Spring It Girl Campaigns: Karen Elson for St John, Karlie Kloss and Marion Cotillard for Dior, and Alexa Chung for Pepe Jeans

Photo courtesy of St John

Legendary ladies-who-lunch/power businesswoman brand St. John has decided to make a change in their advertising campaign. The reign of Angelina Jolie/Mario Testino is over and we now have the fabulous Karen Elson. The vibrant redhead looks to die for in the new ads for Spring/Summer 2010. In case you aren't aware of her other street cred, she's also married to rocker Jack White of The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and most recently The Dead Weather. Models and rock stars kind of go together like peanut butter and jelly, don't you think? I'm personally loving this campaign almost as much as I miss the old school ads with former exec Kelly Gray that ran forever. (AOL Stylelist)

Meanwhile, it looks like Dior is pulling out all the stops. The print campaigns feature It Model Karlie Kloss in a striking campaign that has the young model (she recently just got a driver's license, people) as a Lauren Bacall-esque stunner. You know how to whistle, don't you, Karlie? (WWD)




Adding to this stunning print campaign is Academy Award-winning actress Marion Cotillard as directed by David Lynch in a new music video campaign for Dior built around the legendary Lady Dior handbag. According to the good folks at WWD,  this second installment of Lady Dior campaign will feature Cotillard as a working woman who becomes a wanton lounge singer at night, as she'll emerge from behind a velvet curtain to sing "Lady Rouge," a song penned for the video by none other than Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand. Shot in NYC, the video will premiere on January 14th on ladydior.com but if you missed the first installment, "The Lady Dior Affair", directed by Olivier Dahan, please click above. It's genius, really. (WWD)

Last but not least before I head out for the day, It Girl and television personality Alexa Chung seems to be finding her footing just fine after the cancellation of her MTV show. The charming, waif-y Brit has landed an ad campaign with Pepe Jeans and looks edgy cool surrounded by adorable male models.(Graziadaily.co.uk)

Loving the S/S'10 campaigns so far!Who is your favorite It Girl of the moment? Let me know in the comments section.

Fashion Do-Over: The Bachelor 2010 Ladies Need New Evening Attire

I've skipped many seasons of ABC's The Bachelor so when I tuned in Monday night to see what I was missing, I was left with only one staggering question after all the desperation and mayhem from the premiere. It had nothing to do with the wimpy bachelor or even the woman who felt she should don a flight attendant costume. It was this:

Why did all of the women look like the Prom section of a major department store threw up on them? No, I mean, seriously...from the high hair to the shiny teeth to the flammable shiny gowns, it was like he was passing out corsages instead of single stem roses. I know they arrived in stretch limos but come ON.

Minus a couple of standouts that were PASSABLE (there was no dress in the lot where I would possibly co-sign on their style choice), may I make a plea that the long pageant gowns please go away? Yeah, see, that argument about looking demure and tasteful isn't going to hold water with me because, you know, you're on The Bachelor. If charm and privacy was what you were going after, you wouldn't be trying to snag a husband on national television. Just saying. But I digress. Let's kick it up a notch and show a little leg, here, shall we?Next time, may I make suggestions for the popular themes?

Red dresses are a fashion item no man can resist, it's true. Can we throw this smoking hot Laila Azhar One Shoulder Twist Dress (on sale for $190.50) into the mix, shall we? That should be like shooting fish in a barrel.

If it's a sequin you're craving, this sexy and shiny Vince Sequin Mesh Tank Dress ($375) should do the trick.

You're welcome, America.

Oh, one more thing, ladies. The makeup mirror has another setting called "Daylight." Use it next time. Television lighting is evidently brighter than you thought it would be.

New Year, New You: My Own Personal Fashion, Style and Beauty Resolutions

Over the holidays, I sent out the fabulous resolutions that my fellow fashion and beauty bloggers have made but I thought I would take it a little further and give you a sneak peek into what I'm challenging myself with this year. I wouldn't share this with just ANYBODY but, you know, what's a little shared love between true fashion, style and beauty addicts?

Get into a bikini by my birthday - Anyone who knows me knows about my now epic battle with the bulge. I'm now proudly down 62 lbs from my heaviest weight and I'm determined to take the remaining amount off by my birthday on June 9th. This means working out, eating right and picking out the hottest bathing suit I can find because I've promised to be photographed in said swimsuit. Oh yes, folks, nothing like the promise of flash photography against your semi-clothed body to keep you honest.

Only possess things I love and cherish - This doesn't mean that I don't love my clothes and shoes but I have been prone to impulse shopping in the past and after unloading a huge amount of apparel and shoes after I moved recently, I can say that I don't miss anything that I gave to charity. If you closet fills you with dread when you open it, it can permeate your soul. I got rid of anything that didn't fit or that I didn't love. It makes getting dressed a lot easier and I look forward to restocking it with things that fit who I am today rather than some image of who I used to be.

Curate my own personal Glam Squad - Every person in the world needs a Glam Squad and I don't care who you are. Every woman needs the following individuals on speed dial in your PDA/phone/Rolodex/home:
- Hair gurus that can handle all of your needs, from color to cut to processing to a glass of wine and a good bitching session when you've had THAT kind of day
- A nail technician that gives bullet-proof manicures and pedicures
- A brow genius that can create the perfect arch
- An aesthetician that gives facials where people at your reunion will ask if you've had work done and a waxer that doesn't make you cry
- A masseuse that can reverse all of the drama of 2009 (and that is a tall order, people)
- A trainer, yogi and/or fitness instructor that can help you get a body that you can respect and love even more than the one you have now
I'll be curating my glam squad throughout the year and posting the results on FSB.

Find the perfect pair of jeans - This changes for me on an almost annual basis but I'm on the hunt for the perfect pair this year.

Treat myself like a princess - That means I can take as many bubble baths, get as many spa treatments, take as many naps, go on as many vacations and have as much fun as I want this year without feeling guilty. I've learned it the hard way but it's true: if I'm not happy and cared for, everything else suffers. The sacrifices are worth it but let's all learn from Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree: eventually you will wind up just a stump. I'm trying a different approach this year by making a commitment to loving myself to death this year.

Pay attention to the way I look - This might sound hilarious from a fashion and beauty writer but I realized that sometimes I get dressed to get it over with, whatever it is. This means that I leave the house looking waaaay less than spectacular and that is inevitably the day when I meet someone really amazing (Isaac Mizrahi, for example) or some smoking hot guy is probably looking at me saying, "Huh. She could be cute with some makeup." No more. I'm not saying appearance is everything but making skincare, a little mascara and my hair (which is just an epic battle of its own) a priority means that if I do it more often, it won't be such an uphill battle when I have to do it at all. Make sense?


Get back in the dating scene - Yes, I'm back out there again and the hair, makeup and fashion decisions with stepping back out there go with it. I'll chronicle the results in photos and word right here.

So, these are my resolutions and goals for this year. What did you decide upon? Let me know in the comments section.

Winter Fashion Solution: Sorel Boots, 'Cause Baby It's Cold Outside

Cold enough for ya?

I have to admit that as a girl who grew up in the mountains, I'm not afraid of a little snow but throw in layers of black ice and snow drifts on the sidewalk and it can make navigating the urban jungle a little more complicated than I'd like. I've gone through two pair of boots in the past few years and have slipped in both so when a little box of heaven arrived from the good folks at Sorel recently for me to test, I was more than eager to give them a shot.

Ladies, I give you the perfect merger of warmth and function in these fabulous boots. Look, that's what really hurt the most, right? They need to look good AND be function and I'm happy to report that these boots deliver like Dominos. Stylish, warm and keep graceful (ha!) women like me from having to wear protective gear to the subway station. Let me extol the virtues of my new fabulous winter footwear:

• Tall cut (because snow drifts are rarely ankle length, people)
• The perfect sub-zero combination of waterproof leather, 100g Thinsulate™ Insulation and a soft Rock Pile fleece lining that keeps my pedicure (and, you know, my poor toes) from freezing
  
• An easy on and off zip closure that keeps people who are zipper challenged from getting upset enough to cut the boot off (again, not announcing my idiocy but I sometimes get stuck in things, especially when I'm angry because I'm cold and yes, I have cut a boot off my foot before...after a couple of margaritas and rather icy conditions)
• A removable molded footbed designed for maximum comfort and ....
• For those of us who are prone to slipping and falling (again, grace is not my strong suit), a traction-enhancing multi-directional rubber lug outsole with some serious grip

I've tested these babies in snow drifts and on sidewalks laden with ice and I can report that not only are they stylish but they kept me from my usual slip-and-fall winter routine. Warm boots with grip that are hot enough to take out to dinner? Sold.

My Sorel Hoonah boots (shown above) retail fro $150 but check out the online store for this style as well as many other styles and options. The boots for men are especially handsome and considering we're expecting a rather nasty winter with sub-zero temperatures and record snowfall to match, it's time to look at investing in a fashion-forward but functional footwear solution. I believe I've found my winter boots for 2010 in my fabulous Sorels.

FTC Full Disclosure: Sample received for review

Stylish Viewing: Watch Lady Gaga on Bravo's "Launch My Line"

I admit that I was a little slow to get on the Lady Gaga bandwagon but I believe I can now consider myself a fan, especially of the superstar's ingenious costumes and fashion sense. Well, for those of us who are fashion AND music obsessed, we can get our fix by tuning into Bravo's new fashion competition show, Launch My Line this Thursday, January 6th to watch Lady Gaga make her appearance. Honestly, I've been watching out of nothing but love for my boys Dean and Dan Caten, the geniuses behind one of my favorite labels, DSquared, but throwing Gaga in the mix as a challenge for the would-be designers is bound to make it A Very Special Episode, indeed.

So, my fashion and music lovers out there, set your DVRs for stunning to record (or just watch if you're home) Lady Gaga on Bravo's Launch My Line this coming Thursday, January 6th at 10e/9c pm. Let's all tune in to see who gets her fashion seal of approval and which pairing becomes the style equivalent of a bad romance.

Look of the Day: New Year Night Out featuring Gryphon

New Year Night Out by kristindiva featuring Gryphon

Items in this set:
L'Agence Loose-fit jersey tank top, $130
Gryphon Boyfriend Blazer, $364
Gryphon The Sequin Mini, $240
Nicholas Kirkwood Leather Peep Toe Shoe Boot with Snakeskin Detail, 605 GBP
Black Embellished Union Jack Clutch by Lulu Guinness, 275 GBP

I'm playing around with different looks for myself and it looks like my New Year style is evolving into what I'm calling "refined rocker chic." You'll see photos as this look develops (and all sorts of good things with it, I hope). I imagine this is something I'll be wearing to some events coming up later in the month.

Beauty Tips: Skincare Cures for Hangovers and Overindulgence

Ah...how YOU doin' today? Hmm, did you catch that monkey that's been playing drums in your brain this morning? Well, you've got all day to recover but there's no reason to look as badly as you feel, right? Here are some suggestions for what ails you today:

Swollen Face -  Usually caused by eating too much sodium (or you know, polishing off about four or five of my personal favorite, Top Shelf Margaritas with Rocks and Salt). Chips, dips, processed meats - all of this can leave you with a giant, puffy face and swollen hands. The solution? Go into your freezer and get a bag of frozen veggies like lima beans, peas, beans, etc. Wrap the bag in a towel and lay the cool compress on your face. You'll restrict the blood vessels and shrink your face back to normal.

Puffy Eyes - Sleep deprivation on the all-salt-all-the-time diet I just mentioned usually causes this. If you have eye pads like my personal favorite, Koh Gen Do Macro Vintage Stretch Eye Sheets ($53 for 12 sets of two), this would be the time to use them. Otherwise, here's a little trick that will help: cold tea bags. Make some tea with two tea bags. After the tea has steeped, cool the tea bags and then place them under your eyes. They'll get rid of the puffiness.

Extremely Dry Skin - Alcohol gives you Sahara Desert-dry skin and running into and out of heated rooms doesn't make the situation any better. Today is the day for a serious moisturizing masque. I keep Juara Avocado Banana Moisture Mask ($37) in my fridge for just such occasions as these. Just apply and listen to tv (or the jackhammering in your brain) and then wipe off with a wet washcloth in 15 minutes. Need to run errands or leave the house today. Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque ($36) is an excellent solution since its clear solutions will just naturally soak in. Apply and step outside.

Body Aches and Pains - Dancing on table tops, strutting in painfully high heels and keg stands can leave you painfully sore the next day. Make it an easy solution, my friend: Epsom salts in a warm bath help draw out impurities. I stocked up on the Lush Jingle Spells Bath Bomb ($5.95), which is made with juniper berries and fennel oils to help you overcome the sensitivity to noise and light the morning after. If you're a party girl like me, I suggest you keep these in a huge container in your bathroom.

Acne - Fell asleep in your makeup again, did you? If you have lavender oil around, pour some into a bowl of steaming hot water and then throw a towel over your head. Lavender has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties to cleanse and calm your skin, and it will keep you from wanting to kill your boyfriend for blasting football all afternoon while you recover from too much champagne. If Mount Vesuvius still looks like it will erupt on your chin, Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Treatment Cream ($10) will help calm things down.

The rest of it is up to you. Advil, copious amounts of water and rest are really the best ways to get back into the swing of things. Now for those of you who woke up this morning next to someone you don't know? Yeah, can't really help you with that one. :)