Wal-mart and H&M in the doghouse

Here's a disgusting story. H&M and Wal-mart have both been caught red handed for burning their unsold clothes. They're being thrown out in the masses on the street. Imagine huge trashbags filled to their brims with unworn, unsold clothing, all completely ripe for donation, but instead, they're lining the streets of New York just waiting to be burned. With all of the homeless, underprivileged, and needy people all over the country, these huge companies are letting perfectly good clothing turn into cinder and waste? I just can't wrap my head around that. Even worse, these companies have been punching huge holes into the sleeves of these clothes so that they can't be reworn if by any chance someone stumbles upon one of these bags on the street.

After several days of no comment from the PR reps of both H&M and Wal-mart, they've both responded with pledges to donate future unsold clothing to charity.

Read more about this whole fiasco here.

Jimmy Choo x Ugg: Say it ain't so!

I wish it were a joke, and I wish to god it was April 1st, but sadly it isn't, because Jimmy Choo really is collaborating with Ugg Australia. These two together--what good could possibly come from that? It's like yin and yang. It's like Queen Elizabeth and Sir Mix Alot. It's like Avant Garde and Jersey Shore. Noooo. Just NO.

What will the lovechild of these two look like? WWD is reporting that the collab will be titled "Ugg & Jimmy Choo" and designs will include those infamous shearling/sheepskin details along with "design details that embody the spirit of the Jimmy Choo brand.” The five piece collection will launch in October in select Jimmy Choo and Ugg Australia stores. Prices will range from $595-$795. Yikes!

Something is cooking up in the house of Ms. Tamara Mellon, but I'm not sure that's a good thing. I understand Choo's attempt at becoming a household name by teaming up with budget friendly brands like H&M, but what exactly is the strategy behind making $800 shearling boots that look like Uggs?

Why, for the love god, oh why? I still don't understand shelling out $200 for a pair of frumpy Uggs, but $800 for a pair of Choo-ified Uggs? What's the appeal of that?

Guess we'll see come October.

At home sickety sick sick, so I am blogging away all day.

Desperate times call for desperate measures

Times are tough and the job market is looking pretty bleak, so bleak that even unpaid internships are hard to come by. This is especially exacerbated by the fact that I live in Hollywood, where everyone's looking to break into fashion or the entertainment biz. That blanket reference to 'everyone' sadly also includes me.

Besides our time, how much more are we willing to pay for an unpaid internship?

How about over $3,000?

I know. Yeeeeeeesh. Versace is auctioning off an unpaid internship for charity and the current high bid is $3,250! Over $3k to hang clothes and fetch coffee!

I mean I know that the economy is killing us all, especially us fellow post grads out there, but come on. Don't tell me it's come to this. If so, should I just give up now and start studying to be, let's say, a librarian? I found a job posting yesterday for my nearby library--they're looking for an entry level librarian and the pay is get this: $50-$80k. You just need a masters in library science (I know, right? Bet you didn't know that existed. And I also bet you didn't know you could nab one of those babies online.). Yikes. Here I am desperately vying for a job in H-wood that will pay me around $30k, when all this time all I had to do was work for the library down the street from me. I keep telling myself it's about the dream, not the money, but since the dream seems farther away every day (especially now that you have to PAY to work for free), it's getting a little difficult.

Another somewhat related anecdote that just so happens involve fashion and the endless job search: Went on another interview (not just any interview, but one that I really wanted to nab) today and I wore a pair of trusty Christian Loubs, thinking you could never go wrong with a classic pair of Loubs. Well, that was until I wore them long enough to make my feet feel like they were dying, which sadly, was not that long. I had to go home, yell hail Mary as I pried them off my feet, soak my feet in a bubbling foot spa and then stick a bandaid on the sad blister on my big toe. Ah geez, I'm that girl. That girl in the silly high heels teetering around in pain because they go with my outfit.

So, how long should I keep trying and when should I just give up altogether and start that good ole' degree in library sci?

W Magazine's Run of the Show and Spring 2010 First Look

Check out W Magazine's "Run of Show" shoot. Good god. In one word? Phenomenal! Beautiful excess and luxury at its best. Loving the ethereal feel and the use of print. Givenchy, Prada, Chloe, Rodarte, Chanel, Cavalli, Missoni, Lanvin, Nicholas Kirkwood, Hermes, oh my!

And the shoes? I can't even begin to describe how in love I am with them, especially the Nicholas Kirkwood for Rodarte Spring 2010 killer heels. The details are impeccable. The studs, leather cutouts, and spikes are too perfect. Now what do I have to do to have these babies on my feet? A kidney on the black market?

Don't scroll past these too quickly--take a moment to savor each gorgeous piece. This is seriously a fashion loving girl's dream.

Full editorial below. Photos by Craig McDean, styling by Alex White. For full detail, including designer credits, see W's website. Photos courtesy of Nitrolicious.

















































































































































Now a first look at spring 2010's fashion campaigns starting with Chanel and Givenchy. Check out Claudia Schiffer in Chanel's spanish inspired line this season. My favorite though is Givenchy's optical illusion campaign. Those prints are insane and right up my alley. Can't wait to see what this season will bring. Chanel and Givenchy can do no wrong in my eyes. Credit to Nitrolicious for the pictures.

The Top Ten Films of 2009

Movie City News has compiled a list of the top ten films of the year based on averaging the top critics' scorecards and lists. Check out full scoring details and stats here.

Cumulative Top Ten:
1. The Hurt Locker
2. Up in the Air
3. A Serious Man
4. Inglorious Basterds
5. Up
6. Precious
7. Fantastic Mr. Fox
8. An Education
9. District 9
10. Avatar

Agree or disagree?

I've seen almost all of the films, with the exception of Precious, An Education, and Avatar which I will have to get to soon. I'm not sure about Avatar though--I don't know if I can stomach nearly 3 hours of blue people. I mostly do agree with this list, although I'm a little surprised at some inclusions. I wonder where movies like (500) Days of Summer, A Single Man, The White Ribbon, The Last Station, and Invictus fit in? I mention these movies specifically because they've garnered a significant amount of Oscar buzz and positive reviews. It'll be interesting to see how this list will compare to this year's ten best picture Oscar nominations.

Other great movies I saw this year and worth the rental: The Hangover, The September Issue, The Blind Side, Star Trek, Taken, World's Greatest Dad, Zombieland, Adventureland, and Adam.

Btw--just got back from A Serious Man. The Coen Brothers are genius--their most personal movie yet, and their most relatable. The humor is just so dark and pitch perfect in a style that is so distinct to the Coen Brothers. Seriously it was just so great, definitely go see this and understand why this movie deserves more of a presence during this awards season.

On the flip side, I also went to see Nine recently and I am very, very sad to say that I was disappointed. This breaks my heart a little because I love the cast, especially Marion Cotillard, Daniel D, and Penelope Cruz, and director Rob Marshall--but the movie felt a little forced, especially the musical numbers. Just noticed on Rotten Tomatoes that the movie received a 37%. Ouch! Now that's just too harsh. Pair that with its poor box office showing and recent news of its lowered theater count, it's just not looking too good for the Weinstein Company. The bright spot is that despite all this, the movie is still receiving awards recognition.

342 Movies in 2009

Cinema 2009 by Kees van Dijkhuizen is a mashup of this year's 342 movies all condensed into a mere seven minutes.

It's an amazing look at 2009's releases and worth the watch. See what you can catch.



Off to watch Nine, it's been getting a slew of mixed reviews, and with Roger Ebert's recent review of two stars (ouch!), I'm apprehensive. He scrutinizes very closely and juxtaposes with Fellini's 81/2. Having never seen 81/2, I guess we'll see how well Rob Marshall's Nine can speak to this generation. I do have high hopes though --many of the featurettes and trailers released look promising.

Saw Up in the Air on Christmas day, and I have to say--it did not disappoint at all. In fact, it was pretty amazing. Movies that get hyped like this usually end up overrated, but Jason Reitman did such a fantastic job. The person that stood out the most though was Anna Kendrick. I'd say her Oscar nom is in the bank.

Okay folks, hope you all enjoyed this year at the movies and I can't wait to see what 2010 has to offer. Happy new year!

CARRIED AWAY!

Ridiculously excited for Sex and the City 2!

The teaser trailer isn't much of anything, just alot of glitz and city shots, but still, I'm excited as hell. SATC 2 opens May 28, 2010!