Royalty is always a good option for Halloween, and when you see celebrity makeup artist Nelly Recchia's rendition of Marie Antoinette, you'll fall head over heels for the look. Learn how to re-create the grandiose drama in today's lookbook — it's sure to be a head-turner at any Halloween fete!
Farewell, My Queen hits theaters today, and while we're curious to delve into the love story between Marie Antoinette and one of her readers, we're just as anxious to catch another glimpse of Versailles in its final days. We're reimagining the splendor of gilded accents, shimmering chandeliers, luxurious fabrics, and grand palace facades for modern homes. So, whether your taste leans more toward Louis XV or French country, we have contemporary options for both.
We all have a vision of Marie Antoinette: the ill-fated child princess was known for her fabulous, opulent wardrobe as much as she was for her vivacious personality, legendary extravagance, and the famous phrase "let them eat cake." Sure, she had some haters; but what royal figure doesn't? Today marks Marie Antoinette's birthday, and she's not only an infamous historical figure, but also an unforgettable style icon. We're feeling a little inspired by her fashionable opulence: think decadent ruffled lace, exaggerated silhouettes, ribbon, and gorgeous jewels. With a look at Kirsten Dunst's role in Sofia Coppola's stylish flick Marie Antoinette and Alexander McQueen's Fall 2011 collection as a modern starting point, we're getting into the romance of a bygone age.
Clockwise, from left: Alexander McQueen Fall 2011 runway, Kirsten Dunst in Marie Antoinette, Junya Watanabe Archive Rose jacket ($2,599, originally $3,712), Vivienne Westwood dress ($638), portrait of Marie Antoinette, Lanvin necklace ($465), Elle Macpherson Fly Butterfly Fly Torsolette ($78), Giambattista Valli Puff Skirt ($1,590), Giuseppe Zanotti Crystal-Embellished Ballerina Flats ($650)
At an exhibition in Paris this month, designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac has created likenesses of what Marie Antoinette might look like if she were a modern woman fond of plastic surgery. Ms. "let them eat cake" was known for being one of the most image conscious women of her time, after all.
The three busts of the queen that Castelbajac developed are differentiated by where Marie might have had her plastic surgery done, since different "looks" are popular in different places. For the purposes of his exhibition he picked American, Russian, and French cosmetic surgery styles. Check out the busts below and tell us whether or not you think the actual queen would have gone for any of these procedures.
The Young Victoria hits limited theaters on Friday, with Emily Blunt as the 19th-century royal in her younger years. Blunt's already up for a Best Actress Golden Globe for her depiction of Queen Victoria, but she's not the first Hollywood star to don a crown. With that in mind, I give you my favorite movie monarchs of all time. Check 'em out!
I've been coveting the look of the new print ads for Elizabeth Arden's new fragrance, Pretty. The vibrant flowering wallpaper in the background is over-the-top glam, as is the silk-upholstered loveseat. The print ad definitely borrows from Sofia Coppola's film, pushing a Marie Antoinette vibe.
To get the look, start with this Graham and Brown Traviata Wallpaper ($60 per double roll). I love its exaggerated, feminine blooms.
To find a loveseat similar to the one in the print ad, read more
In the spirit of the upcoming Halloween holiday and costuming and masquerade, I made this week's Buzzworthy challenge all about movies with great costumes, and the results were dazzling! I feel the need to check out each of these movies all over again just to get some inspiration for my own Halloween costume this year. Below are some of the bookmarked movies that I chose to highlight and then a widget including all of the selected titles.
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Bookmarked by gruaig_rua, Breakfast at Tiffany's is a classic costume movie! That sleek black dress, the gloves, and the pearls have become iconic in cinematic — and pop culture — history.
The Last Emperor
Bookmarked by Fab_Kitty who writes "The costumes in this thoughtful, sumptuous movie are amazing. I have no clue whether they are historically and/or culturally accurate, but each item of clothing is clearly designed to finest detail."
Several more titles if you read more
Sofia Coppola's style can best be described as unfussy, cool and classic. We are talking about one of Marc Jacob's muses here (lucky!). While one may point out she wears a lot of black, 'tis true, but so do other icons such as Kate Moss and Diana Vreeland. Black is one of the truest colors of fashion, and as every woman knows, it's slimming too. But I just love it when Sofia does play with color; it's usually in the form of bolds such as red or pink, or understated with off-white.
The daughter of legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia is talented in other areas than fashion. She is an accomplished film director, actress, producer and Academy Award-winning screenwriter. I would also like to point out that she is the first American woman and third woman in history to be nominated for an Academy Award for Directing.
Sofia is just so cool. She is considered a pop culture icon within the indie music and film communities, in Paris and Tokyo especially. It figures she would have fashion sense - as a child she stayed in the wardrobe department of her father's films, and did you know that in high school, she interned with Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel? As well, in 1998 she co-founded the clothing line Milkfed in Japan with friend Stephanie Hayman and Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon. I so remember Milkfed! It was very Beastie girlie - it was sold alongside the Beastie Boys clothing line X-Large back in the day.
While The Virgin Suicides continues to be my favorite film by Sofia, it's just so beautifully melancholy, Marie Antoinette also provided some serious eye, and ear, candy. What's next for Sofia? I can't wait to see.
Check out Sofia through the ages, read more
I’ve recently become re-obsessed with Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, with all of its sumptuous visuals and entrancing costumes and art design. If you’re anything like me, you’re aching to have your very own Versailles…or maybe just for Jason Schwartzman? Look no further: for today's Get the Look I’ve re-imagined the ole château with a modern twist.
To learn how to get the look I’m calling Modern Marie Antoinette in your maison, read more
Move over, Clive Christian—you've got company in the ranks of priciest perfumes.
Yesterday, FabSugar and I went to an event previewing an upcoming Marie Antoinette exhibition at San Francisco's Legion of Honor. It was there that I was able to smell Marie Antoinette Sillage de la Reine, a luxurious fragrance that costs $900 for 25ml.
Marie Antoinette Sillage de la Reine was created by French perfume maker Francis Kurkdjian, who recreated Marie Antoinette's signature fragrance. In that sense, it's a ghost of a perfume, but the scent is anything but faint. To see what went inside this limited-edition perfume, read more
