I've been working with the lovely people at Studio 6 for a bit now, and a while ago I had the not so revolutionary idea that we should start doing makeovers on the show.  Sort of Portland's version of the Today show's makeovers.  Except since we don't have a plaza to go out and pull candidates from, we would have to solicit people to enter, which ended up being a good thing.  I personally read through the candidate's submissions and so many of them were heartbreaking.  Originally I thought this would just be a fun day for some lucky person, but most of the entries were from people who had had it so hard they desperately needed even a small boost like this to help them through.  Making a final decision was not easy, as I wanted to help everyone.

But, a decision had to be made and we went with the lovely Yelena.  It's hard to tell from her perpetually sunny demeanor, but Yelena has had more than her share of hardships.  I feel ok revelaing some of them, as she seems to readily tell anyone.  First her husband is disabled from a work accident and unable to continue to work.  So he is a stay at home dad to their two boys while Yelena works 10 hours days to support her family.  Her two boys are a miracle as well, since Yelena and her husband had tried conceiving for nine years unsuccessfully until one day-poof- she was knocked up.  Also, two months ago Yelena underwent a hysterectomy for certain health reasons at the age of 35.  In fact Yelena admitted she was somewhat high on pain killers from the operation when she applied for the makeover!

Anyway, that's the back story on this makeover, which I hope will become a recurring monthly thing on Studio 6.  Basically, this is philanthropy, Sirlennox style.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

And of course thank you to Macy's, Benefit & Prima Salon!

Of course Macy's did use the images and it's so insane (in a good way).  I've never had my face in the local Sunday paper before, or even crazier, on a postcard sent out to thousands of people.  I've attached the postcard below, and also a link in case you want to download the PDF of it.  This is so crazy (again, in a good way).  Macy's is really going all out for this, and I feel so lucky to have been asked to be apart.

Hope to see you there.

Click here for PDF

Click Here To See Poster

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am a contributor at Just Out, the lovely gay newspaper here in Portland.  They asked me to start writing a fashion column several months back.  Recently I was asked by them to attend the Q Center's annual Winter Gala and write a fashion review of the event.  It all sounded like fun, so I said sure.  I was advised beforehand to not be too mean or specific, to which I figured no problem.  Unlike many other columnists/bloggers/people who type out their opinions, I don't trade in mean.  I like humor and sarcasm sure, but I never want to be mean.

Well, unfortunately Just Out thinks my review of the event is in fact too mean, and instead of allowing me the chance to edit it, the entire column has been cut.  So, rather than let all my hard work, and let's face it, raw creative genius go to waste, I figured I would at the very least post it here.  The column in its entirety is below.  Am I too mean?  What do you think?

The Flapper in the Flats

So I went to the Q Center Gala recently, which was a fun event, but really a fashion quagmire for yours truly.  To give context let’s start off with the requested dress code:  “Black Tie or Themed Attire encouraged.”  Now, right off the bat this night was going to be a bit zany fashion wise because you’re basically separating the gays into two distinct camps (and for many attendees camp was their themed attire): First you have the buttoned up chic gays who plotz at the rare opportunity to actually get dressed up in this town, and then you have the over the top gays who plotz at the semi-frequent opportunity to don hoop skirts, wigs, fur with faces on it, and liberally applied rouge.   You can probably infer from my tone here that I fall into the former category, not the latter.

That said, it would be unfair to judge or make fun of the people who really went for the themed attire. Such as the lovely men (at least I think they were men) who looked like courtesans from Versailles, or Gula Delgatto who did drag with just the right amount of overdone lipstick and hair.  And of course there’s Darcelle, who defies categorization, so I won’t even try. They all really went for it, and even though it’s not my cup of tea, if you’re going to do it, do it, and they did.  So bravo.

Now let’s talk about the ones who tried to go there, and clearly ran out of gas on the journey.  The worst to me was a lovely little lady who had the idea to be a flapper for the evening.  She wore a fun, yet bizarre, sequined headband with a feather attached and a cute’ish red tiered fringe dress.  Ok, I get it thus far, but then I got to her shoes.  Flats!  Boring, old black flats.  I mean come on!  What flapper worth their Charleston ever wore flats?  Then there were all the gentleman who wore tuxedos, and then adorned their lapels with egregious amounts of tacky faux jeweled brooches.  To me it was very neither here nor there.  If you’re going to do black tie, stick with it.  If you want to be themed, go themed.  Don’t try to ride the fence because you’ll just be stuck in fashion no-man’s land.

Even in the safe haven of Black Tie land, there were still several faux-pas’ to be found, like the lady in a really cute black lace dress that had a very open back.  The look worked until she turned around and it was bra straps everywhere.  How much of a no brainer is this one?  Backless = strapless.  At the very least do a dry run.  I mean, this is a gay event, she has to know at least one queer who will tell it like it is.  There were also several women who were misguided into believing they could pull off a strapless gown.  Look, I love children as much as the next person, but when you’ve had a few and that child rearing has caused your once perky bosoms to turn into sad, semi-deflated balloons, you should really be able to call a spade a spade and give up on the strapless dream.

And of course this being Portland, there were the de rigeur assortment of people who attempted neither the black tie nor the themed attire and just showed up in whatever wrinkled clothing they woke up in that morning.  I would reprimand them, and believe me I’d like to, but I’m almost at 800 words, and I could expend at least that amount on those people.

There was one absolute gem of perfection in attendance at the gala.  A lovely woman with a chic bob, off the shoulder satin cocktail dress with an A-line skirt hemmed to the perfect tea length and ultra chic stilettos.  This lady not only knew how to get dressed, but she also knew what worked for her body.  And just when I thought she couldn’t get any better, I witnessed her sit down on a chaise, effortlessly twirling her skirt out immaculately so it would settle, unwrinkled, like a dollop of meringue.  The best part was when her partner lovingly held her hand and I realized this was one chic lesbian!

Overall I’d say the black tie’s and themed attire’s blended pretty well though.  Of course none so well as our own Mayor, Sam Adams.  After his speech I noticed he had some glitter on his face and lapel.  I asked Amy, his handler, if that’s a common occurrence to which she replied “Whenever Sam goes to gay events, he always ends up covered in glitter.”  Maybe that should be next year’s theme:  Black Tie Covered In Glitter.

If you’ve had children, or in general think your bosoms may be deflated but aren’t sure and need a second opinion PLEASE ask Kevin before you commit a very bad fashion offense.  kevin@thestudiopdx.com

It's been a while since I've felt moved enough, and had enough time, to feature a good do and/or don't, but these pics just made me.  I've featured Emma Watson before, but this is just on a whole other level.  Is anyone else plautzing like I am over this look?  I mean the short cropped hair, the smokey eye, the touch of pink lips, the lace mixed with feathers..... just so insanely perfect.  Love, love, loving this and felt the need to share with everyone else.  I hope you agree.  This is from the premiere of HP7 in London.

And, I'm going to assume Helena Bonham Carter just believes in balance in the world, and felt Emma's perfection had to be tempered with some of her trademark HBC ridiculousness.  See below.

I hope you're not getting tired of me talking about Fall outerwear cause I still have another one after this.  I'm lucky to have been very busy lately.  This segment is from the show that is fast becoming my new second residence in Portland:  Studio 6 on KOIN.  As usual I work with the lovely Hayley, who is also becoming my new BFF, she's always so easy and nice to me.  Hayley happens to be four months preggers with her second baby, which is why she can't quite fit into the jacket I picked out for her.  It was my bad, I didn't think she'd be showing so soon.  Anyway, she'll know the sex of the baby the next time I see her, so I'll update on that if I can.

This segment was all about different trends and hot items in outerwear from some of my favorite retailers in downtown Portland.  I finally was able to feature Mercantile, one of my absolute faves, along with a new one for me; TALBOTS!  Who knew they had such cute things?  I'm hoping they keep it up so I can keep them in my go stable of retailers.  Hope you like my picks!

Here's another recent clip.  This one is from my favorite station WPIX, the CW in New York City.  I am very fortunate to work with several stations around the country, but the CW will always hold a special place in my history because it's where I did my first TV segment ever.  I wish I could dig that clip up and post it, but I don't know where it is.  I think it's still on tape somewhere, not even digitized.  It's from so long ago, that's when the station was the WB!  Oye.

They've changed a lot since then, as have I.  I've thankfully gotten better, and they have really elevated their game, which always makes it a pleasure to go back there.  And the producers I work with- Kate, Marcia and Clickity-Clack (an inside joke) are so good to me.  They literally get thousands of emails pitching them story ideas, and they are so sweet to me that they actually answer mine...... usually.

Anyway, I think this particular segment turned out really well.  I wanted to talk about outerwear, and my producer Kate elevated the idea making it all about multi-functional coats, which made it way more interesting.  Hope you think so too!

I used to have a helper on these segments, but not anymore.  So on the day of the segment I was fitting the models, steaming their clothing, making sure everyone (including me) got into hair and makeup, rehearsing, memorizing my lines, and then finally sitting on the sofa with Lu Ann hopefully looking calm and collected while discussing fashion.

Did I accomplish that?  What do you think?

Picture it: Paris, 1990-something, and I found myself up front and center at none other than a Christian Lacroix show. At the time, I was attending a tiny photo school in the 11th arrondissement, and the biggest fashion shows in the world were happening nearby at the Louvre. My best friend Julie decided to attempt to crash the shows by pretending we were paparazzi. To look the part, we loaded on as much photo gear as possible and stormed the Louvre. The more brazen of the two of us, I doubletalked my way past two rounds of security; Julie, sadly, got left behind.

I couldn’t worry about Jules because suddenly I was inside the heart of French fashion. Somehow—it had much to do with the naiveté of being 20—I chatted up a British fashion editor and convinced her to give me her extra ticket to the next show. I didn’t even know who was showing—that didn’t matter, I was going to a Parisian fashion show. Once inside, I realized I didn’t have an assigned seat, and back in those days photogs would line the sides of the runway, in addition to the pit at the end. I took a plum spot right at the end of the runway and marveled at the grandiose spectacle before me, which if you are at all familiar with Lacroix, is what he does best.

I freaked out. The clothes were insane, the models were stunning (including the future Mrs. Sarkozy, Carla Bruni), the photogs and spectators cheered for their favorite looks. I wished it would go on for hours. Sadly, though, fashion shows are typically about 20 minutes long, and this one ended far too soon. Afterward, I wandered around the Carrousel du Louvre trying to beg and plead my way into another show, but it was useless. I had used up all my brazen good luck and eventually left the building.

New York was a very different experience. This time around, I was actually invited to fashion shows as a market editor at Glamour magazine—no more conning my way in—but I was amazed at how many other people, professionals, still tried to sneak into shows. Once, while going into the Kenneth Cole show, I ran into a stylist I used to work with years earlier. When I mentioned I was heading into the show she asked, “Well, how are you getting in?”

“Uh, with the ticket I have,” I replied.

“Do you have another? I’d love to get in.”

I was stunned—a working woman, in her late forties if not early fifties, almost begging to get a ticket to a Kenneth Cole show. Just sad. If you’re gonna beg, it should at least be for Helmut, Marc or Calvin (Helmut was still alive and designing* at the time).

Unfortunately, over the past decade New York has led the way in commercializing fashion shows. They started inviting all sorts of random media and sponsors galore. I get some of them, like Evian and Mercedes. But one year, when there was a lounge sponsored by Airborne Express, I knew NYC shows had jumped the shark. Seriously, they couldn’t even get FedEx?

On top of that, it’s embarrassing to witness the way shows in NYC are run: The lines you have to wait on, the lists you pray to be on and the teeny spaces you’re herded through are pathetic. One year I, along with a slew of other editors—all of whom had tickets and seating assignments—were corralled up against each other through a 2-foot entryway into a Tommy Hilfiger show. I was literally nipple to nipple with inimitable Paul Cavaco (creative director of Allure magazine) and super stylish Amy Astley (editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue) trying to get into this show, and I felt bad for them. I was way far beneath them on the fashion totem pole, and yet here we all were, being herded like sad little sheep, all to see what was most likely a mediocre Hilfiger production.

That pretty much killed my affair with fashion shows. I know it probably sounds bitchy and entitled, but fashion shows are supposed to be about work, and now they are overcrowded celeb fests—which is fine. They can have their cattle herding and gross commercialization. I, however, am content to peruse the shows on Style.com from the comfort of my own home, sponsored by Indigo.

*Yes, I know Helmut Lang is still alive, but he’s dead to me. Write me about that or any other fashion question: kevin@thestudiopdx.com.

My new favorite local daytime program, Studio 6 on KOIN invited me back to talk about rain boots for Fall.  I gotta admit, at first I wasn't sure how much I'd be able to chat about this topic.  But in doing the market research on them, I honestly found tons of great options.  I almost needed a second table to hold all of them.  Anyway, check out all the great boots from Nordstrom, Macy's, Mario's, Kate Spade, and Fuego in downtown Portland.