Get The Look For Less – Style Icon Diane Kruger

The crop top trend is back! It has made its way from the runway to the streets in a big way. But if you are a little worried about how to rock this trend in a dressy-chic (but not over the top) way, take a lesson from Diane Kruger. The enviable beauty, with abs any girl would die for, attended the French Consulate screening of Farewell, My Queen (opening on August 3) in LA. Donning a striped cropped tank and louche black trousers by Lucca Couture, strappy heels and snake skin clutch, Diane makes looking minimal and chic as easy as 123.

Shop my favorite looks for getting this refreshingly current look, ideal for warm summer nights, for less!

Clockwise from top left: Helmet Lang Wide Leg Trouser $375.00 on sale for $110.00 www.matchesfashion.com, Loose Crop Tank $22.00 www.americanapparel.com, Snakeskin Print Cut-Out Clutch $39.90 www.express.com, Cembura High Heel $39.98 www.aldoshoes.com.

Spring’s Best Dressed Celebrities

As I sat down to right this, I asked myself what it is exactly that entitles someone to make a “Best Dressed” list. I concluded that it was equal parts creativity, well-rounded put together looks mixed with a dash of risk taking, all while emitting a sense of ease and je ne sais quoi.

These ladies -  Sarah Jessica Parker, Solange Knowles, Diane Kruger and the Olson twins – possess the above in triplicate (even without the aide of a stylist). SJP is a true fashion icon in every sense, whether she is working the red carpet, walking the streets of the West Village or sitting down to chat with Dave Letterman. I bet she retires for the evening looking every bit as stylish as she does in magazines.

Diane Kruger has been turning up in the fashion spot light quite a bit lately. How beautiful did she look at every turn during her stint as judge at this year’s Cannes Festival? Very, is the exact answer! But this starlit too knows how to dress with creativity and aplomb when away from the glaring lights of Hollywood. Solange Knowles (sister of Beyonce), a relatively newbie to the fashion scene, has never ceased to amaze me. Her sense of color and adventure are evident from the most casual looks to the glamorous red carpet strolls she has been amassing. This is one beautiful lady to keep your eye on.

The Olson sisters (MaryKate & Ashley), winner of  this year’s CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year award, truly dress to the beat of their own drummer, and are awe-inspiring doing it. These ladies embody “one’s own sense of style” to their core. Their 2 fashion lines – Elizabeth & James and The Row – are distinct entities yet equally beautiful in their own right. The former being the perfect blend of bohemian cool and urban chic, the latter, which is their high-end collection, a minimalist modern look that has airs of “classic” woven through it. No wonder these ladies exude STYLE!!

1st Row – Sarah Jessica Parker, 2nd Row – Solange Knowles, 3rd Row – Diane Kruger, 4th Row – MaryKate & Ashley Olson.

More Fab Dresses From Cannes – Diane Kruger The Belle Of The Ball!

Tonight marks the end of the 65th Cannes Film Festival and the level of amazing dresses during the festival was off the chart. Turns out Diane Kruger was more than judge at this years festival, she was the true belle of the ball. Looking divine in a strapless gold Vivienne Westwood, a pure white Nina Ricci and a fun, flirty Prabal Gurung I’m sure she turned many heads. To Amfar’s Cinema Against Aids Cannes 2012 party – the hottest ticket in town – Diane chose a dress from Chanel’s just seen Resort 2013 collection. During the festival Kruger also donned Jason Wu, Giambattista Valli, Calvin Klein and Burberry Prorsum. and a few more lucky designers.

Let us know if we missed any of you favorite looks from Cannes 2012.

Clockwise from top left: Diane Kruger in Chanel Resort 2013, Eva Cavalli With Karolina Kurkova In Roberta Cavalli, Kristin Stewart In Balenciaga By Nicholas Ghesquiere, Diane Kruger In Prabal Gurung, Erin Wasson In Oscar De La Renta, Diane Kruger In Nina Ricci, Jennifer Connelly & Naomi Watts In Gucci, Diane Kruger In Vivienne Westwood, Nicole Kidman In Lanvin With Cartier Jewelry, Doutzen Kroes In Atelier Versace, Bianca Balti In Dolce & Gabbana, Natasha Poly In Gucci.

Cannes Film Festival 2012 — Glamour Galore!!

The 65th Cannes Film Festival kicked off this week, with the who’s who of Hollywood and other countries jetting down to the Cote d’Azur in their thousands. Cannes’ film festival is as glamorous as it sounds. Imagine yachts, bikinis, blue skies, turquoise seas and reams and reams of glorious designer dresses. There certainly was no shortage of glam and glitz at Cannes this year!!

Above are the just some of the highlights of the best dresses so far – I’m sure there will be many more in the days to come. My favorites, worn by Naomi Watts and Eva Longoria, were designed by Marchesa — those trains, talk about GLAMOR!! Other favorites are Eva Herzigova in Dolce & Gabbana and Marion Cotillard in Christian Dior – love the navy/black combo (not to mention those diamonds in her hair), tres chic!

Clockwise from top left: Eva Herzigova in Dolce & Gabbana, Marion Cotillard in Christian Dior, Lana Del Rey in Alberta Ferretti, Eva Longoria in Marchesa, Fan Bingbing in Christopher Bu, Paz Vega in Stephane Rolland, Lana Del Rey in Alberta Ferretti, Naomi Watts in Marchesa, Diane Kruger in Giambattista Valli.

Spring’s Color Trends

Fashion trends seem to change pretty quickly these days, and this time of year can be a bit confusing because the weather still feels like Winter but the stores are stocking up on Spring like it’s 80 degrees out. Mix and match the bright colors that will be on trend for spring, which are bright pink, yellow, blue and green, with winter blacks and grays to get a head start. Once Spring truly arrives these colors will transition well with shorts and white skinny’s.

Minka Kelly was seen at the Art of Elysium gala in a bright yellow Oscar de la Renta gown and Tiffany & Co. jewels.

Taking her usual fashion-forward stance, Diane pairs her yellow-and-blue chiffon Prada gown with bold House of Lavande bracelets and a hot-pink Prada clutch.

Katherine Middleton’s little sis Pippa livened up her plaid Maje shirt and black Zara blazer with pink jeans by SuperDry.

A royal blue canvas and neon pink patent form a graphic design that create a hint of structure on a fun Balenciaga tote. Use it now as a laptop case and pack it later with a towel, a book and a bottle of wine and you’ve got an instant vacation—no beach required ($945;Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière Seashore Tote www.balenciaga.com).

The Met Gala – “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty”

The Met Gala, the fashion world’s biggest party, took a sentimental journey inward celebrating the opening of the new exhibition “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty”—a look at the life and work of the visionary designer. Savage Beauty is on display now till July 31, 2011 at  The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In his honor, the museum was decorated like a beautiful, romantic English garden with heather and wildflowers lining the great staircase, towering trees and hedges sprouting from the halls, and pots of garden roses and peonies haphazardly placed among glittering votives on rustic wood tabletops. There was even a replica of a 30 foot oak tree in the Great Hall, reminiscent of those on McQueen’s property in Sussex.

Lady Amanda Harlech, in black Chanel, offered, ” Where else does one see this much McQueen all at once? “British weddings, funerals, and AngloMania”—a reference to the 2006 Met Ball, the only one McQueen attended. His date then was Sarah Jessica Parker, who walked the carpet this year in a dress from his Fall 2005 collection. “Reluctant to be social” is how she described her friend. “He didn’t genuflect in the traditional way,” she added.

Some of the other attendees wearing McQueen were Daphne Guiness, sporting head to toe feathers with her trade mark aplomb, Gisele Bundchen, in a scarlet strapless satin gown with a voluminous train Naomi Campbell in a white, ornate fringed gown and Karen Elson wore the gold McQueen gown that she originally walked the Paris runway in 10 years ago.

Perhaps Madonna summed it up best when she paused along the stairs to offer her take on the departed man of the evening. “He was kind of shy. But he had a naughty side to him,” she stressed. And what if he was here for the little carpet ride that began with Friday’s royal wedding and was in full flight this night? Madge had an answer for that one, too. “He’d say something completely politically incorrect and just breeze through.

Besides McQueen the night was full of beautiful dresses designed by many talented designers, Stella McCartney and Calvin Klein Collection making the strongest showing.

Clockwise from top left: Ashley Olsen in Vintage Christian Dior and Van Cleef & Arpel Jewelry, Liv Tyler in Givenchy Haute Couture and Fred Leighton Jewelry, Karen Elson in  Alexander McQueen, Diane Kruger in Jason Wu and Van Cleef & Arpel Jewelry, Zoe Saldana in Calvin Klein Collection and Platt Boutique Jewelry, Amber Valletta in Stella McCartney and Fred Leighton Jewelry.