You Should Be Watching...


BBC America's Ashes to Ashes, starring Keeley Hawes and Philip Glenister. It's a sequel of sorts to BBC's original Life on Mars (not to be confused with inferior American/U.S. version). Life on Mars chronicled the curious adventures of a contemporary cop who's hit by car and is suddenly transported, once he wakes up, in the location where his accident was, but in the 1960. It's there where Sam meets the take-no-prisoners, gristly, old-school Gene Hunt (Glenister). In Ashes to Ashes, Hawes plays police psychologist /detective inspector Alex Drake, who had treated Sam and was familiar with what she assumed was his "fantasy" of Hunt and his staff. When Alex is suddenly shot in the face, she awakes to London, July 1981 and encounters the "characters" of Sam's stories. She's convinced her injured mind has somehow transported her there and often makes references to her fellow officers as "figments of her imagination."

This show is witty and smart and there is genuine chemistry between the stars, and it's just as enjoyable as Life in Mars, but wholly fresh. Check it out. Saturday nights, BBC America

Platinum Love
Television host Ellen DeGeneres, looks on, as her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, speaks after accepting an award at the 23rd Annual Genesis Awards presented by The Humane Society in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Saturday, March 28, 2009. De Rossi wore platinum earrings by Neil Lane. The earrings featured a black diamond surrounded by white diamonds. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg)

Isla Fisher's Fancy Pants

Designers Yves and Cedric Benaroch introduce Country Love, a new casual-wear line gaining popularity in Hollywood. (And, like us, you may have mistakenly read that as “Courtney” Love. We suggest you don’t confuse the two.)

Isla Fisher wears her Country Love pants ($99) while out with her daughter, Olive (dad is actor Sasha Cohen). Fisher told reps she loves the line and thinks it is “so cool!”

Other celebrity fans include: Privileged stars Joanna Garcia and Robert Buckley, Vanessa Hudgens, Jessica Alba, Blake Lively, Hilary Duff, Whitney Port, Miley Cyrus, Halle Berry, Jessica Simpson

Iggy Pop Gets Literate En France

Iggy Pop, the Godfather of Punk, takes on the language of romance and gets “dangerously near jazz” on his new album, Préliminaires, to be released in the U.S. on EMI Music’s Astralwerks label on June 2. Produced by Hal Cragin, Préliminaires, which means “foreplay” in French, is score music inspired by Michel Houellebecq’s 2005 novel The Possibility of an Island.

Iggy will present the new project during an online interactive press conference hosted at www.iggypoppreliminaires.com, which will take place live from Paris, France today, Thursday March 26, 2009 at 11:00am CET (6:00am EDT/3:00 a.m. PST). He will speak about his inspirations, the link to French culture, and controversial author Houellebecq. Those subscribing to the webcast will also have the opportunity to ask questions and hear tracks from the album.



The book “is about death, sex, the end of the human race, and some other pretty funny stuff,” says Iggy in a video statement explaining his motivations. “I read the book with intense pleasure when it came out and, in my mind, I created music that would have been the music that I would hear in my soul when I read it.”



Later on Iggy was approached to write several songs for a film documentary about Houellebecq’s life and his attempt to direct a film of his own book. “The project grew and grew and I found the emotions from my reading transforming themselves into music,” Iggy explains. “I wrote less and less for the movie and started writing an alternative score to the novel.”



On Préliminaires, which eventually took on a life of its own beyond the film project, Iggy sings the standard “Les Feuilles Mortes (Autumn Leaves),” originally covered by the likes of Yves Montand and Edith Piaf, while the New Orleans-influenced “King of the Dogs”—with a jazz arrangement featuring trumpet, trombone and clarinet—tells the story of a dog named Fox who explains “how cool it is to be a dog, and how much it beats human life.” There’s also a version of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s bossa nova standard “How Insensitive (Insensatez).”



“At one point, I just got sick of listening to idiot thugs with guitars banging out crappy music. I’ve started listening to a lot of New Orleans-era, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton type of jazz. And I’ve always loved quieter ballads as well,” says Iggy. “There are some guitars on the album. Only one song is vaguely raucous; three have jazz-like instrumentation.”



The album was recorded in Woodstock and in Miami, where Iggy first sketched out the songs in his small cabin on the river on his old wooden guitar.



“Like Daniel, the book’s protagonist, I too have grown weary of a career as an entertainer and I wish for a new life,” he says. “I, too, have spent desolate hours in the future world of the Spanish Coast. The concluding chapters about Daniel and his small faithful dog wandering doomed through a ruined earth to the desiccated sea were the most empathetic and believable predictions of the future that I’ve encountered.”



The visuals for the album package are being created by French/Iranian graphic novelist and award-winning film director Marjane Satrapi, who first met Iggy when she asked him to do the voice for one of the characters in her Oscar-nominated animated feature Persepolis in 2007.



The track listing for Préliminaires is as follows:



1. Les Feuilles Mortes
2. I Want To Go To The Beach
3. King Of The Dogs
4. Je Sais Que Tu Sais
5. Spanish Coast
6. Nice To Be Dead
7. How Insensitive
8. Party Time
9. He's Dead/She's Alive
10. A Machine For Loving
11. She's A Business
12. Les Feuilles Mortes (Marc's Theme)

Observe & Report Anna Faris' Platforms

The adorable, incomprehensibly underrated Anna Faris chose a pair of gladiator inspired heels by Stuart Weitzman (they're called Tijuana, if you'd like to order a pair of your own) to walk down the red carpet for her latest film, "Observe & Report," starring the red-hot Seth Rogan. Photo from anna-faris.org

Garbage Pail Kids

This Earth Day, Recycling Gets A Makeover

“I don’t see garbage anymore, I just see cash.” — TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky Gen.

“Y” Whiz Kids, Led By 27-Year-Old Ceo, Turn Trash Into Mass-Market Treasure In National Geographic Channel’s Garbage Moguls

Step 1. Team of “Eco-Capitalists” Scour Landfills
Step 2. Design Hip Products from Garbage
Step 3. Sell to Major Retailers
Step 4. Make “Boatload” of $$$

Garbage Moguls Premieres on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, 2009, at 9 PM ET/PT

Kites from Oreo® cookie wrappers. Spiral notebooks from old cereal boxes. Pencils from rolled newspaper. Coming to a superstore near you are ingenious products made entirely of garbage. Now, a new National Geographic Channel (NGC) special, premiering on Earth Day, takes a look at the quirky young “eco-capitalists” at the pioneering company TerraCycle, Inc., who are making this revolutionary concept happen: rummaging through dumpsters and landfills for materials, brainstorming innovative products … and hoping to make millions.

In Garbage Moguls, premiering Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, 2009, at 9 PM ET/PT, follow the team’s unorthodox creative process — the brain-racking and stress, the silliness and infighting — all working to build a profitable business with products composed entirely of trash. Once named the “The Coolest Little Start-Up in America!” by Inc. magazine, TerraCycle™ is redefining green business, focusing each day on the next million-dollar idea, even if that means spending hours scrounging through stinky garbage.

“Garbage is a man-made idea, and we’ve created garbage because we haven’t created solutions for it,” explains CEO Tom Szaky, a 27-year-old eager brainiac who got his “Ah-Ha!” idea for TerraCycle as a Princeton freshman. “We take waste, we add design and produce mass merchandise.” Once just a dorm-room operation, TerraCycle has grown from two employees to more than 50 and a multimillion-dollar venture that counts Wal-Mart, OfficeMax, The Home Depot® and Target as clients.

Garbage Moguls tracks the team’s work on two prototypes: a messenger bag for OfficeMax — made from old billboard materials and seat belts — and a kite made entirely of Oreo wrappers for Wal-Mart. Viewers witness the zany brainstorming ideas (a Slip ‘N Slide made of wrappers?), the uphill battles and the real-life Generation “Y” dramedy in the vein of “The Office.”

Sisters and graphic designers Lea and Dara are sent to the dump to search for 200 seat belts to be used in a design for messenger bags, only to return with 15 — hoping no one will notice! Albe, the PR guy and Tom’s right-hand man, has to rally the team to design kite prototypes that actually fly, including organizing a field trip to a local dump in search of supplemental materials. Everything — even the string used to fly the kite — needs to be from recycled trash. Albe then takes off his trash-diving suit and takes to the street with James, Albe’s PR partner in crime, for on-the-spot “marketing research,” with questions about the prototype messenger bag like “So you think you’d date a boy wearing a bag like this?”

Rounding out the colorful Garbage Mogul team are Tiffany, the product designer, who must somehow make 20 samples of the messenger bag in less than a week; and Milton, the intimidating former ex-con turned factory supervisor, who runs a tight ship on deadline.

With only one week to produce a functioning kite, everyone has to come up with a possible design. The team tackles this project with hilarious ideas and a collaborative spirit (sometimes!). The success of the company’s first meeting with Wal-Mart buyers hinges on the prototype: If the kite crashes, so could the meeting; if the prototype succeeds, then Tom and his team will happily face the next challenge of mass-producing their product.

Garbage Moguls follows the ups and downs of the TerraCycle team on the edge of billion-dollar success — and bankruptcy — all while trying to make the earth a better place. This Earth Day, these Garbage Moguls truly give recycling a makeover!

About TerraCycle:

One of the only companies in existence that produces products entirely made of waste, TerraCycle stands in a category or “landfill” unto itself. But TerraCycle is more than just a company; it’s a group of people that has defined the power of a product made solely from waste. Since its inception, TerraCycle has saved over 70 million drink pouches, 10.5 million cookie wrappers, and 3.1 million plastic bottles from ending up in a landfill. TerraCycle’s eco-friendly, affordable products are available at major retailers nationwide.

Tom Szaky’s first book, “Revolution in a Bottle: How TerraCycle Is Redefining Green Business,” will be available online and at bookstores nationwide beginning April 1.

Garbage Moguls is produced by Silent Crow Arts for the National Geographic Channel. For Silent Crow Arts, producer and director is Melissa Kennedy, executive in charge of production is Tim Mann, executive producer is Matt Bennett and co-executive producer is Tom Szaky. For National Geographic Channel, executive producer is Noah Morowitz, senior vice president of production is Michael Cascio and executive vice president of content is Steve Burns.

For more information, visit natgeotv.com/garbage.

Just Because....

By now BeansTalk readers know we adore Tina Fey and we've posted this, just because we do. Here she is at the Golden Globes in a Roberto Cavalli dress, and H. Stern jewels. She may still not be entirely comfortable on the red carpet (this pose is a little forced, afterall), but she's got tons of talent! If you're not watching 30 Rock, start ASAP!

What we’re using these days…

Some of our favorite facial products


Liz Earle’s SuperBalm

We recently discovered this and love it – it’s designed to be used on cuticles, lips and eyebrows, but we use it directly on our face. It smells divine and not perfume-y at. It’s not often we find a new product, and nearly all the other products we’re using we’ve had for awhile.

Emergency' skin salve rescues and restores very dry and chapped skin anywhere, anytime. With 100% pure plant oils and waxes including softening rosehip, moisturizing avocado, natural source vitamin E, soothing chamomile strengthening echinacea, plus restoring neroli.

SuperBalm is a softening, calming and restoring treatment for dry, chapped skin. 1 oz. $29

To order: Liz Earle

Sonya Dakar’s Omega-3 Repair Complex for Irritation

We have extremely sensitive skin and have used this product for several years.

Repair irritated skin with 100% natural and botanical Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Infused with bergamot and chamomile to soothe and calm delicate skin. These botanical ingredients help diminish bothersome itching and upset skin.

• Strengthens, calms and balances skin
• Deeply penetrates to restore skin's natural moisture levels
• Great for rosacea & eczema
• 100% natural and botanical

Omega-3 Repair Complex for Irritation .50 oz. $42

Sonya Dakar’s Retinol Renewal Serum

This has great texture, no fragrance and feels wonderful on skin. I adore this…

Intense Repair of Signs of Aging and Scarred Skin. This retinol super-serum fights fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, discoloration and enlarged pores by exfoliating dry, scarred and damaged skin while expediting cell turnover. Our exclusive Advanced Retinol Delivery System technology prevents retinol breakdown due to sun exposure, allowing maximum absorption.

Retinol Renewal Serum 1 oz. $120

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate

We use this a couple of times a week, in the shower, and apply a layer in circular motions and leave it on for about 30 seconds, rinse well, pat dry and then apply moisturizer. We’ve never found anything quite like the powerful enzymes. It’s a unique product and works wonderfully.

All Skin Types

* Fruit enzymes clarify skin by removing dead cells & eliminating bacteria
* Highly effective in combating acne, including stubborn blackheads
* Polishes skin, revealing a smooth, glowing complexion
* Healthy skin, healthy glow, healthy you!

ExfoliKate 1.7 oz. $85.

Kate Somerville Quench Hydrating Serum

Anti-Aging/Normal to Dry

* Gives skin a silky, satiny look & feel
* Contains HSC Complex, an advanced hydrating system that delivers & locks moisture in cells
* Helps protect against environmental aggression & excessive UV exposure
* RetiStar™, the most advanced form of Vitamin A, counteracts aging for a more youthful appearance
* Leaves skin undeniably luminous

Quench Hydrating Serum 1 oz. $65.

Mario Badescu Keratoplast Cream Soap


This is a super mild cleanser that we use daily, on our face, neck and chest.

Keratoplast is a natural, botanical ingredient that reduces redness associated with broken capillaries and extreme sensitivity. This non-soap cleanser will remove light make-up while soothing redness and irritation from the skin, leaving it soft and smooth. Best when used with our Keratoplast Cleansing Lotion.

How to Use: Twice daily massage in a circular motion on wet skin and rinse with tepid water, avoiding eye area. Pat dry and follow with toner or astringent.

Ingredients: Deionized Water,Stearic Acid,Propylene Glycol, Keratoplast,Dipelargonate,Glycerin,Lauramide DEA,Octyl Palmitate,Glyceryl Isostearate,Cetyl Alcohol,Triethanolamine,Isodecylparaben,Imidazolidinyl Urea,Quaternium-15,Methylparaben,Propylparaben

Good for these Skin Types:
Combination, Dry, Sensitive

Keratoplast Cream Soap 6 oz. $10, 16 oz. $20.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

We assumed we wouldn't need this in middle-age. Ah well.

Best-selling Pimple Healer, Drying Lotion is an Acne spot treatment made with a blend of Calamine and Salicylic Acid to clear up and soothe unsightly whiteheads overnight. A dab of this lotion will heal and dry pimples quickly.

How to Use: Before bed, after cleansing, toning and moisturizing apply a dab of lotion directly on the whitehead using a cotton swab. Do not rub in. Let it dry and rinse off in the morning. DO NOT shake the bottle and apply only the pink sediment on the skin.

Beauty Tip: Apply a drop on itchy mosquito bites to soothe irritation. Works great on soothing razor bumps and ingrown hairs.

Ingredients: Isopropyl Alcohol,Deionized Water (Aqua), Calamine, Camphor, Colloidal Sulfur,Salicylic Acid,Glycerine,Zinc Oxide,Titanium Dioxide,Talc

Good for these Skin Types:
All Types

Drying Potion 1 oz. $17.

Kinara Lactic Acid Hydrating Serum

This is lovely, and we use it exclusively on our nose, on our chin and at our hairline.

Recommended for all skin types except the very sensitive or very dry, Kinara Lactic Acid Hydrating Serum is a light, penetrating essence that provides a wide spectrum of anti-aging and nourishing benefits. Utilizing a combination of lactic and glycolic acids blended with natural extracts such as algae, burdock, chamomile, sage and green tea, Kinara Lactic Acid Hydrating Serum provides benefits to acne-prone, oily, normal and dry skin. Retail price: $70.00

Product Benefits:
• Combats skin eruptions with lactic and glycolic acids which gently exfoliate skin, helping to unclog and refine pores
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, a benefit of lactic and glycolic acid’s exfoliating effects
• Rejuvenates damaged skin with a combination of botanicals and acid ingredients
• Restores a healthy glow to the skin

Product Usage:
apply after cleansing
• Acne Prone: Morning
• Oily: Evening
• Normal to Oily (Combination): Evening
• Normal to Dry (Combination): Evening

Kinara Lactic Acid Hydrating Serum 1 oz. $70.

So there you go, right from the BeansTalk skin-care cubby. This is what we're using now and what's been working for us. Good, clean skin to you all!

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Grammy-Winner Guests on DogTown

Music star Emmylou Harris calls for help with a vicious shepherd mix named Gunnar, leaving animal behavior specialist Sherry Woodard only a few days to come up with a plan to overcome his aggression. Theresa, an abandoned pit bull, has a mysterious mass in her belly. The dog has a history of skin cancer, so vet Dr. Patti Iampietro must do exploratory surgery to see if the cancer has spread internally. The unlikely combination of boisterous trainer John Garcia and painfully shy Little Girl proves rewarding for both, as John teaches the Catahoula leopard dog mix to trust the world — one person at a time. DogTown: A Fighting Chance (featuring country singer Emmylou Harris) Friday, April 17, 2009 at 10 p.m. et/pt (World Premiere)

Decemberists' Hazards of Love

The Decemberists launched their new album The Hazards of Love (Capitol Records) yesterday, March 17th with a weeklong exclusive sale of the digital album through the iTunes Store. The album, which NPR called an “epic adventure,” is also being released today as deluxe 180-gram gatefold vinyl through select indie retailers, and will be made available widely through all retail outlets in all formats on March 24, 2009.

The band is heading to Austin, Texas, this week where they will give the highly-anticipated debut live performance of The Hazards of Love when they headline NPR Music’s South by Southwest showcase at Stubb’s BBQ today, Wednesday, March 18, 2009. The concert will be streamed live, podcast and archived at www.npr.org/sxsw, and will be available for broadcast on NPR Member stations across the country, including KUT Austin, WFUV New York, WXPN Philadelphia, KEXP Seattle and The Current from Minnesota Public Radio.

Capitol Records and imeem recently hosted a contest for fans to try their hand at designing the official poster for the SXSW showcase, and the band has selected Kathryn Rathke’s entry as the winner, deeming its surreal depiction of Lyndon Johnson being plucked from the earth by a giant hawk “rad.” The winning design and the runners up can be viewed at http://www.imeem.com/thedecemberistsfans.

Music critics weigh in -- what they’ve been saying so far about The Hazards of Love:

“An epic adventure.”—NPR

“Musically, Hazards of Love is the Decemberists’ full-on classic-rock move, with pretty Zep-style fingerpicking punctuated by crushing stoner-metal lurches.”—ROLLING STONE

“Meloy can write the hell out of a melody… some of the snarliest, bluesiest, rockingest moments in the Decemberists' catalog… yields spectacular sparks."—SPIN

“You have to hand it to Colin Meloy and his mob of merry rabble-rousers. Not many bands would event attempt an album this ambitious, and none could pull it off as convincingly as The Decemberists.”—FILTER

“An album with thematic ambition, delirious melodies, a depth of details and a wicked sense of humour.”—UNCUT

“[The Hazards of Love’s] musical palette is a vivid and evocative one… gloriously big, bold…”—Q

The Decemberists will kick-off the first leg of their Spring 2009 tour on May 19th at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. The 16-date run also includes a June 10th performance at Radio City Music Hall in New York, as well as a set at the 2009 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee. On tour, the band will play two sets a night, the first a full performance of The Hazards of Love, and the second consisting of their older material. Joining the band on stage will be special guests Lavender Diamond’s Becky Stark and My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden. More upcoming tour dates will be announced shortly.

The Decemberists’ confirmed Spring 2009 tour dates are as follows:

May 19 Hollywood Palladium Los Angeles, CA
May 20 Fox Theatre Oakland, CA
May 21 McDonald Theater Eugene, OR
May 23 Sasquatch Festival Quincy, WA
May 24 Wilma Theatre Missoula, MT
May 26 Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO
May 27 Uptown Theater Kansas City, MO
May 29 Riverside Theater Milwaukee, WI
May 31 The Pageant St. Louis, MO
June 1 Lifestyle Communities Pavilion Columbus, OH
June 3 Tabernacle Atlanta, GA
June 4 Memorial Auditorium Raleigh, NC
June 5 The National Richmond, VA
June 6 Tower Theatre Upper Darby, PA
June 8 Merriweather Post Pavilion Baltimore, MD
June 9 Bank of America Pavilion Boston, MA
June 10 Radio City Music Hall New York, NY
June 11-14 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival Manchester, TN
July 18-19 Edgefield Winery Portland, OR (w/ Andrew Bird & Blind Pilot)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Turner Classic Movies 10-Part

Moguls And Movie Stars: A History Of Hollywood


The true story behind the making of the American movie industry has as many ups and downs, twists and turns as the latest big-budget thriller, not to mention a cast of characters worthy of a shelf full of Oscars®. Above, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks.

Now, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) tells the real story of the film industry in Moguls And Movie Stars: A History Of Hollywood (working title), an ambitious new 10-part documentary series co-produced by Bill Haber’s Ostar Productions and TCM. Haber (TNT’s Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King; Broadway’s The History Boys and Monty Python’s Spamalot) will serve as executive producer, while Jon Wilkman will write and produce. Wilkman is a veteran documentary filmmaker whose work has been honored with four Emmys® and numerous other international film and TV awards.

“TCM is known by lovers of great film as a destination for those who cherish the film industry’s cinematic legacy; no network is better positioned to tell Hollywood’s complete story than Turner Classic Movies,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TCM, TBS and TNT. “This is an epic project that promises to be a landmark event for TCM.”

“More than just a check list of great movies, Moguls And Movie Stars: A History Of Hollywood is a rare, personalized look at the American film industry, featuring the remarkable men and women whose drive and ambition founded the ‘Dream Factory’ that became Hollywood,” Haber said. “At the heart of our story is a remarkable generation who, in a few short years, created an entertainment empire – among them such names as Mayer, Goldwyn, Warner, Fox, Zanuck and Selznick. Many began as impoverished immigrants and became among the wealthiest and most influential figures in American culture.”

“Our story will span more than 100 years of inventiveness and entertainment,” said Wilkman. “From Thomas Edison to Steven Spielberg, from Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford to Sean Penn and Kate Winslet, we’ll tell the stories of Moguls And Movie Stars: A History Of Hollywood, the lives they’ve lived, the movies they’ve made and the impact they’ve had on lives around the world.”

Set to premiere in 2010, Moguls And Movie Stars: A History Of Hollywood will consist of 10 one-hour documentaries, each focusing on a different era of American movie history, from the invention of the first photographs that moved to the astonishing, computer-driven imagery of the present. Each installment will feature rarely seen photographs and film footage, clips from memorable American movies and interviews with distinguished historians and major Hollywood figures.

At its heart, the documentary series will be a personal history of Hollywood, detailing the personalities, inter-personal relationships, collaborations and conflicts that created an industry and an art form. The series will also serve as a history of America, looking at how moviemakers responded to such major events as the Great Depression, World War II and the Civil Rights movement. As America has change, so has the movie industry, with the rise and fall of the studio system, the challenge of television and online media and the evolution of conglomerates and mega-producers.

Brewster's Millions
(Worth of Platinum)

Ever since she appeared in “Invisible Circus,” we’ve thought Jordana Brewster not only very beautiful, but a good actress who doesn’t seem to work enough.

She was in the little seen “Nearing Grace” (although it’s aired often on cable), and of course, the original “Fast and Furious.” (We’re probably the only people who liked the sequel “Tokyo Drift,” which featured a completely different cast and an utterly adorable lead actor in Lucas Black...but we digress).

At any rate, the only issue we have with Brewster is that she’s so freaking skinny. She was actually the tabloid proverbially “scary skinny,” and now is only “way too skinny” – check out the full figure shot (and specifically, her chest). She’s gorgeous, but needs to eat a sandwich!

Brewster attends the premiere of the film "Fast & Furious" in Los Angeles March 12, 2009. She wore platinum jewelry by Neil Lane and selected a pair of Platinum drop earrings, two bracelets and a cocktail ring. REUTERS/Phil McCarten (UNITED STATES) and (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

Cheapandchic

Moschino Cheap And Chic
Autumn / Winter 2009-10 Collection

Ruffle Dream

Moschino Cheap and Chic explored the theme of surrealism and ruffles, with humour using the colors of the season black, yellow and fuchsia.

Ruffles were strongly emphasized through the yellow cloth overcoat with ruffled collar and the ruffled jacket made of a combination of materials such as lightweight taffeta and the ribbed “canneté” fabric and velvet. Other looks from the runway incorporating a dominant ruffle look included the black gauze evening dress with ruffles on the bottom with a train and the small cape-jacket with black taffeta ruffles.

Accessories of the season embodied the ruffle theme including a shoe with colored suede ruffles on the vamp or the heel and ruffled handbags made of a combination of leather and ribbed “canneté” fabric or crackled lamé with an “outer space” look.

Dresses made up of oversized bows and giant pearls were used on dresses, tops and necklaces added the surreal touch to the runway in addition to a men’s belt with a core that holds itself up. Accessories complemented the ruffled and surreal pieces. Humorous hats colorful hats with “Minnie Mouse” ears along with pins saying “Don’t Steal."

Moschino Autumn/Winter 2009-2010

Double Meaning

"Double" embodies the quality of adding value, opportunities, sense and even use, and "meaning" refers to a double existence on two levels, on two wavelengths.

This collection is thus a double expression of classical forms and overlays, conceived, designed and produced in such a way as to create at times contrasts, continuities, and often novelties: new shapes, new volumes, new silhouettes.

Enter the "Torero Moschino" jacket, which can turn into a biker jacket embroidered with small safety pins, studs and small metal buttons or transform into a trench coat embellished with black stone appliqués.

The classic, linear overcoat—its clean, essential lines enhanced by the masculine fabric—is overlaid with a cloud of organza, black on blue, and transformed into its double with a new, different and exciting volume. The hyper-feminine tapered jacket is turned into its double with a layer of organza, detachable to enable addition as well as subtraction. Here, volume is a double choice of opportunities.

Dresses have the same double life: red flower applications are over-layed in black plumetis or black chiffon or 3D-effect printed appliqués.

Finally, double are the meanings of the riding jacket or the hound's tooth redingote and their riding trousers in sheer black organza: modern shapes for a classic content, like the rigid black tulle structure containing the black leather handbag.

"Double meaning" stands for the synthesis of a double ability to obtain results as they were initially imagined and conceived, therefore willed to existence.

Reminder: Mother's Day is Coming Up

Today we perused the JudeFrances jewelry line and selected a few pretty baubles that you might want to gift your mother with for Mother's Day.

You can find the jewelry below on their site, www.judefrances.com.

Here's what they say about themselves on their website:

JudeFrances Jewelry is featured at Neiman Marcus. In just five years, JudeFrances Jewelry has grown from being sold in just three stores to 29 stores. Oprah Winfrey bought a piece of Jude Frances jewelry at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills.

Jude and Frances met at a charity dinner in 2002, and have turned their line into a multi-million dollar company. "We are there for each other through thick and thin. Not a day goes by when we don't talk," says Jude.

Frances, mother of two and former owner of an interior design firm, oversees design and operations for JudeFrances. She was born in the English countryside and favors the more romantic, classic styles. Her favorite piece in the line is a JudeFrances diamond monogram necklace that Jude designed especially for her as a birthday gift. Frances is inspired by architecture. In fact, the new Venetian Collection launching in June 2007 was inspired by a trip she and Jude took to Italy for Frances' 40th birthday. "The iron grill work I saw in Venice inspired our new diamond overlay designs."

Jude, mother of three, leads sales and marketing. This Texas native inspires the edgier side of the line. Her favorite piece in the line is a white gold cuff bracelet with a diamond cross that Frances gave her as a birthday gift. Jude is inspired by fashion and style and has a knack for staying ahead of fashion trends.

JudeFrances Jewelry is headquartered in Southern California. Clients include Oprah Winfrey, Kristen Chenoweth and Paris Hilton. The 18kt. gold jewelry line is designed with diamonds and beautiful semi-precious gemstones. It features a unique interchangeable hoop and charm concept along with beautiful necklaces, bracelets and engagement rings.

Jude Frances Large Lattice Clover Pendant $3100

JudeFrances Beaded Marquis Pendant $5120

JudeFrances Diamond and Pearl Chain

JudeFrances Lattice Fleur Diamond & Pearl Pendant $3170

JudeFrances Leather Cord

JudeFrances Diamonds by the Yard

JudeFrances

JudeFrances Verona Lattice Pendant $2630

JudeFrances Beaded Wrapped Diamond & Turquoise Pendant $1850

How Clean Is Your House?
Spring Cleaning Marathon

Feel better about all the spring cleaning coming up by tuning in for five full hours of America’s dirtiest, dingiest, nastiest, and most foul-smelling abodes. It’s a ten-episode marathon of How Clean Is Your House?, the cringe-inducing show that sets dust-busting divas Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie on some of the most disgusting and disorganized homes you’ve ever seen this side of the Atlantic.

How Clean Is Your House? Spring Cleaning Marathon, Sunday, March 22, starting at 3 p.m. ET/PT

"Pam's" Real-Life Wow Factor

Jenna Fischer may play a no-nonsense receptionist bride-to-be on NBC hit “The Office,” but in real life, she cleans up well. Very well. She wore a multi floral print silk chiffon V-neck gown with crystal embellished waist from Zuhair Murad’s Resort 2009 collection to the Golden Globes. At the SAG awards, she chose Pamella Roland’s dove grey silk chiffon v-neck gown with yellow beading.

Hoop-De-Loop

Hoop earrings are back -- with a vengeance. Get hippie chic with Sand Jewelry, which offers The Hippie Hoops ($34) and Mini Hippie Earrings ($30) feature an organic blend of round wood hoops and jade accents. Retails at www.shopsandjewelry.com and other select retailers.

Heigl Not Hiding


She may or may not be leaving "Grey's Anatomy" (our bet is on the former), but rumors have never stopped celebs from doing what they do best, spending all that hard-earned cash. Shopping. Katherine Heigl was out and about getting some much-need retail therapy. She wore the “Aten” sunglasses in Oasis from Sama Eyewear’s new Sahara Collection while out shopping in Los Angeles. These sunglasses are part of the Sama Eyewear Spring/Summer 2009 Collection.

Peaches and Daisy

Peaches Geldolf and Daisy Lowe, London-girls-about-town and fashion favorites, sat in the front row of the Issa runway show and Lowe couldn't seem to get enough of glaceau vitaminwater, which she carried with her throughout the day, much like a baby grasps a binky (or for you Brits -- this is taking place in England, after all -- like a baby grasps a dummy). Not only was she photographed constantly with it, she told a local reporter that the beverage "keeps me fresh and hydrated when I'm running around." Ever being the fashionista, Lowe chose a glaceau vitaminwater, in a hue that coordinated perfectly with her dress.

White Bank

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White On!!
The Time is White


BeansTalk can no longer ignore that white denim is quickly becoming one the season’s “must have” items. We still adhere to the belief that white is a bad investment, is hard to keep bright, and isn’t flattering for the less-than-perfect figure. Still, nearly every “known” jeans line is creating and promoting a line of white denim.

On the plus side, it is fashionable now, and white goes with everything. There’s a freshness and versatility to white jeans, a crispness that harkens to mind something nautical and clean. White, it has been said, is ideal for spring-into-summer because it seems hopeful and optimistic.

Fashion experts have pointed out that in situations where even the most expensive and darkest of denim isn’t appropriate, white denim is accepted in almost any situation, it can be dressed up or down. White jeans are never casual and perhaps disrespectful, as standard jeans can be construed.

As for that issue we initially brought up, about white being difficult to maintain in its original state, denim is an easy-to-care for fabric and is easily washed in hot or warm water with like colors.

We’ve compiled several styles in varying price range of what’s available in white denim right now – you’re bound to find one within your budget and body-type.

LTB Jeans ($85 to $110) are seen left, in image above.

Left, Charter Club Classic White Denim, $35. Right, Levi's 545 Boot Cut White Denim, $44. Both, Macy's.

Left, Xhilaration Skinny White Jean, $22. Right, Converse One Star Barrett Jeans, $35. Both, Target.