Surveillance Red Carpet Premiere and Press Junket

Hey Everyone,

I'm back and it's a busy week, starting with the red carpet premiere and press junket for Jennifer Lynch's new movie, "Surveillance", starring Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond. It was my first press junket which involves one-on-one interviews with the stars and director. I was pretty nervous, so I wanted to keep my outfit simple and classic. Who do you turn to for the ultimate timeless dress? Why, Diane von Furstenberg, of course. I don't care who you are or what your figure looks like: tall, short, curvy, skinny, or petite. Every girl needs to own one DVF wrap dress in their wardrobe. Now, this is a pricey venture, so save up (And I mean, save up! Don't charge it on your credit card.) and treat yourself to the most comfortable, form-fitting dress out there. The one I chose out of my closet was a chic, black silk dress. I love it because it is long sleeved, I always seem to be cold in any temperature and it's black, so hello, slimming color! The one thing you have to be careful about in a DVF wrap dress is the cleavage. If you don't want to show much, do yourself a favor, and wear a tank top underneath. Since I was doing one on one interviews, I figured my NY & Company black tank would be appropriate in this situation. If you are looking for the va-va-va-voom, put on your prettiest Victoria's Secret push-up bra and enjoy your evening.

I kept my accessories simple with an Ann Taylor red-beaded necklace that came from wardrobe from another gig that they kindly gifted to me. Jennifer Lynch even commented on my necklace while I was in the press line. Woo hoo! My red coral ring was a find from a business trip to Hawaii from one of the local jewelry stands in Honolulu. My red shoes are one of my favorites from my never-ending shoe closet. Even with 4" heels, they are comfortable and affordable, all thanks to Nine West.

As for the press junket and red carpet interviews, Jennifer Lynch was, by far, my favorite. Her story as a young director with "Boxing Helena" and her journey to "Surveillance" is pretty fascinating. Her enthusiasm and passion is contagious, so I hope her next few projects are true successes for her, she deserves it. For theatre geeks like me, look for Bill Pullman to head to Broadway next fall in Mamet's "Oleanna". I am making an early Tony prediction for Pullman right here and now in June. Oh, and if you are in LA, it is playing at the Taper through July 12, 2009.

For all of the red carpet footage, check out Focus Hollywood. I have lots of outfits coming your way this week, so stay tuned for more from the Red Carpet Closet.

Reporting Live from Los Angeles,

kb

PS Some of you may think you have seen this dress before.....why, yes you have: Toyota Live

And thanks to the boys from Ohio, you can now become a fan of the show here: Facebook

The Web Files: Tay Zonday/Chocolate Rain Edition

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for all of your comments, please keep them coming because the feedback is helpful to me. What will I wear to my next event? I have a really fun red carpet coming up for Holly Hunter's season 3 premiere of "Saving Grace", so your thoughts and ideas will help me plan my next outfit.

This outfit was assembled from a variety of old and new wardrobe. We were shooting the first episode of The Web Files with Tay Zonday. If you don't know Tay and his YouTube sensation, "Chocolate Rain", it is time you stopped and took a look here: Chocolate Rain 37 million hits and counting on YouTube, I call that impressive. Anyway, the shoot was taking place at Big Sugar in Studio City, home to some of the most delicious cupcakes in Los Angeles. I wanted something colorful and fun to go along with the festive bakery decor. Digging through my closet I found one of my favorite summer skirts from.....get ready for it.......Costco. I found it 3 years ago and paid about $15 for the Mix Nouveau skirt. Yellow, hot pink, and light blue are the dominating colors in the floral skirt which makes it easy to accessorize and change up the look. I usually wear tank tops with the skirt, but I needed something more appropriate. I hit one of my favorite independent stores in Los Angeles called Indulge. I pass by it on my walk to the gym each day, so it is kind of dangerous for a shopper like me. I found a great hot pink top by Have with rope detailing by the neckline and cap sleeves all in a soft cotton fabric.

The hot pink shoes are a throwback from 2001 from a friend's wedding, but are by Ann Taylor Loft with a fabulous kitten heel. They are well-constructed considering I have worn them for the last 8 years. The only other accessory I had on that day was a beautiful set of gold earrings in an oblong design that were given to me as a gift from my amazing model friend, Alison Koellisch.

The interview went really well. Tay is an engaging and intelligent guy who is feeling his way through the jungles of Los Angeles. I was amazed to hear that his YouTube journey took him from a PhD program in Minnesota to starring in a Cherry Chocolate Dr. Pepper commercial.. Where will his journey take him next as one of the biggest web celebs? I am not sure even Tay knows, but I can promise you that his "Chocolate Rain" will stick in your head for days.

Hope you all have a great weekend! I will have more from the Red Carpet Closet next week.

Reporting Live from Los Angeles,

kb

PS The Web Files is now on Twitter. Follow us here: The Web Files

Dance Channel TV and Woody Allen's Whatever Works

Good Afternoon!
This is a two for one special on this day. I had two shoots pretty close together in time, so one outfit would have to suffice. I knew that I could go for a more casual dress so, I chose my favorite Mossimo eggplant-colored dress and changed it up in a variety of ways for two different looks. The dress is a super-comfy cotton dress with pockets in front and a rounded neckline with capped sleeves. I started out by wearing the dress with the fabric sash it comes with and my favorite Target gold costume jewelry. Again, my shoes were my most expensive thing on my body...fantastic Carlos Santana black and eggplant strappy sandals with green and yellow beaded accents. I know this sounds like a rainbow puked all over my shoes, but I promise they are hot with 4" heels. And yes, Carlos makes some good music, and some darn good stilettos.

My first shoot of the day was the first edition of the "Can't Miss List" for Dance Channel TV. We will be shooting the gossip and dance news every two weeks and it is a fantastic project that I look forward to each and every time. You can check out the first episode here: Can't Miss List

I then had to dash from the Valley and over the hill to the Pacific Design Center for the premiere of Woody Allen's "Whatever Works" for Focus Hollywood. I was excited to cover this premiere because of the cast: Larry David, Ed Begley Jr., Evan Rachel Wood, and Patricia Clarkson. I knew I had to dress the outfit up a bit for the red carpet, so I grabbed my gold Express belt that I wore from the Heroes Among Us red carpet. I LOVE this belt, it's gold, sparkly, and stretchy. That's right, stretchy....you can make it an empire waist belt or wear it low slung over your hips. It is GENIUS and it is still on sale at Express. Check it out here: Express Gold Belt I kept my Carlos Santana shoes and removed the gold necklace so it wouldn't clutter the effect of the belt. Simple......two outfits in one! Oh, and check out the footage here: Whatever Works

Thanks for all of your feedback. I want to show that it is easy and affordable to dress for the red carpet or everyday life. Keep your comments coming and follow me on Kristyn Burtt!

Reporting Live from Los Angeles!
kb

The Web Files: The Crew Edition

Hey Everyone!

Thanks for joining me for another edition of Red Carpet Closet. I am in the middle of shooting my pilot for the new web show, The Web Files. While the show isn't on the red carpet, it is sure important to have the right wardrobe. This week, I was interviewing the young and talented cast of one of my favorite web series, The Crew. Our location was at the Hollywood Wax Museum, so I knew the outfit had to be fun and comfortable. So, where did I go to get my outfit? Why, none other than Marshall's. Yes, I said, Marshall's. They are genius for brand names are ridiculously affordable prices, especially in this economy.

So, I set off to get a pair of white capris that I could wear over and over again. I found a comfy pair with a brand called Khakis for $14.99. They have cargo pockets along the side with an eyelet detail on the pocket flap and drawstring bottoms that hit just below the knee. My shoes were an easy sell....how about a pair of distressed gold kitten heels from Chinese Laundry for $10 on clearance. Uh, okay, SOLD! Now for the top. Since I knew I needed color, I looked for green or purple since I knew they were two colors that look good on me and I hadn't worn a lot of that color lately. Bingo! A green Max Studio top with a rosette detail at the neckline for $19.99. As for my green/yellow/white flower necklace, if you are in Hawaii, go here: ABC Stores They have affordable costume jewelry that has that island flair. So my outfit cost less than $50 for a TV shoot. Who says wardrobe has to be expensive?

The interview was fun and I really hope everyone watches the show. You can watch it online here: www.TheCrew.tv It's "The Office" on a space ship. You can't really go wrong with that. The cast of Brett Register, Ariel Lazarus, Craig Frank, Phillip Bache, and Amy Kline were total sports when we told them we were shooting at the Hollywood Wax Museum by the Star Wars prequel figures. And if you are in Hollywood, stop by the wax museum and tell them I sent you. The owners and staff (especially Derek) accommodated us every step of the way.

I will be back tomorrow to give you the lowdown on the premiere of Woody Allen's "Whatever Works".

Reporting Live from Los Angeles,

kb

PS The Web Files is coming soon. Keep updated on the launch date here: The Web Files!

Maxim Hot 100 Party

 Hi Everyone!

          It's been a busy week preparing for my new show, The Web Files, but I am back with more red carpet archives. 

         Covering red carpets for parties, particularly ones like the Maxim Hot 100 Party, require a different type of red carpet dress.  Conservative is not the way to go, but I still have to look appropriate on-camera. So, I chose my Bebe kimono dress in a blue and lavender silk for the May 13, 2009 event.  Originally, the dress was bought for a night out on the town in the Big Apple to see an acquaintance, Kristin Chenoweth, perform in The Apple Tree on Broadway in 2006.  In fact, you can see the dress peeking out in the photo underneath my big winter coat.  The dress was perfect for Maxim's Hot 100 Party because it was the right length, but still showed off a bit of strategic cleavage.  I went simple with the accessories, with a choker from Express from the late 1990's, believe it or not.  The bracelet is a cubic zirconia flex bracelet from Aldo Accessories and the shoes....yes, there they are again, my Guess strappy silver sandals.  It's easy to recycle accessories and dresses even from years past. Keep things simple and classic.  It's a surefire strategy!

       The night was filled with a ton of reality show veterans.  If you are a fan of Dancing with the Stars, The Kardashians, The Hills, The Bachelor or America's Next Top Model, then this was the party for you.  It was also a night of hot Maxim models dressed in itsy, bitsy pieces of cloth.  The cameramen for this event were very happy.  Trust me, lots of eye candy for the men.  

      Next week brings more fashion from closet with the premiere of Woody Allen's next movie, Whatever Works, the second episode of my show, The Web Files, and a shoot with Dance Channel TV.  Until next time, that's what's in my closet.

Reporting Live from Los Angeles,

Kristyn

PS  Keep sending me your comments or feel follow me on Twitter here: Kristyn Twitter.

USA/Vanity Fair Magazine's Character Project

Hey Everyone!

      We are going super simple with today's outfit.  It is another dress from the archives, but this one has served its purpose over and over again.  I wore it to cover USA Networks and Vanity Fair Magazine's Character Project launch on May 14, 2009 which featured the works of several photographers honoring the diversity of the US.  A more sedate and classy affair called for something a little more proper.....meaning a lower hemline.  

     This dress has officially been retired.  In fact, I am not sure I can even wear it anymore in my personal life.....it has hit the red carpet, a wedding, on-camera (twice!)-once for Focus Hollywood and another time for an AOL/Purina TV show I hosted, and a book launch party for Hollywood exec, Sam Haskell.  Time to sell it on Ebay?  Regardless, the dress came from an amazing store in Hollywood called DNA.  They sell fabulous dresses for great prices and they even offer coupons via email for 20% off from time to time.  I believe they also have a location in Venice for you beach-dwellers.  The shoes?  A good, old standby:  Nine West.  They are simple, versatile, and affordable.  The accessories?  An H & M bracelet and set of gold earrings.

     The night itself was low-key and offered a variety of USA Networks stars like Corbin Bernsen, Hector Elizondo, Mary McCormack, and Tiffani Thiessen (Yay, 90210!).  In addition, an Oscar winner stopped on by, Marisa Tomei, as did Chris "Ludacris" Bridges who was the host of the evening.  You can see all of the footage here:   http://tiny.cc/lMJwa 

     Just a few more days of archives and then we are headed for original material again.  I have a red carpet event on Friday for the Inspiration Awards.  What will I wear?  Find out later this week on the Red Carpet Closet!

Reporting Live from Los Angeles,

KB

PS  Don't forget to follow me on Twitter!  Just look for "KristynBurtt".

The Wayans Brothers' Dance Flick Premiere

Good Morning, Fashionistas!

Since I have thrown a lot of these photos up on Facebook and Twitter, here are a couple of my outfits that hit the red carpet in the past few months. Let's go back to a May 20, 2009 and the recycling of wardrobe from seasons long gone by. I had only an hour to get ready for this premiere since it was a last minute call to cover it.

I took my royal blue Guess shirt that I bought for a trip to Mexico in 2007 and paired it with an Ann Taylor Loft sequined skirt from last summer. They work perfectly together, but I needed a good heel for the skirt. I found my sparkly silver Guess stilettos to accompany the ensemble. The shoes were bought for New Year's Eve 2006/2007 and I doubt this will be the last time you see them! While they are not the shoe to go walking all over LA in because of their 4" heel, they are perfect for the red carpet. In fact, I even wore them to the 2007 Academy Awards. Now, the all important accessories: the earrings were a find from Target or "Tar-jeeeh", my favorite store for costume jewelry, and the ring (which is hard to see in this photo) was designed by Alexander Kalifano, a vendor from my days as a host at ShopNBC. If you are ever in Las Vegas, his stores are all over the Paris and Bally's properties.

The red carpet was fantastic and fun. The night included interviews with Keenan Ivory Wayans, Damien Dante Wayans, and Heather McDonald who told me all of the Wayans Brothers smelled good. And you know what? She was right! I was the recipient of many hugs that night from the Wayans Brothers after mentioning Heather's observation. Also, the cast from the remake of Fame joined the gang on the red carpet. The movie debuts on September 25, 2009 and I cannot wait to see it. The trailer is amazing and I already put the word in to the MGM publicity department that I have to be there to cover the premiere. In the meantime, feel free to check out the footage here on Focus Hollywood's website: http://tiny.cc/OBy4V

Reporting live from Los Angeles,

KB

PS Don't forget to follow all of my adventures in 140 characters or less: www.twitter.com/KristynBurtt