Manolo says, this week gave us yet another admirable challenge, to produce the avant-garde work based upon the wacky hairdo of the model, and then to take this look of avant gardedness and turn it into the ready-to-wear outfit.

This was perhaps the smartest challenge yet presented to the designers, as it allowed them the most freedom to explore their art. And because this sort of detailed and extravagant work takes so much time, the Manolo did not resent the natural decision to divide the designers up into teams, even though such team challenges are patently unfair to whomever is chosen to be the leader. Of course, the designers clearly know it is unfair. Witness the cowardly, passive-aggressive behavior of Victorya and Jillian as they tried to avoid the burdens of leadership.

It was also the burdens of leadership that gave us the biggest revelation of the week, that the character of Rami proved to be so inflexible and pissy (there is no other word for it). Prior to this the Manolo had assumed him to be the fully formed adult, possessed of grace and good humor. Now we know that he is not someone you would wish to work for, as he is given to acting out, even when things are going well.

The second biggest revelation of the week was that Sweet P.’s elegant prom dress of the last week was not the fluke. Her ready-to-wear interpretation of Rami’s wickety-wack-covered, Rami-drapery thingy, was wonderful; so fresh and fun. She is turning out to have far more talent than either her earlier performance, or her loathsome and disfiguring tattoos would indicate.

In the end, the Manolo completely agreed with the decisions of the judges, the thing so rare as to be worthy of comment. But, the Manolo should note that the decisions about who should be rewarded and who should be banished were quite obvious the instant the models strutted down the runway.

(more…)

Manolo asked, whose shoes?

Manolo answers, it is the incomparable Loretta Lynn!

Congratulations to the Manolo’s internet friend K, who was the first to correctly guess the answer.

Manolo says, ayyyy! George Clooney responsible lover!

Manolo says, the Manolo has been feeling especially gloomy these past few days, and so naturally he does what he always does in such situations, look at the shoes.

These crazy, rainbow colored shoes from the Betsey Johnson have made the Manolo smile.

They are fun, and the simple line and lack of other ornamentations makes them wearable. Although, the Manolo suspects that the girl who would successfully wear such shoes would have to be charmingly wacky, the bit of the character, but also careful of avoiding seeming cartoonish or overly eccentric. It is the fine line that must be walked with these shoes.

How to wear such unusual shoes; such are the pleasant puzzles that can occupy the Manolo and take him away, however briefly, from the gloominess that has beset him.

Manolo asks, whose shoes?

Manolo says, here is the very versatile and stylish Chloe buckled high-heeled loafer that the Manolo thinks would be perfect for wearing to your place of employment, perhaps with the pants or the skirt.

Even better, it is on the sale, over $150 off of the regular price! But hurry, it is only available in the limited sizes.

Manolo says, the Manolo’s friend Linda Grant is having the contest…

Here is what you have to do. You simply need to dream up a Thought for the Day – a sentence or a two, an idea, an aphorism – about fashion, clothes, style. Do not be intimidated by the brainy observations that I have run so far. ‘A good handbag makes the outfit’, a perfect piece of sartorial wisdom, was dreamed up by my mother who left school at 14, and the family motto, ‘There’s only one thing worse than being skint and that’s looking as if you’re skint,’ by my immigrant grandfather who never even learned to speak English.

Go and submit your favorite fashion aphorism.

Manolo says, behold!

In Mr. Henry’s opinion, Buttercup is misguided. The Benevolent God of Cooking is a woman, or perhaps women.

And Mr. Henry is Her prophet.

Manolo says, it is Tuesday, and after the long break, it is again time to see what the Manolo is…

Reading…

Watching…

Listening to…

All the Manolo can say about the new Sweeny Todd, with the magnificent Johnny Depp, is that it is the masterpiece, the mad, misanthropic, repellent, gruesome masterpiece. In recent years, the Manolo had grown quite weary of Tim Burton and his whimsical, Addams-Family-style schtick, but this movie is on the entirely different level.

There is the undeniably malignant artistic vision at the heart of this movie that goes far beyond the usual winking and ironic stage productions of the past thirty years. Burton seems to be the first director to have fully comprehended the monstrosity contained in Sondheim’s lyrics, and is he certainly the first to have approved of it.

Manolo says, you have to admire the model’s ability to keep the straight face.

Manolo says, it is frozen wasteland outside, but inside how your heart yearns for the islands, and the cabana on the beach, with the fruity rum drink, and the muscular young man who will massage your feets with costly unguents. Of the course, he would first have to gently remove your beautiful resort sandals, the aptly named High Life from Lilly Pulitzer.

Manolo says, in lieu of the Globes of Goldenness, the Spirit Fingers has slaked our desire for fancy red carpet gowns by attempting to match the Golden Globe gown to the wearer. The Manolo could only identify five of the eight.