Clips

The High Fashion Influences of the 'Dragon Tattoo' Look

2011-12-26T18:50:43Z

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" heroine Lisbeth Salander has a signature style that resonates with designers and consumers alike. H&M's capsule collection with the film's costume designer Trish Summerville sold out of many items within days. Elements of her tough girl look can be found across various collections. View the slideshow.

Speakeasy's Holiday Cocktails: Don't You Want 'Christmas in a Glass'?

2011-12-16T18:39:37Z

The holiday party season is in full swing. Whether you're hosting a party or relaxing alone, Elva Ramirez has just the cocktail to sip next to Christmas trees and roaring fireplaces. In the first installment of WSJ After Hours, a new video series on nightlife and cocktails, Lantern's Keep barman Theo Lieberman demonstrates how to make the "Ten Lords A-Leaping," which marries the smooth oakiness of Macallan 10-year whisky with fresh nutmeg and allspice.

BAM and American Ballet Theatre Take a New Crack At 'The Nutcracker'

2011-12-15T18:57:02Z

The American Ballet Theater's production of "The Nutcracker" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, now in its second year, plays up the romance of the traditional story, but shakes up the narrative just enough to tease out a new story out of the Christmas classic. The overarching themes are still there: a little girl named Clara, a Christmas party, a mysterious uncle, rats, Nutcracker princes. But the difference is that this is not the traditional ballet is apparent from the start, when the show opens on a busy kitchen with gossiping maids and a little mouse hiding under a table. ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky choreographed the show, and in doing so, turns the focus more on Clara and her little girl visions of romance and love. While there is a Sugar Plum Fairy, she's not present in her usual role as the star of the show. Instead, a grown up Clara (Veronika Part) and Nutcracker Prince (Marcelo Gomes) dance two achingly romantic pas de deux. The famous closing acts with the parade of characters have also been altered. One very sweet addition is the introduction of new characters, a quartet of daffy bees, who all but steal the show each time they are on stage. The show, in five acts, runs about two hours. If you do attend, we suggest not reading the program ahead of time, and allowing yourself to visit a familiar classic and still be surprised. "The Nutcracker" is now playing at BAM through Dec. 31.

How to Drink 100-Year Old Louis XIII Cognac: One Small Drop at a Time

2011-12-01T19:03:38Z

"It's one century in a glass," Louis XIII cellar master Pierrette Trichet said, holding a crystal glass filled with amber liquid. "The idea is to be very humble in front of this glass and pay respect because it represents the effort and the know-how of one century." Ms. Trichet, speaking in French through a translator, was describing the proper way to sample Louis XIII, Remy Martin's star cognac. The cognac begins its life as rare grapes from Grande Champagne vineyards and ends as a blend of 1,200 eaux-de-vie, some of which are aged up to 100 years. She held the glass an armful away. Even from that distance, the scent of the cognac was faintly detectable. "The first nose is what you get from a distance," Ms. Trichet, Remy Martin's first female cellar master, explained. "It has mostly flowery scents. Jasmine. Fresh flowers. It's very delicate." She moved the glass closer and sniffed it like a wine. "When you come a little bit closer, you get some prune, some fig and also some nutty flavors, like hazelnut." At its closest, when one puts their nose into the glass, the cognac is redolent of oak and spice notes, plus the undeniable notes of vanilla and honey. "Now you want to taste. The recommendation is to take a very small drop," she said. "This very small drop is going to coat your palate and that's when you really discover some of these same aromas." "You get a fireworks of flavors," she said after a sip. "[All the flavors] are velvety and harmonious." We weren't sophisticated enough to pick out all 200 scents and flavors but can report that a sample of Louis XIII cognac was delicate, refined and complex. It is as much a perfume as it is a spirit. There was an pleasant finish that lasted well over an hour. If you're looking for something to find that hard-to-please foodie or spirits expert: we can guarantee they don't own a limited edition Louis XIII custom cognac decanter. Currently on auction at Charity Buzz, the "No. 13″ Louis XIII Le Jeroboam coffret (one of only 100 made) is going for $16,000. By the time the auction closes on Monday, Dec. 19, it is expected to close at around $26,000. The winner of the auction receives a personal invitation to visit the House of Remy Martin and meet Ms. Trichet. Proceeds benefit the Ruby Peck Foundation for Children's Education.

Bella's 'Twilight' Wedding Dress, Yours for $799

2011-11-21T19:11:35Z

There were millions of girls waiting for the premiere of "Twilight: Breaking Dawn." Wedding retailer Alfred Angelo is hoping at least of a few of them are old enough to marry. The official replica of Bella Swan's wedding dress arrives in stores today, on the heels of a record-breaking opening weekend for the movie. Carolina Herrera designed the dress Kristen Stewart wears in the film. Back in May, bridal retailer Alfred Angelo began working with Summit Entertainment to replicate the wedding dress in time for the film's November premiere, under a confidentiality agreement that designer Michael Shettel jokes was "signed in blood." The company, which used undisclosed code names for the Twilight dress project, limited its circle of principals involved to only about four people, the designer said. Mr. Shettel was also invited to the Los Angeles movie set to view the original dress. The "Bella" dress shipped secretly to stores, with photos and inventory unveiled today. The gown, which retails for $799 at Alfred Angelo stores nationwide, features long lace-trimmed sleeves, a Chantilly-inspired lace applique trim and a plunging cut-out illusion back. While the cinematic gown is in silk, the replica gown uses liquid satin. "The stitching on the bodice is the same, and the lace detailing is similar," Mr. Shettel says. "There were pricing issues to try to get it down to $799. That was the biggest issue more than design issues." "It really is for a Twilight fan because it does represent what the film is about," Mr. Shettel says. "[But] I think the silhouette transcends may different viewpoints." This is not the first movie film replica dress that Alfred Angelo has undertaken. According to a spokeswoman, the company, founded in 1934, also produced replicas of Elizabeth Taylor's wedding dress from 1950′s "Father of the Bride." And when dealing with fictional characters, one hopes there is no messy, unexpected divorce to deal with when trying to sell starry-eyed brides on their fairy tale wedding.

Glamour Girl Dita Von Teese Shares Beauty Tips

2011-11-17T19:23:34Z

Professional glamour girl Dita Von Teese is one of the fashion world's most photographed women, often appearing in the front row of fashion shows and at the most exclusive parties. On Tuesday evening, Ms. Von Teese held a party in honor of a new collaboration with Cointreau: a luxury travel cocktail valise that comes with an atomizer for spritzing cocktails, two glasses and shaker, among other cocktail tools. Famous for her retro siren beauty and pale skin, Runway took a moment to ask for beauty and style tips. "I do my own hair and makeup," Ms. Von Teese said. "The first thing is to practice. The reason I'm able to do my makeup so well is that I do it all the time. I don't wait for a special occasion." And there's no shame in taking time for re-applying pressed powder or checking lipstick, she adds. There are no clear rules when getting dressed for an event where photographs will be taken, Ms. Von Teese says. "I always stand by my fashion choices but sometimes they don't photograph as well or the photographers don't photograph it as well as they should have," she said. "But I don't feel I've ever made mistakes in my fashion choices. Even if other people didn't like it, I understand the reference and I understand why it's good."

Jay-Z's 'Occupy All Streets' Shirt Vanishes from Rocawear Site Amid Controversy

2011-11-12T22:33:47Z

For Jay-Z, the week started out with acclaim, and ended with a controversial product vanishing from the website of his clothing line. Earlier this week, the hip hop star played two sold-out shows with Kanye West at Madison Square Garden and gave a surprise performance at the Victoria's Secret fashion show on Wednesday night, but by Friday, some critics had stopped buzzing about the music and were accusing the star of trying to profit from the Occupy Wall Street movement. Photos of Jay-Z wearing an "Occupy All Streets" t-shirt were posted on the Rocawear site with close-ups of the shirt and a statement that it was going on sale on Friday. But when Business Insider asked Rocawear if any proceeds from the shirt were going towards the movement, Rocawear issued a statement defending its decision not to donate to the protestors, saying that the sentiment behind the shirt was not directly related to the political movement. By Saturday morning, the shirts had vanished from the Rocawear site. Tweets from the Rocawear and Roc4Life Twitter accounts published Friday touted the sale of the shirts, but the links to the retail page point to an empty page. A representative for Rocawear did not immediately respond with a request for comment.

Who Owns the Idea Behind Jay-Z's 'Occupy All Streets' Shirt?

2011-11-11T19:41:15Z

The Internet began buzzing following a photo of Jay-Z and Russell Simmons backstage after one of the "Watch the Throne" concerts earlier this week. Jay-Z was sporting a black t-shirt that read "Occupy All Streets." The shirt will soon be for sale via his Rocawear collection. But, according to Business Insider in a post published on Gawker, Rocawear is not planning to release profits from the shirt sales towards the movement. In a statement, Rocawear argued that the sentiment of the shirt was more universal than the political movement in Zuccotti Park and other cities. Russell Simmons, who lives just steps from Zuccotti Park, has been tweeting in support of his friend and posting updates via his GlobalGrind web site. In a post published on Friday afternoon, Simmons asked readers where profits of the shirt sales should go. As of Friday evening, about 60% of 200 votes cast were in favor of donating the proceeds to the movement. It's possible that the controversy caught Rocawear and Jay-Z by surprise. But as the weeks have progressed, the mood among protesters has been increasingly fractious over visiting celebrities, as well as anyone suspected of profiting from the grassroots movement (such as the domain seller who sold the movement their Occupy Wall Street.net domain for $8,000). The Occupy Wall Street protesters can't claim complete ownership over the "Occupy All Streets" phrase, however. As blogs have pointed out, that phrase appeared in the SlutWalk protests in Berlin. Rocawear and Jay-Z were unable to be reached for comment.

Emerging Talent: Title of Work Jazzes Up the Classic Tie

2011-11-11T19:33:49Z

New York-based label Title of Work has only existed for about six months, but it has already been scooped by buyers from Barneys, Neiman Marcus, Holt Renfrew and Park & Bond. (View the slideshow.) Title of Work's designer, Jonathan Meizler, is no fashion newbie. He has nearly two decades' worth of high-end menswear and womenswear experience, including a made-to-measure line at Bergdorf Goodman. Mr. Meizler was also a co-designer and business partner with German Valdivia on the JonValdi couture collection. Title of Work features embellished ties with details like silver ventilators, strings of delicate semi-precious stones, and draped chains reminiscent of watch fobs. The designer works with jewelers to create specially-made pieces, like hand-cast sterling silver grommets that are inlaid with crystals. He also adds toggle bolts to the grommets, so that when worn, the front and the back of the tie are linked, like a de facto tie bar. Every tie is handmade, and produced only per store order. They retail at $170 for non-decorated ties, and go for up to $1,000 for a cashmere tie studded with small black diamonds. Mr. Meizler understands that most men will shy away from things that are too shiny, for fear that they read as too feminine. He balances matte with shine, he says, so that any glints from the metal or stone embellishments are off-set by fabrics like wool, cashmere and twill. "The tie is the one area where the man can be more experimental," Mr. Meizler said. "You have your jacket, you have your pants, whereas women can really go off creatively. These art pieces are like architectural jewelry made for the guy who will push the envelope a little bit."

Building the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Wings, One Crystal at a Time

2011-11-10T22:43:42Z

Over two million Swarovski Elements crystals will be used in the high-profile Victoria's Secret fashion show, which takes place in New York on Nov. 9. This year, one costume alone will features over 100,000 crystals and weighs over 20 pounds, WSJ's Elva Ramirez reports.

Today in Muppets: Brooks Brothers Outfits Kermit the Frog

2011-11-10T19:57:43Z

We get press releases every day, just about every minute. But when this release by Brooks Brothers landed in the inbox, we couldn't help but give it a second look. Brooks Brothers will be launching an in-store and online marketing campaign linked to Disney's new Muppets film, and will host a Q&A with the world's most famous frog. A Brooks Brothers spokesman tells Runway, "Kermit, who plays himself in the film, wears several iconic items including a custom made, notch lapel 'Fitzgerald' style tuxedo with an elegant pleated tuxedo shirt and butterfly bowtie. In one of the film's more pivotal moments, he appears in a Brooks Brothers Flannel coat and trousers with a navy pin-striped cashmere scarf." Kermit, looking ever so dapper, is in good company. Some years back, his love interest, Miss Piggy, became a muse for Marc Jacobs.

Thom Browne on the Power of the Well-Cut Suit

2011-11-10T19:47:35Z

This fall, menswear designer Thome Browne designed a "Browne Bag," a limited edition grey bag that will be sold with Dewar's 12-year-old scotch for holiday and party gifts. It was introduced at a scotch tasting party at Hudson Clearwater on Tuesday night. Amid the scotch cocktails, truffle almonds and duck confit, Runway took a few moments to talk menswear with the designer, who is credited with introducing the slim, shorter silhouette for menswear several seasons back. The slim-cut silhouette you introduced years ago is still popular. Where do you see the menswear silhouette going next? Thom Browne: When I initially created it seven years ago, it was more timeless for me. This silhouette, for me, will always be around. Each season I take the silhouette and I re-introduce it in different ways, [including] playing with proportions. How do you convince the general consumer to take more risks in menswear? Browne: The most important thing for me is to make sure a guy feels comfortable, and giving men the confidence to have their own personal style. There's nothing more interesting to me than somebody that you can tell has the confidence to just have their own style, whatever that style is. [Men should] have a point of view, as opposed to doing what they think they're supposed to be doing or what they see in magazines and just following that. What's the effect of a well-cut suit? Browne: It's almost like you don't notice the clothing. You notice the confidence that person has. Not to be cliche, but the clothing shouldn't wear the person. You should really see the confidence in the person versus the clothing. What's a must-buy for this fall? Browne: I would recommend grey. Grey is timeless. It always looks good. Sometimes black and navy are a little too fashion. [Grey] transcends fashion. Will we ever see you do a fast-fashion collaboration with someone like Uniqlo or H&M? Browne: The only time I do things like that is if I connect with the people and I know they're going to do it really well. I wouldn't say no, but it has to be something I'm really interested in doing. I wouldn't do it just for the sake of doing it. What's the last thing you purchased that you love? Browne: I'm not a real shopper. I was just in Japan, and I bought two beautiful champagne coupes. They're crystal, late 19th century.

In Honor of Love Bracelet, Cartier Debuts Short Film Featuring Air

2011-11-09T20:13:05Z

On Wednesday, French jeweler Cartier debuted a short film on its Facebook page in honor of its Love bracelet. The four-and-a-half minute short is directed by Waverly Film's Ben Dickinson, and features a new song by electronic band Air. The theme of the film, called "Painted Love," is linked to Cartier's "How Far Would You Go For Love?" campaign. The Love bracelet itself only flashes in the last few seconds of the film. Digital marketing firm The-Hours created the campaign. "The 30-second spot is dying," Alexandre Sap, president and CEO of The-Hours, said. "It's very expensive and you just give out one signal. There are too many touch points now in the new world." Luxury brands are increasingly seeking to find a different, more intimate form of engaging their audiences, using social media. The goal of a digital campaign like the Love film is to get Cartier's Facebook fans to share this content with their friends. That buzz eventually can lead to views and engagement, and if successful, extend into the retail space, Mr. Sap said. "When we create a campaign, we say, 'Does this content reinforce my self esteem when I share this on Facebook?'," Leslie Dubest, The-Hours chief creative officer, added. The objective is to try to get around two million views for the film series, he said. "It's our job to create passion, conversation and emotion. It's a triptych."

Jay-Z and Kanye West Take Over Madison Square Garden

2011-11-09T20:05:51Z

A packed-in, thousands-strong hungry crowd at Madison Square Garden waited for just two men. When Jay-Z and Kanye West arrived and kicked off their show atop two cube risers with video projections of vicious sharks, it was a sign that they were to absorb a stadium's worth energy and give it right back. The performance, which lasted roughly from 9:20pm to midnight on Tuesday evening, took place as part of Absolut's concert series. (A show took place on Monday as well.) Hits from the "Watch The Throne" album were played, as well as each musician's greatest hits, from the singles to the deep cuts. It takes a lot of effort, and many unseen hands, to produce a mega-concert out of just two guys on stage, dressed in black. (There were two keyboardists in the far background on stage, but they were kept in the shadows throughout.) When there were costume changes, a shirt here or there, it seemed out of necessity, not vanity, because the drops of sweat on Jay-Z's and West's brows were beamed large enough for the furthest-away fan to see. West opened the show, and closed it, wearing a long t-shirt and Marc Jacobs-esque leather kilt worn over leather leggings. We have to applaud the massive confidence it takes to wear a kilt to face down a hyper-masculine hip hop crowd and seemingly win them over; the crowd, in return, didn't seem to lessen any of their cheers. While there were two cube risers, the occasional jets of fire, the requisite fog, and some well-placed lasers, the show's production was minimalist in comparison to many concerts of this level. At the risk of sounding art-world, there was a thoughtful use of negative space throughout: Shadows spoke volumes, and swaths of black were deployed as often as technicolor bursts of color. Even within the performance, the occasional silence added a beat of punctuation in between story-telling bombast and hip hop bravado at its best. You don't need pyrotechnics when you can let your music speak for itself.

Eight Ways to Change Your Life From Glamour's 'Women of The Year' Awards

2011-11-08T20:21:50Z

Glamour magazine's annual Women of the Year awards took place at Carnegie Hall on Monday evening, showcasing a diverse group of women and girls from politics, design, art, science and the performing arts. The youngest honoree, Kathryn Gray, 10, is the youngest person in history to discover a super nova, and one that's 240 million light years from Earth. Tory Burch, former First Lady Laura Bush and her twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara Bush, Lea Michele, and Cindy Sherman were among the honorees. Feminist icon Gloria Steinem received a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to her by Anita Hill. Donatella Versace sang Jennifer Lopez's praises, and joked that she never once thought that the pop star would ever have worn "that dress." (The infamous green oh-wow-down-to-there Versace dress that catapulted Lopez onto tabloid covers when she wore it to the 2000 Grammy awards.) One of the most moving moments in the ceremony was a video montage honoring Rep. Gabrielle Giffords; she was not able to attend the ceremony but her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, and her two step-daughters accepted her award on her behalf. Honorees gave speeches touting the importance of self-esteem and strong female bonds. Given a night of inspiring words, often directed to the highest balcony, where New York City schoolgirls cheered loudly, here is a roundup of the night's advice: 1) "There is not a successful woman who has not failed along the way. Failure is not the opposite of success. It's a stepping stone to success." - Arianna Huffington. 2) "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women." - Glamour editor-in-chief Cindi Leive, quoting 1995 Glamour Woman of the Year Madeline Albright. 3) "Women are our best investment. This evening is about women about helping other women." - Tory Burch. 4) "Life is one long surprise. You can prepare but you can't plan... Whatever it is you want, build it into your day. All of us older folks will be your girl gang." - Gloria Steinem 5) "I believe in Arab women, especially Egyptian women. It is just a matter of time and a matter of efforts, [and] I think I would see a woman as a leader of my country." - Egyptian political activist Esraa Abdel Fattah 6) "You really can do whatever it is that you want to do. You just have to get out there and [****] do it." - Chelsea Handler 7) "Fight for what you believe in, work for what you want and don't accept failure." - Mark Kelly and daughters, relaying a message to girls from Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. 8 ) "It's the women in my life that helped me and shaped me into the woman that I am today... The most important lesson they taught me is to take care of other women. Your girls are the most loyal people in your life. They will always be there." - Jennifer Lopez.