Celebs Shine at the Tiffany & Co. Blue Book Ball

Kate Hudson in diamonds from the Tiffany & Co. 2013 Blue Book Collection at the Blue Book Ball at Rockefeller Center in New York City, April 18, 2013. Photo Credit: GettyImages for Tiffany & Co.

Trust renowned jeweler Tiffany to take a party to new heights. The champagne-fueled Blue Book Ball was held last week in NYC in honor of the 2013 Blue Book Collection of Tiffany’s most breathtaking jewels, inspired by the Roaring Twenties. The event took place in a makeshift 1920’s supper club beneath a 31-foot-high Tiffany Blue Box covering Rockefeller Centre's famous ice rink, complete with a champagne tower, live aerial performers and a performance by Broadway star, Megan Hilty.  Bill Cunningham summed it up in his New York Times video when he said, “ In my 60 years of covering parties I have never seen an extravaganza like I saw this evening.”

The approximately 400 guests included celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Jessica Biel, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Michelle Williams; along with Baz Luhrmann (director, producer and co-writer), Catherine Martin (costume designer) and Carey Mulligan of the upcoming blockbuster, The Great Gatsby. The starlets were, of course, loaded with Tiffany jewels - SJP wore two statement necklaces while Gwyneth wore an of-the-moment opal, sapphire and diamond brooch. Meanwhile, Kate Hudson lit it up with dazzling pink morganite and diamond earrings.

Sigh...and where was my invite? 

Check out more party pics below xx

The grandest Tiffany Blue Box ever created, constructed for the Blue Book Ball at Rockefeller Center in New York City, April 18, 2013. Photo Credit: GettyImages for Tiffany & Co

Megan Hilty performing at the Tiffany & Co. Blue Book Ball, at Rockefeller Center in New York City, April 18, 2013. Photo Credit: GettyImages for Tiffany & Co

Catherine Martin, Academy Award®-winning costume and production designer, Baz Luhrmann, director, producer and co-writer of The Great Gatsby and Carey Mulligan celebrate the 2013 Blue Book Collection at theTiffany & Co. Blue Book Ball at Rockefeller Center in New York City, April 18, 2013. Photo Credit: GettyImages for Tiffany & Co.

Sarah Jessica Parker in diamonds from the Tiffany & Co. 2013 Blue Book Collection at the Blue Book Ball at Rockefeller Center in New York City, April 18, 2013. Photo Credit: GettyImages for Tiffany & Co.

Gwyneth Paltrow in diamonds from the Tiffany & Co. 2013 Blue Book Collection, at the Blue Book Ball at Rockefeller Center in New York City, April 18, 2013. Photo Credit: GettyImages for Tiffany & Co.

Michelle Williams in diamonds from the Tiffany & Co. 2013 Blue Book Collection at the Tiffany & Co. BlueBook Ball at Rockefeller Center in New York City, April 18, 2013. Photo Credit: GettyImages for Tiffany & Co.

Aerialist at the Tiffany & Co. Blue Book Ball, at Rockefeller Center in New York City, April 18, 2013. Photo Credit: GettyImages for Tiffany & Co

Jessica Biel in diamonds from the Tiffany & Co. 2013 Blue Book Collection at the Blue Book Ball at Rockefeller Center in New York City, April 18, 2013. Photo Credit: GettyImages for Tiffany & Co.

Love, Holts

Photos courtesy Holt Renfrew

"He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself."

I adore F.Scott Fitzgerald's way with words, but more than anything, I love how he set The Great Gatsby in impossibly fashionable 1920's East Egg.  Design houses have been getting lots of mileage from the novel with gold, fringe and deco accents taking centre stage everywhere from Gucci to Ralph Lauren for the past few seasons.  With the much-anticipated Gatsby blockbuster set to hit the big screen in May (check out the trailer below), seems like Holts still hasn't tired of the jazz age either, though I expect our collective obsession with Downton Abbey has added some fuel to the flapper fire. Have you checked out Holt Renfrew's super pretty Valentine's windows yet?  I love my job but wouldn't you just love to be a Holts window dresser for a day? Sigh...

Opulence Overdrive

Baroque opulence reigned at Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2012. Source: style.com

Originally posted in The LOOK

August always marks the beginning of fall..well, in the fashion world at least. The hotly-anticipated September issues hit newsstands bursting with fall's most covetable finds, while tired sale racks are replaced by shiny things for the new season.  I don't want to rush summer (I mean, it's only the first week of August) but now's the time to start thinking about fall...

And this season, there's a lot to dream about.  Where once opulence was considered over-the-top and out-of-touch, designers piled it on again in a big way, with brocade, feathers, black and gold all over the fall runways, from Dolce & Gabbana to Ralph Lauren.  So why all the flourish and fuss?  Blame it on the blockbusters;  The Great Gatsby hits the big screen this December, extending our spring obsession with the roaring twenties. Flapper fringe, drop waists, feathers and art deco accents will give you that Buchanan-babe vibe, perfect for an East Egg soirée.   I'm most excited about Anna Karenina, though, coming to TIFF this September.  My inner Czarina can't wait to layer up with faux fur, crystals and military wool coats once the mercury drops to Moscow levels.  With bold colour so prevalent for the past several seasons, moody black looks decidedly modern again, and lends a practical side to all the excess. Invest in the basics, be it a good wool coat or a well-made pair of boots, and then decorate with sparkly (yet affordable) abandon.  After all, excess is only good in moderation (or something like that...)

Load it up.  Pile it on.  'Tis the season for opulence, darlings!

Leo DiCaprio (as Jay Gatsby) with Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton (as Daisy and Tom Buchanan) in the upcoming The Great Gatsby

Source: IMDb

Stretch Deco Bracelet, $15, ALDO

Crochet Fringe Mini Dress, $150, Le Château

Metallic Snake Embossed Crossbody, $39.95, Le Château

Gilded feathers at Ralph Lauren Fall '12. Source: style.com

Necklace with Glass Beads and Fringe, $39.99, Sears

Colour Block Metallic Pumps, coming this fall to ALDO

Keira Knightley as Anna Karenina. Source: cineplex.com

ATTITUDE Belted Coat w Faux Fur Collar and Cuffs ($229.99) and Wrap Style Coat with Faux Fur Collar ($179.99), Sears

Ruched Lace T, $35, American Eagle Outfitters

Parkhurst Faux Fur Headbands, $20 each, Sears

Crepe de Chine Blouse, $39.99, Le Château

St. Basil's Cathedral X-Large 3-D Puzzle, $39.99, Sears

Cocoa Jewelry Crystal Antique Cuff, $60, Sears

Victorian Suede Ankle Boots, $119.98, ALDO