Best Dressed: amfAR Benefit Gala

You’ve probably came across amfAR already and that’s mainly because Hollywood stars used to flock their Benefit Galas to raise funds for AIDS Research and HIV prevention and every year, Cannes hosts not just the festival but also an amfAR Benefit Gala with the who’s who of festival goers invited to the soiree.

Bella Heathcote, star of Neon Demon showed her support and quite stunningly so in a sequined Armani Privè creation. I love her slicked back look, the smokey eyes and those chandelier earrings! Glamour! IMG_7108

Also in Armani Privè is model and frequent goer, Barbara Palvin who kept things simple in the beauty department donning just a classic pony tail and muted make-up to keep all focus on the tulle creation worthy for a Disney villain! IMG_7109

Giving back has never looked better especially in the case of Isabeli Fontana in a sexy Alexander Vaulthier mermaid gown. It’s simple, it’s classic but also dramatic thanks to the Harry Winston statement necklace that you just wouldn’t miss! IMG_7117

Sleek seems to be the night’s memo, Toni Garrn joined a bevy of models by showing up in simple hairdo and muted make-up, opting for her Elie Saab dress to take center stage but in her case, those mile long legs also stole the show! IMG_7110

This is quite a different look from Irina Shayk‘s collection of curve-hugging showstoppers, but this Miu Miu number is pretty amazing too! The drop-waist silhouette and those hand sewn details with her flawless make-up, make this look a runner up in my favorite amfAR red carpet moments ever. IMG_7111

Lily Donaldson provided the much needed color pop on the red carpet with this beautiful Prada creation – her hair: simple, her crimson pout: perfect, her dress: backless Say no more, it’s YAS YAS YAS. IMG_7112

 

*for more updates, follow @thefword.co on Instagram

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Best Dressed: Cannes Photo Call

The Cannes Film Festival has just concluded and with it came many fashion moments that are sure to inspire us, mere human beings to take notes incase we ever find ourselves in attending the fete! If you’re an avid Cannes goer but in my case, “watcher” you probably know that it’s not just the red carpet walk up the Croisette that you have to nail, the show actually begins the moment the stars attend photo calls.

What better way to start the list than France’s own It girl and face of Louis Vuitton, Lea Seydoux! She stars in It’s Only the End of the World and showed up at the photo call decked in black & white Louis Vuitton ensemble accessorised with crimson pumps and pout and a disheveled bob! Très chic! IMG_7154

Let me just get this out of my system, it’s so refreshing to see Lily Rose Depp smiling! There, I said it. Lily, besides being the offspring of famous parents (Vanessa Paradis & Johnny Depp) is also the face of Chanel so it didn’t come as a surprise when she opted a laidback knitted pair from the brand’s Spring Collection. The look reflects her effortless cool style adding only just the right amount of glamour by donning pair of sandals with floral appliqué. IMG_7155

From one Chanel muse to another, Kristen Stewart is the perennial “cool girl” and it always shows in the way she does red carpet – she’s probably the only person Karl Lagerfeld would allow to pair his creation with a basic white tee! KStew finished off her look by keeping her bleach blonde hair messy, her eyes smoky and oh, a pair of LouboutinsIMG_7153

KStew’s costar in Cafe Society also made a statement and not surprisingly so because it’s Blake Lively! Seriously, will this woman ever gonna get it wrong?  This Juan Carlos Obando jumpsuit is what photo calls are made of, it’s chic, it’s flattering and it has a train! IMG_7152

Have you ever asked yourself what a Chanel gift box would look like if it was a person? Well, I think Elle Fanning was asking the same question too because she showed up like one! The Neon Demon star was cute as a button in a frilly Chanel mini dress!IMG_7119

My favorite look from the photo call was from our very own, Andi Eigenmann. What? The girl looks good, I’m not biased AT ALL. Andi was there promoting the Brillante Mendoza directed film, Ma Rosa in a crisp white Patty Ang ensemble. Not bad for a first timer and what a way to represent the Philippines! IMG_7160

 

I’ll be posting more from the Amfar Gala and the main red carpet event so stay tuned for that!

 

*for more updates, follow @thefword.co on Instagram

-F

Best Dressed: Met Gala 2016

The Met Gala is an occasion in which celebrities converge in honor of the Costume Institute’s annual fashion exhibit. Part–red carpet and part–really fancy dinner, the Gala also serves as a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.

Every year, the stars dress up in accordance with the theme of the exhibit, which this year is entitled Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology so a parade of futuristic and structured couture pieces naturally, were to be expected.

The red carpet was flooded by LVDs aka Louis Vuitton Dresses! Nicolas Ghesquire, the Creative Director of the brand is co-chair of the event so it’s only fitting that a handful of stars chose to wear his creations. LVD

I’m going to begin my list by starting strong with newly-minted Academy Award winner, Brie Larson in a mid-length Prouenza Schouler dress which reminds me of Ava from Ex-Machina! I love the bow detail, the ruffled skirt and the ballerina shoes all of which shouldn’t have worked but did because it gave the look a soft contrast to it. 10

Rachel McAdams looked like a Grecian goddess in her golden Valentino Couture which she paired with side swept hair and a bold lip. Like Brie’s look, Rachel also displayed that contrast between that structured bodice and the feminine lower half of her dress! 9

Another fashionista that serves Grecian goddess goodness is Kate Bosworth in head-to-toe Dolce & Gabbana, look at the details on that dress! I love how it is very reminiscent of a Greek god but it also has that edgy, futuristic princess vibe! 8

Okay, this next look gave me quite the dilemma when I first saw it.. I initially hated this custom two-piece couture by Calvin Klein but when I saw a video of Emma Watson walking her way up those Met steps? I was obsessed! Emma is known to favor pantsuits on the red carpet and this will go down in Met history as one of the best pantsuits ever worn on the gala!7

Moving on from one franchise superstar to another, Kristen Stewart being the face of Chanel, donned a fresh off the runway look from the brand’s Fall 2016 collection! Her bleached blonde hair, that eye make-up and those boots paired with her black ensemble make for a perfect Gala look but what I love more about though is it’s very reflective of who she is and what her style is, now who doesn’t love someone who keeps it real? 6

Speaking of keeping it real, Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid just made their red carpet debut as a couple! The disgustingly good-looking duo may have been the best dressed couple of the night thanks to his custom Versace tuxedo which was very much on theme and her Tommy Hilfiger dress which is very “Bond girl” if you ask me. 4

Another model who made quite the entrance was Karolina Kurkova, now this is a model who’s known to take the theme to new heights and this year was no different. Karolina showed up in a breathtaking Marchesa, a piece made in collaboration with IBM which lights up every time someone tweets about it. Whaaaaaat? NO. BIG. DEAL.5

I think if we can elect anyone as the “Queen of the Future” based on tonight it has to be Nicole Kidman, hands down. Nicole blew everyone away in a caped (gasp!) Alexander McQueen creation which featured cutouts, embellished moon details and quite frankly, the drama that the Gala craves! SLAY.3

In rare occasions, the drama doesn’t have to come from the dress but the hair and that’s exactly what Elle Fanning pulled off (pun intended) with this tied-all-the-way-up ponytail. The minimalist aesthetic of this Thakoon look is so fashion forward and a winner at that! 2

Despite all the glorious gowns that’s catered in this year’s Gala, no gown has made quite the buzz more than Claire Danes‘ spot-on Manus x Machina showstopper! The Zac Posen ball gown is already gorgeous in itself but did I tell you that it lights up in the dark too? Because it does and it’s pure magic! Now, this is what the Met Gala is all about! 11.

*For more updates, follow @thefword.co on Instagram

 

-F

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

We’ve heard it all before, from our brothers, our guy friends, a random dude – “I have a crazy ex-girlfriend!”, “my ex is crazy!”, “that b*tch is cray!” and other far more colourful variations of the phrase but what does it mean, really?  Crazy Ex-Girlfriend created by Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosh McKenna is a musical comedy series which features an accomplished yet unhappy New York-based lawyer, Rebecca Bunch (played by Bloom who won a Golden Globe for her portrayal) who ran into her ex (Josh Chan played by Vincent Rodriguez III) in the middle of a nervous breakdown, who then turned down a promotion and moved across the country to West Covina to pursue said ex-boyfriend. By that premise alone, audience can easily conclude that she really is crazy but the brilliance of the show seeps deeper than the title – what it’s about really is a woman who’s lived her life according to what was expected of her who now decides to do something for herself and pursue her happiness, however drastic it may be.

Here are five things you can look forward to if you watch the show:

  • Don’t be mislead by the title because the show is actually deeply-rooted on feminism and aims to deconstruct societal views on women. From the first episode, it’s clear that the show makes fun of how media or dare I say, Hollywood often gives women mixed signals on being beautiful as if saying “look pretty and ageless but don’t tell us how you got there (Bloom)” and how often media takes away reality in order to glamorize women. The Sexy Getting Ready Song from the pilot episode had me in stitches because there’s never been a more honest portrayal of the struggles of a woman getting ready than this.

  • Another thing the show tackles so alarmingly accurate is “quarter life crisis” of which I know now is real. The show tells it like it is and isn’t afraid to portray depression, anxiety and what it’s like to be a neurotic twenty-something juggling the blistering realities of adulthood, pressures from the society, finding yourself and what makes you happy so you won’t end up on the bathroom floor muttering to yourself “je suis garbage..” (watch the video below for context lol)

  • A hero is only as good as her villain and for Rebecca, there’s Audra (Rachel Grate) a fellow Jewish-American princess who took the promotion she refused to take. Audra gives the audience a mirror on how far Rebecca has gone as a person and how so much of her past life has been fueled by competition and rivalry. Their confrontation scenes are a master class in “burn” especially during their Jap Rap Battle which I may have quoted more than I should!

  • Did I mention that it’s a musical? Because it is! For a musical nerd like myself, each episode is a dream because it includes 2-3 original songs featuring the characters depending on who has the emotional arc for that particular episode. Pivotal plot points are usually covered through the songs, like her decision to move across the country, her relationship with her mother, an internal turmoil and also covering a wide range of musical genres. My favorite so far is Settle for Me which includes a proposal accompanied by a classical tune, tap dancing and Santino Fontana!

 

  • Lastly, the show features a Filipino family which is so dang cool! Filipinos are no stranger to American television shows what with being the butt of jokes (but we take no offense) in Desperate Housewives and 30 Rock among others but there’s never been a show that made an effort to cast a Filipino as a male lead let alone, feature an entire Filipino family on Thanksgiving dinner and cap off a season with a guest appearance by our own Lea Salonga. It’s quite refreshing to see your own culture and traditions reflected on screen!

 

*Crazy Ex-Girlfriend has been renewed for a second season and is set to return on September or October on the CW. For the Philippines, you can watch Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on Star World, every Thursday 7pm.

for more updates, follow @thefword.co on Instagram

-F