An Afternoon with Dennis

Posted By Emily-Dallas | Apr 13, 2009 | 4 Comments | Category: Fashion, Home Exteriors


Fashion designer, Dennis Basso has outfitted all different kinds of people in his well known luxury fur: NY socialites, celebs, movie characters, and hip hop artists, (just to name a few). His luxurious mink/ sable coats and chic alligator handbags are just a few of the fashion pieces he is known for. (I’m sure PETA just loves him)

{Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada- wearing a Dennis Basso fur coat}

Luxury is what he’s known for best- so I wouldn’t really expect anything less from his own getaway home, which was featured in Elle Decor this month.

Him and his partner, Michael Cominotto have about 4,000 square feet of outdoor living space on the Long Island village of Water Mill. They love to retreat here from the chaos of the city. Being big fans of the outdoors, they will have friends (like Tori Burch) over for lunch, drinks and swimming on the weekend.

His one story poolhouse is a 50 ft long x 20 ft wide space. All I can say is that I’m so completely envious!

His navy and white color scheme was conceived by interior designer, Kenneth Alpert. Blue and white ceramics, high backed wicker chairs, ginger jar lamps, leather ottomans, and Sunbrella fabrics, are just some of the features that draw me to this space. Oh and did we mention the fully stocked bar, delicious entrees and desserts to boot?

Dennis, we’ll join you for a cocktail any day!

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Trina: To the Trade

Posted By Emily-Dallas | Jan 27, 2009 | 2 Comments | Category: Fabric, Fashion

I worked for Neiman’s for a short time after I graduated college…being exposed to designer’s upcoming collections and gorgeous clothing on a day to day basis, was not half bad I must say. But they put me in the contemporary sportswear department with an awful buyer who I thought was comparable to Meryl Streep’s character in The Devil Wears Prada. She was very harsh and we were expected to know about the various fashion designers in her department. At this point in my life names like Milly, Cynthia Steffe, Vince, Tracy Reese, Rebecca Taylor and Trina Turk were foreign to me. After spending a good amount of time around their collections, Trina Turk soon became one of my favorite designers and a household name, no less.

Pics above and below from her Summer ’09 collection


Trina is no stranger to bright color and bold pattern- it’s no wonder her first clothing boutique opened up in Palm Springs.

Then in May 2008, Trina Turk residential opened next door to the original boutique in Palm Springs.


The most recent Trina news is that she has a new line of indoor/outdoor fabrics for Schumacher.


I am just slightly obsessed with them!


So many exotic prints to choose from…

And don’t worry, there is plenty more where these came from- view the rest of her Schumacher fabrics here

Who will be the next clothing designer to launch a home or fabric collection?

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Flashback 2008 Trends

Posted By Emily-Dallas | Dec 29, 2008 | 6 Comments | Category: Fashion, Trends

Since the Material Girls love fashion so much, it has become a yearly tradition for us to do a post summing up all of the trendy styles of the season- looks that go for both fashion and interior design.

Last December we did a post called Flashback 2007 Trends using celebs as our fashion icons and this year we are going to present you with the same concept, but for 2008!

A lot of 2007′s trends are still going really strong- metallics, animal prints, and gray hues. These fads don’t seem like they are going anywhere, anytime soon.

Here is what we perceive to have been some of the most prevalent trends throughout 2008…..

1) FLORAL PRINTS


The floral print seemed to have been taken to a whole new level this year. The long, flowy maxi-dress was a hit this summer as well as the shorter, knee length style.


Wallcoverings are back and are as stylish as ever! Displaying large, floral printed wallpaper brings the outside in and takes an ordinary and simple room from drab…to fab!

{Photo via This is Glamorous}

2) PRIMARY COLORS

I have never been one to love primary colors- they always feel a little childlike and outdated to me; however, the red carpet ladies above prove me otherwise! Their primaries have lots of zing! I don’t see any old or outdated looks here.

A bedroom in this month’s Elle Decor gives a fun, fresh and updated look on the traditional primary colors.

3) ART PRINTS

Oh celebs these days! Walking around thinking that they are wearing the next Monet. Gotta hand it to them for getting creative with their attire! Leighton wears an “art print” mini dress above. It shows that she is fun, daring, and not afraid to wear her “art on her sleeve”!

Lots of celebs have been wearing this fashionable “art print” on their clothes this year…however, I think one star got lost in translation….

Did Demi accidentally let little Ashton get into her paint set?


Art has been around ever since the beginning of time of course- this is no new “trend”; however, abstract artwork is in fact one of my favorite kinds and mimics the graphic and vague celeb art prints that we have seen so much of this year in fashion.

{Photo above from Domino Magazine}

4) SILVER AND GRAY

When metallics first arrived on the scene (about five years ago), gold was all the hype (and I have to credit Lauren for showing me her gold stilettos our senior year of college and introducing me to “the hottest thing in Norman, OK”…at the time) But as years have passed, while gold is still as popular as ever, silver has re-emerged as one of the leading metallics and gray has followed closely in its footsteps.

Earlier this year, Lauren and I wrote an editorial for Chic Today online magazine called “Silver versus Gold”- this was really fun for us to debate which was the better metal!


While designers and homeowners used to think of grey as being a color only Debbie Downer would paint her house, this hue has recently materialized onto the design scene as a fresh, new neutral! Use it with black and white or as a background for other bold colors such as light blue, deep orange, lilac, or even yellow. Gray usually renders itself to more of a modern space unless of course you use it in a Swedish type setting.

The room above was designed by Dallas’ own Julio Quinones- (featured in Met Home)

5) X SHAPE


Charlize looks amazing in this x backed, black dress. Actually, Charlize looks amazing in anything! This movie star siren can certainly pull off this look.

Bring a little piece of “Charlize” back home with you-

The “X Bench”- available on Downtown20.net looks somewhat similar to the star’s LBD. The X motif has just been everywhere this year.
{Image via Point Click Home}

6) IKAT

Ikat has emerged this year as one of the leading trendy fabrics. Even large retailers like Pottery Barn carries Ikat pillows and upholstery. We saw it everywhere- celebs, fashion, homes. It was hard to open up a magazine that didn’t have something Ikat in it!

This kitchen belongs to Erika of the Urban Grace blog- after debating between lots of different fabrics, she ended up getting a Lee Jofa Ikat fabric made into cafe curtains for her kitchen window…it looks absolutely PERFECT for her kitchen. We love!

7) FEMININITY

This year there was no shortage of feminine design. One minute we saw Eva Longoria on the red carpet wearing a big bow, the next, Natalie Portman was prancing around in a gorgeous ruffled dress.

Homes seem to take their cue from fashion, so it’s no surprise that we spotted this beautiful ruffled table skirt in a photo of a feminine looking entry way from Absolutely Beautiful Things blog.

Lace, ruffles, bows, pastels- anything frilly was the theme this year!

#8- ROCKER CHIC

You can always count on Rihanna, the ultimate representation of “rocker chic”, to sport something edgy and fashionable. Whether it’s a new haircut or leather jacket, Rihanna has been making fashion waves for the entirety of 2008!

This room by Candice Olson (taken from Point Click Home) does just the same thing. Daring and unexpected, black walls, a zebra, rug, and gold accents would make this room the ultimate competition on the red carpet.

9) OMBRE

Just the other week, I tried explaining to my mother what “ombre” was…we were at Tarjay and saw an “ombre” shirt and my mom was so confused- “you mean tie-dye?”

Here’s a good definition I found of Ombre for you mom and others out there who might be unsure of this fancy French term.
‘From a French term for “shaded,” ombre is a color effect where the color gradually changes from light to dark over the item of clothing’

Angelina surely stunned those on the red carpet when she wore this Ombre dress (above). Although the ombre was very pretty, most were just very focused on if she was pregnant or not!

Cameron Diaz with the same trendy look…

There aren’t a ton of homes I have seen this year with ombre, but the trend is slowly catching on. I found this image via Coco Kelley. Here, drapes fade from white to blue and give this dining area a nice, serene look.

10) THE “BOYFRIEND” LOOK

Oh dear, this by far is my least favorite fashion trend of all! Had to save the worst for last, I suppose. I think the boyfriend jeans trend looks a bit messy and unkempt on celebs that normally look so polished! The photo of Katie above actually does not look so terrible with heels, but other photos I have seen of her and Posh make them look positively disheveld.


To ahieve the boyfriend look in your own home is not hard…it really just requires a very laid back atmosphere with neutral colors or using navy and reds. Of course, why decorate your own home in the boyfriend style when you can just use your boyfriend’s!! (advice given to me by Katie Cruise, wearing Tom’s jeans on the streets of NY)

And that’s the top 10 trends! However, there was one more trend that we featured a few months ago on our blog, that has gotten a lot of hype and that is the Typography trend!

Statement t-shirts were everywhere on celebs this year-

I am so happy celebs wear statement t-shirts so I can know what’s going on without even reading my Us Weekly!


Homes have mimicked this trend in decor- usually in art pieces, pillows, or other accessories. Nate Berkus’ home seemed to have been a hit with bloggers and readers (especially the “word” art he has hung in the back corner)

In addition to letters, numbers are also used quite often.

And while another year is summarized in trends, here’s to yet another

Happy New Years everyone!

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Often in Us Weekly or People, there will be that article that shows “day” Katie Cruise and “night” Katie Cruise. “Day” Katie will appear with less makeup, large sunglasses, wearing skinny or “boyfriend” jeans, strolling around looking more casual. “Night” Katie has smokey eye makeup, a tight fitting dress or ball gown on, and looking positively stunning- ready for a more formal occasion.

Day Katie

Night Katie

Your tableware should follow this same transformation. It’s always good to have two sets- one that’s more casual for the daytime and another that is more fancy for when dinner guests come over.

I don’t believe in never using your good china either. Something so expensive and special shouldn’t just be collecting dust in your cabinets! Break them out when good friends are over- there is never a better time than today!

I love Cielo Home and its tableware collections that are categorized under Formal Table (night) and Everyday Table (day)

Everyday table:

This dessert plate was designed by renowned Italian designer Missoni (known for their colorful and creative patterns) Retails at $58

Missoni dress (looks similar to the plate above)

Katie also in casual floral for day wear

Another “Everyday” table item- this Checks Round plate was designed by Thomas Kellar

Katie in a similar pattern

Formal Table:

This plate, designed by John Derian, was an Elle Decor award winner! At $158 each, this plate is worth every penny- gorgeous! Every piece is hand signed by John himself. The colors he used look perfect together as does the mini “brooch” looking piece in the center of the design.

Katie with a similar brooch looking design on her dress

This coral “Cristobal” dessert plate, was designed by Alberto Pinto (he is hired by royals and also celebs to design their homes and palaces!) What a fun job. I love the vibrant, deep hue in this plate- I can see this table setting being really dramatic at night- especially if it was paired with black, white and gold!

Katie also breaking out her fiery red for night!

As you can see, there is a time and a place for different sets of china (informal and more formal)…take it from Katie, she won’t be wearing her boyfriend jeans on the red carpet anytime soon!

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Time for shoe design!

Posted By Emily-Dallas | Sep 22, 2008 | 1 Comment | Category: Contests, Fashion

A pair of pink Louboutins to get your creative juices flowing…!

Last year I did a post on the Baylor Hospital/Saks Fifth Avenue Pink Passion Shoe Design and Decorating contest. It was so much fun for me to participate in that I had to let you all know about it again this year!

Runs from September 26th until October 27th….all entries must be submitted by 10/27…All you have to do is submit a shoe that you creatively decorated in PINK to show your passion for fashion and battling breast cancer.

Submit right shoe only in a shoe box to Saks at the Galleria or Baylor. See more details about the contest here. Win a Saks shoe shopping spree valued at $750!

Here is a photo of the shoe I made last year as “booties” were just coming in style, houndstooth was a big thing, as were pink and green, and then I found the perfect fabric that mimicked the Breast Cancer awareness pink ribbons.

“Before and After” shots (can’t say I’ve ever taken those of a shoe before!)

Believe it or not, this shoe took me FOREVER to make- I probably wouldn’t advise anyone to make a bootie and I probably wouldn’t ever make a bootie again either! (glue= everywhere)

I hope you get a chance to participate or even just go up to Saks to see the other entrants- some of them are pretty creative and wild!

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We want more Lepore

Posted By Emily-Dallas | Aug 06, 2008 | 16 Comments | Category: Decorating, Fashion, Magazines

Does this look familiar to you? Maybe you saw it at Z Gallerie for $799. It’s called the Crystal Ship Chandelier…or you might have seen one identical to it gracing the pages of Elle Decor this month in the article on Nanette Lepore’s home! Are these ship chandeliers the new thing? Did I not get the memo?

One thing is for certain, Nanette’s home is colorful, fun, and downright funky. We like those who aren’t afraid of color and will go out on a limb and do something out of the ordinary. You can even see her fearlessness in the clothes she designs…flirty, bold colored, and feminine, Nanette’s fashions are nothing short of runway-worthy which is why I did not expect anythign less from her home…she has great taste and with a little help from designer Jonathon Adler, she had all the tools she needed for a stunning home!

Nanette seems to gravitate towards bright colors- whether warm or cool, each room has its own little personality that comes alive through intense colored drapes, paint, wallcovering, fabrics, cabinets, and even artwork!

Aww- her cute little daughter sits on the custom made daybed…the colors look a little bit like something Nanette would wear herself!

Or create for someone else…

What about this fun and colorful master bedroom? She really knows how to make random hues all come together quite nicely…a vintage mirrored headboard adds some girly glitz to the room

This is her MASTER BEDROOM?! I would have taken this area for her formal living room! I adore the vintage loveseat (upholstered in a Scalamandre fabric) and the vintage sconces are pretty eye catching also. I think I would be content just taking over her Master Bedroom and living within that one room forever!

The green in the master looks a bit like one of her clothing designs, does it not?

Of course Nanette has to have the perfect dressing area for all those clothes!

And what gorgeous dressing room is complete without a toy poodle named Bunny?!

The Chinese Art Deco rug is by ABC Carpet and Home…and her mirrored chest was designed by Raymond Lepore- is this her brother? Anyone know?

On to the kitchen! Red cabinets…oh my! Only the boldest of the bold can pull this one off in my opinion…was the little red dress below on her mind when she designed her kitchen?

Her house just isn’t complete without a girly Dining Room. I would LOVE to have a wall of portraits some day. Mindy Weiss did it and so did Nanette. It would be a fun way to keep up a collection over years and years (which is something I don’t normally do) because I am way too impatient! It’s funny that the girls in the portraits bear a striking resemblance to her runway models!


Ahh the Living Area (excuse me, “parlor”) of her Manhattan townhome…Adler designed her coffee table and her sofa was upholstered in Designer’s Guild fabric. I’m sure you recognized the Knoll chairs! Lepore designed the rug.

This soft yellow shade looks familiar!

To counteract the soft yellow drapes, Lepore/Adler chose to use dark velvet furniture to ground the space…colors like the ones from the dress above were pulled in to the parlor area to darken it up.

Nanette puts my house to shame! I am now questioning myself and whether I have put enough color in my decor, if I have experimented enough with each room, and if I have let loose enough in my own home’s design! I wanted a softer more relaxing palette but hey, Nanette’s house is looking pretty good right about now!

Make her be a lesson to all of us that the sky is the limit and don’t be afraid to use lots of color! You only live once…

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Towel Style

Posted By Emily-Dallas | May 23, 2008 | 5 Comments | Category: Fashion

It’s finally heating up here in Dallas and I think this weekend will be nice enough to lay out by the pool! Check out these Tory Burch beach towels- perfect for summer and you will be the most stylish gal at the pool that’s for sure….

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Chez Chanel

Posted By Emily-Dallas | Apr 21, 2008 | 8 Comments | Category: Decorating, Fashion

I love getting a good glimpse into the home of a celebrity, as you all have probably figured out! The interior of a home can just say so much about a person (captures his or her real personality, background, and style- things that even the sneakiest of paparazzi can’t dig up!) The home is such a personal part of one’s life and a rare facet of a celebrity that we do not get to see very often. Where do they go when the paparazzi are all gone, the red carpet rolled up, and the movie cameras stop rolling? Do they favor modern or traditional style in their home? It’s so incredibly intriguing to me that we have decided to profile more and more celebrity homes in the future…but to start with- here’s a look into Coco Chanel’s apartment!

This celebrity home profile is unique because Chanel has developed into such a great international fashion legend and it’s cheating a bit because her “home” that we are examining was actually on the third floor of her Chanel store at 31 Rue Cambon in Paris. She mainly just entertained and worked here- she really had a place at the Ritz down the street; however, this third floor apartment is so elegant and fascinating that I had to share with you all! Everything is still in its place from her death in 1971…

Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel- introduced one of the most famous perfumes in the world (Chanel No. 5) in 1922 and her signature little black dress in 1926. Her fashion creations could be described as relaxed, casual and more masculine than the previous decades had been. She was a bit of a fashion rebel- designing suits, short skirts, purses, women’s trousers, dresses, and costume jewelry. After she died, Karl Lagerfeld took over her empire in ’83.

An old photo of Chanel’s apartment

The mirrored staircase up to Chanel’s apartment- built so she could stand in one spot and see what was happening on every floor of the Chanel store! Genius!

The fabulous dressing rooms below her apartment

A chandelier in her home that had interlocking 5′s and C’s

Chanel’s sitting room- I love all the books displayed and the opulent gold mirror above the sofa. Her sofa is upholstered in suede beige which was very unusual for that time.

Birdcage in her Sitting Room

Chinese screens she used as wallcovering…

Her exquisite Dining Room…I love all the symmetry!

Celebs sporting the Chanel look

Keira Knightley was chosen to be the new face of Chanel- replacing Kate Moss. A short film was made with the star acting as a “modern day Chanel”. Go here to watch the video and to get a virtual tour of Chanel’s apartment! It’s pretty interesting actually.

One of my favorite websites is Claudia’s The Paris Apartment- she sells gorgeous furniture and accessories like the bench above- incredible pieces that you would see in a Paris apartment such as Chanel’s. Click here to read her fascinating blog!

Chanel once told Harper’s Bazaar that “simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance” which I think is even true in Interior Design- sometimes less can be more and I love looking to Chanel for inspiration in her sophisticated fashion designs and in her home.

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Prints Charming

Posted By Emily-Dallas | Feb 27, 2008 | 2 Comments | Category: Fabric, Fashion

I saw an ad for the new Spring collection at Banana and there was one dress in particular that I would die to have the fabric for to put on a pillow. With a little more researching on their website, I found a ton of their new Spring prints that I wish I could use somehow in home decor. Don’t you just hate when you find great geometric prints but they just so happen to be on a dress! So I am using these photos as inspiration- as I always say, what’s in style now in fashion will soon follow in home decor!

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