Gai Mattiolo Arrested

Hey ANTM fans– remember the Season 10 episode where Whitney , Anya, Lauren, and Fatema met with Italian fashion designer, Gai Mattiolo and Anya won the challenge? Of course not.

But, if you do, you might be interested to know that Gai Mattiolo was arrested today for alleged bankruptcy fraud, says the Associated Press.

ROME – The Italian financial police say they have arrested fashion designer Gai Mattiolo on a charge of fraudulent bankruptcy.

Officer Stefano Catorci says Mattiolo was placed under house arrest in Rome early Friday for allegedly siphoning funds from his fashion house before declaring bankruptcy.

Catorci says another suspect was also arrested on the same charges. He did not give further details because the investigation was continuing. The Rome-based fashion house Gai Mattiolo declined comment.

Mattiolo was seen as a rising star of Italian fashion in the 1990s, when his sexy, over-the-top style, laden with gold and precious beading, wowed the upscale ladies from his native Rome. His fame soon spread to the Milan and Paris runways.

Looks like maybe ANTM is where designers go to have their collections, and, careers die. Let’s hope this isn’t a trend.

Another sign of the (New York) Times

American auto makers aren’t the only one’s being slammed by the economy. The luxury market is feeling the pain of the recession too– big time. In the New York Times today was yet another article detailing deep discounts at luxury stores like Bergdorf’s and Sak’s. 

The article prompts fashionistas to think critically about their purchases– and, the cost of fashion.

What seems inevitable is that the pain will worsen as the price reductions provoke questions among consumers of how stratospheric profits must have been when the economy was riding high. How great, really, was the surcharge to consumers for participating in fashion fantasy?

Sure, anyone who’s willing to shell out $1,200 for a Marc Jacobs handbag knows that they’re paying for the name and bragging rights, but the New York Times has a valid point: how much is too much? Believe me, I’m the last person to say the recession is good for the economy– in the next week, I’m likely to become a statistic myself as I’ll probably be laid off from my job, but perhaps the recession is good for sanity. 

As much as it pains me to say it (mostly because I’ve had my eye on the Marc Jacob’s Blake bag and a Hermes Birkin bag for god knows how long), but maybe we don’t all need couture handbags and accessories. 

Ha, who am I kidding. We never needed them. We all just wanted them. The recession will just keep our wants in check, ensuring they remain dreams and fantasies instead of expensive realities. 

In the meantime, if you happen to have endless pockets, be sure to hit up some of your local luxury stores– there are some pretty excellent sales going on, and from the looks of it, now is the time to grab that pair of Louboutin’s before you really can’t afford them.

Models, Stylists, catch-up, oh-my!

So it’s been a while since I’ve posted here, and I apologize. Life has been a trifle bit hectic and I just realized I never even posted about the season finale of America’s Next Top Model. So, let’s dive right in.

ANTM: Sigh, big surprise, it came down to McKey and someone else. Even bigger surprise? McKey won. (Can you sense the sarcasm?) Yes, I get that she has a unique look, and yes, I get that she’s the only one who has been fairly consistent throughout the show, but I can’t help but want someone else to win. Anyone else to win. Ok, maybe not anyone else– but you get the idea.

I think the part of the show that really irked me was the fact that at the end, they threw in the fact that she’s been modeling for years. I suppose it’s my own naivety to think that all of these girls are relative rookies and have little to no formal training as models (I prefer to think of all “reality TV” contestants as “raw” as opposed to what they really are– pseudo-actors), but I felt especially duped to find out about McKey’s training in the final moments of the FINAL episode of the season. Way to try to sway your audience, ANTM.

As far as I’m concerned, unless next season’s models are complete and utter trainwrecks, or Janice Dickinson comes back, ANTM won’t have a place in my TiVo. Farewell, Tyra. Your insane antics were fun… sorta.

Stylista: I caught another episode of Stylista this past week and can’t help but cheer for Danielle, the girl who got the boot. For those of you vaguely familiar with the show, she was the “visual merchandiser” who brought up her weight all throughout the episode, “It’s All About Who You Know.” I’m all for rockin’ what you’ve got, but IMO, Danielle’s “freak out” when she was forced to pick something from the Elle closet to wear to the party was completely self-inflicted. If you’re unhappy with how you look, or feel uncomfortable, or other people are making you feel uncomfortable, go with the easy alternative– handbags and shoes. Grab and go, and get on with your life. Besides, who doesn’t love a great pair of shoes?

Weight issues and unnecessary drama aside, if I was Anne, I don’t think I’d hire any of these kids. Well, maybe Johanna. None of them seem to know their way around a layout, let alone a fashion house and it just seems like a death wish. Honestly, when I was in junior high in journalism/yearbook I could pull together a better looking page layout than what these kids are doing, and they supposedly have an “eye for design.”

Give me a break. Stylista just seems like yet another television scam adept at mocking fashion and publishing. Maybe one day someone will come up with a show that actually features smart people who know their shit. Oh wait, that wouldn’t be any fun to watch, and, would be called the real world. Sigh.

Demarchelier/ Glamour Magazine

Britney Spears: Britney Spears has returned. I’m not going to pretend that I don’t adore her, but yay! I’m so happy that Britney at least looks healthy, though in MTV’s recent Brit documentary I couldn’t help but think that there was a special kind of sadness tucked away behind her eyes.

Britney’s team has been on a mad don’t-call-it-a-comeback media-blitz– hitting European media outlets, news magazines, Rolling Stone, and today on her 27th birthday, Britney performed on Good Morning America.

If you didn’t see her “Circus” acts on Good Morning America this morning she’s looking much better, but I hope the high-waisted hot-pants that she’s wearing as a part of her ringleader gettup doesn’t become a trend. Katy Perry already tried, and so did Madonna and thankfully neither of their influences have stretched further than the “costume” category, but Britney tends to have (or had) mass appeal… let’s hope fans opt for the super chic look of Brit Brit on this month’s Glamour instead of the three ring approach.

Obama Wins– Michelle’s Dress Loses

What a historic night. Obama wins the election and for the first time in a long while, things seem a little bit brighter. Maybe it’s because of the politics, or maybe, it’s because of the lime-y chartreuse outfit Jill Biden wore.

No matter what you think, it’s hard to not agree that in the world of fashion, both Jill and Michelle took risks last night with their outfits. Let’s start with Michelle’s dress, which clearly just had too much going on. The dress itself was designed by Narciso Rodriguez, who typically makes women look gorgeous. Last night? Not so much. The mix between the super shiny satin and silk created an interesting contrast in lustre on the dress, which would have been great, if it wasn’t also joined by what looked like a huge, red paint splatter across her midsection.

The red might have been fine had it stopped at the empire waist and not continued downward. It’s the speckled mess towards Michelle’s knees that just screams “no!” Whoever did dress Michelle, Barack, and the kids was definitely going for a “cohesive” approach, as the four coordinated well in red and black. Too bad the stylist didn’t pick something better for the future first lady.

Moving onto Jill, her ensemble was fine, but bold. Together, Michelle and Jill reminded me vaguely of rotten ketchup and mustard, prancing out on a stage. Perhaps they both should have gone for a more subdued look that caused them to compliment rather than contrast.

Across the aisle, Sarah Palin and Cindy McCain were a different story. Sarah looked fantastic in a silk blend sash-tie suit in a royal blue, and Cindy in a gold suit that complimented her hair. However, I have a feeling that up close and personal, the gold clashed a bit with her fair skin tone, but regardless, from afar, she photographed well in it.

No matter what your political preference is, it’s easy to see that the next four years will bring plenty to talk about– whether it’s about the policy itself, or about the fashion, there’s bound to be a discussion brewing.

Update: here’s Narciso Rodriguez’s runway version of Michelle Obama’s dress. The dress, which works on the pencil thin model, looks drastically different on the curvy and natural Michelle Obama. Additionally, in the runway version, the red splatter starts higher up on the torso, and ends at the hip, instead of the midpoint of the thigh, creating a more defined, pencil shaped figure.

Want to see what other people are saying? Check out some of the comments on Yahoo!’s OMG!

Tim Gunn: Political Fashion Critique

My friend Mitra pointed me to this great interview with Claiborne/Bravo’s Tim Gunn (as if he really needed in an intro), found on Newsweek.com

In the interview, Tim critiques politcal fashion, highlighting Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton (Chelsea too), Cindy McCain, the Obamas, and more.

My favorite part of the critique? When Gunn critiques Cindy McCain’s buttoned-up look as sort of “S&M kind of look to her clothing.”

What are you waiting for? Go have a listen!

Fashionable TV

I  know, I know. Another blog about fashion and TV. What else can be said? 

Trust me. There’s lots. Let’s get started.

I’m Melissa, I love fashion, clothes, and everything in between. I’m a shopping addict and “reality TV” obsessed, so why not combine my true loves.