The Stylist Edition 2012

Last year, I wrote about The Hollywood Reporter's top 25 stylist list (THR) and I added a bit of commentary about what I saw on the red carpet during the 2011 awards show season.  That post became one of my most popular of all time.  In fact, you will see that the post is still listed in my Top 5 posts of the last month.  So, I am happy to deliver THR's 2012 list and let's see if we agree on the choices.  Here we go.......

Michelle Williams with Nate Berkus in the background.

1.  Kate Young:  Last year, Kate was number two on the list behind Rachel Zoe.  THR bumped Rachel Zoe into her own stratosphere as "too big to rank", so Kate is the number one stylist this year.  She dresses Michelle Williams, Natalie Portman, and Rachel Weiz.  The photo above is one of my personal photos of Michelle from the Oscars in her tangerine Louis Vuitton gown. I know not everyone loved this look, but it was divine in person.  Rank Last Year:  2

2.  Leslie Fremar:  She dresses Charlize Theron, Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon, and Scarlett Johansson.  It looks like Scarlett hopped on over from Nicole Chavez to Leslie after last year's disastrous Oscars look.  She also dressed a pregnant Reese Witherspoon for the Golden Globes and we certainly had no idea she was with child.  Huge star client list, but I wasn't wowed by what I saw this season.  Rank Last Year:  9

3.  Petra Flannery:  I think Petra is doing stellar work with her big It girl client, Emma Stone, but I couldn't figure out why she dressed Emma in a knock-off gown of the dress Nicole Kidman wore just 5 years before.  The Balenciaga dress was iconic, so I am surprised they went that route.  Flannery also dresses Claire Danes, Zoe Saldana, Mila Kunis, Megan Fox, and Faith Hill.  Rank Last Year:  3

4.  Elizabeth Stewart:  Elizabeth had a big year dressing two nominees from The Help, Jessica Chastain and Viola Davis.  Both looked stunning at the 84th Annual Academy Awards, so I would say her top 5 inclusion was warranted.  She also dresses Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lawrence, Freida Pinto, Cate Blanchett, and Amanda Seyfried.  Rank Last Year:  8

I love this gold Marchesa dress on Stacy Keibler.

5.  Kemal Harris and Karla Welch:  Okay, this duo dressed the best accessory on the Oscars red carpet this year, Stacy Keibler AKA George Clooney's date.  Stunning.  They also dress Olivia Wilde, Hailee Steinfeld, Zooey Deschanel, and Paula Patton.  Rank Last Year:  N/A

6.  Jen Rade:  The leg heard around the world.  Yep, this is the gal who put Angelina Jolie in that Atelier Versace dress with the slit up to there.  I kept hearing rumors that Angelina was paid to wear the shoes and this was a great way to show them off.  I couldn't find any confirmation of this, but it's a fun, fashion rumor.  Rade also dresses Pink and Katherine McPhee.  Rank Last Year:  4

7.  Ryan Hastings:  He helps create Rooney Mara's cool chic look and I thought she looked unbelievable at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon.  He also dresses Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska.  Rank Last Year: N/A

8.  Samantha McMillen:  She dresses Carey Mulligan, Evan Rachel Wood, Dakota and Elle Fanning, Diane Lane, Colin Firth, Johnny Depp, Josh Brolin, and Ryan Reynolds.  Rank Last Year:  24

9.  Deb Waknin:  Yes!  This woman worked miracles on Sofia Vergara all awards show season. Vergara looked beautiful and sophisticated with her hour glass figure.  She had a bit of a miss with an ill-fitting dress on Sandra Bullock at the Oscars, but Waknin's clients usually look flawless.  She also dresses Halle Berry and Diane Keaton.  Rank Last Year:  7

10.  Cristina Ehrlich:  Hmmm, I've been very critical in the past about Ehrlich's work with actress Amy Adams, but this year they got it right at the Vanity Fair party.  So, I won't pass judgment this year.  She also dresses Penelope Cruz, Amber Heard, Tina Fey, and Julianna Margulies.  Rank Last Year:  6

11.  Jeanne Yang:  Oh, you know, she dresses minor stars like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Yes, they have the Holmes & Yang line together, but Yang also styles Andrew Garfield, Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, and Dustin Hoffman.  That's quite a list!  Rank Last Year:  10

12.  L'Wren Scott:  Not a busy year for her clients Nicole Kidman and Sarah Jessica Parker, but she's still strong enough to rank twelfth this year.  Rank Last Year:  13

She's beautiful, but this look has been done before.

13.  Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn:  I did not love Jennifer Lopez's Oscar look this year because she's worn it before.  I found it rather snoozy.  However, JLo looks the best she ever has and her stylists keep showing off those awesome curves.  They also dress Rihanna, Rachel McAdams, and Lily Collins.  Rank Last Year:  15

My personal photo of Gwyneth from the 84th Annual Academy Awards.

14.  Elizabeth Saltzman:  Her client is Gwyneth Paltrow and that Tom Ford gown with the cape was spectacular.  Gwyneth's body looked flawless.  Bravo!  Rank Last Year:  N/A

15.  Cher Coulter:  She is the IT stylist for the IT girls of Hollywood.  Think Kate Bosworth, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Elizabeth Olsen, and Sienna Miller for fashion styling.  She also partners with Bosworth for JewelMint.  Rank Last Year:  N/A

16.  Leith Clark:  Clark styles Kirsten Dunst and Kiera Knightley.  Rank Last Year:  11

17.  Jessica Paster:  She styled Bridesmaids star, Ellie Kemper, for the Oscars.  I thought she looked pretty, but it wasn't a "Wow".  I expect more for the Oscars.  Paster hasn't had that A-List clientele in a few years, but she's still powerful enough to rank on this list.  Other clients include:  Emily Blunt, Felicity Jones, and Andrea Riseborough.  Rank Last Year:  14

18.  Penny Lovell:  Lovell deserves to be on this list after that divine Elie Saab Couture pantsuit that she dress Bridesmaids star, Rose Byrne in at the SAG Awards and then capped off the awards season with a Vivienne Westwood gown at the Oscars.  Two wins for Byrne and Lovell.  She also dresses Ginnifer Goodwin.   Rank Last Year:  N/A

19.  Wendi and Nicole Ferreira:  These sisters did a wonderful thing for the woman who won every award along the way, Octavia Spencer.  They made a curvy girl look her best at every award show she attended this season.  I wish Melissa McCarthy had taken a play from the Ferreira/Spencer playbook.  They also dress Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, and Channing Tatum.  Rank Last Year:  N/A

Another personal photo from my spot on the red carpet.

20.  Brad Goreski:  We've all watched this season's It's a Brad, Brad World on Bravo and we know his relationship with Rachel Zoe is irreparable.  I have a feeling that the fact that Demi Moore and Jessica Alba jumped ship to Goreski's services might have something to do with it.  He also styles Rashida Jones, Noomi Papace, and Maya Rudolph. I did not think Rudolph's Johanna Johnson Oscar dress was a huge success, but I look forward to more from Goreski.  Rank Last Year:  22

21.  Nicole Chavez:  She styles Rachel Bilson, Kristen Bell, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Katherine Heigel.  I love the work she does with Bilson.  Enough said....and yes, I forgive you for Scarlett's Oscar dress last year.  Rank Last Year:  20

22.  Johnny Wujek:  Okay, I get it, you are a rock star and need to go all out.  So, he styles Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, and Kate Mara.  I'm not a fan, but I don't dress like Katy Perry.  Rank Last Year:  N/A

23.  George Kotsiopoulos:  He's still styling stars like Janet McTeer and Alice Eve even though he helms E!'s Fashion Police alongside Joan Rivers, Kelly Osborne, and Giuliana Rancic.  I loved what he did with Janet McTeer this year, she looked elegant and sophisticated at every event.  Rank Last Year:  19

24.  Arianne Phillips:  She was an Oscar nominee for Costume Design on W.E. this year and she solely focuses on her client, Madonna.  Eh, I respect the Oscar nomination the most.  Rank Last Year:  N/A

Love that navy blue tuxedo on Bradley Cooper. Photo courtesy of Just Jared.

25.  Ilaria Urbanati:  She's new to the list, but Urbanati has a strong list of clients:  Bradley Cooper, Armie Hammer, Nina Dobrev, Krysten Ritter, Chris Evans, and Joel Edgerton.  Rank Last Year:  N/A

There's the list for 2012 with all of my personal comments.  Do you agree or disagree with the list or my thoughts on fashion?  I would love to hear from you. Comment in the section below or join me on Twitter or Facebook.

To read The Hollywood Reporter article, click here.
To read my 2011 Top 25 Stylist post, click here.

First Weekend at the NY Auto Show 2012

This was not choreographed.

If you have been following me on Twitter, you know I am retiring from Toyota Live at the end of the NY Auto Show.  I will post more about this later in the week, but I want to thank you all for the well wishes and support.  Here are some fun photos from my first weekend at the NY Auto Show.  I still have 6 days remaining, so come on down and say "hi" if you are in the NYC area.  My shows are at the top of the hour beginning at 11AM and ending at 8PM, no show at 4PM, because a girl has to eat!

 The countdown has begun on the production room wall.

 Trackside Tina, Camping World Truck Series driver, Timothy Peters, me, and Matt Troyer after our Saturday show.

 Eating a slice at one of my favorite NYC pizza joints.  They are under new management and their pizza is not-so-good. Boo!

You know me....posing on a red carpet no matter where I am.  Um, the sneakers really make the outfit?

Hyundai Santa Fe Launch at the New York Auto Show

Oh boy, have you ever walked through a crowd of journalists who are clamoring to get into a newly revealed and redesigned vehicle while reporting for the LIVE on the scene?  Well, I was lucky enough to host the webcast for Hyundai's launch of the Santa Fe at the New York Auto Show on Wednesday.  Watch me battle my way through the crowds to interview Hyundai's President and CEO John Krafcik.  It was one of those defining moments where I was just thrilled to be in the midst of all of the action, a total rush confirming that I was "doing more of what makes me happy".

Live on every Steve Jobs-designed device.

Click on the link below to see the broadcast:
2012 New York International Auto Show Press Conference – Hyundai Motor America: Hyundai Motor America President and CEO, John Krafcik, introduces the third-generation Santa Fe crossover family – the two-row, five-passenger Santa Fe Sport and the long wheelbase (LWB) three-row, seven-passenger model called Santa Fe.

Let me know what you think of my crazy crowd-busting reporting!

Be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus for more photos and inside scoop from my adventures in LA. 

Shonda Rhimes' Scandal

Cast members of Scandal:  Darby Stanchfield, Columbus Short, Katie Lowes, Guillermo Diaz.

When Shonda Rhimes calls and offers you a role in her latest series, Scandal, you immediately accept, but not without some trepidation.  For cast members like Columbus Short, that dialogue she has written for you can be a bit "daunting" because of the rapid pace it's meant to be spoken.  It's very similar to the other masters of dialogue like Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing) or Amy Sherman Palladino (Gilmore Girls).  If you can master this patter, you realize that "the story is more important than you" as an actor, says Katie Lowes.  There is no ad-libbing on set per an email via Rhimes before production began on the series, but the show creator is adamant that she doesn't care how you say the words, just say what is written.  It's this execution of the words and the story that has the cast singing the praises of Rhimes who is well known for her successful series, Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.  

Actor Columbus Short

I had the opportunity to meet some of the cast at Disney Studios for Red Carpet Report earlier last week and it was interesting to hear how they had to make adjustments as actors to accommodate the series.  Guest stars who came on set to work for an episode often had a hard time with the rhythm of the dialogue and even the cast members often found themselves having to slow down when they worked on other sets outside of Scandal.  The most revealing thing for Darby Stanchfield was that fact that "each character who you think they are in the pilot, they are not the same character by the end (of the season)".  She says, it truly was a "supreme experience in TV" and that she really connected to the role.  She even got emotional and shared that it is the "biggest gift to feel fulfilled [as an actor]."

While the show takes place in the trenches of Washington, DC, the cast found themselves shooting in Pasadena in 90-degree weather.  The looks were created by The West Wing costume designer, Lyn Paolo,   which helps give the feel to a series that "pushes the envelope like a cable network", reveals Short. "It's unlike anything you have seen on network television."  Rhimes created characters that are complex, flawed heroes who are lead by a black woman, Kerry Washington. The series is shot with a dark,cinematic feel to it and it involves storylines that viewers don't often see on television. Stanchfield advised us Thursdays will be a great time to "Get your moody on".  

To "get your moody on", watch Scandal on ABC at 10PM beginning April 5th.  

In a fun aside, fellow Scandal cast member, Josh Malina, tweeted me in response to my call for questions for the cast.  Josh was relieved to know that his cast thought he was "super sexy".  I guess that makes working together on Season 2 much, much easier.  

Hollywood Secrets

I stumbled upon this article in The Hollywood Reporter while traveling on the plane to New York yesterday.  The long-shuttered Miyagi's on Sunset Boulevard is being turned into a Pink Taco.  It's hardly newsworthy since that location always has a new incarnation on the boulevard for each generation that flocks to Hollywood......The Roxbury, Imperial Gardens, Miyagi's, Pink Taco.  The interesting thing is what was unearthed at that location during the current renovations:  a secret passageway between the original occupant, Preston Sturges' Players Club and the famed hotel, Chateau Marmont.  Rumor has it that big stars like Humphrey Bogart and literary types like F. Scott Fitzgerald frequented the Players Club and used the VIP tunnel to avoid the paparazzi.  It was also a way to usher your mistress over to the hotel without the prying eyes of the press, hence the nickname, the "tryst tunnel".  The tunnel is now closed per order of the city of Los Angeles, but I love that an old Hollywood relic has its own skeletons hidden below the surface.  Everyone has a secret in this town....even the Pink Taco.  Now, 'fess up, did you ever dance on the tables at Miyagi's?

Baby Bump Watch 2012: Megan Fox

UPDATED:  See the confirmation of Megan Fox's pregnancy here.

Well, our first Baby Bump Watch of 2012 has come and gone with a confirmed pregnancy for Reese Witherspoon.  Lately, there are rumblings that another Hollywood baby is on its way.  Who is the alleged mama? Megan Fox.  Should we start another Baby Bump alert?  Sure, why not?  Let's see if David Silver....uh, I mean, Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox are going to grace the pages of People over the next nine months with baby shower news, pregnancy cravings, and the ultimate Hollywood introduction......the cover of the magazine.  Here is a photo taken of her yesterday (or see below) looking her usual svelte self, however, she has not denied any of the pregnancy rumors as of yet.  What do you think pregnant or not?  Let me know in the comments below.

Hhhmmmm, let the rumor mill begin....

GBK Gifting Suite: Kids Choice Awards 2012

With Sasha Pieterse from Pretty Little Liars.

We were back in the GBK Gifting Suite this week for the Kids Choice Awards.  This one always is fun because you can ask crazy questions like "Who will win Best Butt Kicker"?  Yeah, forget the serious Oscar questions of who will win Best Actor.  We hit the ground running and ran into Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and ABC Family favorites from shows like Lab Rats, Big Time Rush, Pretty Little Liars, and A.N.T. Farm. Come and check out all of the fun we had and who everyone thought should win the Best Butt Kicker category.  You might be surprised at the answer.

By the way, several of you asked what a celebrity gifting suite is, so check out my post from 2010 that talks all about it.