High Fashion Fit For Flight: This Week's Gossip Girl Recap

This week's Gossip Girl opened with a Henri Bendel hat box and, "New day, new designer." How perfect! It must be a sign I thought, a sign that my new Gossip Girl clothing recapping is the right fit for the season. From the Henri Bendel hat box the camera panned down to a Saks hat box, a Matthew Williamson shopping bag, a Chanel shopping bag, a Christian Louboutin shoe box, a Lanvin shoe box, and Prada shoe box! Someone at the CW must be reading my blog! However, they forgot to include the Alexander Wang boot box. I'll let it slide, CW, just this one time.

Now, to the clothes!

Blair looked good on her date while they were in her apartment but what was that awful car coat she wore when they went out to track down Holland? And while were on the topic of Blair's first date mistakes, what eighteen year old has a first date in her parents living room?

Not to worry though, Blair redeemed herself in a stunning brown floral gown at the Library Benefit which somehow everyone on the show managed to have a reason to attend, the day of. Typical. Of the attendees, Serena won the prize for slutiest, as usual. She chose to show up at the invite only, black tie event for old people in a gold scarf. Let me clarify, she wore just a gold scarf. She wrapped it around her butt and draped it over one shoulder. It was not a dress and certainly not a gown. It was a scarf.

Jenny looked hot and goth as she slithered through the party all snake-like.

But Liliy won the fashion contest again this week with her knock-out helicopter dress. Leave it to Lily Van der Woodsen to dress for a midnight flight to Palm Beach in a one shoulder, belted dress in a helicopter print! To. Die. For.

Faking An Illness Makes For Great Fashion Apparently: This Week's Gossip Girl Recap

For this week’s Gossip Girl recap I’m going to try something new and if it goes well I might stick with it. Here’s the plan: make the recap itself secondary while giving the spotlight to the clothes worn by the characters. How does that sound? I figure with the best couple broken up there’s not much earth-shattering Gossip Girl action to report on anyway. (Is it comical or is it sad that I find the goings-on of the Chuck and Blair duo earth-shattering? I’m going to go with comical for the sake of my ego.)

So, without further ado, what the heck was Queen of the Squatters Vanessa wearing for her first two scenes last night? Purple sequins!?! First of all, purple is Chuck’s color and is therefore off limits to all outer borough dwelling heathens. Second of all and as another general rule, sequins are not to be worn under any circumstances (1) before sun down, (2) on any day other then a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, and (3) more then once every two weeks. Though it is unclear what day of the week this episode begins on it is very certainly morning and I’m pretty sure this is Vanessa’s second sequin offense in about a week. So there. Vanessa is the pits.

Next! Serena looks hot and skinny in that long sleeved blue dress. Perfect for breakfast with the boy-toy, not so appropriate for breakfast with the fam. But I will let it slide because she at least chose a boob covering garment for once.

Jenny looks gother and gother every week. I love it. Also, she changes after breakfast into a second goth but sorta punk look. It is not as cool as the first goth look but she gets points for variety - black with black and black can become repetitive.

Also dining in style is Lily. Her pink taffeta breakfast dress with the zipper on the shoulder is amazing. I'm thinking Oscar de la Renta. But what is that under garment she has peeking out below her arm? It looks like a tank but surely the dress is lined. Why would anyone layer such a look? This one is a mystery to me.

At the Columbia gala for Dr. V everyone gets dressed up and there is a lot to report on. Serena's bandage dress with the Michael Jackson bejeweled shoulder makes her look fat and old. Also, Serena Shops A Lot should know that this MJ look was out as soon as it was in. Blair's red textured dress, on the other hand, is perfectly modern and young. Spot on, B - and congratulation on getting into Columbia as well. Later, as the party is coming to a close, Jenny get's found out for being a fake-oxy drug dealing brat in front of her dad. It is at this moment that we see her tiny Rodarte dress. It is lovely from the waist down but way too tight up top.

But Lily wins the evening for her belted gold to blue fade Prada dress. True it is not this season or even this year, but the Prada Fall 2007 collection was stunning and is definitely worth bringing back. So that's that. For the breakfast dress and the Columbia gala gown, Lily is crowned this week's style maven - that is, until next week.

Prada Architecture

Over the past few years I have visited more Prada and Miu Miu stores around the world then I can count. My intention, most frequently, is to browse the new collections and to pick out the most beautiful handbag, swing it over my shoulder, and study my improved reflection in the nearest full length mirror. However, I have found more then just fashion in these stores – I have found design and architecture!

Possibly the most famous Prada store is Prada Aoyama in Tokyo. It was designed in 2003 by Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron best known for bringing us the Olympic Bird's Nest in Beijing. Prada Aoyama is six stories of diamond shaped glass panels; some flat, some concave, and some convex. The detail creates the illusion that the building is moving as you walk around it and also appears to magnify the clothes displayed behind the glass.

Prada Aoyama

When I visited the store it was April of last year and they were showing the Fall 2009 collection. Remember the fly-fishing boots with the shorts? That was a good collection. There was a lot to see and I visited every floor.

Prada Aoyama

Another big architecture name in the world of Prada and Miu Miu is Rem Koolhaas. Along with the settings of many Prada and Miu Miu runway shows, he is also responsible for the award winning Prada Soho in New York.

Prada Soho

And the newer Prada Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Both have the signature wide staircase that doubles as a museum-like stage for the clothes and shoes. Prada Soho has a huge ramp opposite the wide staircase and a narrower staircase adjacent to the ramp that leads to the men's collection. The women's collections are on the lower level on rows of moving walls that are affectionately referred to as coffins by the store's staff.

Prada Rodeo Drive

Prada Rodeo Drive

In Paris the temporary Prada store was designed by Roberto Baciocchi. He also designed the Prada Honolulu store.

Prada Paris

Prada Paris

And many of the Miu Miu stores. In Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Kyoto, the same Roberto Baciocchi design can be found. The color varies but the Miu Miu pattern is the same. These are two photos I took of the Miu Miu stores in Tokyo and Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Miu Miu Kowloon

Miu Miu Tokyo

Do You Over-Pack And Under-Dress When You Go On Vacation?

Whenever I go on vacation, no matter how remote the location, or how posh the accommodations, there are two things that I always end up doing: I find a boutique in which to buy some new clothes; and (despite the great variety of packed and recently purchased clothes) I end up wearing the same two outfits. If this sounds like you, then listen up!

Most people over-pack and under-dress while they are on vacation. So why not try this little challenge: If you are going away for one week, bring only your two favorite outfits; if you are going away for a long weekend, bring just your most favorite outfit. Believe me, with the clothes already on your back, it will be enough. And if this sounds really impossible to you, then take it from a fellow shopaholic, you’ll make it work!