Fashionably San Diego

Vogue Features San Diego County with Blake Lively

Some month’s ago, Vogue Magazine set up shop in San Diego to shoot Blake Lively with Cardiff local and surf icon Rob Machado for this month's cover of Vogue. Vogue, arguably the bible for fashion lovers everywhere, had it’s favorite photographer, Mario Testino, shooting a starlet in San Diego. San Diego’s backdrop is on the June cover of Vogue. A San Diego local is in the fashionable pages of Vogue. 

Just wanted to make sure you understood.

Nothing satisfies this fashion forward personal stylist more than knowing Vogue Magazine chose San Diego for a cover shoot. A milestone in the San Diego Fashion Argument.

The Vogue team visited for three days hitting a few different spots including La Jolla, Cardiff State Beach, and San Onofre State Beach where writer Hamish Bowles and Blake Lively were taught how to surf by Machdo and friends. “My goal was to keep her hair dry!” Machado joked. “I failed, but she never actually fell. We rode every wave to the end.”

As you might have guessed from the beach location and active surfing, Lively was styled in mostly beach wear, which unfortunately, wasn’t all that exciting. I was hoping for a less obvious and more forward idea displayed across San Diego’s scenery. But, I did enjoy the fun Hervé Léer by Maz Azria bandage slip dress and an elegantly skanky Versace dress.

As I flipped through the rest of Vogue’s pages it occurred to me why Vogue went with that chic simplicity for Lively's shoot. Vogue is leaving their days of extravagant, unrealistic fashions on leaping models. There was not one model in mid jump in the entire issue - something Vogue’s fashion spreads were notorious for. It seems the recession and the readers has forced Vogue back to earth - bringing their feet firmly to the ground. Time for some realism.

Ergo, one of the pages has Livley in a simple Michael Kors Tee and fresh looking bikini bottoms with two inches of clear plastic on each hip. Beneath this photo reads, “Plenty of skin is inevitably on show - but ocean days also require a measure of practical thinking. A Tee keeps the sun off her back.”

Practicality brought Vogue to San Diego’s beaches, but keep in mind when you get ready for your day tomorrow: practical and comfortable can still be fashion forward and opulent.

 

Spa Week San Diego

The 12th edition of Spa Week takes place April 12-18 to deliver the benefits of the spa at an affordable price. Nationwide, more than 800 spas across 30 markets will offer $50 spa treatments with the goal of bringing the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to a greater population. Here in San Diego, approximately three-dozen local spas will participate, including Blue Marble Spa at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay, Cinnabar Acupuncture Clinic & Spa, Morgan Run Spa and Sport Retreat, Rock Spa at the Hard Rock Hotel, Sè Spa, Sea Spa at Loews Coronado Bay Resort, Spa Aquazul, The Spa at La Costa, Spa Gregorie’s in Del Mar, The Catamaran Spa, The Spa at Estancia, and many more. In addition to offering traditionally beneficial stress-busting and immune-boosting spa treatments like massage, Spa Week also brings intensive, clinical therapies to consumers at the same $50 price point.

San Diego Style at the San Diego History Center

 

I have been a naughty fashionista. It took me until today to finally see the San Diego Style exhibit at the (newly named) San Diego History Center. Having opened in early October of 2009, I can only claim insanity for having waited to view these gorgeous gowns.

Brought to you in honor of the 20th anniversary of its Costume Council, every garment in this room has been worn by a San Diegan and sometimes designed by San Diegans. With the oldest item in the exhibit being a maroon wedding gown made in 1876 and the newest a red Catherine Regehr gown worn to Barack Obama's inauguration ball in 2009, I was so pleased with the long time line of the collection.

To give you a sneak peak I will let you in on my favorites of the room, starting with SD resident Ann Jones. Ann is my vote for the lender with the best taste. Living in La Jolla since 1967, Ann has lent to this exhibit a stunning 1970 Pauline Trigere dress, a 1982 Geoffrey Beene day look and a 1986 Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel suit. I find it interesting that each item shares the same color story and yet have vastly different construction and shape.

 

My next favorite is from 1988. Shocking since I am no fan of that decade, but I suppose I can make an exception for Valentino. Worn by Jeanne Lawrence, the Vice Chairman of the Hotel Del Coronado from the 1970's-1990's, this Valentino dress is made of silk velvet, satin, glass beads and sequins.

Other favorites of mine is the 1957 party dress by Traina Norell worn by Carolyn Kaess and the Helen Barbieri gown worn by Lynn Spicer who wore the dress for a San Diego Magazine Shoot in the 60's. But I must end with my 1920's favorite that was found in a San Diego thrift store in the 1950's and worn by Patricia Wyatt who lived in Point Loma her entire life and was inducted into the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007.

Fashionably San Diego Teams With Bloomingdale's

For the first time in San Diego a major department store teams with a blog to bring you a Spring 2010 fashion show. Be there for this cutting edge event as Bloomingdale's let's a blogger choose the trends.

Alexander McQueen's Spring 2010 Collection & Passing

It took me a few days to write about this. Hearing of Alexander McQueen's death was very upsetting. I am not going to pretend I was well versed in his life prior to his death, but there were so many designs he created that I loved. His fashions touched me and make me mourn his departure more so than simply the sadness that comes when someone takes their own life.

Born on March 17, 1969 in London, Alexander honed his sharp eye and tailoring skills at Saville Row before becoming the "bad boy of British fashion" he is today. His designs throughout the years have involved drapery, brilliant construction, asymmetry, lace, a thousand other design tools, and above all, imagination. I often didn't like the clothing he made, but I always found something interesting in the look.

Then there was the clothing I did like; the most recent of which featured on V-Style was worn by Sandra Bullock at the SAG Awards. Bullock's dress is just one jewel in a trove of various precious gems. His taste, ideas and designs are wonderfully varied from elegant to edgy and often combined both aesthetics. His current spring line soon to be available if not already, is an incredible example of his mind's eye. The patterns are stunning and the shapes are fantastical. McQueen was "casting an apocalyptic forecast of the future ecological meltdown of the world: Humankind is made up of creatures that evolved from the sea, and we may be heading back to an underwater future as the ice cap dissolves."

Perhaps it was a forecast of his own future meltdown, but it is genius fabulosity. The creativity and construction of each and every item and pattern truly wows me. I need the blue toned dress pictured above.

Alexander McQueen died on February 11, 2010.

Music Video Casting Call Party At Moondoggies

The W Hotel Hires A Stylist

In 2005 the W Hotel in San Diego was the place to be on a Saturday night (if you didn’t mind paying New York prices for drinks and waiting in two lines to enjoy it – well, three lines if you include waiting for a drink.) For some time now, this place has become tired. Unless a special event is happening, no interesting San Diegan passes through these doors. Gone are the days of lines, but perhaps there will be again…

W Hotels, with 36 properties including SD, will announce next week (on opening day of New York fashion week) that they are bringing in a fashion director. Most likely a first in the hotel biz, stylist Amanda Ross will become a consultant for the chain. Her duties will entail working with designers on staff uniforms and special collections sold within the store as well as assisting with the look of the rooms and common areas.

With her style skills, fashion hook-ups and Hollywood connections, I am interested to see the changes she will be bringing to San Diego’s W.

Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue Lacks Diversity

For those of you that think diversity is an old old wooden ship you would be wrong. Diversity is about mixing it up. Having some variety. A change of pace. Get it? I don’t think Vanity Fair does.

The March cover of said publication is all about the promising actresses of new Hollywood… which turns out to be a slew of “skinny white girls.” Hmmm. I am reminded of a time I walked into a house party in Pacific Beach and I realized that all attendees was a blond Caucasian. I’ve never been a fan of walking into a room with only one kind of person in it.

A blog written by Joanna Douglas points out that there are numerous actresses of other weights and races that could have graced this cover including “Precious” star Gabourey Sidibe and Zoe Saldana of "Avatar" and "Star Trek. Let’s hope that Vanity Fair’s cover is only a small detour from all modern efforts towards more diverse magazines, movies, fashions and parties.