Stuffs
[ STYLE FILE ]
New cocktail gowns raise
a toast to their inspirations
You might say Colleen Quen's last trip to Honolulu three years ago drove her to drink. In a good way, of course. It was all in the name of research for a woman who would normally blush her way through a single round.
But there she was, in her hometown of San Francisco, slugging back martinis and Manhattans at the Red Room, sipping Cosmopolitans and Green Dragons at the Olive Bar, hopping from one trendy watering hole to the next, then confessing, "I was totally a virgin when it came to all that."
'Vive le Cocktail'
Exhibition of designs by Colleen QuenOn display: C.S. Wo Gallery, 702 S. Beretania St.
When: Saturday through Feb. 29 during store hours, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Admission: Free
Call: 543-5388
This is the same woman who, while looking out across the vast Pacific Ocean, saw one giant pitcher of Blue Hawaii.
Her inspiration turned into a fluid Grecian-style gown of silk chiffon dubbed Blue Hawaii, with a long waterfall sash that cascades around the body. It's now part of a 20-piece collection of cocktail dresses, dubbed "Vive le Cocktail," with dress names any mixologist would know by heart.
She's bringing six of her cocktail dresses -- as well as one ball gown paying tribute to Toulouse-Lautrec from her fall/winter 2004 Impressionists-inspired "Fleurtation" Collection -- to C.S. Wo for a display that will continue to the end of the month. Also on view will be paper-and-wire sculptures by Corinne Okada Takara.
COURTESY COLLEEN QUEN
The Tequila Sunrise, $3,500, in bright orange silk chiffon, has a fitted bodice and bouffant skirt with graduated hemline.
Following the Hawaii exhibition, Quen will head home to prepare for a New York show next month. For now, focusing on cocktails was probably the best decision she could have made, given some of her other island encounters.
"I had a lot of plate lunches," she said by phone from her SOMA studio. "I guess I could have made a laulau dress.
"But I love nature, and I would look out from the hotel and see your beautiful ocean. This time, we (she and furniture designer husband Rick Lee) rented a house right on the beach."
Who knows what will come of this trip, and although designing tends to be a solitary pursuit, she hasn't gone wanting for assistance in researching her cocktail collection.
"My friends who drink said, 'Let me take you,' and I really got into observing the whole style of the drinks, like the pinky color of the Cosmopolitan, and the martini, which translated into little accordion pleats so you can shake it up to be sexy and flirty.
"I just wanted to have fun with it and want this to be an everlasting collection, one I can add to as new drinks are created, and if someone has a favorite drink, I could create a dress to match."
COURTESY COLLEEN QUEN
The Madame Butterfly Kiss features 20 yards of tulle under a bouffant skirt, at $3,000.
Those who saw her last show here in January 2001 will remember the theatrical ball gowns that, while beautiful to look at, could be pulled off only by true divas. This time around, her garments -- though still exhibiting the architectural precision of someone whose role models are Christian Dior and Cristobel Balenciaga -- are softer and wearable, often found in translucent silk chiffons "that flow. They have a lot of movement," she said.
Party girls can swish their way around a room in Quen's Madame Butterfly Kiss dress in butterfly-print silk with a fitted bodice and full skirt that won't tame a petticoat made from 20 yards of tulle.
And any wearer is guaranteed to make a grand entrance in the Tequila Sunrise, a bright orange confection in silk chiffon, with a fitted V-neck bodice and bouffant skirt that starts out short in the front, growing longer in the back, with a floral garnish at the waist.
Prices range from $600 to $3,500, considerably less than her gowns, at up to $14,000.
As for Quen's drinking, she hasn't stopped yet, having discovered the beauty of her current favorite, the mojito -- a refreshing blend of rum, club soda, simple syrup and a touch of mint -- though she hasn't come up for a dress to match it. Her concern: "I don't want it to look to plant-ish, like aloe vera."
But, that could just be an excuse for more research.
Cheers!
COURTESY COLLEEN QUEN
The flirty Saketini comes in tones of pink, red and orange.
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Shades of red are perfect for lips
Red is the color of Valentine's Day, and kissable lips are Hollywood makeup artist Julie Hewett's signature. She's the one who created the 1940s starlet red for the women of "Pearl Harbor" and turned Mina Suvari and Natasha McElhone into objects of men's obsessions in "American Beauty" and "Solaris," respectively.Hewett's collection of reds, Julie Hewett Noir, is available at www.juliehewett.net.
There are eight "reds" and one called "Nude Noir," a frosty pink-gold that doesn't add much color, but moisturizes with the same mix of antioxidants -- vitamin E, grape seed oil and camellia oil -- as the other lipsticks, to keep lips luscious sans ChapStick.
Although some women claim they can't wear red, Hewett came up with the colors to match different types of skin and hair coloring:
Rouge Noir: Classic true red inspired by Hollywood's glamour era to balance smoky eyes.Each lipstick is priced at $20. Matching lip liners are $12.Coco Noir: A tawny red that works for all women.
Femme Noir: Blue-red is perfect for blondes and brunettes with pale to ivory skin.
Belle Noir: Coral red created for redheads and olive-skinned brunettes. Worn by Julia Roberts in "Mona Lisa Smile."
Sin Noir: A sultry aubergine red for all skin tones.
Film Noir: Deep blackberry stain complements pale and olive complexions.
Gem Noir: Jewel-toned red can be used on the face for a rosy cheeks-in-snow complexion perfect for all skin tones.
Oona Noir: Inspired by Charlie Chaplin's late wife, this rich cranberry red works with pale skin and dark hair.
Nadine Kam
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