The stars were out in full force last night, May 7 at the 2012 Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit held in New York.  Although the gala was intended to spotlight the Institute's latest fashion exhibit, Schiaparelli and Prada, no doubt, the real show was on the red carpet and provided a feast for the paparazzi and fashion fans alike.  While there were many disappointments which left me wondering, "why?", that inner voice kept telling me, if you have nothing good to say, then don't say anything at all.  That being said, the glass was definitely half full and I am pleased to showcase my top 10 picks.  Enjoy!

Vampire Diaries star, Nina Dobrev served up a jaw-dropping moment and stole the spotlight in a stunning Donna Karan gown at last night's gala.  The actress looked like a mermaid emerging from the Black Sea in one of her most dramatic and striking looks yet.  The backless gown is a detailed work of silk chiffon and burnt out metal sequins and antique gold lined beads with an asymmetrically draped one-shoulder bodice.  Donna Karan has dressed Nina in the past and with each occasion, Nina becomes more stunning than the last.  Only one word sums up this one:  WOW! 

Fit for a princess!  No doubt, Dolce & Gabanna were on cloud nine (and probably still are) as Scarlett Johansson glided down the red carpet in a heavenly blush tulle skirted gown with a crystal, pearl and gold embellished off-the-shoulder bodice.  The Avengers actress cleverly kept her accessories to a minimum, completing her look with just a simple one-strand diamond bracelet and regal antique cushion cut diamond drop earrings, at 4 carats each, and Christian Louboutin heels.  True Hollywood royalty!

Pretty in pink was Paula Patton as she turned heads in this gorgeous silk creation by Vera Wang that features a strapless asymmetrical pleated bodice and drop waist transitioning into a straight skirt with slightly flared hem with train.  The colour is perfect for Paula's tanned glow.  The Mission Impossible actress wore her hair pulled back to show off her beautiful Lorraine Schwartz pink sapphire chandelier earrings and a smile that could light up the City.  Simply stunning!

Definitely one of the best-dressed women on the red carpet, last night proved no different for Jessica Alba.  The actress was statuesque in a stunning one-shoulder gold lamé Michael Kors creation.  While many a designer has unsuccessfully attempted to execute the perfect lamé gown, Michael Kors comes out a winner in this heavenly pleated number.  The dress is a perfect fit on Jessica and her hair a perfect match.  Wilfredo Rosado gold jewels and a matching clutch completed the Midas touch for Jessica!

Also shining on the red carpet last night was Modern Family star, Sofia Vergara, in a silver embroidered gown by Marchesa.  The gown features two of my favourite elements of couture:  the crumb-catcher neckline and peplum waist detail.  Sofia has really shown a versatile fashion sense in the last year or so and isn't afraid to change up her style.  Sofia refined her look last night with Casadei pumps and some Harry Winston bling bling.  I'd also be smiling from ear to ear if I were donning that bracelet too.  Just sayin'.  

If designer Zac Posen has been waiting for his fashion crowning moment, then he need not wait any longer as Leslie Bibb may very well have made his dream come true at last night's event.  Like a scene out of an old movie, the model/actress was the vision of Old Hollywood as she made an unforgettable entrance onto the red carpet in this stunning dramatic blue-on-blue printed ball gown by the designer.  Just simple blue sapphire Lorraine Schwartz earrings and ring with matching clutch completed her look.  I'd love to see more gowns like this because quite frankly, I do give a damn.  I just had to say that! 

Turning up the heat at last night's event was Camilla Belle who rocked the red carpet in a simple but elegant ivory and silver tulle beaded Ralph Lauren Spring 2012 gown.  Camilla perfectly depicts how to wear the plunging V-neck:  elegant and classic.  Her overall styling is perfect from the modern champagne platform heels to the vintage art deco jewels all by Ralph Lauren.  Another great Old Hollywood look with a modern twist.  Love it!

Looking every bit the supermodel that she is, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley strikes a pose in a stunning copper and black striped dress by Burberry with hand-embroidered beaded neckline.  The supermodel sealed her look with drop-style Irene Neuwirth earrings, J/Hadley ring and a Harlow 1960 clutch.  You may recall that Kate Hudson also wore this look last week to the 2012 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.  I love this style.  What do you think?  

Every red carpet event needs a goddess in attendance and Twilight actress Ashley Greene was the very essence of one at last night's event.  Ashley was breathtaking in a white Grecian Donna Karan Atelier gown that was designed specifically for her!  The gown is a masterpiece of a sequin encrusted silk chiffon bustier with asymmetrical pleating cascading into a beautifully draped skirt with train.  To complete her look, Ashley donned simple silver earrings and matching metallic clutch, leaving her hair and make-up au naturel.  Ashley really rocked that inner vixen-goddess vibe!  Between Nina and Ashley, Donna Karan really outdid herself last night!  

And completing the list of my top 10 picks from the 2012 Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit is Hilary Swank who was ravishing in red by Michael Kors.  The actress cut a stunning silhouette in a custom scarlett-chiffon gown by the designer which featured a turtleneck with asymmetrical body hugging overlay releasing a cascading side panel skirt.  Mr. Kors made Hilary's look even more enticing with his gold python barrel clutch and gold snake chain ankle-wrap stiletto sandals.  (I can hear those rattlers now.)  To accessorize, Hilary chose gold Fred Leighton jewels and side-swept curls.  Absolutely stunning!

Hope you enjoyed my picks for this year's Met gala.  Did you have a favourite?  It's almost impossible to choose one preferred look as each one is as beautiful and unique as the next.     

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There’s a new trailer for teen angst/high school/coming-of-age dramedy LOL with Miley Cyrus and Demi Moore. Writer/director Lisa Azuelos has remade her own 2008 film which was a huge hit in France. The best thing I can say about it this, based on the trailer, is that it doesn’t look that bad. Certainly nothing you haven't seen before, but I suppose every generation needs one of these.  I’m not a Miley fan, but as she gets older and if she chooses her material wisely, she may turn out to be a better actress than it’s fun to deride her for being.

The premise:

In a world connected by YouTube iTunes, and Facebook, Lola and her friends navigate the peer pressures of high school romance and friendship while dodging their sometimes overbearing and confused parents. When Lola's mom, Anne, "accidentally" reads her teenage daughter's racy journal, she realizes just how wide their communication gap has grown. Through hilarious and heartfelt moments between mother and daughter, LOL is a fresh coming-of-age story for modern times.

The trailer:

Here’s a clip that can only be called “the morning after”. Raise your hand if you haven’t played out this exact same scene in your own misspent youth.  C’mon! It can’t just be me!

What I find really both disturbing and hilarious is that the mother going ballistic is played by the actress who so famously played an out-of-control cokehead who wanted to put her step-monster in a catsuit because it was cheaper to bury a pet than a person in St. Elmo’s Fire. It also makes me feel old.

If you’re a fan of PBS, you probably recognize Lola’s love interest as Pip (Douglas Booth) from the recent BBC adaptation of Great Expectations (the one with Gillian Anderson as Miss Haversham, not the one with Helena Bonham Carter, which hasn’t come out yet). 

LOL also stars Marlo Thomas, Ashley Greene, Austin Nichols, Thomas Jane, Gina Gershon, Fisher Stevens. Jay Hernandez and Adam G. Sevani.  It opens in limited release in the US on May 4 (really? Against The Avengers?) and 1^st June in the UK (against Prometheus?)

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While some studios are still in the thrall of awards-season desserts, Warner Brothers  is giving us some amuse bouche from their 2012 menu. Kicking off the 2012 movie season, Warner Bros.  has released some new images from horror thriller The Apparition with Ashley Greene, Sylvester Stallone's action thriller Bullet To The Head, the musical Rock Of Ages, and the latest Nicholas Sparks based, four hankie tearjerker, The Lucky One, starring Zac Efron. A little something for everyone?

The Apparition is about a couple Kelly (Ashley Greene) and Ben (Sebastian Stan) who discover they are being haunted by a presence that was accidentally conjured during a university parapsychology experiment. The horrifying apparition feeds on their fear and torments them no matter where they try to run. Their last hope is an expert in the supernatural (Tom Felton), but even with his help they may already be too late to save themselves from this terrifying force…  Written, produced and directed by Todd Lincoln (who has nothing else to recommend him. I have no idea what that indicates), The Apparition also stars Julianna Guill, Rick Gomez, Anna Clark and Luke Pasqualino. It opens August 24

The Lucky One stars Zac Efron as USMC Sgt Logan Thibault who returns from his 3^rd tour of duy in Iraq with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive- a photograph of he doesn’t know. He learns her name (Beth played by Taylor Schilling) and where she lives. He shows up on her doorstep and takes a job at her family’s kennel. A romance blossoms, giving Logan hope that Beth could be more than just his good luck charm. It also stars Blythe Danner, Adam Lefevre, Jay R. Ferguson and Riley Thomas Stewart and is directed by Scott Hicks (Shine). The Lucky One (not to be confused with The Lucky Ones from 2008 also having to do with returning soldiers (plural this time) and starring Rachel McAdams, who is in that other Nicholas Sparks movie for 2012, The Vow) opens in theaters on April 20.

Rock of Ages tells the story of small town girl Sherrie (Julianne Hough) and city boy Drew (Diego Boneta), who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Their rock 'n' roll romance is told through the heart-pounding hits of Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Journey, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Whitesnake and more. It stars Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Malin Akerman, Mary J. Blige, Bryan Cranston, Alec Baldwin and  Tom Cruise as aging rock legend Stacee Jax. Rock of Ages opens on June 1. Russell Brand appears to be playing some variation of himself, but I love Alec Baldwin’s wig.

Bullet To The Head, directed by Walter Hill (The Warriors, 48 Hrs. The Driver), stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Momoa, Christian Slater and Sung Kang  is based on a graphic novel and tells the story of a New Orleans hitman (Stallone) and a New York City cop (Momoa – I think) who form an alliance to bring down the killers of their respective partners. It has an April 13 release date. We showed you the first image last week of Momoa trying to split Stallone like a cord of wood. In this one, Sly has a big gun and is obviously trying to outdo my Hawaiian Volcano in the tatts department.

Twilight's Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene re-team for a story of “young love and the true meaning of sportsmanship and life” in a film called A Warrior’s Heart. It’s filled with every cliché from every “inspirational” sports drama you’ve ever seen, plus the added pathos of a father sent to war plus the troubled youth who gets into trouble until someone takes him  under their wing and straightens him out.  The first time I watched the trailer I laughed out loud when I wasn’t cringing. Then I thought, “maybe it’s a parody!”

Synopsis: In shock and denial over his Marine father's death in battle, star Lacrosse player Conor Sullivan, always a maverick and a hothead, starts acting out in self-destructive ways that have his mom, Claire, at her wit's end. But arduous training in a wilderness Lacrosse camp under the tutelage of his dad's old combat buddy, Sgt. Major Duke Wayne (?!?), opens Conor's eyes to the true meaning of maturity, sportsmanship and manhood…

If this thing were any good, they’d be promoting the hell out it on Twilight: Breaking Dawn – part 1’s coattails. Conversely, it is probably only getting any kind of release because of TBD-pt 1.

Co-starring Chord Overstreet, Adam Beach and Gabrielle Anwar (as Kellan Lutz’s MOM?!?  Way to make me feel ancient. But then if he’s supposed to be a teenager in High School, I suppose it’s possible.) A Warrior’s Heart gets a limited release and VOD December 2

To be honest, these new images from Jim Field Smith's (She's Out of My League) latest, titled simply, Butter, aren’t all about Hugh Jackman but, I figured you could use a little Hugh to get your Hump Day started.

The first time I heard that someone had made a movie about a butter carving competition, I have to say I was skeptical. Since then I've heard nothing but good things, even if it wasn’t the phenomenon that Harvey Weinstein was hoping for.  It stars Jennifer Garner as over-achieving type A Laurie Pickler in a comedy set in the Midwest U.S., where an adopted girl (Yara Shahidi) discovers her talent for butter carving and finds herself pitted against an ambitious local woman (Garner) in their town's annual contest.

The Weinstein Company launched a viral site where you can also view the clip below as part of a "campaign ad" for Laurie Pickler for Governor. Her slogan: "For the Little People", and  includes buttons for Laurie's Facebook and Twitter pages. Inspired marketing I must say, even if the hoped for comparisons to Michelle Bachman and or Sarah Palin are now moot.

Also starring Hugh Jackman, Ty Burrell, Olivia Wilde, Kristen Schaal, Ashley Greene, Alicia Silverstone, Rob Corddry, Phyllis Smith and Pruitt Taylor Vince,  Butter will be released March 16, 2012.

source

As if any of you Twi-hards needed your fires stoked any more for this movie, ahead of its takeover of every cinema on the planet this Friday, November 18^th, Summit Entertainment has released nine new hi-res glossy (if not sparkly) stills from The Twilight Saga: Break Dawn – part 1.

Directed by Bill Condon (Chicago),  this installment of the series finds the Quileute and the Volturi closing in on newlyweds and expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses different threats to the wolf pack and vampire coven.

In case you’ve been in a coma for the last three years, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – part 1 stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene, Taylor Lautner, Jackson Rathbone, Dakota Fanning, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Billy Burke and Kellan Lutz.  The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – part 2, also based on the last of Stephanie Meyers’ phenomenally successful books, will open November 2012.

There's no competition here as Olivia Wilde, 27, strikes a pose on the red carpet at the movie premiere, In Time in Los Angeles this past week.  Olivia chose a simple, but elegant, long black dress with leopard print clutch, gold cuff bracelet and black strappy sandals.  In the movie, Olivia plays the mother of Justin Timberlake, 30, which raises the question, "How the heck can a 27-year-old play the mother of a 30-year-old?"  Very simple.  You see, the movie is a sci‑fi thriller in which the aging gene shuts off at 25 years old. And I bet you'll never guess what happens.  You stop aging!  Surprise!!!  The movie centers around the attempt to control overpopulation and after turning 25, each person is given only one more year to live and when the clock reaches zero, you expire.  (Yikes!)  Hey, I'm all for anti-aging.  But that being the case, I say let the population explode!

Another actress who also plays an anti-aging life form is Ashley Greene, who, along with Robert Pattinson, attended the movie premiere of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part I in Brussels, Belgium on October 26.  True to her on-screen character, Alice Cullen, Ashley keeps it short, sweet and sexy in this pink and gold embroidered L'Wren Scott Spring 2012 mini dress.  By the way, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part I premieres November 18 in Canada.  See you in the line up!!

Jessica Simpson, 31, is the hottest mommy-to-be as she is out and about in The Big Apple on October 25 while decked out in head-to-toe black and a handbag that just makes me want to purr.  It really amazes me that at this stage, people are still asking her if she's having a baby, which raises one question to those people: "Harvard or Yale?"  Nevertheless, I love the way Jessica ignores the question when asked.  However, in the event she were to answer it, I think the dialogue would go something like this:  Paparazzi:  "Hey, Ms. Simpson, are you having a baby?"  Jessica: "Uh, no.  I just swallowed a pillow in my sleep a few months back."  Just sayin'.

Calling all angels!  Victoria's Secret Angels, that is.  V.S. Angels, Lily Aldridge (left) and Erin Heatherton (far right) were looking radiant as ever when they showed up at the Burberry Body party in Los Angeles this week to support fellow Angel, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, (centered) who is the new poster model for their new fragrance, Burberry Body.  Rosie is smoking hot in her form fitting little champagne coloured silk dress with matching heels.  Lily Aldridge chose a more sophisticated look in a black pant suiting, and Erin was elegant in a black mini dress and sheer long skirt ensemble.  

It may be Halloween, but that doesn't stop Elle Macpherson, 47, from donning the newest celebrity wardrobe staple, the bandage dress.  And no, I'm not talking about dressing like a mummy.  The bandage dress is gaining popularity in the celebrity circuit because of its ability to hide and accentuate where it's suppose to.  (However, something tells me that Elle Macpherson doesn't need any help in that department.)  Elle was in Sydney, Australia recently promoting the skin care product line, Invisible Zinc and decided to make us hate her even more by showing up in a bandage dress.  And just to torture us even more, Elle decides to strike a pose sideways.  

Actress, Joely Richardson, 46, brings back old Hollywood glamour in this stunning black lace, strapless, tulle layered Marchesa gown when she attended the London Film Festival premiere of her latest film, Anonymous.  The dress reminds me of an era gone by, something that Grace Kelly would have worn.  In the film, Joely and her mother, legendary actress Vanessa Redgrave, share the role of Queen Elizabeth I wherein Joely portrays young Princess Elizabeth and Vanessa portrays Queen Elizabeth I.  The controversial film challenges its audience with the possibility that William Shakespeare was not the actual author of "Shakespeare's" plays, but rather, were written by Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford.  We may never know.  But I do know one thing.  I need to borrow that dress (and accidentally forget to return it).

And completing this week's Friday Fashionistas lineup is the very lovely actress, Freida Pinto, 27.  Freida gives red carpet fashion a breath of fresh air in this shimmering Ralph Lauren Collection jumpsuit with Chopard diamond bracelet and red clutch at the screening of her new film, Trishna.  What a beautiful alternative to a gown.  But as lovely as the jumpsuit is, only a smile like Freida's can light up a red carpet or an entire city during a power outage!

Hope you enjoyed this week's picks.  What are yours?  Mine this week:  Ashley Greene's L'Wren Scott Spring 2012 mini dress.  You just knew I was going to pick that one, didn't you?  See you next week!

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Kate Bosworth and Alexander Skarsgard are still going strong as you can see from them at Day 1 of the 2011 Coachella Festival in Indio, California. Damn he is one fine looking mansicle, yes?

Even Usher attended the first day of the three day annual music festival. He looked to be enjoying a laugh while walking the grounds.

Tara Reid and Doug Reinhart (Paris’ ex) were together at Coachella. Like a couple. Who knew?

Ashley Greene and Joe Jonas also attended Day 1 of Coachella but separately. At least I don’t have any photos of them together. Could it be these two are finding their way back to one another? I doubt it. It looks like she was with some guy. I’m not sure if it’s Jared Followill or not. Maybe one of our fabulous viewers can identify who she’s with?

Vanessa Hudgens got her hippy on. She’s really changed her style since she and Zac Efron split up. Some girls cut their hair after a break up, some girls channel their inner hippy. It’s all good.

Dita Von Teese, Jack Osbourne, Robert Downey Jr. and a bunch of other celebrities also attended. Lots of celebrities after the break. Bookmark us for all of your Coachella celebrity sightings.

Pictures after the break.

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