63rd Primetime Emmy Awards: Who Wore What? Zooey Deschanel in Monique Lhuillier Resort 2012

Zooey Deschanel in Monique Lhuillier Resort 2012: Actress Zooey Deschanel presented an award at tonight's Primetime Emmy Awards in a soft pink/dusty rose strapless ball gown from Monique Lhuillier's Resort 2012 Collection. At first I thought it was Oscar de la Renta or even Carolina Herrera, but nope, it was a Lhuillier. I like the gown, I'm just not sure about the "Modified Snooki" hairstyle. Slicked back and chic--like in the model--might have been a better route.

Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011: Christian Dior

A Tribute to René Gruau...

Grace Kelly 2011: Dior Haute Couture Spring 2011

Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011 Fashion Week began yesterday in Paris, following the Menswear Shows--and so the "Oscars Gowns Race" begins...First up Christian Dior Haute Couture by John Galliano.

Theme: It was a Tribute to renowned illustrator... René Gruau (above) who worked for numerous magazines including Elle, L'Officiel, Vogue, and Marie Claire, among others, as well as doing several of the Dior ad campaigns.

He gave life to the stunning Haute Couture creations in the magazines showing the exaggerated shapes and ultra elegant emotions only Haute Couture can emote. As a result, Gruau popularized and expanded its worldwide appeal.

Oscar Gown, No Alterations Needed: On a non-5'11" actress, this will hit the FLOOR, Dior Haute Couture Spring 2011

Trends: For Spring 2011, Galliano played on the "Ultimate Dior Muse": Wasp-waisted, 50's silhouettes; High-low (shorter in front, longer in back) dresses; Grace Kelly in Monaco-meets-Princess Soraya of Iran; Vermillion reds, rose pinks, nudes, ivory, bronzed copper, ombre iridescent shadings; Gowns, Gowns and More Gowns (it's COUTURE darlings!).

Office Couture: Dior Haute Couture Spring 2011

Tim Blanks, of Style.com said this: It was remarkable that such extravagance managed to capture the speed, the spontaneity, the airiness, even the economy of the illustrator's work. Opulently swagged tops and gowns bobbed and floated like billowing sails. One utterly gorgeous thing hid roses in clouds of white marabou. Dior's New Look was an obvious source point for skirts that flared from corseted waists or dropped pencil-thin to below the knee from rounded hips.

Here I offer some of my favorites which you might see at the Academy Awards Red Carpet...

High-Low Ball: Rose pink strapless ball gown, Dior Haute Couture Spring 2011

Pink Swan Natalie Portman Couture: Dior Haute Couture Spring 2011

Tilda Swinden: Strapless Gown, Dior Haute Couture Spring 2011

Vintage Dior: Another "Oscar Candidate", The "twisted drape" strapless gown above from Dior Haute Couture Spring 2011 reminds me A LOT of...

This iconic Compiègne ball gown from Dior's 1954 Collection. Sublime...and worth repeating. Kudos Galliano and House of Dior Haute Couture Atelier!

Click Below for Dior Haute Couture Spring 2011 Runway Video:

Beauty Pageant Holiday Edition:Two Miss Frances--Lots of Ball Gowns and One DIVA Genevieve de Fontenay!

La Plus Jolie...

Miss France 2011 Laurie Thilleman

Last week,the country of France crowned two new beauty queens...First, there was the "official" Miss France 2011, held in Caen, Basse-Normandy and shown live on TF1. The winner was "Miss Bretagne" Laurie Thilleman. As a result of being crowned "Miss France 2011", she will now go on to represent her country in the "Miss Universe 2011" pageant.

She was voted on by the viewers and the ever-so-dashing Alain Delon (seen above with the Winner) as well as the new Pageant Director (more on that below), former Miss France 2002 Sylvie Tellier, were on hand for the crowning moment.

Belle of The Ball: Miss Bretagne and now new Miss France 2011 Laurie Thilleman

During the evening gown portion, all the contestants/finalists wore almost-the-same strapless ball gowns (they do that every year it seems), which is interesting, in that you really do not get a sense of: A) Whether they have tacky taste or not; B) Does not show their individuality; and C) It makes it for a kind of boring and uneventful "Evening Gown" portion, which is surprising coming from the Country of Haute Couture!!

If anyone is going to "bring it on", in terms of the evening gown portion, one would expect it would be the Miss France Pageant! Well, speaking of tacky, at least they got to wear these Cheetah-print get-ups (hot shorts and Booties!) for their "introduction".

Nothing says "Klassy with a K" like Cheetah Print Hot-Pants and a peplum sleeveless trench coat.

The new Miss France 2011 does have an amazing athletic figure so I presume Croissants and Camembert de Normandie cheese are not in her diet plan.

Now onto the Controversy (of course, there is one, IT'S BEAUTY PAGEANTS!!!), and why there is a SECOND Miss France:

78 year old Genevieve de Fontenay (above) has been the Empress of French Beauty for over half a century, being the former President of both Miss France and Miss Europe. She sold Miss France to Endemol--an international TV Distribution and Production Company based in the Netherlands but with subsidiaries in over 23 countries. Endemol is known for producing lots of reality shows, including the French version of Big Brother--"Secret Story". This last year, La Diva de Fontenay--famous for her Haute Couture black and white suits and matching hats--had a big fallout with Endemol.

The New (Second) Miss France: Miss Nationale Genevieve de Fontenay 2011 Barbara Morel

So, Voila! She's OUT of THERE...and decided to stage her own pageant to compete with "Miss France", and called it "Miss Nationale Genevieve de Fontenay 2011". I just LOVE that! It's like "Miss Universe DONALD TRUMP". Such a DIVA, she had to put her name in the pageant's title. The winner--this time picked by jury--was 19 year old Barbara Morel, from Provence. Funny enough, the finalists (in this pageant) once again, also wore very Quinceañera -looking ball gowns. Please tell me this is not a trend. Please. By the way, she'll go on to represent her country in the Miss International Pageant.

So there you have it Pageant Kiddies: Two Miss France winners, and a lot of tacky Cinderella Ball gowns...Au Revoir!

Click Below for the Crowning of Miss France 2011:

Click Below to watch the Crowning of Miss Nationale Genevieve de Fontenay: