There's nothing sexier than something that fits like a second skin-unless it is a second skin. This season, fashionistas can't get enough of reptilian styles, often dyed traffic-stopping colors. Donning the slinky leather "gives the illusion that you have water trickling down your body," says designer Christina Perrin, whose python pieces are coveted by Tyra Banks and Jenna Elfman. "It's strong and sexy." Adds Hollywood stylist Tod Hallman, who garbs Neve Campbell: "There's a depth and texture to snakeskin that really makes it stand out. It almost appears to be three-dimensional."
Animal lovers can get into the act too with the faux-snake-print designs offered by labels like Gucci and Christian Dior. Real or not, the serpentine look has undeniable sex appeal. As Ally McBeal's Jane Krakowski, who wore a one-of-a-kind strapless burgundy gown made from the skins of 22 pythons to last year's Blockbuster Awards, points out: "It naturally makes you slither when you move."
behind the seams
Does a curse hang over the celebrity who opens the semiannual sale at Harrods, the famed London department store owned by Mohamed Al Fayed? Sophia Loren was attacked by a cockatoo there last summer—and Raquel Welch twisted her ankle at the store on Jan. 5. "It was my fault," says the actress, who was sporting ruby-red five-inch Escada stilettos at the time. "Maybe I should have worn sensible shoes, but I just wouldn't give up my heels."...
I hear Golden Globes nominee Julianne Moore has locked in big-deal makeup artist and Stila founder Jeanine Lobell wife of ER's Anthony Edwards), who has painted Helen Hunt's and Cameron Diaz's mugs, to powder her to perfection for the Jan. 23 show. Look for Moore, who hired the $3,000-a-day guru for the Oscars two years ago, to glow with Lobell's trademark clean, less-is-more look....
Meanwhile, Sex and the City's Kim Cat-trail, a fellow nominee, has decided to glow in a blue Badgley Mischka gown for the ceremony....
Winona Ryder, on the other hand, is seeing red. So are Gillian Anderson, Lara Flynn Boyle, Calista Flockhart and the rest of the cast of a one-night-only performance of the risque feminist play The Vagina Monologues in L.A. on Feb. 16. Playwright Eve Ensler instructed Ryder and company to sport scarlet duds onstage because "red embodies passion."...
I know what Cher wears to bed: nothing—except for a $15,000 Gothic-style ring adorned with a pave-diamond shield by L.A. jewelry designer Loree Rodkin. "The ring means a lot to her because she bought it for herself after touring abroad" in December, says Rodkin, a pal. "It's her 'I survived my European tour' ring."...
We'll never understand the force that propels Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra's roller-coaster relationship, but one thing's for certain: The former marrieds are bonded in style. The pair were thick as thieves recently when they shopped for his-and-her lace-up leather pants and matching leopard-print cowboy hats—among other out-there threads—at an L.A. boutique. Big spender Rodman dropped $40,000 on the dual spree.
Going Courting
A week after Ben Affleck donned jeans for a Massachusetts traffic court appearance, Jennifer Lopez took the opposite tack for a meeting with Manhattan prosecutors investigating boyfriend Puff Daddy's possible involvement in a recent nightclub shooting. Disregarding an unwritten rule that, when in court, it's best to dress like regular folks, Lopez showed up in a long, formfitting fur-trimmed coat and sunglasses. "For her," says jury consultant Jo-Elian Dimitrius, "that was dressed down."
Knitting Pretty
With the fashion world flipping for chunky sweaters, Julia Roberts, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Hilary Swank and other stars are developing a knack for knitting. While Roberts wields her needles quietly, Goldie Hawn works "ferociously," says Leslie Stormon, owner of Santa Monica yarn shop L'Atelier, and often "overshoots the sleeves." The hobby "is really relaxing," explains actress Rose McGowan. "So, baby, if I'm a geek, I'm better for it."
winner's circle
Our award for best dressed at the people 's Choice Awards goes to City of Angels' Vicica A. Fox, who made the scene in a lavender Carmen Marc Valvo gown, slinky shawl and Van Cleef & Arpels jewels. "I felt so beautiful that night," she says, "I felt so beautiful that night," she says, "like a princess."
Mouths of Steel
Brace yourself. Could orthodontia be the hot new trend? Witness actresses Parker Posey and Carol Kane, No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, even Prince Harry. Posey's metal mouth is a plot device in a film she's shooting, but Stefani, who sported hers through December, may be on to something stylish. Said she: "My orthodontist is in the fashion scene."
startalk
What is the worst outfit you've ever had to wear for a role?
Noah Wyle: "Tights, leggings, a headband, a thong for a low-budget comedy called Can't Stop Dancing."
Montel Williams: "A 200-lb. fat suit while doing a Montel episode on obesity."
Leah Remini of The King of Queens: "A leather jacket with a big belt—way out of style—and tight jeans a construction worker would wear."
Luke Wilson: "A space-age suit made out of foam rubber [for the movie Home Fries]."
Diane Lane: "A futuristic outfit. I'll let my daughter have it someday and she can sell it on eBay."
presto change-o
It's official: Roseanne is a California girl. "I did it because I'm rich, menopausal and I live in Beverly Hills!" the talk show host says of her newly lightened locks. "It's supposed to look like a young child on the beach," explains colorist Francesco Galasso. And she didn't even have to get sand in her hair.
- Contributors:
- Julie K.L. Dam,
- Steven Cojocaru.
