Europe," would only fuel the fire more. I've watched her travel to places I've visited myself (Barcelona, Brussels, Bologna, Edinburgh) and have enjoyed seeing her perspective on places I plan to visit (Beijing, Machu Picchu, Buenos Aires). And now Samantha Brown will be taking us to Asia, visiting Halong Bay, Saigon, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Kyoto, and Bali. Does she have the greatest job on the planet, or what?!

"Samantha Brown's Asia" premiers Monday, July 12th at 8:00 p.m. on the Travel Channel. I can't wait!

(** photo courtesy of the Travel Channel at www.travelchannel.com**)

Masthead Mayhem

It seems that the top editors at magazines like Vogue, W, Glamour, and T are playing a game of musical chairs this summer. After Sally Singer's departure from Vogue was announced, rumors immediately began speculating as to who would replace her at Vogue and who would round out her new team at T Magazine. Back at Vogue, news spread that Associate Editor Eve MacSweeney and Senior Fashion Writer Mark Holgate will be moving on up to fill the role of Singer. I've long admired MacSweeney, so I'm excited to hear of her promotion (if it is indeed true).

I wasn't too concerned regarding what would be happening over at T Magazine, but then it was announced that the magazine's Fashion Director, Anna Christensen, resigned and that Singer might be taking staffers from Vogue with her to T. According to The Cut, Meredith Melling Burke, Vogue's long-time Senior Market Editor (she's had this position for at least ten years, according to my archives), and Tabitha Simmons, a contributing editor and stylist, are both in the running for this gig. Melling Burke has been so close to the top of the masthead for so long, that it seems more likely to me that she'd be interested in leaving Vogue to take on more responsibilities with Singer at T. From my speculation, it seems unlikely that Simmons would want to leave Vogue. Her husband photographs for the magazine and she receives mega publicity for her uber-expensive shoe line through Vogue. I'm guessing she'll stay put.

And, over at Glamour, longtime Fashion Director, Xanthipi Joannides, has departed, opening up that coveted position. I don't follow the masthead over at Glamour very closely (or at all), so I really can't make an educated guess as to who might fill her stilettos. The Cut reported speculations that Elle Style Director, Kate Lanphear, might be a contender. Again, I'm not too sure on this one.

What I do know, or firmly believe, is that all of this talent diversification is excellent both for readers and industry professionals. How exciting will it be if things change a little over at Vogue, or if T Magazine's readership grows? This masthead mayhem is great news for fashion, in my estimation. Stay tuned to hear how it all turns out!

(** image courtesy of the NYT at http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/themoment/posts/0818beauty.jpg)