MTV Style | Mary H.K. Choi

Anna Sui's Punk Rock Homage To French Designer Madeline Castaing [Video]

Posted 9/14/12 7:58 pm EST by Mary H.K. Choi in Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week

Looks from the Anna Sui show during New York Fashion Week.
Photo: Getty Images

It was a packed house at the Lincoln Square theater for the Anna Sui show. Backstage was abuzz with makeup artist Pat McGrath rubbing elbows with stylist Carolyn Cerf de Dudzeele and editor Andre Leon Talley, while models flitted through the various stations for finishing touches to hair and makeup. House of Style hosts Karlie Kloss and Joan Smalls were patiently waiting for their side-swept blue bangs to be perfectly pinned and placed and I scurried to my seat just in time for the room to darken.

According to Anna, the show was an homage to French designer and interior decorator Madeleine Castaing but there were several lashings of quintessential Anna throughout, with visible nods to punk and grunge. There were playsuits with berries and leaves that when clustered together looked like camouflage. Silky, fluttery rompers were printed with what looks like ombré crochet, a creamy lace cape was topped with bicorne caps with accents of indigo, jade and teal peppered all over. Textiles ranged from lurex to chiffon to lady-like slubby tweets and tulle and the collision of prints, textures and colors were impressive in its harmony—a definite Castaing calling card.

Tags Anna Sui, Fashion Week, Joan Smalls, Karlie Kloss, New York Fashion Week, New York Spring 2013 Fashion Week

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Jeremy Scott's Spring 2013 Shows Python, Fitteds, And Burqas [Video]

Posted 9/14/12 2:57 pm EST by Mary H.K. Choi in Designers, Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week

Looks from the Jeremy Scott Spring 2013 fashion show.
Photo: Getty Images

The late-'80s and '90s are alive and well for Jeremy Scott's SS 2013 collection that was inspired by "The Arab Spring." While some of the looks covered faces and torsos, the religious garb was stylized to the point of camp, with swaths of fabric either featuring sequins arranged in an animal print or being entirely see-through. Similarly, the militaristic aspects of the conflagration of civil uprisings and political turmoil that have raged in the Arab world since late 2010 have blessedly not been interpreted literally. It was definitely a more "Janet circa Rhythm Nation" sort of affair.

Fitted hats were oversized and out of them swung swishy, thick braids. Boots were over-the-knee and were slick, embossed or animal print and very much reminiscent of Julia Roberts as a "safety girl." There were embroidered, curlicue metallic accents to high-waisted flared trousers and the same swirly motif became the through-line for the louche, decadent prints that gave off a retro Hermes-meets-Versace vibe. The music was similarly nostalgic, percussive, and bodacious running through Aaliyah and fellow adidas collaborator Missy Elliott's hardest hits (Timbaland 4EVA).

Tags arab spring, Jeremy Scott, New York Fashion Week, New York Spring 2013 Fashion Week

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The Blonds' Show Off Surf, Sun, And Sharks! [VIDEO]

Posted 9/14/12 12:14 pm EST by Mary H.K. Choi in Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week

Looks from The Blonds Spring 2013 fashion show.
Photo: Getty Images

Forget fashion week, it was Shark Week at The Blonds where the high-camp, high-glamour from the tow-haired duo, Phillipe and David Blond, took a turn for the aquatic. The front row was, as always, a spectacle with Paris Hilton, Adam Lambert and Rico the Zombie Boy (clad in last season’s motorcycle ensemble) chatting amicably and posing for photos. So. Much. FACE.

Tags Adam Lambert, David Blond, Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week, New York Spring 2013 Fashion Week, Paris Hilton, Phillipe Blond, Rico Genest, The Blonds, Zombie Boy

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Betsey Johnson's Birthday Bash And Retrospective

Posted 9/14/12 10:10 am EST by Mary H.K. Choi in Designers, Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week

Looks from Betsey Johnson's Spring 2013 New York Fashion Week show and retrospective.
Photo: Getty Images

Sure, it was crimped hair and cat's eyes galore backstage at Betsey Johnson but there were also heaps of photographers and cameramen scrabbling for a shot of the designer who was celebrating her 70th birthday. Betsey commemorated this birthday with a 90-outfit career retrospective during New York's fashion week even amidst financial woes that resulted in the company filing for bankruptcy earlier this year.

There was nary a somber tone during the night at Espace on Manhattan's westside, that featured a musical performance from longtime Betsey bestie Cyndi Lauper and the miniature bottles of bubbly were complemented by the effervescence of a nostalgia-tinged soundtrack from our DJ for the evening—Sky Ferreira.

Tags Betsey Johnson, Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week, New York Spring 2013 Fashion Week

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VMA 2012: Red Carpet Fashion Live Blog!

Posted 9/6/12 3:59 pm EST by Mary H.K. Choi in Red Carpet, Video Music Awards

7:58 PM — ACK, it's show time, y'all!!! Gotta run inside to catch Rihanna and A$AP hit the stage!

Katy Perry on the 2012 VMA red carpet.
Photo: MTV

7:52 PM — Katy Perry adds another epic TRAIN to the night's red carpet count with her hair looooong and black. Very goth pretty.

Nicki Minaj on the 2012 VMA red carpet.
Photo: MTV

7:45 PM — Nicki Minaj just hit the red carpet in a sparkly black lace bodysuit. Skin-tight, naturally, with red JEWELZ in geometric detailing. Also, she's wearing a police cap.

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VMA Set Designer Explains Futuristic Inspiration, Remixed Architecture [Interview]

Posted 9/6/12 10:26 am EST by Mary H.K. Choi in Interviews, Video Music Awards

The 2012 VMA stage.
Photo: John Shearer/Invision for MTV

It’s eerily quiet in the Staples Center the day before the 2012 Video Music Awards. We’ve got rehearsals all day but it’s lunchtime and the countless crew members and producers that just moments ago milled in clusters in front of screens and cameras have dispersed for a bite. It’s freezing because the ACs are cranked to a billion--as is the wont of such cavernous spaces where burly dudes lift things--but I gotta say, it’s beautiful in here.

The main stage features three monstrous LED screens that create a curved landscape, not unlike an IMAX screen, and the projected images change from a hyper saturated mountain vista to futuristic videogame terrains. In front is a crystalline canopy that glows in various colors and to its right (as in stage right) there’s another set of angular shards. On the left, to switch it up, is a series of thin, long, LED cylinders upon which you can project other images and colors. Inspired by kid’s string art (the yarn version of macaroni art where you thread colored string to nails on a wood panel), it looks sorta like a really big harp that juts out towards you like some cubist Sydney Opera House. The whole thing reminds me of a rave flyer version of Superman’s fortress of solitude. Except that it’s not Kal-El’s quiet place so much as it is the MUSIC PARTY EVENT OF THE YEAR.

Tags 2012 Video Music Awards, 2012 VMAs, Video Music Awards, VMAs

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One Direction's Perfect Rehearsal Hair

Posted 9/6/12 3:23 am EST by Mary H.K. Choi in Performance Outfits, Video Music Awards

One Direction Video Music Awards Rehearsal

One Direction rehearses for the Video Music Awards at the Staples Center in L.A. on Sept. 5.
Photo: John Shearer/Invision for MTV

“…You make my heart race.” It’s hilarious but I did not fully expect to be as SMITTEN KITTEN the moment the handsome, young (stress on YOUNG) lads of One Direction hit the stage. Yet here I am in the Staples Center the day before the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards unprepared for how legitimately magnetic the fellas are. You can only imagine what the performance will be like live on the night of the VMAs when they’re flanked by throngs of screaming fans who have all been toiling to make sure that the Irish/English quintet win over Justin Bieber for the new ‘Most Share-Worthy Video’ category.

Made famous by X-Factor and pop svengali Simon Cowell, One Direction is of course comprised of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson and each are wearing some variation of jeans and a tee or flannel. It’s classic rehearsal garb—sneakers are scuffed, denim well worn and the button-downs are beloved and rumpled but we need to talk about the hair. THE HAIR IS PRISTINE. It’s hysterical that each dude—from Harry’s tousled fringe to Zayn’s two-tone pompadour to Niall’s shock of sculpted blond locks—boasts a performance-ready look.
Read More...

Tags 2012 Video Music Awards, 2012 VMAs, Guy Fashion, One Direction, Performance Outfits, Video Music Awards, VMAs

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Alicia Keys Is Smoking Hot At Her 2012 VMA Rehearsal

Posted 9/5/12 8:04 pm EST by Mary H.K. Choi in Video Music Awards

Alicia Keys at her 2012 VMA rehearsal in LA.
Photo: Alicia Keys's Instagram

OK, you know how you suspect that Alicia Keys’s IRL voice would be bonkers because, um, hi, it’s Alicia Keys? Well, I got to witness her rehearsal and I can confirm with solemn conviction and super-bugged eyes that GIRL ON FIRE. Seriously. I’d seen Ms. Keys perform at various events but there’s something about the absence of an entire cheering audience that makes her voice fill a room. Mind you, the room in question is the monstrous Staples Center, so this is no small task. Wearing speckled sunglasses, a rope chain flooded with small gems, with slicked back hair and a black tank, Alicia pounded on the keyboard with stunning aplomb that showcased a spectacular gun show. As in, HAVE YOU SEEN HER ARMS LATELY? They are seriously sculpted.

Tags 2012 Video Music Awards, 2012 VMAs, Alicia Keys, Reebok, Swizz Beatz, Video Music Awards, VMAs

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Snooki's Baby Flaunts Bedazzled Booties

Posted 9/5/12 10:45 am EST by Mary H.K. Choi in Magazines, MTV Stars

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, Jionni LaValle and their new son Lorenzo pose for a photo shoot in New Jersey on September 1, 2012.
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for People Magazine

After all those memorable baby bump moments, it finally happened. Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and her fiancé, Jionni LaValle, welcomed their son Lorenzo Dominic LaValle into the world (specifically New Jersey) at 3 a.m. on August 26th. To commemorate the occasion, I consulted with Susan Miller the astrologist who knows absolutely everything to an eerie level, and according to her, the wee baby Virgo should focus on business relationships after the 15th and set some attainable personal goals some time in the first part of the month.

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Psy's 'Gangnam Style' Music Video: Look By Look

Posted 8/30/12 2:50 pm EST by Mary H.K. Choi in K Pop, Music Videos

A still from Psy's "Gangnam Style" music video.
Photo: Courtesy of YG Entertainment

If you've never heard of "Gangnam Style," the K-Pop video by the artist PSY (pronounced like the first syllable of 'psycho' not spelled out like, 'pee ess why') that's DOMINATED Youtube with 74 million views and is currently sitting pretty atop the iTunes charts, you should seriously reconsider your priorities (helpful hint: stop reading so many books! JKJKJK). Anyway, it's a great, noisy, catchy song that features a fun, giddyup dance sequence that's as easily mimicked as the Dougie or the Chicken Noodle Soup. Just go watch it and then read this thing in the Atlantic about its "subversive" themes that soooooorta treats the prospect of a pop song containing a meaningful social message as if Maru the box-jumping cat solved cold fusion. But I digress...

Long story short, there's a lot going on in this video that everyone from CNN to Gawker has covered regarding this "underground rapper" < -- (LOL meanwhile, this is PSY's 6th studio album) so all I want to talk about is the FASHION. Especially since "Gangnam Style" refers to a tiny neighborhood in Korea that prides itself on its bougie boutiques and pretty people. Obviously dude is label mates with 2NE1 and Big Bang on YG because he is DECKED OUT. It's also no surprise that Justin Bieber's team is interested in this middle-aged, South Korean superstar because MAN would those two look cute together. I smell a duet! (...And it smells like kimchi etc etc...)

Tags Gangnam Style, K Pop, Look By Look, Music Videos, Psy

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