Sometimes, seeing amazing jewels up close and personal can be tough for the average shopper. That’s why I’m looking forward to going to the Van Cleef & Arpels exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt: it’s a rare chance to see some spectacular gems firsthand. Running from February 18–June 5, 2011 in NYC, the showing will include more than 350 pieces – a treasure trove of gorgeous gems and impeccable craftsmanship.

Whether or not you are able to attend in person, I highly recommend that you check out a great slideshow of some of the featured pieces and videos explaining the history and lore of the brand. I was immediately taken with the amazing diamond and gemstone bracelet above featuring ancient Egyptian imagery — so spectacular!

Want a little more information on Van Cleef? Here’s a brief bio from the exhibition:

Since its opening on the Place Vendôme in Paris in 1906, Van Cleef & Arpels has played a leading role in style and design innovation. Its timeless pieces have been worn by style icons including the Duchess of Windsor, Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor. This exhibition will explore the historical significance of the firm’s contributions to jewelry design in the 20th century, including the establishment of Van Cleef & Arpels in New York with the advent of World War II. On view will be more than 350 works including jewels, timepieces, fashion accessories and objets d’art by Van Cleef & Arpels, many of which were created exclusively for the American market. The exhibition will examine the work through the lenses of innovation, transformation, nature as inspiration, exoticism, fashion and personalities, and will include design drawings from the Van Cleef & Arpels archives.

There was something very catty going on at the Givenchy show yesterday in Paris, and designer Riccardo Tisci was not holding back. Besides the racy sheer panels on many of the pieces, there was also a repeating panther motif, cat-eye glasses and hats topped off with feline-like ears. While these details may be too literal for some, the attendees (including Kanye West, Nicole Richie and Liv Tyler) were apparently over the moon for the whole collection.

Not sure if you’re ready for your own set of ears quite yet? Try some of these inspired accessories to embrace the trend:

JEWEL OF OCEAN 18k Yellow & White Gold 0.34 ctw Diamond Panther Ring sz 8

Daniela Swaebe 18k Yellow Gold Tiger Bangle Bracelet

CHANEL

There’s not too much explanation needed here — we’re looking at a vintage CHANEL Black Jumbo Flap Bag for $2,199. If you bought this bag at Chanel today, you’d pay over $4,000, and honestly, it probably wouldn’t be as cool as this vintage version. This bag will absolutely never go out of style, so when you think of $2,199 over the next 20 years, this bag pays for itself easily!

Don’t believe the hype? Check out some pics below to see the many who worship at the altar of the Chanel Flap bag, or shop our entire collection of pre-owned Chanel:

Nicole Richie

Victoria Beckham

Kourtney Kardashian

Nicky Hilton

Kate Hudson

Alexa Chung

Karolina Kurkova

Although I already talked about my favorite Oscar fashions, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Anne Hathaway in a custom Lanvin tuxedo and Brian Atwood heels. I adored this outfit — it fit her like a dream, had perfect proportions, and still left her looking totally feminine and beautiful. The idea of women wearing menswear is nothing new (see Marlena Dietrich, Lauren Hutton and YSL’s Le Smoking jacket), and in fact, it’s a trend that’s been growing stronger in recent years.

If you want to try this look for a black tie affair, remember to add some girly touches (diamonds!) and don’t take it too far over the top. Case in point: Rihanna, below, wearing Dolce & Gabbana to the Met Costume Institute Gala in 2009. The sleeves are just too much, and the addition of black driving gloves and severe hair doesn’t help.

You can even adapt the tux look for a less formal event, like artist Olympia Scarry did this week in New York. Her leather leggins, white button-down blouse and tux jacket are dressed up with red lips and not much else.

A pair of gorgeous diamond-studded drop earrings will offset this structured look perfectly. A few of my absolute favorites are Jewel of Ocean’s triple diamond drop earrings, this fantastic pair of black rhodium, silver and diamond geometric earrings, or these Kenneth Jay Lane vintage Marie Antoinette earrings.

Now that we’ve had a day to let the fashion sink in, it’s time to round up the favorites! Let’s start with Mila Kunis, radiant in Elie Saab. I love the lavender on her complexion, and the flawlessly tailored gown with peekaboo lace was romantic, fashion-forward and a little bit naughty.  I think she just killed it on the red carpet this awards season and I’m hoping she’s nominated much more in the future so we can see her choices. Like the ring she’s wearing on her pointer finger? Try something like this Vintage Diamond Flower Ring for a similar romantic effect.

Hailee Steinfeld was the other red carpet standout this season in my opinion, and she didn’t go wrong here with this custom made Marchesa dress. I could not imagine something more befitting a 14-year-old Oscar nominee–the gorgeous detailing, nude color and tea length were just perfection in my book. She wisely chose to keep the jewelry to a minimum, but picked a small silver Ferragamo bag — get something similar with this Prada leather and crystal clutch.

While this is admittedly not a look that everyone can pull off, I am so grateful that Cate Blanchett chose this unusual Givenchy Haute Couture gown. The combination of the pale lilac and yellow is totally inspired, and her very minimal (but flawless) hair and makeup lets the dress shine. Go understated like Cate with these 18-karat gold Henry Dunay door knocker earrings — she definitely didn’t need diamonds to dazzle.

While there were several of Anne Hathaway’s dresses that impressed me during the telecast, I think I liked this Versace cranberry-colored gown the best. It felt very modern without being overdone, and the color is just fabulous on her. Go for a long, black embellished bag like Anne’s to keep the look current. I like this Dolce & Gabbana Black Snakeskin and Satin version.

Now this is how you do 65. Helen Mirren knows exactly how to dress her figure to show it off without looking like she’s trying too hard. This Vivienne Westwood Couture does all that and more — it accentuates her waist and covers the arms without feeling too covered up. She goes stately with her diamond jewels, but it works for this revered Dame. Try a pair of pearl drops when you want to keep it classy like Helen — how about these diamond and Tahitian pearl earrings in 14-karat white gold?

Last but not least, I just loved Sandra Bullock in bright red Vera Wang. Completely timeless, totally elegant and styled to perfection. So simple it seems effortless. I particularly liked her choice of two single-row diamond bangles: She didn’t feel the need to wear a ton of bling to make the look red-carpet worthy. Get your own set on Portero with this group of three diamond-studded bangles.

I’m really digging the monochromatic Burberry Prorsum look Kate Bosworth wore to the British brand’s Fall 2011 presentation. Her cropped leather trench and gold-studded skirt are not for the shy, but I love the structured embellishments and the pattern-on-pattern play. (Apparently Kate said that while the skirt is not uncomfortable to sit in, it is extremely heavy. Fashion as exercise?)

I think this would work well in other colors too – as long as you keep the color scheme the same from head to toe, you’re good to go.

Get a similar look by pairing this Burberry Nickie Mega Stud Tote:

…with a 2011 Balenciaga Higgings motorcycle jacket in brown:

Image via JustJared

Alright, I’m just going to say it: I found the Grammys kind of fun last night. Even though the winners were completely predicted by the performance right before, and even though Rihanna looks good but can’t really sing live, there were still some surprises and some great clothes. Unlike the super safe movie awards gowns, the Grammys give celebs a chance to get sassy and show their personalities. Case in point: Jennifer Hudson in Versace, Neil Lane Jewels and Christian Louboutin shoes. By far my favorite of the night, she had just the right amount of shimmer, sex appeal and class to feel rock and roll without going overboard.

Jennifer Lopez went for ultra silver shimmer in her Pucci mini, Cartier jewels, Swarovski clutch and Louboutins, but it works. She followed the rule of short skirt, long sleeves, and went minimal on the hair and makeup. The Grammys are really all about the sequin, so JLo knew that to make a statement, she’d have to rock the look from head to toe.

My final favorite was Lea Michele, also opting for Pucci. But her dress couldn’t be more different than JLo’s – instead of sparkle, she chose a plunging neckline with lace inserts and a sky-high slit. The hot pink lips and Lorraine Schwartz bracelet were the perfect additions to a slinky, sultry ensemble.

If you want to get your own red carpet rock and roll look, a silver clutch will never do you wrong. Here are some of our favorites:

JUDITH LEIBER Silver Chatelaine Minaudiere Evening Bag

ZAGLIANI

We’re big fans of Rachel Zoe over here at Portero–besides partnering with the stylist for our fabulous Hermes Kelly giveaway, we also can’t get enough of her personal wardrobe. So you can imagine my excitement when I heard about her first ever ready to wear line for Fall 2011, and now the pictures are finally here! Although she wasn’t able to do a full blown runway presentation in NYC (because she’s about to have a baby), she did present the collection to buyers and editors about a month ago.

I’m really loving the updated ’70s style she showed, especially the tailored wide-leg pants, blouses and ultra sexy suits à la Bianca Jagger. Plus, all of the fur she showed was faux, which is easier on the wallet and the conscience. If you’re digging the ’70s chic, make sure you check out our featured set of items inspired by the disco decade.

If you haven’t seen True Grit, I totally recommend it – even if it is just for the movie’s 14-year-old star Hailee Steinfeld. While I really enjoyed the film as a whole, I fell in love with Hailee and her tough-as-nails portrayal of a young girl trying to avenge her father’s death. An even bigger surprise has been this teen’s performance on the red carpet. She has been one of my favorites at the Globes, SAGs and now at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, above, wearing Alberta Ferretti.

Somehow she always manages to look age appropriate and fashion forward at the same time, and I’m particularly loving her pop of red with a cute (and affordable) clutch from H&M and shoes from Aldo. This is a great way to make a solid white or black dress stand out from the crowd. If you do decide to wear shoes and a bag of the same color, try to mix it up with different textures or materials — stay away from pieces that are too matchy-matchy.

Here are some standouts to get you started:

CHANEL 11C Fuschia Patent Classic Quilted WOC Wallet Chain Purse Bag

DARBY SCOTT

Green Python Champagne Hardware Frame Clutch

 

 

 

BOTTEGA VENETA

 

Vintage Bordeaux Woven Suede & Lizard Bag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image via JustJared

 

]]>

Dita Von Teese can basically do no wrong in my book. She is always immaculately put together, and she knows exactly what suits her and sticks with it. This lady has a look.

I love her here in a peach Jenny Packham dress and bronze accessories. Most people would never go with red lips, but she pulls it off with panache. She smartly went simple with the jewels, choosing a pair of yellow gold and diamond retro earrings that aren’t too flashy, but have a bit of personality. I am a huge fan of vintage button-style earrings, and they are totally back in style these days. See below for some of my favorites:

Vintage Platinum Diamond Pearl Stud Earrings Jackets

Vintage Gold Emerald Diamond Princess Earrings Jewelry

Platinum Vintage Art Deco 1940’s 9 ctw European-Cut Diamond Clip-On Earrings