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Tribeca Film Festival Fashion Moment: The Director Documentary Stars Gucci’s Frida Giannini, and It’s a Must-See for Fashion Lovers

Apr 23, 2013 @ 5:00 pm

Over 100 films are being screened during the Tribeca Film Festival in New York this week, and this is the one we’d vote for if we were jurors: The Director: An Evolution in Three Acts. The documentary goes behind the normally-private world of Gucci creative director Frida Giannini’s design process to show her involvement in directing everything, from selecting final looks for runway shows to auditioning models (watch the trailer above). “For me, clothes are always first a way for people to be seductive,” Giannini reveals in the film. “I don’t think the power woman needs to be necessarily hard. You can be sweet and sensual, and feminine. I think that is the strongest part.” The film was produced by James Franco—who, coincidentally, also happens to be the face of Gucci’s men’s colognes—and was directed by by Franco’s one-time New York University classmate Christina Voros. Is your interest piqued? Scroll down to read six things that solidified our girl crush on Frida Giannini after watching the film. More

— Meghan Blalock

Oz the Great and Powerful Opens Today: James Franco’s Surprising Favorite Character, Plus the Sequel That’s Coming!

Mar 8, 2013 @ 12:25 pm

Courtesy Disney (2)

James Franco stars as the titular Oz in Oz the Great in Powerful, in theaters today. And while we think it’s a lucky gig, considering that his leading ladies include InStyle‘s March cover girls, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, and Rachel Weisz, we were surprised to learn that it was another character from the Wonderful original that sparked his interest in the series (yep, series—Disney just announced that there would be a sequel). “Looking back, I would say, if I identified with anyone, it would have been the Scarecrow,” Franco told InStyle.com at the Cinema Society screening of Oz earlier this week, just a few days before receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “I was a huge fan of Oz when I was a boy and read all the books.” Even more than the iconic set of characters the novels were known for, though, Franco loved the fantasy element of the film. “It was more about how I was transported to fantastical land, that was the main attraction for me.” A fun reason, indeed! Visit disney.go.com to find out where Oz is playing near you.

Plus, see our cover shoot video with the Wonderful Witches of Oz!

OZ COVER SHOOT

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• Shop Glinda and Theadora’s Couture Costumes
• First Look: HSN’s Oz-Inspired Collection Lookbook
• Emmy Rossum’s Dorothy-Inspired Look for Oz

— Rose Walano

Which Oscar Host Has Most Dapper Style? Vote in the Poll!

Feb 25, 2013 @ 9:00 am

APImages; Getty Images (4)

Over the years there have a been a slew of handsome gentleman to take the stage as host of the Academy Awards. But who should take home the award for most dapper of them all? Seth MacFarlane entertained the crowd last night in a classic tuxedo by Gucci, for his duties James Franco wore a traditional black bow tie, last year’s emcee Billy Crystal went for a three-piece tuxedo, Steve Martin changed it up with a silver neck tie, and Alec Baldwin wore a classic tux. Which host do you think had the best style? Vote below!

Vote below for which host has your favorite dapper style!

DAPPER OSCAR HOSTS

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• Oscars: InStyle’s Behind-the-Scenes Instagram
• Designers Pick Oscars Gowns
• Who’s Bradley Cooper’s Oscars Date?

— Jennifer Davis

Courtesy Photo (3)

Exclusive First Look: HSN’s Oz-Inspired Collection Lookbook

Feb 14, 2013 @ 8:00 am

HSN is headed to the land of Oz! The network called upon some of its designers—Naeem Khan and Steve Madden included—to create custom pieces inspired by the new movie, Oz The Great and Powerful, and InStyle.com has a exclusive sneak peek of the lookbook showing off all their creations. The full line features pieces inspired by all the story’s classical female characters (who are also our March cover stars!), both good and wicked: Glinda (Michelle Williams), Evanora (Rachel Weisz), and Theodora (Mila Kunis), as well as the magical, colorful land that is Oz. Click through the gallery to see a sampling of the pieces you’ll find, and shop them on hsn.com starting March 1, just a week before the film’s release.

— Meghan Blalock

See the Photos

Courtesy Photo (4); Time Inc. Digital Photo Studio

OPI to Release Oz: The Great and Powerful Nail Polish

Jan 3, 2013 @ 12:20 pm

OPI is bringing magic to your fingertips! The nail brand is set to launch a seven-piece range inspired by Disney’s upcoming film O z: The Great and Powerful. “This collection captures the whimsy seen in the film, from glittery shades packed with white, gold, and iridescent confetti, to soft neutrals,” said OPI’s executive VP and artistic director Suzi Weiss-Fischmann. “The rich taupe hue (left) was designed for James Franco’s character, the great Wizard of Oz, and is sure to make a bold statement this spring.” And the antique metallic shade has a dose of sorcery built in—the lacquer features OPI’s new Liquid Sand effect, which creates a matte pebbled texture using small glitter particles. Click through the gallery to preview the entire collection, and shop the shades in stores starting in March for $9 each.

— Marianne Mychaskiw

See the Photos

Oz: The Great and Powerful: Watch the New Trailer

Nov 14, 2012 @ 2:30 pm

Disney just released another promotional clip for Oz: The Great and Powerful, the first one since July. The new one—watch it above—gives us an even better look into the Sam Raimi-directed film, which is the prequel story to the infamous tale of Dorothy and her yellow brick road. James Franco portrays the man before the wizard—a magician from Kansas who boards a hot-air balloon and gets caught up in a twister that takes him to the mysterious land of Oz. There, he meets Theodora the Good Witch (Mila Kunis), her sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz), and the incomparable Glinda (Michelle Williams). But are his powers real, or are the people of Oz just bewitched by his showy skills? And will he defeat the Wicked Witch in time to claim the ultimate treasure? Guess we’ll have to wait until the film opens March 8th to find out!

Plus, see Michelle Williams’s best looks ever!

michelle's looks

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• Our Favorite Star-Crossed Couples on Film
• The 25 Most Iconic Movie Kisses
• Mila Kunis’s Day to Night Style Tip

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— Meghan Blalock

James Franco’s Stuart Weitzman Video: Watch It Here

Oct 24, 2012 @ 12:40 pm

Writer-director-actor James Franco teamed up with shoe designer Stuart Weitzman to create a series of four vignettes entitled “Walking After Midnight,” starring supermodel and Dancing With the Stars alum Petra Nemcova. The first debuted at the beginning of the month with Nemcova showing off the latest stiletto and boot styles, and now Weitzman and Franco are giving InStyle.com a first look at the entire film, which you can watch above. Inspired by the ‘80s cult classic film Mondo New York, Franco’s piece shows Nemcova striding through the largely-deserted streets and clubs of New York to a modern remake of a Patsy Kline song, also titled “Walking After Midnight,” by the band Girl in a Coma. “I had heard about Petra before the shoot, and after seeing her images I knew she would be great,” Franco told InStyle.com of working the model, who he dressed in a wedding-inspired veil and lingerie for part of the video. “She was a pleasure. She was up for anything and nothing could faze her. She has a pure spirit and great natural beauty. I’d work with her again in a second.” Watch Franco’s work in the clip above.

Plus, see our favorite fall shoes in our shoe guide!

SHOE FAVORITES!

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• Kate Middleton’s Stuart Weitzman Boots
• Weitzman’s 2nd Young Hollywood Cares Collection
• Franco’s 7 For All Mankind Tees

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— Meghan Blalock

Watch the Film James Franco Directed for Stuart Weitzman

Oct 4, 2012 @ 4:26 pm

Is there anything James Franco can’t do? Stuart Weitzman hired the actor-director-writer-graduate-student to create a series of four vignettes entitled “Walking After Midnight,” starring supermodel and Dancing With the Stars alum Petra Nemcova. The first vignette, called “The Backflip,” was released on the Stuart Weitzman Facebook page (watch it above), and the subsequent three will debut there as well—one every Wednesday through October. Set to a modern re-make of Patsy Kline’s song of the same name, the shorts show Nemcova wearing the brand’s signature stilettos and boots as she strides through the largely deserted streets of New York. The goal is to demonstrate that “that no matter how high the heel, Stuart Weitzman stilettos can take you from day to night,” according to a statement from the brand. (It’s true: Stuart’s shoes are really comfortable—just ask Kate Middleton!) Check out the clip above and keep an eye out for more to come.

Plus, see our favorite shoes in our Ultimate Shoe Guide.

SHOE GUIDE

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• Kate Middleton’s Stuart Weitzman Boots
• Weitzman’s 2nd Young Hollywood Cares Collection
• Franco’s 7 For All Mankind Tees More

— Meghan Blalock