Brooches have long been stuck with "that old lady quality," says L.A. stylist David Whitacre. So why are they being pinned on fashion plates like Iman and Salma Hayek? Because "right now everyone is into that glamorous Hollywood look," says jewelry designer Erica Courtney, "and brooches echo back to that." In fact, they harken all the way back to the days of the Roman Empire, when they were used as fasteners on cloaks; today they are "the perfect way to adorn a simple dark suit," says actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who donned a Cathy Waterman pin for a recent event. If you don't want to end up looking like your grandmother, however, attach yourself to oversize pins, "which make more of a statement," says Whitacre, especially in edgy materials like leather. As for shapes, "butterflies and flowers are hot," he adds. To nail the look, experiment with placement. "What can make brooches even fresher now is where you wear them," Courtney says. "So pin them somewhere unpredictable, like on a pair of jeans or the back of a low dress."
with Alison Singh Gee in Los Angeles
behind the seams
When Victoria's Secret asked supermodel Heidi Klum to custom-make a bra and then model it on the cover of the lingerie company's catalog as part of a "design your own bra" promotion, the beauty threw herself into the project, whipping up a saucy faux-fur-trimmed number. Just one problem: When Klum arrived at the photo shoot, she was told that the bra was supposed to have been festooned with appliqués sold at Victoria's Secret. So she scrapped her original design and put together another on the spot, using Victoria-approved butterflies and beads....
Have nail color, will travel: Sarah Michelle Gellar arrived at a magazine photo shoot not too long ago and was greeted by a manicurist—de rigueur on sets these days. But TV's Buffy showcased her superior planning skills by nixing the polish the nail guru chose and whipping out a bottle of OPI's Loyalty Islands Lilac from her purse instead....
A watch from a diva's wrist, anyone? At the scheduled May 23 VH1 Divas Las Vegas event, stars including Cher, Celine Dion and Mary J. Blige were set to wear diamond-encrusted timepieces by Audemars Piguet—but not for long. The watches (one is valued at $31,000), which the stars had selected, then engraved with their signatures, were put on the block at a live auction supporting the VH1 Save the Music Foundation....
Rod Stewart popped into Pampered Bath in Palm Desert, Calif., with a trio of blonde beauties. After plunking down $190 for 10 bottles of Skinny Dip bubble bath by Get Fresh in mandarin ginger, apricot chamomile and starfruit pear, he decreed the flavors good enough to guzzle....
Seen: A Calista-less Harrison Ford in slacker-guy mode, wearing breezy short-sleeve shirt, jeans and yellow backpack, strolling on New York City's Fifth Avenue with a buddy.
DOUBLE VISION
Christina Applegate and Jennifer Lopez were in full bloom recently, wearing the same floral-printed silk-chiffon shift by Dolce & Gabbana. But while J.Lo paired her top with shorts and suede-and-leather boots, Applegate opted for pants and a belt. "I just tried it on," she says, "and it worked!" Either way, the dress "is indicative of a change in the way women see sexy clothes," says L.A. stylist Roberta Wagner. "They don't have to be close to the body."
star talk
What item in your closet makes you feel the most sentimental?
Goldie Hawn
"A rust-colored floppy hat that I used to wear, particularly while riding in my convertible, because people would see me and laugh."
ER's Noah Wyle
"I am so sentimental about this one Hawaiian shirt I bought when I was 10 years old with my allowance money. I still wear it, but only when my wife is out of town."
Joan Rivers
"My engagement ring, because I know it will take care of me in my old age!"
winner's circle
Catherine Zeta-Jones sparkled aplenty in Monaco last week in a one-shoulder beaded Versace gown. "It fits like a second skin," says stylist Jeanne Yang. "After you've had a child, it's nice to not only fit back into great-looking clothes but to look phenomenal in them!"
Natural Selections
When it comes to things Rebecca Romijn-Stamos can't live without, Nuxe lip balm tops the list. Now she and other fans like Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox Arquette Arquette won't have to fly overseas to get it. As of this month, all 27 Nuxe products are available at select Barneys New York stores and Nordstrom. Made from honey, almond oil and other natural ingredients, Nuxe's hair and body potions (priced from $15 for the lip balm to $49 for antiaging cream) "nourish and protect," says Barneys New York buyer Cindy Chua. "And they smell great."
Fancy Foot Work
There's a new wrinkle in the fight to maintain a youthful appearance: a facial for the feet that promises to leave paws looking as if they've never spent time squished into too-high heels. Fans of the procedure, including Jennifer Love Hewitt, Star Jones and Julia Stiles, say "they can't believe their feet feel as soft as they do," says Dr. Suzanne Levine, the New York City podiatrist who invented the tootsie technique. "You can have ageless feet."
Of course, like any fountain of youth, this one comes at a price: A 90-minute foot facial—also offered at Bergdorf Goodman's Buff Spa—costs $250. In return, feet get exfoliated via microdermabrasion (which uses salt crystals to scrape away dead cells) and smoothed with a glycolic acid peel, while an application of copper cream stimulates collagen cells that plump the bottom of the foot, adding comfort, Levine says, to women who can't stand doing without their stilettos.
- Contributors:
- Alison Singh Gee,
- Amy Baumgartner,
- Rachel Felder,
- Mary Green,
- Teena Hammond,
- Amy Longsdorf,
- Susan Mandel,
- Colleen O'Connor,
- Tina Redwood,
- Gabrielle Reifel,
- Steven Cojocaru.
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
