Jewelry Fashion at the 61st Emmy Awards

Diamond classics and splashes of color dominated the red carpet at the 2009 Emmy Awards yesterday, with a few new jewelry trends emerging to keep things interesting.

Before I get to the jewelry run down, can I just have a ‘Kanye’ moment for a sec? What kind of world do we live in when the guy from Breaking Bad beats out Mad Men’s John Hamm for Best Actor in Drama Series? Does anyone even WATCH that show? Criminal.

And OK. How tired are we of seeing Amazing Race and the Survivor guy win in the reality category? I like my reality catty and cringe-worthy thank you very much, with a splash of fashion and untrained throat-singing thrown in for good measure. Emmy? America has moved on.

Ok. Back to our regular programming.

It was great to see a return to blingy glamour on the carpet last night, with a few WOW moments thrown in for good measure (thank you, Blake Lively and January Jones).

I am loving the black diamond trend that emerged on stars like Heidi Klum and Alicia Witt. And clear jewels on lovelies like Ginnifer Goodwin (in Ivanka Trump) and Jamie Lynn Sigler surprised and satisfied.

Purple and red were the colors of the night, with strapless gowns and braided Swiss Miss hair making a strong showing.

But it was classic diamond glamour that reigned supreme, with most stars opting to bedazzle not just the ears this year, but the wrist and the neck as well.

Who was your favorite fashion celeb last night? It’s a toss up for me between January Jones and Blake – both in Versace.

Weigh in! And be sure to visit Jewelry.com for even more Emmy jewelry coverage.

Jewelry Fashion Dazzles for Emmy’s Diamond Anniversary

Diamonds dripped on the red carpet as TV’s biggest stars celebrated the Primetime Emmy Award’s diamond anniversary last night. Appropriately, the celebs (and their devoted stylists) didn’t skimp in the jewelry department. Diamond statement necklaces, diamond right hand rings and the new diamond pin trend made bold appearances along with earring looks that ranged from the traditional stud to the dangling chandelier.

Fashion winners included Sandra Oh in a stunning Oscar de la Renta retro-style black lace dress with a ribbon sash and an icey 5.5 carats of emerald cut, Bulgari diamonds on each ear. America Ferrara was anything but ugly in a dramatic Fred Leighton 19th Century diamond flower necklace, paired with 2.5-carat, old mine-cut diamond pendant earrings, a rose-cut diamond cluster bracelet and a 19th century diamond line bracelet.

Host Heidi Klum’s gorgeous diamond butterfly earrings far outshined her flat onstage performance. Brooke Shields and Nicolette Sheridan dazzled in the season’s hottest colors: fuschia and plum, and their diamond statement earrings rivaled those of Kate Walsh in Neil Lane and the always-stunning Debra Messing in 19th century diamond fan pendants from Fred Leighton.

Perhaps the most anticipated red carpet return was Cristina Applegate who didn't disappoint in gorgeous fancy colored diamond chandelier drops and a trendy asymmetrical Reem Acra gown with metallic patches.

"I think Applegate was one of the best dressed of the night," said stylist Marie Alice Stephenson. "She was glamorous, elegant and she pushed it."

And while it’s hard to make diamonds look bad, of course there were your tried-and-true fashion missteps. Actress Kat Kramer was all wrong in a yellow gown and diamond earrings so long they almost scraped her navel. Kathy Griffin – love the show, hate the gaudy metallic number, the goddess hair and the gold earrings. Ghost Whisperer, Jennifer Love Hewitt ruined a gorgeous Carolina Herrara gown with a misplaced diamond Y-neck and a slumber party-inspired updo. And actress Christina DeRosa in the white fan number? Well, words fail us here.

For a complete list of last night’s big winners, click here.

The Emmys Bling from the Chandeliers

The Emmy Awards are celebrating their diamond (60th) anniversary this year, and they commissioned a $10 million diamond chandelier to mark the occasion. These Emmy folks don’t mess around.

Boston-based jeweler, Hearts On Fire, designed the one-of-a-kind, three-tiered chandelier that will appear as the centerpiece of the backstage Greenroom where celebs make final preparations (drink heavily) before they appear on stage.

The officially named "Hearts On Fire Diamond Chandelier" is made with over 3,300 perfectly cut diamonds totaling over 1,000 carats and consists of a series of diamond strands that are illuminated by fiber optics. The hand-made beauty was created by a team led by Katherine Rosenberg Pineau, Hearts On Fire's jewelry designer, and is guarded under 24-hour security.

"The Hearts On Fire diamond chandelier is the most extravagant, brilliant, glamorous diamond chandelier ever made. You can't even imagine when it is illuminated how spectacular it is," said Ms. Rosenberg Pineau. Oh we can imagine. It’s all we can do, thanks for reminding us.

Hearts On Fire will be providing white glove service to celebrities who want to touch and feel the chandelier in all its glory, and the piece will be for sale after the show.

The 60th Primetime Emmy Awards airs tomorrow - Sunday, September 21 at 8 PM, and you can bet we’ll be tracking all the red carpet shenanigans for you right here. Stay tuned.

Diamonds and Platinum - It's in the Bag!

If your purse strings loosen at the sight of platinum and diamonds, have we got a bauble for you. Cate Adair, costume designer for Desperate Housewives, and luxury jewelry company, Kwiat, have created the “Platinum Clutch” in honor of the 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Some lucky celeb will walk the red carpet with this platinum, one-of-a-kind bag bejeweled with Kwiat diamonds. It's valued at more than $500,000, so best not to leave it in the ladies' room during commercial breaks. Yikes.

Known in fashion circles as the next Kate Spade, Adair explains, “The idea for the Platinum Clutch came to me when I was giving a lecture about the importance of accessories in defining television and movie characters.” What school is this and where can I sign up? She goes on to say, “I realized I could combine my two passions – luxury handbags and the luxury, rarity and durability of fine Platinum – to create the ultimate accessory.” Ultimate indeed.

The clutch will make a post-Emmy appearance at the new Kwiat flagship store on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue. The 1,000-square-foot boutique opened on September 4th and showcases a wide variety of Kwiat's diamond jewelry collections, with pieces ranging from $2,500 to more than $1 million.

In the meantime, we’ll be waiting to see what lucky lady they choose to babysit the purse to end all purses on the red carpet this Sunday. We’re guessing Winona Ryder isn’t on their A-list.

Highlights and Observations: Emmy's Party Weekend

My highlights of the entire Emmy's Weekend were:
--Attending the Kate Somerville Spa and Gifting Suite, where I surveyed the PaigePremium Brand jeans all the stars are wearing (they make your butt look amazing!), Ajne Parfumerie and Apothecary, a company that creates custom perfumes out of the most precious ingredients for actresses like Reese Witherspoon and Hilary Swank (their bottles look they were found in the elegant bathroom of a Romanian castle!), and Frette sheets, maker of the most sumptuous bedding in the world. Last but not least, here I got a chance to meet Kate Somerville and speak to her about her famous products, especially the Quench Hydrating Serum, which actress Catherine Bell of "Army Wives" confided in me, was like a "skin miracle".

--I also attended Kari Feinstein's Emmy Style Lounge, where we had to drive to the highest hills of Hollywood and then be shuttled to a "secret location" where the suites were located in a private mansion. Now, this was the flossiest-flossiest lounge I had ever been to. There was a Reebok room where they had some of the coolest looking sneakers I had ever seen (the Voltron line is super-colorful and my favorite). Laura and I even filmed a PSA for Rockand Republic's "Rock The Cure" campaign while actors Seth Green and Andy Milonakis looked on. Laura kept saying how her kids would be SO jealous if they knew she was there with them! I saw so many stars file out of there with so many bags of stuff, my jaw just remained at dropped position the whole day! My half-full bag looked like a bad poor stepchild compared to theirs.

--At the Platinum Suite in the Luxe BeverlyHills Hotel , we were escorted to the Penthouse Suite and I got to stand near(but not too close to), $40 million worth of diamonds and platinum designed by various jewelry houses. It's just incredible that they are lent out to stars. I guess somehow actors wearing them and mentioning their name makes some (very rich) folk run out and feel like want to buy a $50,000 necklace. There has to be a reason, right? I just wore my $100 Nixon steel-plated watch--which I bought myself! Here, there was a La Prairie counter, offering a "taste" of why their skin caviar is the best skin cream in the world. The jar that was hidden in my "goodie bag" was larger than a jar of Jiffy Peanut Butter! Trust me, I ain't complainin'.

--I was invited to attend the Gersh Agency Dinner and Party for its Emmy nominees, given by Frederic Fekkai, to celebrate the opening of his eponymous salon on the exclusive Melrose Place street. There, I gossiped about fashion with Lilah Schechner, West Coast Editor of Elle Magazine. Leave it to the two fashion "queens" to hone in on each other and hang out for two hours and discuss fashion--at a very "A-list Hollywood Industry" non-fashion party!

--David and I attended the Entertainment Weekly Party and saw such A-listers as Vanessa Williams, most of her costars from "Ugly Betty", "Entourage's" Jeremy Piven, my friend and his on-screen assistant, Rex Lee, and Heidi and Seal. I had a lot of fun, sampling the hors d'oeuvres and drinking the yummy Margaritas. A notable absence was Tim Gunn, who was supposed to have shown up, but due to the fact that his car pick up NEVER arrived, he opted to just remain in his hotel and rest up for the big event. I missed him because we would have had "private time" to dish before the Emmy Awards the next day.

--Emmy Awards:
My favorite moments were meeting the GORGEOUS Padma Lakshmi, hostess and judge of Top Chef--looking divine in a white stretch silk Dolce and Gabbana siren gown, Tom Colicchio, also of Top Chef, "Ugly Betty" actor Christopher Gorham, who's a big fan of Project Runway. My best moment was meeting actress Patricia Heaton. I delicately pulled her to come to be interviewed for my MSN piece and once she recognized who I was, she literally began jumping up and down screaming. She was like "Oh my God, Oh My God, you're Nick from Project Runway!!!!" I returned the favor by also screaming "Oh my God, you're Patricia Heaton..and I am a big fan! And can I design a Gown for you next time???" Check out the MSN Emmy video to see what she had in her purse. It's the best! Click HERE to watch the video of Laura and I going through the Stars purses!

--I attended two Emmy's after parties: One for DIVA, Diverse and Inclusive Visionary Artists/Hector Monserratte at East West Lounge where I ran into Survivor star and Janice Dickinson model, JP Calderon. The 2nd party was for Magical Elves, the producers of Bravo's Top Chef and Project Runway, among others. There, I had a great time chatting with Bravo's Andy Cohen and seeing my old friends at Elves, especially the sexy Michael Rucker, looking like a British aristocrat with his tuxedo tails, skinny pants and flower pin. Here, I also ran into model Amanda Fields and several of the chefs from Top Chef well as the over-the-top Bobby Trendy(go figure!). They were still viewing the awards show that I had just ended up attending. Unfortunately, I arrived right as they were announcing Amazing Race as the winner of Reality Competition Program. There were lots of booos in the party.

-- Two Interesting Observations regarding the Emmy Awards:
I always somehow thought that the WHOLE theater/auditorium was always FILLED with stars--all of its 6,000 seats were somehow occupied by "famous people". When, in fact, it is quite the opposite. Maybe 5-10 % of the seats are filled with famous people while the majority of the seats are "other" industry folk--producers, writers, costumers, grips, agents, managers--not so famous.
The other observation was more of a fashion one. A lot of the women attending looked like they were going to the Miss Tennessee Pageant Finals, instead of the Emmy's. Beaded polyester satin Leg-o-Mutton sleeved gowns with front thigh-high slits would not have been my choice of a gown to wear to the Emmy's. And I saw SEVERAL! Ah well, all I can do is continue to offer advice and encourage women to "DRESS LIKE YOU MEAN"! Click HERE to watch video of Laura and I giving advice on dressing for your body type.

What To Wear...For The Emmy's

The Story of a Jacket

Oh the joy of Emmy Awards Season! Usually, I would have just planned to watch the show at home or go to some exclusive "Viewing Party". Nothing too exciting you might argue. All of that changed several weeks ago when I got the call from MSN, wanting me and fellow Glam Squad Diva, Laura Bennett, to actually cover it for MSN Style Studio. Not only were we going to attend some of those VIP Gifting Suites, but also THE Emmy Awards and do fashion coverage from the Red Carpet. One small thing: The clients thought it would be a "cute" idea if we both designed--and wore--something that said "Dress Like You Mean It", our tag line on our MSN Style Studio segments. Laura and I debated and went back and forth on what we were going to do. Numerous emails, phone calls and scenarios were passed around, all in an effort to figure out how we were going to "carry this off" without, how shall I say this delicately, ending up on "The Worst Dressed List".

Laura was inspired by a photo of a dress with caviar-beaded lettering and decided she would do that. We know that if anyone knows beading , Miss Laura Bennett does! I could just see her employing 100 15 year old Bangladeshi boys and girls, sitting there hand-beading every D, R, E, S and another S into a fabulous gown! She actually ended up finishing the beading herself by hand on the plane ride from New York. Could you just see her sewing on the plane! I am sure the flight attendants were doing many double-takes while passing the champagne and warm nuts!

Now, on my end, I struggled for weeks trying to come up with something that would not make me look like Milli Vanilli's secret gay cousin, or Elton John Does Cirque Du Soleil. My first idea, involved me designing a tuxedo jacket with Swarovski crystal lettering saying Dress Like You Mean It. Thankfully, that was scrapped when everyone I mentioned that to would gasp in horror. I thought about making a vest with crystal-encrusted lettering. Next. Then that vest turned into a screen printed one. No vests, since that would take effort on my part to show it and would not be so visible from immediate viewing. I was going to make a tie with the words "Dress Like You Mean It" , like a logo, on it. Too small, no one would see it. How about wearing a crystal buckle with those letters, someone suggested. Can you say "Blazing Saddles?" Next. Laura even suggested that I just wear a regular tuxedo (good!) but walk around with a crystal- encrusted FAN , a la Karl Lagerfeld, with those words on it ! OK, on the "Gay-o-Meter Scale", that one was even too off the charts for me to consider! She felt that since she was wearing a gown with the crystal lettering throughout that I should go subtle. But I could not go TOO subtle since the main request was that the tag line Dress Like You Mean It must be instantly visible. Sorry guys, no fan.

I decided on wearing a velvet evening jacket that I would somehow find a way to embroider the words on it--without looking tacky. Talk about a Project Runway design challenge! I contacted a screen-printing and embroidering company called Los Angeles-based Total Access, that does all the embroidery and lettering for various companies, such as Nike, Hustler Clothing, and Kohls and worked with its owner, the wonderful Damian Kim, on how to create lettering that would achieve a cool-yet-stylish piece for me to wear to The Emmy's. He even enlisted the help of his lovely daughter, Jin, who is what I called the cutest 16 year old "computer geek" I have ever met! She was so fast and so good in locating, and re-configuring all the lettering and helping us with the designs. We spent DAYS on the right font, the right size, the placement. At first, Total Access was going to embroider faux-leather lettering on the jacket, Damian spent hours cutting each and every letter and placing it on the jacket only to make an "executive decision" that it just did not look right. My partner David even got into it, designing all these different graphics to possibly incorporate into the jacket. After much deliberation, we decided on hand-embroidering a customized "Gothic-like" silver lettering into the black velvet jacket and that's it. No other graphics, it would be clean, simple and to the point. No beading , no studs. I didn't want to be Laura's "matchy-matchy". I think they did a great job and I was happy with the results (and so was my client). One would never know the thought process--and labor--that goes into such a seemingly simple and basic piece of clothing. Total Access "Made It Work"!