Lady Mary's Wedding Dress Cost ￡4,000

Downton's back! And it's most definitely a new fashion era. As Downton Abbey costume designer Caroline McCall tells us in this week's issue of Grazia – out now – the shift to the 1920's has meant a whole new wardrobe. Including two wedding dresses….'Lady Mary's wedding dress was the most expensive costume we've made. It cost around ￡4,000 to make,' she tells us. 'It's a silver lace tabard fabric that goes into a train at the back, and underneath is a silk dress with silk sleeves. The detail at the back wasn't really seen on camera but the lace goes into a V at the back with tiny buttons and it's completely edged with tiny rice pearls and Swarovski crystal.'
And, given the competition between the two sisters in the series, how much pressure was there to make Lady Edith's wedding dress different? McCall says she planned it carefully – and with the plot in mind. 'Edith always been a little bit awkward but I wanted us to see her on her wedding day as absolutely stunning so that's the way I went with her dress,' she recalls.One of McCall's favourite moments thus far this series was dressing the two grandmothers for Lady Mary's wedding. 'Both grandmothers ignore the tradition not to upstage the bride and wear cream. Maggie Smith's costume is so sophisticated and Edwardian and then Shirley MaClaine is all Hollywood diva in a turban with a bird of paradise. It's bit of an outrage – the American granny really gone for it,' McCall says proudly. 'You pinch yourself to see Maggie Smith and Shirley MaClaine sitting next to each other in your costumes.' And contrary to reports MaClaine 'loved her costumes but she is more of a leisurewear kind of woman she doesn't like whole load of fuss'.
McCall works tough hours; 'at least 6.30am to 8pm' and then some; 'I can't really switch off once we're filming, after we finish for the day I'll still be making a hat, or going to collect a dress'. Unsurprising, then, that the costume designer sees herself identifying with 'below stairs' rather than the aristocrats above. But she says 'I'm very lucky; I go to beautiful locations, surrounded by beautiful furniture, beautiful cars, even the food styling on set is amazing. It's lovely to immerse yourself in this world.'A few months later they got me back in and showed me a sample and asked if that was it. It was. In May, they sent me a dress in my size and asked me to wear it around. I wore it for the Orange prize in June and a wedding in August and a restaurant meal in Cornwall. I've worn it to death, as they say. As writer Dodie Smith pointed out, a new dress is a great help in all circumstances, and one that fits and flatters and covers what needs covering is the sartorial equivalent of a washing machine: you don't know what you did without it. It goes into the shops from October, costs ￡99 and, to my red-faced embarrassment, it is called the Linda. It comes in purple and black and there will be more fabrics next season.

Dolce, Versace and Bottega in Milan for Spring 2013

How lovely it would be to live in a world as imagined by fashion designers. For spring 2013, they have not been cowed by sluggish economies. They aren't feeling blue from all the death and violence that racks the Middle East and North Africa. They are not fretful about global warming, West Nile virus, or any of the various and chronic existential pains that come from living in these turbulent times.Designers in Milan have adhered to one of the fundamental goals of the creative class, which is to help us find solace and joy in the beauty that surrounds us—whether in a museum or at the mall. Without regard to politics or political correctness, they have been plain and honest about pleasure, fond memories, and illogical delights.
At Dolce & Gabbana on Sunday afternoon, a spare stage surrounded by troughs of dripping greenery and paddle-shaped succulents served as a backdrop for a loving homage to Sicily. Their spring 2013 collection was a stirring, silly, dizzying parade of kaleidoscopic patterns, wry uses of materials such as raffia, luxurious embroidery, and evocative prints. It was a pleasantly lush Dolce & Gabbana romp filled with shaped dresses, circle skirts, and bloomers.The prints were inspired by characters that populate Sicilian street fairs and puppetry stages. They are figures rooted in traditions—funny, personally meaningful, and not especially politically correct.Exclusive: First look at RHONY LuAnn de Lesseps' dress line.Full skirts, slender dresses, and tunic tops were stitched from fading Moorish-looking prints depicting lemon-lipped blacks and mustachioed knights on horseback. Images of lemon trees adorned blouses. And skirts dazzled the eyes with patterns borrowed from traditional ceramics.
There was nothing ponderous or political about this collection—no matter how gut-clenchingly odd it might be to see a kind of Golliwogg face on a designer shirt worn by a white model.In the 1980s African-American designer Patrick Kelly tried to reappropriate that bug-eyed, thick-lipped image by incorporating it into his work. The Mississippi-born designer tried to defuse it of its freight of derisiveness and racism, while not forgetting its distinctly American history. The Golliwogg is not fully freed of its burden. But it is thought-provoking to see it in the context of another culture's sweet memories—a reminder that our world is both vast and tiny, as well as exceedingly complex.

Exclusive: First look at RHONY LuAnn de Lesseps' dress line

LuAnn de Lesseps is known for her elegant style on The Real Housewives of New York. Now the mother of two is sharing her fashion sense with the world as she debuts her new dress line for SheKnows. Come inside her NYC apartment with us and check it out.You never get to see LuAnn de Lesseps inside her NYC apartment on The Real Housewives of New York. But during Fashion Week, LuAnn opened her doors to SheKnows for an exclusive tour and mini fashion show.
Though the line is still in the works, we got a sneak peek at LuAnn's latest project: a stylish, sexy dress line for women. The Countess describes the line as "affordable, elegant and easy.""I'm very excited," LuAnn told SheKnows. "Women ask me how I always look right for the occasion, so I want to share all that experience which has taken me years to learn. It doesn't always come that easily and I think it takes practice."LuAnn's pieces are all versatile, great for taking from day to night and easy to travel with. She anticipates they will retail for about $100-$150, an accessible price for many women. And the cuts are meant to flatter all body types."I love clothes that are simple and that are complementary," said LuAnn. "I love the shape because I think it flatters every woman. I think it's really important for women to feel comfortable and not feel like you have to pull down your skirt."
But just because the pieces are conservative doesn't mean they're not eye-catching."Even though you're a mother, you can still look fabulous.""Even though you're a mother, you can still look fabulous," said LuAnn. "You want your hem to be at a certain length at a certain point in your life, and the neck has to be just right and not showing too much. But the notion of mystery, I think, is very sexy."She says she also plans to make cardigans and capes to go along with the dresses, as well as an accessories line."I want to have statement pieces that really take your dress from day to night," she told us. "I've decided to work on a collection of jewelry from all the pieces I've collected from all over the world."
LuAnn's dresses weren't the only stylish things we saw on our visit though; her entire apartment exudes elegance. The 1920s art deco high-rise, that she shares with her boyfriend Jacques Azoulay, is decorated immaculately with chic accents of red and zebra-print.As she showed us her home, the conversation turned to her co-stars and the Countess filled us in on what she thinks of the other New York Housewives' styles."I think Aviva is very stylish," said LuAnn when asked who on the show is the best dressed (excluding herself).

Dave Bakke: Mocha Momma and her red dress meet Katie Couric

That's Oprah and Katie down for Kelly. Which national show is next? Ricki Lake? Jimmy Fallon? Ellen DeGeneres?"I'll just have to get my own," says Kelly. Don't think she won't.Two years ago, I wrote about her appearance on "Oprah." As assistant principal at Lincoln Magnet School, Kelly was one of several educators on the show to talk about the movie "Waiting for Superman." It was a documentary examining the problems of the country's public school system and solutions for fixing those problems.But this time it was "Katie" and the story of The Traveling Red Dress.
The red dress phenomenon was started by Jenny Lawson in Texas. Jenny wrote on her blog, "I want, just once, to wear a bright red, strapless ball gown with no apologies. I want to be shocking, and vivid and wear a dress as intensely amazing as the person I so want to be. And the more I thought about it the more I realized how often we deny ourselves that red dress and all the other capricious, ridiculous, overindulgent and silly things that we desperately want but never let ourselves have because they are simply ‘not sensible' ".Jenny bought the dress, wore it and it was liberating. She wanted other women to feel what she felt when she wore that dress and so it began a journey ... "traveling from city to city so that other people can wear it and love it and feel as special and vivid and dynamic as they already are. Because sometimes we all need a little red dress to remind us of that."
She sent the dress to a breast cancer patient. A woman with agoraphobia wore it. But mostly it is worn by women like the ones you see on the street every day.About a year ago, the red dress made its way to Springfield, and Kelly wore it. She had professional photographer Matt Penning take pictures of her in the dress.Feminine looks, old Hollywood style feature at NY fashion week.Afterward, she wrote on her Mocha Momma blog about the experience of the dress and why she wore it.
"I needed a moment of the abnormal, a celebration of the irrational," she wrote. "I needed the absolute crazy idea of getting a red ball gown in the mail and going out in the middle of the woods to take pictures in it. I needed to be something that maybe you wouldn't expect from the person at your child's school. I mean, really, can you see this person as the trusted individual whose office you might need to go to when your child gets in trouble or is in need of help? ..."Red dresses are transformative. Red dresses are necessary. Red dresses have the power to resurrect. Red dresses are the best kind of ridiculous. Thank you, Jenny, for reminding me of that."

Roy used a wave of coral colorblocking in a more fitted sleeveless dress

Rachel Roy mixed smudges of blue and gray with an earthy print of birds and animal skulls in a loose one-shoulder jumpsuit and palazzo pants in an eclectic spring collection that included pops of bright coral, neon orange and ivory eyelet lace."For me, I do a lot of mixing and balancing," she said Tuesday during a presentation at her Manhattan showroom. "I believe in mixing prints by taking opposites."A crepe racer tank in the smudged print was worn with an ivory silk trouser adorned with a cascade of purple and light brown dandelions — and a belt offering a third design.Roy used a wave of coral colorblocking in a more fitted sleeveless dress. She paired a colorblocked, bright orange knit top with long sleeves in blush and a bright, white pair of loose eyelet lace shorts.
"Getting dressed in the morning, you pick a vibrant color and maybe you'll have a vibrant mood," she said.Designer Sophie Theallet recently won a big knitwear award. So it shouldn't be a surprise that she incorporates knitwear into so many of her new designs.What was striking about the French-born designer's Spring 2013 collection was what she did with that knitwear — pairing brightly colored, fitted little cardigans with filmy organza skirts and dresses."Why not?" she said with a smile backstage at Tuesday's show.There were lots of pretty dresses at Theallet's show, and many bore an unmistakable image: A dragonfly."The dragonfly is viewed in different ways in different cultures," Theallet explained backstage. "Sometimes evil, sometimes spiritual. I wanted to show how the woman I am dressing can be anything at any time — she can be what she wants. She is dressing for herself."At Naeem Khan's Spring/Summer 2013 preview on Tuesday, most designs, except the fanciest gowns, were paired not with the usual stiletto heels but with flat sandals, like ones you'd saunter over to the beach in.
The Indian-born Khan, who famously designed Michelle Obama's first state-dinner dress, remained true to his glamorous roots, presenting a number of red-carpet-ready gowns.But he also broadened his collection by adding separates and daywear, as in cotton sateen pants paired with a bustier, or a cashmere off-the-shoulder sweater, or a quilted trench in bright blue.Khan ended his show with a series of beaded chiffon caftans, in marigold, coral, blue and blush.The Theyskens Theory line marries edgy-style darling Olivier Theyskens with accessible Theory, but the new spring collection presented a singular vision. It was an all-day wardrobe for the cool urbanite who might be a little more romantic than she thought.

Feminine looks, old Hollywood style feature at NY fashion week

Soft, flowing dresses with mid-calf hemlines in pastel shades of blue, sea foam and grays dominated the runway on Monday as designer Carolina Herrera showed her Spring 2013 collection at New York Fashion Week.The look was feminine, subtle and light as models seemed to float down the runway in wool-crepe long dresses, twill blouses matched with crepe flounce shorts and elegant color-blocked silk gowns with tulle overlays."It is a flirtatious collection with a focus on the essentials and proportions including long fluid skirts and shorts," was how the Venezuelan-born, New York-based designer described her creations.Shoulders were narrow, and Herrera hiked the waist toward the bustline with long, full skirts for an elongated silhouette that she paired with simple short-sleeved tops.
The designer who is known for her elegance and intricacy and is a favorite on the red carpet with her glamorous designs did not disappoint.An ivory pleated silk gown included floral embroidery and an oyster snakeskin skinny belt. Another fully embroidered icy-white column gown featured a black tulle overlay.Like the lace-backed Twilight wedding dress that Herrera designed for actress Kristen Stewart for the film "Breaking Dawn Part 1," the collection had a timeless appeal.Herrera's love of prints was evident in a motif in pastel shades that she used in various dresses, blouses and skirts that gave a cohesion to the entire collection.
"Every dress was stunning," gushed a member of the audience that included activist and former rock star wife Bianca Jagger, actress Julianne Hough, tennis great Boris Becker and "Vanity Fair" editor Graydon Carter.While Herrera opted for flirtation and romance, Norisol Ferrari, another Venezuelan-born designer, had Old Hollywood and actresses Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth and Rita Moreno in mind when she designed her spring collection, which featured strong lines, bold colors and plenty of sex appeal.Northern Lights Blaze Up After Big Sun Storm.She described the actresses as "all strong, confident women who command attention, desire and respect," which could also be said of her designs.
With figure-hugging trousers, capris and shorts, fitted, tailored jackets cinched at the waist and pleated in the back and cropped tops, Ferrari celebrated the female form and emphasized all of its curves.Each of the 33 designs had a suggestive title ranging from A Woman in Love and Girl's Night Out to The Last Tango and An Affair to Remember.Unlike other shows that feature young, waif-like models, many of Ferrari's designs were modeled by women of a certain age, including one-time supermodel 51-year-old Carol Alt, who drew applause in a flowing, belted black and cream gown.

Northern Lights Blaze Up After Big Sun Storm

 The northern lights erupted in a stunning display Monday night (Sept. 3) after a recent solar storm, amazing skywatchers around the world.On Friday (Aug. 31), the sun unleashed a coronal mass ejection (CME), sending a huge cloud of charged particles streaking into space at more than 3.2 million mph (5.1 million kph), NASA researchers said. The CME delivered a glancing blow to Earth's magnetosphere, putting on quite a show for stargazers at high latitudes.Photographer Ole Salomonsen captured the supercharged northern lights — also known as the aurora borealis — from a forest near Naimakka, Finland. He drove about 120 miles (200 kilometers) to get there, as the weather wasn't cooperating in Tromso, Norway, where he lives and works.  But the view was worth the international trip, Salomonsen said.
"There I was standing all alone deep into the Finnish forest, just in awe of this display of light that happened above my head," he wrote in a Facebook post.Even a bright moon couldn't spoil the show, Salomonsen added."A large moon is not normally optimal for watching auroras, especially not when it's not completely dark yet up here," he told SPACE.com via email. "But the moon actually contributed to absolutely magic photographic conditions, with the mist/fog over the lakes."
 Big CMEs that hit Earth squarely can wreak havoc, spawning powerful geomagnetic storms with the potential to disrupt GPS signals, radio communications and power grids. But the storms resulting from Friday's CME — which occurred after an enormous filament erupted from the sun's surface — were minor and apparently had little impact aside from the ramped-up auroras.The northern and southern lights result when charged particles from the sun collide with molecules high in Earth's atmosphere, generating a glow.The auroras are usually restricted to high latitutes because Earth's magnetic field lines tend to funnel these particles over the planet's poles. Solar storms can increase both the intensity and reach of auroral displays, bringing them into view for more skywatchers around the world.
After remaining relatively quiet from 2005 through 2010, the sun began waking up last year. It has fired off numerous strong flares and CMEs over the last two years, and researchers predict more such activity in the near future.Solar activity waxes and wanes on an 11-year cycle. Scientists think the current one, known as Solar Cycle 24, will peak sometime in 2013.

Local organization giving away 1,000 free homecoming dresses

School just started for local high school students, and homecoming is right around the corner. One organization is giving away free dresses for girls that may need a little help getting ready for the dance.Becca's Closet was started by Rebecca Kirtman, a Florida high school student. She collected 250 dresses and gave them away to needy girls. Rebecca was killed soon after in a car accident. Her friends and family have spread the program around the country in her memory. The local Rockford chapter, located at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, opened its doors today for the homecoming season."We want to give away special dresses for proms and homecomings and other special events, to make it possible for girls who might not otherwise be able to afford to go to those events, so they can participate just like everyone else." -says Becca's Closet Volunteer Coordinator Mariel Heinke.Becca's Closet is open to the public every Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon, from now until October 20th.
Now three Hamilton ladies are giving former brides, grooms and bridesmaids the opportunity to showcase their special outfits one more time at a charity ball.The wedding themed ball at the Byre in East Kilbride on September 8 is set to raise money for Cancer Research and Alzheimer's UK.CC annual clothing drive, exchange nearing.Both charities are close to the hearts of sisters Carolann Dunbar and Mariette Giblin and their cousin Megan Martin.
Mariette, 32, said: "My sister saw a wedding themed charity ball advertised last year and it just looked so fun and unusual that in February we decided to organise our own event."We've had loads of feedback on Facebook, from mostly ladies excited about the possibility of wearing their dresses again."We didn't need to put any thought into the charities we really wanted to raise money for cancer and Alzheimer's."One of our close family members had Alzheimer's and Megan's mum and dad have both passed away from cancer, so we want to raise as much money as possible in their memory."As well as being encouraged to dress to impress in wedding attire there will be a champagne reception, iCandy Butlers, live entertainment from Michael O'Shay and a finger buffet throughout the night.Her mother, who also suffers from a non-specific disorder that afflicts her joints and has caused her pain that doctors for years have been unable to explain, plays a supporting role in the show, especially when the discussion turns to her daughter's medical condition.