Cannes Pt.2

As promised, here is Part II of my favorite gowns from the Cannes Film Festival. Enjoy!

Let's start with a few of the fuller gowns. We have this gorgeous candy-apple red Armani Privé gown worn by the luminous Alyson Le Borges. I love the color and the tailoring. Plus, usually I don't like a whole lot of bells & whistles on a dress, but I am loving it with this particular one! Her hair and makeup perfectly complement the dress, and her diamonds are exquisite.

(All photos courtesy of www.zimbio.com and www.stylebistro.com)

Here is Jessica Biel in a beautiful ivory and silver Marchesa dress. I find that ankle-length dresses are often awkward, and yet it looks immaculate on Jessica. I love her diamond snake-wrap necklace, which adds both edge and elegance to the look.

I'm convinced Zoe Saldana could wear a paper bag and it would look fabulous on her. Luckily, she chose to wear Valentino in Cannes ;) This dress is so beautiful, and I love its uniqueness, as well, in the design. The white shoulder straps are bold and unique, and completely work! Conceptually, if I heard that about the design I'd think it a terrible idea, but seeing it here, I absolutely adore it. 

I'm going to try to ignore the cheese factor in this photo and just focus on this lovely L'Wren Scott dress that Nicole Kidman is wearing. The colors are so bright and vivid, that I feel that this dress alone transports you to what summer in Cannes, France must look and feel like! Perfect dress for the occasion. 

Cindy Crawford is like a fine wine, she only gets better each year. I mean are you kidding me?! She is such a knockout in this ivory Roberto Cavalli gown, it must have been hand made for her! Flawless, flawless, flawless, the end.

This Prada gown that Milla Jovovich is wearing is not my favorite, but I like it enough and appreciate its uniqueness, so I wanted to share it with you all. I actually feel that if someone else was wearing this dress I might like it more, perhaps if it was some young, whispy model? I don't know, what do you think?

Here's Naomie Harris in a silver Calvin Klein dress. Yes, it's simple, but I love that about this look! It's so fresh and honest, and she absolutely glows in it!

  Well kittens, that wraps up my Cannes coverage! What were your thoughts on these dresses?! Have a beautiful Memorial Weekend everyone!

Bisous,

xox ~ KB

Cannes Pt.1

I realized rather late tonight, as in midnight, that I had yet to share and discuss the fashion I've been seeing at the Cannes Film Festival this past week! So, we must play catch up! I narrowed down the dresses I most enjoyed, but we still have to split it into two posts in order to cover all of them! 

To begin, we have supermodel Doutzen Kroes in this stunning, white Calvin Klein gown that simply hugs her to perfection. I love the cutout in the back, as well as the slit.

(All photos courtesy of www.stylebistro.com and www.zimbio.com)

 Here is supermodel and fashion's current "It Girl," Cara Delevingne, looking sultry and divine on the red carpet. Normally, I would find a dress like this too mature for someone as young as her, but she owns both the dress and the carpet and doesn't make me question a damn thing! This looks comes with a strong dose of both attitude and sex appeal ;)

The always stunning Cheryl Cole looks absolutely decadent in this burgandy Zuhair Murad dress. The gown is exquisite, and I love that she kept the hair and makeup simple so as not to distract from the beauty of the dress itself.

There were quite a few black and white gowns I noticed, and here are my top 3 of them! First we have the always lovely Emma Watson wearing Chanel - the design is simple and yet absolutely gorgeous on her.

Second, we have Jennifer Lawrence in Christian Dior. She looks like every bit the Oscar winner she is, and I love the shorter hair on her!

Lastly, we have the always exquisite Lana Del Rey. You all know by now that I am a huge fan of Lana's, not only in her music, but in her style and fashion choices as well. I thought she took the cake at the Gatsby premiere in this Lena Hoschek piece. The lace, beading, fit, and detailing of this gown are truly incredible, and I love her hair and makeup as well.  

 

See you kittens on Friday for Part 2 of my Cannes gown featurette ;)

Bisous,

xox ~ KB

Spring Into Action

Top: Tobi.com, Skirt: Brandy Melville, Shoes: Dolcetta by Dolce Vita

Here are a few more stills from my shoot with videographer/photographer Kris LeVasseur! These were shot around sunset, and the hues just bring out the flowers all over, including on my Brandy Melville skirt ;) I love how the tone of these photos is so lovely, feminine, and in line with the spring season. Have a beautiful Monday BBs!!

Bisious,

xox ~ KB 

Recap: This Week!

Hi kittens! In case you fell behind, here's a little recap of what you missed this week here on Blush&Bangs! On Monday's post "Free." I showed photos from a shoot I did where we used a tattered flag and gave it a very stylistic Americana feel. Here's a short video clip of the shoot for you to see by clicking HERE!! 

Also, on Wednesday, I posted the trailer to the TV show "Valeties," which I am a part of! It is a comedic mockumentary, and we had so much fun improvising and working on it. Please watch, laugh, and share the video with your friends :)

Now you're all caught up, and ready for next week with us! Have a great weekend BBs!!
xox ~ KB

Valeties Sneak Peak!

Hi lovelies! Here is a taste of a very cool and very funny project I've had the good fortune of working on with my friends! My friend Virginia approached me to come do some improv for a show she was creating, and joined by our other friend Melanie (we all met at the Upright Citizens Brigade) we worked on Valeties! Valeties is a mockumentary/mockureality TV show following girls that work for a private valet company. It's a bit reminiscent of Workaholics and Burning Love :) Our characters are ridiculous and it was so much fun to play. So please help us by watching and sharing our video with your friends!! You can watch it below or click here! Be sure to share with your friends!!

xox ~ KB

Free.

Live fast. Die young. Be wild. And have fun.
I believe in the country America used to be.
I believe in the person I want to become.
I believe in the freedom of the open road.
And my motto is the same as ever.
I believe in the kindness of strangers. And when I’m at war with myself I ride, I just ride.

 Who are you?
Are you in touch with all of your darkest fantasies?
Have you created a life for yourself where you can experience them?
I have. I am fucking crazy.
But I am free. 

~ Lana Del Rey "Ride"

 Today's post is composed of film stills from a shoot I did with photographer Kris LeVasseur. We shot mostly in video, so these photos are still frames taken from the video :) It was such a fun, cool shoot and I couldn't wait to share it with you guys! Kris had this beautifully tattered American flag in his car, and we decided to be spontaneous and see what we could create with it, and this is the result. We shot in the Echo Park area, and off of a residential street was this hill, so we climbed it and did a bit of guerilla shooting, lol!

Bisous,

xox ~ KB

 

Met Gala Pt. 2

Hello lovelies! As promised, here is my continued coverage of noteworthy guests at this year's Met Gala whose theme was PUNK: Chaos to Couture. Again, there were SO many photos and attendees to go through, and it was extremely difficult to narrow down my focus, so not everyone is here. I'm leaving out ones that really didn't work for me, because there are too many others I want to take note of! Here we go!

(All photos courtesy of www.stylebistro.com)

 Supermodel Doutzen Kroes wore this stunning leather Theyskens Theory gown with a sheer underlay that emerges from the slit. I love this dress, although many guests settled for simply wearing a black dress and calling it "punk," this Theyskens gown feels like a perfect blend of punk and haute couture.

 Sarah Jessica Parker was the evening's crown jewel. This is how you do elevated, thematic haute couture people! There were so many stars that took risks, many of which fell flat, and even more of which were just trying wayyy too hard. They need to learn from SJP. She knows how to make a statement so effortlessly, and just how much to kick it up for a fashion event. She wore a gorgeous Giles Deacon gown that is tailored to perfection, and a feathered, mohawk Philip Treacy headpiece. Hands down, queen of the night!

 This was just the right amount of skin to show for Emma Watson to have it be a fun dress to see her in. I love her in this Prabal Gurung number.

 Jaime King wore this silk, tailored suit from TopShop, and for me, her headpiece is what really makes this outfit. Although it was black, it was different because she was one of few to wear a suit, and the combination of silk and lace was lovely.

 I just love supermodel Karolina Kurkova's minidress here. Both the color and print of this Mary Katrantzou minidress are fabulous and so fun!

Here is Dakota Fanning showing some skin in this Rodarte dress with sheer cutouts. It's a touch mature for her, but I felt that it was still a lovely gown and it didn't seem as though she was trying too hard. 

 Is Emmy Rossum the most thematically dressed? Perhaps not. But, she does look incredible from head to toe, and that is why I included her. This Donna Karan Atelier gown is simply stunning. The fabric, fit, detailing, all of it is flawless. And she kept the jewelry subtle so as to let her hair and makeup shine, which they did.

 Lastly, here is Olivia Wilde looking like a gorgeous smokeshow. I love love love this outfit. She is wearing Calvin Klein and it is perfection on her. I love the simplicity of the lines, and the fit and tailoring are exquisite. The peek-a-boo crop top is baring just the right amount of skin for the event, and her hair and makeup looks light, ethereal, and effortless. I feel that the effortlessness in this look is the attitude of punk in and of itself - it's bold, confident, and rebellious without trying to be. Take note young starlets, this is how you do it well ;)

That concludes my Met Gala coverage, phewf, that was a lot! There is of course so much more we could discuss about the evening, and I'm happy to do so with any of you via the comments section or facebook page or twitter :)

Bisous,

xox ~ KB

 

Met Gala Pt. 1

The biggest night in fashion took place Monday night in New York City at this year's Met Gala! For those who may not know: The Costume Institute Gala (aka Met Gala) takes place each year at the Metropolitan Museum's opening of the new fashion exhibit. Celebrities are typically escorted by designers and wear designs specifically made for the Gala's theme. This year's theme was "PUNK: Chaos to Couture." Another reason the event is the most prominent night in fashion is because it is hosted by Vogue magazine, and the brilliant (famed and feared) editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, personally approves each and every name on the guest list. Thus, it is a tremendous honor to be invited to the event!

 It was extremely difficult to narrow down which looks to feature, and even after narrowing the pile I still have to divide them into two posts! This is a fashion night with lots of risks taken and bold choices made, but there were some to me that were ridiculous and some risks that I thought were nailed (and my choices may surprise you!). So here we go ;)

(All photos courtesy of www.stylebistro.com)

 I thought Anne Hathaway looked beyond amazing in her vintage Valentino gown that was pulled from the 1992 archives. This sheer dress shows off a lot of side-boob and oozes sex appeal! And the bleached hair for the event MADE this look for me. #sorrynotsorry

 Rooney Mara is wearing Givenchy Couture with a plunging neckline and fishtail, and she looks divine. The selling point for me is the dark lips. So on point.

 Nina Dobrev teamed up with Monique L'huillier for this piece, and it is receiving mixed reviews. I believe what is most shocking about it is that it is not what was expected to be produced from neither Nina nor Monique. However, I like it. I think it's different, a risk, and a bold punk choice that I find works!

 It feels like an eternity has passed since Blake Lively has graced the red carpet, and I have missed her! I always love the fashion choices she makes, and the Met Gala was no different. Blake is wearing Gucci and I love the coloring, fit, and detailing of this gown!

 The Met Gala saw numerous cutout dresses, and Miranda Kerr did it right in her Michael Kors dress. I love the hair and makeup, and damn if her body wasn't just made for this gown!

 In an evening filled with mostly black or white designs, Amber Heard was a refreshing pop of color in this red Emilio Pucci dress. The lace and the sheer cutouts around the neckline are absolutely lovely. Side note, I miss her blonde hair!

 Taylor Swift was a very refreshing surprise to me. We do not often see her in black or with her hair pulled out of her face, and I love that she did both for this event! I had to do a double take before I realized it was her, and she looks amazing in this J. Mendel gown. This isn't the first time she's worn J. Mendel this season, and I think this designer works so well with her. She looks sexy, elegant, and mature. Knockout ;)

Those are all the designs for today, but make sure to come back Friday for Part 2 of my Met Gala coverage!

 

Carmen SanDiego

"Where In The World Is Carmen SanDiego?" If you do not know the reference of today's post: 1) You missed out on something great in your childhoold, and 2) Stop everything you're doing and google it! The outfit in today's post made me feel like an international sleuth, hence my Carmen SanDiego reference, and with the help of Milani Cosmetics I was able to complete the look! Check it out ;)

Coat: Zara, Shoes: Steve Madden, Lipstick: Milani Cosmetics in "Black Cherry" get it here!, Lipliner: Milani Cosmetics in "Brandy" get it here! 

Well BBs, the weather may be warming up, but a good coat is always a necessity, no matter the season. If you no longer need it to keep warm during the day, then evening events often necessitate a chic coat to accompany you ;) I love this one from Zara. It is comfortable, very well fitted, doesn't feel heavy, and trés chic! To transition it for warmer seasons, I paired it with my nude, peep-toe Steve Madden heels. To top the look off, and make me more like an international spy a la Carmen SanDiego, I donned my Milani lipstick and lipliner. I love the deep burgandy shade of this lipstick, and how easily both it and the liner are to apply! Order yours now!!

 

Bisous,

xox ~ KB

 

Great Gatsby New York City Premiere

For those of you not in LA, our city has basically looked like it's sponsored by The Great Gatsby this past month with all the marketing found on every corner and crevice of the city. I'm so excited for this film (like many, the book is a favorite of mine), and I'm enthralled by the soundtrack! The movie had its premiere in New York City Wednesday night, and the stars were out! Here is some of the fashion, and while there were a couple hits, there were also quite a few misses. What do YOU think, give me your fashion feedback!

(All photos courtesy of www.stylebistro.com)

Here we have our Daisy, the lovely Carrie Mulligan dressed in this red Lanvin number. In my opinion, she can pull off nearly any look. Normally I would frown at someone so youthful wearing such a mature hemline, but she pulls it off quite well. The top of the dress is tailored to her perfectly, and I love how minimal she went in terms of makeup and jewelry. This girl is effortlessly chic!

 The stunning Nina Dobrev once again never fails to impress me. I'm telling you, she has the best stylist in Hollywood, hands down. She is dressed in Versace and looks drop dead gorgeous. I love the structure and design of the dress, especially the neckline.

 Isla Fisher is wearing a floral Dolce & Gabbana. What do you guys think of it? I liked this dress very much on the fashion runways, but here it almost looks dowdy to me. I think it just wasn't the right event for this dress. I do, however, love her hair and makeup!

 Here is singer and fashion darling Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine. One of her songs is on the film's soundtrack. Florence is known for making bold statements and choices when it comes to her fashions, which many designers tend to love. She is dressed in Miu Miu. I get it, I just don't know how I feel about it. To me it's just "meh."

 Jennifer Morrison is dressed in Dolce & Gabbana as well. In my opinion, she is such a beautiful woman, and I feel as though there is just too much fabric in this dress, and that it is swallowing her up! I probably would have dressed her in something else, but if she wanted to stick to this dress (which is beautiful), I then would have had it tailored differently to fit and complement her better!

 To close out, we have Adelaide Clemens in this gorgeous black number. I love the cut, the fit, the pattern and design of this dress. It's perfect and the shoes are great as well. I would have liked to have seen more in terms of hair and makeup to accentuate and complement the sexy playfulness of this dress :)

What did you think of the looks on this red carpet? And are you all as excited as I am for the movie!? Have a great weekend kittens!

xox ~ KB